The circuit breaker, which caps the percentage of property taxes local governments can collect, has resulted in a significant cut to the Knox Park Board’s budget. President Ray Stevenson says the state slashed it by $12,473.18, which is a cut of 10 to 12 percent. Sevenson says the park board cannot cut money from maintenance to make up the difference. He says they will need to look closely at the equipment budget and possibly reduce the amount of playground equipment they were planning to purchase this year.
The Starke County Early Education Advisory Council invites families with young children to a preschool fair this evening from 5 until 7 at the community center in downtown Knox. More than 25 preschools and community organizations will have booths, and several will offer activities for children. Porter-Starke Director of Children’s Services Todd Willis says preschool is a good opportunity for children and parents to get used to being away from one another. He says one of the main causes of stress for young children is separating from their family, so getting them into an environment where they can learn to take turns and make peer relationships outside the family is extremely important.
“When I don’t learn as a young child how to resolve conflict with my peer, and I need to resort to throwing a temper tantrum or aggression, if those basic skills are not learned early, they follow the kid into adulthood. Really, the opportunity for a child in that 3 to 4 age learning that early is crucial,” Willis says. Continue reading →
Nonprofit organizations interested in applying for Starke United Fund grants have just a few more days to finish their applications. They are due Friday, May 2. The Starke United Fund Committee will review applications and award the grants to the chosen organizations. Last year 12 grants totaling $11,000 were given to Starke County organizations including: The Caring Place, Community Services of Starke County, HealthLinc, Junior Achievement, Marshall-Starke Development Center, Moving Starke County Forward, Love INC., North Judson-San Pierre School JumpStart, Psi Iota Xi, A.B.A.T.E. Toys 4 Tots, Starke County WIC Program and the Starke County Youth Club. Continue reading →
The Starke County Youth Club aims to be a support system for children, families and the three county school corporations.
“We know that schools are under tremendous pressure to have kids succeed academically, and that a lot of funding for schools is tied to how kids perform on standardized tests. That’s really a lot to ask of a school community. It is part of our job to ensure we are supporting what the schools need to accomplish.”
Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says the Starke County Youth Club does that by providing after school enrichment programs for 600 youngsters at four sites across the county. All of the programs are based in local schools, so Szakonyi says the staff is in constant contact with teachers, administrators and others to make sure students are getting what they need. She says children who succeed academically have a greater likelihood of being successful adults. Continue reading →
If the brutal winter has you itching to get outdoors, head to Tippecanoe River State Park this weekend for the third annual volunteer day. Assistant manager Jason Hickman says gate fees will be waived for anyone who comes out to lend a hand. Volunteer activities will start at 10 a.m. EDT at the Nature Center. The big goal is to build a second scenic overlook. The Friends of Tippecanoe River State Park nonprofit organization replaced one last year after securing donations and volunteers to do so. Hickman says they’ve secured money for the other one. Weather permitting he says the goal is to get it framed and decked out. That’s the main project for the weekend, but Hickman says it’s not the only one. Volunteers are also needed to clean and spruce up the Nature Center and remove invasive plants and some small trees from the waterfowl dam. Bird feeders also need to be hung up. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves and cordless drills, if possible, and wear long pants and sturdy shoes.
A LaPorte man who reportedly entered an apartment behind a liquor store after banging on the doors of several nearby businesses early Friday morning faces two felony charges. Officers responded to the Bottle Shop Too at 1212 Lincolnway around 12:30 Friday morning to investigate a report of a drunk man knocking on the door of the closed store. They found a rear door leading to an upstairs apartment standing open. When they stepped inside the door, a 15-year-old boy ran down the stairs yelling that there was a man in his apartment. The officers reportedly found Wade A. Fletcher, 21, wandering around in the kitchen. The boy told the police he was home alone asleep and was awakened by the sound of somebody talking. He turned and saw Fletcher walking toward him. According to the arrest report, Fletcher grabbed him by his shirt and threatened to knock him out then let go of him and walked toward the kitchen. Police say Fletcher was seen causing problems at Lucky’s Bar earlier and was also banging on the doors of the nearby Wendy’s. He faces residential entry and possession of a schedule II controlled substance charges.
