It’s almost that time of year again to start worrying about the flu.
Before you start getting a sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue or a horrible hacking cough, get vaccinated!
The 32 hour National Institute of Corrections Conference in Denver, Colorado has given Starke County Deputy Bill Dulin a new perspective on how to plan for a new, remodeled or retrofitted jail.
As we heard earlier from Sheriff Oscar Cowen and Councilman David Pearman, now is the time for data collection. It begins with a request by Sheriff Cowen to have the National Institute of Corrections to come in and inspect the jail.
The Starke United kick-off event is scheduled for September 21st at 8:00 a.m. at the Knox Community Center.
WKVI’s Ed Hasnerl will be speaking during the event along with Irene Szakonyi and Knox Community School Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Peggy Shidaker. According to Starke United Executive Director, Julie Dessauer, they will be discussing programs that benefit from Starke United. Integrity Trade is sponsoring the day’s breakfast which will be catered by the Country Kettle.
Construction work continues on two bridges on U.S. 35 in Pulaski and LaPorte Counties.
An INDOT spokesman told WKVI News that work is just about complete on Phase 1 of the Quigley Ditch Bridge replacement project in Winamac. Crews will be paving the rehabilitated section of bridge in the next few days and traffic is expected to switch onto the new pavement by this Friday, September 9th. The other side of the bridge will then be rehabbed. Traffic restrictions should be gone by the end of October or early November unless inclement weather delays construction.
LaPorte resident, Mitch Feikes, recently announced his candidacy in the race for Indiana’s Second Congressional seat on the Republican ticket. He will face Republican Jackie Walorski in the Primary Election.
Sam Frain, Second District Republican Chairman, said the Republican party is a little concerned about his candidacy as a Republican.
The Community Services of Starke County staff is gearing up for the winter season. Cooler weather is right around the corner and they will soon be taking applications for energy assistance to households that meet income guidelines.
The Knox Elementary School PTO is collecting box tops for a fundraising event again this year. PTO President, Shelly Kemble, hopes to collect enough box tops to meet their goal.
“We are hoping for approximately $6,000 in Box Tops this year and that will put us over last year’s goal and prior years to that,” said Kemble. “Box Tops are easy to find. You can also go onto this website and register for daily contests. Send the Box Tops in with the students or drop them off in the Main Office.”
The comedy musical Nunsense A-Men! will be performed Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th, by students from the Winamac Community High School Drama Department.
The event will be a dinner theater both evenings. A chicken dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m., in the school cafeteria, followed by dessert at 6:30 p.m., in the Socialtorium. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Wednesday, September 7th, is the final day to purchase dinner/show tickets which are $10.00. The show only tickets are $6.00 may be purchased up to showtime at the door. All current Winamac students will receive a $1.00 discount on their tickets. To purchase your dinner/show tickets, call the Winamac Community High School office at (574) 946-6151.
Nunsense A-Men! is written by Dan Goggin and is presented through special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
The production stars students Tyler Abbott, Jordan Morning, Ridge Parks, Caleb Schmicker and J.T. Garnett. It will be directed by Patrick Schuttrow.
Labor Day is coming this year on the heels of some promising news from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation Office. Executive Director Charles Weaver has had exciting announcements about Sabre and J.W. Hicks, Inc. in the past few weeks. Both announcements included promises of more jobs down the road.
Of course, the community is most anxious to hear about the Sysco project. That project has been hold for several years due to the economy. This summer has brought much speculation that something might be coming to the site near Hamlet.
Weaver, though, has not issued any information on the project except to say that he’s still very hopeful that it will become a reality. If the Sysco Distribution Plant would end up being built here in the not to distant future, it would be a real shot in the arm to a county that has been hovering around 10% unemployment for many months.
The residents between Culver and Argos are quite concerned about an announced plan to put huge wind turbines on property close to Lake Maxinkuckee.
The Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Council and the Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund are the latest to come out against the project that has been proposed by Florida based energy company NexEra.
Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem recently led a group of county officials to a National Institute of Corrections Conference in Denver, Colorado where they studied the procedure for identifying jail needs and how a project moves along after a decision is made.
Norem also led officials on tours of other jails. One thing we have not heard is what the price range might be of a new jail. She talked about how she viewed the make-up and price of the Miami County Jail.
“Miami County was probably more suitable for something that we would want to see locally and that was around $12 million or $14 million.”
One thing the group heard in Colorado is that there is a danger with a jail in the condition of the Starke County Jail because of the possibility of lawsuits. The Jack Haut Class Action lawsuit is still moving through the legal system. Even though Kathy Norem has never expressed guilt in the suit, she has mentioned that there might be others that are brought with merit.
