Repeater Relocation on Hold in Pulaski County

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Pulaski County EMA Director Larry Hoover gave the commissioners an update on the relocation of the county’s repeater.

A repeater is a device that receives radio signals and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power so that the signal can cover longer distances. The repeater is located where the old county highway department building was on the west wide of Winamac on 60 S. That building has since been demolished but the repeater remains there. It was proposed that the repeater be moved to the Pulaski County Justice center to be more centrally located, but as Hoover pointed out to the commissioners the task is a little complicated, lengthy and expensive.

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Home Permits Increase in Marshall County

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Marshall County Commissioners received a positive report from Building Inspector Chuck DeWitt where inspections and permit applications are up.

“We had 105 inspections during April and that is actually more than what he had in the first three months. In May, we did 141. All of the contractors seem to be busy out there and doing well. If you look at the permit values, we were at $1.6 million during April and we are at $3.1 million or $3.2 million for May,” said DeWitt.

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Celebrate Smart This Graduation Season

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Graduation season is in full swing, with more ceremonies tonight and parties throughout the coming weeks to celebrate the class of 2014. Oregon-Davis High School Principal Tim Pletcher is finishing his first year at the school. He recently shared a personal experience with members of the student body about a former student he taught and coached at South Bend Washington High School who was killed by a drunk driver.

“You guys make decisions, you go out, you have a good time, you have fun, and I always tell you the only thing you can control is yourself, your decisions,” Pletcher said. “Well, here’s a kid who was making decent decisions. He was hanging out with his friends. They were enjoying a moment. He was on his way home, but because somebody else made a decision it affected him, and affected his family, his friends, a community and a school.” Continue reading →

Summer Maintenance Scheduled at Knox Schools

Posted on Author WKVI

06-06-14 Summer Renovations for Knox Schools picSince students are finished with classes, summer is the perfect time for renovations at the schools. Particular projects on the agenda for Knox Community Schools are the track repairs and the air conditioners at the middle school. Next week, weather permitting, the Knox High School track will be resurfaced and repainted. During the Monday evening Knox Community School Board meeting the the renewal of the Trane five-year service agreement was unanimously approved. Three air conditioning companies had bids submitted but Trane was the only company that allowed payments to be made over time instead of all at once. The agreement starts June 15. The middle school air conditioners will be shut down for a week in July in order for the compressors for the chillers to be replaced. The board assures this will not interfere with summer school courses.

Mint Festival Pageant Scheduled This Weekend

Posted on Author WKVI

06-06-14 Mint Fest Pageant picNorth Judson-San Pierre High School will be hosting royalty this weekend. The annual Mint Festival Pageant will take place in the auditorium on Sunday, June 8 at 6 p.m. Admission for anyone over preschool age is $5. WKVI General Manager Jerry Curtis will be the master of ceremonies. Local contestants will compete in one of the following categories: Mint King & Queen, Jr. Mint King & Queen, Mint Prince and Princess and Little Miss & Little Mister Mint, depending on their age. The winners will ride in the Mint Festival Parade on Sunday, June 15.

INDOT Reopens State Road 23

Posted on Author WKVI
INDOT closed State Road 23 between Toto Road and Ober yesterday when a sinkhole developed. The Road reopened this morning.
INDOT closed State Road 23 between Toto Road and Ober yesterday when a sinkhole developed. The highway reopened this morning.

State Road 23 between Toto Road and Ober is open to traffic this morning. INDOT closed the highway yesterday afternoon after a sinkhole was discovered in the roadway. Agency officials advise repairs have been made, and the road is once again safe for travel.

Winamac Man Faces Multiple Charges After Domestic Melee

Posted on Author WKVI
Guy Harlan
Guy Harlan

A Winamac man faces multiple charges after police say he beat up his girlfriend and wreaked havoc in the emergency room at Pulaski Memorial Hospital. Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to a home in the 600 block of 300 West Monday night by neighbors. When they arrived, they found Guy Harlan, 24, covered in blood splatter standing in the yard, waving his arms and screaming at his girlfriend. According to the police report, Harlan beat and strangled her in front of their young children. She and the kids escaped and ran to the neighbor’s house. Continue reading →

Starke County EMS Finalizing Expansion Proposals

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Starke County EMS Director Paul Matthewson and Council President Dave Pearman hope to have a final recommendation for the county commissioners at their next meeting with regard to expanded paramedic service. They’re still crunching numbers to determine if the county can sustain the additional cost of adding more paramedics and ambulances in order to provide transfers from IU Health Starke Hospital to other facilities. Commissioner Kathy Norem says they need to proceed carefully and make a sound financial decision so as not to incur a huge deficit. She says while offering additional transportation services will increase revenues, overhead costs will go up as well. Money to cover those costs would come from the county’s general fund.

