Starke County Man Dies after Trees Falls on Him

Posted on Author WKVI

A Knox man died Sunday while cutting down trees.

Starke County Coroner Kris Rannells confirmed that John A. Nolen, Sr. was cutting down trees with his nephew Sunday afternoon when a tree fell on him and trapped him underneath it. Nolen was attempting to guide the tree with a rope as his nephew cut the trunk when it fell.

Starke County Emergency Medical Services and responders from the Bass Lake Fire Department arrived at the scene at an area east of Starke County on 400 South, but Nolen had already died of his injuries. The Starke County Sheriff’s Department and the Starke County Coroner conducted an investigation and Coroner Rannells found that 69-year-old John Nolen, Sr. died instantly at the scene of blunt force trauma.

Holiday Shopping Tips To Keep You Safe

Posted on Author WKVI

Christmas is less than two weeks away, and you know what that means: holiday shopping, for those who haven’t already. Unfortunately, the holidays – a time for cheer, hope and joy – are also a time for increased crime. Crooks seem to love the holidays as much as everyone else because the season represents an increased opportunity to find unprotected goods.

To help your shopping go safely, the Indiana Sheriff’s Association highly encourages shoppers to stay alert and aware of what’s going on around them, deter pickpockets and purse-snatchers by carrying your purse close to your body and placing your wallet in a front pants pocket, and never leave your purse unattended in a shopping cart.

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O’Bryant Sentenced to 150 Years

Posted on Author WKVI
Steven O'Bryant

A 43-year-old Starke County man has been sentenced after being found guilty on three counts of Child Molesting as a Class A felony.

Special Judge John M. Marnocha from St. Joseph Superior Court sentenced Steven L. O’Bryant in Starke Circuit Court yesterday to serve 150 years in prison. O’Bryant was found guilty of the charges after a jury trial in his case in early November. A dozen witnesses were called to the stand, including ten from the state and two from the defense. The jury took less than two hours to find that he was guilty of molesting a juvenile while he stayed at that juvenile’s Starke County residence over the course of two months from March 30 to May 30.

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Culver Shooting Ruled Murder-Suicide

Posted on Author WKVI
Stephen Suthard

An autopsy conducted by Forensic Pathologist Dr. Joseph Prahlow yesterday and a Culver police investigation have revealed that the result of the shootings on Wednesday, November 28 inside a Culver residence was a murder-suicide.

Marshall County Coroner Bill Cleavenger indicated that the preliminary autopsy results showed that 44-year-old Michael Price shot 16-year-old Stephen Suthard multiple times and then turned the gun on himself.

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LaPorte County Jail Inmate Miscarries

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

An inmate at the LaPorte County Jail miscarried after an incident with police.

A woman who had been incarcerated in the jail on a probation violation since November 14, was reportedly involved in a physical altercation with another inmate. A jailer intervened and was taken to the floor by one of the inmates before other deputies responded to the incident.

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Knox Woman Arrested after Police Find Mobile Meth Lab

Posted on Author WKVI

A Knox woman was arrested Sunday after Knox police found her with an alleged active methamphetamine lab in her vehicle.

A Knox City Police officer saw a vehicle traveling northbound on 500 East from State Road 8 and it went off the road. Shortly before approaching the intersection with Corey Drive, the vehicle’s turn signal activated and turned onto the road. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle.

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BMV Launches myBMV App

Posted on Author WKVI

A new Bureau of Motor Vehicles app is available for Apple and Android users.

The BMV app can be downloaded for free from the app store on those mobile devices using, “myBMV,” as search words.

You will be able to renew registrations and plates with the use of this app. You may also search for branch locations if you need to see a customer representative. The search will give you the nearest branch and hours of operation.

Culver Shooting Remains Under Investigation

Posted on Author WKVI
Stephen Suthard

The Culver Police Department has not released any more details in the shooting incident in Culver late Wednesday night.

44-year-old Michael Price and 16-year-old Culver High School Sophomore Stephen Suthard were found dead in a home at 419 W. Madison Street with apparent gunshot wounds. Price’s wife found the bodies when she came home late Wednesday night.

The Culver Police Department is working with Indiana State Police Crime Scene Technicians in finding out what led up to the incident. Evidence was collected at the scene and interviews are ongoing.

