Shawn Heck Sentenced To Eight Years For Dealing Methamphetamine

Posted on Author WKVI
Shawn Heck

Shawn Heck was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Thursday.

Heck pleaded guilty to a charge of Dealing in Methamphetamine in a plea agreement which Judge Hall accepted. Heck will serve eight years on that Class B Felony charge with none of that sentence suspended in the Indiana Department of Corrections. Upon his completion of the CLIFF program and serving a mandatory six years of that term, he may apply for a modification of that sentence. He was ordered to pay a $200 drug interdiction fee. As part of his plea agreement, charges of Possession of Precursors and Possession of Methamphetamine were dropped.

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Plymouth Teen Arrested For Manufacturing Counterfeit Cash

Posted on Author WKVI

A Plymouth teen was arrested Friday after an investigation by the Plymouth Police Department.

Police received a phone call from Walmart employees stating that a young man had just purchased items using counterfeit money. The suspect 19-year-old Dakota Vandall, was detained at the store and police discussed the incident with him.

Police reportedly found 11 counterfeit $20 bills in his possession. During questioning, Vandall allegedly admitted that he had copied some twenty dollar bills to make the counterfeit bills. The act was performed at his residence where police found two more counterfeit bills.

Vandall was arrested on a preliminary charge of Forgery/Counterfeiting. He was taken to the Marshall County Jail and placed under a $5,000 cash bond.

Knox High School Continues To Offer Free Breakfast and Lunch

Posted on Author WKVI

A few Knox High School students are involved in the second session of summer school, and High School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff said summer school has been going well.

“We have a lot of classes going on at the high school,” said Ratliff. “We also want to remind you that we do have free lunch or breakfast for any individual under 18 going on at the high school. They can come in and get a complimentary lunch or breakfast. If you have visitors in town, we’d welcome you here.”

Breakfast and lunch will be served at the high school Monday, July 23 through Thursday July 26. Breakfast is served from 7 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT.

Starke County 4-H Fair Comes To an End Tomorrow

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County 4-H Fair is coming to a close after a week of fun, heat, and 4-H success.

The garden tractor pull begins today at 8:30 a.m., Kid’s Day Registration is at 10 a.m. in the Show Arena, the 4-H rocket launch will be at 1 p.m. at the Starke County Airport and the Pet Fun Run is at 2 p.m., sponsored by the Starke County Humane Society.

The fair officially closes tomorrow at 5 p.m. with the Hamlet Fire Department’s truck and tractor pull.

Winamac Power from the Past Continues Today

Posted on Author WKVI

The Winamac Power from the Past show continues today in the Winamac Town Park.

On display are Ford and Fordson Tractors, machinery, and tools. Starting at 10 a.m. today and tomorrow, visitors can enjoy viewing antiques and collectibles, a quilt show, flea market, antique motorcycles, shingle mill, tractor games, wheat weaving and crosscut saw contests.

“Over Due” will perform tonight at 8 p.m. and there will be a spark show after the horse pull in the steam engine area.

More great features are set for tomorrow. Admission is $3.

Art Dominates Henry F. Schricker Public Library

Posted on Author WKVI
Wesley Dolinski and Darius Mirza sit surrounded by art on display at the library.

Visitors to the Henry F. Schricker Public Library may have noticed a bit of a change about the place, as the lobby is now plastered with all kinds of art, courtesy of artists Wesley Dolinski and Darius Mirza.

Sculptures, photographs, and paintings are on display at the library. Dolinski explained that most of the work was done by him and Mirza, but three or four pieces on display were purchased from art teachers of his past. More than 40 pieces are being displayed.

Photographer Darius Mirza says when he moved to America in 2006, he tried to capture the urban life settings of big cities such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, but he also wanted to share some other settings as well, such as European architecture and landscapes. As a result, his photography collection – and many of his works on display – include images from Switzerland, Romania, and other countries.

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Week in Review for July 16-20, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

Here is a look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week.

47-year-old Debra Clemons of Francesville was arrested Thursday, July 12 after she was found to be intoxicated and her autistic son was found walking along U.S. 421 after midnight. A Pulaski County deputy walked alongside the boy on U.S. 421 until a family member could be contacted to pick up the boy. After the boy was picked up, the officer went to his home and found his intoxicated mother, Debra Clemons, where she told police that she was out looking for her son and didn’t know how he got out of the house. She was arrested on a preliminary charge of Neglect of a Dependent.  Continue reading →

Fatal Accident Under Investigation In La Porte County

Posted on Author WKVI

The La Porte County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team is currently investigating a fatal two-car accident that occurred on Joliet Road, west of Wozniak Road.

Police were summoned to the scene around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday and discovered that Katherine Atkins, 26, of Valparaiso, was dead and three children in her vehicle were injured. Two of those children sustained critical injuries, one with brain swelling and bruising, and were taken to IU Health La Porte Hospital. One was later transferred to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, while the other was taken to Saint Anthony Memorial Hospital in Michigan City.

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Dale Hite Sentenced To 30 Years in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Dale Hite

It was an emotional day for the family of Amber McMillin and Nicholas White as Dale Hite was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Thursday afternoon.

McMillin and White had been killed in a car accident with Hite as the driver. On October 16, 2009, officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department were investigating a call of someone manufacturing methamphetamine and when officers arrived on scene and began searching for evidence, a vehicle approached the residence and then suddenly sped from the scene which was approximately one quarter mile north of County Road 600 North on County Road 700 East in Grovertown. As police pursued the vehicle on 600 North, the vehicle’s headlights turned off and all the officer could see was the taillights. The vehicle then went off the road at 10320 East 600 North and ran into some trees. Police indicate that the vehicle was traveling 124 miles per hour at the time of the crash. Amber McMillin and Nicholas White, both of Plymouth, were ejected from the vehicle and died of injuries at the scene. Police found that Dale Hite, who was also injured in that incident, had been driving the vehicle and police found methamphetamine in Hite’s pants pocket.

