Davis Township Trustee Robin Latimer met with the Hamlet Town Board last night
to discuss details of the new firehouse, currently under construction east of the County Fairgrounds. A completion date of the end of May is expected, with focus on electrical and gas connections next week. Continue reading
The Culver Town Council held a Public Hearing for two businesses looking to have a change in zoning.
During Tuesday night’s meeting the Town, and members of the public, were able to ask questions about the changes. Earlier this year, the Culver Plan Commission recommended a zoning change to the Town Council to allow Papa’s Pizza to expand its kitchen and some of its seating.
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State officials warn of a national telephone scam targeting Hoosiers. Callers claim to represent the Indiana Department of Revenue and say there is an outstanding tax warrant in the taxpayer’s name. They claim local law enforcement is on the way to arrest the taxpayer unless the debt is paid over the telephone. The scam artist sounds convincing and professional. They often have personal information about the taxpayer and can alter the caller ID to appear more legitimate.
Department of Revenue officials stress they do not call taxpayers without first corresponding through the mail and does not threaten to use local law enforcement. Commissioner Mike Alley says taxpayers should not be afraid to hang up the telephone if they suspect they are being targeted by a scam artist. Continue reading
Ancilla College is offering a Certified Nursing Assistant course this summer. Graduates who pass the Indiana State Department of Health CNA test are state-certified to work as nurse’s aides in long-term care facilities, home health and hospice groups and assisted living facilities.
Prospective enrollees must pass a physical, drug screen and background check. The program consists of 32 hours of classroom instruction and 75 hours of clinicals. Courses will meet Monday and Wednesday nights from 6 until 10 p.m. starting June 8th. Clinicals will take place on Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Students will take the state certification exam after they complete the course requirements. Continue reading
The fate of a Knox man accused of setting his businesses on fire will soon be in the hands of a jury. The defense in James Campbell’s arson trial rested at 4:16 p.m. Tuesday after calling three witnesses. The first, a former ATF agent turned fire investigation consultant, questioned whether the fire that destroyed Campbell’s Tire Barn, Starke County Recycling and C&C Salvage on U.S. 35 south of Toto Road last March was deliberately set. Mike Vergon has operated a private fire investigation practice in Indianapolis for the past two-and-a-half years. He visited the burned out business on June 23 and Oct. 2 of last year. Vergon testified burn patterns don’t help with origin and cause determinations with damage as extensive as what he saw and said it’s his opinion the cause cannot be determined without good witness corroboration. Continue reading
Starke County government offices will close so employees can attend the dedication ceremony for the new jail. It’s scheduled Friday, May 22. Last week the county commissioners agreed to close the courthouse, annex and other county offices from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Continue reading
The Culver Town Council has a decision to make regarding public health, but decided to postpone providing direction until more council members were present.
The Town is in the process of designing a new water treatment facility. At this point in the design, engineers are requesting council input on whether the Town will use fluoride in the water treatment process.
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A new law in Indiana is considered the right step by an area state Senator.
Ed Charbonneau sponsored the “Right to Try” bill that allows terminally ill medical patients to bypass the FDA’s compassionate use application process. It was signed into law on Tuesday by Governor Mike Pence after convincing approval in the General Assembly.
A teacher turned writer will be hosting a book signing Thursday at the Starke County Public Library.
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High School students with artistic talent are encouraged to take part in the 2015 Congressional Art Competition sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives.
U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski invites students to submit artwork that could be chosen to hang in the U.S. Capitol. for a year. Entries will be judged by a panel of art professionals from the Second Congressional District. Teachers, fellow students, family members, and friends of the entrant can vote on their favorite piece when they are posted in an album on Walorski’s official Facebook page.
Republican U.S. Senator Dan Coats announced today that he would not seek re-election in 2016.
He issued the following statement:
“Today I am announcing that I will not seek re-election to the United States Senate. This was not an easy decision. While I believe I am well-positioned to run a successful campaign for another six-year term, I have concluded that the time has come to pass this demanding job to the next generation of leaders.
“Until the end of my Senate term, I pledge to my constituents that I will continue to focus all of my time and energy on the major challenges that Hoosiers sent me to Washington to address.
Video evidence introduced in the arson trial of a Knox businessman indicates he was the last person to leave the property and did so minutes before the first smoke was visible. James Campbell owns Starke County Recycling, Campbell’s Tire Barn and C&C Salvage on U.S. 35 south of Toto Road in Knox. The businesses caught fire just after 5 p.m. on March 20, 2014. Then-Chief Investigator Kenny Pfost from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department testified Campbell left the business at 4:59 p.m. and pulled into his driveway next door. He left his house at 5:02 p.m., and the first smoke was spotted on the video 40-seconds later. Video also indicates two employees left just before Campbell did. Continue reading
The City of Knox is expected to be back on track today.
Power was lost to a section of the city after a garbage truck was pulling out of a city parking lot. The truck caught a power line and snapped the pole in two, causing the outage.
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The City of Knox will once again be hosting the National Day of Prayer Breakfast.
The annual gathering at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center will bring churches, organizations, and businesses together on May 7th. The breakfast and national celebration is typically used as a day to reflect on the direction of the United States. This will be the 64th year the National Day of Prayer will be celebrated.
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Starke County IT Director Joe Short can purchase a new server for the county and update several obsolete computers. The county council recently approved his request to appropriate funds from their county adjusted gross income tax certified shares. He’s replacing an antiquated server and six Windows XP computers he says pose a security risk to the county’s network. Continue reading
It’s often a hidden issue.
That’s according to officials with the Council Against Domestic Abuse in Starke County. National Youth Violence Prevention Week is bringing awareness of violence-related issues to communities across the country.
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The Star City woman ejected from her vehicle in a crash in Pulaski County over weekend is in critical condition.
The final witnesses for the state are set to testify today in the arson trial of a Knox businessman. James Campbell is accused of setting fire to the buildings that housed his tire shop and recycling center at the corner of U.S. 35 and Toto Road last March. On Friday Chief Deputy Prosecutor Mary Ryan indicated she plans to call three additional witnesses. The witnesses for the defense will testify tomorrow, and closing arguments are anticipated on Wednesday. Campbell is charged with arson as a Class A felony and faces between 20 and 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted. Continue reading
Starke County returned to the top 10 in terms of unemployment in January.
Ron Gifford from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation said that all 92 counties went up by an average of 1.1% per county, but the state as a whole only went up 0.1%. Starke County reported an unemployment rate of 9.0 percent and was ranked seventh in the state. Pulaski County had an employment rate of 6.3 percent and ranked 52nd in the state. Marshall County reported 6.2 percent.
