County holding jail project open house
Also, city names two historic properties; KPD increasing seatbelt enforcement
This article is brought to you by the Community Foundation Serving Howard, Clinton, and Carroll Counties. When you give locally, the impact STAYS local. Giving through the Community Foundation lets you support causes you care about with purpose and flexibility. You help fuel youth programming, hands-on learning, leadership training, and much more.
Invest in potential, opportunity, and your community’s future: www.cfhoward.org/give-now
Howard County will host a local contractor open house on Thursday, May 21, 2026, to share information on how area contractors can participate in the construction of the new Howard County jail.
The open house will provide an overview of the project, have construction documents available for review and outline opportunities for local contractors to get involved. Representatives from Garmong Construction will be available to answer questions from attendees.
“Howard County is being proactive and intentional about ensuring this project creates opportunities for local contractors and workers,” stated the Howard County Board of Commissioners, represented by Jack Dodd, Brad Bray, and Jeff Lipinski. “This is one of the most significant projects the county has undertaken in decades, and we want to make sure local businesses are aware of how they can participate and contribute to its success.”
The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. in the basement conference room of the Howard County Administration Center, 220 N. Main Street.
City names two historic properties
The Kokomo Common Council voted on May 11, 2026, to add two Mid-Century Modern structures to the Local Landmark Designation Registry.
The homes represent the 82nd and 83rd entries onto the local registry, which is available at cityofkokomo.org. Both homes are examples of Mid-Century Modern architecture found in Kokomo, dating from approximately 1940 to 1975.
The homes are located at 3300 Tally Ho Dr. and 3031 Mayfair Dr.
Structures 50 years and older may be nominated for inclusion in the Local Landmark Designation Register by filling out an application on the City of Kokomo website. The Kokomo Historic Review Board will work with the landowner for approval. The approved nominations are then sent to the Kokomo Common Council for final consideration and approval.
The board encourages anyone interested in the program to visit the webpage to learn more.
“This program gives Kokomo residents an opportunity to share how important their property is to the history of the community,” stated Review Board Vice President and Howard County Historical Society Executive Director Anne Shaw. “As we work to revitalize the Kokomo Review Board, we hope to provide education, preservation resources, and awareness of Kokomo’s built legacy.”
The board identifies and nominates historically and architecturally significant properties to the Local Landmark Designation Registry. It is important to note that listing is simply a local designation and does not come with restrictions on the property.
KPD increasing seatbelt enforcement
The Kokomo Police Department is partnering with the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) to urge Hoosiers to buckle up as part of the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign, a high-visibility enforcement effort focused on increasing seatbelt use.
Now through May 31, 2026, officers will work overtime to ensure drivers and passengers are using their seatbelts and children are properly secured. The overtime patrols are funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through ICJI’s Comprehensive Highway Injury Reduction Program (CHIRP).
“Buckling up is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself and your loved ones on the road,” said Douglas Huntsinger, executive director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. “Seatbelts save lives every day, and every trip should begin with making sure everyone is secured before hitting the road.”
Since 2021, Indiana has seen a steady decline in fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants not wearing seatbelts. Seatbelt usage among Hoosiers has also increased, reaching 94.1 percent in 2025 according to the Annual Seat Belt Usage Survey conducted by Purdue University Center for Road Safety in partnership with ICJI. This rate is above the national average of 91.2 percent usage in 2024.
“Too often, we see tragedies that could have been prevented with one simple click of a seatbelt,” said Chief Douglas Stout. “Buckling up isn’t just the law. It’s a responsibility that helps ensure you make it home safely.”
Indiana law requires drivers and all passengers to buckle up. Children under age eight must be properly restrained in a federally approved child car seat or booster seat. Drivers can be cited for lack of seat belt use, but also for each unbuckled passenger under the age of 16.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to make sure children are in the right car seat and that it is used correctly and properly installed.
Resources can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/TheRightSeat. To schedule an appointment with a certified car seat safety technician at one of Indiana’s 100 fitting stations, visit on.in.gov/SafeKids.
CHIRP is supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. For more information about ICJI’s traffic safety programs, visit www.in.gov/cji.