“Basically, that lawsuit is alleging his constitutional rights are being violated and we deny that. That is not true. We do not believe that to be true and we intend to vigorously defend that. However, that doesn’t alleviate us from addressing ongoing issues within that jail. One thing that we need to do is take a look at how other people are doing their facilities and what some of their policies and practices are and try to adopt some of the best ones here.”
Chief Deputy Bill Dulin of the Starke County Sheriff’s Department will be in to discuss jail issues with us tomorrow.
Andy Thomas of Culver Community Schools has announced that the starting time for tonight’s football game has been pushed back until 7.30pm eastern time due to the heat.
Sabre Manufacturing LLC, the Starke County Economic Development Foundation and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation announced plans for the expansion of operations at Sabre in Knox. Development Foundation Director, Charlie Weaver, says that Sabre manufactures temporary environmental equipment known as FRAC and WEIR tanks.
Following a physical confrontation in a bar in July 2010, Niki Hochstetler was found guilty of Battery, a Class C Felony; and Battery as a Class A misdemeanor after allegedly stabbing Eric Amore at the Country Roads Bar and Grill in Walkerton last July. The two charges were merged with a recommended sentence of four years in the Department of Corrections.
Hochstetler received her sentence Thursday in the Starke Circuit Court. Judge Kim Hall said he felt her aggravating factors and mitigating factors were of equal weight, but her attitude, the fact that she has the support of her family, and her good standing with the home detention program worked in her favor.
Hall sentenced Hochstetler to two years to be served in the Department of Corrections, with two years of probation following her release. She is also required to complete a batterer’s intervention program following her release to probation, and she was credited for the 60 days she has spent in jail. With good behavior, and considering her 60 days credit, Hochstetler is expected to be released in ten months.
When Hall mentioned her mitigating and aggravating factors, he said that her only mitigating factor was that the victim, Amore, refused emergency medical treatment, and instead, returned to the bar.
“That, to me, says a great deal about the entire event,” said Hall. “Had the victim been treated, or taken to the hospital, airlifted, or even died, you’d be looking at a very different set of circumstances.”
Ryan Taylor and Kenneth K. Wallace will be in Starke Circuit Court today to face a charge of Arson as a Class D Felony. They will plead guilty or not guilty during their initial hearing this morning at 9:00 a.m. Continue reading
The new Consul General of Mexico visited Starke County this week. Eduardo Arnal, visited with Starke County Development Director Charles Weaver in his Knox office. The northern part of Indiana is under Arnal’s jurisdiction, and he was visiting several counties to offer the services of his office with any questions officials might need answered.
Arnal said sooner or later the United States needs to have immigration reform. He said, “It’s simple. The U.S. needs our workers, and right now the laws make it almost impossible to enter legally.”
Weaver said the Mexican population in Starke County is small, but thought the residents here would be surprised at how many are working in our factories.
“Starke County has an Hispanic population of about 3.3 percent,” explained Weaver. “80 percent of that population are of Mexican ancestry. There are a number of Mexican population working within some of the businesses in Starke County. The majority of those workers are working here from other counties and then they return home. So, what we’re going to see as far as a population shift, I have no idea.”
Knox Attorney, Todd Wallsmith, has received disciplinary notice from the Indiana Supreme Court for violating the Indiana Professional Conduct Code. In the notice, the court informed Wallsmith that he is suspended from the practice of law for 180 days. The term of the suspension begins September 30th, 2011, with 45 days actively served and the remainder stayed subject to completion of 24 months probation. Wallsmith will not be permitted to practice law from October 1st to November 15th.
Two big area festivals begin today!
The Blueberry Festival in Plymouth begins today. The Festival will open at 5:00 p.m. ET today and will feature the opening ceremony at the Jefferson School Stage. The Blueberry Idol Karaoke Contest will be at 7:00 p.m. at the Amphitheater. The Festival gets into full swing tomorrow with all of your favorite sporting events, the arts and craft booths, and of course, the food!
Center Township Trustee Julie Manns came before the Knox City Council recently to discuss the Humphreys Cemetery. Humphreys’ family members, including local resident Marilyn Folkers, are wanting to put a fence around the small cemetery, but to this point nobody knows the exact boundary lines.
Are the taxpayers in the mood to consider some expensive building programs in the near future? The Knox Community School Corporation has a committee put together to consider remodeling the Palmer Wing at the Elementary building, the Starke County Library Board wants to remodel a portion of the Henry F. Schricker Branch Library and the County Commissioners are still considering a new or remodeled county jail.
