Members of the community are invited to take a final dip in Bass Lake Saturday and help a community agency in the process. Bass Lake Fire Chief Les Jensen says the department is hosting a polar bear swim at noon at Bass Lake Marina. Continue reading
Randall Stone Sentenced to Work Release
Randall Stone was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Thursday.
Stone, 45, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state to an amended count of possession of methamphetamine as a Class D felony. He told Judge Kim Hall that he possessed the drug while in a car during a traffic stop in North Judson on Sept. 17, 2012.
Accused Serial Killer Enters Not Guilty Plea
The Gary man police there say confessed to killing seven women, including a Knox native, has pleaded not guilty in connection with two of the homicides. Darren Vann, 43, has been formally charged in the deaths of Afrika Hardy, whose body was found in a Hammond motel room on Oct. 17th, and Anith Jones, who was one of six women discovered in abandoned homes in Gary. Continue reading
Purdue University Shooter Found Dead in Prison Cell
The man convicted of killing a Purdue University student in January at the West Lafayette campus was found dead in his cell at the state prison in Michigan City last night, according to Indiana State Prison officials. An autopsy is scheduled for Cody Cousins, 24. Continue reading
Conservation Officers Arrest Mishawaka Man in LaPorte County
A Mishawaka man faces illegal hunting and drug charges in LaPorte County. Indiana Conservation Officers reportedly saw Jason Nehring, 39, shinning a spotlight in a field near the Kingsbury Fish and Wildlife Area in search of deer Tuesday night. Continue reading
Redskin Brigade Schedules Community Performance
Members of the public are invited to see the Knox Redskin Brigade perform in advance of Saturday’s semi-state marching band competition at Decatur Central High School. The band’s final dress rehearsal will take place tonight at 8:30 p.m. on the high school football field. Continue reading
Two Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court
Two defendants were sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday.
Carter Scutchfield pleaded guilty to an amended charge of receiving stolen auto parts as a Class D felony. The sentence was presented as an agreed recommendation to Judge Kim Hall. Per that recommendation, Scutchfield was sentenced to 26 months in the Indiana Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended.
Jefferson Street Bridge Work Continues
Work on the Jefferson Street bridge in Plymouth is nearing completion.
Crews from Beer and Slabaugh have finished the west end of the bridge and the east end is about half done. Marshall County Supervisor of Highways Jason Peters told WKVI News that less work needs to be done on the east side of the bridge.
Construction is being done to reinforce the sidewalk along the bridge and to reinforce the corners of the bridge to alleviate stability issues. Once all of the repairs are done, the crews will reseal the deck.
Knox Resident Disputes Sewer Bill
Michael Milo disputed his 19 year sewer bill to the members of the Knox Board of Public Works Wednesday morning.
Milo claimed that when he purchased his home at 1306 Pine Street in 1995 he did not know that sewer lines were not hooked up to the city system. He recently learned that a septic system was on his property and he had been billed a sewer bill since he purchased the home even though the lines were not hooked up to the system.
Knox City Council Discusses 2015 Budget
The Knox City Council members discussed the 2015 budget during their meeting Tuesday night.
Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston explained that the budget reflects a 2.44 percent increase in appropriations. He said he hopes that it comes within the maximum levy which is the maximum amount that can be raised through property taxes.
Houston said the council members will need to make cuts to the budget in 2015.
Starke County Election Board to Meet Today
The Starke County Election Board will meet today to address some issues before Election Day.
The board members plan to discuss political sign disclaimers. That meeting is set for noon today. Continue reading
North Judson Town Council to Hold Special Meeting
The North Judson Town Council is holding a special meeting tomorrow morning to decide on a group insurance plan. Continue reading
Overseas Military Members to Receive Holiday Gifts
Christmas stocking care packages will be sent to military members serving overseas this year thanks to Operation Quiet Comfort of Marshall County. You can assist in the effort by making a donation to help fill a stocking. Continue reading
Halloween Safety Tips for Parents
With Halloween trick-or-treating tomorrow evening, parents are urged to consider safety tips before children leave the house.
Keep costumes short to prevent children from tripping and falling. Add reflective tape to dark costumes to keep children visible at night. Children are encouraged to wear make-up instead of wearing a mask for better safety. Continue reading
LaPorte Sheriff to Host Halloween Event
The sixth annual Trick-or-Treat and Halloween Safety event is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 31, hosted by LaPorte County Sheriff Michael Mollenhauer.
The event promotes safety for children while trick-or-treating in the community. Children attending the event will receive a reflective trick-or-treat bag with an activity book and crayons. A reflector badge will also be supplied. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served.
Plymouth School Bus Driver Charged in Hit and Run
A Plymouth School Bus driver faces charges in connection with a hit-and-run accident. It happened on Friday, Oct. 17 in the 16000 block of Cook Lake Trail and was reported to the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department at 7:41 a.m. A resident told a Marshall County Sheriff’s Deputy her vehicle was parked in her driveway at the time.
Accused Serial Killer Due in Court Today
The Gary man police there say confessed to killing seven women, including a Knox native, is due in court today to face charges in two of those deaths. Darren Vann, 43, led police to the bodies of six of those women on Sunday, Oct. 19th after his arrest the previous day in connection with the strangulation death of a woman at a Hammond motel. All six were found in abandoned buildings in Gary. Continue reading
Plymouth Man Arrested on Suspicion of Child Molestation
A Plymouth man is accused of child molesting after a report was made about an incident involving a teenager.
On Sunday, Oct. 26, Plymouth City Police Department officers received a complaint of sexual activity between a 20-year-old man and a 13-year-old female, according to a news release. Police say during the course of the investigation, information revealed that two sexual encounters took place at a location in Plymouth on Monday, Oct. 6 and on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Devante Halcomb, 20, was interrogated by police on Monday, Oct. 27 and was subsequently arrested and booked into the Marshall County Jail on a preliminary charge of child molesting as a Level 3 felony. Bond has been set at $50,000 cash.
LaPorte BMV Fire Ruled Undetermined
The Sunday morning fire at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch in LaPorte was ruled undetermined.
LaPorte Fire Chief Andy Snyder told WKVI News that there were a couple of sources where the fire started that could point to an electrical issue. The fire caused extensive damage to two rooms in the BMV office.
The BMV office shares building space with a video store and a restaurant. The fire was contained to the BMV.
City of Knox Receives Blight Elimination Program Grant
The City of Knox is the recipient of a grant from the Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program. Eleven applicants in Division Six were awarded grants totaling $3.7 million.
The City of Knox will receive $187,000.
The Blight Elimination Program provides an opportunity for local units of government to compete for money available to prevent avoidable foreclosures through the removal of blighted, vacant and abandoned homes. In February of this year, the U.S. Department of Treasury approved the use of $75 million of Indiana’s Hardest Hit Funds by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority for successful Blight Elimination Program applicants.
