A lot of snow has fallen in the Marshall County area this winter and the Town of Bremen is not immune to the effects.
Bremen Director of Operations Trend Weldy said the street department crews have worked hard to clear the streets and sidewalks of snow and ice. Piles of snow are being hauled away for better visibility and ease of traffic.
The Culver Town Council members opened bids Tuesday night for the proposed Damore Amphitheater project in the Culver Town Park.
Four bids were received with the lowest bid coming in with a base bid of $131,450. The separation between the lowest bid and the next lowest bid was merely $25. The highest base bid was $189,355.
The search continues for a county engineer.
The Marshall County Commissioners are looking for a candidate who is a licensed engineer who could help add expertise to the qualified staff already at the county highway. Commissioner Kurt Garner explained to the county council on Monday morning that they received three applications with two of the applicants possessing an engineer’s license. They offered a candidate with a license, 12 years of highway experience and the ability to assist the county with matrix technology to help the county’s focus on prioritizing maintenance on roads, but that candidate turned down an offer from the county. According to Commissioners Garner and Mike Delp, who even offered part of their salaries to add to the proposed pay rate, the candidate wasn’t sure he wanted to take the risk of having an divided council and commission vote on the position and the loss in pay.
The City of Plymouth User Fee Schedule Subcommittee members are reviewing department reports before bringing a recommendation for proposed user fee rate changes at an upcoming meeting.
Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter told the Plymouth City Council members that he is waiting on information from the police department and the fire department. Those statistics are expected on Wednesday so the subcommittee can formulate a plan to proceed.
The Culver Town Council will meet tonight where council members are expected to open bids for the Damore Amphitheater. Amphitheater plans call for a covered stage and four rows of tiered grass seating with concrete retaining walls to be constructed in the Culver Town Park. Additional open seating areas would be available around the stage and under trees. The project was the recipient of a crowdfunding grant as well as grant funds from the Marshall County Community Foundation and state grant funding.
The Marshall County Council members will meet today where Highway Superintendent Jason Peters will discuss a probationary waiver of pay and Community Crossings fund.
Marshall County Museum Director Linda Rippy will provide a quarterly report to the council and Sheriff Matt Hassel will discuss the commissary budget.
The Marshall County Commissioners took action last week to approve extended hours for the purposes of tax collection as requested by Treasurer Angie Birchmeier.
The Marshall County Commissioners have authorized the sale of old law bookcases that are no longer needed.
When asking for additional space for a legal resource center in the courthouse, Circuit Court Judge Curtis Palmer told the commissioners that the bookcases in the basement are about 20 years old and are of no use to any attorneys or court personnel.
The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety will meet tonight where the board members will have an update on the U.S. 30 and Baker Ditch bridges project as well as the Greenways Trail Phase II project from City Engineer Rick Gaul. Utility Superintendent Donnie Davidson will have a grant application and a request for approval of substantial completion of the wastewater plant.
Marshall County Attorney Jim Clevenger told the county commissioners this week that 250 other counties, cities and towns have joined in the multi-district, federal litigation against the manufacturers and distributors of highly addictive prescription medications.
The numbers show an uptick in construction in Marshall County. In his yearly report to the Marshall County Commissioners, Building Commissioner Chuck DeWitt said a record number of permits were issued in 2017.
The Town of Culver’s Winterfest in Culver continues today in the Culver Town Park.
Enjoy sledding, igloos and fun in the snow all day today with a survivor car giveaway, additional outdoor activities for the kids, the Cupid’s Crawl shopping event at 3 p.m., the ice sculpture fights from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and a light up the park event from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a report of a stolen vehicle.
Police say in the early morning hours of Friday, Feb. 9 a black 1996 GMC Suburban was stolen from a residence in the 1100 block of 12B Road in Bourbon. A yellow snow plow with black wings was attached to the front of the vehicle.
Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hassel asked the county commissioners Monday morning to purchase four new squad cars for the department.
Hassel explained that the four vehicles will be purchased from Oliver Ford in Plymouth for $103,996 which includes state bids quotes with trade-in values. Funding for the purchase is included in his budget for the year. The commissioners unanimously approved the request.
The John Glenn School Board members recognized several organizations this week where students are excelling in competitions.
Four teams are headed to the state robotics competition. The last two teams come from North Liberty Elementary School who recently qualified for the competition that is set for Saturday, March 10, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Culver Town Manager Jonathan Leist discussed an interlocal agreement with the Town of Culver and Marshall County Building Commissioner Chuck DeWitt.
Leist explained that the agreement allows DeWitt to work with the town for building and planning services.
The Hickory Road Bridge project was let for bid on Wednesday. Laurie Johnson from DLZ told the Marshall County Commissioners on Monday that eight potential prime companies were set to bid the project.
In the meantime, Johnson said trees will need to be removed to make way for the project.
A fundraising event will be held to raise funds to help teachers apply their out-of-the-box ideas to enhance the learning experience for students.
A fundraising gala is set for Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth where a silent auction will occur after a sit-down dinner. All proceeds will benefit the John Glenn Education Foundation. That money will be awarded in the form of grants to help fund enhanced training, teaching techniques or new styles of learning. The Teacher Grants Committee reviews all grant applications and the grants will be awarded as funds allow. The idea is to bridge the gap between need and funding.
Marshall County Highway Supervisor Jason Peters updated the county commissioners on mailbox policies from neighboring counties.
Members of the John Glenn School Board received an extensive report on the number of AP and Dual Credit courses available to high school students and the passing rate of those students.
Educator Rose Dodson prepared the information and noted all of the courses available for college credits which include Government, History, Biology World History, English Literature and Composition, vocational technical classes and agriculture science. Trine University offers Dual Credit courses as well as Ivy Tech South Bend, Ivy Tech Kokomo, Ancilla College and Ball State University.
