Plymouth High School Speech and Debate Team Competes Well in State Competition

The Plymouth High School Speech and Debate team had a successful showing in the state event on Saturday, March 28.

The team overall finished second in the state. Nate Garrick was the state champion in discussion. Kylee Rippe was second in international extemporaneous and Elizabeth Polstra was second in drama. Fourth place finishes include Christie Gorka in drama, Clayton Lenig in humor and Kalee Lowry in original oratory. Chase Holzwart and Jillian Smith finished fifth in scripted duo as well as Garrett Garver in United States extemporaneous speaking.

Culver Academy students were able to finish third in the AA division and Knox High School was seventh in the A Division.

Wednesday is National Walking Day

The American Heart Association’s National Walking Day is a chance for idle residents to get up and start moving to improve heart health.

National Walking Day will be observed is tomorrow. Residents are becoming less active and the observance of walking and other activities allow young and old people alike to decrease the chance of heart disease, stroke and other diseases.

The American Heart Association encourages you to go walking with a friend on a path on which you both feel comfortable walking. You may also map out routes for new places to explore.

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Area Firefighters Battle Field Fire

The Plymouth Fire Department was called to a large field fire Monday afternoon.

According to officials, a farmer was conducting a controlled burn that got out of hand on Hawthorne Road. The fire went into a bean field and the ditch. It also jumped the road into another ditch and another farmer’s field.

Plymouth firefighters arrived at the scene at 3:16 p.m. ET and asked for grass truck assistance from the Bremen and Bourbon Fire Departments. Four grass trucks, a tanker, and an engine used 1,300 gallons of water to extinguish the fire. The firefighters remained on scene for just over an hour.

Triple A Studies Teen Driving, Distraction Levels High

A video analysis of teen driving has shown evidence that distracted driving is more of a problem than previous thought.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reviewed video evidence and found that distraction was a factor in about 6 of 10 moderate-to-severe crashes when teens were the drivers. Information released by AAA suggests that’s four times higher than the data suggests based on police reports.

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Don’t Miss the Bus to the Tulip Festival

Kankakee Valley Broadcasting Travel Coordinator Ed Hasnerl has a few available slots for his upcoming trip to Holland, Mich. Enjoy the beauty of the annual Tulip Festival May 4-7. It’s just one of the adventures Ed has planned.

“Several people have talked to me about going to the Henry Ford Museum and eating dinner in an auto baron’s home – Edsel Ford, Edsel and Eleanor Ford’s home. It’s a wonderful home full of antiques and art, besides having dinner there,” Hasnerl said. Continue reading

Palm Sunday Tornado Anniversary Tomorrow

Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Palm Sunday tornadoes here in the Starke-Marshall area.

Shortly before 6 p.m. after massive thunderstorms passed through the area, the first tornado of many reported that day touched down in Starke County a few miles southwest of Hamlet. It crossed U.S. 30 and tore directly across Koontz Lake.

One-hundred vacation cottages were damaged. As one of the cottages was blown to pieces, the man inside was lifted into the air and thrown to his death 600 feet away.

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Plea Deadline Date Extended in Grand Jury Case

A plea deadline date was continued to Thursday, April 23 at 9 a.m. in a case involving former Marshall County Highway Superintendent Neal Haeck. A judge granted the decision on behalf of the defense in a judgment released yesterday.

A Grand Jury returned an indictment against Haeck in September of 2014 alleging theft of scrap metal from the county in 2012 and 2013. He was employed at the highway department at the time the alleged acts occurred.

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Marshall County Election Board Releases Polling Site Information

The Marshall County Election Board has approved polling sites for the 2015 Municipal Primary Election on May 5.

Center 1 and Center 2 voters in Plymouth will cast ballots at the National Guard Armory at 1220 W. Madison Street while Center 3 and Center 4 voters will be at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 901 E. Jefferson Street.

In Bremen, voters in German 3, German 4 and German 5 precincts will be voting at the Bremen High School at 511 E. Grant Street.

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Gas Prices Expected to Stay Within Current Range over the Summer

The price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline remains low. Prices have gone up slightly in the past few weeks. Gasbuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan says most stations raised prices to $2.45 a gallon.

“This is in line with what we would have expected. We’ve watched wholesale gasoline prices go up and in an account of some refinery kinks that occurred about a week-and-a-half ago that are still impacting the supply of gasoline and those prices. Prices, though, remain about $1.25 lower than last year. Over the coming week, I would expect some sort of minor decrease to emerge in gas prices,” said DeHaan.

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No New HIV Cases Reported in Immediate Area

Injection drug use is pinpointed as a cause of a jump in HIV cases in Scott County. No new cases of HIV have been reported locally.

Governor Mike Pence declared a public health emergency in Scott County yesterday due to an outbreak of HIV cases. The Indiana State Department of Health has identified 79 cases of HIV originating in Scott County.

Frank Lynch from the Starke County Health Department said that the state may take action and institute a program that brings awareness to all counties.

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Income Tax Filing Deadline is Quickly Approaching

Just three weeks remain to file income taxes on time. The deadline to file is Wednesday, April 15.

Katie McLear Public Relations Specialist with the Indiana Department of Revenue says taxes can be filed for free with the Indiana Free File program. If eligibility requirements don’t allow that option, McLear says the best option is to file electronically.

“There are a number of benefits to filing electronically,” explained McLear. “First for foremost you’re going to get your refund much faster. You’ll get that refund in about 10 to 14 days. You could wait up to 12 weeks if you file by paper.”

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Judge to Determine Additional Court Proceedings in Grand Jury Case

A judge in a Grand Jury case involving former Marshall County Highway Superintendent Neal Haeck will determine a timeline today on whether a plea agreement hearing or trial will be scheduled. A Grand Jury returned an indictment against Haeck in September of 2014 alleging theft of scrap metal from the county while in his capacity as highway superintendent in 2012 and 2013.

According to court documents, Haeck is accused of stealing $12,351.41. He is charged with theft as a Class D felony. He appeared for an initial hearing in October of 2014 after being summoned to appear in court. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of theft.

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Beware of State Tax Scam

State officials warn of a national telephone scam targeting Hoosiers. Callers claim to represent the Indiana Department of Revenue and say there is an outstanding tax warrant in the taxpayer’s name. They claim local law enforcement is on the way to arrest the taxpayer unless the debt is paid over the telephone. The scam artist sounds convincing and professional. They often have personal information about the taxpayer and can alter the caller ID to appear more legitimate.

Department of Revenue officials stress they do not call taxpayers without first corresponding through the mail and does not threaten to use local law enforcement. Commissioner Mike Alley says taxpayers should not be afraid to hang up the telephone if they suspect they are being targeted by a scam artist. Continue reading