The monthly revenue report for the month of July for the state of Indiana finds that general revenues totaled $1.113 billion, which is $4 million above target and $101 million above last year at this time.
Sales tax collections and individual income tax collections were up from July 2011.
The state’s general revenues need to increase less than 2.2 percent to meet the most recent forecast for fiscal year 2013.
The Starke County Commissioners have once again lifted the county’s burn ban.
The recent rains have improved conditions and residents are now allowed to safely burn debris, but must follow the county’s burn ordinance which states what people can and can not legally burn. A copy of this ordinance can be found here.
After the Starke County Sheriff’s Department received a flood of calls reporting five horses in the roadway on Sunday night, the animals were seized and are being cared for. Now the owner is facing charges of cruelty to animals.
At least two of the loose horses appeared emaciated and unkempt, and the five animals had escaped their pen and were walking in the middle of the road. They were picked up by the sheriff’s department and are now being cared for by the Starke County Sheriff’s Posse.
County Prosecutor Nick Bourff says the large commotion created by the concerned citizens who made the calls out of concern for the animals’ well-being is what prompted the sheriff’s department to take action and seize the animals.
Bourff says this is the first time they have filed any charges on the owners of these five animals.
A Knox man was arrested after he allegedly broke into a home in Knox on Saturday.
A resident living in the 1800 block of County Road 300 East in Knox called the Starke County Sheriff’s Department to report that an unknown person broke into her home and stole several items. The shed on the property had also been broken into and a lawn tractor was stolen. The lawn tractor was later found in a shed at a residence near the crime scene.
Officers obtained a search warrant for that residence and on Monday, the items that were reported stolen were recovered. Patrick Sullivan, 36, was at the home at the time the search warrant was conducted and was taken into custody. Sullivan has preliminary charges of Theft and Receiving Stolen Property.
The City of Knox continues to clean up from the ferocious storm on July 24.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers says the city is trying to keep up with brush pick-up, but with the street department’s regular duties and the brush overload, an outside contractor has been hired to aid the street department in brush pick-up.
Brush in the alleys will be picked up last as the street department sifts through the debris. Mayor Chambers says the brush in the alleys may be left until next month. He asks that residents be patient while clean-up continues in the city.
A fundraiser to help a fund that puts musical instruments in the hands of future musicians will be held Saturday, August 4. The fund is “Drew’s Gift”, which was set up by the late Drew Shearin’s family. His mother, Deb Johnson, talks about what we can expect during Saturday’s event.
“It is at the Washington Township Fire Department and doors will open at 2 p.m.,” said Johnson. “We’re having a hog roast, live music, a live auction, a motorcycle ride and a truck ride. You can go on the website drewshearinmusic.com and all of the information is there.”
A Tennessee man was arrested Wednesday in Marshall County after a traffic stop for an initial cause of an equipment violation.
A deputy with the sheriff’s department conducted the traffic stop on U.S. 30 East near Elm Road. The officer found that 51-year-old Wendell A. Cordell, Jr. of McDonald, Tenn., was driving on a suspended license and that he was in possession of a .45 caliber handgun, a small amount of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
He was arrested at the scene on preliminary charges of Possession of Marijuana and Possession of a Handgun without a License. Formal charges are pending through the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Starke County TRIAD has a tough decision before them regarding the fate of the organization. TRIAD Treasurer Joan Haugh says they will soon decide whether to disband the organization entirely or join the LaPorte County TRIAD, and she says members appear to be leaning toward disbanding.
Haugh says that even if the organization is discontinued, many programs and services offered by the agency would fall on the shoulders of Community Services of Starke County. She says the File of Life program and Beacon Flashers program would continue, and Community Services would still provide seniors with advice about the latest scams and frauds. She says they would also work with the Starke County Environmental Management Agency and the DEA in establishing pill drops throughout the year.
While some members of TRIAD have not yet voiced their votes on whether to disband or join LaPorte County, Haugh says they will likely make the decision at the agency’s next meeting.
For more information on TRIAD or Community Services, contact Haugh at (574) 772-7070.
Gas prices in Indiana are once again on the rise, but this time it seems to be only affecting the Great Lakes region. The average price of gas in Indiana has risen to $3.83 per gallon, while the national average is only up slightly at $3.55.
According to GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan, this regional increase is due to a number of issues plaguing the Great Lakes oil industry.
A 13-year-old boy has been found and returned home safely after he was reported missing in Starke County at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police say that James A. Chapman left his home in the 5000 East block of 100 North through a bedroom window and was seen a short time later, approximately one-quarter of a mile east of his residence.
Family and friends were contacted but no one had seen him for several hours after he was discovered missing. The Starke County Sheriff’s Department released a runaway report at 6 p.m. last evening.
The sheriff’s department announced that he was returned home safely before 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The Indiana Department of Transportation is working on three different projects in the Starke County area.
Crews are removing tree debris on State Road 8 between State Road 39 and U.S. 35. The debris was caused by the storms that roared through the area on Tuesday, July 24. Travel is restricted to one lane and this project could continue through the week.
