Winamac Man Killed in Missouri Motorcycle Crash

Posted on Author WKVI
Michael Blinn
Michael Blinn

A Winamac man was killed in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash Sunday morning on an interstate in southeast Missouri. Michael Blinn, 50, was northbound on Interstate 55 in Portageville on a 2004 Harley-Davidson, ran off the left side of the roadway and was thrown from the bike, according to a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He was wearing a helmet. The wreck happened at 8:30 a.m., and he was pronounced dead a short time later by the New Madrid County Coroner. Blinn sold tractors at Gilsinger Implements in Winamac and wrote a weekly newspaper column for The Pulaski County Journal. He also starred in the locally-produced movie And Then You Die. Arrangements are pending at Frain Mortuary in Winamac.

 

 

PCEDF to Host Economic Development Summit Thursday

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The third annual Pulaski County Economic Development Summit is approaching. Nathan Origer, executive director of the Pulaski County Community Development Commission, told WKVI that the event to be held on Thursday, June 27 at the Monterey Town Hall will include a catered dinner and guest speakers.

Origer will give a “State of the County Economy” report, but he said that his talk won’t be very long. He said three other guest speakers will be featured at the event, focusing more on the tourism aspects of the county.

Continue reading →

Marshall County Commissioners Approve Ordinances After Public Hearing

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Marshall County Commissioners held two public hearings Monday that dealt with the Emergency Management Agency.

The first public hearing was for an ordinance regarding the procurement of emergency funds. This ordinance allows EMA Director Clyde Avery to meet with only the county commission president and the county council president if the county experiences a catastrophic disaster and is in need of emergency supplies. The presidents of both county government entities can sign for appropriations needed without having to call a special meeting of both boards to approve those emergency funds.

Continue reading →

Spotlight Falls on Spring Stampede

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Knox Community School Board members commended the efforts of the special needs staff during the Spotlight on Success portion of their board meeting Monday night.

Instructor Jenny Fletcher explained that the severe and profound special needs students participated in a Spring Stampede near the end of the school year and all instructors and students had a great time. There were over 80 special needs students from Argos, Plymouth, LaVille, John Glenn and Knox and 30 high school volunteers helped with activities.

Continue reading →

DOE Seeking Damages for ISTEP+ Test Interruptions

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The preliminary damage amount has been released by the Indiana Department of Education that pertains to the ISTEP+ related interruptions experienced by schools throughout the state this spring.

The state is seeking damages not less than $613,000 and could reasonably go into the millions. That amount includes $400,000 in liquidation damages provided for in the contract between the Department of Education and CTB McGraw-Hill. It also includes a price that the DOE will spend to have a third party conduct an analysis of the student’s scores and other related costs associated with enhanced reporting data.

Additional damages include a reimbursement to Indiana schools for additional costs incurred to administer the ISTEP+ test during the extended testing window and reimbursements to the DOE.

Center for Culver History Hosting Kurt Vonnegut Exhibit

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Center for Culver History is hosting a traveling exhibit focusing on Kurt Vonnegut and a local exhibit curated by the museum focusing on the four generations of Vonneguts who built, worked and played on the east shore of Lake Maxinkuckee. Through the end of July, the museum is inviting visitors of all ages to view the “Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and the Vonneguts of the East Shore” exhibit.

Continue reading →

Report to Be Released Studies Dentist Shortage and Difficulty Receiving Routine Care

Posted on Author WKVI

A report is scheduled for release next month examining the difficulty many Americans, including Hoosiers, have getting routine dental care. To make matters worse, the country is suffering from a shortage of dentists which only exacerbates the problem. Pew’s report, titled “In Search of Dentists,” provides data for all 50 states and ranks the 10 states with the worst dentist shortage, the 10 states where low-income children are least likely to receive dental care and the 10 states with the largest share of dentists approaching retirement. Wondering the cost of tooth implants and other dental treatments? Find more information if you go to this website to schedule an appointment.

Continue reading →

Three Car Accident Closes U.S. 30

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

U.S. 30 was closed this morning after a bad accident at the intersection with State Road 39.

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that three cars were involved in the crash that injured three people. According to Capt. John Boyd, two cars were stopped at a stop light headed westbound on U.S. 30 at the intersection with State Road 39. A third driver, driving highway speed, apparently didn’t see the two cars stopped there and rear-ended the second car in line which hit the first car in line.

