Senator Decries Legislature’s “Education Session”

Posted on Author WKVI
Senator Jim Arnold
Senator Jim Arnold

A local lawmaker says the recently completed session of the Indiana General Assembly was the most trying and most contentious of his nine-year legislative career. Gov. Mike Pence touted it as the education session. Sen. Jim Arnold, D-LaPorte, agrees this year’s 2.2 percent increase in school funding and next year’s 2.5 percent hike are the largest increases in education funding in history.

“It sounds very good. The downside of that is that the vast majority of our increased money now is going to vouchers and going to charter schools, not going to public school systems,” Arnold recently told the Starke County Council and Commissioners. “The big winners of this are going to be the urban schools. The rural schools such as Knox are going to be the big losers.” Continue reading →

DNR Makes Some Changes to Campground Fees

Posted on Author WKVI

campingDue to the increase in campground operating costs, the Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife must raise their campground fees. The increase in fees will allow operations and maintenance to continue at Glendale, J.E. Roush Lake, and Willow Slough Fish & Wildlife Areas. For interested campers, it would also be incredibly beneficial to learn details like what size should a tent footprint be. Continue reading →

Indiana State Police Post Adds K-9

Posted on Author WKVI
Indiana State Police Master Trooper Steve Caylor and his K-9 partner, Nikan
Indiana State Police Master Trooper Steve Caylor and his K-9 partner, Nikan

The newest addition to the Indiana State Police Lowell post has four legs and a tail. Master Trooper Steve Caylor and his K-9 partner, Nikan, are graduates of the 2015 ISP K-9 Class. Caylor has been with the department for almost 20 years. Nikan is an 18 month old Malinherd, which is a cross between a Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd. Continue reading →

Kids Closet Receives a Plethora of Supplies for Upcoming Back-to-School Event

Posted on Author WKVI

pack a backpackKids Closet Ministry annually provides school supplies to underprivileged children in Starke County with their Pack-a-Backpack event. Community members get the chance to contribute during their school supply drives. This year while Kids Closet was posted outside the Dollar General stores in North Judson and Knox they received an ample amount of supplies from weekend shoppers. However it was the donations from two other local foundations that helped provide the new backpacks for all the donated supplies. Continue reading →

New Charges Filed Against Convicted Murderer, Child Molester

Posted on Author WKVI
Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff's Office lead Richard Dobeski, 67, out of an Indianapolis library. Photo provided by the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office lead Richard Dobeski, 67, out of an Indianapolis library. Photo provided by the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office.

A convicted murderer and child molester is back in jail after his arrest yesterday at a public library in Indianapolis. Richard Dobeski, 67, was picked up on a LaPorte County warrant for four counts of failure to register as a sex offender. All are Level 6 felonies, which carry a penalty of between 6 months and 2.5 years in prison. A failure to register charge will also be filed in Marion County, according to officials with the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department. Dobeski was released last week from the Indiana Department of Correction New Carlisle facility. Continue reading →