Parts of the WKVI listening area may be in for severe thunderstorms this evening. The National Weather Service reports a slight risk of severe storms south of U.S. 30. The main threats are large hail and damaging winds, and an isolated tornado may form. Listen to WKVI for the latest on any severe weather that may develop. Should the National Weather Service issue a watch, it just means conditions are favorable for a weather outbreak. A warning means that weather is here, and you should take shelter immediately. If you don’t have a basement, go to an interior room in your house that does not have windows until the storm passes. Check your flashlights and make sure the batteries work, charge your cell phone and keep a battery-operated radio handy just in case. More thunderstorms are possible tomorrow, including an isolated severe thunderstorm tomorrow evening. The threat of severe weather lessens as the week goes on, but rain is in the forecast through early next week.
Thank you to WKVI listener Marcia Lockner for the photo of Sunday’s fire on 175 N. at U.S. 35
An investigator from the state fire marshal’s office is in Starke County to determine the origin and cause of a house fire yesterday north of Knox. The home on 175 North just east of U.S. 35 was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, according to Knox-Center Township Fire Chief Kenny Pfost. He says they were notified at 2:16 p.m. but were responding to a woods fire at the time. Pfost immediately requested assistance from Hamlet and Washington Township due to their extended arrival time. The Koontz Lake Volunteer Fire Department also provided water and manpower support. No injuries were reported, and the home was believed to be unoccupied. Firefighters were on the scene for three hours.
Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the city council last week that the budget was approved, but with the circuit breaker, they will be receiving $218,000 less so cuts will need to be made wherever possible.
Property tax caps are cutting funds available to the city and county. Houston noted that while the property owners are seeing relief in their taxes, it’s causing severe belt tightening at the local level which hurts services. There’s only a few ways the city can collect money by the city and raising taxes is not in the best interest of the council.
This is the last full week in which you may vote absentee in the May 6 Primary Election.
Absentee voting in Starke County is available today through Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Starke County Courthouse will be open Tuesday and Thursday night for voting from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CT. Voting will take place on the second floor of the courthouse. As of Thursday, 293 absentee ballots have been filed in Starke County.
Starke County Preschool Project logoStarke County parents of young children are encouraged to attend tomorrow’s Starke County Preschool Fair at the community center in downtown Knox. The Starke County Early Education Advisory Council organized the event, which will take place from 5 until 7 p.m. CDT. More than 25 preschools and community organizations will have booths, and several will offer activities for children. Starke County Head Start Education Manager Dawn Wallen says sending your child to a quality preschool is an investment in their future. The kindergarten curriculum has become more rigorous since many of today’s parents and grandparents were in school. Wallen says students are expected to know and recognize all 26 letters of the alphabet and the sounds of letters. They should also be able to recognize numerals 1 through 20. Continue reading →
Starke County Youth Club members and volunteers will take over the WKVI airwaves on Friday to raise money for the nonprofit organization. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says they provide academic support to 600 youngsters across the county at after-school sites at Knox, North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis Elementary schools and at O-D Junior/Senior High School. They give students quiet time to do homework, offer one-on-one tutoring in a specific subject and offer a variety of enrichment programs like technology classes, videography and world travel through culture centers. Services are offered each Monday through Friday for three hours after school.
