A Colonoscopy Could Save You from Colon Cancer

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Staff members from IU Health Starke Hospital visited the WKVI studios on Friday morning and one topic that General Surgeon Dr. Mangalore J. Subbarao discussed was the importance of the colonoscopy.

Dr. Subbarao said you can prevent colon cancer by getting this procedure.

“Colonoscopies are very important to prevent the cancer of the colon,” said Dr. Subbarao. “Colon cancer develops with the little growth called a polyp. If you remove the polyp, you have no colon cancer. If you don’t remove the polyp, it grows into a big cancer and it spreads. Then only do you have some symptoms.”

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Preschool Fair Scheduled for April 29

Posted on Author WKVI

A Preschool Fair is set for Tuesday, April 29 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CT at the Community Center in Knox.

Sarah Origer, Director of Development at the Starke County Community Foundation encourages all residents to attend for this information session.

“We hope that all Starke County preschools will be present,” said Origer. “It will also be an opportunity for parents and grandparents and children to come out and learn about a lot of the other enriching opportunities that exist in Starke County. Libraries will be present, Community Services of Starke County will also be there along with Healthlinc. Your child’s health is also incredibly important. It’ll just be a great opportunity.”

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Gas Prices Should Start to Lower Soon

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Gas prices spiked this week but according to Don Good from the Good Oil Company, we should be seeing lower prices for a gallon of gasoline soon.

Good said the recent spike has to do with the continuation of the fuel turnaround.

“Every time this time of the year rolls around they deplete the tanks to meet the new standards and that always creates – I’ll call it a ‘pricey opportunity’ for the speculators to buy product and then sell it at an increased cost so we always have some upward pressure this time when they go into turnaround, commented Good.”

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Buyer Beware When Hiring a Lawn Care Service

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

With warmer temperatures finally entering the area and the itch to get your yard looking good for the season, you’ll want to be careful when hiring a contractor to take care of your lawn and garden.

The Better Business Bureau recommends that you make sure to shop around and get written estimates from three different companies before you settle on one price. The cheapest price isn’t always the best deal. Request a lawn inspection and get a free estimate.

It is also wise to obtain a written agreement once you’ve decided to move forward with a contractor. Document the duration and expected results of the lawn care service. Ask if the service is automatically renewed annually. If you choose a long-term contract, be sure to obtain information about cancellation rights.

Take time to understand the pricing, frequency of services and any guarantees. If the lawn contractor is not producing expected results, know what kind of recourse you can take.

Starke County Highway Department Prepares for Bridge Replacement

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Highway Superintendent Stephen "Rik" Ritzler
Starke County Highway Superintendent Stephen “Rik” Ritzler

The cost of plowing snow during the worst winter in nearly 40 years forced the Starke County Highway Department to dramatically scale back its road maintenance budget. However, Superintendent Rik Ritzler says they’re still moving forward with scheduled bridge replacements.

“The bridge replacement plan was not affected by winter operations,” Ritzler told the commissioners during their most recent meeting. “We have enough money in the CEDIT account both presently and budgeted if that’s not touched. If that’s touched, it will be jeopardized.”

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DOE Releases Graduation Rate Data

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Indiana Department of Education released graduation rate data Wednesday for the 2012-2013 school year.

The graduation rate is up from 2012. The average rate for all schools was 88.6% and most of the local schools are above that rate.

John Glenn Schools had the highest graduation rate of the local schools at 96.6% and Culver Community Schools had the lowest graduation rate at 77%.

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Adult Learning Center Registration Dates Announced

Posted on Author WKVI

Center of Workforce InnovationsArea adults who want to take their high school equivalency test or brush up on some other skills can register now for classes in Starke County offered through the Center of Workforce Innovations Adult Learning Centers. Courses prepare individuals for the new Indiana High School Equivalency test, which replaces the GED. Courses in basic reading, math and language are also available. Some sites offer English as a Second Language instruction as well.

Classes in North Judson meet at the North Judson Wayne Township Public Library on Keller Avenue. Registration for that site is Monday, April 21 at 10 a.m. Call 574-896-2841 for more information. Registration for classes in Knox takes place each Monday and Wednesday except Monday, April 21 at the Starke County WorkOne office on North Shield Street. Call 574-249-8720 for more information.

Community Can Help Reduce Child Abuse

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The month of April is an opportunity for the community to come together and help children who have been victims of abuse.

There are 49 children in Starke County that are being served by the Department of Child Services who have been in abusive or unhealthy situations.

Child Abuse Awareness Month is a time when all individuals and organizations can play a role in making the community a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, it can promote children’s social and emotional well-being and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.

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INDOT’s Trash Bash Underway

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
 
 

With the spring season finally upon us, cleaning of our highways and byways will be getting underway.

INDOT’s annual Trash Bash will be running throughout this month and coincides with National Earth Day to aid in raising awareness of litter. Over 20,000 bags of trash were collected by INDOT maintenance crews, Indiana Department of Correction offender crews, and Adopt-A-Highway volunteers last year.

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Indiana School Superintendent Names Indiana Four Star Schools

Posted on Author WKVI

Indiana’s Four Star schools for the 2012-2013 school year were announced Tuesday.

Among the 331 schools named, four local schools achieved the status. Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz announced that John Glenn High School, Kingsbury Elementary School in LaPorte, Webster Elementary School in Plymouth and Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation in LaCrosse reached Four Star School status.

