Pulaski County Burn Ban To Be Reevaluated

Posted on Author WKVI

The Pulaski County Commissioners will be reevaluating the county’s burn ban today, which has been in effect since noon on Monday, June 18 and remains in effect until noon today.

The commissioners determined that Pulaski County is at risk of a widespread fire hazard because of the ongoing drought conditions. Open burning of any kind using conventional fuel such as wood or other combustible material, with the exception of grills, is prohibited. The burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation and recreational campfires – unless enclosed – is prohibited.

The commissioners also strongly ask that you not discharge any fireworks.

Starke County also remains under a burn ban. The Starke County Commissioners will reevaluate conditions on Saturday, July 2 when the emergency ban is expected to expire. Marshall County residents are also under burn restrictions.

Judge Still Undecided In Case Between Belork, Starke Commissioners

Posted on Author WKVI
Linda Belork

Jasper Circuit Court Judge John Potter has yet to make his decision regarding the case between former Starke County Treasurer Linda Belork and the Starke County Commissioners. The attorney for the Starke County Commissioners and the attorney for Linda Belork and Ohio Casualty appeared before the judge on June 6 and presented evidence supporting their cases.

The attorney for the commissioners, Martin Lucas, told the judge that the commissioners were faced with a serious problem: $900,000 was reportedly misappropriated in the treasurer’s office, according to the State Board of Accounts. He said the commissioners acted according to statute in removing her from office and filing suit against her bond.

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New State Law To Affect Age Of Emancipation In Child Support

Posted on Author WKVI
Nicholas Bourff

On July 1, a new state law takes effect involving the age of emancipation for purposes of child support. Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff said custodial parents and non-custodial parents need to be aware that the emancipation age will change from 21 to 19.

“Custodial parents will no longer have the right to receive child support once their youngest child turns 19, unless the court has found the children to be disabled,” said Bourff. “Payment on past-due child support is not affected by this change. If there are court ordered payments for educational support, that’s something separate from child support and there would have to be an additional hearing in the future to discuss what will happen regarding that.”

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City of Knox To Sell Old Stop, Yield Signs

Posted on Author WKVI

For those that wish to have a traffic sign as a decorative piece but don’t want to risk getting arrested for stealing one from the side of the road, good news – there’s an easier way.

Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston says the city is currently selling stop and yields for $10 a piece. The signs are left over from the city’s recent upgrade of their traffic signs to newer, more reflective signs, and rather than let the older signs gather dust, the city has decided to sell them.

The signs can be requested at city hall.

Roughly 250 stop signs were replaced in the city to meet new regulations from the federal government which required all signs to be replaced with the new signs by 2018. Houston says they still have a number of stop and yield signs for sale.

Slight Rise In Lunch Prices At North Judson-San Pierre Schools

Posted on Author WKVI
North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson

The North Judson-San Pierre School Board approved an increase in the school lunch prices for this coming school year, but Superintendent Lynn Johnson said it was a small increase.

“We do see some slight increases and they are minimal as far as lunch prices,” said Johnson. “We have been behind with our increases and we’re trying to catch up just a bit. It’s just a slight increase.”

The prices are going up due to the inflation in the cost of food and a new diet guideline from the state.

“We are trying to get much healthier choices and the cost of food does increase over time. We do try to keep those at a minimum. Parents and families with multiple children know it’s an expense. We do try and keep that down as much as we can.”

Knox School Board Receives Update Regarding Possible Palmer Wing Project

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa gave an update on the Facility Study Committee during the school board’s recent meeting. The committee will be looking at financing options and which direction to go with a possible project at the Palmer Wing of the Knox Elementary School.

“We’re going to try and meet with Curt Pletcher from Umbaugh and Associates in the next week with our committee of three of our board members to discuss how to proceed further with a possible elementary project,” said Gappa. “We’ve been giving reports on a meeting-by-meeting basis just to keep the public and the board informed. This is our next step.”

