Culver-Union Township Fire Chief Terry Wakefield informed the Culver Town Council members last week that work is being done to coordinate repairs on two tornado sirens in the immediate area.
He said it is his main concern at this time to make sure there is an effort to repair the sirens at 16th Road and 19th Road as soon as possible, but stressed that there is no timeline, nor repair costs available at this point, and it will take time to get it done.
Meanwhile, EMS Director Michael Hasselfeldt presented a proposal from Stryker to perform preventative maintenance on equipment in each ambulance that would cover the repair, labor, travel, and batteries of the cots, power loads, physio controls, cardiac monitors, and Lucas Devices. He said the proposal was for $10,820.50 each year for a three-year contract. The council members asked to review the proposal before voting on the request. It will be revisited at an upcoming meeting.
CULVER — The Culver Town Council members took action last week to table a certified proposal from the Culver Plan Commission that would amend the Culver Zoning Ordinance regarding solar energy systems and energy storage systems.
The Plan Commission has been working on this document since a moratorium was put in place on large industrial solar in June 2023. The moratorium was for two years, but at the time the council was hoping for a timely solution.
The council was asked to look into making sure that ground mounted solar panels be restricted to areas outside the town limits and that the setback from the town limits be extended to 250 feet rather than the 75 feet setback stated in the Commission’s proposal. There was also a concern for the safety of children and property values.
Culver Town Council Attorney Kevin Tankersley reminded those in attendance at last week’s meeting that any such systems would only be permitted in agriculture zones with a special use permit that would need to be approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.
With these concerns, Tankersley said that the council could table the proposal consideration, approve it, reject it, or amend it. The council members unanimously agreed to table the consideration. Tankersley said the notice will be published again and the certified proposal will be back before the council at the next meeting.
PLYMOUTH — On the morning of April 12, at 1:15 a.m., Plymouth Police located Brandon Snider, 28, of Plymouth, who had an active arrest warrant. Snider was transported and lodged into the Marshall County Jail without incident.
On April 14 at 10 a.m., Plymouth police also served a warrant on Zachary Cronin who was located at his residence. He had an active Failure to Appear Warrant for the original charges of Felony Conversion and Driving While Suspended-Misdemeanor. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Marshall County Jail where he was turned over to jail staff.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — On April 15, Plymouth Police were dispatched to the Prairie View Group Home in reference to Braydon Mabes, 19, assaulting staff and then leaving on foot.
Mabes was found walking in an alley west of the residence, where he was taken into custody without incident. Due to the charge, Mabes was transported to the Marshall County Jail, where he was lodged for the misdemeanor battery.
Suspects are considered innocent and until proven guilty in a court of law.
BOURBON — The recent tornado that struck the Bourbon area did its share of damage, but as far as the school corporation is concerned, it could have been worse.
Superintendent Jeremy Riffle outlined the damage to the campus at Triton schools to the Triton School Board, saying that as far as the buildings were concerned, the school suffered no damages, but the south end of the campus was not unscathed. Riffle told the board that insurance assessors were on campus last week, and damage to fences and equipment such as the high jump pit at the track on the athletic fields, was rather extensive. He told the board that no official numbers were finalized at the time of the board’s Monday meeting, but based on the costs of recently purchased items, he felt that the damage would be somewhere in the $250,000 range, adding, “but the good news is those are just things.” Riffle went on to praise first responders, area organizations, and the community of Bourbon as a whole for their quick and positive response to the disaster. Riffle told the board that work on the roof at the elementary school building would begin during the summer. The roof will be completely replaced during the break between spring and fall semesters. The board also accepted the retirement of elementary school principal Christine Cook, who has served the corporation for 26 years.
PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) announced the Spring 2025 grant awards from Community Funds totaling $217,550.
