Two Vacant Benton Township Homes To Be Demolished

Two eyesores in Benton Township will soon be torn down. The township has hired Hollerbach Construction and Excavating to rip down a home in at 1397 Pipestone Road that burned two years ago and was condemned in the fall of 2010 and another at 999 Waukonda, which suffered roof damage in an ice storm two years ago. The home on Pipestone is located across the street from Sorter Elementary School, and township officials are worried about the possibility of curious kids wandering over and going inside. The Waukonda home is owned by Columbus Wilder and Carolyn Johnson of Las Vegas and the township has not been able to get them to make the necessary repairs to keep the house safe. The township expects to eventually take possession of the land due to unpaid taxes.