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77th Mermaid Festival begins today The always popular Mermaid Festival Cutie Parade will step off onto North Webster’s Main Street tonight at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21. The parade will help kick off the 77th Mermaid Festival, which will continue through June 24. Through the years, it has become one of the most enjoyed centerpieces of the entire week. Many adults who grew up enjoying the Mermaid Festival as children plan their vacations around a trip home, so their children can participate and enjoy the festival’s activities like they did as children. The events take on an almost reunion-type atmosphere as people visit with friends and family they may not have seen for a while. Visitors who come from larger towns often marvel at the small-town qualities of an event that has become a wonderful tradition in North Webster. Continued on page 3
Syracuse Town Council hears from guests %\ /$85(1 =(8*1(5 6WDII :ULWHU
Fire departments respond to Armstrong Road house fire %\ '(% 3$77(5621 (GLWRU ,Q &KLHI Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory responded to a house fire at 5099 E. Armstrong Road, Leesburg, around 7:15 this morning, Wednesday, June 21. A full assist was requested from Plain Township and manpower from Turkey Creek Fire TerriContinued on page 3
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Commissioners OK letter of support for Fisher Memorial %\ /($+ 6$1'(5 ,QN)UHH1HZV Kosciusko County Commissioners have OK’d sending a letter of support for a memorial for a highway worker killed along SR 13 in Syracuse in 2019. If approved by the Indiana General Assembly, a section of SR 13 would be named in honor of Benjamin Fisher. The 29-year-old from Plymouth who worked for Traffic Control Specialists was killed on July 26, 2019, when a truck struck him while he and a coworker were collecting construction signs. The driver of that truck, Joshua E. Ratliff, who was high on meth at the time, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission Director Matt Sandy
brought the letter of support request before commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday, June 20. He said State Sen. Mike Bohacek, who represents Starke County along with portions of LaPorte, Marshall and St. Joseph counties, is working on a bill that will hopefully be passed next year to create the memorial, contacted the county about the matter. Sandy said the letter would help in that matter, with commissioners agreeing to it. Financial Group Contract Commissioners also approved contracting with Reedy Financial Group. Representatives from the company will provide financial advice to the county for the rest of the year. If the commissioners like the help the company is giving them, they can renew
the contract. Kosciusko County Council Vice President Kathy Groninger, presented the matter before commissioners, said the cost was about $60,000 for a year, but this year’s amount is prorated due to only half the year being left. The commissioners noted the measure will assist the county as it makes decisions related to $30 million coming to OrthoWorx from the state for orthopedic retention and possible funds coming in to the Kosciusko County Health Department due to new state legislation. Highway Department Ordinance Commissioners also approved an ordinance allowing Kosciusko County Highway Department employees to complete “public work projects” like paving when
Syracuse Redevelopment Commission discusses empty lot in technology park %\ /$85(1 =(8*1(5 6WDII :ULWHU Syracuse Town Manager David Wilkinson brought up the matter of lot No. 7 in the Technology Park north of town during the Syracuse Redevelopment Commission’s regular meeting Tuesday, June 20. Lot No. 7 is located on the north east corner of the tech park. The lot has had four potential buyers, but all have pulled out due to a massive natural gas line
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running underneath the lot as well as Verizon phone lines. Because of the utilities, a structure cannot be built on the lot. Wilkinson also noted the lot has a pond behind it and a downward slope as well. He suggested looking into using the lot for a super charging station for electric vehicles. A super charging station charges an electric car in about 15 minutes while other charging stations take considerably longer. Nate Scherer said suggested
Inside
The Syracuse Town Council heard from several guests during its regular meeting Tuesday night, June 20. Matt Meersman, representing the St. Joseph River Basin Commission, came before the board to explain how Syracuse plays a role in the organization and to seek the town’s annual dues to the commission. Meersman explained Turkey Creek flows into the Elkhart River which then flows into the St. Joseph River. Because of this, Kosciusko County has five representatives on the commission, one coming from Syracuse as the largest municipality with water flowing to the St. Joseph River. The commission has a basic budget of $60,000 and depends on local government funding. That funding is determined by the amount of Continued on page 2
the commission do some research into possible grants for the project. The commission elected new officers since Larry Siegel retired during last month’s meeting. Jeff Goralczyk will serve as president; Dave Rosenberry, vice president; and Cory Mast, secretary. The commission approved awarding a contract to Middlebury Electric for $21,400 to install 13 street lights in the technology park.
Retirement Closes Family Legacy See Page 5 See Public Notices On Page 11
the costs of the projects fall under $250,000. State leaders recently approved legislation allowing that. Previously county employees could only do projects below a lower monetary threshold. Kosciusko County Commissioner Cary Groninger noted the ordinance allows the county “to stretch our taxpayer dollars and be able to self-perform additional work.” In other business, commissioners: • Approved vacating an alley in Atwood at the request of Blake Palmer. It allows him to unite some of his properties. • Approved spending $37,127.71 out of budgeted funds
to replace 30 computers for the county. • Approved the calendar for county holidays for 2024. Those are the following: New Year’s Day, Jan. 1; Good Friday, March 29; primary Election Day, May 7; the Fourth of July, July 4; Labor Day, Sept. 2; Election Day, Nov. 5; Veterans Day, Nov. 11; Thanksgiving break, Nov. 28 and 29; and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Dec. 24 and 25. • Approved commissioners’ meeting dates for 2024, which are generally at 9 a.m. on biweekly Tuesdays as they are now. For 2024, those dates are: Jan. 2, 16 and 30; Feb. 13 and 27; March 12 and 26; April 9 and 23; May 6 and Continued on page 2
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