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IU Health Executive Outlines Physician Recruitment Plan

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

IU Health is aggressively recruiting primary care physicians in order to keep up with demand in Starke County. Vice President for Strategy Brian Donnelly says there are nine currently practicing here.

“By 2017, four of those nine physicians will have reached age 72. I personally am not aware of any retirements pending. I don’t know that we’ve gotten a firm date from any of these folks. That’s not up to me to decide how long doctors practice, but at least in terms of looking at reality four of the nine physicians will be late in their careers when we get to 2017. This to us looks like a shortage,” Donnelly told the Starke County Commissioners.

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Three Killed in Jasper County Crash

Posted on Author WKVI
Photo courtesy of the Indiana State Police
Photo courtesy of the Indiana State Police

Three Rensselaer residents were killed in a semi vs. car accident Monday night on I-65 south near the 227 mile marker.

A semi driver hauling 28,000 pounds of apples from Washington was slowed in the right lane to avoid backed up traffic for a previous crash. An SUV driven by Dr. Mallik Chaganti of Rennselaer failed to slow for traffic and rear ended the semi trailer.

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Taxes are Due Today, Don’t Miss the Deadline

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Today is the deadline to either file your federal and state income taxes or electronically file an extension request in order to avoid hefty penalties and interest from the IRS and Indiana Department of Revenue. If you’ve waited until the last minute and won’t be able to get your return done, H&R Block senior tax advisor Michelle Bachtel says you have an option if you act quickly. “File the extension, because the extension alone is going to save you money. Even if you can’t afford to give them a penny, just file the extension,” Bachtel says. That extension will need to be filed electronically. It will give you six months to complete your return without late filing penalties, but Bachtel says any taxes you may owe still need to be paid today if possible in order to avoid failure to pay penalties and interest. Continue reading →

Jail Water Line Delay Potentially Costs County $29,000

Posted on Author WKVI
This building on SR 8 at CR 550 E will soon house the new Starke County Sheriff's Office and Detention Center.
This building on SR 8 at CR 550 E will soon house the new Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center.

The Starke County Building Corporation may have been able to save $29,000 had the water line extension from Henry Drive east to the new Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center been finished by its April 1 deadline.

The existing water lines to the building on State Road 8 at County Road 550 East are not wide enough to provide enough pressure should the building catch on fire. The county and city opted last fall to run new lines to the facility and contract the work out. The Knox City Council accepted a bid from Mark Milo Enterprises to do the work.

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April 13-19 is National Telecommunicators Week

Posted on Author WKVI

This week is National Telecommunicators Week.

When you call 911, the dispatcher is the first person you speak to in an emergency. The dispatcher helps communicate emergency services to police officers, ambulance services and fire departments.

In one second, a dispatcher may be relaying license and registration information to an officer and the next second that dispatcher may be signaling fire, EMS and police to the scene of an accident or coordinating communication for a high speed pursuit.

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Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum Offers Easter Trains This Weekend

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
HVRM Tourist Train
HVRM Tourist Train

The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson will be giving Easter Train Rides beginning on April 19th.

The excursion is a round-trip from the depot and crosses the Kankakee River and English Lake in a trip that goes over five miles. The trip also travels to a park along the tracks where passengers disembark to take part in an Easter Egg Hunt.

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Knox Man Reelected to Kankakee Valley REMC Board

Posted on Author WKVI
Ronald Singleton
Ronald Singleton

A Knox man will continue to serve parts of Starke and Marshall County as a member of the Kanakee Valley REMC Board of Directors.

Ronald Singleton was reelected to the District 4 seat for another three-year term during the cooperative’s annual membership meeting Tuesday night. He’s served on the board since 1987. During his tenure he has held numerous leadership roles, including secretary-treasurer from 1988-2003 and 2008 to 2010. Singleton received his Credentialed Cooperative Leadership Certificate in 1991 and Board Leadership Certificate in 1996.

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Watch Out for Meth Trash Along Roadways

Posted on Author WKVI
Plastic bottles, with or without tubes, that contain granular material were used to make meth.
Plastic bottles, with or without tubes, that contain granular material were used to make meth.

Now that spring is finally here, many people are taking walks, jogging and riding bicycles on local roadways. In doing so, they may inadvertently come across the toxic remnants of a methamphetamine lab. The byproducts of meth production are also flammable, corrosive and acidic and could cause an explosion or burns if they come into direct contact with the skin. Officers with the Indiana State Police Meth Suppression Section say people who cook the drug are using a variety of containers. One that’s become popular is the 1.5 gallon gas can. If you find one that looks new along the roadside, there’s a good chance it’s a working meth lab.

Plastic pop bottles and glass or plastic jars are also used to make meth. An empty container with granular material and possibly a tube coming out of the top is extremely hazardous. Battery casings, zipper sandwich bags and empty cold medication blister packs are also signs of recent meth production. Continue reading →

Asphalt Plants to Open Later This Spring, Pothole Patching Continues

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

As temperatures continue to improve and we move further into the spring season, construction projects are beginning and pothole patching continues. The asphalt plants will soon open to create product.

Asphalt plants will be opening a little later this season due to the unusually difficult winter. INDOT representatives have been told that the cold and poor traveling conditions have delayed prep work for the summer paving season. The prep work is necessary before the plants can open.

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