Knox City Council Approves, Adopts 2014 Salary Ordinance

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

A new salary ordinance is in the books for the city of Knox. The city council last night passed the 2014 salary ordinance on its third reading, adopting the ordinance that includes raises for all elected officials and salaried employees. After the first reading of the ordinance, Mayor Rick Chambers explained that a few corrections needed to be reflected in the ordinance before it was passed on its second reading, and those changes were also reflected in the third reading passed unanimously by the council last night.

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Winamac Police Department Hires New Officer

Posted on Author WKVI

police badge
 
The Winamac Police Department has hired a new full-time officer. The town council approved the hiring of Aaron Spanley of Winamac when they met Monday evening. Police Chief Mike Buchanan told the council during a previous meeting he wanted to go ahead and get someone hired and trained before longtime Winamac Police Sgt. Dwight Peterson retires next year. That training includes 13 weeks at the police academy.

Fireworks Season is Over for Now

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
It’s time to put those fireworks away… until New Year’s eve.

The city of Knox has an ordinance that indicates residents are able to discharge fireworks within city limits between the hours of 5 p.m. and two hours after sunset from June 29 through July 9. You may use, discharge or ignite consumer fireworks again between the hours of 10 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2013 and 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2014.

Other communities in the area have the same policy.

If you violate the policy, you will be fined $100 for the first offense, $250 for the second offense, and $500 for a third offense and every offense thereafter.

KVREMC Makes $5000 Donation to 4-H Fairs

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Kankakee Valley REMC recently made a donation to the 4-H fairs in Starke and Pulaski counties in the amount of $5000 to assist with the 4-H program and maintenance to the fairgrounds. Amanda Steeb, communications director for KVREMC, said the company is committed to providing these donations each year for the next decade as part of their commitment to the community.

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4-H Animal Entries and Shows Planned for the Fair This Weekend

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Starke County 4-H Fair is quickly approaching, with plans to kick off this weekend with a number of 4-H shows.

On Saturday, July 13, the fair begins with open class exhibit entry from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., except for those in the flowers, foods, food preservation and hay and grain classes. At 8 a.m., competitors in the dog shows can enter their canine companions, with the showmanship show planned for 8:30 a.m. and the obedience show at 1 p.m.

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Howard Lance Mitchell, Jr.

Posted on Author WKVI

Graveside services for Howard Lance Mitchell, Jr., 40, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, are Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m. EDT at Independence Cemetery in Medaryville, with visitation from noon until 1:30PM EDT at Frain Mortuary Querry-Ulbricht Chapel, Medaryville. He died Saturday, July 6. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Tremper High School Athletic Department; 8560 26th Avenue, Kenosha WI 53143.

 

Man Arrested on an Attempted Rape Charge

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A man was arrested at the Jellystone Campground on Saturday on a charge of Attempted Rape.

A woman called the Marshall County Dispatch Center to report that a man, identified as Shawn Amor, had reportedly attempted to have unwanted sexual contact with her the previous morning. Investigators applied for a search warrant at the trailer in question and later arrested Amor on a charge of Attempted Rape, a Class B felony.

He was booked into the Marshall County Jail with a bond set at $20,000.

State Police Hire More Staff to Process Thousands of Handgun License Applications

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A surge in handgun license applications this year has caused the Indiana State Police to hire additional personnel to keep up with the amount of paperwork.

The state police have historically received around 5,200 applications per month, but since December 2012, the state police have received 91,940 applications for a license to carry a handgun. In January alone, more than 23,000 applications were submitted. While the number of requests have tapered off a little, state police received 6,500 new license requests in the month of June.

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Demotte Woman Sentenced, Must Repay Victim over $1.4 Million

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A Demotte woman was recently sentenced in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty in a plea agreement to the felony offenses of Mail Fraud and Tax Evasion.

Senior District Judge James Moody sentenced Linda Lyrla, 58, to 46 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release on the charges. Lyrla was also ordered to pay restitution totaling a little more than $1.4 million to the victims and forfeiture of just under $1.4 million.

