The deadline to apply for this year’s Richard Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series is Friday, August 1st. The program was started in the year 1990 with the mission to increase the number and influence of Republican women in elected and appointed government positions at local, state, and federal levels. Continue reading
Accused Drunk Driver Strikes Two Houses, Two Cars
Charges are pending against a LaPorte man police say was driving under the influence when he struck two houses and two parked cars late Monday night, and also he didn’t have a traders policy to rely on. Officers responded to a report of an accident with injuries in the alleway of the 500 block of Detroit Street. Continue reading
Pulaski County’s Most Wanted Fugitive Apprehended in Fulton County
A fugitive on the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department Most Wanted List is behind bars. Alyssa Breanne Powers, 18, was booked into the Pulaski County Jail early this morning. Sheriff Mike Gayer tells WKVI News she was arrested in Fulton County on Pulaski County warrants for unlawful possession of a syringe, unlawful possession or use of a legend drug, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and failure to appear on a theft charge.
Ferguson, Donohue Surrender at Marshall County Jail
The former president and chief financial officer of the now closed business, Stone Creek Homes, Inc. of Plymouth, surrendered themselves to the Marshall County Jail Monday night.
Marshall County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Nelson Chipman told WKVI News that David A. Ferguson and Alan G. Donohue surrendered to the Marshall County Sheriff at 5 p.m. ET on Monday and bonded out of the jail a little while later. The pair each had a cash bond of $15,000.
Warrants for their arrest were issued recently. In January, a grand jury heard evidence against Ferguson and Donohue gathered by investigators from the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office and the Indiana State Police. The indictments were handed down on Feb. 20 of this year.
Court documents released on July 1 by Marshall County Prosecuting Attorney David R. Holmes allege Ferguson stole from employees and committed other racketeering violations between Feb. 13 and June 1, 2012.
Fourteen charges were filed against Ferguson including theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy to receive stolen property, and corrupt business influence. Donohue faces 11 charges including aiding in the commission of theft, conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property, theft and corrupt business influence.
Ferguson and Donahue appeared in Marshall County Superior Court No. 1 Tuesday morning for an initial hearing where not guilty pleas were entered by the judge for both defendants. Trial dates were subsequently scheduled.
Saturday Morning Fire Deliberately Set
A Saturday morning fire at a vacant home northeast of Knox was deliberately set, according to fire investigators.
The Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department was called to an unoccupied home at 8875 East 25 North in Knox just after 5 a.m. and remained on the scene for nearly two hours. They called in an investigator from the state fire marshal’s office to check things out as well.
Starke County Commissioners Adopt Inmate Medical Care Ordinance
Starke County Jail inmates who receive routine medical care while incarcerated now have to pay $15 per doctor visit. The county commissioners Monday unanimously adopted an ordinance to that effect. It does not apply to inmates who self pay for treatment or have insurance. The copays are for medical, dental, eye and other types of services. Continue reading
Marshall County Commissioners Hit with Health Insurance Update
The Marshall County Commissioners received some troubling news about the county’s health insurance. Costs are going up.
Tony Nyers from The Healy Group explained to the commissioners what statistics are creating an increase in the figures.
“What we did is we measured 12 months that end in March because that was the most recent data that Advantage was able to provide for us,” advised Nyers. “In this situation, the total hospital cost the prior year was $281,000 and it’s up to $508,000 this year. That’s a very significant change. For the same 12 month periods combined you’re looking at $1.467 million versus last year $1.021 million for a little more than a 40 percent increase over last year.”
Courthouse, County Home Structural Needs Reviewed by Pulaski County Commissioners
A recent building assessment of the Pleasant View Rest Home and the Pulaski County Courthouse has found some issues that need attention sooner rather than later.
Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston told the commissioners Monday night that some issues can wait but if other repairs go without attention, they could cost the county a lot more money.
