Judge Rules in Tammy Van Dam Case

LaPorte County Judge Thomas Alevizos issued a two page ruling Tuesday afternoon that gave a rather “limited preliminary injunction” in a case brought by the estate of Tammy Van Dam, and her life partner Beth Urschel. The suit brought by the lawyer for the two asked that the wreckage from the State Fair stage that collapsed be preserved.

Alevizos did though reject a request to preserve all e-mails, 911 calls and other evidence that could be destroyed.

He also criticized the attorney before him, Kenneth Allen, for saying he was seeking $50 million for the estate of Tammy Van Dam. The judge said that local court rules stipulate that no damage amounts be listed. He called the revelation of the amount a “publicity stunt” by the attorney.

Tammy Van Dam was killed, and Beth Urschel was injured when the stage collapsed before a performance of the county music duo Sugarland at the State Fair.

Starke County Officials Attend Jail Conference in Colorado

Sheriff Oscar Cowen, Councilman Dave Pearman, Chief Deputy Bill Dulin, Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem, Jail Commander Greg Hewitt

Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem has led a delegation from the County to the National Institute of Corrections Conference in Colorado. Joining Norem on the trip is Starke County Councilman David Pearman, Sheriff Oscar Cowen, Chief Deputy Bill Dulin, and Jail Commander Greg Hewitt. Continue reading

Pulaski County Commissioners Approve Request for Four-Way Stop in Star City

The Pulaski County Commissioners approved Cathy Fritz’s request for a four-way stop at the corner of Main Street and Warrick Street in Star City.

Fritz explained to the Commissioners that this is located by the First United Methodist Church in Star City. The church provides tutoring services for children after school once a week and the area is always busy with children playing and it’s also by the park. She presented the Commissioners with a petition signed by more than 100 residents, church members, police officers and other concerned citizens to create a four-way stop at that intersection. The Commissioners agreed and voted to erect a four-way stop.

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Winamac Drama Department to Present Nunsense A-Men

The Drama Department of Winamac Community High School will soon proudly present a dinner theatre to start the 2011-2012 school year off on the right foot. Director Patrick Schuttrow was approached by a group of seniors that came up with the idea and wanted to see it happen.

After some deliberation, the group decided to perform Nunsense A-men, a spin-off of the popular Nunsense series composed by Dan Goggin. In this version, the characters are played by men, giving male actors a chance to be part of the fun in this show that has delighted audiences for nearly three decades.

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Starke County Humane Society Welcomes Woof Studios in September

Who says the dog can’t be in the family picture? Woof Studios is coming to the Humane Society this Fall, so there’s no better time to get those pictures of man’s best friend. Woof Studios has been coming to the Starke County Humane Society for almost 20 years, providing an opportunity to get that difficult cat, dog, horse, or other animal to pose for some beautiful shots while helping out a worthy cause in the process.

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Reagent Announces Million Dollar Project

Reagent Chemical and Research Inc. announced a $1,000,000 expansion this week. The announcement was made through the Starke County Economic Development Foundation office.

A 10,600 sq. foot facility will be constructed which will house a general over-the-road truck maintenance operation, and will also repair, line, outfit, and maintain rubber lined tanker trailers belonging to the Reagent fleet. Reagent already installs rubber lining in new and used rail tank cars for its use and maintains and repairs its existing fleet of rail cars at the site.

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Pulaski Recorder, Auditor Offices to Be Open for Evening Property Research

Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

Pulaski County Recorder Lynn Wilder and Auditor Sheila Garling requested that they open their offices for residents in the county during the evening for the purpose to research properties.

Wilder told the Pulaski County Commissioners that there are often times residents come in to research properties and they don’t have enough time to complete their research or it’s just inconvenient to come in during the work day. They would like to open their offices two times a week, at night, to offer that time to residents to look at their properties or historic properties and they will be able to answer any questions or concerns the public may have. The pair assured the Commissioners that there would not be any additional cost to the taxpayers to have this service available to them.

The Commissioners approved the request and WKVI will be notified when the offices will be open for this activity.

News from the Starke Circuit Court

Several cases were discussed in the Starke Circuit Court yesterday, with some charges dismissed and others prepared for trial.

