PLYMOUTH – The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety approved two requests Monday — one to accommodate a mobile bookstore downtown and another to prepare for potential measles testing in response to an ongoing outbreak affecting northern Indiana.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynn Gorski presented a request from Hinterland Bookery to block off two parking spaces at 113 East LaPorte Street on Sunday, November 29, and Saturday, December 19, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
The mobile bookstore, owned and operated by Joe Germick and his wife, Justine Johnson, is based in Plymouth. The couple launched the business in September 2025 as a traveling secondhand bookstore on wheels. Joe manages the day-to-day operations and curates the shop, which partners with local breweries, cafes, and shops across northern Indiana and Michigan to bring pre-loved books directly to readers throughout the Michiana region.
The Board of Public Works and Safety unanimously approved the parking space request in a 5-0 vote.
The board also approved a request from Public Health Administrator Jackie Franks for a temporary, as-needed closure of the dead-end portion of South Dora Lane to establish a drive-through measles testing site.
Franks explained that with the ongoing measles outbreak affecting northern Indiana and the potential need for the Marshall County Health Department to rapidly expand its local testing capacity, the closure would allow the department to set up a drive-through site that could safely and efficiently serve residents while minimizing exposure risks to the public and healthcare facilities.
Franks cited several advantages to the location. South Dora Lane is directly adjacent to the back of the County Health Department, where the lab is housed, allowing for efficient staffing and operations. Because the street is a dead end, it provides controlled traffic flow for vehicles entering, being tested, and exiting. Individuals would remain in their vehicles throughout the process, reducing the risk of disease transmission.
Fracks noted that the drive-through capability would help reduce unnecessary exposures in healthcare waiting rooms, emergency departments, and other public settings. The street closure would be implemented only as needed and on a temporary basis.
Mayor Listenberger asked Franks to notify the city and local media if the drive-through testing site needs to be activated.
Councilmen Dave Morrow and Don Ecker requested a termination date for the closure. Franks indicated that a three-month period would be appropriate, given that the outbreak in northern Indiana is in its beginning stages. She emphasized that the County Health Department is being proactive in having a plan available should testing become necessary.
The Board of Public Works and Safety approved the request for 90 days. Franks said she would return to the board to request an extension if the need continues beyond that period.
