Tomorrow is Election Day. Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. local time in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. In-person absentee voting wraps up today at noon at the courthouse. If you wait until tomorrow to vote, you will need to do so at your local precinct. County historian Ed Hasnerl says every vote counts, especially in local races.
“There have been many elections decided by one or two votes. We had a mayoral primary here where the winning person was elected by one vote.” Continue reading
Knox Elementary School is once again offering a three-week Kindergarten Countdown to help students who have little or no preschool experience get ready to start school in the fall. Curriculum director Peggy Shidaker says it gives youngsters an idea of what to expect.
“They experience the type of class atmosphere and learning that actually happens or will happen when they enter kindergarten. They have an opportunity to ride a school bus, which the kids absolutely love. They’ll eat breakfast with their peers, and they’ll eat lunch with them as well. Since it is actually kindergarten readiness, the students will be immersed in those literacy and math skills to help those students enter kindergarten at the same academic levels as their peers, or at least close to the same academic levels as their peers who have had some preschool.” Continue reading
The Starke County Building Corporation is expected to get an update from the committee tasked with looking into future uses of the former jail when they meet this morning. Representatives from Skillman Corporation will also discuss the scope of the old jail renovation as well as share information about how construction of the new facility is going. The building east of Knox on State Road 8 is due to open next spring. The Starke County Building Corporation meeting will take place at 8:30 a.m. at the county annex building prior to the commissioners meeting at 9.
Motorists who travel through Walkerton on State Road 23 will need to find a new route for the next several weeks. Starting tomorrow, INDOT is closing 23 between Union Road and County Road 900 North, just south of Walkerton so crews can replace a small structure in the roadway. Southbound SR 23 drivers will be detoured west on U.S. 6, south on U.S. 35 and east on U.S. 30 to get back to 23. Northbound traffic will go west on 30, north on 35, east on 6 and back to 23 to bypass the construction. INDOT can only use state roads for detours. The project should be finished in mid-June, according to INDOT officials.
Street sweeping in the city of Knox will take place for the first time this year early tomorrow morning and continue each Tuesday through September. Stopping, standing and parking are restricted on several city streets between the hours of 4 and 8 a.m. Those routes include Shield Street from Washington Street to Culver Road; Main Street from Washington Street to Culver Road; Pearl Street from Washington Street to Culver Road; Washington Street from Heaton to Shield Street; and Lake Street from Heaton to Shield Street. Vehicles in violation may be impounded, and owners may be subject to fines in accordance with Knox City Ordinance 914 Set. 9-444-9446, which can be read by clicking https://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=14045.
Spring brush pickup is scheduled this week in North Judson. Brush piles need to be placed along the edge of the alleyway by 7 a.m. on Monday, May 5. Residents who do not have an alleyway should pile their brush along the street curb. This pickup is for brush only, not for leaves. Utility crews will not be able to return once they finish picking up brush on a particular street or from an alley. Residents are welcome to haul brush, grass and leaves to the town dump site. The key is available at the town water department office during business hours, which are 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office closes for lunch from noon until 1 p.m. daily.
The 47th class of graduates from Ancilla College in Donaldson will go through commencement exercises today. It’s the last ceremony for Dr. Ron May. He’s retiring June 30th after serving as Ancilla College president for the past eight years.
“Ancilla is probably in terms of my own personal philosophy and professional philosophy about what a two year college should be, what the first two years of college should be like, is almost a perfect fit for me. I just believe in the mission of the college and the values and philosophy that drives it, and what we do there in terms of trying to change the lives of students,” May said.
He added many of the students who attend Ancilla probably would not have an opportunity to go to college otherwise. Continue reading
If your weekend plans include yard work, you may be in luck if you live within the Knox city limits.
The final spring leaf pick up of the year will take place Monday, May 5 through Friday, May 9. Residents should place leaves in the street along the curb and not in the alley. Brush and limbs will be picked up each Thursday by the Knox street department. However, debris left over from professional tree trimming or removal jobs will not be taken by the city. The tree company is responsible for disposing of them.
A farmer helped an Indiana State Police trooper make an arrest last week.
A trooper spotted an erratic driver in Kosciusko County and a chase ensued. The suspect was able to get away but the trooper later saw the suspect’s vehicle parked in a driveway at 4985 N. 920 W. in Etna Green. The officer exited his car and found the suspect running through a farm field. The trooper returned to his car and paralleled the man on 400 North as the man began to run faster through the field.
Marshall County Sheriff’s Department officials are warning residents of a local scam.
Several reports have been made to police that an agency claiming to be collecting funds for the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is calling residents for donations. The caller claims that funds are being raised to donate teddy bears to local police.