State Road 39 between State Road 8 and U.S. 30 is closed during the day for pipe replacement. The road is open at night, and this project is expected to continue for the next two weeks.
Crews are also resurfacing U.S. 35 between the U.S. 30 intersection and U.S. 6. Chip and seal work is expected to continue through the week. Drivers are asked to proceed on that road with caution, as loose gravel will be present.
The last Starke County Jail Committee public meeting was held last night at the North Judson-San Pierre High School Auditorium. Commission President Kathy Norem was asked what kinds of questions residents have been asking about the proposed jail project.
“Most of the questions centered around the financing and how the figure was derived,” commented Norem. “There weren’t too many questions asked about the jail itself. The questions were mainly about the financing.”
A Knox business has hit a bit of a setback in the wake of the July 24 storms. NITLine CEO Jerry Shepherd approached the city council this week seeking “immediate approval” to establish a wireless internet tower on the city’s water tower. He said this is an emergency case because his tower near the NITLine building on Main Street had been critically damaged in the storms, and he needs to get his internet service up and running as soon as possible for his customers.
Shepherd requested approval to mount an antenna on the East Street water tower because of its central location. Several antennas have already been mounted on the water tower, including the Knox Community Schools communication equipment and a number of antennas for DC Technologies. Shepherd said his antenna would have no conflicts with the current equipment, and he says the liability would be covered.
A Plymouth man was arrested in Knox early Sunday after stolen property was reportedly found in his vehicle.
A Knox police officer received a call of a fight outside a bar in downtown Knox. When the officer arrived on scene, Timothy Abair ran from him and was later taken into custody on preliminary charges of Public Intoxication and Resisting Law Enforcement. Abair had asked a friend to secure his car until things got straightened out.
In the meantime, the Starke County Sheriff’s Department had received two theft calls from the downtown area. Police were alerted that some of the stolen items were in a vehicle parked downtown. After an investigation, officers determined that the stolen stereo equipment was in Abair’s vehicle.
Abair, 22, was additionally charged with Theft. Formal charges are pending with the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office.
Two Knox residents were arrested Tuesday on drug charges.
A deputy from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department reportedly received a text message from an unknown person asking about a drug transaction. The text reportedly talked about selling methamphetamine, and police say the message requested to meet the subject at the Knox Post Office. Officers from the Knox City Police Department arrived on scene and waited for the transaction to take place. When it was complete, officers moved in and arrested 53-year-old Tony Clemons and 44-year-old Deborah Clemons of Knox on a preliminary charge of Dealing Methamphetamine.
Multiple bags of methamphetamine were found in their possession.
A search warrant was executed that allowed officers from the Knox City Police Department to arrest two on drug charges.
Officers received information about narcotics being sold at a residence in Knox and, with that information, the officers applied for a search warrant. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall signed the search warrant and it was executed Tuesday afternoon at 1560 S. 300 E. in Knox.
As a result of that search, police found an indoor marijuana growing operation and the suspects in the case were found to be in possession of marijuana.
Justin Back, 28, and Mitchell Thompson, 28, of Knox were arrested on preliminary charges of Dealing in Marijuana and Possession of Marijuana.
The State Board of Animal Health is taking extra precautions in carefully examining pigs being unloaded at the Indiana State Fair – this after several pigs were found with symptoms of influenza A at the LaPorte and Monroe county fairs. The pigs are being thoroughly monitored and examined before being allowed to enter the swine barn.
Four people were sickened at the LaPorte County Fair after they had reportedly come into direct contact with the animals, and confirmed test results indicate the cause as a variant of the influenza A virus. Humans and swine alike tested positive for the virus, and officials say the virus was directly transmitted from the infected animals.
An internal investigation is being conducted into allegations of how an inmate was injured in the Starke County Jail.
Starke County Sheriff Oscar Cowen confirmed that an inmate was injured while incarcerated in the jail. Luther Lovins had been arrested by North Judson police on July 12 for a charge of Disorderly Conduct. He was released on July 26.
A Starke Circuit Court jury trial has been continued in the case of Christopher Stonebraker, who has been charged with Rape as a Class B Felony and Domestic Battery, a Class D Felony.
Stonebraker was arrested on Nov. 28, 2011, and it is alleged that he raped his ex-wife and pushed her head into a wall, causing her tooth to chip. The probable cause affidavit stated that he also scratched her back in the presence of two children. Stonebraker was arrested by an officer from the Indiana State Police and taken to the Starke County Jail.
There were some issues with the discovery documents and the defense requested the continuance. The case will be tried in Starke Circuit court in October.
Uprooted trees, downed power lines, fences torn asunder – this is just some of the damage at Wythogan Park in the wake of the July 24 storms.
The park has been closed as a result of the devastation, and Park Superintendent George Byer urges residents to stay away. He says the risk of injury is too great to enter the park, because there are a lot of branches dangling by a thread that could fall at any moment.
