Marshall County Police Investigate Second Armed Robbery at LaPaz Business

Marshall County Police are investigating the second armed robbery incident at the Bottle Stop Liquor Store in LaPaz in a month.

On Friday, February 17th, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a robbery at the Bottle Stop Liquor Store in LaPaz. The clerk told police that a male subject walked into the liquor store, brandished a knife and demanded money. The suspect was then chased out of the store by a clerk and left on foot. No money was taken during the incident.

Continue reading

West Central Wind Turbine to be Operational March 1st

The West Central School Board received an update on the wind turbine project at their meeting last week.

“We’re still looking at March 1st being our deadline for this,” said Superintendent Charles Mellon. “We will be meeting Tuesday (today), to discuss another update as far as how the project is proceeding. We have seen the utility companies on campus and in the substation here in Francesville so we know that work is being done. We have our fingers crossed that March 1st will be our date.”

SCILL Center to Offer Welding Classes

The SCILL Center will be offering a 16-week comprehensive welding class for adults. SCILL Center Director Jerry Gurrado says the course has been in demand.

“One of the things that is needed in our area, between Sabre, Kruz, Dragon Industries, and Hicks, is welding. We need good welders,” said Gurrado.

Gurrado said that a member of his board and others in the community agreed that an adult welding program is needed in the community. The plans now are for the class to be taught at Knox Middle School.

Continue reading

Mike Pence to Speak during Tonight’s Lincoln Day Dinner in Pulaski County

Mike Pence

GOP Gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence, a U.S. Representative, will be the Pulaski County Lincoln Day Speaker tonight in Star City. The event will be held at the Community Center in Star City. Opposing Pence in the spring primary is Fishers businessman, Jim Wallace.

Pence grew up in Columbus, Indiana and graduated from high school there. He also graduated from Hanover College, and the I.U. McKinney School of Law.

He grew up as a Catholic, who said he had a real spiritual awakening in college. Pence said he is a Christian, Conservative, and Republican in that order. He was mentioned in both 2007 and 2011 as a possible Presidential candidate.

Continue reading

Eastern Pulaski Schools, Town of Winamac Constructing a Safe Route to School

The Eastern Pulaski School Corporation and the Town of Winamac are working together to construct a safe route to school. Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explains where the route would be located.

“It’s the dovetail off the pathway trail that used to be the railroad tracks that they made into very nice bicycle, running and walking path,” said Dr. Klitzman. “What they want to do is take roadways from that pathway that lead to school and do everything they can to make it safe and useable. It’s a wellness thing. That’s so students can walk, or run, or ride their bike safely to school.”

Continue reading

Governor Mitch Daniels Urged to Run for President

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels

Governor Mitch Daniels says he is receiving more calls urging him to get into the race for President but he will not change his mind.

Daniels announced last May that he would not seek the Republican nomination for President, disappointing many Indiana supporters. But the calls and letters asking him to change his mind have continued and have even picked up in the past few weeks.

Speaking to reporters yesterday morning, Daniels said, “I never wanted to run, and never planned to run.”

Continue reading

Four Arrested for Methampetamine Lab in Knox

While serving three arrest warrants on Robert Singleton and Matthew Baker, officers found the suspects Friday at 415 N. State Road 23 in Knox—along with an active methamphetamine lab and a slew of drugs in the presence of two young children.

When they arrived at the residence, officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Knox Police Department found Baker entering a vehicle and moved to detain him before finding an active one-pot methamphetamine lab in his hand. A brief altercation ended with a handcuffed Baker in the back of a squad car.

Continue reading

Highway Superintendent Presents Bridge Priority List to Starke County Commissioners

Steve Siddall

Starke County Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, recently distributed a priority schedule for bridges in the county to county officials. 19 bridges are on the schedule and Siddall explained what the schedule means.

“It gives us an overall look at what bridges need immediate work and what the time frame is for the type of work or the year – if it needs to be replaced or rehabbed. It depends on what the bridge companies think that we’re going to have. The life span of the bridge is also taken into consideration,” stated Siddall.

Continue reading

Unemployment Benefits Will Not be Posted Today

Due to bank and federal government observance of Presidents’ Day, unemployment insurance benefits will not be posted on debit cards today. However, Indiana Department of Workforce Development offices and WorkOne Centers will be open.