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Pulaski Council Approves Advertisement of Software Purchase

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Pulaski County Council this week approved a request from the county highway superintendent to advertise for the purchase of a computer software suite designed for resource tracking and accounting for highway departments. Mark Fox, highway superintendent, told the commissioners that the program would greatly help the accounting aspect of his department because of its variety of features, including time tracking, resource tracking, accounting, and report management.

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Marshall County Council Tables Health Department Insurance Funding Request

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Wes Burden from the Marshall County Health Department appeared before the county council Monday morning to request that the health educator be paid health insurance through grant funding as her hours will go over the 28 hours per week requirement.

The health educator works hard in preparing paperwork for grants that are beneficial for the county health department which requires a lot of time. Burden explained that she works 20 hours a week in her regular duties as the health educator and to prepare the many grants takes more time out of her regular work days.

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O-D School Board Appoints Interim Superintendent

Posted on Author WKVI

Greg Briles
Greg Briles
The Oregon-Davis School Board recently met in executive session where they approved a recommendation for an interim superintendent.

In a special meeting held July 1, the school board approved Greg Briles as the interim superintendent at the Oregon-Davis School Corporation. He replaces Dr. Steven Disney who recently resigned his position to teach school finance, educational law, principalship and undergraduate education classes at Indiana University Northwest in Lake County.

Briles is the former Oregon-Davis High School principal. Tim Pletcher took his place in that capacity earlier this school year.

Knox Principals Give Progress Report to School Board

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Knox Community School Board received an update from the principals on how things are shaping up at the buildings so far this summer.

Middle School Principal Dave Miller explained that the Starke County Youth Club summer program will be wrapping up Thursday. He added that he’s really pleased with how the students have been doing in the program. Forty students are engaged in English and Math classes in the morning and then they participate in their choice of 16 different enrichment programs in the afternoon.

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No Adverse Effects on Crops From Rainfall in Kankakee Valley

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
With the amount of rainfall that has pattered down to the Kankakee Valley, many people are wondering whether we’ve received too much rain for crops or if it’s the ideal conditions for crops to thrive. According to John Lawson, the county executive director for the Farm Service Agency, the amount of rain we’ve received seems to be just right.

He said the sandy soils in Starke County and the surrounding area have been soaking up the excess rains, making for significantly better conditions than last year when the county suffered from drought. While there are some wet pockets in a few fields that are drowning out a few acres, Lawson said overall the rain has been beneficial.

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Pulaski Memorial Hospital, Community Volunteers to Clean Up State Road 14

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Look out for yellow-vested volunteers on State Road 14 near Church of the Heartland in Winamac on Saturday, July 13, when volunteers from Pulaski Memorial Hospital and the community will be “policing” the highway adopted by the hospital as part of the “Adopt-A-Highway” program. Volunteers will be donning the reflective vests and walking along the highway, picking up litter and trash to clean up their community.

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Be Safe with Pool Chemicals This Summer

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

With temperatures expected to reach near 90 degrees this weekend, many may be headed to the pool in the backyard.

Indiana Poison Center Director Dr. James Mowry cautions pool owners about handling, using and storing potentially hazardous pool care chemicals. The director has also gone ahead to caution home owners to not procure huge amount of Sodium Hydroxide Wholesale and store it, because the fumes developed over time can be toxic. Chlorine, when stored in undiluted forms, can be quite toxic.

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Hands-Only CPR Could Save Lives

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
It’s easy to learn and the benefits of knowing how to perform it are staggering. Learning “Hands-Only CPR” could save someone’s life, and Katie Connolly, a CPR manager for the American Heart Association, said 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests happen outside the hospital and most commonly at home. To help someone, she said, you only need to know to simple things.

“We need them to dial 911 to start that chain of survival, which gets the EMS out to you, and then obviously pushing hard and fast, which keeps the blood pumping throughout their body – which is essentially keeping their organs alive, to allow them to be back to that same person they were before they had their event,” said Connolly.

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Nick J. Hoffmann

Posted on Author WKVI

Nick J. Hoffmann, 72, of Knox, died on Sunday, July 7. Services and interment were private. M.C. Smith Funeral Home is handling arrangements.