Twice each year, nonprofit organizations are invited to submit funding requests for projects that improve the quality of life in Marshall County. MCCF Grants Committee members evaluate the proposals during a competitive application process. The Spring 2025 grant awards will fund a variety of projects and programs. From now until December 31, or until the match dollars are exhausted, MCCF will match gifts made to Community Funds with $2 for every $1 donated. These matching dollars are made possible from a matching fund grant totaling $750,000 as part of the eighth phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s initiative. Receiving grants in this round were: •Heartland Artist, Inc. $150,000 to transform the historic Montgomery Ward building into an arts and economic hub, supporting artists, attracting tourism, and driving economic growth — strengthening Marshall County as a center for arts and culture in the region. •David’s Courage. $23,550 for the installation of windows in an apartment building renovation project to house graduates of David’s Courage. •Bread of Life Community Food Pantry. $6,000 for computer upgrades and new computer with office software, and to remodel flooring in the distribution area. •Garden Court Inc. $25,000 to establish a fully equipped computer lab within the GC Horizons apartments to give residents access to technology, digital literacy training, and online resources to enhance telehealth, education and employment opportunities. •Wild Rose Moon. $10,000 for equipment to launch and increase video production capacity for emerging Marshall County collaborations with The Rees, Heartland Arts and similar organizations across Marshall County and within South Bend-Elkhart region. •Carter’s Ride, Inc. $3,000 for suicide prevention services including Lifeline Connections (Alternative to Suicide) Peer Support Group for individuals who experience suicidal thoughts, ideations, or attempts and for community prevention trainings including Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASSIST) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
PLYMOUTH — On April 15 at 12:23 a.m., Plymouth Police were dispatched to N Walnut St. for a report of a domestic altercation in progress.
Officers found Joshua Neff, 47, of Plymouth extremely irate and violent inside the home. Neff resisted law enforcement as they attempted to detain him. He was taken into custody and booked into the Marshall County Jail for domestic battery, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
WALKERTON – Walkerton Chief of Police Matt Schalliol and MACOG representatives unveiled the region’s first pursuit-capable electric law enforcement vehicle in the region at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Town of Walkerton’s police department on Tuesday, April 15.
Walkerton was awarded up to $72,062 for the vehicle and fleet charging through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG) administered through the Indiana Office of Energy Development. Additionally, the town committed up to $16,000 towards the cost of upfitting. “The Walkerton Police Department has always pursued the latest and greatest technology available to Law Enforcement,” said Walkerton Chief of Police Matt Schalliol. “With the inception of the new Chevy Blazer EV, the first true pursuit-rated EV Police Vehicle, we just knew we had to take that next step. The potential savings in fuel cost, along with being more environmentally friendly, just seemed like the right way to go with a new vehicle. The new Chevy Blazer EV has only been in service for about a week, so it’s too soon to comment on savings just yet,” The Chevy Blazer EV has just shy of 500 horsepower, with acceleration from 60 MPH in 5.08 seconds, and a range of 297 miles with all-wheel drive. The GM Envolve North Central Government Team shared, “We could not be more excited for the Walkerton Police Dept. and the all-new Blazer EV PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle), the only true EV PPV on the market, to be added into service. As more states and municipalities implement plans to increase the efficiency of their operations and reduce fuel costs, the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV PPV can help achieve them. While offering uncompromising performance and capability for officers. Designed for the needs of law enforcement, the purpose-built electrical architecture is explicitly prepared for the demands of an emergency. We look forward to this relationship with Walkerton PD.”
PLYMOUTH — In their meeting on Monday, the Marshall County Council heard a query from the Marshall County Commissioners regarding their willingness to become the “legislative” body of the county.
Currently, the division of powers within the county governmental boards is the Commissioners holding the day-to-day executive power of the county along with the power to formulate and pass ordinances. Last week, Commissioner Jesse Bohannon began a discussion with the other Commissioners regarding an ordinance of the state of Indiana that allows a county to empower the County Council with the ability to enact all ordinances along with being its fiscal body that allocates all funds. Currently, only St. Joe and Lake County operate under this division of powers. Attorney for the Council, Marcel Lebbin told the board that the arrangement would more closely reflect the federal government with legislative and fiscal powers given to Congress with the President exercising executive authority. As in the federal model, the Commissioners would retain “veto” power over an ordinance, with the Council having the ability to override the veto. Lebbin said that it would be more of a “collaborative” arrangement between the two bodies than the current arrangement, with the Council having just the power to refuse to fund actions they disagreed with the Commissioners on. Lebbin said in the past, some Commissioners had enacted ordinances the Council didn’t agree with, which they didn’t fund that led to “chaos,” saying this would prevent some of that from happening. Any such change would take a joint resolution of both bodies. Commissioner Bohannon a week ago told his board it would be a “long” discussion and Lebbin told the Council essentially the same saying it would take a lot of discussion to be sure if the change is something that both bodies would be interested in and just when that transition would take place if decided on.
