Those looking for work will have the chance to meet with several local employers tomorrow in Knox. WorkOne Northwest Indiana and the Starke County Economic Development Foundation are teaming up to host a job fair at the Knox High School Gym.
Safety Upgrades Suggested for Winamac Town Park’s West Entrance
The Winamac Park Board is once again looking at safety upgrades for the west entrance to the Town Park. During a special meeting Monday, resident Brian Ledley told board members it’s difficult to see oncoming traffic while walking west on Main Street. He pointed out that while the street has a sidewalk, it contains steps. That makes it unsuitable for strollers and wheelchairs.
Date and Fee Established for Annual Town Wide Garage Sale in North Judson
Requests pertaining to the date and permit fee for the North Judson town-wide yard sale were brought before the town council during their meeting last Monday.
Billing Clerk Jennifer Vanek asked council members if the annual sale could be held on the first Saturday in August, which will be the 4th. She also requested that the yard sale permit fee, which typically costs $10, be reduced to $5 for the event. Continue reading
KHS Life Skills Class is Hosting Their 2nd Annual Color Run Fund Raiser This Saturday
The Knox High School Life Skills Class is hosting their 2nd annual Color Run this Saturday and there’s still time to sign-up!
The Color Run is an untimed 3-mile fun run for all ages and fitness abilities. Along the route, runners pass through vibrant “color zones” where powered-dye if playfully thrown at the participants. The course will end with a “finish fest” that will feature a DJ, door prizes and a cook-out hosted by the National Guard.
Event organizer Tiffany Hoar, said they’re already expecting two times more participants than last year! As the teacher for the Life Skills class at Knox High school, she works with students who have mild and moderate cognitive disabilities. Continue reading
Community Group Aimed at Preparing for Future Natural Disasters Meets This Evening
Community members aimed at addressing needs during a natural disaster will be meeting this evening to establish some guidelines for emergency events.
The Starke County Community Organizations Active in Disaster group will be looking at future needs and reviewing some things that may have been overlooked during the most recent mass emergency when we experienced major flooding in February.
Emergency Management Agency Director J. Nier, Starke County Council President Brad Hazelton and other officials will be obtaining and delivering information about where individuals can be adequately housed during a disaster, potential donation locations and establishing the chain of command for certain issues. Continue reading
North Judson-San Pierre School Board to Consider General Obligation Bond
North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin recently informed school board members that the school’s existing debt is about to drop significantly in 2019. First covered during their work session on April 4th, Zupin reviewed the matter during last Tuesday’s school board meeting.
She said in order to maintain the school’s current rate, additional debt has to be taken on.
She explained, “The debt service fund is for annual debt obligations and really is helpful for schools because it’s a way for us to maintain our school facilities, buy some equipment and make sure that we have what our students need.” Continue reading
Knox Kindergarten Countdown Program Gets $15,000 Grant from Hardesty Fund
Winamac Town Park Restroom, Toddler Playground Discussed during Public Hearing
The Winamac Park Board discussed some of its plans for the Town Park with a small group of local residents during a public hearing Monday. Park Board President Courtney Poor explained that the board plans to apply for a federally-funded Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. “What this is for is two things,” he said. “We want to build a new restroom and we’re looking for some help for that over at the park, and we also want to completely revamp, if possible, the small children’s playground and to make it ADA-compliant, as best we can.”
Knox City Council Meets Tonight
An appropriation hearing will be held over the 2018 General Obligation Bond issue when Knox City Council members meet tonight at 7 p.m.
Additionally, members will consider two ordinances on second and final reading. One ordinance is to authorize the sale of the general obligation bond for the fire truck and the other will approve the appropriation of the bond. Continue reading
Culver Town Council to Discuss Elkay Tax Abatement, Water Meter Upgrades
Downtown Additions Discussed During North Judson Town Council Meeting
North Judson Town Council members considered the purchase of 30 new banners from OTES Signs and Graphics when they met last Monday.