“That is the time when kids are most likely to be the victims of or perpetrators of violent crime. We know that kids who don’t have proper supervision, who don’t have great role models, who aren’t engaged in something productive, make the wrong choices in their lives. So we’re there to provide a safe, engaging and positive environment for kids once the school day ends,” Szakonyi says. Continue reading →
The Food Finders Mobile Food Pantry returns to Pulaski County later this week. The truck will be at the Monterey United Methodist Church on Main Street Friday, May 2 at 11 a.m. EDT. Items are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to individuals who meet income guidelines and may include frozen meat, baked goods, vegetables, beverages, snacks and cereal. Participants are asked to bring a laundry basket or box to carry the food home. Continue reading →
Drug and Tobacco Free Starke County leaders are sounding the alarm about another health risk factor tied to smoking. Coordinator Linda Molenda cites a Surgeon General’s report that smokers are 30 to 40 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than nonsmokers. They are also more prone to having trouble with insulin dosing and controlling their disease. Smokers with diabetes are also at a higher risk of developing more serious complications like heart and kidney disease; poor blood flow in the legs and feet than can lead to infections, ulcers and possibly amputation; retinopathy, which is an eye disease that can cause blindness; and peripheral neuropathy, which is damage to the nerves in the arms and legs that causes numbness, pain, weakness and poor coordination. Molenda says smokers with diabetes have better control of their blood sugar levels when they quit. Free help for smokers who want to quit is available by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visiting www.CDC.gov/tips.
The second annual code violation sweep will be done by the City of LaPorte this week.
Operation Clean-Sweep is a collaborative effort with the city police, code compliance and engineering departments. Those officials will travel through the city and tag as many junk vehicles and rubbish as possible. Inspectors will be specifically looking for junk vehicles, vehicles parked on the grass, brush piles, graffiti, missing house numbers, trash can violations and excessive trash in yards.
The President of the Indiana Chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association is taking the time to walk along Lincoln Highway to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Association and the Lincoln Highway Association.
Jeff Blair, a Goshen, Indiana native, will be walking through Hamlet, Plymouth and Etna Green this week. On Tuesday, April 29, Blair will enter Hamlet on his walk along the Lincoln Highway and he will stop by the Marshall County Museum on Tuesday afternoon at approximately 3 p.m. ET. Then on Wednesday, he will continue on his route from Plymouth to Etna Green.
Thank you to WKVI listener Marcia Lockner for the photo of Sunday’s fire on 175 N. at U.S. 35
Firefighters from four local departments responded to a house fire on 175 North just east of U.S. 35 Sunday afternoon. Dispatchers were notified of the fire at 2:15 p.m. The Knox, Hamlet, Koontz Lake and Washington Township departments spent three hours getting the blaze under control. No injuries were reported. As soon as we have more information, we’ll update the story on the air and on WKVI.com.
The Knox City Council approved a contract with INDOT to conduct street sweeping on U.S. 35. This is an annual contract where INDOT sweeps the highway twice a year at a cost of $1,444 per year for four years for a total of $5,766.
The council also approved a contract extension with Waste Management to continue garbage collection in the city for the next two years. The contract, which would begin Aug. 1, would be at a decreased rate of $13 per household and when the contract begins Aug. 1, 2015 the cost would increase to $13.36 per household. All other aspects of the previous contract would stay the same.
Friday, May 2 is Starke County Youth Club Day, by proclamation of the county commissioners. That’s also the day of the club’s 7th Annual RadioThon on WKVI from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The club offers after-school programs at Knox, North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis Elementary Schools and Oregon-Davis Junior-Senior High School each weekday as well as summer programs for local youngsters. Staff and volunteers provide homework help, enrichment activities, recreational centers and community engagement through service projects. The proclamation notes the staff and volunteers at the Starke County Youth Club are committed to assisting children in acquiring the skills they need to learn and lead. They will be taking over our airwaves on Friday to share success stories and talk about the services they provide. The nonprofit organization has set a goal of raising $40,000 during that event. Find more information at www.thescyc.org.
Knox Wastewater Superintendent Kelly Clemons continues to research quotes for a generator for the lift station on Pacific Avenue.
She told the Knox Board of Public Works members that on March 12 a city-wide power outage caused a backup of services at the industrial park. At the time, the lift station there was out of order for 12 hours and while the industry work was able to continue, there was no way to process waste.
