Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Sheriff Reynolds proposes free phone app for alerts

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By JEFF SCHULTZ

Sheriff David Reynolds told the Porter County Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday that his department is looking to develop a free app for mobile devices that can send alerts to residents about road closures, tornado warnings, and school closings.

Upgrades are also planned for the Sheriff’s Police website and there will be more emphasis on utilizing social media like Facebook and Twitter, Reynolds said.

The community app will be free, paid for by funds collected from the jail’s commissary at roughly $3,500 per month. Reynolds’ hope is that, with sponsorships from advertisers, the app could pay for itself.

Other features will include being able to see the names and mug shots of inmates at the County Jail, Reynolds said, and media outlets would be able to get information more quickly, which made Commissioner President John Evans, R-North, wonder if there would be privacy issues.

“People see (inmates’) pictures in the paper every day,” Reynolds said.

Evans suggested that Reynolds use the application to advertise the County’s Smart 911 program. “It’s free and it could save a life,” he said.

On a related note, the Commissioners approved paying what will be the last installment for the County’s digital phone system for the jail and Sheriff’s Department with $250,000 in county economic development income tax dollars. Another $50,000, from CCD funds, was approved for ongoing maintenance for phones throughout county government.

County ITS Director Sharon Lippens said the county has saved approximately $200,000 annually since the new phone system was installed about five years ago.

Also, a contract with Trout Glass and Mirror in Chesterton was approved by the Commissioners 3-0 to repair windows that inmates have broken over time at Porter County Jail.

Reynolds said that inmates will be charged for damage they cause from now on. “We will hold those people responsible for getting them fixed,” he said.

Tourism Report

County Tourism Bureau Director Lorelei Weimer presented the Commissioners with a “State of Indiana Dunes Tourism.” Visitor numbers have increased thanks to marketing efforts such as the Beyond the Beach Discovery Trail, online videos and the 3-Dune Challenge. A record number of people are using the tourism bureau’s website to plan their stays and look for hotel information, she said.

The bureau also earned reaccreditation with the renowned tourism development firm Destination Marketing Association International, meaning its strategic planning model can serve as an example for others in the industry, Weimer said.

Weimer included in her presentation plans for $1.5 million in renovations to the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, which the bureau shares with the National Parks Service. The biggest portion of the work will be transforming space in the theater room, she said.

Weimer said the current exhibit area will become a community room, highlighting the different spots of Porter County.

Aboard the Sunrise Express

Before adjourning, Evans gave a shout out to the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District for adding a new six-train express to the South Shore Line.

The “Sunrise Express” makes a limited number of stops on its way from South Bend to Chicago each morning and is said to get from Dunes State Park Station to Chicago’s Millennium Park Station in one hour.

“Yesterday it made the trip in 59 minutes. I know because I rode it. It was great,” said Evans, who sits on the NICTD Board of Directors.

 

Posted 3/18/2015

 
 

 

 

 

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