PLYMOUTH — The saga of The Pointe Apartments in Plymouth may be grinding to a close.

On Monday, the Board of Public Works and Safety gave their go-ahead to Building Commissioner Dennis Manuwal to seek bids to demolish the structure. In July of last year, Plymouth Building Inspector Dennis Manuwal found the facility dangerous and gave the owner, Bob Richards, 30 days to resolve the roof and electrical issues as part of his emergency order to vacate.
Since then, Richards and his representatives have made numerous appearances before the Board to ask for more time to complete that work.
On June 10, two more weeks were allowed for the building to pass inspection, or there would be a demolition order issued. Manuwal said that he has not heard from the owners and asked the Board to allow him to see the bids for that demolition that would be carried out at Richard’s expense.
Manuwal said that he would like to see the bids opened and awarded at the Boards next meeting on Aug. 11.
Mayor Robert Listenberger raised budget concerns, saying it would be a costly process, and suggested holding off on the actual demolition until it could be planned and paid for in next year’s budget.
The Board voted to move ahead with soliciting of quotes for the project but any action beyond that would be discussed at the Aug. 11 meeting.

PLYMOUTH — The fix-up continues at Red Rock Inn in Plymouth, but not fast enough for the Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety, which voted unanimously to impose a fine on the owners in their meeting on Monday.

In early June, the second floor of the building was condemned as unsafe by Plymouth Building Commissioner Dennis Manuwal, who determined the balconies, guardrails, and stairways posed a danger to residents and emergency responders. The order to vacate was issued due to the building’s unsafe condition under Indiana code.
A local consortium of agencies and individuals was able to help the residents of the second floor relocate, and owners Nilesh and Deepka Patel were given a 30-day window to hire a contractor to begin the work to repair the structure or face further fines or other action. Manuwal reported to the Board on Monday that the time had expired without the requirements being met and asked the board to impose a fine of $2500.
The Patels, who reside in New Jersey, were present at the meeting online and told the Board that they felt they had met those requirements, saying that they had a signed contract with their contractor almost as soon as the process started in early June.
Manuwal told the board that the contractor didn’t apply for a permit until July 2 and, at that time, provided no insurance, putting the work on hold again. He said that the proper insurance wasn’t acquired until July 22, well beyond the 30-days allowed.
Patel told the board that work had begun on the structure this week, starting with the north side stairway. He said that the contractor planned to start with the ironwork necessary and would seek Manuwal’s approval before moving on.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Highway Department will be chip and sealing the following road on Wednesday:

•Ply-Goshen- King to SR106
This road will be closed during that work. Please use caution, slow down, and be alert when traveling near or through construction zones. Be mindful of our workers and road conditions.

PLYMOUTH — On Saturday,​ July 26,​ at 2:21 p.m.,​ Marshall County Dispatch broadcast a report of a two-vehicle personal injury crash on US 31 near Michigan Rd.

Marshall County Deputies,​ Indiana State Police, along with Plymouth Fire and EMS, responded.
The two people involved in the crash, Drake Spurgeon, 17, and Richard Vanover, 73, were taken to the hospital for immediate evaluations. Alcohol or drugs due not appear to be a factor at this time.

MARSHALL COUNTY – The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced a road closure for State Road 331 between 18B Rd and 19th Rd beginning on or after Wednesday, July 30.

State Road 331 will be closed for approximately one week while railroad crossing work is conducted in this location. Motorists should seek alternate routes. The official detour will follow State Road 10, State Road 19, and State Road 25.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Council will hold a Special meeting to discuss the purchase of equipment for the Highway Department on Wednesday, July 30, at 2 p.m.

The meeting will be held in Room 203 of the Marshall County Building 112 W. Jefferson Street, Plymouth.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Regional Sewer District will hold an executive session at 9 A.M. on Wednesday, July 30.

The executive session will be followed by a special public meeting at 9:45 A.M. on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. The session will be held at the City of Plymouth’s Council Chambers located at 124 N. Michigan St., Plymouth, IN 46563, entrance off East Garro Street.
There will be an opportunity for the public to ask questions and provide comments during this meeting. Your participation is welcome.
Both meetings will be held at the City of Plymouth’s Council Chambers located at 124 N. Michigan St., Plymouth, entrance off East Garro Street.
For questions and additional information, please contact the Marshall County Regional Sewer District at questions@marshallcountyrsd.com or call (574) 200-0049.

CULVER — On Friday, July 25,​ at approximately 1:36 A.M. EST,​ the Marshall County Central Dispatch received a call from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department requesting assistance investigating an incident that had allegedly taken place at a residence on S.R. 10,​ west of Culver in Starke County.

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Officers were advised of an alleged incident between a 10-year-old juvenile and a man,​ later identified as David P. Howard,​ age 42 of Culver. During the investigation, evidence was found that Howard had performed a sex act in the presence of the child. Preliminary information gathered at the scene also indicated that Howard is believed to have attempted to destroy evidence involved in the incident.
Howard was detained at the scene and later transported to the Starke County Jail. He was then lodged in jail for vicarious sexual gratification and obstruction of justice.

