Happy Birthday, Audrey Hepburn
May 4, 1929
Friday, April 29, 2016
Alcoholics & Narcotics Anonymous Meetings In Our Area
The North Judson-Wayne Township Library has listings of local Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings in our area.
New Municipal Water System For North Judson
“At a special meeting Monday night, the Town Board of
Trustees of North Judson were submitted a report on the present municipal waterworks
system and in summary the report recommends that certain extensions and
additions be made to the system in order that the utility may serve the community
more efficiently.”
No, that isn’t part of today’s news. That is the opening paragraph from “New
Municipal Water System to be Constructed in North Judson” which appeared in the
September 25, 1952 edition of the North Judson News.
Thought it was kind of appropriate as one of the subjects under
consideration by the current Town Board concerns water tower
rehabilitation. You can read the entire
article on the library’s webpage.
2016 Mint Festival Applications
The Mint Festival is rapidly approaching and some of the information about the parade and the father/grandfather of the year essay is just being released. You can find these applications on the library's webpage along with a new contest.
In honor of Indiana's Bicentennial and North Judson's Sesquicentennial Chester's, Inc. is sponsoring a Bicentennial/Sesquicentennial Essay Contest. It is open to any person - adult or child - who either currently lives in North Judson or Wayne, Jackson, or Railroad township OR has lived in these areas in the past. In 500 words or less, tell about your experiences of living in this area and why it is/was important to you. The essay must also include some historical details of both North Judson and Indiana (the more interesting and unique the better). All essays must be handwritten by the person entering the contest. The winner will receive $50 and a plaque. The deadline for submitting your essay is May 31st, and it must be received on or by that date.
Winners will be announced on Friday, June 17th, after the 5 p.m. opening ceremony at the band stage in Norwayne Field. All winners are encouraged to participate in the Mint Festival parade on Sunday, June 19th, (you must arrange for your own parade vehicle).
In honor of Indiana's Bicentennial and North Judson's Sesquicentennial Chester's, Inc. is sponsoring a Bicentennial/Sesquicentennial Essay Contest. It is open to any person - adult or child - who either currently lives in North Judson or Wayne, Jackson, or Railroad township OR has lived in these areas in the past. In 500 words or less, tell about your experiences of living in this area and why it is/was important to you. The essay must also include some historical details of both North Judson and Indiana (the more interesting and unique the better). All essays must be handwritten by the person entering the contest. The winner will receive $50 and a plaque. The deadline for submitting your essay is May 31st, and it must be received on or by that date.
Winners will be announced on Friday, June 17th, after the 5 p.m. opening ceremony at the band stage in Norwayne Field. All winners are encouraged to participate in the Mint Festival parade on Sunday, June 19th, (you must arrange for your own parade vehicle).
Synthetic Marijuana Carries Potentially Deadly Health Risks
Synthetic marijuana is big problem for law enforcement, and a potentially deadly one. Detective Dave Combs from the Knox Police Department says it’s packaged like traditional cannabis and smoked in the same manner, but that’s where the similarities end.
“It is a chemical compound that is either sprayed or dried onto the crushed plant. There are 159 known cannabinoid compounds out there. As you can imagine, quality control is not all that good.”
As a result, Combs says synthetic marijuana use has led to strokes, heart attacks and irreversible brain damage.
Synthetic marijuana is often packaged in plastic like traditional cannabis and is smoked in a similar way. It’s also known as spice or K2 and marketed as potpourri. Combs says pill or leaf grinders are often indicative of its use.
Income Surveys Needed for Community Center Grant
Wayne Township residents who’ve received an income survey are being reminded to fill it out and return it as soon as possible, in order for the North Judson-Wayne Township community center project to move ahead. A sufficient response rate is necessary, in order to determine whether grant funding will be available from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
All information will be kept confidential and will only be used to determine the township’s eligibility to OCRA. Income information for those living within the Town of North Judson was obtained last year as part of the application process for the town’s water tower rehabilitation grant.
