Week in Review for December 12th-14th, 2011

Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:

Yellow River

The Starke County Surveyor’s office recently received a $190,000 grant to help remove trees and logs from the Yellow River. Surveyor Dennis Estok said that he doesn’t believe that trees and logs have never been cleared from the river.

Starke County Library Director Sheila Urwiler said that e-books may be available in the county libraries in February or May. She doesn’t believe the e-books will completely replace printed books for about 15 or 20 years. 

Kankakee Valley REMC workers help prepare the tree for the Statehouse.

Two trees have been cut and transported from Hensler’s Nursery in Hamlet to the Indiana Statehouse. A Concolor Fir will be displayed in the Indiana Statehouse Rotunda and a Fraser Fir will be placed in the Lt. Governor’s office.

Crystal J. Starr, 39, of Winamac, died as a result of injuries she sustained in an early morning car accident in Winamac on Friday, December 9th.

Brent Hughes
Dustin Hughes

Brent Hughes and Dustin Hughes were arrested on drug charges on Monday, December 5th after police reportedly found controlled substances and marijuana in their vehicle.

Starke County Surveyor Dennis Estok says he’s working with the DNR and INDOT to try and fill a deep hole and remove rocks from the Yellow River by the U.S. 35 bridge in Knox.

The Knox Community School Board approved a bid from Advanced Communications out of Michigan City to replace the intercom system in the high school and the sound system in the high school gymnasium.

Brett Kersey

Brett Kersey was sentenced to 20 years with five years suspended after he plead guilty Tuesday in Starke Circuit Court to a charge of Child Molestation as a Class A Felony.

Stanford Baker was arrested Monday on a warrant for Child Solicitation. He allegedly gave his young female neighbor a letter that contained sexual content in October.

Kenneth K. Wallace was in Starke Circuit Court on Tuesday where his attorney, David Matsey, filed a motion to dismiss the case because it sat in limbo while a special prosecutor was found for the case. He also said that a crime was not committed. The motion was denied.

Some of the paving done on the streets of Winamac will need to be redone in the spring. The paving job was done too quickly and the paving was not as level as it should be.

The Knox-Center Township extinguished a fire that erupted from a vehicle’s engine compartment in the Five Star parking lot Wednesday night. No injuries were reported and no foul play is suspected.

The owner of the Golf Cart Company in Knox has sold the building that housed his business on Heaton Street. Ed Arnold is now trying to clear up a zoning issue at a warehouse he owns so he can continue operations in Knox.

Starke County Jail

Several area legislators will be backing a bill in the legislature in the next session that could help the Starke County Jail Committee obtain funding for a new jail or jail structure rehabilitation. An income tax or property tax option will be discussed.

The Starke County Commissioners are looking for resident applications to serve on various county boards. A letter of intent must be received by the Starke County Auditor by December 27th.

Senator Jim Arnold

State Senator Jim Arnold told the Knox City Council this week that right to work will be the hot topic in the state legislature in 2012, especially since it is being backed by Governor Mitch Daniels.

Glenn Sewell and his two children were injured in an accident on County 550 North and U.S. 421 in Pulaski County. Police believe that alcohol could have been a factor in the accident.

The storm water project has begun in the City of Knox. The $1 million project includes construction of 4,700 linear feet of storm line installations along with manholes, inlets and other related construction.

And that is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week.