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Prominent Starke County Community Member Passes Away

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County is mourning the loss of a prominent community member who passed away this week. Michael Haugh of North Judson, 73, devoted his life to the service of others, building upon the communities in which he lived to improve the quality of life for his neighbors and everyone in the community.

Haugh moved to North Judson with his wife Joan and their four children in 1971, but before then he served the Highland community through different organizations. He was a board member for the community hospital in Munster, the parish council of Our Lady of Grace, and he was a member of the Sanitary District of Highland, the Jaycees, and the YMCA. In fact, in 1971, Haugh was named the Outstanding Young Man of the Year by the Jaycees.

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Knox-Center Township Fire Department Receives Equipment Donation

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox-Center Township Fire Department recently received a piece of equipment from Starke County Farm Bureau and the Starke County Co-Op. Fire Chief Kenny Pfost said the donation was received thanks to a grant applied for and awarded to the two entities.

“They gave us a grain bin rescue tool,” explained Pfost. “This will assist us if someone is trapped in a grain bin or silo and it can be used for various other things as far as sand or gravel or something like that.”

He explains how the apparatus works.

“This tube slips over the top of the person and as we are moving the material from around them, the tube slides down and it prevents more material from trapping the person further,” said Pfost.

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Some Starke County Townships Not In Compliance With Nepotism Law

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

The Starke County Commissioners this week heard an update on the county’s compliance with the new statewide nepotism guidelines, and Auditor Kay Chaffins says that they have received letters of compliance from several townships. Unfortunately, the county has not received them from North Bend, Washington, Jackson, and Center townships.

Chaffins says that although the state did not given the county much time to comply, the Department of Local Government Finance can still penalize the county for not being in full compliance. The DLGF can choose not to approve the county’s budget for next year, which can cause a myriad of financial problems.

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Highway Humps Caused By Extreme Heat

Posted on Author WKVI

Travelers on U.S. 30 may encounter a number of bumps in the road – literally. These bumps seem to develop on highways in extreme heat, and the Indiana Department of Transportation has announced that they will be sending out crews to level out those highway humps.

INDOT Media Relations Director Matt Deitchley said that a repair schedule has been worked out, and they expect work to begin on U.S. 31 and U.S. 30 very soon.

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Bass Lake Summer Splash Kicks Off Next Friday

Posted on Author WKVI

The Bass Lake Summer Splash begins Friday, July 27 for a three-day run.

The Miss Teen Bass Lake and the Little Miss and Mr. Bass Lake contests are tomorrow, July 21, at the Bass Lake Property Owners Association Building.

The Little Miss and Mr. Bass Lake contest begins at 4 p.m., followed by the Miss Teen Bass Lake at 6 p.m. There is a $2 admission charge.

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Knox High School Principal Named To ISSMA Board

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox High School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff was recently named to the Indiana State School Music Association Board.

“This group does support marching band competitions, solo and ensemble, jazz band, orchestra – all of those different competitive events that our kids in Knox flourish at,” said Ratliff. “This is the board that helps to organize those events and manage them.”

Ratliff explains how she was chosen for the position on the board.

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Knox Schools Prepare For Vacation’s End

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

Preparations are being done for the start of the school year at the Knox Community School Corporation. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the school year begins Aug. 14.

“Schools are getting in condition,” said Gappa. “The maintenance people are refinishing floors and we have a couple of parking lots that are going to be resealed before school starts and then lines lines repainted on those.”

He says that while the maintenance crew is hard at work, the administration is looking into filling all available staff positions.

“All of the staffing positions have not been filled so the administrators in each of the buildings are working on that and planning to have staff members in place by the time school starts,” said Gappa.

Knox Mayor Urges Water Conservation

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers is asking residents to take measures to conserve water in light of worsening drought conditions that have placed the entire state under a water shortage warning.

Chambers said the average daily water use for the city is about 350,000 gallons, but for the past several weeks, over 550,000 gallons of water per day have been used. The aquifer from which three deep pumps draw water is about two feet lower than average. Chambers urges citizens to do what they can to conserve water. Residents are encouraged to restrain from watering lawns or flowers as often, and to change shower or bath habits to reduce water usage.

If adequate rainfall does not occur within the next couple of weeks, the mayor may need to restrict water usage.

Starke County Commissioners Accept Bid For Bridge 51 Replacement

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

The Starke County Commissioners this week accepted a bid from LaPorte Construction to perform the replacement of Bridge 51.

The highest bid received was from Yates Construction, Inc., for $325,445.33, while the lowest bid presented was from LaPorte Construction Company, Inc. for $224,328.25.

Five other bids were presented from companies throughout Indiana and Michigan, which the commissioners took under advisement to give Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall time to review the bids and decide which bid he would recommend.

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Pulaski County Commissioners Approve Several Expenses

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

The Pulaski County Commissioners approved a number of departmental expenses this week.

Ed Fleury of the Veteran Service Office requested the commissioners sign a lease for a Xerox ColorQube 8700 – a multifunction printer that he says his office requires. On average, Fleury says his office needs to make at least 500 copies per month, and because they currently have no copier, he has been going to the Health Department to use their equipment. However, Fleury says sometimes the office is closed and he is out of luck.

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