Members of the Knox Student Council, National Honor Society and dedicated volunteers assembled food baskets, Thursday, at the Community Services of Starke County building for the less fortunate families in Knox. Students and members of the Knox Kiwanis Club will distribute food to those families in Knox.
The Knox Community School Board heard a report from the school’s appointed Library Board member, Claude Slisher, during the Board’s regular meeting Monday night.
Knox Middle School and High School bands presented their holiday concert on Wednesday, December 8th. The bleachers were filled with parents, friends, and loved ones as the 6th, 7th and 8th graders students, along with the the Knox Tomahawk Jazz Band and the High School bands, played Christmas favorites. Mr. Craige Phipps and Mr. David Elliott directed the bands. The Band Boosters held a raffle for several items including a Wii game console. Santa Claus stopped at Weinberg Gymnasium to visit with children at the end of the concert.
The boil water order for the Town of Walkerton has been lifted. The order had been in effect since Tuesday after a water main broke in town. The water main was quickly repaired, but residents were ordered to boil water before consumption.
Starke Circuit Court Judge, Kim Hall, recently sentenced two offenders to the Indiana Department of Corrections.
Shawn Centers, 35, of Knox, plead guilty to a charge of Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Class B Felony. In August, police executed a search warrant on a shed at 508 S. Shield St. where they recovered several items used to manufacture methamphetamine. Judge Hall sentenced Centers to 12 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. None of the sentence was suspended. The Judge recommended that Centers be placed into the DOC’s treatment program for methamphetamine.
The Knox School Board heard the Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, and the Public Law 221 results at its meeting Monday night. Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Peggy Shidaker, and the three building principals, Glenn Barnes, Steve Cronk and Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff, explained the results to the Board.
17th District State Representative, Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox), has received her committee assignments for the 2011 and 2012 sessions of the Indiana General Assembly. House Democratic Leader, B. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend) recommended Dembowski for the following committees: Local Government, Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development, and Natural Resources. In addition, Dembowski will be the ranking Democrat on the Roads and Transportation Committee.
With Knox First Source Insurance Representative, Bridget Markin, and Miguel Salazar, Employee Benefits Manager for First Source Insurance, in attendance the Starke County Commissioners this week, they announced that First Source’s CIGNA plan has been selected as the County Employee Health Program.
Snow plow workers on the state and local level have been working around the clock to make sure highways and local streets are cleared for safe travel.
Knox Mayor, Rick Chambers, has this request for residents when a snow event is forecast, “It would be a big help if you parked your car in one of the parking lots in the downtown area until the crews are done with street.”
In an effort to further business recruitment efforts and opportunities for capital investment in Northwest Indiana, the Northwest Indiana Forum Board of Directors voted to explicitly acknowledge that the organization’s service territory extends beyond Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke Counties to include Newton, Jasper and Pulaski Counties.
Starke County Development Foundation Director, Charles Weaver, is extending an invitation to the public to attend the ceremony, Friday, December 10th, to acknowledge the organization’s 25th Anniversary. The program begins at 12:30 p.m. CT and is being held at the Knox Community Center.
Hundreds of proud parents and grandparents are attending the school Christmas programs in our area. In Knox, elementary students from the grades have their special night to perform before an appreciative audience. The elementary music directors are Gary Kuechenberg and Lisa Guzman. Providing art work for the programs are students under the direction of Art Director, Derek Eveland.
WKVI’s “Airwaves Rollers” took 2 out of three this week during Tuesday night action at Bowlaway Lanes. With Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall subbing, Lenny Dessauer absent, and Pat Dunn in a two week slump, Tom Berg came to the rescue. Taking the “Rollers” high game patch away from Dunn with a 224 game, Berg paced the victors in game two. The WKVI Morning Man attributed his sterling performance to a wrist brace given to him by Dessauer and a pep talk from his mother Judy Collins of Indianapolis.
Influenza has not been a big scare yet in Starke or Pulaski Counties.
Starke County Health Nurse, Frank Lynch, said that flu numbers are down right now and no cases of H1N1 have been reported. Whooping cough has been a great concern around the state this season but no cases have been reported in Starke County. Lynch would like to remind Starke County residents that flu shots are available at his office, both adult and child doses. He also recommends that residents wash their hands frequently to avoid getting the flu and spreading germs. Call the Health Department at (574) 772-9137 to make an appointment to get your flu shot.
Indiana State Fire Marshal, Fred Sumpter, told WKVI Tuesday that the investigation into the cause of a house fire in Washington Township early Monday morning has been postponed. He cited weather conditions and the integrity of the structure as reasons for the postponement. The investigation will continue as soon as the weather clears.
The Pulaski County officers elected into office in the General Election will be sworn into office on Tuesday, December 21st at 4:00 p.m. ET in the Pulaski County Circuit Courtroom.
The Starke County Abate Organization will make Christmas a little brighter for many families in the county. Club President, Terry Young, says there’s going to be a party.
Approximately 250 people braved the cold Monday night to attend the only Starke County appearance by the Maxinkuckee Singers.
The 1 1/2 hour musical presentation incorporated traditional music with comical songs like Rusty Chevrolet, and others.
The Knox Kiwanis Club and the Knox School Corporation are teaming up to help families in need this holiday season.
The two organizations are collecting food and/or cash donations to help Knox families. The requests for food baskets are greater than the donations. If you have food that you can donate to these organizations, you may drop it off at the Knox High School Office today or Thursday, or call 772-1670. The students and Kiwanis members will be assembling the food baskets on Thursday and delivering them to families on Friday.
The Community Services of Starke County general membership meeting will be held on Thursday, December 16th at 8:30 a.m. CT at the facility. The public is invited to attend but only regular members will be entitled to vote on program plans and the Executive Board appointees for 2011.
