Operation Pull Over Set for Month of March

Deputies with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department will work additional hours to help reduce accidents and keep roadways safe in an upcoming enforcement blitz.

The department is participating in Operation Pull Over starting March 1 and ending March 31. Officers will focus on impaired driving, aggressive driving and seat belt/child restraint violations, in addition to enforcing all traffic laws.

Operation Pull Over is available thanks to federal funding that allows officers to work overtime for these specialized patrols beyond regular duty.

Bowling Fundraiser Set to Help Raise Breast Cancer Awareness

A chance to help a local organization raise funds for breast cancer awareness is quickly approaching.

Jennifer Houin said the second annual Bowling for Ta-tas event is to bring awareness of breast cancer to those in the community. Its main focus is to bring funds to the Ounce of Prevention organization to spread that awareness.

The event is Saturday, March 14 at Quick’s Lanes in Plymouth with social time at 6 p.m. The time slots available for four-person teams are 7-9 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight ET. The entry fee is $25 which includes shoe rental, pizza, beer, and two hours of bowling.

Bowlers will have an opportunity to purchase items to support the fight against breast cancer. Houin says a special prize will be awarded to the top two teams in both time slots.

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Ancilla College Rolls Out Revamped Nursing Curriculum

Ancilla College nursing students can complete their degrees in less time, thanks to the recently revamped curriculum. Director of Nursing and Health Sciences Ann Fitzgerald says the required number of credit hours has decreased from 72 to 63. By cutting a semester from the curriculum, Fitzgerald says students will be able to finish sooner and save both time and money.

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Kindergarten Round-up Set at Plymouth Community School Corporation

Kindergarten Round-up for incoming Plymouth Community School Corporation students is set for this week.

Students who do not live within the corporation boundaries can attend the school without paying tuition. A child has to be five years old on or before Aug. 1, 2015 in order to be eligible to attend kindergarten at Plymouth schools. A birth certificate, immunization records and social security card are required for registration. Parents will have a chance to meet with administrators and fill out paperwork. Incoming children will get to meet with teachers for screening purposes.

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Culver Traffic Stop Leads to Officer Struggle, Vehicle Pursuit

Culver Police identified a suspect that led to an arrest after a routine traffic stop led to the discovery of a few items believed to be associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine.

The incident happened the evening February 17th on State Road 10 near the Family Dollar store in Culver. Officers say they viewed the vehicle, driven by 27-year-old Lance Walter, to be speeding. A traffic stop was initiated where Walter was subsequently asked to exit the vehicle.
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Former Marshall County Man Found Guilty, Could Face 50 Years in Prison

A former Marshall County man could face up to 50 years in prison after being found guilty in a two-day trial in Marshall County Superior Court.

Russell A. Prosser, of South Bend, formerly of Culver, was charged with two counts of serious violent felon in possession of a firearm. A jury found Prosser guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a serious violent felony, a Class B felony. He was found not guilty on a count of possession of a flint lock pistol and a gun cleaning mat.

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Charges Filed After Investigation Into Infant Suffering Frostbite

Charges have been filed, and more information is being released after an early February incident that left an infant suffering alone in the cold.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Office was called to the area of 250 W. and 500 S. in Starke County on February 5th. According to the Sheriff’s Department, the call notified authorities of a vehicle accident.
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Marshall County Commissioners Approve Funding for Fairgrounds Feasibility Study

There have been discussions on how to improve the property for the Marshall County 4-H program, and now a professional firm will step up and help.

While long-range plans have been discussed individually with the Marshall County Fair Board, there needs to be a focus of the board. Principal Architect Stephen Kromkowski from the DLZ Corporation in South Bend explained what would be in the feasibility study.

“We would meet with the primary users and understand your current operation and the site,” said Kromkowski. “There have been some discussions about some improvements on the fairgrounds itself. We’ll gather all of the information, so we understand what your needs are. We will document what you have now. We also do a site analysis to make sure that you don’t place a new building on an area that will cause some other difficulties down the road.”

A report will be produced to decide what the improvements can be and dollar amounts for those improvements. A priority list will be provided as Kromkowski said the improvements will most likely cost more than what funds are available.

Fair Board President Tammy Dickson said the board and others are excited to have a professional direction of how to improve the grounds for the successful program.

“The Marshall County program is a hugely successful program,” commented Dickson. “I know at the fair itself the judges come from all over and comment on the quality and level that Marshall County and it is very commendable. We want to continue to grow that program.”

Sponsors have donated money toward improvements, but an agreement couldn’t be reached on projects, but that is about to change.

Kromkowski commented that the report would take about 14 weeks to complete.

County Attorney Jim Clevenger suggested an inter-local agreement between DLZ and the county on behalf of the fair board be signed. The Commissioners approved funding for the study with the understanding that the fair board will need to follow through with the plan.