Additional Appropriation for E-Poll Books to be Advertised

E-poll books are being considered for Marshall County.

Steve Shamo from KnowInk demonstrated how the digital process would work to the Marshall County Council members Monday morning. A driver’s license or a legal state I.D. card is scanned, and the voter’s information comes up on the screen. The voter then provides a signature on the screen. Once the signatures are compared, a receipt is printed, and the voter takes that receipt to a poll worker who then sets up a ballot for voting purposes.

The council members asked questions about connectivity issues. Shamo explained that WiFi or an internet hot spot would need to be on site in order for the software to function. Clerk Deb Vandemark said seven of the 14 precinct voting locations do offer WiFi service. A password would need to be obtained for the poll workers to use the service. A plan would need to be formulated to find internet connectivity for the other locations.

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Culver Town Council Tables Water Flouridation Again

Discussions continued in Culver on an issue that medical professionals say is an important public health issue.

The Town is in the process of designing a new water treatment facility and for more details, you can view here. Designs are at the stage where decisions need to be made on whether the Town of Culver intends to continue using fluoride in the water system. The chemical is often used to prevent dental decay at Cute Smile Dental and to help children develop strong tooth enamel.
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Marshall County Sheriff’s Department Adds Crash Investigation Equipment

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department has new crash investigation equipment to pinpoint exactly what a vehicle did before, during and immediately after a wreck. Crash data retrieval allows officers to download and analyze data stored in a vehicle’s airbag module. Event Data Recorders record information, including the vehicle’s precise speed several seconds before the crash, the timing of the braking of the vehicles involved and whether seatbelts were fastened. Continue reading

Reyes Pleads Not Guilty in Marshall County Superior Court

An initial hearing for Rigoberto Calix Reyes, 21, was held in Marshall County Superior Court on Tuesday afternoon.

Reyes is accused of aiding a 14-year-old Plymouth girl in running away from home and having sexual relations with the girl in March. Formal felony charges in the case include sexual misconduct with a minor, forgery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

His age is an issue as he is accused of altering his birth certificate from the Republic of Honduras to reflect a different birthdate, according to court documents. At the time of his arrest, he was enrolled as a student at Plymouth High School. His alleged altered birth certificate places him at the age of 18. Officials believe his actual birth certificate puts him at the age of 21.

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South Bend Woman Arrested in Forgery Investigation

A South Bend woman was arrested on Friday, April 10 on a warrant after an investigation in forgery was conducted by the Plymouth Police Department.

The investigation began on Sept. 11, 2014 when police received information that a Seven Oaks Veterinary Clinic employee was given false information on financial documents provided by a customer. Plymouth detectives pursued the case and found that the customer included a fictitious name and forged the name on a document.

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One Injury Reported in Three-Vehicle Crash

A three-vehicle crash on Michgan Road south of 5A Road Monday morning injures one person. William S. Hurst, 37, of Plymouth, was northbound and did not see a vehicle driven by 27-year-old Michelle Thompson of Plymouth slowing to turn left into a driveway. Hurst rear-ended Thompson’s vehicle, which pushed it into the southbound shoulder. People can check out Killian Law to get help from attorneys for injuries. Continue reading

Marshall County Council and Commissioners to Evaluate Options for Road Funding

It is the hope of the Marshall County Council and the Marshall County Commissioners to come together soon to address funding for county roads.

Commission President Kevin Overmyer told the county council Monday morning that the state appropriated money for INDOT but nothing for local roads for the next two years. He said representatives from the Build Indiana Council, Association of County Commissioners, and Indiana Association of Cities asked for those funds, but the request was not approved.

Overmyer said he’s been in contact with an Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) representative who has gathered numbers for a Local Option Highway User Income Tax.

“The fee is set by state statute of $25 for cars and vehicles and then on top of that there’s a wheel tax that is for trailers, semis, and other vehicles,” said Overmyer. “Pat Conner from LTAP has some information. They use information from the BMV to calculate what the revenue would entail. Hopefully, I will know soon when he can come up and make a joint presentation between the council and the commissioners.”

Overmyer believes that additional funding for local roads and streets will not come from the state government. He believes that counties will need to raise the funds themselves.

