The Knox City Council got good news this week from Clerk-Treasurer, Jeff Houston. The Worker’s Comp Insurance has dropped $6,000. Houston said the carrier explained the reduction was because the loss rate has dropped. Knox has been attempting to get out of the high risk pool, and as Houston said, “It looks like we’re becoming successful.”
In other news:
It appears that Knox City records are taking up a lot of space at City Hall.
Walkers for the fourth annual Relay For Life of Culver will take their first steps toward a $130,000 goal at 7 p.m. Friday, April 15, at Culver Academies Oliver Field, located on at the intersection of Indiana 10 and 117.
The all-night event will feature Indianapolis Colts placekicker Adam Vinatieri for the second consecutive year. Vinatieri will speak at the survivor dinner preceding the Relay, attend the opening ceremony, and walk the first lap. New this year will be a fireworks show after dusk provided by Mad Bomber Fireworks Productions, according to Co-chairman Kyle Blankenship, a Crown Point, Ind., senior.
Today on “Ted Hayes Remembers” Louise and the late Alt Williams will talk about those carefree days at Bass Lake.
Louise Williams was a Chicago girl, but dad wanted his kids out of the city in the summer. So he bought a place at Bass Lake and his wife and children ran the restaurant and resort during the week, and he came out on the weekend. Louise Williams tells us what it was like.
“It was a super place to be,” she said. “It was quiet. The only noise you would hear was the oars in the water from rowing boats, maybe sails in the wind. There were a lot of barrel rafts that we enjoyed just laying and lulling on and diving off of. It was the days of outside johns and kerosene cook stoves. I recall walking to Ruth Fishburn’s store to get kerosene for my mother in two gallon jugs and the trip back was always longer than the trip going there. There was always the joy when someone you knew would stop and offer a ride. The walk was enjoyable because you knew all the people within that mile and you stop and gab. I’d even goof off and play with a girlfriend for a while. It seems to me that those days were much slower and summers were longer.”
A jury of 8 men and four women has returned a guilty verdict on 6 of the seven charges against John Brooke in Starke Circuit
Court. The trial was conducted in front of Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall.
A stoic John Brooke heard the guilty verdict given, while friends and family in the gallery wept.
He was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Intimidation, Possession and Manufacturing Destructive Devices, Resisting Law Enforcement,
Unlawful Use of Body Armour, and Assisting a Criminal.
The only count he was found not guilty on was a seventh charge, possession of a destructive device.
Sentencing has been set by Judge Hall for May 12th. at 10:00.
Brooke was part of a potentially deadly situation at Bass Lake in February of 2010 in which an occupant in his home opened fire on Starke County Police officers who were trying to serve an Illinois warrant. Michael Drogosz, the shooter in that incident was sentenced to a lengthy prison term in August.
We’ll have more information in the morning.
The trial of John Brooke continued Wednesday morning in Starke Circuit Court. The Prosecution called its first witness of the day to the stand: Starke County Detective Ron Lawson. Lawson testified that he had been called to a shooting incident on Summerholme Drive at Bass Lake and received a briefing from officers on the scene. He also said that he had interviewed John Brooke on three separate interviews to correct or understand discrepancies between interviews with Brooke, Michael Drogosz, and Kimberly Hitchens, who were also involved in the incident.
According to Knox Mayor Rick Chambers the City has had to stop accepting waste water from MPI. The company and the City have run into problems that have not been solved yet. Kelly Clemons, the Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent talked about the problem.
“Basically, the problem is that the detergents that they’re giving us is just more than what our system can handle,” explained Clemons. “Our Treatment Plant is just too small to handle the amounts they have with the growth they’ve had over the years.”
Here is the Capital Assets Study as presented to the Commissioners and Council by RQAW Consulting Engineers and Architects of Indianapolis:
The jail is in need of immediate renovation to upgrade and update systems. Currently the roof requires replacement and there are problems with one of the roof top air handling units. The lighting has been upgraded since our inspections took place.
The jail is overcrowded and in need of expanded capacity.
This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators week and we have been hearing from dispatchers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. Today, Sue Fox, Chief Dispatcher at the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, tells us about the dispatchers there.
“We have ten dispatchers and they are all EMD certified for Emergency Medical Dispatching and they will take care of all pre-arrival instructions for a person who calls in needing assistance from 9-1-1,” explained Sue Fox. “We also receive quite a bit of paperwork from the court, whether it be warrants or civil papers, and we process those papers and distribute them to the proper locations.”
This is Autism Awareness Month and Linda Trent of Toto has been guiding us through the world of autism. She is the grandmother of two autistic grandchildren.
Linda says the thing that parents and autistic children mostly need is help and support.
“If you do know somebody that has autistic children, offer to help because it’s difficult,” explained Trent. “In the case of my daughter, she has a sister and me and that’s about all the help she has. Now that I have my oldest grandson going into high school, I’ve had the sad fact of seeing people drop them as friends because they can’t take a child that’s making a lot of noise or they won’t overlook a quirk or something. We all have quirks and it’s not something the child can help. It’s sad, but sometimes they do recognize that they’re different.”
