Week in Review December 27th-31st, 2010

Here are a few of the stories that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:

Megan Smithson, 19, of Illinois, died in an auto accident Sunday afternoon at the intersection of State Road 10 and State Road 35 in Starke County. Police say she pulled out onto US 35 and into the path of a vehicle driven by Tony Wagner of Winamac.

We heard from three of the four Starke County Councilmen who attended their last meeting December 20th. Chuck Estok, Bill Dulin, and Bruce Fingerhut (pictured right) said that they enjoyed working with the people of Starke County.

Gerald L. Broude, Jr. was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court, Tuesday. Judge Kim Hall sentenced him to 50 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. A jury had found him Guilty on four counts of Child Molestation on December 1st.

The Hamlet Town Board approved a bid of $571,562 from H&G Underground to improve storm drainage in the old downtown area of Hamlet.

The Starke County Republican candidates voted into office were sworn into office Tuesday in the Starke County Circuit Courtroom. The Starke County Democrats were sworn into office Thursday evening at the Knox Community Center.

A Monday afternoon traffic accident in Cass County claimed the life of a Star City teenager. Alexandra “Ali” Gibson, 19, was killed. She was a passenger in a car driven by Stephanie McGovern, 16, of Winamac. McGovern continues to recover from her injuries sustained in this accident.

An earthquake about five miles below the ground hit North Central Indiana shortly before sunrise Thursday morning. The U.S. Geological Society reported a 3.8 magnitude earthquake centered five miles southeast of Greentown, Indiana. The earthquake was felt in Starke County Thursday morning.

Ken Singleton appeared in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday and has been charged with nine felony charges which include Child Molesting, Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, and Incest.

Virgil Noble was arrested Tuesday on two counts of Rape and two counts of Sexual Battery.

And that is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week.