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

*To see all the area police reports go to the home page and hit the “Police Reports” tab at the top.*

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Highway Department will be chip and sealing the following roads on Tuesday:

•Hawthorn from 5C to the Plymouth-Goshen Trail
•Plymouth-Goshen Trail from King to SR106
These roads will be closed while work is being done. Please use caution, slow down, and be alert when traveling near or through construction zones. Be mindful of our workers and road conditions.

A Heat Advisory remains in effect for today with forecasted heat indexes reaching approximately 100 degrees or higher. 

Isolated storms are anticipated over the next few days prior to the arrival of cooler weather later this week.

Take steps to stay cool today and tomorrow!

PLYMOUTH — Marshall County Sheriff Matt Hassel has released his month’s jail and arrest report for the county.

As of July 23 the population of the jail was 144. Of those 99 inmates were pre-trial, 26 were sentenced 21 with felony charges.
The average population for the month was 142. There are 1316 active warrants still in the county.
The top five offenses in Marshall County for June were:
•Failure to appear (22)
•Operator never licensed (20)
•Possession of marijuana (19)
•Operating while intoxicated (19)
•Domestic battery (14)
Plymouth Police made 45 arrests in the month of June, Culver Police made nine arrests, Bremen, Argos and the Indiana State Police made six arrests.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Highway Department and the Marshall County Commissioners are continuing to pursue funding options to purchase a new piece of equipment.

At their regular meeting, the Commissioners continued discussions with Highway Superintendent Jason Peters regarding ways to purchase a “Total Patcher” for use before the end of the year. The equipment is a spray injection repair system that would allow the highway to continue patching and repair operations on county roads close to year-round, in most weather.
Earlier in the year, the Commissioners were turned down by the County Council for an additional appropriation for the equipment, suggesting it be added to the coming year’s budget. Since then, Peters and Commissioners have explored ways to purchase the equipment before Jan. 1 so that it could be utilized during the current paving season.
Working with the manufacturer, Peters was able to get an agreement for a type of “lease-to-own” arrangement for the current year, with the balance to be paid in the new budget on Jan. 1. If approved by the Council, the arrangement would also save the county $5000 on the purchase.
The Commissioners will seek Council approval at their next meeting on Aug. 11.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Plan Commission took a step towards creating an ordinance on carbon capture systems in the county.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a set of technologies designed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial sources and power plants. It involves capturing CO2, transporting it, and then storing it underground, typically in deep geological formations.
The process would involve the transport of captured CO2 by truck, rail, or pipeline to the site where it would be injected into deep underground geological formations, such as saline aquifers, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, or unmineable coal seams.
The main concern locally from such a site would be groundwater contamination.
The Commission began discussion on the topic at their previous meeting. Marshall County Plan Director Nicholas Witwer told the board members that no such companies were “knocking on the door” in Marshall County, but felt the ordinance would be prudent in case of such in the future.
The Commission had discussed a ban on such operations in the county, and Witwer said that if at some point in the future the county wished to allow such operations, the ban could be lifted.
The members of the Commission voted to continue the process by producing an ordinance for review at their next meeting to ban the practice in the county. If passed, the proposed ordinance would then move on to the Marshall County Commissioners for their approval.

At 942 PM EDT/842 PM CDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near North Liberty to near Walkerton to near Nappanee.

These storms were nearly stationary. HAZARD…Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail. SOURCE…Radar indicated. IMPACT…Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include… Plymouth, Nappanee, Bremen, Walkerton, North Liberty, Lakeville, Koontz Lake, Locke, La Paz, Teegarden, Fish Lake, Tyner, Gravelton, Linkville, Lake Of The Woods, and Wyatt.

PLYMOUTH — ARTS in the Street is STILL ON this Saturday from 10 AM – 5 PM in downtown Plymouth — rain or shine.

Regardless of the weather, there will still be:
•Artists inside AND outside—a hybrid setup thanks to the support of our downtown merchants (more on them below!)
•Live music starting at 10 AM—moving indoors to Heartland Art Center if skies decide to throw shade
•Arts Experiences: Balloon art, face painting, chalk artists, window painting, sand art necklaces, and dozens more
•A scavenger hunt that’ll take you on an adventure through amazing local shops and artist booths
•Food trucks + local restaurants dishing up everything from fish sandwiches to cheesecake
Thanks to these local businesses, artists will be popping up INSIDE businesses, so you can support the arts and dry off at the same time:
•Black Cat
•Butterfly Boutique
•Plymouth Chamber of Commerce
•Essential Wellness Solutions
•Expressions Dance Studio
•French Press
•Gather 2 Graze Charcuterie
•Marshall County Museum
•Opie’s Deli & The Office
•Simplee Stated Gifts
•The REES Theatre
•Treat’s Squire Shop
•The Woolly Buffalo
•Wild Rose Moon
These downtown partners are the reason we can keep things rolling, rain, wind, heat, or surprise thunderclaps.

