Authorities in Marshall County are searching for a stolen vehicle. It was taken just after 5 p.m. last night from a home in the 500 block of Thorn Road. The red 1998 Chevrolet Suburban bears the registration VPR565. It has some rusting on the back end and underneath the rear doors and a white fish symbol on the rear window. Additionally a hole in the floorboard is covered with a piece of wood. Anyone with information about the vehicle’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Marshall County Police Department at 574-936-3187.
Marshall County Commissioners Receive Update on Projects
The Marshall County commissioners received an update on the 7th Road project and the Metronet project Monday morning.
USI Consultant’s Bart Trester is the project manager and said the 7th Road project is moving along.
“The contractor has begun the soil stabilization of the sub-grade and should finish from Linden Trail to Seltenright Ditch by the end of the week. This will actually allow them to put in under drains and hopefully begin paving toward the end of the week. They won’t put surface down this year. Traffic has been running on a temporary lane allowing the contractor to construct phase two of the roundabout on Michigan Road. Traffic will be switched to phase three at the end of this week or early next week. They will be running through the center of the roundabout at this time allowing them to construct phase three which is the east side up to Zimmer Ditch,” said Trester.
BMV Mails Excise Tax Refund Notices
Some Hoosiers who have registered vehicles with the state will be getting excise tax refund notices in the mail from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles within the next 30 days. The refunds date back to 2004 and are estimated at $29 million plus interest. Continue reading
Early Morning Traffic Stop Leads to Four Arrests
An early morning traffic stop at the intersection of U.S. 31 and U.S. 30 in Marshall County landed four people in jail on drug charges. An officer with the Marshall County Police Department pulled a vehicle driven by Jerald Standifer of Bremen over for an equipment violation around 1:45 a.m. A news release indicates he was driving on a suspended ID card only. Officers also found items associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine inside the vehicle, according to the news release, and arrested Standifer and three passengers. Standifer, Caleb Z. Hollett, Ethan S. Hollett and Samantha E. Personette, all of Argos, face charges of dealing/delivering/manufacturing methamphetamine and possession of precursors. Bond is pending judicial review.
###
Culver Town Council Accepts Town Manager’s Resignation
The Culver Town Council met in a special session on Monday to accept the resignation of the town manager. Dave Schoeff resigned last week and will finish his duties as manager on Oct. 17th. The council is going to advertise the position in hopes of getting someone to start at the beginning of 2015.
In other business, the Lions Club wants to lease the Vandalia Railroad Station next to the town park. The lease is up next year and the club wanted to discuss that with the board.
Speed Limit Changes Approved for Two Roads in Marshall County
The Marshall County Commissioners approved two speed limit ordinance amendments on second and final readings Monday morning.
Lincoln Highway West in Plymouth from the city limits to Pioneer Drive will be reduced to 45 mph. Safety was the driving force behind the change. The same idea was behind the reduction of the speed limit on 3B Road between Birch and Beech Roads.
The commissioners suspended the rules and adopted those ordinances. The highway department was notified to change the signs as soon as possible.
Marshall County Community Foundation Receives Lilly Endowment, Inc. Grant
The Marshall County Community Foundation has received a substantial grant for the sixth phase of the Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative.
Lilly Endowment, Inc. awarded the community foundation with a $500,000 grant that can be used for endowment building, operating support, college scholarships, special charitable and educational projects and programs, fundraising capacity building, and convening and technical assistance.
NIPSCO Projects Lower Winter Heating Bills
NIPSCO gas customers can expect to pay less to heat their homes this winter, according to the utility company’s forecast for home heating bills. Projections indicate they will be four percent lower than last year. That means an average savings of $22 over the winter heating season for residential customers. Continue reading
Absentee Voting Now Open for General Election
Voters can now vote absentee in a county clerk’s office for the November General Election.
Absentee voting in Marshall County will be available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. until Friday, Oct. 31. The clerk’s office will be open on Saturday, Oct. 25 and Saturday, Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.
The last opportunity to vote absentee is Monday, Nov. 3 from 8 a.m. to noon local time.
Semi Driver Treated After Single Vehicle Wreck
A semi driver from Harvey, Ill. was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth for evaluation after his truck jackknifed Monday afternoon. The wreck occurred at the intersection of King Road and U.S. 30 at 1:16 p.m., according to a Marshall County Sheriff’s Department news release. Edward Tripp Jr., was turning onto King Road from 30 when the crash occurred. The fuel tank of his 2007 International semi was damaged, and fuel leaked onto the roadway. The Plymouth Fire Department assisted with the cleanup.
Jefferson Street Bridge in Plymouth to Close Thursday
The Jefferson Street bridge in Plymouth will be closing beginning Thursday.
Michael Obergfell from USI Consultants told the Marshall County commissioners Monday morning that the concrete slabs by the bridge are not stable and the sidewalk is not reinforced. The bridge was rehabilitated in 1986 but a storm sewer line is leaking and may be causing stability issues.
Obergfell suggested that the commissioners close the bridge so crews can immediately fix the issue.
Two Arrested after Providing False Information to Police
Two Plymouth residents were arrested on Saturday morning after allegedly lying to the police after an accident.
A Marshall County sheriff’s deputy was called to the scene on Glenn-Overmyer Drive where he talked to those involved in the accident. Miranda Smith, 19, told police that she didn’t realize that the vehicle in front of her stopped and she ran into the back of the car. Smith told the officer that two women left the other car and got into another car and left the area.
National Athletic Trainers Association Honors Plymouth Schools
The Plymouth Community School Corporation has received the Face Sports School Award from the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). Continue reading
Indiana Receives Federal Grant to Combat ongoing Methamphetamine Production
The Indiana State Police is the recipient of a $567,000 federal grant to boost efforts in the fight against methamphetamine production and distribution.
U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly announced the reception of the grant on Monday afternoon which will allow the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Anti-Methamphetamine Program to investigate activities related to the ongoing methamphetamine issue in the state.
Supporting continued funding for the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program and funding for the DEA’s Clandestine Drug Laboratory Cleanup Program was one of Donnelly’s priorities for the fiscal year 2015 federal appropriations.
Community Encouraged to Pray for Peace
Christians of all faiths are invited to the Center at Donaldson to pray for world peace. The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and the Center at Donaldson are hosting a World Day of Prayer for Peace service this afternoon at 2 p.m. EDT at the Catherine Kasper Home chapel. Continue reading
Culver School Board Schedules Balanced Calendar Forum
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.
