Cook County Court records indicate that William Blankenship III was arrested on Aug. 23 on two counts of Residential Burglary, Theft of a Coin Operated Machine and Possession of a Controlled Substance. He is in the Cook County Jail on $100,000 bond.
He allegedly entered into two different homes in Lyons, Ill. which happens to be the town in which he lists as his current address.
LaPorte police responded to the area of Rose Street and McCollum Street where police found that William Conner, 40, had crashed and kept traveling down the roadway.
On Friday, Sept. 20, officers at the Plymouth Police Department received a call regarding suspected counterfeit checks being used to make purchases at Murphy USA.
After three personal checks were examined, Plymouth police detectives determined that the checks were counterfeit.
Bret Smiley, construction manager with United Consulting, told WKVI that concrete has been poured this week. The rail wall, the bridge deck and approaches have been poured. He said he did testing and it was the smoothest concrete pour that he’s been privy to.
The Knox Board of Public Works addressed a permit question that came up in an expansion project at the government building at 1406 S. Heaton St. in Knox.
Donald Carlson is expanding the government building across the street from McDonald’s and was wondering if a storm sewer permit was needed. Since it’s an existing building and the addition is not going to require more than an acre of space, a new permit is not needed. The water already runs off the property and does not affect any surrounding properties.
The planning commission recently approved the project and as long as the current storm water flow is in compliance with the ordinance, a permit should not be needed.
“It was quite a long process, but both sides have always had a wonderful working relationship with our teacher’s association and even though the process was long, it was very successful and I think both sides are very happy with the master agreement,” Johnson said.
Director of Development Sarah Origer said it’s not too late to receive a preschool scholarship and encourages parents who need to send their child to preschool but are concerned about the cost to contact their local preschool for information on enrolling in the program. Participating preschools include Foundations Child Care, Little Lambs Preschool, Adventure Island Preschool, Oregon-Davis Preschool, Knox Elementary Preschools, and St. Peter Lutheran Preschool. Scholarships are available to 4-year-olds whose families show financial need.
A recent Ball State University study has found that the average standard of living for Hoosiers is equivalent to that of 1996, according to a press release from State Representative Tom Dermody. In the release, he emphasized that “now, more than ever, we must incentivize students to obtain college degrees and help make them affordable so that students leaving college experience less debt and can enter the workforce more quickly.”
“Education,” Dermody said, “is the most important investment that a young adult can make.” He went on to say that as the chair of the Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee, he has worked alongside the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to protect that investment while working to not only lower the cost of a degree, but also to limit the amount of student loan debt, increase graduation rates, achieve more degrees for tax dollars spent and help students enter the workforce quickly, earning a self-sustaining income.
In an effort to achieve those goals, Dermody said he authored House Enrolled Act 1348 this year, a law that makes various changes to the Frank O’Bannon Grant and 21st Century Scholars Program. This, he said, will encourage students to maintain a four year graduation pace, because staying on track decreases the debt burden students experience after college.
For more information on Dermody’s efforts, click here.
Chad Stewart, deer research biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, explained that the deer breeding season is approaching which increases migration.
Since this week’s report of unsolicited salespeople once again visiting homes in Starke County, there has been some confusion as to who is and is not allowed to go door-to-door trying to peddle merchandise. According to officials at the Starke County Auditor’s Office, the county’s peddler’s permits are valid for six months and only two issued permits are currently valid. However, that does not mean the person visiting your home is breaking the law; there are several exemptions allowed in the ordinance.
The ordinance allows anyone who grows what they sell – such as flowers, fruits or vegetables – to try to sell their items without a permit, as well as anyone who crafts the item by hand, auctioneers that are licensed, residents of the county that offer the items for sale for no more than four days, anyone who is exempt from the Indiana gross retail tax, activities sponsored by organizations, trade shows or conventions, and anyone who holds a registered retail merchant certificate. Continue reading
A Hamlet man was arrested early Sunday in an alleged attempted sexual assault incident in LaPorte.
The victim told police that a knock on her door woke her up. She answered the door and saw William T. McGrath, 48, of Hamlet standing there. She told police that she recently met him. McGrath allegedly asked the victim if he would stay at her home as he was too intoxicated to drive home. She allowed him to stay.
While the harvest season isn’t in full swing yet, it’s just around the corner. Be prepared to see farm implements on the highways and county roads.
When you see a piece of farm equipment on the road, slow down. Watch for hand signals as the tractor operator may be pulling over to make a rather wide turn and may not be indicating to you that you may pass.
Bad news for those with allergies: experts say this fall will have the same allergen intensity as spring of this year, when pollen dusted vehicles and sniffling noses ran amok. Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch said the spring allergy season was horrible, and fall is shaping up to be just as bad.
Lynch said he doesn’t have any special tips or tricks for those who suffer from allergies, other than the typical advice; that is, avoid allergens and medicate symptoms.
The Knox City Council this week adopted the resolution for the 2014 budget, having held the public hearing at the end of last month. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained to the board that the city expects to see an increase in the overall budget of just under 3 percent; however, he said the city will likely have to make some cuts in order to capture the maximum amount of taxes the city has coming to it, but overall, the budget is in pretty good shape.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers opened seven bids for the proposed Starke County Jail water project. The members of the the Board of Public Works heard all of the bids as they were presented Wednesday morning.
Several representatives from a number of the bidding companies were present when the bids were presented as well as Starke County Auditor Kay Chaffins and Starke County Commission President Kathy Norem.
Grief counselors will be at LaPorte High School today to help students and teachers cope with the death of a 17-year-old football player who died after suffering cardiac arrest during yesterday’s football practice. Jake West collapsed on the track area at the field, according to WNDU-TV. First responders shocked him several times with a defibrillator before rushing him to IU Health LaPorte Hospital. An autopsy is scheduled this afternoon. West was a junior at LaPorte and played middle linebacker for the Slicers.
Plants are pretty and trees are terrific until they start to take over your property and choke out any other flora and fauna. The Northwest Indiana Cooperative Weed Management Area and Prairie Trails Club are teaming up for an invasive species field day to teach you how to identify and eradicate invasive plant species. Committee member Linda Byer says a hands-on workshop is planned Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. until noon CT on the North Judson Erie Trail.
