Driver Airlifted to South Bend After Wednesday Morning Wreck

 
 

The driver of a car that ran off the road, struck an embankment and rolled over east of Knox early Wednesday morning is in serious condition at Memorial Hospital of South Bend this morning.

Brandon Owens, 29, was thrown from the car as it was rolling over, according to information released by the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. The vehicle rolled on top of Owens and back off of him, landing on its top. Owens was apparently in the field for several hours before a passerby noticed the accident and called for help. Starke County EMS and first responders from the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department assisted a deputy from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.

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Mark Carrington Sentenced in Forgery Case

  Mark Carrington was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Thursday.

Carrington pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the State to charges of forgery as a Class C felony and theft as a Class D felony. Judge Kim Hall accepted the terms of that agreement and sentenced Carrington to four years in the Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended on the charge of forgery. On the theft charge, Carrington was sentenced to 24 months in the Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended.

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Starke County Humane Society Staying Put

Starke County Humane SocietyThe Starke County Humane Society is still open for business six days a week. Longtime employee Shanna Lloyd was named the director last week after Suzanne Crider resigned and says it’s business as usual.

“We’re still here for the animals that need a place to stay. We’re still going to remain a nonprofit. We are privately funded. We are not supported by any government funding, so we still need those donations coming in to help us keep the doors open and keep us running so we can take care of all the stray dogs and cats in our area and even outside our area,” Lloyd told WKVI News.

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Pulaski County Council Approves Transfer for Sheriff

 
 

Pulaski County Council members reluctantly approved a balance transfer request from Sheriff Mike Gayer to pay overtime for the county’s two new K-9 officers. Both just completed six weeks of training with the dogs . Gayer’s request to move $9,000 from the salary to the overtime line item in his budget prompted a spirited discussion about the military surplus vehicles and other supplies he’s been acquiring for the county for the past few years and the expense involved in going to get them. Under the county’s agreement with federal government, they have to keep the vehicles for at least two years before they can be sold. Gayer says two of the older trucks recently sold for $20,000 at a surplus auction. Half of the proceeds went into the county’s general fund, and the other half were put into an account established by the commissioners to maintain the fleet. Before approving Gayer’s transfer request, the council unanimously voted to require the sheriff to provide a quarterly report of military surplus items owned by the county and a list of what has been sold off. Gayer did note during the discussion that the heavy-duty trucks in particular were a tremendous asset to the county during this winter’s blizzard. He estimates they pulled at least 100 stuck motorists out of snowdrifts when commercial wrecker services couldn’t get there.

Text-to-911 Now Offered in Starke County

text-911The Starke County Dispatch Center is launching a new way to notify dispatchers of an emergency.

The dispatch center is providing you with access to 911 through the use of text messaging.

The Text-to-911 service option is only a choice if calling 911 is not an option. Calling 911 is the most efficient way to alert dispatchers of an emergency. With a text message, it may take longer to dispatch emergency services due to delayed time in typing and sending a text between you and the dispatcher. Calling 911 may be a quicker option as dispatchers can get a location and other pertinent information in a swift manner.

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Hamlet Juvenile Charged in LaPorte County

 
 

A teenage boy from Hamlet was cited for a curfew violation early Wednesday morning by LaPorte Police.

They responded just after 3 a.m. to a report of suspicious activity at vacant home in the 1600 block of Stone Lake Drive. A witness told police a black vehicle with several young people in it had just left the area, but others were still nearby. Officers searched the adjacent wooded area, according to a news release, and found a bottle of cola and a bottle of alcohol. They also reportedly saw several juveniles walking nearby and found three 17-year-old boys and a 20-year-old woman hiding behind a shed in the back yard of a home in the 1500 block of Weller Avenue.

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Three Arrested for Drug Charges in LaPorte

Brett Curry
Brett Curry
Justin Jarrett
Justin Jarrett
Jillian Townsel
Jillian Townsel

Three LaPorte County residents were arrested Monday after police from the LaPorte County Metro Operations Unit and LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department found drugs in a vehicle during a traffic stop.

At 6:14 p.m., a passenger car driven by Justin R. Jarrett of Rolling Prairie, was pulled over for a traffic violation in the 1300 block of Pine Lake Ave. The police service dog, Rambo, indicated the presence of drugs. Officers searched the vehicle and allegedly found heroin in Jarrett’s possession.

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Eastern Pulaski School Board Approves Additional Appropriation for Change to Calendar Budget

 The Eastern Pulaski School Board held a public hearing during their meeting Monday requesting an additional appropriation.

The school board approved a change from a fiscal year budget to a calendar year budget. A fiscal year budget has an operation from July 1 to June 30.  With the change to a calendar budget, the school board won’t have funds to operate from July to December as the corporation makes the transition.

