All posts by Rusty Nixon

PLYMOUTH – Health services in the county took center stage at another local government meeting with the Plymouth Common Council discussing the topic.

A week ago, President of the Marshall County Commissioners, Stan Klotz, sought permission to gather information on vanishing healthcare services in the county.
Gary Neidig of ONE Marshall County came before the Plymouth Common Council to discuss his group’s activities, with one being the help in securing a “Rural Health Grow” grant for the region.

He told the board the funds would be used for “counselors” to help residents find the right healthcare. The money’s in Marshall County will go to St. Joe Hospital and other healthcare providers to be distributed to subcontractors.
Councilman Dave Morrow broached the topic of diminishing healthcare services in the county

Neidig went on to say that finding the solution to the problem would be ongoing

PLYMOUTH — Monday night at the Plymouth Common Council meeting, Heartland Artists opened bids for work to be done in

making over the group’s home on Michigan Street in downtown Plymouth.
The money for the work will come from a READI 2.0 grant and not from city coffers, but rules of the grant state that the bids have to be opened in a government meeting.
There were two bids for the work that also had four alternates.
Base bid number one was from Ziolkowski Construction for $1.398 million. Alternate number one was for restoring windows at the back of the structure, which Ziolkowski bid at no cost. Number two was to excavate and redo the drainage in the passageway between the Heartland building and the adjoining building to the south at just over $8000. Number three: adding one new window in the rear of the building at just under $16,000, and number four: instead of just repairing the damaged masonry on the back of the building, completely redoing the tuckpointing at the back of the building at $68,000.
The second bid was from Brown and Brown with a base of $935,500. For alternate number one, an additional $133,800; on alternate one, $133,800; on two, $15,000, three at $9600 and four at $37,000.
The bids were taken under advisement for review.

PLYMOUTH — On July 29, 2026, at 12:46 p.m., Plymouth Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Li Weiqiong, 46, from China, at US 31 and 12th Rd.

The vehicle failed to pull over and continued south until it was boxed in by another officer at US 31 and 17th Rd., with assistance from Marshall Co. Police and Argos Police.
Weiqiong was lodged at the Marshall County Jail for resisting law enforcement in a vehicle.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Commissioners will have their first meeting of the new month on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026,

beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Commissioners’ meeting room on the second floor of the Marshall County Building on Jefferson St. in Plymouth.
The agenda includes regular reports from Highway Superintendent Jason Peters, County Attorney Sean Surrisi, and County Auditor Angie Birchmeier.
Also on the agenda are a quarterly report from Janis Holiday of the Council on Aging and requests from Bremen Fire Chief Matt Neher, Billy Schoff of the Maintenance Department, and Jackie Franks of the Health Department.
There will also be a report on the State Board of Accounts Audit for 2025.
ADA Notice: For special accommodations, please contact the ADA Coordinator at (574) 935-8720 at least two business days prior to the scheduled meeting.
The meeting will be live-streamed on YouTube @MarshallCountyIN.

PLYMOUTH –  The City of Plymouth has just been notified that the railroad is conducting maintenance work at the railroad viaduct on South Michigan Street at Pennsylvania Avenue. 

Motorists should expect traffic control flaggers to be directing traffic through the work zone. Delays of up to five minutes are possible in both the northbound and southbound directions.

The work is scheduled to take place Thursday, July 30, through Saturday, August 1.

Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and, if possible, use an alternate route to avoid the area. These temporary traffic measures are necessary to ensure the safety of both the work crews and the traveling public.

PLYMOUTH – Dan Sellers, Plymouth City Engineer, told the Board of Public Works and Safety that paving projects around the

city are underway.
Workers began with sidewalk and curb work on Parkview, Center, and Adams Street.
Projects include:

• Parkview from the dead end to Michigan St.
• Center from Novelty to Parkview
• Adams from Plum to Michigan
• Madison from 5th St. to the railroad
• Kenwood Ave. from Oak to Sycamore
• Harrison from Oak to Michigan

PLYMOUTH – Donnie Davidson, Utilities Superintendent for the city of Plymouth told the Board of Works and Safety that his

department will undertake a coupld of projects in the coming weeks.
Workers will replace a pipe at East Jefferson and Richter Road.

Davidson told the board that he anticipated that project would be completed before the Blueberry Festival but if it couldn’t be they would delay the start until Labor Day weekend.