“I think we’re going to have to address it here locally whether we like it or not. We have about $800,000 to spend on roads this year, and we all know the condition of the roads. It’s just been two bad winters.”

The county highway department has a plan to repair what they can with the resources they have.

“We are out grinding roads right now. We’re going to start berming these roads to get the water off the roads. We’re starting to put a plan together. Some of these roads may not be going back to chip and seal for a year. Some of the roads that go out to the new U.S. 31 or cul de sac will get ground up, and we’ll maintain the gravel roads there. We’re going to have to do something.”

A few of the council members have ridden the county roads with the crews and know of the damage to the roads.

Commissioner Deb Griewank says the county remains under an Advisory Level travel advisory due to the condition of some of the roads.

“We had lowered it, but with this coming on we decided to move it back up to the advisory level just for the safety factor. Our roads are bad,” commented Griewank.

The crews will be working on the newly purchased pug mill this summer and the crews will do what they can to repair what they can.

Culver Town Council Bringing Back Water Flouridation Issue

The Culver Town Council will be picking up where it left off on a matter of public health.

During their previous meeting, the Culver Town Council tabled a matter that members said needed additional discussion. The Town is in the process of designing a new water treatment facility. Engineers are at the point where a few decisions need to be made regarding chemical treatments for the water.
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Don’t Ignore Income Tax Filing Deadline

Federal and state income tax returns need to be filed tomorrow. Michelle Bachtel with H&R Block says you have options if you owe and are not able to pay. She adds the most important thing is not to panic

“If you can’t pay the full amount by April 15, just pay what as much as you can,” Bachtel said. “Even though interest will accrue on the amount owed, you’re not going to be arrested, and they’re not going to come knock on your door and seize your home.” Continue reading

Thank a Dispatcher during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week

Time is being spent this week to recognize the heroes behind all of the 911 and other resident calls at law enforcement agencies. 911 dispatchers are the first in a line of emergency personnel to talk to a person in distress about an issue whether it is medical related, an accident or another incident.

National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week runs until Sunday, April 19. Telecommunicators, or dispatchers, alert police, fire and EMS of calls for help. There are some medical instances where dispatchers can relay life-saving skills over the phone to help someone sustain life until emergency personnel can arrive at the scene.

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Marshall County Council to Continue E-Poll Book Discussion

The Marshall County Council members will continue a discussion into the purchase of e-poll books when they meet this morning.

During the council’s last meeting in March, Clerk Deb Vandemark explained that 15 iPads would be purchased for placement at all of the voting sites for the purpose of signing in voters at the polls. There are 14 poll sites for the county’s 29 precincts. One extra iPad would be on hand as a backup. The purchase price is $32,225 which is not included in the clerk’s budget for this year.

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INDOT Pipe Replacement Project to Close State Highway

A pipe replacement project will require the temporary closure of a state highway in Fulton County.

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces that State Road 14, between County Road 775 W. and County Road 850 W., just west of Rochester, will be closed on Tuesday, April 14 through April 24.

State road detours must follow state maintained roadways only. Motorists traveling east on State Road 14 will be detoured south on State Road 17, east on State Road 114, north/east on State Road 25 and return to State Road 14. Drivers going west on State Road 14 will be detoured south/west on State Road 25, west on State Road 114, north on State Road 17 and back to State Road 14.

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Itemizing Pays if You Qualify

Federal and state income taxes are due Wednesday. Michelle Bachtel from H&R Block in Knox says taxpayers can either take the standard deduction or itemize, depending on which will be most advantageous for their personal situation.

For individuals who are filing single or married filing separate, the standard deduction is $6,200. For a married filing joint couple or a qualifying widower with a dependent child, that amount is doubled to $12,400. And for a person filing head of household the amount is $9,100.

Bachtel encourages taxpayers to study their options carefully. Continue reading

Marshall County Looking for More Highway Funding

The Marshall County Highway Department will be looking for ways to get more funding to improve roads in the county.

Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters commented to the commissioners this week that the county has limited funds to repair county roads. He said there will be some roads that will need to wait to be repaired until next year because the funding isn’t there to provide a workable solution.

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