John Glenn Football
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North Judson Seniors
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Winamac Seniors
Legislators Looking at Funding for Transportation
The state’s legislators are taking a close look at transportation in the state, and it isn’t just about roads. 17th District State Representative Nancy Dembowski (D-Knox) is part of the Transportation Committee, and that group is holding three meetings this summer to discuss the transportation issue.
Dembowski said that the committee is engaged in long range planning for a three year time period.
In the first year the committee is identifying needs, or what should we have that we don’t have. The second year will be devoted to where do we go from here, and how do we attain what we don’t have now.
Week in Review for August 22nd-26th, 2011
Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Oregon-Davis School Superintendent Steve Disney said the school year has started off on a high note, after seeing improved ISTEP scores in the 2010-2011 school year. Continue reading
Three-Day Mill Pond Festival Begins Today in Union Mills
The Mill Pond Festival in Union Mills begins today!
The Festival opens at 6:00 p.m. CT with a golf cart rally, craft booths and kiddie rides. Music by Point’n Fingers begins at 8:00 p.m. On Saturday, enjoy the Skeet Shoot finals at 7:00 a.m., the parade at 10:00 a.m., games, a garden tractor pull, bingo and a chicken dinner at the Pavillion by UM baseball, and music by Scott Rosenbaum, Cross Roads and Slippery When Wet. A fireworks show will be at dusk and the firemen will direct you out of the park and will have a boot drive to defray the fireworks expense.
Judge Rules in Tammy Van Dam Case
LaPorte County Judge Thomas Alevizos issued a two page ruling Tuesday afternoon that gave a rather “limited preliminary injunction” in a case brought by the estate of Tammy Van Dam, and her life partner Beth Urschel. The suit brought by the lawyer for the two asked that the wreckage from the State Fair stage that collapsed be preserved.
Alevizos did though reject a request to preserve all e-mails, 911 calls and other evidence that could be destroyed.
He also criticized the attorney before him, Kenneth Allen, for saying he was seeking $50 million for the estate of Tammy Van Dam. The judge said that local court rules stipulate that no damage amounts be listed. He called the revelation of the amount a “publicity stunt” by the attorney.
Tammy Van Dam was killed, and Beth Urschel was injured when the stage collapsed before a performance of the county music duo Sugarland at the State Fair.
Autopsy Findings Released for Victim of Salvage Yard Accident
Forty six year old Brian Lehiy died of injuries that were consistent with positional traumatic asphyxiation when a car fell on him while working at the salvage yard. Lehiy was an employee of the business where the incident occurred Wednesday.
La Crosse Man Reacts to Indiana State Fair Tragedy
Just over a week after the tragedy at the Indiana State Fair, a La Crosse man expressed his reaction to the stage collapse and ensuing tragedy on the ground at the Sugarland Concert in the Northwest Indiana Times.
Tim Greiger said he didn’t like the way the sky looked so he hustled his family to safety. If he hadn’t, they would have been under the stage as it fell.
He ushered his mother and wife into a bathroom, and went back out toward his seating area. In the article Greiger said, “I saw a lot of things I wish I wouldn’t have seen, I saw people dying, and hurt all over the place.”
Greiger, 34, said he considers himself very lucky to have been spared the fate of those sitting in the area around him.
Meanwhile the mourning continues for Beth Urschel of Wanatah, the life partner of Tammy Van Dam. The estate of Van Dam is suing for $50 million dollars, and a lawsuit for Urschel is listed at $10 million.
At a press conference Friday, Urschel said, “It was Tammy’s birthday weekend, and I was taking her to see her favorite band.”
Urschel has a broken clavicle, tissue damaged in her arm, a severed little toe that was reattached and another toe that was crushed according to an article in Saturday’s Post Tribune.
Indiana State Fair Royalty Competition This Week
Miss Pulaski County and Miss Starke County are vying this week for honors at the Indiana State Fair. Stacy Gudas was the winner of the Pulaski County 4-H competition. Lauren Jernas became eligible to enter this competition by virtue of being part of the Starke County Royalty at the Starke County Fair.
When Gudas was named the Queen of the Pulaski County Fair, WKVI’s Ted Hayes caught up with her and asked her reaction to being named the Queen.
“As I was announced, of course I was shocked. You never know if you’re going to win or not, so I was really excited and I’m excited to represent Pulaski County,” said Gudas. “What got me interested in competing was when I was in third grade I got to dance with the Miss Pulaski contestants when I was in hip-hop, and that was a lot of fun. And we’ve always gone to watch it at the fair with my mom.”
Starke County does not have a “Queen” program, but Loren Jernas qualified by being named royalty at the Starke County Fair.
“I was chosen as one of the Starke County 4-H Royalty winners, so I decided to go down to state fair to do the pageant and have fun and meet a lot of different girls from all over the state,” said Jernas.
Jernas explained what the competition will entail.
