Starke County Veterans Service Officer Provides Range of Services

Posted on Author WKVI

Veterans who are having issues with Medicare, Social Security, VA or other types of federal programs can enlist help from Starke County Veterans Service Officer Terry Turner.

“If they come talk to me, I can help them fix that. It’s been several times where they’ve had hospital bills that run up to about $6,000, and I’ve been able to get them hardships,” Turner said. “I got one call that the bill was $700 and they cut it to $20. If you’ve got problems with the hospital or doctors as far as money, give me a call. I might be able to help you.” Continue reading →

Starke County Highway Department Restocks Salt, Regroups

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Highway Department has a fresh supply of salt for the next winter weather event. Superintendent Rik Ritzler says 400 additional tons of have been added to the pile. So far this season 447 tons have been used. Last year the county had already gone through more than 1,200 tons of salt by mid-January. The garage foreman has also replenished the sand/salt mixture in anticipation of the next snow. Continue reading →

Knox City Council Member Not Seeking Re-election

Posted on Author WKVI
Linda Berndt
Linda Berndt

Knox City Councilwoman Linda Berndt announced to her fellow council members Tuesday night that she will not seek another term on the Knox City Council in this year’s Municipal Election.

This is her 20th year in serving as a councilwoman on the Knox City Council. She stated that it was a difficult decision to make, but this would give another citizen the chance to be a part of Knox government. She made it a point to encourage the council to work together for the rest of this year and in the future in preserving the resources that Knox has. Those resources include water, sanitation, police coverage, and fire protection. Work on economic growth and the retention of businesses and industries will also continue throughout the year.

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Linderman Arrested on Warrant after 2011 Incident

Posted on Author WKVI
Glenn Linderman
Glenn Linderman

Plymouth City police officers have arrested a suspect after investigating additional information received from a case in 2011.

The additional information was received on Nov. 4, 2014 regarding a house fire at 707 Pearl Street in Plymouth on March 3, 2011. According to a previous report, an explosion occurred at the residence where a victim was severely burned and another injured. A meth lab was discovered at the residence.

Detectives followed up on the additional information received and requested the reports be reviewed by the Marshall County Prosecutor.

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New Deputies Hired at Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Justice Center
Pulaski County Justice Center

The Pulaski County Council reorganized for the year where Jay Sullivan was retained as president of the fiscal body while Roger Querry was appointed as vice president. The council also welcomed newly elected member Linda Powers.

Sheriff Jeff Richwine told the council that three new deputies have been hired and he requested $6,000 to be transferred so a part-time officer can cover their absence while they’re at the academy. Two officers will be sent to the academy in March and one officer will go after the first two come back. When the officers complete their training, the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department should be fully staffed with eight deputies. The transfer was unanimously approved.

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SCCF Lilly Endowment Scholarship Application Available Online

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Applications for the Starke County Community Foundation’s Lilly Endowment Scholarship are due next week. The application is available online at www.ncif.org and must be turned in by Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2015.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program offers a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to one local high school senior who will start college in the fall of 2015. The recipient must intend to be a full-time student and pursue a baccalaureate degree at any accredited public or private Indiana college or university. Prospective applicants must currently live in Starke County and be high school seniors graduating by the end of June 2015 with a diploma from an accredited Indiana high school. Continue reading →

Hamlet Town Board Reorganizes, Sells Vacant Lots

Posted on Author WKVI

Hamlet Town HallDavid Kesvormas was re-elected president of the Hamlet Town Board, when it met Wednesday night. The other members of the board are Brian Earnest and Frank Lonigro.

The board accepted a bid of $12,000 for two vacant lots on West Davis Street, east of Rannells Funeral Home from Kris Rannells of the mortuary. In the offer, Rannells said he plans to develop the properties into a gravel parking lot with ADA compliant sidewalks. Continue reading →

Wait A Minute. Do I even need to file a tax return?

Posted on Author Steven Maloney

Tax Tips are provided to you by H&R Block, for questions schedule an appointment with Michelle Bachtel at your local Knox H&R Block or call at 574-772-2316

Regular EmploymentDoINeedtoFile-Cartoon

Here’s where it is simple. If you have regular employment – meaning you work for another person or corporation and receive a W-2 – and no one else can claim you on a federal tax return, you can use this chart to determine whether you need to file a return. Here’s how: Continue reading →

Agriculture Property Taxes Come Under Scrutiny

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Property tax bills are planned to go up for area farmers, but efforts are in the works to temporarily halt the increase once again.

According to Starke County Assessor Rhonda Milner, the Department of Local Government Finance uses a formula each year to determine the agricultural base rate. This is combined with other factors, including the soil productivity factor to determine the taxable value.
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Knox City Council Tables Second Reading of Dumpster Ordinance

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

Knox City Attorney David Matsey will narrow the focus of the proposed dumpster ordinance before the city council approves the second reading.

The city council members last night reviewed the plan commission’s recommendations for the proposed ordinance. The commission members had issues with the definition of a dumpster and how the document would apply to the business sector of the city. They also felt that the time limits in the ordinance conflict with one another.

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