Additional Appropriation Requests Approved for Sheriff’s Budget

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council members approved some money movement within the sheriff’s budget Monday morning.

Sheriff Tom Chamberlin requested an additional appropriation for $30,000 for prisoner care. Council President Matt Hassel commented that the money was “inadvertently overlooked” from the 2015 budget. The request was approved by a vote of 6-1 with Judy Stone opposed. She said the certified shares line item would be healthy enough to afford to pay that expense by the third or fourth quarter.

An additional appropriation request for funds to be placed into the sheriff’s pension line item in the budget was approved in the amount of $216,859.

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Enroll Now for Freedom from Smoking Classes

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

If you made a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking, you will soon have a program to help you stay smoke-free, presented by IU Health Starke Hospital, Moving Starke County Forward and Porter-Starke Services.

Cindy Reister, who is an American Lung Association-trained facilitator, will lead eight small group sessions to help participants get personalized attention to quit smoking. Evaluation studies show that individuals, who participate in small group sessions like this Freedom from Smoking Clinic, are more likely to stay smoke-free one year later than those who try to quit on their own.

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Marshall County Council Approves Salary Increases for Court Services

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council discussed an additional appropriation for Superior Court where Judge Dean Colvin asked for money to add to the court services director’s salary and to the substance abuse counselor’s salary.

Judge Colvin explained that the salaries were reduced in 2011 to accommodate cuts that needed to be done due to a lack of revenue and income the programs were receiving. According to Judge Colvin, the programs were turned around, thanks to the addition of Ward Byers to the office in 2013 and personnel in the office.

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Culver Town Board to Reorganize, Update Town Manager Search

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Culver Town Council will be following suit and reorganizing itself during a regularly scheduled meeting, Tuesday.

Boards around the area have been reorganizing in accordance with state statute. The selection of a new board President and the reappointment of department positions are being carried out now that the November elections are over and board members have been seated for the New Year. Terms for the newly appointed positions can vary.
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Area Schools Could Benefit From Community College Proposal

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

Ivy Tech Community College says they may become more accessible if one of President Barack Obama’s proposals makes it through Congress.

The President announced last week his intent to significantly reduce the cost of attending community college. The multi-billion dollar program intends to largely pay for the cost of the first two years of tuition for students maintaining a certain grade point average. This could have implications locally.
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Marshall County Initiates Travel Advisory

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

Marshall County officials have initiated an advisory level travel restriction due to blowing and drifting snow.

Marshall County EMA Director Clyde Avery said that roads remain snow covered and slick. North winds are causing drifting issues on east/west roads in the county. Temperatures are expected to be below zero tonight which will turn slush into ice. This will create a hazardous travel condition. Wind chills are also expected to be below zero.

An advisory level travel restriction means that routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation and drivers should use caution or avoid those areas.

Marshall County Council to Meet Today

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Marshall County Council will meet in regular session today where several additional appropriations are already set on the agenda. Some of the appropriations are necessary to put into the 2015 budget that were held over from last year’s budget. Other line items were omitted from budget discussions.

The council members will reorganize and entertain employee replacement requests for the Soil and Water District, clerk’s office and the sheriff’s department. The council members will also review a salary amendment for the court services director and substance abuse counselor along with lake patrol.

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Candidates Begin Filing for Municipal Election

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The first week of filing for candidacy in this year’s Municipal Election is in the books.

In Marshall County, Republican Mark Senter is looking to continue as the Mayor of Plymouth while Rex A. Crump has filed for mayor as a Democrat candidate.

Other incumbents have filed for re-election who include Republicans Janet Anglemyer for Bremen Clerk-Treasurer, James Leeper for Bremen Town Board, Jeanine M. Xaver for Plymouth Clerk-Treasurer, Mike Delp for Plymouth City Council District 1, Duane Culp for Plymouth City Council District 2, Don Ecker for Plymouth City Council District 3, and Shawn Grobe for Plymouth City Council District 4.

Republican Christopher Berdahl has filed for one of three at-large seats available on the Plymouth City Council.

Indiana AARP Hoping to Influence Retirement Savings, Caregivers

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

Two bills are being pushed by the AARP in Indiana during this session of the General Assembly and they look to help two different issues.

About half of Americans aged 50-years and older have less than 25-thousand dollars in retirement savings. To help solve this problem, the AARP is proposing the Hoosier Employee Retirement Option, otherwise known as the “HERO Plan.”
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Dogs at the Library Program Scheduled in Plymouth

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The Plymouth Public Library is sponsoring a special program for children on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

The “Dogs at the Library” program is planned where children can read books to dogs. The members of the Marshall County 4-H Dog Club will have their dogs at the library for this event. The gentle, trained dogs will sit and listen to any story that a child would like to read aloud.

Parents can take pictures during the event and children of all ages are welcome to attend.

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Analyst Explains Gas Price Spike

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

The lower price of unleaded gasoline has relieved a pinch from consumer pocketbooks, but some retailers have dropped the price too low for a profit margin. GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan said that has caused prices to spike.

“What you’re seeing with the big spike is essentially gas stations losing 20 or 25 cents a gallon and raising their price back up to where they’re making about 15 or 20 cents a gallon. Obviously, you have a 40 cent a gallon difference between a station losing 20 cents and making 20 cents and that’s where these big spikes come from. The good news is that prices are already coming back down,” said DeHaan.

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