Plymouth Municipal Airport Changes Course

Posted on Author WKVI
Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter

Plymouth Municipal Airport had found itself in dismal condition after 30 years of neglect. Run-down and overgrown, the 45-year-old airport hadn’t seen any kind of improvements in the last three decades, but Mayor Mark Senter sought to change that.

Senter was elected in 2008 and immediately took an interest in the airfield. He appointed new members to the Board of Aviation Commissioners, including its new president, Tom Flynn. Flynn explained that everything about the airport had been redone, including a new tile floor, fresh paint, and even a mural by college student Kailee Shearin. Shearin had painted a mural for the lobby in exchange for the promise of an airplane ride.

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Unclaimed Property Workshop Scheduled For Wednesday

Posted on Author WKVI

A workshop is scheduled to help you search for money in unclaimed properties and protect your credit.

Amanda Meyer from the Attorney General’s Office will help you perform unclaimed property searches. There are over $300 million in the state’s lost and found properties. Legally, places of business, banks and any other institution that is holding a person’s money has to turn it into the state, where it is kept for 25 years and, if not claimed, it goes into the state’s General Fund. This is an opportunity to see if you have any money coming to you.

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Culver EMS Steps Up Volunteer Recruiting Efforts

Posted on Author WKVI

Culver EMS Director Chuck Dilts told the town board this week that his department has been working through various means to get more volunteers, and their efforts have paid off. He says they’ve had several inquiries as a result of their increased effort, and an EMT course began Monday with a dozen students.

Culver EMS has sponsored several of the students, but Dilts requested permission to spend $4000 to sponsor the eight remaining EMTs enrolled in the class. He says that, in return, the students would sign a one-year agreement to serve as a volunteer. Funds for the sponsorship would come from his budget.

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La Porte Man Arrested For Dealing Schedule 1 Controlled Substance

Posted on Author WKVI

A search of a La Porte residence ended in the arrest of a man for Dealing in a Schedule I Controlled Substance as a Class A felony.

Thirty-year-old Marcus Bluitt, a La Porte resident, was arrested after police searched a home at 1003 Indiana Ave. and found prescription medications, marijuana, and a large sum of cash. He is currently held on a $150,000 bond through La Porte Circuit Court.

The operation was a cooperative effort between the La Porte Metro Operations Unit, La Porte Police Department Patrol and Detective Bureau, and the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau. Police say that this operation is an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking, dealing, and distribution in La Porte County, and they expect further arrests as a result of the operation.

Funeral Services Planned For Winamac Drowning Victim

Posted on Author WKVI
Cynthia Jackson

Funeral services have been finalized for a Winamac woman who reportedly drowned in a pond on a property in Winamac. The body of fifty-four-year-old Cynthia L. Jackson was found by her son, Andrew Jackson, after she had gone swimming in a pond at 4242 W. 400 N. in Winamac.

Funeral services will be held at the Frain Mortuary in Winamac at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 27. Andrew Jackson will officiate the ceremony, and visitation will take place after 2 p.m. ET on the day of services at the funeral home. Contributions may be given to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Jackson was a resident of Winamac for 14 years and a former resident of Chesterton.

Pulaski County Coroner Steve VanDerAa says the incident remains under investigation, but no foul play is suspected.

Plymouth Police Make Several Theft Arrests

Posted on Author WKVI

A Grovertown woman was arrested Thursday after a shoplifting incident in Plymouth.

Plymouth police were called to Martins Supermarket on a report of theft. During a search of 35-year-old Sara Hopkins, she was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. She was arrested and booked into the Marshall County Jail on preliminary charges of Theft and Possession of a Controlled Substance. She was given a $1,500 bond.

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Karen Salzer To Run For House of Representatives

Posted on Author WKVI
Karen Salzer

Karen Salzer has announced her candidacy for the Indiana House of Representatives in District 20.

