Orientation for newly elected officials in Starke County will be held Tuesday, December 21st, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. A tentative agenda will be emailed to all existing department heads who are invited to attend.
New Council members are David Pearman, Mitchell Semans, Anthony Radkiewicz, and Marvin McLaughlin. They will be going into office after January 1st. Also invited to attend is newly elected Prosecutor, Nicholas Bourff.
Students in the Culver Community School District are motivated this year to help make a wish come true for two families of terminally ill students. This is the second year the students have been involved in a Make-A-Wish effort. Last year they raised $3,667 after pledging $150 to make a New Carlisle boy’s wish come true.
It’s always worth the drive. The folks in Pulaski, Indiana go all out for Christmas and again this year the lights are up for viewing.
Don’t miss the Gilsinger-Hialeah race track at Brenda and Paul Gilsinger’s house.
Gilsinger Implement has always been one of the proud sponsors of Reindeer Racing on WKVI and he sets up the racetrack, with the reindeer on the lawn.
WKVI’s Ted Hayes was part of a program that honored grandparents at the Monterey Elementary School this week. Grandparents were allowed to go to class with their grandchildren and tour the building.
The trial of Gerald Broude is scheduled to continue today in Starke Circuit Court. Broude is charged with four counts of molestation. The alleged acts occurred in 2008.
It’s December and it’s the time of year when Ted Hayes’ favorite music is played. He loves Christmas music and for that reason, he placed a call to former Plymouth resident, Amy Ward, to find out about her newest Christmas album.
“There’s a couple of Christmas classics that I put my little spin on like ‘Let it Snow’. It’s kind of a singer-songwriter accoustic laid-back version,” she said. “Then I did kind of an African arrangement for ‘Little Drummer Boy’. At the end is another classic, ‘Jingle Bells’, where I did a shortened jazz rendition of the song. It’s a very Marilyn Monroe type of style.”
If you go to Amy’s website, you’ll be able to contact her and find out how you can own a copy of the release. Amy is the daughter of WKVI Account Executive, Patty Norwick, and the granddaughter of the late Doris Norman.
The Starke County Election Board has scheduled a post election meeting for Friday, December 10th, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. in the 2nd floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse.
The Board, consisting of President Pat Mitchell, Vice President Jim Henriott and Clerk Evelyn Skronski, will review the 2010 election, make plans for the 2011 City Election and approve election workers. The public is invited to attend the meeting.
A representative of Congressman Joe Donnelly’s office will hold office hours in Starke County on Wednesday, December 8th from 12:30-1:30 p.m. CT.
All members of the public are invited to attend and present questions and concerns to Congressman Donnelly. Office hours will be held in the 2nd floor meeting room in the Starke County Courthouse
November 30th marked the expiration of the five federally funded extensions of unemployment (EEUC and EB). Approximately 90,000 Hoosiers are currently receiving federally funded extended benefits.
Eligible individuals will receive benefits for the weeks they have remaining on their regular state Unemployment (UI) and the four federal extensions (EEUC), but will not begin the next tier of benefits after November 30th, 2010. DWD estimates about 4,000 Hoosiers per week will exhaust their benefits and thus not have a voucher to file beginning Sunday, December 5th, 2010.
The staff at the LaPorte County Jail are in the process of treating an infestation of scabies within the Jail.
Scabies is caused by an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite and common symptoms are intense itching and a pimple-like skin rash. Scabies can spread rapidly under crowded conditions where close body contact is frequent. Institutions such as nursing homes, extended-care facilities and prisons are often sites of scabies outbreaks.
The Indiana State Prison in Michigan City is having a Sesquicentennial Celebration on Thursday, December 9th in the facility’s Religious Services Center at 9:00 a.m. CT.
The Indiana State Prison is home to nearly 1,800 maximum security adult males and 300 minimum security males. The State Prison was established in 1860 as the second state prison in Indiana. The Prison Board purchased 100 acres of land from Chauncey Blair for $4,500 in 1860 and the first 100 inmates from Jeffersonville, Indiana were housed in a temporary brick building surrounded by a wooden fence.
Indiana State Police, at the Lowell District, recently released statistics for the month of October.
Troopers issued 1,410 traffic citations and wrote 3,071 traffic warnings. Troopers also arrested 50 drunk drivers and made 93 criminal arrests. Lowell District includes Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Pulaski and Starke Counties.