Payments for eligible vouchers filed on Sunday, February 19th, and Monday, February 20th will be posted to individual debit cards by 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 21st.

Storm Water Project in Knox Ahead of Schedule

Construction work on the storm water project in Knox is ahead of schedule, according to Mayor Rick Chambers. The $837,000 project is taking place at three locations: John Street and Roosevelt Rd., John Street from McGill, and Prettyman Street to John Street. The work is to install storm water sewer lines and the work is being done by H & G Construction out of LaPorte.

The Mayor told the Knox City Council last week that he has received some complaints about noise in the construction area.

Continue reading

Driver’s Education Class to Cease at Winamac High School

This is the last year that an instructor from Eastern Pulaski Schools will be teaching a Driver’s Education course during the regular school day. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said this was a planned move on the school board’s part.

“This was decided a couple of years ago to phase it out,” explained Dr. Klitzman. “Driver’s Ed teacher, Mr. Nick Tribby, has already signed up with an outside company and is in fact teaching Driver’s Ed in the evenings and after school. Another one of our teachers, Mr. Casey Hines, has signed up. It will not be through Winamac High School. It will be through this new company that does this, but there will still be those opportunities for the driver’s training program.

North Judson-San Pierre Drama Department to Present Les Miserables

The North Judson-San Pierre High School Drama Department will present the musical Les Miserables this weekend and look for community members taking part in this production.

Choir Director, Donna Ness, had a casting call earlier this month for community members to participate in the Les Miserables chorus.

The production will take to the North Judson-San Pierre High School Auditorium stage on Friday, February 24th and Saturday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday, February 26th at 2:00 p.m. Rehearsals with aspiring stars from the community are tomorrow and nights from 6:00-7:30 p.m. and Thursday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Call Donna Ness at 896-2158 to see if she is still accepting members for the chorus.

Week in Review February 13th-17th, 2012

Here is a look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:

Tessa J. Haney and her two year old daughter, Jocelyn, were saved by Knox City Police Officer, Chad Dulin, and Knox-Center Township Firefighter, Wayne Noah, after they helped them from their overturned car that had crashed into a deep ditch filled with water on State Road 8.

The Family Dollar store in Culver was robbed at gunpoint late Saturday night. The Culver Police Department continues to search for the suspect.  Continue reading

Congressman Honors Robert Tauteris, Jr. on House Floor

Congressman Donnelly Honors Robert Tauteris, Jr. on the House floor

Congressman Joe Donnelly took a few minutes to talk on the House floor about Robert Tauteris, Jr., of Hamlet, who died while serving his country in Afghanistan.

Robert’s two sons, Robert J. Tauteris III and Mathew, plus his daughter-in-law, Kayla, watched his speech from the gallery in the House chamber.

Continue reading

Drug and Tobacco Free Starke County Board Meets

Jennie Carter

The Board of Directors of Drug and Tobacco Free Starke County met in Executive Session this week. According to Board President Judy Jelinek, the board will be meeting in an open session Wednesday, February 22nd, and will discuss the appointment of a financial committee and a personnel matter.

The appointment of a financial committee will be new for the organization as financial matters were handled by the state in the past. Quarterly reports were sent to the state by the local organization.

Continue reading

No Decision Made in Controversial Zoning Issue

There is still no final decision in the matter regarding the building permit issued to Julia Ford for a structure at 6690 East 250 North in Grovertown following the recent meeting of the Starke County Board of Zoning Appeals.

Neighbor Betty Dotlich objects to the permit, citing the structure as commercial and not residential and, therefore, the structure should not be allowed to remain on the property. Dotlich presented the board with a thick packet of documentation regarding the situation, and a motion was made by the board to table the matter for a month’s time in order to digest the information presented.

Continue reading

Life Prison Term Sought for Former San Pierre Man

Federal prosecutors are asking for a life prison term for a man who pleaded guilty to making child pornography while living in San Pierre. A sentencing report was filed this week in U.S. District Court in Hammond.

Randall Fletcher, Jr. pleaded guilty in September of last year to taking pornographic pictures of a seven year old child in February 2002 in San Pierre. Before that, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder when he tried to have the mother of a 15-year-old girl he was having sex with killed. This was in 1995.

Continue reading