PLYMOUTH — On July 26, 2026, at 12:25 P.M., Plymouth Police and Marshall County Deputies were advised of a FLOCK

notification for a vehicle traveling Westbound on US 30 from the East County line whose registered owner had multiple warrants from different counties.
A traffic stop was initiated on the vehicle on US 30 near US 31. Paris Givens, 31, of Indianapolis, was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Marshall County Jail, where she was lodged for Driving While Suspended-Prior and False Informing in addition to the existing warrants.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. – The Indiana Toll Road will conduct bridge work over U.S. 31, resulting in lane closures between Brick Rd and Nimtz Pkwy beginning on or after Monday, August 3

U.S. 31 will be reduced to one lane in each direction, with the left lane and shoulder closed. These lane closures are to facilitate substructure work while rehabilitating the Indiana Toll Toad exit 72 bridge overhead. Construction will be ongoing through late November.

With the Indiana Toll Road bridge over U.S. 31 closed, the ramps between southbound U.S. 31 and I-80/90 will close on or after Wednesday, August 5. The detour for southbound U.S. 31 traffic will be to continue on U.S. 31, use the ramps at the U.S. 20 interchange to turn around, and then access the Indiana Toll Road from northbound U.S. 31.

INDOT encourages drivers to allow extra time when traveling through this area and follow traffic directions carefully. Motorists should slow down, exercise caution and drive distraction-free through all work zones.

PLYMOUTH — On July 24, 2026, Plymouth Police responded to the area of Water Street and Washington Street for reports of a

man in the area with a Nationwide Parole Warrant.
Officers located Richard William Milton (55), of Plymouth, in the backyard of a residence, and a brief foot pursuit ensued. Milton was located on the embankment of the river and placed into custody. Milton was charged with Resisting Law Enforcement and held for parole.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

PLYMOUTH – Plymouth Building Superintendent Dennis Manuwal appeared before the Board of Public Works and Safety to

request another $1000 fine for the owners of the Red Rock Inn property as another 90 days had passed without the demolition order on the property being completed.
Plymouth City Attorney Jeff Houin explained the holdup.

Houin said that the demolition company is ready to act once the eviction of the current tenants is complete.

PLYMOUTH – Plymouth Utilities Superintendent Donnie Davidson told the Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety his crew

planned to replace a section of water main on Angel Street in Plymouth.
Davidson said the replacement would run south from Ewing Street.

Davidson said the crews would install the line and test it before connecting homes to the new line. He said he anticipated that homeowners would only be offline for one to two hours at most.
The work was set to begin on Wednesday and take a week for the line installation.

The American Red Cross has issued a national blood crisis declaration, calling on voluntary donors to give blood immediately as summer donations have fallen to a four-year seasonal low.

According to the Red Cross, this is only the second time in its history that it has declared a national blood crisis. Officials say the shortage has become severe enough that distributions of type O blood products to hospitals are being limited. While all blood types are needed, type O donations are especially critical.
The Red Cross says extreme heat, poor air quality and widespread foodborne illnesses have contributed to lower donor turnout this summer, while hospital demand for blood remains high.
The Red Cross states that those who donate blood through July 31st will receive a Fandango movie ticket by email, valued at up to $15 plus fees. Donors who give between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31 will receive a $20 Amazon gift card by email.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities in the area include:
Marshall County

• Wednesday, July 29th, from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm at St. Isidore Hall, at 803 West Bike Street in Bremen.
• Wednesday, July 29th, from 2 pm to 6 pm at the Plymouth Fire Department, at 111 North Center Street in Plymouth.
• Thursday, August 13th, from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Culver-Union Township Public Library, at 107 North Main Street in Culver.
• Thursday, August 13th, from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm at the Plymouth Columbus Club, at 901 East Jefferson Street in Plymouth.

Appointments can be scheduled through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS. The organization says blood donations are needed immediately to help ensure hospitals have enough blood products for patients throughout the remainder of the summer.

Average gasoline prices in Indiana have risen 14.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.49/g today, according to

GasBuddy’s survey of 3,271 stations in Indiana. Prices in Indiana are 27.4 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 44.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 17.8 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $5.255 per gallon.
The lowest reported prices in various communities in the area:
Pulaski County
Winamac — $3.69
Francesville — $3.69
Medaryville — $3.69
Starke County
Knox — $3.59
North Judson $3.69
Hamlet — $3.59
Grovertown — $3.59
LaPorte County
LaCrosse — $3.59
LaPorte — $3.34
Michigan City — $3.46
Wanatah — $3.49
Rolling Prairie — $3.59
Westville — $3.49
New Carlisle — $3.69
North Liberty — $3.52
Walkerton — $3.28
Marshall County
Argos — $3.49
Bourbon — $3.39
Bremen — $3.59
Culver — $3.59
LaPaz — $3.49
Plymouth — $3.43
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Indiana was priced at $3.13/g yesterday while the most expensive was $4.49/g, a difference of $1.36/g.
The national average price of gasoline has risen 10.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.06/g today.
“Average gasoline and diesel prices rose in nearly every state over the last week, as continued escalations between the U.S. and Iran, renewed Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and fresh Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries combined to keep upward pressure on both crude and refined product markets,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “However, a weekend pullback in hostilities offered some relief, with oil prices opening sharply lower Sunday, suggesting the pace of increases at the pump may moderate in the days ahead. For now, motorists should expect prices to remain elevated, but the intensity of further gains will depend heavily on how the geopolitical situation develops in the coming week.”
GasBuddy is North America’s trusted fuel savings platform, helping consumers fuel up for less for over 25 years at GasBuddy.com.

