A Denham man accused of killing his live-in girlfriend will undergo a court-ordered mental competency evaluation. Pulaski Circuit Judge Michael Shurn assigned a psychiatrist to examine Paul Katschke. He’s charged with murder in connection with the Aug. 11 death of Amber Renee Taylor, 34. Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputies and first responders found her dead at the couple’s home after receiving a 911 call about a dead, 30-something-year-old woman. Continue reading
Oregon-Davis Junior/Senior High School students hosted 38 local veterans on Tuesday for breakfast a brief program to acknowledge their service to the nation. Principal Tim Pletcher says the 9th grade bio/ag class prepared breakfast, and the 10th grade English U.S. History class researched various wars. Their group projects were compiled to create a single presentation for the veterans.
Links to the slide presentation and the entire program are posted below:
Veterans Day Presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GL3o5Jb0kU&feature=youtu.be
Veterans Day Program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8WjUUE9lF8&feature=youtu.be
A LaPorte County Jail inmate faces new charges after police there say he did not return from work release. They found Jesus Temores-Casillas, 33, of LaPorte, at a home in the 400 block of Lawrence Street there and say he refused to leave. He was arrested on a warrant for the Level 6 felony offense of escape. Temores-Casillas also faces a misdemeanor charge of invasion of privacy for violating an active protective order keeping him from being at the residence and having contact with his wife.
A pair of Bremen break-in suspects face numerous felony charges in Marshall County after leading police from multiple agencies on a high-speed chase this morning. The caretaker of a vacant residence in the 400 block of Kenilworth Road in Bremen found a man and woman sleeping in the upstairs bedroom, went outside and called the police. She tried to block their SUV to keep them from leaving until officers arrived. She told police the man pulled a gun on her before he sped off through an adjacent field. Continue reading
The Indiana State Fire Marshal has deemed the cause of the fire at Red Hots Bar in Walkerton as undetermined.
An official with the State Fire Marshal’s office told WKVI news that investigators were at the scene three different days to collect evidence and to search through the rubble, but there was too much damage to make a definite determination as to how the fire started.
Pulaski County Matron Carrie Aaron brought several transfers for the county council members to consider to help with paying the part-time officers to help with the shortage at the sheriff’s department.
At last week’s commissioner’s meeting, Aaron and Detective/Sergeant Jason Woodruff requested a one-time adjustment to the handbook policy to pay those officers with holiday pay with the exception of 24 hours for each employee, which was approved. All PTO will be paid down to 50 hours. Two officers from White County and an officer from the Logansport Police Department will be working as part-time officers. An additional officer will be hired on a part-time basis. They are being trained.
Knox officials remind residents to call 811 before beginning any digging projects. If you are planning a home improvement job, planting trees, installing a fence, deck or mailbox, it is the law that you call 811 at least two days before work begins. The depth of utility lines varies, and there may be multiple lines in common areas of your property. Continue reading
North Judson-San Pierre Middle School students put on a community Veterans Day program Tuesday afternoon in the high school auditorium.
Officials from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department went to the scene of a Monday night fire at the former Hacker Shack building located on the grounds of the Bass Lake Golf Course.
The building had been torn down and it appeared that the rubble was set on fire like a controlled burn, according to officials.
Bass Lake firefighters were called to the location on 500 South on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and they remained there for a few hours. No injuries were reported.
The Starke County Clerk’s office has not yet received any notice from candidates to request a recount in close races in last week’s General Election.
Three races were decided by a matter of votes. In the County Council District 4 race, Democrat Pamela Stalbaum won the seat by two votes over Republican Don White. Republican Mandy Thompson had three more votes than incumbent Roger Chaffins, Sr. in the Railroad Township Trustee race. The Oregon-Davis School Board District 1 race was decided by three votes. Christopher Lawrence kept his seat on the school board. Annette M. Ferch challenged Lawrence in the election.
A Knox Community High School class has the city council’s enthusiastic blessing to beautify the vacant lot at the corner of Lake and Main Streets. English Department Chair John Poindexter says 33 of his senior students are taking part in the career readiness curriculum and want to put the paperwork and planning into action.
“What we’d like to do is go in and put up either a gazebo or a pergola, one of the two, and have two picnic tables or benches for people to sit in, do some landscaping and put in a brick walkway,” Poindexter told the city council. Continue reading
The Eastern Pulaski School Corporation has been selected by Purdue University to take part I a new program. The Center for Instructional Excellence is designed to better prepare prospective college students in high school for the next level of education. Continue reading
Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer asked for the county council’s support in overturning legislation to free up money for the CEDIT fund for economic development.
Origer explained that the CDC board recently discussed how the special CAGIT tax is used and believes it could be used in a different fashion. The lease of the jail bond is currently being paid for out of the CEDIT fund at a total of $261,000 per year.
The Town of Culver is on track to build a new water treatment plant. On Tuesday the council passed an ordinance to raise water and sewer rates. Continue reading
Officers from the LaPorte City Police Department are getting more reports of counterfeit $100 bills.
A representative from Fifth/Third Bank told police that three $100 counterfeit bills were found in the night deposit box. Two of the bills came from the Family Dollar store and the other came from Advanced Auto Parts, both located in the area of State Road 2 W., according to a news release.
Law enforcement agencies across Indiana are taking part in an Operation Pull Over blitz through the end of the month. Patrol officers will be looking for drunk drivers and seatbelt violators.
Last November 490 alcohol-related crashes occurred in Indiana, resulting in 224 injuries and 13 fatalities. A total of 735 drivers were arrested statewide for driving under the influence, and 9.504 seatbelt citations were issued to drivers and passengers who were not buckled up. Continue reading
The annual Fourth of July fireworks show held during the 4-H Fair in the Winamac Town Park is in need of community support. Continue reading