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Two Arrested after Pursuit Incident with Hamlet Police

Posted on Author WKVI

Two people were arrested Saturday night after a pursuit incident with Hamlet police.

A Hamlet police officer was parked at the intersection of Starke and Indiana Streets when a person driving a motorcycle disregarded the stop sign and continued to travel through the intersection at a high rate of speed. The officer pulled into the intersection and a second motorcycle skidded to a stop at the intersection. The officer spoke to the subject and asked him to stay where he was and took off in pursuit of the other motorcycle driver.

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Knox School Board To Hold Project Hearing Tonight

Posted on Author WKVI
Superintendent A.J. Gappa

The Knox Community School Board will have a project hearing and a preliminary determination hearing regarding the elementary school project tonight at 6:30 p.m. CT in the Administration Office. During this hearing, public comments will be heard.

The board will be discussing a possible referendum for an elementary school building project during that meeting.

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Winter Wonderland in Winamac!

Posted on Author WKVI

“This weather sure isn’t very festive for a winter wonderland, but the spirit is here!” That was said by a woman attending the Winter Wonderland festivities in downtown Winamac Saturday. The event, sponsored by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, featured children’s activities, horse and buggy rides, craft and business booths, Christmas displays and the excitement of the season. WKVI’s Anita Goodan had a chance to walk around the area and her heart swelled with the Christmas spirit from seeing the smiles and the fun everyone was having. Enjoy these pictures she took while attending the event! Continue reading →

Shooting Incident Kills Two in Culver

Posted on Author WKVI

The investigation continues into two shooting deaths in Culver Wednesday night. Police were called to 419 W. Madison St. around 10:41 p.m. in regards to two male subjects found deceased, and when officers arrived, they found 44-year-old Michael Price and 16-year-old Stephen Suthard dead in the home from apparent gunshot wounds.

Culver police and Marshall County Sheriff’s deputies secured the interior and exterior of the residence, and the Indiana State Police assisted with crime scene processing while Culver police and Marshall County deputies continue interviews and investigate all leads. Further details of the incident will be released following additional investigations and autopsies.

The Culver Police Department was assisted by the Culver EMS, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, and the Marshall County Coroner.

Balchunas Trial Continues Today in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Alan Balchunas of Monterey is on trial this week facing charges of Domestic Battery and Strangulation. He allegedly battered and strangled his ex-wife Pamela Balchunas at her home in Monterey.

Pamela Balchunas testified yesterday that she and Alan Balchunas had an argument about rounding up extension cords to run from the house to her sister’s home that had electricity. The area had been suffering from a power outage after a severe storm and while her sister had power, she did not. She stated that she had asked Balchunas for help and he refused. An argument ensued and he reportedly barged into the home, put her into a headlock and beat the left side of her face and head. The struggle started in the kitchen and continued into the living room. She testified that he then put his hands around her throat and started to choke her. She said she couldn’t breathe and her eyesight was failing, but she knew the baseball bat was by the front door she reached for the bat and hit him in the head with it. His grip reportedly got tighter and she hit him again. The second blow caused him to stumble back into a chair and started bleeding. She then left the residence and went to her mother’s house.

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Knox City Council Discusses Deteriorating Wastewater Wall

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week discussed a steel wall near the wastewater plant that has been suffering from corrosion. Mayor Rick Chambers explained that a steel building near the area where sewage is brought in has been affected by wastewater splashing on it, causing the wall to rust.

He said that, as a result, the wall is now deteriorating and letting weather get into the area. Fortunately, this wall is not structural, but is only used to keep weather out from the sewage area.

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Pulaski Jailers Find 53-Year-Old Inmate Dead in Bunk

Posted on Author WKVI

Pulaski County jailers stumbled upon a morbid sight yesterday afternoon as they found an inmate unresponsive in his bunk. According to a press release from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, jailers found the man unresponsive and deceased in his bunk. Pulaski County EMTs were called to the jail, but they were unable to revive the man, who has been identified as William H. Olson.

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Two Taken to Hospital after Two Vehicle Accident in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department responded to a two vehicle accident last night around 5:35 p.m. in the area of U.S. 421 and 650 South in Starke County.

The details of the accident are not being released at this time, but officials have confirmed that two people were transported to the hospital from the scene. Their condition is unknown at this time.

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