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Covering Milford, Syracuse & North Webster, Indiana
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Milford Native Has Centennial Birthday One Nation Under God
Page 8 themail-journal.com
Council takes no action on Pearl Street encroachment %\ /$85(1 =(8*1(5 6WDII :ULWHU
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Construction to begin on CR 1300N extension %\ '(% 3$77(5621 (GLWRU ,Q &KLHI Phend & Brown, Milford., has been awarded the contract for extending CR 1300N, known as the Milford-Syracuse Road, to SR 15. The project includes a bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad and North Main St.
Signage appeared Monday, Feb. 20, on CR 1300N and Milford Main Street, indicating the road will be closed on or after March 6. The detour route around the project will be Syracuse Street/ CR 1250N and CR 100E. Depending upon the weather construction, will start sometime after March 6. Utility relocations
by NIPSCO, Century Link and other utility companies, will be a part of the early construction work. According to Kosciusko County Highway Assistant Superintendent Troy Kintzel, the project will be done in two phases, with opening of the extension and overpass slated for Sept. 29.
The estimated $10 million project is 80% funded by a grant from the Local TRAX Rail Overpass Program. As part of that program, the two rail crossings in Milford Junction and Fourth Street will eventually be closed. The First Street crossing in Milford, will receive an upgrade of crossing signals and cross arms.
Gordon and Laurie Lord approached the Syracuse Town Council during its regular meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 22, regarding a retaining wall encroaching into the town’s right of way. The Lords are renovating a property on Lake Street, including repairing a retaining wall that encroaches into the town’s right of way. Gordon Lord explained the wall has been encroaching into the right of way since it was built in the 1960s. After some discussion the council told the Lords it would take no action against them as they repair and reenforce the wall. Jeremy Hardy of Commonwealth Engineers Inc., the town’s engineering firm, brought a recommendation of hiring F.A. Wilhelm for the Lakeside water main loop and Oakwood lift station projects. Hardy explained the agreement with F.A. Wilhelm would be nonbinding until a contract is signed. The company would also allow and encourage street and water department crews to perform some of the work in-house, saving the town money in the end. The council accepted the recommendation. Town attorney Jay Rigdon was asked to give an update regard-
Milford farm to start construction of digesters in spring %\ ,$1 %52:1 6WDII :ULWHU
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Bentley Pontoons starts to manufacture boats in Milford A new boat manufacturer has entered the Kosciusko County scene. Bentley Pontoons, a company based in Lexington, S.C., recently added a manufacturing plant on the south side of Milford at the
site formerly utilized by Bison Trailers on SR 15. Recently owned by Encore Boat Builders, the brand has been sold to a newly formed company, Bentley Acquisition LLC. According to the company’s website, Bentley manufactures four different series of pontoon boats with base prices ranging from $23,000
to $52,000. According to Anjanette Davis, sales coordinator at the Milford plant, Bentley Pontoons was looking to expand their business footprint and saw an opportunity in Kosciusko County to get into the Indiana market. Davis noted that the company has started with approximately
20 employees in Milford but hopes to expand to a larger workforce as the company garners a greater share of the marketplace. She added that while the company will continue to build a majority of their boats in South Carolina, they plan to construct all models of their inventory in Milford as well.
The Beer Dairy Farm, 9194 N. Orn Road, southwest of Milford, is working with Ohio companies Dairy BC and IGDB in a $4.5 million project. The project was approved by the county Thursday, Feb. 9, for the first steps of receiving a 5-year tax abatement and to schedule a confirmatory resolution hearing for March 9. The goal of the project is to install two digesters and a scrubber that will utilize the fertilizer of the 1,025 cows on the Beer’s farm. Digesters are often used to process organic waste from sources such as livestock manure, food waste and sewage. These wastes are fed into the digester, which creates an environment ideal for the microorganisms responsible for the anaerobic digestion process. As the microorganisms break down the organic matter, they release methane gas, which can be cap-
tured and used as a fuel source. Digesters can have a positive impact on the environment and can be financially lucrative. Reg Beer works in the family business at the farm. “Typically you’re going to have to have more, almost in the 5,000cow range, in order to sustain it,” said Beer. This is where IGDB comes in. They are working with seven or eight smaller farms in Indiana and the methane produced will be collected by each individual farm. Normally these digesters would need to be constructed on a farm in close proximity of existing or dedicated pipes of a gas line, but IGDB is planning to transport the methane in either the form of compressed natural gas or liquid natural gas via truck tankers to the town of Redkey, according to Beer. Beer expects the company to begin construction sometime in the spring, adding they are very exited about it.
Tippecanoe Township to sell its North Webster building %\ .(,7+ .1(33 6WDII :ULWHU The Tippecanoe Township Advisory Board met in regular session Tuesday night, Feb. 21, at North Webster Community Center. In a scheduling first, it followed both the regular meeting of North Webster Town Council and Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory. The major order of business was the unanimous passing of Resolution 23-1, the sale of the Tippecanoe Township Building on South Morton Street to North Webster Church of God for $190,000. The
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township trustee’s office reached an agreement to move to the NWCC at a cost of $10,000 per year, which is broken down to $6,982.50 rent plus $3,017.50 for utilities, including internet and telephone. Township Trustee Chris Francis noted he has been busy going through file boxes at the soon-to-be former township building and is planning to hire a mobile shredding service to destroy unneeded paperwork relating to the office. The church has informed the North Webster Food Pantry that it will be allowed to stay in the building following the sale. The same
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ing the legality of the town donating land to the library board for a new library. Rigdon reported the town may donate land; he just needed a legal description. If he can get the legal description soon he can have the deed approved by the council at its March meeting. Dave Wilkinson, town manager, has contacted an engineering firm about updating and enhancing two municipal parking lots. A public meeting allowing for community input will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, in the council chambers of Syracuse Town Hall, 310 N. Huntington St., Syracuse. The council approved, 3-1, spending $85,000 to build a climate controlled building to store permanent records for the clerktreasurer’s office and the Syracuse Police Department. Currently those records are stored in the mezzanine of a public works building. Because the building is not climate controlled, the records are starting to deteriorate. Councilman Nathan Scherer voted against the proposed building after asking about digital storage of the records. Both Virginia Cazier, clerk-treasurer, and Mark Aurich, public works superintendent, told the council that during state audits, auditors want to review the physical documents, not computer records. Continued on page 2
offer was made to the North Webster Lions Club. Both entities have utilized the township building for numerous years. Francis announced the township will be making donations to three North Webster nonprofit organizations. The food pantry will receive $4,000, while the Wawasee Summer League and Senior Primelife Enrichment Center each will get $2,000. In other business, Deb Minear was confirmed as the township’s appointment to the North Webster Community Public Library. It was Continued on page 2
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