The Culver Town Council members approved four applications from residents in the town’s sidewalk program.
The program reimburses the homeowner a set per square foot amount for sidewalks and per lineal foot for curb and curb/sidewalk combination.
Clerk-Treasurer Karen Heim said the applications totaled $4,117.40 for reimbursement. There is still money left in the fund budgeted for this program so if any other applications come in they will be considered. The funds will remain on a first-come, first-served basis until September, or until the funds are depleted.
Heim also reminded the council members that the town-wide yard sale is set for April 25 and April 26. Town of Culver residents have until Tuesday, April 22 at 4 p.m. ET to be included on the map. Email the information to Heim to include the name, address of the sale, days the sale will be open, and a brief description of what is for sale.
The town-wide clean-up day is set for Monday, May 11. Place items for disposal at the curb Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10. The utility crew member will collect items Monday, May 11. When putting out items, secure items that might blow away. Tires and hazardous waste will not be accepted.
PLYMOUTH — On Monday, April 14, at 2:16 p.m., Marshall County Central Dispatch received a call from a woman advising she saw a vehicle drive off the roadway and was down in the ditch. The caller advised the woman involved was moving but did have a laceration to her head.
LaPaz Fire and EMS were on the scene when Marshall County Sherriff’s deputies arrived. It was learned that Janice Berrier, 82, of Lakeville, was traveling north on Michigan Road, south of Tyler Road. Due to an unknown reason, Berrier’s 2012 Toyota Prius left the roadway and drove off the east side of the road. Berrier was transported to Memorial Hospital. Reichert-Knepp was called to the scene to remove the vehicle.
PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Council will make an additional contribution to the current budget for the County’s road plan but maybe not as much as Superintendant Jason Peters would like.
The Council’s Highway Subcommittee reported to the board on Monday that during a recent meeting with Peters, they went over the county’s long-term road maintenance/improvement plan in particular that which is planned for 2025. Peters told the subcommittee that his department was employing different procedures such as chip and seal to maximize the amount of highway that can be addressed but said that the Department of Local Government Finance had restricted the amount of funding that the county would be allowed to spend on highways and that restriction would leave the department at least $1 million short of keeping pace with the long term plan and in reality an additional $1 million would be needed to fully keep pace. The subcommittee told the Council that they recommended the initial $1 million be allocated but would not recommend the second expenditure. Members of the committee made their recommendation based on economic uncertainties involving SB 1 that will provide relief of property taxes and also other concerns such as the current lawsuit against the county by Tamarack Solar and other areas of the county seeking increased funding in the coming year for various reasons. Council member Nicole Cox reported to the board that it appeared that the amount of Indiana’s Community Crossings funds — used for road funding around the state — was also in question as it appeared the general assembly would require counties to have a “wheel tax” in order to receive full funding. Discussion of the Council centered on addressing the immediate need of the Highway Department with an additional allocation of $1 million in July. Once the General Assembly has completed its session later in April, the Council would consider the second $1 million to be allocated in August.
PLYMOUTH — Saint Joseph Health System (SJHS) is hosting a mobile blood drive with the South Bend Medical Foundation on Friday, April 18 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Plymouth Medical Center.
Blood donations play a vital role in saving lives and improving the health of our community. Whether it’s for surgeries, traumas, or cancer treatments, there is always a constant need for blood donations. By donating blood, you can make a difference in someone’s life and help ensure that our healthcare system has the resources it needs to provide the best possible care. To schedule an appointment visit givebloodnow.com.
BOURBON — On April 13, at 4:35 a.m., Marshall County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop in the area of US 30 and Gumwood Rd.
