Week in Review for July 23-27, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

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

No injuries were reported after the storms ripped through the area Tuesday which caused extensive damage at the Starke County Airport. Airport Manager Pam Beharry said five planes were totaled and hangars were damaged and some destroyed. Some airplanes in the hangars were even lifted from the ground up to ten feet in the air. One hangar lost a roof in the storm, but none of the planes in that hangar were damaged. Beharry said that the total amount of damage at the airport won’t be known for a while yet. Continue reading →

Wythogan Park Suffers Extreme Damage From Storms

Posted on Author WKVI
The 70 mph winds bent this tree in half and uprooted others.

Wythogan Park sustained an extreme amount of damage during Tuesday morning’s storms. Park Board President Kurt Snearly talks about the destruction.

“We had six utility poles that had to be replaced and NIPSCO did a fantastic job,” explained Snearly. “They worked extremely hard for four straight days to get that cleaned up. There was fencing damage to the tennis court and our brand new $12,000 slide was damaged. The playground equipment like the spring toys, the curly slide, the climbing equipment and swings were all damaged. The shelters and fields did make it…somehow. The amount of trees that are down in the park right now is staggering.”

The three-man park crew have been cleaning up the smaller debris, but it’s going to take much more to clean-up the park.

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Public Meeting Brings Community Up to Date On Starke County Jail Project

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

The first of three public information meetings regarding the construction of a new Starke County jail facility was held yesterday at the Knox Middle School, presenting those present with an idea of the progress of the committee and the findings of the DLZ Corporation and Umbaugh and Associates.

According to the information presented, the previously-mentioned option of doing nothing and maintaining the current facility as-is was found to be insufficient, as the current facility cannot maintain its current population and, with an increasing population trend, the overcrowding situation would only get worse. Additionally, remodeling an existing building to suit the needs of a modern jail is also not cost-sufficient, and would prove financially difficult for the county. Further, state statute prohibits the county from leasing a facility from a private organization, so that option is out as well.

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San Pierre Home Destroyed From Fire Shortly After Storms

Posted on Author WKVI

The San Pierre Fire Department responded to a house fire Tuesday morning, just two hours after the storms rolled through the area. The home was on State Road 10 west of the town of San Pierre.

San Pierre Fire Department Investigator Andy Tilleraas said that a large tree fell on electric wires by the residence and pulled the wires from the meter box, causing the fire. When firefighters arrived on scene, the house was fully engulfed and it was a total loss.

The fire does remain under investigation.

Starke County Public Library Expansion Project Suffers Delay

Posted on Author WKVI
Sheila Urwiler

The Starke County Public Library expansion project is at a bit of a standstill, but Library Director Sheila Urwiler says they should be requesting bids come September. She says there was a bit of a mix-up last spring when they requested bids which put a bit of a delay on their plans, but she’s confident they’ll soon be back on track.

Urwiler says the library has been keeping busy, particularly with the Summer Reading Program which will come to a close on Saturday. She says they’re still looking for people to participate in the literacy program that they’ve been running, and she encourages anyone interested in participating in the program to call (574) 772-7323 or stop by any Starke County Library branch.

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Czarnecki Found Guilty of Charges Including Battery In Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Jennifer Czarnecki

Three guilty verdicts came back in the trial of Jennifer Czarnecki in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday.

Her charges stemmed from in an incident in January where she had come home intoxicated and allegedly “threw” a child at her boyfriend while at her mother’s residence in North Judson. When police arrived at the scene and conducted an investigation, officers attempted to place her into custody and Czarnecki was throwing her arms at an officer and she kicked him in the chest. She also reportedly got out of the back seat of the squad car three times. She was transported to IU Health Starke Hospital for evaluation due to her state of intoxication, and while there, she caused more problems by reportedly yelling and kicking at the hospital staff and spiting at the nurses and the officers.

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U.S. Postal Service To Hold Community Meetings After Labor Day

Posted on Author WKVI

The U.S. Postal Service says their new plan to avoid closing rural offices and instead reduce operating hours will soon be taken to the public in a series of community meetings. Postal Service Spokesperson Mary Dando says the dates for these community meetings will be announced after Labor Day, and Postal Service officials will conduct the meetings in all affected communities.