According to a press release from the Indiana Department of Health, the state’s first West Nile Virus case of 2025 has been reported in Vanderburgh County, at the southern tip of the state.

While the case may be far from home, mosquitoes are not, and the Indiana Department of Health shares tips on preventing mosquito-borne diseases.

• Use EPA-registered insect repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone according to the label instructions.
• Wear protective clothing such as loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and pants. Consider treating your clothing and gear with a permethrin product (note: permethrin products should not be applied directly to the skin).
• Install screens on windows and doors and keep them in good repair.
• Look for containers that could hold water, such as trash, tires, buckets, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers. Even a pool of water as small as in a bottle cap can breed mosquitoes.
• Prevent mosquitoes from accessing containers. This can be done by removing trash, moving items indoors, covering or overturning items not in use, drilling holes in the bottom of trash containers, installing screens on rain barrels, replacing water in pet bowls daily and flushing birdbaths, fountains, and other containers at least once a week.
• Maintain properties and landscaping in good condition. This includes regularly servicing septic systems, keeping grass mowed and shrubs trimmed, cleaning gutters regularly, and aerating ornamental pools or stocking them with predatory fish.
  Indiana Department of Health notes that most people infected with West Nile virus have no symptoms or only mild flu-like symptoms which can include fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash.
  A small number will develop a more severe form of the disease affecting the nervous system, including inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, muscle paralysis, or even death.
  People older than 60 years and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe West Nile virus disease.
  People who think they may have West Nile virus disease should see their healthcare providers as soon as possible.

PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Highway Department will be chip and sealing the following roads on Monday:

•Jarrah from US6 to the RR Tracks
•6th Road from Juniper to Hawthorn
•Hawthorn from 5C to Plymouth/Goshen Trail
These roads will be closed until the completion of the work. Please use caution, slow down, and be alert when traveling near or through construction zones. Be mindful of our workers and road conditions.

PLYMOUTH — On July 17, at 9:20 p.m., Plymouth Police were dispatched to the area of 1275 Baker St. about a man who possibly had felony warrants through St. Joseph County.

Upon arrival, Officers encountered two men who fit the description that was given. When asked for identification, one man willingly provided his information. The other man, later identified as Henry Edwards, 44, of Michigan City, was reluctant to provide his information, but then provided the name of Leon Edwards and a date of birth.
When that name was checked through NCIC, it returned not on file. Officers were then provided a photo of the suspect that matched the man who provided the false name. Edwards was detained and transported to the Marshall County Jail, where he was lodged for False Informing- Class A Misdemeanor and the Felony warrants through St. Joseph County.

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

*To see all the area police reports go to the home page and hit the “Police Reports” tab at the top.*

SOUTH BEND — According to a press release from South Bend International Airport (SBN), they have announced that beginning on October 6th of this year, American Airlines will connect passengers to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

The service will run four times daily, in both directions, on a luxury motorcoach operated by The Landline Company. Tickets for travel from South Bend to more than 150 destinations through O’Hare are now available for purchase.
The press release notes that this marks American’s third hub to be served from South Bend Airport.
“We know American Airlines-loyal passengers are driving to O’Hare for flights,” said Mike Daigle, CEO and executive director of South Bend International Airport. “These ‘flights’ offer greater flexibility for all travelers allowing the ability to make use of the drive time doing work or streaming on high-speed Wi-Fi while avoiding the headaches of traffic, parking, and long lines in Chicago. The airside-to-airside operation offers another option for passengers to get where they need to go conveniently from SBN.”

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT /9 PM CDT/ THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN INDIANA:

THIS WATCH INCLUDES 11 COUNTIES IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA KOSCIUSKO ST. JOSEPH IN NORTHERN INDIANA ELKHART FULTON IN LA PORTE LAGRANGE MARSHALL NOBLE PULASKI STARKE STEUBEN IN MICHIGAN THIS WATCH INCLUDES 5 COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN BERRIEN BRANCH CASS MI HILLSDALE ST. JOSEPH MI THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF AKRON, ALBION, ANGOLA, BASS LAKE, BENTON HARBOR, BENTON HEIGHTS, BREMEN, BRONSON, BUCHANAN, CASSOPOLIS, COLDWATER, CULVER, DOWAGIAC, EDWARDSBURG, ELKHART, FAIR PLAIN, FRANCESVILLE, FREMONT, GOSHEN, GRANGER, HILLSDALE, JONESVILLE, KENDALLVILLE, KNOX, LA PORTE, LAGRANGE, LIGONIER, LITCHFIELD, MARCELLUS, MEDARYVILLE, MENDON, MICHIGAN CITY, MISHAWAKA, NAPPANEE, NILES, NORTH JUDSON, PAW PAW LAKE, PLYMOUTH, ROCHESTER, SHIPSHEWANA, SOUTH BEND, ST. JOSEPH, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, TOPEKA, WARSAW, WHITE PIGEON, WINAMAC, AND WINONA LAKE.