10/15/2015 Earthquake Drill Scheduled in October

Published: August 25, 2015 By: Michael Gallenberger, WKVI 

The largest earthquake drill in the Central United States is coming up in October, and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security wants you to take part.

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut will take place October 15 at 10:15 a.m. During the drill, participants should drop to the ground, take cover under a table or desk, and hold on as if a major earthquake were happening. The IDHS says it’s also a good time for people to check their homes, workplaces, and schools for potential earthquake hazards and create a preparedness kit including food, water, and first-aid supplies.

There is a serious threat of earthquakes in Indiana, due to the New Madrid and Wabash Valley Seismic Zones. Of the 14 states in the drill’s Central U.S. region, Indiana so far has the most participants registered, with nearly 600,000.

To sign up, go to ShakeOut.org/centralus/register.

Passes Now Available for Blueberry Festival Carnival

Published: August 25, 2015 By: Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

The Marshall County Blueberry Festival may still be over a week away, but you don’t have to wait to start planning for your visit.

Festival coordinator Sherrie Martin says the MegaPass for unlimited carnival rides starting a day before the festival is on sale now, “The festival opens on Friday, but the carnival will be open on Thursday evening from five to 10, so those of you that have bought the MegaPasses get an extra night of riding. So if you figure it out, the MegaPass costs you about $11 a day for the festival.”

For those only planning on going for one day, she says wristbands are a good option, “The wristbands are $20 each if you but them at the office. They’ll be $25 at the carnival, and those are good for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, your choice of the day.”

Wristbands and MegaPasses are on sale now at the Blueberry Festival Office in Plymouth. The festival runs labor day weekend, September 4 – 7.

For more details visit www.BlueBerryFestival.org.

Earliest North Judson History

At the time the community of North Judson was formed from 1850 on, there must have been the usual pioneer activities:  clearing of land, building of homes and crude outbuildings, marking and improving of trails.  The first land entry in Wayne Township is recorded in 1847.

The land on which our town of North Judson is situated was conveyed by the 13th President of the United States, Millard Fillmore, to Ebanezer Jones on July 1, 1851, in pursuance of an Act of Congress entitled, “An Act to raise for a limited time additional Military force and for other purposes.”

Moses Lain was the owner of the land on August 24, 1857, having purchased it for $2.50 per acre and selling it to David D. Adair and Levi Lightcap in 1861.

By 1851 there was a considerable community, as records indicate that a log school house had been erected on a site which is now in the west part of town along Highway 10.  The teacher was a Rev. Arnold, a Methodist minister who also conducted church services in this building on Sundays.

These pioneers of over a century ago lived an extremely simple life by our standards.  Yet none can say, that they accomplished less than we do.  They worshipped their God; they educated their children to the best of their ability; they cleared their land, they tilled it; they built roads; they began drainage; they hunted; visited their neighbors; they buried their dead.

Doctors were few, hospitals non-existent, and the modern conquest of disease had not yet begun; smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and the ‘white plague,’ tuberculosis, took a heavy toll of lives.  Headstones in the older cemeteries tell a mute tale of early death.  In 1850, life expectancy was less than 40 years.  Today, it is over 70.

North Judson-San Pierre Presents Bare-Bones Budget

Published: August 24, 2015 By: Mary Perren, WKVI

The proposed North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation budget has been slashed considerably over the past several years. Corporation business manager and treasurer Guy Richie told the county council during last week’s budget hearing that revenue continues to decline due to changes in state funding and drops in enrollment.

“At the moment it looks like we’re going to be about 40 students down if nothing changes between now and Sept. 15th. With that hit, we’ve done reductions for the last three or four years of almost $2.5 million. The general fund budget we’re presenting this year is $8 million, because that’s all our revenue would fund. Just five or six years ago I believe we were around $11 million for our budget,” Richie said.

The corporation is asking voters who live within the N.J.-S.P. school district to support a general fund referendum in November. Richie says they have no choice given the straits they are in. He says they can’t get ahead due to continued drops in enrollment. Richie adds the corporation would not even consider a referendum unless they felt it was absolutely necessary.

Richie adds the corporation is counting heavily on the passage of the tax increase. If it doesn’t pass, he says N.J.-S.P. will have to make significant cuts to programs and staff. He says corporation officials have not decided yet just what those will be.  The county council will adopt the corporation’s budget at their September meeting.