PLYMOUTH — On July 24, 2026, at 5:26 p.m., Officers with the Plymouth Police Department were dispatched to Jackson

Heights Road for the report of two small children in diapers with no parents around.
The caller advised they saw the children running around and one of them came out of their garage. When officers arrived at the location of the kids, they were in soiled diapers. Officers located an open apartment door on Holloway Drive. An officer knocked on the door, yelled inside, and saw kids’ toys in the apartment. The officer got no response, entered the apartment, and called out for anyone, but nobody answered.
The officer then located a man lying on the bedroom floor who was later identified as Kiegan Willis, 26, of Plymouth. The officer woke Willis and learned he had kids but thought they were sleeping. The kids were returned, and the mother was contacted and went with them. Willis was placed under arrest for child neglect.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

PLYMOUTH — On July 24, 2026, at approximately 1:30 pm, Plymouth Police responded to a disturbance on Monroe St.

Upon arrival, officers learned that a man, identified as Alfredo Villegas Leanos, 23, of Plymouth, had allegedly made threats of violence against two people, smashed the windshield of a woman’s vehicle, and left the scene in a red Dodge Durango.
The vehicle was located nearby, and Villegas Leanos was taken into custody without incident. He was lodged in the Marshall County Jail on charges of Intimidation and Criminal Mischief.

Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Coroner’s Office was notified of a fatal traffic crash at the intersection of U.S. 31 and 9A

Road in Plymouth, Marshall County. The initial call was received by Marshall County Central Dispatch at 3:19 p.m.
The investigation determined that the deceased was the sole occupant of a red Ford Focus traveling eastbound on 9A Road. The vehicle entered the path of a southbound semi-tractor-trailer and was struck.
The driver of the Ford Focus was pronounced deceased at the scene by Deputy Coroner Justyn Wade.
The deceased has been identified as Donna Warren, 72, of Plymouth, Indiana. (Family has been notified)
Plymouth Fire Dept. assisted at the scene

Active – Tornado Warning issued July 27 at 3:16 PM EDT until July 27 at 4:00 PM EDT by NWS Northern Indiana

TORIWX The National Weather Service in Northern Indiana has issued a * Tornado Warning for… Southwestern St. Joseph County in north central Indiana… Northeastern Starke County in northwestern Indiana… Northwestern Marshall County in north central Indiana… East central La Porte County in northwestern Indiana… * Until 400 PM EDT/300 PM CDT/. * At 316 PM EDT/216 PM CDT/, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Kingsford Heights, or 9 miles southeast of La Porte, moving east at 15 mph. HAZARD…Tornado. SOURCE…Radar indicated rotation. IMPACT…Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. * This dangerous storm will be near… Walkerton around 320 PM EDT. Koontz Lake around 230 PM CDT. North Liberty around 335 PM EDT. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Linkville, La Paz, Lake Of The Woods, Teegarden, and Tyner.

SVRIWX The National Weather Service in Northern Indiana has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for… White County in

northwestern Indiana… Pulaski County in northwestern Indiana… Western Fulton County in north central Indiana… Northwestern Cass County in north central Indiana… Starke County in northwestern Indiana… Western Marshall County in north central Indiana… Southern La Porte County in northwestern Indiana… * Until 400 PM EDT/300 PM CDT/. * At 258 PM EDT/158 PM CDT/, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Hamlet to Medaryville to near Rensselaer, moving east at 50 mph. HAZARD…70 mph wind gusts. SOURCE…Radar indicated. IMPACT…Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings. * Locations impacted include… Plymouth, Monticello, Knox, Winamac, Monon, North Judson, Argos, Brookston, Culver, Wanatah, Wolcott, Francesville, Royal Center, Hamlet, Medaryville, La Crosse, Koontz Lake, Pulaski, Oak Grove, and Ripley. This includes Interstate 65 between mile markers 185 and 198.