An annual festival in Marshall County has decided on a theme.
The 49th Annual Marshall County Blueberry Festival has decided to honor the “Heroes Among Us.” According to a press release, a hero can be anyone who has an impact in an individuals’ life.
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A home in Marshall County is being called a total loss after a structure fire on Wednesday afternoon.
Volunteer firefighters in Tippecanoe received the call just before 3:00 on Wednesday afternoon. Emergency responders were on the scene of another call, causing them to take about 10 minutes to arrive at the scene.
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Calls for reduced test times have prompted the Indiana Department of Education to issue guidance eliminating certain questions from the ISTEP test.
The reductions come shortly after new rules were adopted by the Indiana General Assembly. Those alterations, however, come close to the actual testing dates.
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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.
WorkOne in Plymouth is working to get veterans the services they need to find work and transition back to civilian life.
Interest is being gathered to help host the seminar in the area. According to a press release, WorkOne is hoping to help veterans cope with change, resume preparation, and networking.
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Plymouth Airport Manager Dave Lattimer presented the Marshall County Commissioners with the board’s comprehensive plan this week.
One of the projects that the board is anticipating is the widening of the runway, which Lattimer says is set to begin in the next several months.
“That involves widening our runway from 60 feet to 75 feet and rebuilding 4,400 feet of pavement,” Lattimer explained. “The next phase is to lengthen the runway. The magic number for an airport our size is 75 feet wide and 5,000 feet long.”
State Senator Ed Charbonneau has introduced three bills in the Indiana Senate and hopes all three will play a role in improving ethics in Indianapolis.
According to a press release from Charbonneau’s offices, the bills authored by the Valparaiso Republican will promote stronger ethics by ensuring a quicker recovery for misappropriated funds, providing protections for whistleblowers, and giving greater options for filling clerk-treasurer seats at the local level.
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Congresswoman Jackie Walorski was in Mishawaka yesterday to promote a tax deduction sought for permanent extension.
According to a press release, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that encourages donations. The bill, also known as the Fighting Hunger Incentive Act permanently extends the deduction for businesses to donate food inventory to local food pantries.
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A recently released report shows Indiana ranking with a relatively high suicide risk among young people.
The “Kids Count In Indiana 2015” Data Book says suicide has been the second-leading cause of death for residents between the ages of 15 and 24 in the Hoosier State. The report covers numerous topics, including health, population, and economic data.
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A Marshall County Home Detention inmate faces new charges after a short-lived shot at freedom. Chance Michael Skaggs, 27, of Plymouth, is accused of fleeing from a court services official around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Continue reading
A wind chill advisory will take effect this afternoon and remain in place through midday tomorrow. Dangerous wind chill values between 10 and 25 below zero are expected late this afternoon through tomorrow morning. Prolonged exposure to extreme cold can lead to hypothermia and frostbite in 30 minutes or less. If you have to be outside, wear a hat and gloves and protect exposed skin.
Marshall County voters will soon have a new way to sign-in to vote at the polls.
Steve Shamo from KnowInk gave the commissioners a demonstration of how e-poll books can save a lot of hassle at voting sites. The voter’s Driver’s License is swiped into a reader that confirms the voter’s identity on an iPad screen. The voter then signs with a finger or iPad writing device. The poll worker can confirm that the Driver’s License signature matches the handwritten signature. The voter can also be manually input into the system. A receipt will print to show that the voter did sign in at the polls. Once that process is done, a legal ballot may be filled out and submitted.
Two retail electronics locations in the immediate area will not be closed despite hundreds of locations shutting their doors around the country.
The company announced February 5th they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections with the help of New Bedford bankruptcy lawyers. Right now, an asset purchase agreement has been signed with General Wireless to acquire up to 2,400 company-owned stores.
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Temperatures continue to stay low in the Kankakee Valley and that’s prompting a few tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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The Culver School Board is preparing for the purchase of new textbooks.
Monday night’s discussion brought approval of a Textbook Adoption Committee. Committee members typically go to textbook caravans that explain each of the different options.
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Ancilla College officials will be at Oregon-Davis High School in Hamlet tonight to share information about applying for college financial aid. They’ve scheduled a presentation about completing the FAFSA at 6 p.m. and will remain to help parents and students complete the form. It’s due March 10 and must be submitted in order to be considered for any federal grants, low-interest loans or scholarships. Continue reading
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department has made several arrests after working with another government agency.
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A Plymouth man and a Walkerton woman spent the night in the Marshall County Jail after officers from the Plymouth Police Department responded to a disturbance call. Officers arrived at the home in the 2400 block of Lake Ave. around midnight and arrested Elizabeth A. Keller, 24, of Walkerton, on a battery charge. Steven Cogswell, 21, of Plymouth, faces criminal confinement, intimidation with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief charges.
Marshall County is now under an advisory level travel status. That means routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation, and individuals should use caution or avoid those areas.
While most of the main roads are clear, secondary county roads may remain snow-covered, icy and hazardous. Emergency officials urge you to allow plenty of time to get to your destination and allow snow plow drivers enough room to work.
The Marshall County Commissioners commended the highway department on their efforts during the weekend to keep roads clear for travelers.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters said the crews went out Sunday morning as opposed to Saturday night as visibility was low and cars were stranded in the roadways.
“At nighttime it’s hard to see especially with snow-covered cars sitting in the middle of the roads,” commented Peters. “Why jeopardize taking a chance of hitting a car sitting in the middle of the road?”