North Judson officials are scheduled to discuss the proposed community center with an OCRA representative today. Project organizers say OCRA funding may be able to cover nearly half of the $830,000 cost of the project. They’re also working to finalize a land donation.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
5/4/2016 Parent Night @ NJ-SP High School
The high school counselors are hosting a Parent Night on Wednesday, May 4th from 5:00-6:00 for parents of students who are currently in grades 9-11.
Mrs. Matzat and Miss McCarthy will do a short presentation about diploma types, dual credit options, career pathways, and electives. Counselors will then be available for questions about schedules for next school year.
Mrs. Matzat and Miss McCarthy will do a short presentation about diploma types, dual credit options, career pathways, and electives. Counselors will then be available for questions about schedules for next school year.
Local Heroin Use Grows, Look for Signs of Drug Activity
Heroin use is a growing concern for local law enforcement. Detective Dave Combs with the Knox Police Department says it first showed up in Starke County a few years ago and quickly grew in popularity. He says it typically comes into the area from the south side of Chicago and South Bend. The drug is derived from the opium plant and is imported from Mexico. Combs adds users can buy a folded foil packet of heroin for about $20 and get high.
Heroin is usually a white or brown powder but can also be a black, sticky substance. Combs says heroin users typically keep a kit together containing everything they need to get high. Heroin can be snorted but is typically injected.
Combs says local authorities have been finding a lot of discarded syringes lately. Another indicator of heroin use is a spoon with burn residue in the middle from heating the heroin to liquefy it prior to injection. He says finding such items are a sign someone is using and needs help.
Research suggests prescription pain killer abuse can be a gateway to heroin use. Medications like Vicodin and Oxycontin are also opioids. Law enforcement officials say many users turn to heroin when they can no longer obtain prescription medications
5/15 to 8/26/2016 History Cruises Continue This May in Culver
As the summer months approach, Culver will once again be hosting history boat cruises on Lake Maxinkuckee.
The cruises are designed to educate and entertain passengers about the events and history of the lake and local area. Jeff Kenney, local historian and Culver Academies museum curator, will be discussing the Potawatomi Indians that inhabited the area, and notable cultural and literary figures that frequented the community.
History cruises will take place between May 15th and August 26th with 16 seats available on each boat. The event lasts between 90 minutes and two hours. Food is provided on some of the cruises, according to a press release.
Kenney will also take time during the cruise to discuss some of the history behind Culver Academies and the famous graduates of the schools. More information can be learned by contacting the BoardShop for reservations.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Starke Hospital CEO Touts Successes in Patient Care
Starke Hospital officials are recognizing some of the hospital’s accomplishments when it comes to specific areas of patient care. Hospital CEO Craig Felty says they continuously measure a variety of patient safety and quality of care indicators. This information is then reported to the federal government, but the hospital also uses it to make sure it’s offering the best care possible.
One area in which Starke Hospital has been particularly successful, according to Felty, is preventing patient falls. “We began regularly tracking this, actually, back in 2010, and since then, we are proud to say that we have not had an inpatient fall with a major injury in our hospital in 2,057 days, so that’s more than five-and-a-half years,” he says. “That’s not saying we haven’t had some falls because we do, and actually, we do very well with preventing falls, period, at Starke. But this is a huge testament to the caring and diligent staff at the hospital. Everybody does their best to make sure that our patients are safe.”
He says another place in which the hospital excels is providing medical care quickly, “A lot of our quality measures that we do these days are based on times, time of arrival from the emergency department to when they see the doctor, total time in the emergency department, time of arrival to certain treatments for certain different diseases. And we’re also doing very well in reducing the readmission rate of the patient. So what this means to you as a patient when you come to Starke Hospital, you’re more likely to be cared for in a timely manner, and you’re less likely to be readmitted to our hospital within 30 days of being discharged.” Felty says one of the ways they help keep patients from returning to the hospital is by making sure each one understands how to use their medications before being discharged.
He says all the staff’s efforts lead to greater patient satisfaction, “It’s always been my personal motto that if your employees are happy, they’re going to make your patients happy, and if your employees are content, patients will be content. And we know that our colleagues love what they do, and I think you can tell just by walking into the hospital and just the overall aura that you get when you come into the hospital is one of happiness and positivity.”
