The Culver School Board members are considering the adoption of a balanced calendar for the 2015-2016 school year. On Nov. 3rd Rochester School Corporation Superintendent Jana Vance, and a principal and a teacher will come to Culver Community High School auditorium to share the pros and cons of the schedule with the public. That forum starts at 6 p.m. ET. The board will then decide on whether or not to switch to the balanced calendar. The balanced schedule still provides the state-mandated 180 days of classroom instruction. School would start about a week or a week-and-a-half earlier than it does now and end at the beginning of June. The schedule would also feature two-week breaks for remediation and vacation in the fall and spring.
Marshall County Commissioners to Meet Today
The Marshall County commissioners will meet today with a host of items to discuss.
Bart Trester of USI will provide the commissioners with an update on the 7th Road project and the Metronet project. The Metronet project is ahead of schedule while the 7th Road project continues. An update on the Jefferson Street bridge will also be provided by a USI representative.
Ward Byers from Court Services will be before the board for approval of an employment contract and Stacy Richer will have a request to vacate a street on county-owned property.
Voter Registration Deadline is Today
Today is the last day to register to vote for the Nov. 4 General Election.
Voter registration is available during the time the county clerk’s offices are open today. You must be registered by the end of the business day in order to vote in the November election.
You may go into your county clerk’s office today to review your current registration or to simply register. You will need to update your voter registration information if you have moved or if you’re a first time voter.
Plymouth Airport Receives $2.2 Million FAA Grant
The Plymouth Airport will get a wider runway and more improvements thanks to an FAA grant worth $2.2 million. Matching funds from the city and state of $126,805 each brings the total to a little over $2.5 million.
Mayor Mark Senter said the project has been in the works for many years but the current infrastructure needed to be upgraded before the runway could be restructured.
“We had buildings here in awful shape,” explained Mayor Senter. There were garage doors that would barely open, roofs that leaked, dimly lit hangers with airplanes that shivered in the cold winter, cracked sidewalks, an office area styled for the 1970s, and a pilot’s lounge that was indescribable. Let’s fix what we have first, then we can start talking about a mile-long runway.”
Property Tax Scam Reported in Marshall County
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department has received phone calls from Culver residents about a property tax scam.
Phone calls are being made to Culver residents where the caller tells the victim that a property tax payment has not been made, a lien has been placed on the property and officers are on the way with an arrest warrant. Some calls are made with a human caller and others are automated.
Beware of Charity Checks
Beware of a charity check that may come your way
Charitable organizations including those raising money for breast cancer and hospice are seeking donations by mail from area residents. They send a check to the resident made out for $2.50 with instructions to it back with an additional contribution. However, the fine print states less than 5 percent of the proceeds go to the charity.
Keep this in mind if you get a check like this in the mail.
Marshall County Economic Development Corporation Launches New Website
The Marshall County Economic Development Corporation has launched a new website.
Officials with the corporation and many volunteers spent many hours during the summer months researching ways to help promote businesses and to grow the economy.
According to Bill Davis, President of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, the home page at www.marshallcountyedc.org will now focus on key strategic business advantages that are evaluated when a company conducts a site search to determine where to locate a new facility.
Crews Work on Preventative Road Maintenance
Crews have been busy crack sealing roads to help extend the life of the pavement and to provide a smoother road surface.
Local street department workers and INDOT crews have been busy with the process to keep water from getting into the cracks to slow the deterioration process and to prevent frost heave damage and potholes. This work is typically done in the spring and fall when temperatures are not at an extreme.
Cracks are air blasted to remove dust and debris. That process is followed by the application of a material mixture which is cured with the help of sand.
Free Internship Program Set for Oct. 10
An internship-matching program to help easily connect employers with qualified interns is planned for Friday, Oct. 10 at the Lindenwood Retreat & Conference Center on the campus of Ancilla College in Donaldson.
Jennifer Fisher, a training and recruitment specialist with Group Dekko, will share experiences with interns and explain the return on investment of a quality internship. Indiana INTERNnet Executive Director Janet Boston will take program attendees through the process of using a free online searchable database that allows employers connect with an intern that can best fit the company’s workforce needs. Amanda Stanley, director of program relationships for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, will outline a program that can help employers fund paid internships with qualifying students.
Marshall County Community Foundation Distributes $66,210 in Grant Funds
Over $66,000 in grants was awarded to 10 organizations in Marshall County Thursday afternoon.
