The request for single-family housing building permits reached a level in 2018 that hadn’t been matched since 2003. In all, 114 permits were issued last year, the most since 151 were handed out in 2003.

“Residential construction continues to be a good indicator of economic growth,” said Mayor Greg Goodnight. “The increase in permit requests reflects the fact that Kokomo is a great place to live, work and raise a family. Families are choosing Kokomo.”

Crime data tracked by the Kokomo Police Department show that, overall, both property and violent crimes continued to decline locally in 2018. Calls for Service also went down in 2018.

The crime data collected is submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for inclusion in its annual Uniform Crime Report (UCR), which tracks Homicide, Rape, Burglary, Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Aggravated Assault.

Qualified applicants must be 18 years or older, have an acceptable driving record, and possess and/or have the ability to obtain a valid Class B commercial driver’s license with both air brake and passenger endorsements. 

Fans of winter sports and family fun when the weather turns cold. The City of Kokomo is adding an ice skating rink to Kokomo Municipal Stadium. The skating rink, known as The Frozen Sandlot, will operate from Dec. 5, 2018 to January 13, 2019.

The 60-foot by 90-foot rink will feature real ice, unlike other temporary rinks which utilize artificial or synthetic ice-like materials. The rink will be placed close to the backstop so spectators and non-skaters can watch.