“Don’t Buy the Lie” About Human Trafficking
LaPorte Dad Reported Attempted Child Seduction On Facebook
Wabash Man Sentenced in Marshall County Superior Court
Judge Robert O. Bowen accepted the plea agreement between the state and the attorney for Nathan Harrison, 23, and sentenced Harrison to ten years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. The agreement included a recommendation of intense drug rehabilitation treatment through incarceration.
LaPorte Man Loses Nearly $30,000 to Fraud
The victim said he did not make the transfers and he gave no approval for them. The case remains under investigation.
Police Investigate Burglary At Maple City Montessori School
Former Miss Kankakee Valley Named Co-Director of Miss Amazing Pageant
Sami Rife was Miss Kankakee Valley two years ago and she said she is now preparing for the Miss Ball State Pageant, which takes place today. Rife is hopeful for a victory, because if she wins, she can go on to the Miss Indiana Pageant in June and from there, Miss America.
REAL Services Accepting Nominations for Age of Excellence Awards
Alleged Sexual Abuse Causes Walkerton Priest to Resign
According to our reporting partners at WNDU, Seculoff allegedly sexually abused a minor over 44 years ago. The article stated that bishop’s letter to St. Patrick parishioners says “a preliminary investigation has revealed sufficient evidence that sexual abuse of a minor did occur, and that a review board found the allegation to be credible.”
Indiana’s Department of Child Services was alerted to the situation on Jan. 8.
The Vatican and U.S law enforcement have been notified. The alleged incident occurred sometime in 1970.
Father Jan Klimczyk has been appointed to serve as administrator of the parish.
Two Starke County Chamber of Commerce Awards Presented Last Night
Culver Park Board Terminates Superintendent
LaPorte Police Arrest Accused Check Scammer
LaPorte police arrested a Chicago woman who reportedly tried to cash a counterfeit check at a LaPorte Savings Bank branch on Wednesday. Tabitha Jones, 24, was apprehended around 1:30 p.m. at the bank branch on Boyd Boulevard. Jones told the police she was working with a male named “Quinten Pillow” and another unidentified female traveling in a white Infiniti and a white Chevrolet Suburban. The police report indicates they told Jones to take the check into the bank and cash it and she would be paid for her assistance. About 10 minutes before Jones’ arrest, police were dispatched to the LaPorte Savings Bank branch on Indiana Avenue after officials there discovered they had just cashed a counterfeit check. Police say a black man with an Illinois identification card indicating his name was Quinten Pillow cashed a check for $1,346 drawn on the account of J. Shoffner. The man left the bank before employees there realized the check was counterfeit.
Culver Plan Commission to Hold Public Hearing
Among the items to be discussed include carports, sign regulations and Wind Energy Conversion Systems. Large commercial wind farms are not permitted in any district of Culver’s zoning jurisdiction. The Culver Plan Commission is vested with the authority to review, approve, and disapprove applications for Small Wind Systems, including a sketch, preliminary plans and final plans.
These are revisions that will be discussed for action at a future meeting of the Culver Plan Commission.
The public hearing will be held in the Culver Town Hall.
Volunteers Needed to Serve on City Committees
Volunteers are needed to help with the Knox Harvest Festival and the Knox Fireworks Committees. The city is looking to bring back the Harvest Festival after a one-year hiatus and needs dedicated people to help make the festival as successful as it has been the past several years.
IU Health Starke Hospital to Offer Free Heart Screenings for Student Athletes
Starke County Community Foundation Accepting Scholarship Applications
The Starke County Community Foundation is offering more than 25 scholarship funds to local Starke County students, having awarded more than $27,000 to local scholars last year. The Community Foundation’s scholarship applications will be accepted online exclusively at nicf.org, allowing students to complete and submit applications electronically, upload attachments, and track the status of their submissions to the Community Foundation.
Peak of Flu Season Approaching; Get Vaccinated Now
February, the peak of flu season, is just a couple weeks away, but Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch said it’s still not too late to get your flu shot. With the H1N1 virus now widespread across 35 states, including Indiana, it is becoming increasingly important to get those vaccinations.
Lynch said it takes about two weeks to build an immunity after getting vaccinated.
Starke County Jury Returns Guilty Verdict on Drug Offenses
A Starke County jury returned guilty verdicts on two of the three drug charges against a Knox woman late Wednesday. They found Shari Melton guilty of possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana, according to Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff. Melton was found not guilty of possession of precursors or chemical reagents. Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall will sentence her at a later date.
Flu Prompts IU Health to Limit Visitors
IU Health is implementing “precautionary measures of visitor restrictions” until further notice to protect patients, families and hospital staff from potential exposure to the flu virus. That means only healthy adults ages 18 and older may visit patients. This includes parents, spouses, significant others and spiritual counselors, but exceptions can be made in special circumstances. A “healthy” adult is one who is not experiencing any flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, tiredness, body aches, diarrhea or vomiting; and someone who has not been exposed to the flu virus in the past week. Visitors are also reminded to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer often. Continue reading
Plymouth Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Charge, Sentenced to Ten Years
Nathaniel White, 26, admitted in open court to dealing in methamphetamine on several occasions out of a residence on West Washington Street in Plymouth.
