North Judson

The North Judson Board of Zoning Appeals this week considered a request for a zoning variance from a town resident who is interested in running an internet gun sale service from his home, currently classified as a single-family residential dwelling. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that resident Jason LaMantia Sr. requested the variance to a commercial zoning to allow him to run the business, but a number of concerned residents spoke up against the request at the board meeting.

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Mint Festival planning is in full swing as officials prepare for the upcoming event that’s just a month away. North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said a regular meeting was held last night to make sure the planning for all the different festival events is on track, and as the event continues to draw near, Henry said the committee will be working tirelessly to get all the loose ends tied up to have a successful festival.

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A North Judson man pleaded guilty to the charges against him and received a discretionary sentence in the Starke Circuit Court yesterday afternoon. Henry Allen, 53, pleaded guilty to a charge of Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon, a Class C felony, and was sentenced to eight years in the Department of Corrections.

Henry was arrested in September 2012 after a bullet fired from his gun went through the bedroom window of his neighbor’s home and grazed a young girl’s back. Donnie Greer told police that shortly after midnight he heard a crash in his daughter’s room and when he went to investigate he found a bullet hole in the window and his daughter injured.

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A North Judson man was sentenced to a total of seven years in the Indiana Department of Corrections in a sentencing hearing in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning.

Jeffrey Jacobs, 39, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state to three counts: Domestic Battery as a Class D felony, Battery as a Class D felony and Resisting Law Enforcement as a Class A misdemeanor.

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The recommended plea agreement in the case of Connie Miller was rejected by Special Judge Jerome Frese in St. Joseph County Court Monday morning.

The recommendation was that Miller plead guilty to three counts of Theft which would be served concurrently. Those sentences would then be suspended to be served on probation with one year of home detention through Starke County Community Corrections. The restitution amount would be $52,044 as a settlement between Miller and the Attorney General’s Office.

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The Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry is still weighing and sorting the food donated by the Knox and North Judson communities following the Stamp Out Hunger campaign organized by the Campbell Soup Company and the National Association of Letter Carriers. On May 11, Americans were asked to put nonperishable food items in a bag near their mailbox to allow letter carriers to pick them up and donate the items to local food pantries across the nation, stocking the shelves of food pantries in America just in time for summer.

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A special judge in South Bend has rejected former North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller’s plea agreement. Jerome Frese told Miller he will not accept anything less than six years as punishment for the theft of more than $74,000 in public funds from the town of North Judson between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2011.

The plea agreement would have sentenced Miller to three years on each count to be served concurrently and each of those sentences would be suspended to be served on probation. As part of the recommended plea agreement, Miler would be required to pay court costs, probation fees and serve one year on home detention through Starke County Community Corrections. She would also have to pay restitution of $52,044.

Again, that plea agreement was rejected by Judge Frese. A hearing in the matter has been set for June 7 at 10 a.m. ET in St. Joseph County.

A sentencing hearing for former North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller will be Monday, May 13 at 9 a.m. ET in St. Joseph Superior Court.

A sentence will be handed down by Special Judge Jerome Frese.

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The town of North Judson received an update on the repairs being done to the railroad crossing on U.S. 30 near Hanna. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said the town board learned that INDOT awarded the bid to E&L Paving, and Henry explained that INDOT took the bids and told the council who submitted the lowest bid for the council to approve.

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The North Judson Town Board once again postponed the first reading of the town’s schedule of fees ordinance, and Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry said that was because they once again made a minor revision to the ordinance and will have to put it off until the next meeting on May 20. But, since the town is facing no particular deadline to get the ordinance passed, Henry said they’re taking their time to ensure they get it right.

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The North Judson Town Board Monday night heard from some concerned citizens regarding a zoning variance request from a town resident who is seeking to run an internet gun sale service from his home. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that resident Jason LaMantia Sr. is seeking a variance from single-family residential zoning to a commercial zoning in order to allow him to run the business, but Henry said a number of citizens attended the meeting to gather more information on the request.

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Application distribution dates are approaching for the Mint Festival pageant, and Festival Committee Member Teresa Trout said the committee has been working hard to get the event planning wrapped up. The committee is currently taking applications and have set aside five days this month to distribute applications at the North Judson Public Library and the Starke County Public Library.

Pageant sign-up sheets are available today at the Starke County Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m. The sign-up sheets will also be available at the library in Knox on May 10 from 3 to 5 p.m., and on May 11, sign-ups will take place at the North Judson Public Library from 10 a.m. to noon. On May 13, the North Judson Public Library will once again host sign-ups from 5 to 7 p.m.

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The North Judson-San Pierre School Board has set its sights on offering a new class at the high school. Superintendent Lynn Johnson explained the corporation is looking to offer a business math class to high school students next year, and a special meeting was held yesterday morning to get the board’s approval to look into textbooks and other materials necessary for the class.

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Funeral services for John Risner, 77, of North Judson, are Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. CDT at Braman & Bailey Funeral Home in North Judson. Visitation is Friday, May 3 from 4-8 p.m.