Councilman James Young explained that the town already has the mounting brackets and hardware needed to hang them, so they would just need to buy the banners themselves. He said the price for all 30 banners came to $960, which breaks down to $32 per banner.
He added that the look of the new banners would be consistent with existing signage, “With a design that would look similar to what we have coming into town, it just says ‘Welcome to North Judson’, something bright and colorful.” Continue reading
Reminder That Work Will Start Today on US 35 Railroad Crossing in Knox
Motorists are reminded that work will begin today on the US 35 railroad crossing in Knox. The Mayor’s Office recently issued a press release to alert residents that Norfolk Southern will be closing the crossing for repairs and maintenance.
This closure will be in effect beginning today, Monday, April 23rd at 8 a.m. Depending on weather conditions, the crossing is anticipated to re-open on Thursday, May 3rd at 5 p.m. Continue reading
Starke County Prosecutor Leads School Safety Convocation for Knox Middle School Students
Knox Middle School students are being urged to be proactive when it comes to school safety. Principal Josh Pugh updated the school board last week on a recent school safety convocation led by Starke County Prosecutor Nick Bourff.
North Judson Book of Codes and Ordinances to Undergo Reviews
North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe and Code Enforcement Officer Joe Leszek plan to go over the town’s book of ordinances soon to check for any necessary revisions or amendments.
Clerk-Treasurer Rowe said that the last time ordinances were put together was in 2007, so the codes are overdue for some review. Aside from retracting any outdated or unneeded codes and updating existing ones, Leszek said there also needs to be something added that implements consequences for repeat offenders or people who fail to comply after a warning has been issued.
The Code Enforcement Officers explained, “We write somebody a ticket, that person doesn’t pay the ticket and they don’t take care of the violation or they do the pay the ticket but they still don’t take care of the violation, so where do we escalate from there? Is there a fee? First offense is $50 and the second offense goes up to whatever amount Marshal Fisher or the board finds appropriate.”
Francesville Sells Surplus Vehicles
Selling a couple surplus vehicles has brought in some extra money for the Town of Francesville. Clerk-Treasurer Linda Bennett says the old police car and tractor both sold for more than their minimum asking price, during an auction earlier this month.
Researchers Provide Findings From Opioid Study at Healthcare Foundation of La Porte Presentation
Three researchers from the Center for Health Policy at Indiana University’s Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health presented their findings from the La Porte County Opioid Study at the Purdue Northwest Westville campus on Thursday.
Among the researchers was Policy Analyst Harold Kooreman who discussed the staggering statistics that were gathered while working on the study. He shared the most recent snapshot of what the opioid crisis looks like in America. Continue reading
Culver Police Department Participated in Increased Impaired and Dangerous Driving Patrols in March
In March of 2017, the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day had the highest number of crashes involving impaired drivers.
Last year, the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration purchased more than 1,755 portable breath tests for Indiana law-enforcement agencies and an additional 836 devices are being purchased this year. Continue reading
Knox Schools Once Again Included in ‘Best Communities for Music Education’ List
The Knox Community School Corporation is once again being recognized for its music programs. Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart read a letter from Band Director Craige Phipps to the school board Tuesday. “‘For the third year in a row, Knox Community Schools has been named a Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation,'” Reichhart read. Continue reading
Winamac Park Board Seeks Public Input, Ahead of Grant Application
Winamac residents will have a chance to weigh in on the town’s application for grant funds for park upgrades. The town’s park board plans to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to help pay for new restrooms and new equipment for the toddler playground in the Town Park. The park board has money available for both projects from donations, but the grant would allow the town to buy even more playground equipment, while saving some of the Park Gift Fund for future projects.
Culver Students Help Build Houses for Families in Mexico
A group of Culver students recently went to Mexico to help improve the living conditions of local families. The Culver School Board heard a presentation Monday from Culver Community High School students Cody Rieckhoff and RT Roberts. They, along with Marcella Cooper, joined a group of about 40 students from Culver Academies on a spring break mission trip.
