Knox Sectional Champions

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
Chelsea Combs
Shelby Gilbert
Hope Wagner
Kaitlin Zachary
Kara Howard
Nikki Frasure
Sarah Coad
Tori Elliott
Sarah Hodge
Rachael Lenig
Miranda Shepherd

The Knox Lady Redskins have won their first sectional championship since 1995! After starting the year at 2-10, the Lady Redskins have now won 11 of their last 12 games. Their first victory of the Kankakee Valley sectional came against Andrean. The ‘Skins were lead in scoring by Hope Wagner (14) in a 53-38 effort. Knox then came back in the second round and were victorious once again, this time over Calumet 45-26. Once again, Knox was lead by Wagner who scored a game-high 12 points. The Redskins came out in the championship game ready to end the school’s 17 year drought. Knox played an incredible all-around game in a 59-45 win over Hanover Central. Shelby Gilbert was on fire from the start, knocking down four 3-pointers on her way to a 15-point game. Kaitlin Zachary added 12 points and was dominant on the boards, pulling down 15 rebounds. Hope Wagner lead the ‘Skins in scoring with 19 points. Chelsea Combs played solid defense all game long against Hanover’s top player. The Lady Redskins were so focused on being able to cut down the nets, they did not want to wait for the post game championship pictures, immediately going to the ladder after they were given the trophy ready to get their piece of history!

Knox (13-11) will be taking on Western (17-6) in the first round of the Rensselaer Regional. Congratulations to the Knox Lady Redskins on bringing home the school’s first sectional championship in 17 years!

Winamac Sectional Champions

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
Katy Anspach
Courtney Dix
Stef McGovern
Sarah Redweik
Whitney Hook
Jessica Schramm
Megan Ruff
Stephanie Shorter
Macy Bischoff
Savanna Button
Hannah DeGroot

The

Beth Brogdon

Winamac Lady Warriors have won their 13th girls basketball sectional championship! The Lady Warriors began their quest for the championship by defeating North Judson for the second time this season in the first round of the North Judson sectional 59-46. Jessica Schramm lead the team in scoring with 13 points. Winamac then turned around in the second game and overpowered North Newton 61-35 behind Stephanie Shorter’s 14 points. Then in a hard fought championship game against Rochester, the Lady Warriors were able to avenge a 4-point loss suffered in Novemeber, by defeating the Lady Zebras 62-59. Sarah Redweik went out with a bang in her final sectional game by leading the team in scoring (19) as well as steals and rebounds.

Winamac (18-5) will be taking on Bowman Academy (18-6) in the first round of the Rochester Regional. Congratulations to the Winamac Lady Warriors on their 13th sectional championship!

Valparaiso University to Build Welcome Center

Posted on Author WKVI
This is a sketch of the proposed Welcome Center

Valparaiso University is planning to construct a 15,000 square foot Welcome Center at the U.S. 30 entrance to the campus.

The Welcome Center will support the needs of prospective students, alumni and all guests visiting the campus. Key historical and modern exhibits will be displayed as well as a continuation of the University’s story told in Heritage Hall which was dedicated in April 2010. The Welcome Center is being built in anticipation of a growing University enrollment and to help make visitors to the University feel at home.

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Oregon-Davis Sectional Champions

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
Katie Schwenk
Lincy Jones
Jesse Averone
Ashley Campbell
Ashley Clark
Haley Collings
Alisha McIntosh
Kendra Sauer
Ali Stout

The Oregon-Davis Lady Bobcats are sectional champions once again! The Lady ‘Cats defeated Culver for the third time this year in the first round of the sectional 55-36 thanks to a great scoring effort by Ashley Campbell who scored a season-high 30 points. In the second round, O-D jumped out to a 20-0 lead at the end of the first quarter en route to a 69-27 win over Westville. The Bobcats had four players score in double digits (Alisha McIntosh-17; Ashley Campbell-13; Katie Schwenk-11; Jesse Averone-10) to put them in the sectional championship game for the sixth straight year. The championship game was a rematch of last year’s championship with Oregon-Davis taking on Triton. The ‘Cats overcame a 13-point deficit and outscored Triton 34-21 in the second half to capture the school’s 8th girls basketball sectional championship!

Oregon-Davis (20-4) will be taking on Morgan Township (13-10) in the first round of the Caston Regional. Congratulations to the Oregon-Davis Lady Bobcats on their championship effort!!!

