Plymouth Chamber Conducting Jack Greenlee Memorial Food Drive

The Plymouth Chamber of Commerce is collecting items for a local food pantry in memory of a late public servant. Jack Greenleee died last month at the age of 85. He served as mayor from 1992-2000. Greenlee is credited with establishing the Annual Prayer Breakfast and Christmas Parade. He also served on the county board and city council. Mayor Mark Senter recently presented Greenlee a Key to the City. Continue reading

Volunteers Look to Raise Awareness About Stormwater Pollution

A group of volunteers will continue reminding Plymouth residents to keep hazardous materials out of stormwater drains.

Members of the Boy Scouts of American told the Plymouth Board of Public Works this week they will be placing small medallions on the stormwater inlet grates. The project is designed to help residents understand that chemicals mixed into stormwater runoff can affect lakes, streams, and even drinking water.
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Fire Officials: Don’t Burn Yard Debris on a Windy Day

Temperatures becoming more spring-like and it’s tempting to get out into the yard to get rid of leaves and brush left over from the winter months. The most common way to get rid of the debris is to burn it. On occasion, burn piles can get out of control and the fire department is called to assist a homeowner in putting out the flames.

Firefighters have responded to several brush fires in the past few days.

Fire officials urge residents to take caution if burning is the preferred method of ridding the property of yard waste. Despite the recent moisture received, it is still very dry. Do not leave fires unattended. Burning after dark is prohibited.

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Plymouth Teenager Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges

A Plymouth teen is in the Marshall County Jail after an alleged domestic violence incident.

Plymouth Police officers arrived at the Carriage Green Apartments on Dora Lane on Friday after they received a report of a woman battered by her boyfriend. Officers reviewed evidence at the scene and took Juan Hernandez, 19, into custody.

Hernandez was booked into the Marshall County Jail on preliminary charges of domestic violence in the presence of a minor, strangulation, and possession of marijuana. He is being held on a $3,505 cash bond.

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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