All charges were dismissed in the case of Rodger Griffin yesterday afternoon, who was charged with Battery as a Class C felony, Trespassing as a Class A misdemeanor, and Battery as a Class A misdemeanor. The state moved to dismiss all charges prior to his jury trial, which was scheduled for today. The trial will not take place. Griffin also has another case in the Starke Circuit Court that is set for trial in the future for charges including Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon.

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Discussion on Gasoline Prices Set for Tomorrow in Knox

What’s happening with gasoline prices? Yesterday at 4:00 p.m., prices were everywhere from $3.18 to $3.79 in northern Indiana.

Want to find out how prices are structured at individual stations or why some stations are pricing below cost? What about who’s making money off you at the pump?

Tomorrow night, Scott Imus will join State Senator Ed Charbonneau, State Representative Nancy Dembowski, and Mayor Rick Chambers in trying to explain what’s happening at Indiana service stations.

Imus is the Executive Director of the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association.

If you want to hear it straight “from the horse’s mouth,” be at the Knox Community Center tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Crops Not As Healthy As Last Year, According to Crop Report

Less than 40 percent of the corn crop this year is in good to excellent condition, according to the weekly Indiana Crop and Weather Report for the week ending Aug. 21. Most of the corn, 37 percent, is in fair condition. Thirty-eight percent of the soybean crop is in good condition. This is in contrast to last year, in which 59 percent of corn was in the good to excellent condition.

According to the report, scattered rains brought some relief to a few areas of the state, but it wasn’t enough to stop the crop conditions from continuing to decline. A lot of corn was planted late, causing some of the crops to mature later than expected. This could be problematic, as these late crops need ideal weather conditions in order to mature properly.

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North Judson-San Pierre School Looking Into Signage Possibilities

North Judson-San Pierre High School

Advances in signage technology have made it easier for advertisers to communicate with fans at sporting events. Faced with rising athletic costs, high schools are now getting into the advertising business.

Recently, Superintendent Lynn Johnson at the North Judson-San Pierre School district talked about signage with Athletic Director Rob Vessely.

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Pulaski County 4-H Fair Queen Earns Third Runner-up in State Fair

Stacy Gudas

Pulaski County’s 4-H Fair Queen, Stacy Gudas, was the 3rd runner up in the State Fair Queen Pageant held over the weekend. Erika Elaine Burghardt of Tippecanoe County topped 87 other contestants to earn the title of Miss Indiana State Fair. The event was held in the Pepsi Coliseum. Burghardt, a Mulberry native, is the third Tippecanoe County Queen to win the State Fair title and the first since 1996.

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North Judson Storm Water Project Begins Today

The storm water project is beginning in North Judson today. The area of construction will be the north side of North Judson from Main Street and Keller Avenue south to Lesley Street on State Road 39. The project is expected to take approximately three weeks to complete.

The project is expected to get underway at 7:30 a.m.

The town board of North Judson would like to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to its residents.

Gasoline Forum Set for Thursday Evening

Scott Imus, the Executive Director of the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, is going to be in Knox Thursday night to discuss gasoline pricing. If you have ever been frustrated with gas prices that seem to be on a yo-yo, now is your chance to hear why.

Imus explained just why it is that you hear about crude oil prices dropping, but your cost at the pump rises.

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Oregon-Davis Students Return to School

Oregon-Davis Jr/Sr High School

There was excitement in Superintendent Steve Disney’s voice as he talked Friday about the beginning of the school year at Oregon-Davis. The school ended the summer on a high having seen ISTEP scores increased greatly in the 2010-2011 school year. Disney said the staff is building on the momentum of that accomplishment. He talked about walking through the elementary school last week, and feeling that excitement.

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Gasoline Forum to Be Held in Knox Thursday

What drives gasoline prices up or down at the pump? If that question is perplexing to you, or if you see greed at the end of the gasoline hose, you’ll want to attend a program sponsored by WKVI, State Senator Ed Charbonneau, State Representative Nancy Dembowski, and Knox Mayor Rick Chambers.

Scott Imus, Executive Director of the Indiana Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, will be in Knox Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Knox Community Center to answer your questions on gasoline prices. He’ll also give you his best estimate of where prices are going, and how to prepare for the eventual price.

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