Knox City Police Chief Harold Smith submitted a request to add reserve officers to the police force at Wednesday morning’s Board of Works meeting.
He informed them, “Reserve officers are unpaid officers who volunteer their time to help their community and they must complete state-mandated training and continue training through the police department.” Continue reading
The annexation ordinance involving parcels at 17664 State Road 17 and 19456 State Road 10 in Culver is tabled. Thomas Beste recently requested that action in a written notice to the Culver Town Council. Two readings of the ordinance have unanimously passed, but the third reading will be on hold.
This decision comes after the council rejected the first reading of an ordinance that would rezone those 71 acres as a Planned Unit Development for a housing development and gas station. Several residents spoke out in a lengthy public hearing earlier this month against the proposed gas station on the north side of State Road 10.
A Knox man was sentenced per the terms of a plea agreement in a hearing in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon.
Frank Matkovich admitted to Judge Kim Hall that he was driving under the influence of alcohol while his license was forfeited for life in the area of McGill and Washington Streets in Knox on July 18, 2017. He said a police officer recognized him behind the wheel of his vehicle knowing that he had a suspended driver’s license.
A few residents attended the Hamlet Town Council meeting this week to complain about the number of loose dogs in town.
The complaints are an extension from a February meeting where two residents reported their concerns about dogs that appear to be vicious. They don’t feel safe around their homes with the dogs hanging around the neighborhoods.
Starke County Community Services recently received a plethora of food donations thanks to the “Bluegrass Jam” event hosted by the City of Knox on March 25th.
At Tuesday night’s Knox City Council meeting Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston mentioned that the entry fee for the event was a food donation. Although he didn’t have an exact number for how much food was collected, he said the event was very well attended. He added that many people also provided compliments about the upgrades to the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center.
During his report, Houston also filled members in on the Starke County Economic Development Foundation Community Retreat that he attended with Mayor Dennis Estok and Councilman Jeff Berg. Continue reading
Candidates in the May Primary Election are starting to get out in the public to attempt to collect supporters. Officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation urge candidates and campaign assistants to keep campaign signs out of the state’s right-of-way.
Signs are not permitted in intersections, interchanges or rights-of-way that run parallel to highways. Where the right-of-way is not clearly marked, boundaries may be estimated as the fence line, the back of a ditch or behind utility poles.
Spring leaf pick-up will be starting soon in the City of Knox.
The Mayor’s Office recently sent out a notice, announcing that the leaf pick-up will begin on April 2nd and run until April 6th. Pick-ups will take place again from April 30th through May 4th.
Branches and limbs will be picked up the Knox Street Department each Thursday.
Residents should place all leaves in front of their residence in a long row next to the curb on the street, not by the alley. Also be sure to clear any trash out of your piles so the vacuum will be able to pick up the leaves. Continue reading
A traffic stop in the 2500 E. block of 150 S. in Knox resulted in two arrests late Thursday night.
A North Judson woman was arrested late Thursday night after a traffic stop in the area of State Road 39 and 50 E. in North Judson.
Deputies from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department pulled over the vehicle for an alleged speeding violation. Police say the two people in the vehicle switched spots when the deputy was approaching the vehicle.
Autopsy results in a double homicide investigation in Pulaski County have been released.
A Starke man was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Thursday afternoon after a jury found him guilty of domestic battery as a Level 6 felony in a jury trial earlier this month.
The jury found that David Spohn battered his then-wife after an argument in their home on May 30, 2017. He punched her in the head, causing her to fall. He then held her down and continued to hit her resulting in a fracture in her back and a contusion on one of her ribs. This incident was witnessed by a child.
The Starke County Justice Center gardening program continues to grow!
According to Therapeutic Community Coordinator and Jail Warden Phil Cherry, the garden has quadrupled in size since last year. Justice Center has received multiple awards for the garden and the program in the three years since it’s been implemented.
Despite the dreary weather Thursday morning, a handful of trustees were out planting some “cold weather” items such as onions and potatoes. Though only about 6 inmates were working on this task, Warden Cherry shared that anywhere from 30 to 40 individuals will eventually be involved. Continue reading
Two state roads are back open now that flood waters have receded.
The Indiana Department of Transportation opened State Road 39 between State Road 10 and U.S. 30 and State Road 8 between U.S. 35 and State Road 39. The roads were closed when high water from historic flooding intruded on the roadways in late February. The roads were closed for a longer stretch as testing was conducted to determine the extent of damage on and under the Continue reading
A La Porte County home was destroyed by a fire early Thursday morning.
Firefighters from the Scipio Township and Kingsbury Volunteer Fire Departments, and La Porte County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at 3251 S. Long Lane around 4 a.m. CT where they found the structure engulfed in flames.
Three Starke County residents were arrested late Wednesday evening after a search warrant was executed by officers at a home in the 11,000 E. block of Division Road in Starke County.
Additional court dates will be set on Monday, May 7, for a Winamac man charged with two counts of murder.
Ross Stacy, 32, was arrested on Saturday, March 10, as a suspect in the death of his father, 59-year-old Loss Stacy, and 56-year-old Mary Kurek, of Gary. Police say Kurek was the girlfriend of Loss Stacy.
Knox Board of Works members approved a bid from the fire apparatus manufacturer Toyne, Inc when they met Wednesday morning.
Toyne was the only company to submit a bid on time and their proposal listed a cost of $579,334.71 for an available pumper truck. The bid came in about $20,665 less than the expected price of $600,000. Continue reading
Citizens interested in getting a little bit of “voting practice” in prior to the May Primary Election will be pleased to hear that a test voting day will be held next week.
The upcoming public test for voting machines was discussed during Wednesday morning’s Starke County Election Board meeting. Starke County Clerk Vicki Cooley said the test is being held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3rd. Continue reading
Medaryville Town Council members held the final reading over two ordinances related to election procedures when they met last week.
Clerk-Treasurer Judy Harwood explained that town council members were considering these ordinances in order to adjust term lengths. She said the switch will have a positive impact on the cost of running an election.
She stated, “What they’re trying to do is get on the presidential elections and then there’s no cost to the town if they do that.” Continue reading
Officials with the Town of Hamlet are waiting patiently for the Community Crossings project to begin.
