Two Arrested on Drug Charges in Plymouth

A pair of Winamac residents were arrested Tuesday afternoon when narcotics were allegedly found in their speeding vehicle.

A Plymouth Police Department officer pulled over a car driven by 41-year-old Christopher Fields at the intersection of Cook Street and Oak Drive in Plymouth. Marshall County K9 Arras was called to the scene where the dog reportedly indicated the presence of narcotics. Methamphetamine and synthetic marijuana were found in the car, according to a news release.

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Semi Driver Injured in Rollover

A Portage man was injured in a Monday evening semi truck accident in Marshall County.

According to Marshall County police, Daren Curtis, 23, was on the exit for U.S. 30 from U.S. 31 when the load on the trailer he was pulling shifted. The action caused the semi and trailer to tip over onto the driver’s side. Curtis was treated at the scene for minor injuries sustained in the accident.

The ramp was shut down for several hours while the semi was removed from the scene.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Plymouth EMS and the Plymouth Fire Department.

Property Rezoning Allows Church to Expand

A Marshall County church can now expand thanks to the approval of a rezoning ordinance request.

Marshall County Plan Director Ralph Booker presented the information to the county commissioners this week on behalf of Grace Outreach Fellowship Church. The church congregation has outgrown the current facility and officials there are interested in the rezoning of purchased property to accommodate the change. Church officials are seeking the rezoning of 2900 Center Street in Tippecanoe to better serve their patrons. The two parcels on the affected property are zoned heavy industrial. The property needs to be rezoned to town residential for the church to occupy the building.

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Marshall County Council on Aging to Complete Transportation Funding Paperwork

Marshall County will act as a funding pass-through point to deliver transportation funding from the Indiana Department of Transportation to the Marshall County Council on Aging.

Executive Director Jackie Wright explained to the Marshall County Commissioners Monday morning that she is submitting grant paperwork to INDOT for the annual request for transportation funding. She requested that the County be the pass-through point for the funds. She anticipates the reception of $277,000 this year.

The county approved a resolution to sign the contracts as presented for the necessary action. All signed paperwork needs to be submitted to INDOT by June 1.

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S&P Upgrades Plymouth’s Bond Rating

A “recent trend of strong financial performance” has caused Standard and Poor’s to upgrade the City of Plymouth’s bond rating from A to A+. The higher the bond rating, the more favorable the interest rate the city will get when it sells bonds to fund public works projects.

The assessment comes just as the city prepares for the refunding of sewage works revenue bonds and for the sale of waterworks revenue bonds later this week.

The city is looking to finance comprehensive renovations of the Ledyard Water Treatment Plant and water main extensions. The bond sale looks to gather $5.5 million for the projects.

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Marshall County Commissioners to Discuss Several Items in Today’s Meeting

The Marshall County Commissioners will consider a change order request from USI Consultants’ Bart Trester when they meet today. Trester oversees the 7th Road project and the roundabout project on North Michigan Road in Plymouth. Trester indicated earlier this month that crews are waiting for word from the state to move ahead, barring any more issues with the HMX mix design. The mix of aggregate and asphalt binder is causing buckling pavement in other locations across the state. Crews are awaiting final approval of the combination to install the mix.

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Farmers Reminded of Conservation Certification Filing Deadline

Specialty crop producers who applied for enhanced crop insurance this year have a deadline approaching to turn in necessary paperwork. Conservation compliance forms must be filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture by June 1. Farmers who do not complete the form will not be eligible for federal crop insurance payments. The 2014 farm bill gave specialty crop producers the option to apply for enhanced crop coverage through the federal Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, commonly known as NAP. In order to receive payments, farmers must certify they will not plant crops on erodible land unless previously approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Applicants must also agree not to drain, dredge, level or fill any wetlands on their property. Continue reading

Plymouth Officials Remind Residents of Yard Waste Restrictions

The City of Plymouth will pick up grass clippings and a branch or two from residential yards but will not haul off waste from professional contractors. Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt says doing so costs the city too much money. He adds it’s still a perennial fight with some property owners. Marquardt told the board of works this week a resident asked him why the city cut down a chipped a tree two blocks from her house but couldn’t do hers. He explained the tree the street department cleared was owned by the city.  Continue reading

IRS Scams Increasingly Common According to Indiana AG

The Indiana Attorney General’s Office says IRS phone scams are leading their list of complaints in 2015.

Hoosiers may be familiar with the scam if they receive a call from the IRS demanding payment for past-due taxes. According to the Attorney General’s office, scammers might threaten arrest and jail time if payment is not received. Investigators largely say victims take drastic steps, fearing possible IRS action.

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Indiana Hosts Second Free Fishing Day

The state of Indiana will be allowing those without a fishing license the opportunity to cast into public waterways.

Normally, anglers would need a license or a trout/salmon stamp in order to fish in Indiana. The state’s Free Fishing Day, however, will take place on Saturday. Indiana residents do not need a fishing license or a trout/salmon stamp to fish for the day.

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Indiana State Police Host Various Summer Youth Camps

Indiana middle and high school students with an interest in law enforcement can learn more about it during one of several Indiana State Police summer youth camps. You can also get more information in this post related to bail bonds and law enforcement.The co-ed “Respect for Law” offering for 5th and 6th grade students includes demonstrations by emergency response team members, bomb squads, underwater search and rescue teams and police dogs.

Law Camps give students entering the 7th and 8th grades a behind the scenes look at the criminal justice system. During the four-day camp participants take field trips and learn more about the law enforcement field. Continue reading

New Shell Building Ready for Business

The new shell building in Plymouth is ready for occupancy.

Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter, Dan Zuerner from Garmong Construction, PIDCO Board President James Faulstich, and Mike Miley, Vice President of the Plymouth Redevelopment Commission spoke about the city’s bright future with economic development in a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday. Officials officially welcomed the opening of the expandable 45,000 square foot building on the corner of Pioneer Drive and Commerce Street in Plymouth.

Bill Davis, Board Chairman of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation, says the board realized that there weren’t a wealth of facilities available for potential business or industry leaders looking to begin business in the county. That’s when the shell building concept was born.

“PIDCO had the land, we had the concept, and we met with Garmong [Construction] and researched them pretty thoroughly,” said Davis. “They had done 40 or 45 of these throughout the state. We just said we’re going to have some place for a prospective client to come in and create jobs for Marshall County. Three-and-a-half years later, here we are!”

Davis says they’re getting closer to finding an occupant for the building.

“We have many prospects. They’re varied with all different kinds of industries and different pay scales. We’re pretty confident that there’s not going to be an issue with us getting a prospect into the building pretty quickly.”

Davis believes that this just a start of the potential for more economic development in Marshall County.

“We’ve already seen this happening in Argos. They bought 80 acres of land. We’ve helped them get that shovel ready, according to the state criteria. If we could get every community as engaged as Plymouth and Argos have been, I think that you’re going to see Culver, Bourbon or Bremen doing the same thing, conceptually, as what we did here.”