The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has announced that it is now offering a series of free and online training sessions to help people in Indiana build the skills they need to obtain the job they want.  Successful completion of these online courses could lead to a National Career Readiness Certificate, which could be of assistance in attempting to land a job.

At the present time, there are 10 different courses to choose from, which are the following:

• Reading for Information
• Applied Mathematics
• Locating Information
• Listening
• Observation
• Applied Technology
• Writing
• Business Writing
• Work Habits (Soft Skills)
• Teamwork

Congressman Joe Donnelly has just announced that Starke County will receive a $503,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA) to help improve access to the Starke County Rail Park - Knox, primarily with intersection improvements at State Road 8 and County Road 300 East.

The entire project is estimated to cost $1,006,000, with the County funding $400,000, and the Starke County Economic Development Foundation will fund the balance of $103,000.  The project has been discussed for most of the past 5 years, and with this grant, will now become reality.  Bids could be taken in late 2012 or in January of 2013, with the work completed sometime in 2013.

The ditch at the intersection will be moved slightly to the south, at the request of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.  The intersection can then be widened at that point so that trucks can safely pass.  Preliminary work has already begun with respect to environmental issues.  Upon completion, improved access to the Rail Park is expected to create an additional 100 jobs and leverage $20 million in private investment.

Congressman Donnelly, in making the announcement of the grant said, "Improved access to this area will mean improved access to jobs, services, and centers of trade for both the county and the region."

A bridge re-decking construction project on U.S. 35 over the Yellow River just north of Knox will begin on Monday, April 30, and will continue for 3-4 months.  During construction, travel will be restricted to one lane at a time, which will be controlled by temporary traffic signals on both sides of the bridge. Those traffic signals will begin operating today, just prior to the beginning of construction.

According to figures released last week by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), Starke County, as well as the State of Indiana both reported a continuing decline in their respective unemployment rates for the month of March.

Indiana reported that an additional 5,300 jobs were created in March, leading to a new rate of 8.2%, identical to the national unemployment rate for this month, down from 8.4% in February.  This was the fourth straight month that the unemployment rate for the state declined.  The state rate has not been less than the current rate since December of 2008.  The Indiana rate continues to be one of the lower rates in the Midwest, with only Ohio at 7.5% being less.

On the county level, the rate for March went from 11.3% down to 10.8%, and since January of this year, has dropped from 11.7%, a significant decline in the unemployment rate.  The county also experienced its third highest level of employment in the last 12 months.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has updated the status of construction at the Koontz Lake Dam through the middle of April.  At that time, the project was approximately 76% completed.  This project was let in January of 2011 for a total bid price of $4,646,759.  The project includes a new bridge on SR 23 near Koontz Lake.

The United States Department of Labor last Friday reported a lower than expected number of new jobs were created for the month of March.  A total of 120,000 new jobs were reported, far below estimates of around 200,000 that was expected. Despite the low total, the national unemployment rate fell from 8.3% down to 8.2%.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has issued its unemployment report for the month of February. The State of Indiana saw its rate fall from 8.7% to 8.4%, while Starke County's rate fell from 11.7% down to 11.3%.

Nationally, no change was experienced from the January reported rate of 8.3%.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has award a bid to Ellas Construction Company, Inc., of Gary, Indiana for the rehabilitation of a bridge on US 35 over the Yellow River, approximately 0.99 miles south of SR 8. Bids on this project were received on March 7, and at that time, 6 individual companies bid, with Ellas being the lowest at $803,101.46 on a project estimated to cost $825,000.