Cerebral Palsy Won’t Keep Montana Resident From His Rock Star Dreams

Posted on Author WKVI
IMG_20131204_1
Gavin Gristy and his mother, Casey Clark

Hometown pride runs deep, even when it is shown 1,519 miles away.

WKVI’s Anita Goodan has an old school friend who is helping her son with Cerebral Palsy reach rock star status. Casey Clark, who lives in Anita’s hometown of Shelby, Montana, is asking friends and neighbors to send her son, Gavin Gristy, Christmas cards. Clark said the main purpose of this venture is to show her son that even with his physical and speech ailments, he can reach his rock star status.

“My son has Cerebral Palsy and I wanted him to have a very special Christmas this year,” explained Clark. “Things kind of get hard for him at times. He has always dreamed of being a rock star, wanting fans and wanting to get mail. So, I decided to start a Facebook thing and ask all of my friends to send Christmas cards in his name so he can go through mail and get the mail. I had no idea it was going to explode into this huge extravaganza!”

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West Central School Board Discusses Budget

Posted on Author WKVI

West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon
West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon
The West Central School Board discussed the corporation’s budget at their recent meeting.

Superintendent Charles Mellon said the corporation received the 1792 notice and the board reviewed the notice.

“I went through that with the board and explained the rationale behind some of the budget cuts with the main reason being the reduction in revenue coming in,” said Mellon.

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State Changes Distribution Schedule for SNAP Benefits

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Families who receive SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, benefits will need to adjust their grocery shopping schedules. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration is changing the dates on which the benefits will be received. January of 2014 will serve as a transition month for the program, with the changes to be fully implemented in February. State officials stress that benefit amounts are not changing. The only change is the date on which benefits are applied to the Hoosier Works EBT card. Previously payments were made during the first 10 days of the month. However, a change to state law will spread payments from the 5th to the 23rd of each month, on odd days. More information about the change is available online at www.SNAP.IN.gov.

Pulaski Council Gives Go-Ahead For Forgivable Loan

Posted on Author WKVI

Winamac Coil Spring
Winamac Coil Spring
Winamac Coil Spring has cleared another hurdle in its quest to expand operations in Winamac as the county council this week gave their approval of a forgivable loan. A representative for Winamac Coil Spring approached the county council this week alongside Community Development Corporation Executive Director Nathan Origer, who said the business has acquired Chesapeake and they are looking to make improvements and investments in order to expand.

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Firefighters Respond to House Fire Sunday Morning

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
The Knox-Center Township Fire Department responded to a house fire Sunday morning in Knox.

Fire Chief Kenny Pfost stated that the firefighters arrived at 7 N. Bower St. shortly after 10 a.m. and battled the blaze that was reportedly started by an electrical heater. The fire was contained to the second floor, but the first floor sustained smoke and water damage.

No assistance was called in and Pfost said the fire was extinguished fairly quickly. No injuries were reported.

Chipman Announces Candidacy for Marshall County Prosecutor

Posted on Author WKVI

E. Nelson Chipman Jr.
E. Nelson Chipman Jr.
Marshall County Chief Deputy Prosecutor E. Nelson Chipman, Jr. announced his candidacy to run for the 2014 Republican nomination for Marshall County Prosecutor.

Current Prosecutor David R. Holmes announced that he will not seek re-election in 2014 for the position he’s held for a number of years. Holmes has served four full terms as prosecutor and served part of another to fill out a term when the elected prosecutor was appointed Circuit Court Judge.

Holmes was first elected as prosecutor in 1970.

A life-long Marshall County resident, Chipman, 59, will file his intention to run for prosecutor in January.

Five Arrested in Burglary and Robbery Investigation

Posted on Author WKVI
Shawn Sobolewski
Shawn Sobolewski
Jeremy Montano
Jeremy Montano
Bryan Parish
Bryan Parish

Brandon Montano
Brandon Montano
A police investigation by the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau into two separate robbery and burglary incidents in LaPorte County in May and July has resulted in five arrests.