North Judson Town Board Rectifies Utility Billing
A few North Judson area residents on the fringes of the town limits will soon get monthly bills for trash and hydrant services. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explains a recent internal audit found three homes have been receiving those services from the town for several years but have not been charged for them. Continue reading
Knox City Council Approves Tall Grass Ordinance on Second Reading
The Knox City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance regarding the removal of weeds and other rank vegetation but not before approving some changes.
The issue of how tall grass and rank vegetation has to be before a notice is sent to the property owner was discussed. The previously discussed height was six inches, but the council members ultimately increased the height requirement to eight inches. If a property is not maintained with this mandate, the city will send a notice and if it is not taken care of within five days the city will send a contractor to the home and mow the property. A bill will be sent to the property owner for the cost of the maintenance. If the bill is not paid, a lien will be placed on the owner’s property taxes to recoup the cost. An additional administrative cost of $15 will be assessed.
Knox Clinic Receives National Distinction
A Knox clinic has been given the distinction as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) provider.
Healthlinc, Inc. received the highest level of recognition just recently by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. According to Healthlinc, Inc. CEO Beth Wrobel, this designation certifies that the health care organization puts patients first in every aspect of its operations. The staff at Healthlinc, Inc. coordinates care with other qualified professionals and caregivers, ensures patient safety and increases access to care.
Bass Lake Festival Pageant Deadline
Don’t miss your chance to compete in one of this year’s Bass Lake Festival pageants! The registration deadline is Thursday, July 10th. Continue reading
School is Starting Soon, Are Your Children Registered?
Despite what Alice Cooper may have said, school is not out forever. Registration dates and times for the 2014-2015 school year have been approved by the Knox Community School Board. Continue reading
Francesville’s Spirit Day Town Wide Garage Sale
A plethora of garage sales will cover the Francesville area this weekend for the town wide garage sale on Saturday, July 12. Come browse the various items set out and see if anything catches your eye. Continue reading
CVS Robbery Suspect In Custody
A LaPorte man police there say robbed the CVS drug store early Saturday morning was arrested a short time after the early morning holdup. Officers responded to an alarm just before 1 a.m. to the store on Lincolnway. An employee told the officers a man came to the pharmacy with a note requesting specific medications. Continue reading
Bid for Emergency Bridge Repair Comes in Over Budget
The lone bid to fix the bridge on Starke County Road 700 East over the Yellow River came in significantly higher than county officials had anticipated. LaPorte Construction bid $106,872 for the emergency repair. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler says that figure is between $50,000 and $60,000 more than he had budgeted for the work. As a result, repairs that were to begin today and be finished by Aug. 15 have been delayed indefinitely. Continue reading
National Weather Service Confirms Multiple Tornadoes After Last Week’s Storm
The National Weather Service confirms two tornadoes touched down in the northeastern part of Starke County last week. Another pair of tornadoes was also confirmed in LaPorte County in the early morning hours of Tuesday, July 1. All four were EF-1, packing wind speeds of between 95 and 105 miles-per-hour. Continue reading
Marshall County Crews Still Cleaning up after Last Week’s Storms
Crews continue to clean up after last week’s storms.
Marshall County Interim Highway Superintendent Jason Peters told the commissioners Monday morning that the highway department is continuing to remove debris from the area. One issue that he’s having is the theft of “road closed” signs. He learned of the thefts when the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department called him to ask to close a road so work could be done. The cleaning services littleton helped out a lot in this cleaning process, you can even hire them to clean your house.
Generator Issue Picks up Power in Pulaski County
The issue concerning generators at the county home and county health department in Pulaski County may soon come to conclusion.
Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston presented information to the commissioners about the cost associated with self-starting generators. The commission members quickly found the approximate $85,000 cost too high.
Knox City Council to Meet Tonight
The Knox City Council will meet tonight to talk more about two ordinances that were approved on the first reading during their last meeting.
The council members will discuss the tall grass ordinance. They had a question about the penalties involved with the non-removal of rank vegetation so that issue will be tackled tonight. Another issue will be the number of days that would be allowed before the city would go in and mow the property. The second reading on that ordinance is on the agenda tonight.