Continue reading →

Attorneys Meet in Case Involving Former Winamac Police Officer

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Daymond Hartley’s defense attorney Tim Murray and Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Blair Todd met for a first pre-trial conference in his case and another pre-trial setting has been scheduled for Aug. 5 at 8 a.m. ET in Pulaski Circuit Court.

The former Winamac Police Department officer had pleaded not guilty to a charge of Theft as a Class D felony in an earlier court hearing. He allegedly admitted to Winamac Police Chief Michael Buchanan that he took $6,352 from an evidence locker at the police department on Feb. 25, but he returned the money on April 6. Hartley reportedly told Chief Buchanan that he took the money to help pay for a dental procedure for his mother.

The money was being held in an evidence locker during an investigation into a fatal accident involving Jamie Sheets.

Hartley has since resigned from his position at the police department.

Semi Truck Traffic Causing Damage to County Roads During U.S. 6 Construction

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Marshall County Highway Superintendent Neal Haeck informed the commissioners this week that construction on U.S. 6 just east of U.S. 31 is causing problems on county roads.

Haeck told the commissioners that semi truck drivers are utilizing the county roads to get around the construction in that area and causing destruction on Maple Road and 1st, 3rd and 4th roads. The commissioners and Haeck urge all semi truck drivers to adhere to the official detour that directs them on state highways. The official detour is meant to deal with semi truck traffic as opposed to county roads. “No truck traffic” signs will be posted in areas where the damage is heaviest.

Continue reading →

Scam Email Report Taken by LaPorte Police

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
LaPorte police warn you of an internet scam and to ignore this message if you get it.

A LaPorte man told police Wednesday that he received an email from a subject claiming to be with the U.S. Military. The person was requesting assistance in smuggling $780 million allegedly confiscated by Saddam Hussein into the United States. The email requested the victim’s personal banking information so that the money could be wired into his account.

Continue reading →

INDOT to Begin Mowing Rights-of-Way in LaPorte District

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced it will soon begin mowing operations along state rights-of-way in the LaPorte District, which covers Carroll, Cass, Fulton, Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke and White counties. According to a press statement issued by the department, INDOT mowing operations are designed to minimize costs and risk to highway workers while maintaining the vegetation on INDOT’s roadways at a safe height for driver visibility.

Continue reading →

30 Students Approved for KCES Preschool Program

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Knox Community School Board members received an update on the Title 1 preschool screening process at their meeting this week.

Instructor Jana Hazelton explains the process.

“We did a two-day screening for preschool where families brought in their little one in. The screening consisted of language, math concepts and gross and fine motor concepts. We had a testing team consisting of three teachers and we did the evaluation of the results based on readiness for our program,” explained Hazelton.

Continue reading →

Local Director Issues Call-Out for Extras at Cruizer’s in Winamac on Sunday

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Anyone interested in being an extra in a locally filmed movie may find it in their best interest to visit Cruizer’s in Winamac around 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, as Director Daniel Murphy told WKVI that they are looking for extras to help fill up the restaurant for a scene. Murphy said they’re looking for adult extras, but the younger crowd isn’t being left out; he’s looking for extras for two more scenes, one to be shot at Star City Bar and another at a fabricated house party in Winamac.

Murphy said the restaurant should seat about 40 people, so if too many people show up, he said they’ll have to turn people away. The dates for filming the other two scenes have not yet been set, but Murphy explained they have received permission to do the filming; it’s just a matter of setting a schedule.

Continue reading →

NJ-SP Schools Hire Seven New Teachers

Posted on Author WKVI

North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson
North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson
The next school year at the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation will introduce some new faces to the students, as Superintendent Lynn Johnson explained they’ve hired several new teachers. Johnson said the board hired teachers for the elementary school, middle school, and the high school, so every building will feature new instructors for the next school year.

Continue reading →

Curfew Ordinances in Place Throughout Indiana

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
It’s summertime and everyone wants to be outside, but keep in mind that curfew laws are in place throughout the state of Indiana. The state law mandates that children ages 15-17 cannot be in a public place between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, or between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. on other days. Children under 15 are prohibited from being in public places between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. on any day of the week.

Continue reading →