A burglary and robbery incident was reported in May at a residence in the 5600 West block of County Road 300 North. During this event, a victim was confined and robbed. 34-year-old Shawn Sobolewski, 20-year-old Brandon Montano, 18-year-old Jonathan Surber and 16-year-old Bryan Parish, all of the Michigan City area, were arrested in this incident. According to police, due to the nature of the charge and age of Bryan Parish, he has been charged in LaPorte Circuit Court as juvenile court no longer has jurisdiction over him.

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West Central School Board Approves Boiler Purchase

Posted on Author WKVI

West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon
West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon
The West Central School Board approved the purchase of a new boiler as one of three boilers stopped working at the corporation.

Superintendent Charles Mellon said the board discussed purchasing either a high efficiency boiler or an 85 percent efficiency boiler.

“We approved going with the 85 percent efficiency boiler rather than the more expensive high efficiency boiler,” said Mellon. “Since there are three boilers tied together, tying one high efficiency boiler in with two that are not we weren’t gaining that much. We didn’t want to replace all three at this time.”

The board hopes that the purchase can be made soon so the boiler can be replaced.

Avoid Becoming a Victim of Theft Rowe Offers Advice

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A chief deputy at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department has released a statement advising residents of a rash of daytime break-ins throughout the county and offered tips on how to avoid becoming a victim. Chief Deputy Brack Rowe said that while local law enforcement agencies in the county and the surrounding area have been making every attempt to stop and catch these thieves, there are still a number of steps residents can take to keep their belongings safe.

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State Trooper Offers Winter Driving Tips

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Ice and snow, take it slow. Trooper Brian Harshman with the Indiana State Police says it’s important to adjust your driving for the weather conditions. This includes slowing down and leaving plenty of space between vehicles.

“Action is always faster than reaction. On a perfectly sunny day at 60 miles-per-hour the normal person doesn’t realize how far it takes to stop a car on a sunny day on dry pavement. A lot of times you see them following at even a closer distance when the weather’s bad. A lot of times they don’t realize the distance it takes, especially on a slick roadway, to stop,” Harsman said.

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Keep Home Heating Bills Low This Winter

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
With winter weather at our doorstep, many Hoosiers are cranking up the thermostat and, consequently, their electric and natural gas bills as well. Anthony Swinger with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor said a home energy audit can go a long way toward helping residents reduce their energy use and better manage their heating bills.

According to Swinger, many consumers are eligible for a free assessment from Energizing Indiana.

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NASCAR Test Sees Red Flag, Test Moved to Wednesday

Posted on Author WKVI

A test session for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams at Charlotte Motor Speedway was postponed Monday due to rain. The test will begin on Wednesday when inclement weather is expected to cease.

Cars will be on the track from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. The purpose of the test is to see how a taller spoiler and changes to the splitter will affect racing in the 2014 season. Experts believe the changes will slow down the cars.

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Michael McDowell Signs One-Year Deal with Leavine Family Racing

Posted on Author WKVI

Michael McDowell will be driving the No. 95 Ford for Leavine Family Racing in 2014.

McDowell worked with the team at this season’s Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and indicated that he’s ready to get started.

“I feel pretty good looking ahead to next season,” McDowell said. “I’m looking forward to getting back to the shop and seeing what we have on tap for the winter in order to continue to get better.”

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Erik Jones Named Winner in Snowball Derby

Posted on Author WKVI

A disqualification gave Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Erik Jones the opportunity to hoist the Snowball Derby champion trophy Sunday night.

A post-race inspection found that race-winner Chase Elliott’s team used tungsten which is illegal in Super Late Model competition. The illegal weight cost Elliott the trophy and it was instead awarded to second place finisher Erik Jones.

Jones was the defending champion going into Sunday’s 300 lap race at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.

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First Responders Rescue Motorist from Submerged Vehicle

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The female driver of a vehicle involved in a rollover wreck last night at the intersection of State Roads 8 and 39 was taken to IU Health Starke Hospital for treatment. Dispatchers at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call around 9:30 last night. The caller advised the vehicle had rolled over and was submerged in a ditch. Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Knox City Police Department were able to pull her from the vehicle. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The crash is still under investigation, and the woman’s name has not been released. There’s also no word yet on her condition. Members of the Knox Fire Department and Starke County Medics also responded.