Salzer, a lifelong LaPorte resident, says she will focus her candidacy on protecting middle class families and working Hoosiers who have faced a series of attacks, including the recent passage of Right to Work.

Salzer added that incumbent State Representative Tom Dermody has repeatedly left middle class families behind and that his failed leadership allowed Republicans to spend the money from the sale of the toll road in only five years, leaving 70 years left for the tolls to increase and jeopardizing Indiana’s future.

House District 20 includes parts of LaPorte and Starke counties. It includes the communities of Knox, Hamlet, LaPorte, Walkerton, Union Mills and Rolling Prairie.

Student Loan Interest Rates Could Soon Spike

Posted on Author WKVI

Interest rates for student loans are expected to double if Congress doesn’t act to keep them low.

U.S. Representative Joe Donnelly has called on Congress to act quickly so the more than 260,000 students in Indiana with loans can save an average of nearly $1,000 over the life of their loans.

Donnelly previously supported cutting student loan interest rates in half – lowering them from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent in 2007. If Congress doesn’t act by June 30, these rates will increase back to their original rate.

Indiana Farm Bureau Approves of Bipartisan Farm Bill

Posted on Author WKVI

Thursday’s passage of the bipartisan farm bill by the U.S. Senate has the approval of the Indiana Farm Bureau.

The bill includes many provisions that are good for Indiana farmers and provides a valuable safety net.

American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman says the bill includes important provisions to enhance crop insurance, maintain a viable marketing loan program, and minimize the potential for farm program provisions to drive producer decisions.

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Week in Review for June 18th-22nd, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

Here is a look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:

A burn ban was enacted Monday in Pulaski County. The Commissioners are prohibiting open burning of any kind using conventional fuel such as wood or other combustible material, with the exception of grills. The burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation and recreational campfires, unless enclosed, is prohibited. You are also asked to not discharge any fireworks. This ban is in effect until Noon ET on Monday, June 25th when conditions will be reevaluated. The Starke County Commissioners have enacted a burn ban in the county which is in effect until July 2nd. Continue reading →

Three Arrested on Meth Charges

Posted on Author WKVI

Three Starke County residents were arrested Thursday on drug charges after a search warrant was executed by the officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.

Officers went to 6135 E. 100 N. in Knox and found one pot meth labs, generators, items used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, the finished meth product and drug paraphernalia.

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Smoke-Free Information Session Clears The Air

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch, Pulaski County Environmental Health Specialist Sherry Fagner, Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Commission Regional Director Rachelle Back, and Officer Patrick.

An information session regarding the new statewide smoking ban was held last night at the Bass Lake Community Center, and the more than fifty people that attended learned not just what the law covers, but what procedures need to be followed in order for businesses that qualify for an exemption to receive one.

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Starke County Fireworks Are Still A Go

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers has confirmed that the Starke County fireworks celebration on Wednesday, July 4 will take place at the Starke County Airport. Get to the airport early so you can enjoy demonstrations from the Starke County Amateur Radio Club as well as a remote control plane club. Food and souvenirs will be available from several vendors. The gate opens at 6 p.m. and the firework show begins at dusk.

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Public Hearing Scheduled For Marshall County Golf Cart Ordinance

Posted on Author WKVI

A public hearing on the proposed golf cart ordinance in Marshall County has been set for Monday, July 2.

The Marshall County Commissioners called for the hearing after a number complaints were filed when the first reading of the golf cart ordinance was passed earlier this month, restricting the carts to certain areas of the county.

Marshall County Commissioner Jack Roose said that the ordinance allows golf carts on roads around the county’s lakes, including Lake Maxinkuckee, Koontz Lake, Pretty Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lawrence Lake, Lake Myers, Cook/Holm Lakes and Kreighbaum/Millpond Lakes. The ordinance also allows golf cart use around Culver Military Academy, although residents are reminded that golf carts cannot be used on a state highway at any time.

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