Felty adds that having the opportunity to take care of people they care about outside of the hospital environment makes the job even more rewarding for hospital staff.
Detective Shares Tips to Detect Meth Use
Seemingly innocent items like plastic baggies and aluminum foil may actually be signs someone is using methamphetamine. Detective Dave Combs with the Knox Police Department says sandwich baggies with missing corners raise his suspicions, as meth is typically carried in the corner of a sandwich bag. Combs says meth users also carry pieces of aluminum foil. They fold it and put meth on it, then heat the bottom with a lighter and smoke it through a hollow ink pen. He adds 90 percent of methamphetamine used in this area is smoked.
Combs encourages anyone who suspects a loved one is using methamphetamine to get them help to overcome their addiction.
North Judson to Continue Cemetery Tree Removal Efforts
Ongoing cemetery tree removal was discussed during last Thursday’s North Judson Town Council meeting. Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins told the council there are too many problem trees to remove them all at once.
However, she and Town Attorney Rachel Arndt noticed some areas that need more immediate attention. “We drove around to look at some of the dead trees and everything, and there’s actually one headstone that the tree roots are growing out underneath it,” Collins told the council. “And so, wouldn’t you agree, we need to try to address that at some point.”
Town Superintendent Marshall Hortsmann has been working to determine which trees are most in need of removal and will work to get updated prices for the work. To pay for the tree removal, Collins suggested using the $3,000 the city is saving in cemetery mowing costs this year. In the case of the tree roots affecting one of the headstones, Council President Wendy Hoppe pointed out that efforts should be taken to notify family members and get their input.
The council also gave Collins permission to start looking for volunteers to help digitize the town’s cemetery records.
Additionally, North Judson will be cleaning Highland and Pioneer cemeteries, starting Monday. Any items that families wish to keep will need to be removed before then.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
4/27 to 5/15/2016 Spring Turkey Season
ATTENTION TURKEY AND MUSHROOM HUNTERS!
Please remember that on our Fish and Wildlife areas there are specific times for each activity. Be sure to share our land.
Turkey hunting is permitted from 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1:00 pm. Season and Bag Limits Spring 2016 – The spring season is April 27 through May 15, 2016. The bag limit is one bearded or male turkey for the spring season. Spring turkey hunting is allowed statewide. http://www.eregulations.com/indiana/hunting/wild-turkey/
Mushroom hunting is permitted after 1:00 pm
More on properties here: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3077.htm
Please remember that on our Fish and Wildlife areas there are specific times for each activity. Be sure to share our land.
Turkey hunting is permitted from 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1:00 pm. Season and Bag Limits Spring 2016 – The spring season is April 27 through May 15, 2016. The bag limit is one bearded or male turkey for the spring season. Spring turkey hunting is allowed statewide. http://www.eregulations.com/indiana/hunting/wild-turkey/
Mushroom hunting is permitted after 1:00 pm
More on properties here: http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3077.htm
Kersting's Learn-2-Ride is coming soon!
Kersting's is teaming with the State of Indiana and Ride Safe Indiana (RSI). Upon successful completion-receive your motorcycle endorsement. 12 riders per class • $175 per person. First Responders: FREE (limited to 2 per class).
Ride choice of: Yamaha V-Star 250, Yamaha XT 250, all-new Harley-Davidson Street 500. Upon successful completion-receive your motorcycle endorsement. Call Katie at 574-896-2974 or e.mail learn2ride@kerstingscycle.com to reserve spot. More info on our website: http://www.kerstingscycle.com/--learn-to-ride
Ride choice of: Yamaha V-Star 250, Yamaha XT 250, all-new Harley-Davidson Street 500. Upon successful completion-receive your motorcycle endorsement. Call Katie at 574-896-2974 or e.mail learn2ride@kerstingscycle.com to reserve spot. More info on our website: http://www.kerstingscycle.com/--learn-to-ride
Rowe Selected for North Judson Town Council
John Rowe has been selected as the newest member of the North Judson Town Council. He defeated Joan Haugh by a vote of 2 to 1 in a Democratic Party caucus Monday, according to North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins.