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Payroll Outsourcing Discussion Tabled

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter
Pulaski County Commissioners Larry Brady, Terry Young and Tracey Shorter

The Pulaski County Commissioners will hold off on a decision regarding a new method of capturing payroll information.

Auditor Shelia Garling told Commissioners Larry Brady and Terry Young that she’s done a lot of research with outsourcing the payroll. In talking with other auditors, she’s found that it could be a bigger hassle than needed.

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LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department Implements New Phone System

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff’s Office

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department has made it easier for you to gather information on inmates including charges, bonds, court dates, court locations, and release dates.

The new Automated Information System (AIS) is operational 24 hours a day for any resident to access the information. Inmates are also able to access the same information from jail telephones.

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Local Schools Awarded Money through Secured School Safety Grant Program

Posted on Author WKVI

More than $9 million was approved in grant funding for several local schools through the Secured School Safety Grant Program.

The program gives matching grants to school corporations that request funding to conduct a threat assessment, purchase equipment to restrict access to the school or expedite the notification of first responders, or employ a school resource officer.

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West Central School Board to Meet Tonight

Posted on Author WKVI
West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon
West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon

The West Central School Board will meet in regular session tonight where Superintendent Charles Mellon will attend his last regular meeting of the board as superintendent.

Mellon is retiring at the end of the month after many years in the position. High School Principal Don Street will be taking over as superintendent on July 1.

The board members will discuss annual routine items such as book rental fees for the next school year and summer school programs. A discussion on possession of firearms on school property is also on the agenda.

The board will meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on at the central office building in downtown Francesville.

North Judson Town Board Updates Contractors Ordinance

Posted on Author WKVI

North Judson Water TowerContractors or subcontractors doing business in or with the town of North Judson must obtain a permit from the town and be properly insured. That’s the gist of the contractor permit ordinance passed on final reading Monday night by the town board. The new policy does not apply to homeowners who perform their own renovations. However, anyone hired to build, remodel or renovate a structure is subject to the law. Continue reading →

Be Wary of Door-to-Door Unsolicited Sales Representatives

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

There are so many ways that people can scam you and it’s the season now where you have to be mindful of door-to-door sales representatives – or those who claim to be selling products.

If an unsolicited sales person comes to your door, ask to see their peddler’s permit. Look around for a vehicle that may have a company logo or other description of the business. Although the person may have a uniform on that suggests the person works for the company, ask for proper identification like a business card or other credential. If that person cannot produce the items you asked for, send them away.

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Knox Farmer’s Market Set to Open

Posted on Author WKVI

06-05-14 Farmer's Market pictureThis weekend is the kickoff for the Knox Farmer’s Market at Sandy Acres Park on South Heaton Street. Food and craft vendors are welcome. Individuals interested in participating can sign up for free at the mayor’s office. All food must be homegrown, and crafts have to be handmade. Participants keep all the money they make. Even if you aren’t a vendor you are still encouraged to attend the launching event this Saturday June 7. The farmer’s market will be open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. It runs from June until the end of October.

 

Road Closed in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI
SR 23 is closed at Toto Road after a sinkhole developed about a quarter of a mile north.
SR 23 is closed at Toto Road after a sinkhole developed about a quarter of a mile north.
23 Sinkhole 2
This is the view from 23 looking south toward Toto Road. INDOT officials have not indicated how long the road will be closed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A road in Starke County is closed due to damage. A large sinkhole has opened on State Road 23 a quarter-mile north of Toto Road. That’s just south of Ober. Barracades  are set up in both directions.  INDOT officials have not released a timetable of when the road would be opened. There’s also no word yet on what caused it to develop.

 

Search for Ron Wood, Jr. Suspended

Posted on Author WKVI

Crews are searching for Ron Wood, Jr.Conservation officers have suspended their search for missing Knox High School graduate Ron Wood, Jr.

Wood went into Lake Michigan Saturday night to help struggling swimmers who went into the lake and drifted away from the boat that they were in. All swimmers were rescued by nearby boaters and the United States Coast Guard but Wood was nowhere to be found.

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Fire at Bremen Factory Remains Under Investigation

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A fire that forced the evacuation of hundreds from a Bremen factory remains under investigation. Multiple departments responded to Charleston Corporation on Dogwood Road around 1:30 p.m. yesterday, according to our reporting partners at WNDU-TV. Employees say they heard a loud explosion, which was followed by flames and dark smoke. A few employees were taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. No other injuries directly related to the fire were reported. At the time of the fire, 12 people were working inside the building. The entire Charleston campus was evacuated as a precaution. Charleston’s president and CEO says the remaining five buildings will be up and operational today. Only two of the company’s 60 clients will be directly affected by the fire. Charleston Corporation makes fiberglass roofs for high-end RV motorhomes.