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Marshall County Police Find Meth and More During Traffic Stop

Joshua Ramirez
Joshua Ramirez
Tori Drubert
Tori Drubert

Formal charges are pending against a man and a woman in Marshall County after police there reportedly found drugs in their car after an early morning traffic stop. A vehicle driven by Joshua Ramirez was pulled over around 12:30 a.m. on U.S. 31 north of U.S. 6 in Lapaz. Marshall County K-9 Arras alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, according to a news release from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department. Officers searched the vehicle and reportedly found 6 grams of white powder, several items used to make methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Officers also learned that the passenger, Tori A. Drubert, 18, had been consuming alcohol. Both Ramirez and Drubert were arrested on multiple charges, including dealing in and possession of methamphetamine and possession of precursors and drug paraphernalia.

Starke County Humane Society Board Names New Director

Starke County Humane SocietyThe Starke County Humane Society has a new director.

Shanna Lloyd took over that role on May 6 after longtime director Suzanne Crider resigned the previous day. Lloyd has been an employee of the shelter since 2009 and a volunteer since 1998. The board also reorganized last week and elected new officers. R.J. Howard is now the president. Tom O’Day is the vice-president, and Amanda Pollard is the secretary.

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Knox City Council Approves Burn Permit

Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council last night discussed a proposed burn permit to clear timber from the Industrial Park in Knox for expansion purposes.

Bob Aloi from Territorial Engineering explained the process of the air curtain that will be used at the site so smoke won’t be an issue. He said the contractor, Thomas Excavating, will dig a hole that will not exceed ten feet wide and an apparatus will be used to help circulate the air so the particles and smoke will not be seen so permeate into the air.

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Eastern Pulaski School Board Approves Secondary Contract with The Crossing

The CrossingThe Eastern Pulaski School Board signed a secondary contract for students to participate in The Crossing alternative school in Starke County. Superintendent Dan Foster said it’s a pay-as-you-go agreement.

“As we use it, we’ll pay for those students we’re sending,” said Foster. “We don’t have to commit a certain number and that’s simply right now because we’re in between locations. If they get the one going there in Starke County, and there’s one in White County, but there’s not one right here yet. It’s hard for us to commit because we may have a student that lives in the southern part of our district that could be 45 minutes to an hour to get up to Starke County. As things progress, that could certainly change.”

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Medaryville Council to Consider Bond Resolutions, Grant Application

Medaryville Town HallThe Medaryville Town Council will meet in special session tonight to pass and sign resolutions for their wastewater system improvement project. They are looking to build a biodome structure into their current lagoons to meet Indiana Department of Environmental Management standards. Town Council President Derrick Stalbaum tells WKVI news the project will cost around $800,000. The town is applying for a $450,000 grant and hopes to fund the remaining $400,000 by selling bonds. Tonight’s agenda also includes a vote to submit that grant application to the Indiana Office of Rural and Community Affairs. Continue reading

Winamac Council Approves Police Car Purchase

 
 

The Winamac Police Department plans to add another Dodge Charger to its fleet.

Chief Mike Buchanan told the town council the car will replace a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. He adds the Charger offers the best value for the money. He has $25,000 in his budget to purchase a new car. The Winamac Police Department qualifies for the state’s negotiated law enforcement fleet price but will still be able to take delivery of the car through Braun Chrysler in Winamac.

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Veterans Invited to Free Luncheon, Informational Program

 Veterans of all ages are invited to a free luncheon and informational session Friday, May 16 at Winamac VFW Post 1728 from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. EDT.

Northwest Community Action Agency, North Central Community Action and Pulaski County Human Services, Inc. are sponsoring the program. Information about assistance programs, transportation, employment, older American, veterans and nutrition services will be shared. The VFW Ladies Auxiliary is preparing lunch.

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TriAncilla Rescheduled Due to Weather

  
 

This weekend’s Sixth Annual TriAncilla race has been rescheduled due to weather concerns.

Saturday morning temperatures are supposed to be in the high 30s, and the water in Gilbert Lake is still a cool 62 degrees. The USAT Certified Sprint Distance Triathalon will take place on Saturday, Sept. 27 instead. It includes a 500 Yard Swim, 11.0 Mile Bike Ride, and 3.1 Mile Run through the grounds of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Ministry Center.

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Teenage Driver Injured in Single Vehicle Crash

 

 
 

A 16-year-old from Plymouth was treated at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Marshall County after he rolled his sport-utility vehicle Monday morning. Michael Slitter was northbound on Pine Road north of 5th Road and lost control of his 2003 Chevrolet Blazer, according to a news release from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department. The SUV landed on its top. Slitter told the officer he swerved to avoid hitting a deer.