The driver Rachel S. Harris, 49, of Decatur, was found to have been driving on a suspended license. Harris was taken into custody and lodged at the Marshall County Jail for driving while suspended with a prior within 10 years.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
WALKERTON – John Glenn High School in Walkerton has announced that they will be having a Baseball Field Dedication on Saturday, April 19th.
The event will take place at approximately 6:30 pm before the championship game. The team will dedicate the field and provide a light display to memorialize Mr. Richard “Dick” Reese. Reese served as the principal and superintendent of the John Glenn School Corporation for 35 years before passing away in May of 2022. The public is invited to celebrate this event with John Glenn High School.
PLYMOUTH — On the evening of April 13, at 10:45 p.m., Plymouth Police were dispatched to the area of 1200 Baker Street for reports of a man and woman yelling.
The pair were located in an alleyway. It was determined the man was attempting to leave the home with his child, and the woman, 44-year-old Jessica Truex of Plymouth, was actively preventing him from doing so. As a result of the officer’s investigation, Truex was taken into custody and lodged at the Marshall County Jail for criminal confinement and disorderly conduct.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
TIPPECANOE — On April 11, at 4:33 a.m., Marshall County deputies were dispatched to a vehicle accident in the 3000 block of 18B road in Tippecanoe.
Deputies discovered a maroon 2012 Ford Fusion had struck a utility pole. The driver, Kay-Lee Ferry, 21, of Tippecanoe, was uninjured and had been found to have been drinking. After initial tests, Ferry agreed to a certified test, which resulted in her blood alcohol content being over twice the legal limit. Ferry was taken to the Marshall County Jail, where she was charged and booked for Operating a vehicle over .15% BAC and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
Suspects are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
PLYMOUTH — The Marshall County Community Foundation will hold a press conference on Wednesday, April 16, at 4 p.m. to announce the recipients for the Spring 2025 MCCF Community Fund Grant Round. Unrestricted (community) fund endowments are the most flexible and responsive of the Foundation’s funds in addressing current and emerging needs.
Grants from unrestricted endowment funds typically support projects focusing on the arts, education, health and human services, recreation, and the environment. The first grants from the MCCF Community Fund were awarded in 1995; since then MCCF has awarded nearly $5.5 million in total grants to the community from unrestricted funds alone. In addition to the MCCF Community Fund, there are also a few named unrestricted funds that support emerging needs in Marshall County. These funds include the Alan and Barbara Neidlinger Community Fund, the Barbara and Ralph Winters Community Fund, the Billy and Vickie Ellinger Community Fund, the Brian and Patricia Kitch Family Community Fund, the C & M Overmyer Unrestricted Endowment Fund, the Constance K. Danforth Community Fund, the Earl and Susie (Lemler) Houin Community Fund, the Eleanor & Randy Danielson Community Aesthetic Improvement Fund, the First Merchants Bank Community Fund, the Gibson Community Fund, the Janet Newberg Community Fund, the John and Kay Finlay Community Fund, the Philip and Sylvia Bieghler Community Fund, the Paul and Carol Nye Community Fund, and the Will and June Erwin Community Fund.
Average gasoline prices in Indiana have fallen 15.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.10/g today, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 3,271 stations in Indiana. Prices in Indiana are 16.4 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 48.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.
The national average price of diesel has decreased by 4.8 cents in the last week and stands at $3.546 per gallon. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Indiana was priced at $2.62/g yesterday, while the most expensive was $4.11/g, a difference of $1.49/g. “After oil’s sharp drop over the last couple of weeks— driven by concerns over the impact of U.S. tariffs and OPEC+ restoring production faster than expected — gasoline prices have posted a notable weekly decline, with nearly every state seeing prices fall,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While I do expect gas prices to continue trending lower, any abrupt change in the current tariff situation could eventually bring the decline to a halt. For now, the good news is that gas prices typically reach their yearly peak around April 10, so we may have already witnessed ‘peak pain’ at the pump for 2025. As refiners near the end of seasonal maintenance and supply begins to rise— and with the changeover to summer gasoline nearly complete — it’s increasingly likely that gas prices have already hit their high for the year.” GasBuddy’s averages, graphs, maps, and historical pricing data covering the U.S. and Canada are available 24/7 at http://prices.GasBuddy.com.