She says that no action has been taken regarding the soon-to-be shortened office hours, and assures communities that the plan will not be completed for another two years. The new strategy will be implemented over two years and should be completed by September 2014.

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Employers Must Take Different Approach To Healthcare

Posted on Author WKVI

Mark Savage, director of occupational services for IU Health, spoke to the Starke County Chamber of Commerce members Wednesday night about the rising cost of health care for the employees of the business.

Savage contended that employee healthcare costs are going to increase for employers if their workforce does not become healthier, and he said employers can anticipate a total healthcare cost increase of 6.2 percent this year over 2011.

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Bass Lake Summer Splash Kicks Off Today

Posted on Author WKVI

The 40th Annual Bass Lake Summer Splash begins today!

The carnival begins at 6:00 p.m. across from Fingerhut Bakery and early registration for the 5K run and walk starts at 6:00 p.m.

Some of the highlights for this year’s Summer Splash include the many arts and craft booths, the Business Expo, the Build-a-Boat contest, Historic Tram Tours, and the fireworks show Saturday at dusk. The parade is Sunday at Noon.

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Gas Prices Ramp Up 17 Percent This Week

Posted on Author WKVI

Gas prices spiked a bit this week as crude oil prices hit $93 a barrel. Oil prices have surged 17 percent since bottoming out at their recent low of $78.20 on June 21.

The rise in oil prices can be blamed on increasing tensions in Iran. Prices around the area average about $3.55 a gallon. Oil prices have also increased by an easing of the debt crisis in Europe.

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Starke County Airport Devastated By Storms

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Airport is still reeling from the damage wrought by Tuesday morning’s storms. Airport Manager Pam Beharry says a number of hangars were damaged and some even destroyed, and five planes were totaled while others were untouched by the 70 mph winds that tore through the area.

Fortunately, Beharry says no one was injured and the planes that did suffer damage carried their own insurance. She says a number of insurance adjustors have already visited the airport, not only to assess the damage on the planes, but also to assess the damage at the airport itself.

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Crane To Be Employed For Repairs At Starke County Courthouse

Posted on Author WKVI
The courthouse tower was damaged by Tuesday morning’s storms.

Trees blew down around the Starke County Courthouse Tuesday morning and according to Maintenance Director Carl Goodrich, there was damage to the courthouse tower.

“This outfit from Wabash, Atlas Engineering, they came and checked out the structural parts of the tower and that seemed to be okay,” explained Goodrich. “The only thing that really sustained damage was the tile and the capping up there [on the tower]. They’re going to give me an estimate, by Monday hopefully, and see what the repairs are going to cost.”

The repairs need to be done at the very top of the courthouse, which stands over 150 feet tall. That work will be done by crane and a reliable crane operator.

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Starke County Cleanup Efforts Continue In Wake Of Storm

Posted on Author WKVI
Crews work on the tower at the Starke County Sheriff's Department

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department’s radio tower suffered quite a bit of damage from this week’s storm. Sheriff Oscar Cowen says a maintenance crew has come in and removed the portion of the tower that was damaged, and the department has had to re-adapt the antenna to allow them to stay in operation until they can have the tower replaced.

Currently, Cowen says they are waiting for the insurance company to come out and look at the damage to determine what they will replace it with, or what kind of antenna they will be putting up in its place. Cowen says they are not sure how long it will take before the damage is repaired, but he has heard the tower itself could cost anywhere from $35,000 and up – but they won’t have a certain figure until the insurance adjustor gives them the OK to have a company repair the damage.

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North Judson Man Arrested On Charges Including Strangulation

Posted on Author WKVI

A North Judson man was arrested Tuesday on an arrest warrant after he reportedly failed to appear in Starke Circuit Court for a court date.

Bradley White’s charges stem from a battery incident involving his live-in girlfriend and a person who had visited his home on February 27.