Rowe replaces Justin Davis who resigned from his seat on the council, which he had held since 2013.
Law Enforcement Agencies form Starke County Major Crimes Unit
Law enforcement agencies throughout Starke County are joining forces to combat the local drug epidemic. During last night’s drug symposium hosted by the Knox Police Department and DCS, Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff announced a partnership that’s been two years in the planning. The Starke County Major Crimes Unit is an investigative task force made up of officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, the Knox Police Department and the Hamlet Police Department.
Bourff says the North Judson Police Department’s formal participation is on hold due to the recent death of Town Marshal Doug Vessely, who was very involved in the discussions.
He says the unit has been formed to investigate felony-level narcotics cases within Starke County and will also be conducting full investigations into overdose-related deaths. Knox Police Chief Harold Smith, Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin, Hamlet Town Marshal and Knox Police and Detective Dave Combs of the Knox Police Department, who is the unit commander.
Bourff says members of the Starke County Major Crimes Unit have made 29 drug-related arrests in the past two weeks. He credits their success to teamwork.
Anyone with knowledge or suspicion of drug activity to report it by calling the Starke County Sheriff’s Office at 574-772-3771. Tips can also be submitted via their website at www.starkecountysheriff.com or on their Facebook page.
EMA Continues NIXLE Push to Aid Efforts
The Starke County EMA Department is hoping to disseminate information more quickly, but it may take some public participation.
Emergency management officials are using an online platform called NIXLE. The service – which can be accessed online – allows users to subscribe their phone and e-mail. In exchange, emergency weather information, flooding, road closures, and other events are sent via text or e-mail directly to the user.
Starke County EMA Director Jacob Lippner says this is another tool in the box.
“So if you happen to be on your computer, or have your phone in your pocket, it will send straight to you, and that makes our job a lot easier,” says Lippner. “We can get the message out a whole lot faster.”
Right now, Starke County has about 1-thousand residents signed-up for the service. That compares to the 23-thousand residents occupying the county full-time.
Lippner says that increasing that number will allow them to reach a broader segment of the community, but also provide faster and more detailed information in the case of an emergency. Some residents are unable to hear sirens in the case of a tornado in Starke County.
Ideally, Lippner says every resident would buy into the service, but says increasing NIXLE’s usage to five times the current number of subscriptions would be a considerable help.
“If we can get our enrollment numbers up, it will definitely benefit everybody,” says Lippner. “It’s just a faster way for me to get information to everybody.”
Residents can learn more by accessing the website at www.NIXLE.com. By providing a zip code, the user will automatically be linked with departments in the local area for subscription.
Lippner says he also posts information on social media about accessing the service.
Donnelly Staffers to Host Service Academy Information Sessions
Students interested in attending a Military Service Academy have the chance to learn more about the application process this week. U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly’s office is hosting information sessions to help students apply to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
The senator’s staff members will explain the application process and tell students how they can be considered for a nomination from Senator Donnelly. An information session will be held tomorrow evening from 6:00 to 8:00 EDT at Senator Donnelly’s North Central Regional Office at 205 West Colfax Ave. in South Bend.
Another session will be held Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. CDT in Valparaiso at the Porter County Career Tech Center located at 1005 North Franklin St.
More information about the nomination process can be found on Senator Donnelly’s website.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Planning Continues for North Judson Community Center
Planning efforts continue for the North Judson-Wayne Township community center project. North Judson Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins told the town council last week that an appraisal of the proposed site has been completed and a meeting will be held with the hope of finalizing the donation of the land.
Town officials were also scheduled to meet with an engineer last Friday, while a representative with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs will be in town for a site visit this Friday.
North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Chief Joe Leszek reported that the department’s fundraiser for the project earlier this month raised about $2,000. In total, the community center project is estimated to cost $830,000. Project organizers hope OCRA grant funding will cover $400,000 of that.
