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.
Four Departments Respond to Knox House Fire
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.
Circuit Breaker Cuts Money from Knox City Budget
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.
Last Week to Vote Absentee for May Primary Election
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.
Educator Stresses Importance of Early Childhood Education
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 Prepares for Annual WKVI Radiothon
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
Food Finders Mobile Food Pantry Distribution Planned in Monterey
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
Advocacy Group Says Smoking Raises Diabetes Risk
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.
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Code Violation Sweep Planned for This Week in LaPorte
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.
Jeff Blair Walking Along Lincoln Highway in Indiana
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.
Four Departments Respond to House Fire
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.
Knox City Council Approves Street Sweeping, Garbage Collection Contracts
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.
Commissioners Proclaim Starke County Youth Club Day
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 Obtaining Quotes for Generator
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.
Marshall County Museum Director Looking for New Employee
The Marshall County Commissioners approved a request from Museum Director Linda Rippy.
Rippy asked the commissioners for permission to advertise for a new employee to replace Judy McCollough who will be retiring on June 6.
McCollough has worked at the museum for 19 years and held the most recent position of Historical Archive Manager. Her replacement would be a full time hire.
Program Scheduled to Inform Pulaski County Veterans of Services Available
A program to inform all military veterans in Pulaski County about programs and services available to them will be held Friday, May 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET at the VFW Post #1728-1066 on U.S. 35 south in Winamac.
Representatives from the Northwest Indiana Community Action, North Central Action and Pulaski County Human Services, Inc. will inform veterans about assistance programs, older Americans services, transportation, veterans services, employment services, and nutrition services.
Oregon-Davis School Board Approves Vocational Classes
The Oregon-Davis School Board approved the corporation’s participation in several vocational programs for the next school year.
Superintendent Greg Briles said students can gain knowledge in several hands-on programs outside of the Oregon-Davis campus.
Knox High School Student Achievement and Open Swim Hours
Knox High School will have open swim hours and a student will have a project on display at a local fast food restaurant.
The Knox Graphics department has designed a Redskin Nation sign for the Knox Burger King. Nathan Lynch’s “Play like a Champion/Eat like a King – Redskin Nation” sign will be displayed in the store.
KVREMC Sets Little League Light Poles
The little league diamond at the North Judson Town Park is shining brightly, thanks to a recent assist from Kankakee Valley REMC. A crew from the utility company set the three new light poles the town purchased for the park. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says the town board sent them a thank you letter.
Foul Play Not a Factor In Culver Death
Marshall County officials have ruled out foul play in the death of an elderly Culver man found Wednesday night in his rat-infested home on Redwood Road. A neighbor called the police to check on 71-year-old Harvey Moore, according to our reporting partners at WNDU-TV. He had no family, according to his neighbors. They say he had been feeding the rats for some time. Various health issues may have been a factor in his death. The Marshall County Health Department was notified of the home’s condition.
