A Winamac man was arrested Friday on a burglary charge.
A resident told police that a large amount of cash was stolen from his home in late December or early January. As a result of an investigation, detectives were able to recover part of the stolen money on Friday, Jan. 25 and William Z. Finkley, Jr. was arrested for his involvement in the burglary. Detectives believe others were involved in this case and the investigation remains open.
The installation of the new playground equipment for Wythogan Park has hit a bit of a snag. Park Superintendent George Byer told the city council at their meeting last week that the equipment was delivered, but it had been damaged during shipment. As a result, the installation of the equipment is on hold until the replacement equipment has been received from American Playground. The company has agreed to deliver new equipment themselves to the park.
Two Plymouth residents were arrested after a traffic stop conducted by Marshall County Police on Friday, Jan. 25.
The deputy pulled over a vehicle driven by David Howe for an alleged equipment violation. While the officer was checking the license and warrant status for the occupants, Jeffrey Knoebel reportedly fled from the vehicle.
Good news for those who qualify for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program: tax preparation will be conducted free of charge! The Starke County Public Library is now offering help with both federal and state tax returns for those with an adjusted gross income of no more than $51,000.
Tax preparations will be completed by IRS-certified volunteers on an appointment-only basis at the Henry F. Schricker Branch, located at 152 W. Culver Road in Knox. Call (574) 772-7323 and ask for the Reference Department for any questions or to schedule an appointment. If you only need to file the Unified Tax Credit for the Elderly form but do not need to file Federal or State income taxes, you do not need an appointment for assistance.
NIPSCO has announced the launch of a pilot program designed to allow customers to designate a portion of their monthly electric usage to be generated by renewable energy sources. The Green Power Program is a voluntary program available to all NIPSCO electric customers, allowing them to designate 25, 50, or 100 percent of their electric usage per month, as well as the options of five or 10 percent for commercial or industrial customers.
The SCILL Center has announced that it will soon begin its classes on computer software, including PowerPoint, Word, and Quick Books. The classes will be held at the Starke County Economic Development Foundation at 1915 S. Heaton St. in Knox, and registration is required.
The Introduction to Quick Books class kicks off on Friday, Feb. 1 and 8, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The second class will take place on Friday, April 12 and 19, from 8:30 a.m. to noon as well. The training doesn’t stop there, however, as the SCILL Center is also offering an intermediate class for Quick Books software on Friday, March 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is provided for the intermediate class.
An investigator with the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office will be in Winamac today to delve further into what caused a late Friday night fire at Dillman Tire.
The Winamac Fire Department was called to the business located at the corner of Logan and Pearl Streets at approximately 11:20 p.m. ET as several people going by noticed smoke coming from the building.
The Starke County Election Board will be meeting Thursday, Jan. 31 to discuss the public question to be presented to the Knox Community School District voters in a special election on May 7. The meeting will be held in the 2nd floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.
The election board must approve the school board’s request to have the public question on the ballot. Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski said this is the first time in a non-election year that a special election has been requested in many, many years. She added that only voters in the six Center Township precincts, California Township 1 and 2, and Washington Township 1 and 2 will be able to vote on the public question.
Two people were arrested Thursday after a theft investigation.
Marshall County Sheriff’s deputies received a complaint from CSX Railroad employees of two suspicious people near the Maple Street crossing in LaPaz. Railroad officials explained that the pair were wearing camouflage and believed they were stealing scrap.
In the wake of an unexpected closure of a precision tubular product manufacturer in Plymouth, WorkOne will hold two dedicated “Rapid Response” informational sessions as well as job fairs for those who were let go from their jobs from Whitley Products.
The manufacturer in Plymouth released a statement last week announcing that they have been forced to close their doors due to a lack of funding from their senior lender.
Cleanup efforts at the old Knox laundromat continue as the Knox City Council this week heard an update from Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston who explained the contractor is still hauling out washers, dryers, and scrap from the old building. However, while the cleanup efforts can continue during the winter, Mayor Rick Chambers said the city will have to wait for warmer weather before completing the demolition. He said he’s hopeful that the building can be removed without damaging the nearby trees.