Allergy sufferers are in for a long spring as the “Polar Vortex” has turned into the “Pollen/Allergy Vortex”.
The slow start to spring has delayed the blooming of trees. With the delay, the trees will be blooming at the same time grasses are blooming which will create a dramatic rise in pollen.
The Better Business Bureau is urging consumers to beware of callers claiming to be from Microsoft.
In this latest scam, a “Microsoft caller” randomly calls consumers and explains that a computer that is in use in their possession has a virus or needs an update. The caller then gives instructions on what to do to fix the problem. Eventually, the scammer will ask for credit card information so the proper software can be purchased or the caller will “fix” the problem if you follow instructions.
Starke County Youth Club participants, volunteers, members and community leaders will take over the WKVI airwaves today to share information about and raise money for the nonprofit organization. The club provides enrichment programs for local youngsters. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says they are tied to the state’s curriculum standards. and lesson plans accompany every activity. They stress Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, STEM for short, activities in a outside-the-box type of way.
“It’s everything from science experiments like you might remember from middle school, to teaching kids, even young ones, what engineering is about. How do you engineer a bridge? What kind of materials can you use? What’s stronger, this material or that material? All of those skills help prepare the next workforce.”
Szakonyi says careers in STEM fields are the wave of the future and adds its an exciting time to be teaching youngsters about math and science concepts. Continue reading
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
All motorists and motorcyclists are reminded to share the road and to practice safe driving habits. Motor vehicle operators are urged to be aware of motorcycles especially at intersections and while making turns and lane changes. As it is difficult to accurately judge the time, speed and distance of an approaching motorcycle, make sure you check the position of an oncoming motorcycle two or three times before driving through an intersection or making a turn.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is investigating two thefts reported Tuesday evening by residents in the 16,000 block of 12th road. Dan Miller told deputies two bicycles were taken from his home. Joseph McKee said items were taken from his unlocked vehicle.
A Culver man got an unpleasant surprise Wednesday night when he returned to his home after being away for the winter. He told deputies from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department that someone broke into his pole barn in the 16,000 block of 20th Road and stole several tools and other items. He’s not sure when the crime occurred.
A Plymouth man faces felony drug charges following a traffic stop early Saturday morning. An officer from the Marshall County Police Department stopped a car driven by David Rhoades, 25, at the on Oakhill near the intersection of Nutmeg Road around 2 a.m. County Police K9 Arras indicated the presence of drugs in the vehicle, according to a news release from the sheriff’s department. Officers searched the vehicle and reportedly found a substance believed to be heroin, needles and other paraphernalia. Rhoades refused a certified drug test and was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a syringe, operating a vehicle while intoxicated controlled substance and operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person.
Starke County’s most recent Henry F. Schricker Award winner will be the commencement speaker at Ancilla College on Saturday. Community Services of Starke County Executive Director Joan Haugh was honored earlier this year for her embodiment of the two-term governor’s philosophy of service before self. Ancilla College President Dr. Ron May attended the Schricker Awards dinner and knew when he heard Haugh speak that he had found this year’s commencement speaker. He adds commencement is a special time for faculty, staff and especially students. “You celebrate the achievements of the students who have completed their degree programs and are ready to move on to what’s next in life,” May says. Saturday’s ceremony marks Ancilla’s 47th graduating class.
One Voice United in Prayer is the theme of Starke County’s National Day of Prayer observation. It will take place this morning at 7 a.m. at the community center in downtown Knox. The program will feature a concert of prayer under the direction of Rich Wallen. Eagle Creek Community Church Pastor Ed Hasnerl will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. Congress passed a joint resolution in 1952 establishing the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer. President Harry S. Truman signed it into law.
The Culver Community School Corporation will take part in the Summer Food Service Program. It’s funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and offers free meals to all children 18 and younger. The program was created to ensure children have access to nutritious meals when the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are not available. Meals are also served to persons over the age of 18 who are enrolled in a state-approved educational program for the mentally or physically disabled.Free meals will be served beginning Tuesday, June 3 and continuing through the summer. All meals must be eaten on site. All nutrition sites are closed on Friday, July 4. Click here to view locations, dates and times Culver Nutrition Sites.
West Central School Board members are getting ready for the next school year. Items on the agenda for their board meeting tonight include setting school breakfast and lunch prices, considering changes to the student handbook and discussion and possible adoption of a student accident insurance plan for 2014-2015. Board meeting and pay dates for the upcoming year will also be set, as will a budget calendar. Discussion and possible approval of classified staff contracts is also listed on the agenda. The board will also continue the discussion of insurance for the school corporation’s wind turbine when they meet this evening at 7:30 p.m. EDT in the board room at the school corporation office in downtown Francesville.