Senate Commerce Committee Approves Bill to Stimulate Employment Opportunities

Posted on Author WKVI
Indiana Statehouse

Legislation that would stimulate employment opportunities and entice new businesses to rural areas of the state has been approved by the Senate Commerce Committee.

House Bill 1241 would allow certain rural counties to be designated as Rural Entrepreneurship Area Development Incentive (READI) areas. Funds from adjusted gross income taxes paid annually by new businesses and employees in a READI area could be contained locally and used for the development of new business opportunities in the rural county. The measure would require the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to certify the tax credit.

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Joe Smrt Turns 96

Posted on Author WKVI
Ursula and Joe Smrt

Today is Joe Smrt’s 96th birthday. He is known by many in Starke County for his patriotism.

On this date in 1916, Joe Smrt was born. He was born two weeks before the singer Dinah Shore and one week before the World War I Battle of Verdun began that claimed the lives of 698,000 French and German soldiers.

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Week in Review for February 6th-10th, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

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

Phillip Mullins
Angela McDougal

Phillip Mullins and Angela McDougal were arrested Friday, February 3rd, after police executed an arrest warrant for Mullins. They were charged with several drug charges.

The West Central School Board received the tax rate for next year’s budget. The Board reduced the Capital Projects Fund by $80,000 to keep the rate close to last year’s rate. Continue reading →

Knox J.V. Completes 7-0 Conference Season

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
First Row L to R: Ashley Kreiger and Kazia Stacy. Second Row L to R: Brittany Fletcher, Miranda Shepherd, and Kindrick Joseph. Back Row L to R: Varsity Head Coach Dan Huizenga, Varsity Assistant Cameron Gilbert, Azure Conner, Kourtney Wagner, Torie Elliott, Sarah Hodge, Rachel Lenig, Manager Summer Shepherd, JV Assistant Larry Mullins, JV Head Coach Brian Earnest.

The Knox Lady Redskin J.V. team set a school record this year for wins with an overall record of 16-4. Their 16 wins included two championships in both the Hanover Central Tournament and the Northern State Conference where they were a perfect 7-0! The skins had a seven girl rotation and were lead in scoring by six different individuals throughout their 20-game season. Coach Brian Earnest stated “the key to our success this year was togetherness. I have never been prouder of any group of kids in 13 years of coaching. These girls proved what working hard and believing in one another can allow you to achieve”.

The future of Knox Lady Redskin basketball is in good hands with this group. Congratulations to the Lady Redskins on their record-setting, conference championship season!

Chesapeake Run Subdivision Offers Roads to County

Posted on Author WKVI

Alan T. Hildebrand, a Certified Public Accountant with Cross Roads Business Advisors, appeared before the Starke County Commissioners this week. Hildebrand represents Teachers Credit Union, owners of the housing development at Chesapeake Run Golf Course in North Judson, and presented a petition the commissioners to accept the roads in the subdivision. If accepted, the county would be charged with maintenance of the streets on the property.

Commissioner Dan Bridegroom said he had observed the paving work done on the property and was impressed. He did express concern over the closeness of the street lamps to the roads, saying this could cause a problem in snowplowing.

The commissioners did not take possession of the roads at this meeting, pending presentation of a legal description of the streets.

College Goal Sunday Scheduled for February 12th

Posted on Author WKVI

If you are seeking help in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form that is due March 10th, you can get that help at the College Goal Sunday at Plymouth High School this Sunday, February 12th at 2:00 p.m. ET.

The FAFSA is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, loans and scholarships at most college, universities and vocational/technical schools nationwide. In one afternoon at College Goal Sunday, you and your parents can get help in finishing the complicated form and get it filed online.

Tax forms and other income and benefits information is required. For more information, visit www.collegegoalsunday.org.

North Judson J.V. Team Has Perfect 20-0 Season

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
Front Row: (L-R) Dakota Stalbaum,Taylor Brandt, Ellie Eccles, Megan Block, Kora Timm. Back Row: (L-R) Darium Stalbaum, Danielle Sallee, Amanda Rose, Coach Chris McGowen, MacKenzie Brandt, Kara Trent, Kimberlyn Skibbe. Not Pictured: Taylor Minix, Carrigan Baxter.