Voter Registration Ends October 5

Published: August 24, 2015 By: Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

If you plan to vote in November’s elections, you have until October 5 to register.

You can register in person at the voter registration or county clerk’s office, any BMV license branch, or public assistance office. If you have a valid Indiana driver’s license or state-issued identification card, you can register online at IndianaVoters.com.

On the website, you can also confirm your registration status, find your polling place, and look at the ballot for upcoming elections.

North Judson-San Pierre School Board Recognizes Staff Efforts

Published: August 22, 2015 By: Mary Perren, WKVI

North Judson-San Pierre support staff members are pulling extra duty due to the budget shortfalls the corporation is facing. In addition to extra work, Superintendent Lynn Johnson says they also had less time to get ready for the start of the school year. Students came back a week earlier this year due to the adoption of the balanced calendar.

Johnson publicly expressed her appreciation during Tuesday’s school board meeting to the custodians, members of the technology department and all of the office staffs. She notes they are all doing more with less people. Johnson also recognized administrators who are doing double duty and the staff at the central office who are picking up the slack since the transportation director’s position was eliminated and handling a number of other tasks.

Johnson made her comments during the “Bluejay Way” portion of the board meeting. It’s a monthly recognition of extraordinary efforts by someone in the school corporation community.

North Judson Police Department

I decided to follow up this week’s write up about the North Judson Volunteer Fire Department with one about the North Judson Police Department.  But search as I might there was nothing to be found.  Not in the Standard History of Starke County, Indiana, nor in McCormick’s Guide to Starke County, not even in the North Judson Centennial booklet (although there was a photo of the 1966 police department in the booklet which I have posted). 

My theory, lawmen would have existed in some capacity since the earliest days of the town and the County Sheriff would have been available if needed.  A fire department, on the other hand, had to be established.  And the fire department had to purchase specialized equipment – like the pumper – to fight fires. 

But if you have any information about the organization of the North Judson Police Department please let me know.  I’ll pass it along to the rest of the community.  

N.J.-S.P. Divides Athletic Director Duties

Published: August 20, 2015 By: Mary Perren, WKVI 

Athletic director duties at North Judson-San Pierre will be split between two existing administrators this year in an effort to save money. The school board eliminated the full-time athletic director position last year. High school assistant principal Kevin Cox and middle school principal Kelly Shepherd will share the responsibilities.

Cox will oversee the football and volleyball programs this fall, girls basketball and wrestling during the winter sports season and boys and girls track and field, boys golf and girls tennis in the spring. Shepherd will handle boys and girls cross country, boys tennis and girls golf this fall, boys basketball and swimming in the winter and baseball and softball in the spring.

The corporation is facing a significant budget shortfall due to a combination of declining enrollment and changes to the state’s funding formula. They’ve proposed a general fund property tax referendum to cover the shortfall. Voters who live within the district will decide the question in November.

State and Federal Agencies Form Partnership to Help Veterans

Published: August 20, 2015 By: Michael Gallenberger, WKVI 

The Indiana National Guard is teaming up with state and federal agencies to help veterans and their families. The new initiative, called Joining Community Forces Indiana, will work to identify common issues for veterans and provide resources and education for the groups helping them.

In its first year, JCFI will focus on employment and financial readiness issues. Specifically, they will work on connecting veterans and service members to employment resources and events. They will also work to improve veterans’ financial literacy and teach them how to secure immediate financial assistance if they need it.

In addition to the National Guard, the partnership includes Purdue University’s Military Family Research Institute, the Indiana Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the Veterans Health Administration.

Currently, about 20 groups meet regularly around the state to provide support of their local communities. These include community and business leaders, social service organizations, and veteran service organizations. JCFI plans to add statewide work groups made up of experts who will discuss current efforts, identify gaps, and provide support and education to communities.

North Judson Sells Surplus Items

Published: August 20, 2015 By: Mary Perren, WKVI 

The Town of North Judson made about $300 selling odds and ends during the recent town-wide yard sale.Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says they got rid of items that are no longer needed at the community center and that were left behind at the new town hall. One thing that didn’t sell was an organ that was donated years ago to the community center. Henry says the town no longer has a use for it. They would like to donate it to a church or nonprofit organization that can put it to use. Contact her at 574-896-3340 for more information.