During the course of the investigation, police learned that he might be harboring stolen property. A search warrant was obtained by North Judson police and White’s Franklin Street apartment was searched and stolen property was reportedly recovered.

White faces charges of Strangulation, Theft, Possession of Stolen Property, and two counts of Battery.

Starke County Jail Committee Public Meeting Today

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

The first of three public meetings to address the findings of the DLZ Corporation and Umbaugh and Associates concerning the Starke County Jail project will be held tonight at 6 p.m. in the Knox Middle School Cafeteria.

Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem says different options for a jail will be discussed by the DLZ Corporation.

“One is doing nothing – which of course really is not an option at all – or building an entirely new jail on a green site, retrofitting an existing building to meet the needs of a jail, or remodeling or expanding the current jail,” Norem explained. “They do have some dollars and cents figures attached to each of those options and those are the things that we will be sharing.”

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Be On The Lookout For Unregistered Contractors

Posted on Author WKVI

If you have damage at your residence from Tuesday morning’s storms, be careful who you hire to make repairs on your property.

Knox City Building Administrator Greg Matt asks you to exercise caution and make sure the contractor has registered with the City of Knox before you agree to any contract. Matt explains that when the registration is complete, the contractor will receive proof that he is registered with the city.

“They get a card to carry in their wallet that shows that they’re registered with the City of Knox,” said Matt. “Their vehicles also get hang-tags that have a registration number and says ‘City of Knox’. If someone comes to your door, you have every right to ask to see this identification.”

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Maxinkuckee Players Gearing Up For Opening Night

Posted on Author WKVI

The Maxinkuckee Players will be taking on one of their biggest challenges yet as they prepare for their opening night of Crazy For You at Culver High School. Three of the Players were in the WKVI studios yesterday to talk about the musical play, and Gregg Underwood – who will be playing Bobby Child and Bela Zangler in the play – says it’s a tough show, but they’re ready.

“This is probably one of the biggest challenges that the Players have taken on,” said Underwood. “Lot of choreography, lot of dancing, and we were able to recruit some really talented younger individuals this year that have just stepped up to the plate and are just knocking it out of the park.”

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Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke Counties in Need of High School Career Advisors

Posted on Author WKVI

The Center of Workforce Innovations is in search of qualified individuals willing to serve as advisors for the AmeriCorps Career Advisor initiative. This initiative, which covers seven counties and is going on its second year, will provide Northwest Indiana high school students with career information to assist them in their decision-making process and planning for their future after graduation. United Way of Porter County and AmeriCorps are partnering with the center for this initiative.

Career Advisors will work with teachers and counselors to prepare youth and their families for college, the idea of high wage and high demand careers, as well as lifelong learning. They will also mobilize businesses and community organizations to assist students through the school year and, hopefully, beyond.

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Crews Work on Tower at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department

Posted on Author WKVI
Crews work on the tower at the Starke County Sheriff's Department

The tower at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department sustained damage in yesterday’s storms and crews are on the scene repairing that damage.

“The wind took out the first 60 or 80 feet of the tower, it totally bent it over,” said Starke County Commissioner Dan Bridegroom. “What we’re going to do today (Wednesday) is try to remove the antennas that were on the tower and then take about a 60 foot section off the tower and see if we can replace the antennas to get the coverage throughout the county. This will be the remedy until we get a new tower.”

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Cleanup and Repair Still Underway In Wake Of Yesterday’s Storm

Posted on Author WKVI

Cleanup and repairs are still underway in Starke County following yesterday morning’s storms. More than 80,000 Hoosiers were without power for a period of time, and Kankakee Valley REMC reports that roughly 3000 people are still without power, while NIPSCO says they still have more than 12,000 people out of service.  412 Knox residents remain without power today.

NIPSCO is reportedly bringing in additional crews from Missouri, Wisconsin, and Ohio, and KVREMC says they are working day and night along with neighboring co-ops to get power restored as soon as possible. Lake and Porter counties were reportedly hit the hardest by the damaging winds and rain, which crossed northern Indiana early yesterday morning, leaving downed trees, snapped electric poles and wires in their wake.

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