The Marshall County Community Foundation held its second round of 2014 Community Fund grants where non-profit organizations submitted proposals for specific projects. Linda Yoder, Executive Director of the Marshall County Community Foundation explained that the Community Fund is one of the most flexible and responsive of the Foundation’s 318 funds.
The Plymouth Tennis Club received the largest grant worth $25,000 for improvement of the tennis courts in Centennial Park. The Crossing Educational Center was the recipient of $9,500 for startup costs for the alternative school for at-risk students.
North Liberty Woman Dies in Accident
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an accident that resulted in a fatality Wednesday night.
According to police, Melissa Newcomb, 29 of North Liberty, was southbound on Tamarack Road and approached 4B Road when she entered the intersection without stopping. Her vehicle left the roadway and struck a concrete pillar.
The Polk Township Fire Department extricated her from the vehicle and was transported to St. Joseph Regional Medical Hospital in Plymouth where she later died.
Toxicology test results are pending through the Marshall County Coroner. The accident is still under investigation.
State Police Offer Harvest Season Driver Safety Tips
Motorists are sharing the road with large farm equipment has harvest season continues across northern Indiana. State police remind drivers some farm implements are wider than normal vehicles. Motorists may need to slow down, move over and possibly stop to give them room to pass. Continue reading
Be Prepared in Case Severe Weather Strikes
The season is changing, and now is the time to prepare for the potential for severe weather.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security recommends maintaining a preparedness kit. If you have one assembled, take this opportunity to check on foods and other items in the kit to see what things might need to be replaced. Continue reading
Deer Archery Season Opens Today
Deer archery season opens today in Indiana. All hunters must be licensed and must use legal archery equipment as defined by the DNR. These include long bows, compound bows or recurve bows and arrows. The bow must have a pull of at least 35 pounds. Arrows must be tipped with broadheads that are metal, metal-edged or napped flint; chert or obsidian. New this year, hunters can use a draw-loc device with archery equipment during archery season. Continue reading
Voter Registration Deadline Rapidly Approaching
The General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 4, and in order to cast your important vote you need to be properly registered. Voter registration is open this week at all county clerk’s offices. The last day to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 6. You must be registered by the end of the business day on Oct. 6 in order to vote in the November election. If you need to register to vote or have questions about your current registration, call the Marshall County Clerk’s office at (574) 936-8922. Election and registration information can also be found on the state’s website. Absentee voting in all three counties begins Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Lighthouse Autism Center Still Considering Marshall County Expansion
Officials with a Mishawaka-based Autism treatment center say there is definitely a need for a facility like theirs in Marshall County. Lighthouse Autism Center co-founder and Controller Sandy Maggioli says their open house last week drew a lot of people who are passionate about the issue.
A physician who sees children with autism, community leaders, parents and grandparents were among the 50 or so people in attendance. Maggioli says she wants to hear from families in Marshall and surrounding counties whose youngsters could benefit from the intensive, one-on-one Applied Behavior Analysis treatment Lighthouse Autism Center offers.
“We probably already have five or six families that are driving to Mishawaka and Warsaw that would be interested in attending the centers. If we can find five to six more, it would probably be worth our while then to open a center in that area,” Maggioli said.
“I think there are still quite a few people out there waiting to be heard from, so we want to give that some time to kind of get out there in the community and get some response. We’re probably thinking maybe in three to four weeks that we might have an idea then come back and take a look at the spaces that are available in Plymouth. We’ll try to make a decision at that point,” Maggioli added.
Find more information about Lighthouse Autism Center online at http://lighthouseautismcenter.com/.
United Way of Marshall County Blitz Week
The United Way of Marshall County has a busy week planned. Volunteers will be visiting businesses in the community to distribute information about United Way. They will be in Bremen on Wednesday and in Plymouth on Friday.
The volunteers will be accepting contributions from businesses to go towards the community. United Way of Marshall County Executive Director Linda Yoder says these visits show businesses how United Way can help.
“What we’re doing again is at the very core. We are providing support for agencies all across the county that are providing social services,” said Yoder.
Local County Entities Receive Local Government Cooperation Award
The decision to being dark fiber optic infrastructure into the counties of St. Joesph and Marshall plus the City of Plymouth has prompted the Association of Indiana Counties to award county officials for that effort.
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