The Indiana State Police offers these safety tips for the holiday shopping season: Stay alert and be aware of what’s going on around you. Park in a well-lighted area and be sure to lock your car. Use extra caution when walking to and from your car, preferably with a friend and avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay with a check or credit card whenever possible. If you notice suspicious activity when you are shopping, contact the store’s security department or the nearest police agency.
Knox City Police officers arrested two Knox residents on methamphetamine related charges.
On Friday, November 26th, Knox City Police were notified of possible methamphetamine activity at 424 W. Maple Drive in Knox. Police arrived at that location and asked the homeowner, Robert James, if they could search the residence. Police then asked a resident in the home, Carl Daughtery, if they could search the residence. Both consented to a search. Knox City Police Officers reportedly found items in Daughtery’s room that are commonly used with the manufacture of methamphetamine and remnants of the finished product. Receipts for the items were also found in Daughtery’s room.
Carl Daughtery was arrested on preliminary charges of Possession of an Illegal drug Lab and Possession of Methamphetamine. Daughtery’s wife, Stephanie Daughtery, was also arrested and has preliminary charges of Possession of Illegal Drug Lab, Possession of Methamphetamine and Resisting Law Enforcement. Stephanie had gone to another location after police arrived at the home.
A third person has been arrested in an investigation into several burglary incidents that occurred in Koontz Lake in March. An arrest warrant had been issued for Haven Ewing, 20, of Koontz Lake and Starke County police located and arrested him on Monday, November 22nd. Ewing has been charged with seven counts of Burglary, with each count classified as a Class B Felony.
Answering questions about The Great Depression, the North Judson-San Pierre Academic Decathlon Team finished in fifth place in the Northwest Hoosier Academic Conference Decathlon competition at Kankakee Valley High School on Saturday, November 20th. The team finished first in the Oral Super Quiz, Team Super Quiz and Music.
The Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad and the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department are seeking information leading to the arrest and conviction of two thieves that stole locomotive horns from railroad locomotives at the LaCrosse Ballpark.
The incident happened on Sunday, November 21st between 9:00-10:00 p.m. CT. If you have any information, contact the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department at (219) 326-7700 or the Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad at (765) 825-0316. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of these unknown suspects.
The members of the Starke County Historical Society are inviting the public to a Christmas Open House on Sunday, December 5th at the Starke County Museum at 401 South Main Street in Knox. Ed Hasnerl and his guests will lead the visitors in Christmas carols. The Open House is from 1:00-3:00 p.m. CT with singing at 2:00 p.m.
Santa Claus is coming to the Henry F. Schricker Public Library in Knox on Saturday, December 11th from 1:00-2:00 p.m. CT.
Children will listen to a story about Santa, visit with Santa, and receive a treat from Santa. While you are waiting to visit with Santa, join in the Saint Lucia Day celebration. Make a Saint Lucia craft, listen to stories, and enjoy a traditional Saint Lucia treat.
Call the Library to RSVP your visit, (574) 772-7323 and ask for the Children’s Department.
Twelve firefighters from Washington Township Fire Department participated in the 2010 State Firefighter I/II course. The course started in May and finished Sunday, November 14th. Firefighters met two days a week for lectures and hands-on activities.
The course covered topics such as fire service history, health and safety, fire behavior, ropes and knots, extrication, water supply, fire control, communications, fire prevention, public education and emergency medical care. Chief Stuart Short, Lt. David Emigh, James Coad, Josh Ream, Bill Lehiy, Chad Lehiy, TJ Reiss, Wallace (Boz) Williams, Corry Williams, Rookie Cody Williams, Rookie Terry Fawley, and Rookie Geary Manuel participated in the program.
K9 Officer Chad Keen and K9 Marco appeared at the recent Knox City Council meeting. Officer Keen recently finished training with K9 Marco at the Von Liche Kennels in Denver, Indiana. Marco detects all types of narcotics and can trackpeople as well. Marco is a two-year-old Belgian Tervuren and met the Knox City Council for the first time at the Council’s meeting on November 23rd. This is the third K9 to be part of the Knox City Police Department.
The final walk-through was done at the Wastewater Treatment Facility to close out the City’s grant for that rehabilitation project. A curb needs to be replaced and then the project will be complete.
The Council also got a tonnage report on the refuse and recycling service from the garbage contractors. In July, 137 tons was the highest amount of refuse collected in 2010. The lowest amount of refuse collected was in January at 83.6 tons. 27.2 tons of recyclable material was collected in July, the most collected in 2010.