“We have to do an interview, there’s a formal wear competition. There’s no swimsuit competition, there’s no time competition. There’s one day where we do the County Queen’s fashion show and we get to wear an outfit that we think looks good on us, and it’s not judged so we get to kinda show our personality and our outfits,” said Jernas.
The winner of the state fair queen pageant will be the official hostess for the 2012 fair.
Ancilla College Hosting New Student Orientation Today
Ancilla College will be hosting a New Student Orientation today. The orientation will begin at 9:30 eastern time on the grounds of the Ancilla College campus and is open to all new Ancilla College students and their families.
Students and parents will be able to learn about student activities, athletics, financial aid and safety and security. They can also register for classes and receive new student identification cards and parking passes.
They will also offer lunch to all in attendance. If you would like an individual tour of the campus call 574-936-8898 ext. 330.
Concert Attendee Describes Grisly Scene at State Fair
Memorial services were held yesterday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds for those who lost their lives or were injured in the tragic event Saturday night at the Sugarland concert. Among those at the memorial was Dianne Semento of Kouts who was there to honor the memory of one of her best friends, Tammy Vandam of Wanatah. Vandam was one of five people who lost their lives. She leaves behind a 17-year-old South Central student, Courtney Vandam.
Yesterday, Tom Berg spoke with a person who attended the concert. Nicki Frazier was leaving the concert when the stage collapsed.
“We had gotten up to leave because we knew it was going to rain, but we heard the stage collapse and we just saw everybody running and screaming and yelling,” Frazier said.
Although she and her husband Bill did not see the stage came down, she heard it.
“We heard it. We were still in the stadium and heard everything fall but we didn’t actually witness it. I actually thought there was a tornado coming. It was just chaos, everybody was running and screaming and yelling and just trying to get out of the way. People were frantic on their cell phones, looking for family members or friends that they had gone to the concert with,” said Frazier.
Ted Hayes joined Tom on the air and asked Nicki how close to the stage their seats were.
“We were the sixth row in the stands,” said Frazier.
Frazier was asked if there was any warning before the storm hit.
“No, one of the radio stations employees came out and said if the weather got bad, everybody would be moved to the coliseum, and that’s actually when we were getting up from our seats. It wasn’t even windy at that point, and by the time I had gotten down the steps to the front of the stadium, the wind was just blowing and there was trash blowing and the dirt was blowing. You couldn’t keep your eyes open long enough to see anything because the dirt was so bad,” said Frazier.
Wind Turbine Proposal for Marshall County Faces Opposition
A crowd of 300-400 people attended a presentation at the Culver Elementary Gymnasium Saturday to listen to an Iowa State professor. In his presentation Roger McEowen talked about the impact of large scale wind power stations on adjacent landowners. The session was of interest to those that attended because of the possibility of 40-70 wind turbines being constructed in the Culver-Argos
area. A company called Next Era Resources is the driving force in placing these turbines in an area of 17,000 acres.
Continue reading
Week in Review for August 8th-12th, 2011
Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Staci Brown, of Knox, was arrested Friday, August 5th on charges of Battery Resulting in Death and Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, both Class A Felonies. She is accused of injuring her stepson, Ethan causing his death. During her initial hearing in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday, a preliminary plea of not guilty was entered on her behalf and she requested a court-appointed attorney.
Tonight’s Powerball Drawing Offers $220 Million
There’s Powerball fever in the air. The largest pre-draw Powerball jackpot of 2011, an estimated $220 million, is up for grabs tonight and the Hoosier Lottery is hoping to add to its long list of Powerball jackpot winners.
The jackpot, which was last hit in Georgia on June 29th, rolled through Saturday night’s estimated $180 million offering without anyone matching all five numbers and the Powerball. Tonight’s drawing is set for 10:59 p.m. ET with ticket sales set to conclude at least 59 minutes before the drawing.
Week in Review for August 1st-5th, 2011
Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Andy Howes’ remains returned to Knox on Monday and he was escorted to Knox from the Indianapolis airport by the Indiana State Police, Knox City Police Department, Starke County Sheriff’s Department and the Patriot Guard. A memorial service was held Tuesday night at the Knox Community Center and he was laid to rest Friday in Arlington National Cemetery.
Week in Review for July 25th-29th, 2011
Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Gabriel French, Elizabeth Boyd and Joshua Givens were arrested Saturday after officers conducted a search warrant at a residence in Knox and found active methamphetamine labs.
Brian Ball of Bass Lake suffered a concussion after a tree fell on him while he was putting up a tent in his yard. Ball’s neighbor, Jim O’Hara, found him unconscious and performed CPR on Ball when he couldn’t find a pulse. Continue reading
Social Security Offices to Close 30 Minutes Early Beginning August 15th
Social Security offices in Northern Indiana will begin closing their offices at 3:30 p.m. local time after August 15th.
The Michigan City, Elkhart and South Bend Social Security offices will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Other offices throughout the State of Indiana and the United States will also reduce their hours.
