The Starke County Youth Club’s after school and summer programs are helping to prepare youngsters in all grade levels for life after graduation. Program Director Melissa Smith-Watkins oversees all six sites. Ultimately she says they want to help Starke County thrive by teaching skills like collaboration, problem solving and goal setting to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Continue reading
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State Health Officials Raise Awareness of Hepatitis Risk, Encourage Prevention
May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, and state health officials are encouraging Hoosiers to get tested for the disease and learn how to prevent it. They say more than 7,000 cases of viral hepatitis were reported in Indiana in 2015. Additionally the number of reported acute Hepatitis C cases has risen by 400 percent since 2010. Continue reading
Starke County Highway Superintendent Hones Truck Route Ordinance
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler wants to hear from local farmers and over-the-road truck drivers before presenting the final truck route ordinance to the county commissioners for approval.
During a public hearing Monday evening, he stressed farm vehicles will be exempt as long as they have a farm plate issued by the BMV. Continue reading
Starke County Youth Club Programs Reinforce Curriculum
After-school programs offered by the Starke County Youth Club at six sites across the county are designed with curriculum in mind. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says they serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade at Knox, North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis. She notes the homework centers are mapped out by grade level. Students receive very specific help with their homework assignments. Continue reading
Knox Residents Reminded of Upcoming Yard Sales
Knox residents still have time to get on the map for next weekend’s city wide yard sales. They will run from Thursday, May 11th through Saturday, May 13th. Continue reading
Starke County May Be Able to Accelerate Bridge Replacements
The number of structurally deficient bridges in Starke County could drop sooner than anticipated thanks to the road funding bill passed by the Indiana General Assembly. It includes money for Community Crossings projects and a three-to-one state match for counties with populations under 50,000. Continue reading
Bowlaway Lanes Closing After Customer Appreciation Day
A longtime Knox attraction is closing. Bowlaway Lanes will be open on Saturday, May 20th for a customer appreciation day from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., according to a posting on their Facebook page.
All bowlers are asked to remove personal items from their lockers at that time. Continue reading
Starke County Youth Club Prepares for Annual Radiothon
The Starke County Youth Club needs the public’s help to continue fulfilling their mission. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says they meet a critical need in the community.
“The Starke County Youth Club is a youth development agency supporting children and families with after school, summer and recreational programs. We do that all across the county for kids in K through 12. We’re the only after-school provider in our county, and so we’re meeting some really critical needs.” Continue reading
Proposed Starke County Truck Route Ordinance Set for Second Reading Tonight
The Starke County Commissioners will consider a proposed truck route ordinance on second reading when they meet this evening.
Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler has been working with a committee comprised of county officials, farmers, Sheriff Bill Dulin and Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver on the policy.
The eventual goal is to have several local hot-mix asphalt roads to accommodate heavy truck traffic in addition to the highways that crisscross Starke County. Ritzler says eventually all locations in the county will be within a mile of such a road. Continue reading
North Judson Council Addresses Potential Cell Tower Law
The North Judson Town Council on Saturday hurriedly passed a resolution to prohibit small cell phone towers from cropping up within their rights of way. It establishes an underground and buried utility district to restrict the addition of any sort of new pole insidethe town limits without council permission. A petition must be brought before the town council, and a public hearing is required. Continue reading
North Judson Town Marshal Appeals Termination
North Judson’s recently terminated town marshal has filed a formal appeal of his firing. The town council fired John Ramos during a special-called meeting on Friday, April 21. He had until 5 p.m. the following Friday to appeal. Town council members did not publicly announce a reason for Raoms’ dismissal. Continue reading
Knox Street Superintendent Completes Training to Rate Roads
The City of Knox will be better able to control its asset management plan for streets thanks to a recent online training course. Continue reading
Proposed Federal Budget Slashes Funds for The Starke County Youth Club
Officials with the Starke County Youth Club are preparing for Friday’s annual WKVI Radiothon amid overall funding uncertainty for the organization. The nonprofit youth development agency supports students and families with after school and summer enrichment programs at six local sites. Continue reading
Farm Bureau Survey Finds Drop in Grocery Prices
Grocery prices have dropped significantly over the past year, according to an Indiana Farm Bureau survey.
In Indiana prices are down 14 percent over last year. Nationwide the American Farm Bureau Federation survey finds a decrease of about 6 percent. Continue reading
Knox Water Department to Add Hydrants, Begin Brown Circle Water Line Switchover
The City of Knox will soon have a couple of new fire hydrants. Water Superintendent Todd Gardner met recently with Knox-Center Township Fire Chief Kenny Pfost to discuss the placement of hydrants on Prettyman Street. Continue reading
Judge Lowers Bond for Augusta Hadden, Imposes Conditions on Potential Release
The woman charged in connection with last month’s murder of a Knox man may soon be out of jail on bond, but she will still be subject to strict restrictions. Augusta Hadden, 39, is charged with the level 5 felony offense of assisting a criminal. Court documents indicate she threw a cell phone out of a truck driven by murder suspect Edward Blackburn after he fatally shot Cord Colgrove at a rural North Judson residence on March 3rd. Continue reading
Knox Board of Works Grants Conditional Approval to Property Renovations
The owner of a house in downtown Knox that was slated for demolition last June has the green light to proceed with renovations as long as the foundation is structurally sound. Continue reading
N.J.-S.P. Approves Teacher Retirements
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board last week accepted three teacher retirements and one resignation. Continue reading
Investigation Into Police-Involved Shooting Concludes Without Charges Filed
Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel P. Murphy has completed his review of the circumstances surrounding last month’s fatal police-involved shooting on U.S. 421 south of Francesville. Continue reading
Murder Defendants Appear in Starke Circuit Court
A pair of men charged in separate Starke County murders appeared in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday for status hearings. Continue reading
