The Kankakee Valley is once again under a Wind Chill Advisory until noon Eastern/11 a.m. Central today. The combination of sub-zero temperatures and 5 to 15 mile-per-hour winds will make it feel like it’s 15 to 25 below this morning. Temperatures will climb above zero this afternoon, but wind chills will remain zero to 10 below. Frostbite to exposed skin can occur in as little as 30 minutes when wind chills are this cold. Make sure you wear a hat and gloves if you go outside.
Dalton Cody Richie, 20, was arrested in the overnight hours Sunday after officers received a call that he had reportedly stolen an item and fled into the nearby woods on 1400 W in Medaryville. Officers arrived at the scene and followed his footprints in the snow and found Richie hiding in some brush. Richie was accused of stealing his grandmother’s PS3 gaming system and she produced a receipt from a local pawn shop. Family members allege he used the money for the purchase of heroin. Police allegedly found several items used in the consumption of heroin in Richie’s bedroom and vehicle. He was arrested on preliminary charges of Possession of a Hypodermic Syringe or Needle and Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Paraphernalia.
A man and a woman are jailed without bond in Marshall County after a police officer reportedly found an active one-pot meth lab in a stolen vehicle during a traffic stop early Wednesday morning on U.S. 31 north of 1st Road. Officers also obtained a search warrant for a home at 954 U.S. 31, where they reportedly found additional methamphetamine “trash labs”, precursors, drug paraphernalia and just under 100 grams of marijuana. Continue reading
Starke County has moved from a Red Travel Warning to an Orange Travel Watch status. That means essential travel, such as trips to and from work, is now allowed. County officials implemented the warning at 4 p.m. yesterday. Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Bombagetti says that gave Starke County Highway Department snow plow drivers room to work before they were pulled off the road at 6 p.m. to rest, and they were able to make tremendous progress clearing roads. Continue reading
He noted that inspections have been dropping but that is typical at this time of the year. Only 60 or so inspections were completed in January while 87 were reported in December, 101 in November, and 134 in October.
Dewitt will be conducting an inspection along with the health department to determine if a location is safe for habitation. One other inspection similar to this was conducted in the quarter.
Dewitt told the commissioners that 440 total permits were issued in 2013 which is the most on record since 2005. Thirty-two percent of those permit applications were for single-family housing construction which is an 18 percent increase.
Contractor registration is also up in Marshall County. He noted that this is important for the county and for homeowners and businesses. Money collected for contractor registrations has doubled since 2011.
Since taking over the permits for the towns of Argos, Bremen, and Bourbon, there has been over $10,000 collected in fees. Dewitt explained that there could be a point where the town of Culver is added to the mix, but negotiations on the matter continue.
The cause of a house fire on Toto Road near Fletcher’s Carpet will be investigated by a representative of the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office today.
Firefighters from the Knox-Center Township Fire Department and Bass Lake Fire Department were called to the scene Monday night and extinguished the fire after three hours of battling sub-zero temperatures and frozen water valves. Crews were called back to the scene at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday for a rekindle. Fire Chief Kenny Pfost told WKVI that heavy fire was visible in both instances.
No injuries were reported.
LaPorte police were notified on Wednesday morning that a man had left the Speedway Mart on Lincolnway without paying for gasoline.
A Knox resident is spearheading a movement to bring the late Drew Shearin’s music to life in a unique concert at the Culver Academies.
Kemble Manning, a senior at Culver Military Academy, and his classmate Denver Blackson from Washington, have presented the music to the Culver Academies Theater and Music Departments to prepare a concert featuring Shearin’s music.
Historically low temperatures gave way to a 50 degree swing in less than 24 hours.
“As far as individuals are concerned, there are not a lot of changes on the tax laws. Some of our credits have been extended, such as the energy credits, the child tax credit, charitable distribution credit – some of those have been extended through 2017. They were originally set to expire for this year, but they’ve extended those on,” said Bachtel.
According the Indiana Workforce Development, Indiana’s unemployment rate is declining as people return to the work force. The labor force has increased by nearly 6,000 in December and has grown by over 21,000 in three months.
Starke County ranks tenth in the state in terms of unemployment at 7.7 percent, which is higher than the state percentage. Starke County dropped a half of a percentage point in the rate in December from November. Pulaski County ranks 74th at 5.4 percent, Marshall County is ranked 32nd at 6.8 percent, LaPorte County is fourth with 8.3 percent, and Porter County ranks 30th with 6.9 percent unemployment.
The Town of North Judson reminds residents and business owners to let water run constantly in a stream about the diameter of a pencil whenever temperatures are below 32 degrees. This helps keep water meters and pipes from freezing. Town utility crews have responded to several frozen pipe and meter calls, and in most cases water had not been left running. Town officials say the first call is a courtesy, but there is a charge of $100 for the second call. Fees are even higher for third and subsequent calls.
David Heineman, Sr. was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning.
Heineman, Sr. pleaded guilty to a a Class B felony charge of Possession of Methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school. Heineman, Sr. admitted in open court that on Apr. 7, 2012, he did possess the drug while at his residence on Lake Street, which is less than 1,000 feet from the Marshall/Starke Head Start school.
Judge Hall rejected a plea agreement for 18-year-old Martin Noble because he didn’t pay his $100 public defender fee and he didn’t have the paperwork filed for his evaluation into community corrections in time for his hearing. His case was set for a status hearing for Friday, Feb. 7 at 9 a.m.
A search warrant executed by police Wednesday resulted in the arrest of a Knox man.
Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department went to a home in the 9700 East block of County Road 50 South in Knox where they reportedly found two one-pot methamphetamine labs, an HCL generator, precursors, drug paraphernalia, other items used in the manufacture of meth, and the finished product.
Glenn Joseph was arrested on preliminary charges of Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors, Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, and Possession of Paraphernalia. He has an additional charge of Possession of Marijuana under 30 grams.
Knox City Police Department officers assisted the Starke County Sheriff’s Department in this case as well as the Indiana State Police Clandestine Team.