The North Judson San-Pierre Lady Blue Jays J.V. team had one common phrase this year…”20-0″. Coach Chris McGowen stated that “this was a great group of unselfish girls who were very coachable and truly bought in to what they were trying to accomplish”. Throughout the course of the year the Jays averaged 40.2 points per game while giving up just 22.4 points per game. Proof that this team was a truly unselfish one is in the fact that not a single girl on the team averaged in double figures while the team scored 40ppg! Overall team defense was also a major reason the Jays were able to finish with no losses, as they held teams scoreless in 10 of the 80 total quarters played this season. The Jays had major wins throughout the year against quality opponents including Winamac, North Montgomery, and John Glenn, as well as Starke County rivals Oregon-Davis and Knox.

The future is bright for Lady Blue Jay basketball. Congratulations to the North Judson San-Pierre Lady Blue Jays on their perfect 20-0 season!

Two Lives Lost on Toll Road

Posted on Author WKVI

Two lives were lost in separate vehicular accidents on the Indiana Toll Road Saturday between midnight and 5 a.m.

According to Indiana State Police, the first accident occurred at 12:23 a.m., when an empty horse trailer broke loose from a Chevrolet Suburban heading west and left the roadway, crossing the median and into oncoming traffic. 50-year old Julio Zatina of Bridgeview, Ill., was driving a double-trailer semi in the eastbound lane when the trailer crossed the roadway. Zatina was not able to avoid the trailer and hit it, breaking a piece of the trailer off that flew through the semi’s windshield and struck him. He immediately lost control of the semi, which traveled across the median into the oncoming lane and through to the ditch on the other side.

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Week in Review for January 30th-February 3rd, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels

Governor Daniels signed the right to work bill into law Wednesday afternoon. Indiana is now the 23rd right to work state.

Tom Collins, a former Winamac resident and player for the Negro Baseball League team, Memphis Red Sox, died last week at the age of 100.

The Knox City Council discussed ideas surrounding the Knox downtown revitalization project. Continue reading →

USDA Focusing on Renewable Energy

Posted on Author WKVI

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is helping lead the way with a commitment to ushering in the new era for American energy– an economy fueled by locally-grown and alternative energy sources designed and produced by American workers. In President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address, he laid out a blueprint for such an economy, which requires the safe and responsible production of our oil and natural gas resources.

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Week in Review for January 23rd-27th, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week.

Eric Corey

Funeral services for the creator of the popular Turkey Tracks hunt for disabled hunters, Eric Corey, were held Sunday at the Knox Community Center. Hundreds attended the service.

Welding classes could be offered soon at the Knox Middle School. Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa is discussing the project with representatives from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, SCILL Center, and the North Central Area Vocational program. Continue reading →

Valparaiso Man Arrested in Connection with Child Molestation Case

Posted on Author WKVI
Ryan Schroeder

A Valparaiso man has been charged with 23 felonies in a child molestation case.

Ryan Schroeder, 26, who is currently in the United States Navy based in Jacksonville, Florida, has been charged with Aiding in Child Molestation, Aiding in Child Exploitation, Possession of Child Pornography, Aiding in Voyeurism and Aiding in Theft. He was arrested yesterday in Jacksonville and is awaiting extradition back to Porter County.

This investigation also included the arrest of 21-year-old Tara Tryon, of Wanatah, on October 27th, 2011. She was arrested and charged with 20 counts of Child Molestation. Schroeder, the former boyfriend of Tryon, allegedly asked her to do the acts and also received photos of the acts on his phone. Tryon is now out on bail.

Former Starke County Veteran’s Officer Dies

Posted on Author WKVI

Doris Winters, who was for 17 years the Starke County Veteran’s Service Officer has passed away at the age of 85. Doris passed away in her home in Largo, Florida. She had formerly lived in Knox.

Mrs. Winters also worked in the Starke County Treasurer’s office and was the past secretary of the Starke County Democrat Central Committee. She was also at one time involved with the Pulaski County Democrat Women’s Club.

Her late daughter, Rebecca Jensen, was the first secretary at WKVI in 1969.

The Rannells Funeral Home in Hamlet is in charge of arrangements.

Week in Review for January 16th-20th, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:

Governor Mitch Daniels gives Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr.'s Bronze Star Medal to Matthew Tauteris

A funeral service for Spc. Robert Tauteris, Jr. was held Sunday at the Braman and Bailey Funeral Home in North Judson. Hundreds of people attended the service, including Governor Mitch Daniels, Congressman Joe Donnelly and State Representative Nancy Dembowski.

The Starke County Commissioners learned that the Bass Lake Campground has year-round residents and they stated that they would like it to stay a campground and not a trailer park. Continue reading →