Starke County Officer Shoots, Kills Dog – Second Such Incident This Month

The second killing of a dog by a police officer in Starke County has the community wondering why these incidents take place and what can be done to prevent them.

Jay Dollahan of Knox said his dog, which he described as an almost-two-year-old Old English Bulldogge, was killed by an officer yesterday when he had come to Dollahan’s home on 700 East to serve civil court papers. Dollahan said the officer pulled up to the home and noticed a “Beware of Dog” sign, but continued walking toward the home and identified himself as he approached.

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Indy Man Arrested in Plymouth On Warrant For Dealing Meth

An Indianapolis man was arrested Friday after Plymouth police received a tip that he was at a local restaurant.

Derrick C. Crockett, 23 of Indianapolis, had two Starke County warrants for Dealing in Methamphetamine and Possession of Chemical Reagents. Police took him into custody without incident and booked him into the Marshall County Jail. He was later transported to the Starke County Jail for a court hearing to be held this week.

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Starke County Driver Crashes Into Concrete Drain; Charged with OVWI

The concrete drain caused severe damage to the vehicle.

A Starke County man is being charged after a single-vehicle accident on Toto Road in Knox.

At approximately 4:45 p.m. on Sunday, the Starke County Sheriff’s Department received a report of a single-vehicle accident on Toto Road west of U.S. 35. When officers arrived on scene, they found a truck had run off the road and struck a concrete drain, causing serious damage to the vehicle. Fire department personnel were on scene as well, and the driver, Fred Koman, of Knox, had to be extricated from the severely damaged vehicle before being transported to IU Health Starke Hospital and later airlifted to a South Bend hospital after suffering a broken or fractured neck with an injury to his arm.

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Two Arrested For Possession in Pulaski County

Pulaski County police arrested two people after police found them to be in possession of drugs.

A call had been placed to police about an alleged harassment in the area of Maple and National streets in Medaryville and a vehicle description was given of the suspects involved. Police found the vehicle at the Family Express parking lot. The officer approached the vehicle and immediately noticed the odor of burnt marijuana.

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Morocco Man Arrested For OVWI in Pulaski County

police badge

A Morocco man was arrested in Pulaski County on Friday after a two-vehicle accident.

Charles Cranmer was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed when approaching the intersection of U.S. 421 and State Road 14. The officer who was in the area observed Cranmer hit a vehicle in front of him. As the officer pulled over to investigate the scene, he saw Cranmer leave his vehicle and stumble toward the officer. He told the officer that his brakes went out.

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Knox, Plymouth, John Glenn March To 40th Annual ISSMA Competition

Knox, Plymouth and John Glenn marching bands will be participating in the 40th annual ISSMA Marching Band competition season beginning this Saturday, Sept. 29.

One hundred seventy-six high school bands will compete with over 16,000 students in the District competition. Winners will advance to the Regional competition on Oct. 13. The top ten scoring bands from each northern and southern Regional contests will move to the Semi-State level and then to the marching band finals on Nov. 3 in Indianapolis. The state competition will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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NJSP Board Undergoes Superintendent Evaluation Training

The North Judson-San Pierre School Board recently underwent superintendent evaluation training with three other school corporations. New requirements were discussed with the new evaluation. Superintendents, teachers, and principals at all corporations are all now being evaluated under a new state requirement.

The school board will hold a safety meeting on Oct. 5 to allow officials to explain crisis procedures and update current policies. The state has required the school to update the procedures and coordinate them with law enforcement and the health department.

Military Display To Be Shown at Culver Library

The Military Vehicle Preservation Club and the Starke County Military Vehicle Collectors Club will showcase several historic vehicles at the Culver-Union Township Public Library.

Several vehicles will be on display, plus more than 10 large tables of military artifacts and memorabilia from the Civil War through the current conflicts. This event will be featured for one day only on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET.

The library will also have the Military Veterans Honor Tree where hand-crafted photo display cards will be provided for service member photos and remembrances.