Collins also announced that a public hearing on the town’s waste water grant application will be held Monday, May 2 at 6:00 p.m. Commonwealth Engineers has offered to update the long-term control plan for the town’s waste water facilities, with three-quarters of the cost being covered by grant funds.
Last week’s town council meeting was the last one for council member Justin Davis, who is resigning from the position. Collins thanked Davis for everything he’s done for the town. A Democratic Party caucus will be held this evening at 7:00 at North Judson Town Hall to choose a replacement.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Expert Says Farmers Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks
Cyber attacks are reported in the news all the time, but you don’t often think of farmers as being potential victims. Internet Security Alliance President Larry Clinton says many of the agriculture industry’s closely held secrets are vulnerable.
“There’s valuable soil and content data; there’s GMO variables; there’s pesticide and chemical formulas, genetic engineering, innovative animal breeding techniques, planting, harvesting, processing, storing, transporting. There’s a lot of important business data there.”
Clinton says firewalls, passwords and other typical ways of protecting data are easily bypassed by hackers, and the agriculture industry lags behind when it comes to protecting itself. He adds it’s not just big agribusiness that’s at risk.
“Many smaller farms serve as feeders, essentially, up into the larger elements of the system, so sharing information and securing everybody is really what’s necessary here.”
Clinton says trade secrets are currently the most at risk, but cyber terrorists could one day go after data or even computer-controlled farm equipment in a way that jeopardizes the U.S. food supply.
Friday, April 22, 2016
North Judson Begins Town Marshal Search, Appoints Interim
The Town of North Judson is beginning the process of moving ahead, after the death of Town Marshal Doug Vessely last Friday. A moment of silence was observed at the beginning of a rescheduled town council meeting, Thursday.
Then, council members formally began the process of looking for a replacement. They voted to advertise for a new town marshal as well as a police officer.
While that search takes place, North Judson police officer Frank Thomas will serve as interim marshal. “I’m going to step in and do what has to be done for the time-being, until all these people decide what they want to do because obviously, we have to look out for the town,” he said. “But he was a great man, he was a great cop. He got me where I am today. And I just wanted to clarify, so that you understand, I’m not trying to fill his shoes, because that’s not possible.”
Thomas was appointed as interim shortly after Vessely’s death, according to Council President Wendy Hoppe. The council decided to formally confirm that appointment during Thursday’s meeting.
Vessely’s wife Cindy also shared a few comments, “First, I want to thank the board for allowing him to serve as chief of police. He loved this town, and he did his job. He did it good. For whoever doesn’t think he did, Tuesday answered that question, for anybody who doubted it.”
North Judson police officers served as pallbearers during funeral services Tuesday. Visitation was held Monday, causing the town’s regular meeting to be rescheduled.
WorkOne, Starke County Highway Department Team Up to Offer Worker Training
Young people looking to gain work experience will have an opportunity to do so this summer after action Monday night by the Starke County Commissioners. They approved a partnership between the county highway department and the local WorkOne office. County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler says it will give young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not in high school or college a chance to learn “soft skills” like arriving at work on time and showing up for scheduled shifts.
“It provides them with a job and training. WorkOne pays for their hourly rate. We don’t have to pay for that. It benefits us, we have a road crew out there to basically do anything we need, picking up dead deer or trash along the roadside. It allows our skilled drivers to do what they do best. They can do the paving and other things while we’ve got people doing this work. It benefits us, it benefits the county.”
Applicants will work Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. WorkOne will cover the cost of worker’s compensation insurance for the employees and will pay their hourly wages. Ritzler will just oversee their time cards.
He says the road crew supervisor is very excited to help the participants learn job fundamentals like how to work and show up on time for assigned shifts.
Ritzler adds the county is under no obligation to hire the program participants after they complete the program and can dismiss workers who do not show up or follow instructions.
Contact : WorkOne
Attention: Saundra or Cherie
1913 S. Heaton St., Ste. B
Knox, IN 46534
(574) 772-6882
Starke County Highway
3835 E. 250 N.
Knox, IN 46534
(574) 772-3011
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