The Knox Community School Board is looking for a candidate to fill a position on the Starke County Library Board. Superintendent A.J. Gappa announced the resignation of the school board’s appointment last week.
“The board did accept the resignation of Nick Jacobs as their representative on the library board,” stated Gappa. “There is an open position for anyone interested in being on the library board. You can submit your name to the superintendent’s office at the Knox Community School Corporation.”
For more information, call (574) 772-1600.
The North Judson Town Board recently signed a proclamation declaring 2013 “A Year of Health in Starke County.”
Nancy Dembowski, Joan Haugh and Ted Hayes, who are part of the Moving Starke County Forward organization, brought the proclamation to the attention of the board members and emphasized the need for Starke County to improve the health of its citizens.
The committee members informed the board that the organization was formed after learning that Starke County ranked 91st out of 92 counties in issues affecting health. Health issues permeate throughout quality of life issues such as economic development, education, levels of drug use and many other socio-economic factors.
The Town Board voted unanimously to declare the proclamation and offer support for the group. The board was invited to a forum on Thursday, Feb. 21 at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox from 4:30-6 p.m. CT. The committee is looking for input on goals and suggestions to help Starke County be a healthier county.
The price of the stamp just went up.
The United States Postal Service has raised the price of a First-Class Stamp one cent to $.46. First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, First-Class Mail International and Extra Services have all increased in price. This is only the second increase in the price of a first-class mail stamp since May 2009.
The price for mailing a single-piece First-Class Mail postcard is going up 1 cent to 33 cents. Stamped postcards will increase to 37 cents.
These prices were effective as of yesterday, Jan. 27.
An overnight fire destroyed a Winamac business.
Winamac Fire Chief Bill Weaver told WKVI that The Winamac Fire Department was called out at 11:20 p.m. ET Friday night to a fire at Dillman Tire, located at the corner of Logan and Pearl Streets. The fire started in the eastern part of the building where a workshop is located.
A LaPorte man was arrested after allegedly robbing a liquor store.
LaPorte Police officers were called to Bottle Shop Too on Lincolnway in LaPorte in response to a robbery. According to witnesses, a man reportedly demanded money, displayed a handgun and left the establishment with an undetermined amount of money.
A Knox man received his sentence in the Starke Circuit Court this week after he pleaded guilty to Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B felony and two counts of Neglect of a Dependent, Class C felonies.
Police arrested 35-year-old Gregory Tolson on Oct. 2 after an investigation over the course of several months. Police executed a search warrant at the home and found methamphetamine, several precursors, paraphernalia, and several methamphetamine labs, as well as two young children in the home near the toxic fumes. Tolson was arrested alongside Cherie Tolson and Nathan Vermilyer who faced similar charges, and the Indiana Department of Child Services arrived on the scene took possession of the two children.
Tolson was sentenced to 14 years in the Department of Corrections with two years suspended.
A joint investigation conducted by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Warsaw Drug Task Force resulted in the arrest of three people on methamphetamine.
A search warrant was conducted at 14390 3rd Road just outside LaPaz on Thursday evening by officers from the Undercover Narcotics Investigation Team, Warsaw Drug Task Force, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police troopers. The search resulted in the discovery of items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
The Knox City Council this week approved two budget reductions in response to cuts from the state. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that two city budgets suffered from cuts at the state level: the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund, with a balance of $413,131, was cut by $24,536; and the Park Department’s budget was also cut by $11,135 for a total budget amount of $146,358.
A Winamac woman was arrested Tuesday after police found her in possession of controlled substances.
A Pulaski County deputy was following a car driven by Teresa McDaniel that was reportedly crossing the center line. She then turned into a driveway until the officer passed and then turned around. The officer did the same thing and followed her again. She was then pulled over for speeding in a 30 mph zone.