Train Accident In Knox Saturday Caused Four-Hour Road Closures

A train accident in Knox over the weekend brought traffic to a halt, as U.S. 35 and other streets were closed for nearly four hours while the wreckage was cleared. Fortunately, no injuries were reported; the train crashed into an unmanned service truck on the rails at around 9:15 a.m.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department said a Norfolk Southern service truck was performing maintenance on the tracks Saturday morning when a train rolled through, and a miscommunication caused the train to crash into the truck. Luckily, the repairman was outside the vehicle making track repairs when the accident occurred.

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Armes to Plead Guilty to Dealing Meth, Theft

Aaron Armes

Aaron Armes of Knox appeared in the Starke Circuit Court last week for a plea hearing. An agreement was reached between Armes and the state and has been filed in court. A plea and sentencing hearing for Armes has been set for Oct. 18 at 9:30 a.m.

Armes faces two cases in the court, including one case charging him with Theft as a Class D felony, Possession of Methamphetamine as a Class D felony, and Possession of Paraphernalia as a Class A misdemeanor. His second and latest case stems from his arrest in January when he turned himself in to police. Armes was wanted by police after authorities conducted a search at a camper on 200 South in Knox and found items associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine.

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Eastern Pulaski, Culver Schools Report Enrollment Drop; NJSP Shows Increase

North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson

Eastern Pulaski and Culver Community Schools reported a drop in enrollment after this year’s Average Daily Membership, or ADM, count.

North Judson-San Pierre School Superintendent Lynn Johnson reported an increase in enrollment. The preliminary ADM report indicates that the school corporation increased by 25 students. This is a $125,000 fund increase for the school.

Johnson said this is great positive move for the school as it has had problems with funding losses for the past few years.

State Representative Dermody Accepts Farm Bureau Endorsement

State Rep. Tom Dermody accepts the Farm Bureau nomination from District One Director Larry Jernas.

State Representative Tom Dermody made an appearance in Starke County this week to accept his endorsement from Farm Bureau. Dermody accepted the endorsement at the farm of Larry Jernas, District One Director for Indiana Farm Bureau.

Jernas said the state board recently approved their recommendation, finalizing the endorsement.

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Walking/Biking to School a Healthy Choice; Oct. 3 is Walk to School Day

Wednesday, Oct. 3 is Walk to School Day.

Studies show that fewer children walk or bike than 40 years ago.

With today’s children, experts recommend that children do 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Walking or bicycling to school offers an opportunity for you to get physical activity in for the day. Exposure to nature and time for free outdoor play can have multiple health benefits including stress reduction, relief of ADHD symptoms in children and increased cognitive and motor functioning.

Participating schools are encouraged to register their events at www.walktoschool.org.

Area Football Coaching Leaders

Football Coaching Leaders: Through 9/21/12

Tim Roth-Winamac (32 years): 197-130 .602

Justin Bogunia-John Glenn (15 years): 99-64 .607

Andy Thomas-Culver (13 years): 85-57 .599

Kevin Cox-NJSP (11 years): 74-46 .617

Dan Klimczak-South Central (7 years): 63-13 .829

Darren Rodriguez (5 years): 20-27 .425

Chris McGowen-Knox (1 year): 1-5 .166

Train Accident Causes Major Headaches in Knox

A train accident in Knox has caused some community concern, but officials say the accident resulted in no injuries and they are working on getting the area cleaned up.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department told WKVI that a Norfolk Southern service truck was performing maintenance on the tracks when a train rolled through town. The conductor reportedly thought the service truck was out of his way but miscalculated, striking the service truck.

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Missing LaPorte Girl Found Safe in Florida

A missing 17-year-old LaPorte girl has been reportedly found safe and sound in Florida, having been reported missing on Wednesday.

The family of Emily Sue Snyder had been asking for the public’s help in locating their daughter who was reported missing on Wednesday. She was last seen at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday when she was presumed to be heading to classes at South Central High School, but her parents soon learned she didn’t make it to school.

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