An agreement between the City of Knox and Dean Wells has been reached on a building owned by Mr. Wells across from City Hall. Originally, Mr. Wells had offered the building and adjoining parking area to the City for $125,000. After securing two appraisals on the property, it was determined the City could offer no more than the average of the two which was $103,250. Mayor Rick Chambers announced that Mr. Wells would accept that price.
On “Ted Hayes Remembers” this week, Ted will be talking with Louise and the late Alt Williams about Bass Lake.
As a girl, Louise Rubbi’s family was at the lake because her mom and dad ran a summer resort called Forget Me Not.
The vacationers would flock to the lake for the week, the month, or all summer long. Nick Rubbi instructed them to go to the LaSalle Station and take the train to Starke County.
Alt Williams’ family was from Kentucky, but it didn’t take long for young Alton to take to the water at Bass Lake.
Twenty years ago, Mark Chizum, of Argos, “hit it big.”
On this date in 1991, Mark was one of two winners of a $10 million dollar lotto drawing. He was a $5.00 to $10.00 player every week and at the time, he was a laid-off truck driver who had been on unemployment since November of 1990.
The day of the pay-off just happened to be Mark’s birthday.
His advice at the time for other players, “Keep trying. It’s there to win.”
Master golfer, Freddie Bauer, of Monterey, is back from Florida, but not before registering his 10th hole-in-one before leaving. He hit his 10th at a course in Sebring. It was a 155 yard, par three hole, and he used a six iron.
He got his first one on Labor Day in 1969 at the Plymouth Country Club and has that first ball. Freddie reports that he has not kept any of the following nine balls. Since 2009, he has recorded four hole-in-ones.
The trial of John Brooke continued this morning in Starke Circuit Court. The first witness called to the stand was Starke County Detective Ron Lawson. Lawson testified that he had been called to a shooting incident on Summerholme Drive at Bass Lake and received a briefing from officers on the scene. He testified that he had interviewed John Brooke on three separate interviews to correct or understand discrepancies given by Brooke.
Lawson testified that Brooke was given a waiver of rights form which was signed and Brooke’s attorney was contacted and Lawson was given permission to interview John Brooke. Lawson testified he had also contacted the ATF, FBI and Homeland Security due to the nature of the weaponry and explosives found at the scene and the possible existence of a local militia being involved.
The Detective testified that he had searched a vehicle Brooke was driving and a 308 sniper-type rifle was recovered with a scope.
The trial continues today and is expected to go to the jury by Thursday.
The trial of John Brooke continued into its second day, and, at the request of the Prosecution, the jury heard statements from James Reed. Reed is one of the men involved in the Bass Lake shootout and who was sentenced to ten years in prison for Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery. Special Agent Katherine Newby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms also testified.
“Starke County has to have a road map, we can’t pay everything out of the Cummulative Cap fund,” said Starke County Commission President Dan Bridegroom to open this week’s Capital Asset Management work session.
He and Council President, Mark Smith, assembled members of both bodies to consider the preliminary report from the consulting firm hired to identify Starke County’s short and long term needs.
This week we are recognizing emergency services dispatchers during National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
WKVI’s Anita Goodan stopped at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and had the chance to speak to dispatcher, Jana Manning who has been at the Sheriff’s Department for 23 years.
Starke County has a new Sanitarian working out of the Health Department. Chris Dalton of rural Knox was selected from 20 applicants to fill the position of David Singleton who recently retired.
According to Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Alexander, Dalton has installed septic systems, and is familiar with reading codes. He is already on the job having spent the first couple of days with the Building Inspector. Today, he will be going over procedures with the Indiana Department of Health Regional Resource officer.
Alexander said she was “pleased” that the office has been able to hire such a qualified and personable applicant.
The North Judson Police Department investigated vandalism and damage to property at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum.
On Wednesday, April 6th, officer Dennis Fornelli located three juvenile males on the grounds of the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, in and around the train cars. After a short time, the three were picked up and transported to their respective parents. The following morning, the volunteers at the Museum reported to officer Joe Budner that several train cars, the building, and equipment had been vandalized and damaged. Many windows were broken out as well. Police returned and conducted interviews with the three juveniles and learned they had done the damage. A complete investigative report was furnished to the Starke County Probation Department and the Prosecutor’s Office requesting charges and restitution from the juveniles.
The staff at the Starke County Environmental Management Office will be sending out annual assessment bills today. A coupon for the environmental collection event April 27th-30th will be included with the notice.
The event will be held at the Starke County Highway Garage on U.S. 35, north of Knox. Appliances, computers, computers, televisions, hazardous waste, medications, fluorescent lamps and PCB ballasts and tires will be accepted at this event. Visit the ad on this website for specific times and product limits. The event is for Starke County residents only.
If you have not received your bill by Tuesday, April 19th, call the Starke County Environmental Management Office at (574) 772-7865.
