All posts by Lenny Dessauer

Proposed Permit Fee Amendment to Zoning Ordinance Passes on First Reading

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Commissioners held a public hearing on the proposed increase in building permit and improvement location fees Monday morning.

Several of the fees increased by $5 while others jumped considerably. Plan Director Ralph Booker explained that the fees will help cover costs. The fees haven’t been amended for several years.

Permit fees for accessory structures larger than 1,601 square feet rose from $80 to $100 for structures up to 2,000 square feet. Permit fees for accessory structures larger than 2,000 square feet will be $150.

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Marshall County Officials Upgrade to Watch Level Travel Advisory

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Commissioners and EMA Director Clyde Avery have upgraded Marshall County to a “watch” level travel advisory.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain will affect the morning commute to work and school. Snow covered and icy road conditions will cause hazardous driving conditions. Temperatures will increase in the afternoon which will cause the precipitation to change to rain.

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LaPaz Residents Speak out Against Ordinance Amendment

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Commissioners held a public hearing Monday morning to take comments on the proposed ordinance amendment on the Commercial Overlay District.

The ordinance encompasses all of Marshall County, but some LaPaz citizens spoke out about the ordinance as they’re worried about commercial development with the overpass on U.S. 6 and the new U.S. 31.

Residents are concerned about existing businesses that were “displaced” when the new U.S. 31 was constructed. Most traffic now passes by LaPaz instead of through LaPaz and taxpayers are concerned about those establishments. Agriculture ground was also a focus of concern as commercial developments could dig into the county’s agribusiness district.

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Riverside Intermediate School Accepts State Award

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

Riverside Intermediate School administration, staff and students took part in an assembly yesterday afternoon to recognize the school’s state award as a “School to Watch”.

The Plymouth school is one of 350 in the United States that received the designation.

The designation was recently announced by the Indiana Middle Level Education Association and the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. Shirley Wright, Executive Director of the Indiana Middle Level Education Association, spoke about the uniqueness of the award and the fact that Plymouth’s school is the only “intermediate” school to be re-designated for this status. She invited the school’s administration to go to Washington, D.C. to accept the award on a national platform.

In order to be eligible, the school needs to meet the criteria of academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational support with evidence from the curriculum and schedule.

Meredith Perks, a representative of Senator Joe Donnelly’s office, and 17th District State Representative Tim Harmon gave words of encouragement as did Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter and Plymouth Community School Superintendent Dan Tyree.

Riverside Intermediate School Principal Jeni Hirschy accepted the school to watch re-designation award.

The celebration ended with a short video presentation and a rally for the start of I-STEP exams that begin today.

Photo caption: Principal Jeni Hirschy (right) accepts the re-designation plaque from Shirley Wright.

Marshall County Commissioners to Meet Today

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Commissioners will hold three public hearings this morning.

Plan Director Ralph Booker will present three ordinances for public comment. An ordinance to establish a fee schedule, an amendment to the Marshall County Zoning Ordinance and an amendment to the Marshall County Zoning Map will be brought forth for comment. The ordinances have been approved by the plan commission. The public hearings are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. ET.

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FAFSA Deadline Looming, Ancilla College Schedules Workshops

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The clock is ticking for prospective college students to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Ancilla College Executive Director of Admissions Eric Wignall encourages anyone who may be considering college next year to fill out the FAFSA.

“There’s no age limit. There’s no income limit. You may not qualify for aid. You may make more money or your family make more money so you don’t qualify for the need-based scholarships, but the FAFSA is your way to get into the financial aid system,” Wignall said. Continue reading →

Presentation Today at Riverside Intermediate School

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

Riverside Intermediate School in Plymouth has received another national designation as a “school to watch”. This requires a year-long process of completing an application and meeting criteria of academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational support with evidence from the curriculum and schedule.

The designation was announced this week by the Indiana Middle Level Education Association and the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. The 350 schools recognized for this honor nationwide are mentor schools in grades 5-9 seeking help as a school or in any particular area of the criteria.

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Neighboring Business Hope They’re Unaffected By Child Porn Arrest

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

Neighboring businesses are commenting on an alleged incident that landed a Knox man in jail on Child Molesting and other counts.

According to police, 67-year-old Robert Wisilinski was arrested after a couple of missing juvenile calls led officers to his Heaton Street address. After refusing to answer the door, Wisilinski was spotted exiting the home with one of the missing juveniles.
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$5,000 Scholarship Offered in Social Media Contest

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

A social media post about the dangers of texting and driving could land a student a scholarship toward post-secondary education.

Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann is encouraging high school and college students to put together a campaign on social media to drive now and text later. You can sign up for BuyLikes.com for effective services to enhance your social media marketing campaign.While texting while driving is illegal in the state, it’s not preventing drivers to type a message. Cell phones are a constant in the world, but it’s best to wait to check or type text messages until after you reach your destination.

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