IU Health Starke Hospital President Craig Felty has an additional title. He was recently named the chief nursing officer of IU Health LaPorte and Starke Hospitals, effective immediately. Felty has served as interim CNO since November of 2014. A chief nursing officer oversees the entire nursing department and ensures that patient-care, clinical and staffing standards are met. Continue reading
Marshall County Highway Department employees continue to work to clear county roads for safer travel.
All of the roads are open but remain snow-covered and icy. Rough spots will remain an issue until temperatures reach a melting point. Salt and sand have been applied on all critical points, but officials urge you to travel with caution. Allow extra time to get to your destination.
Plenty of snow accumulation cancelled school yet again in the Kankakee Valley on Monday.
Due to the number of snow days taken, some school corporations now have some decisions to make on just how they plan to make up even more days of class days. In Indiana, no fewer than 180 instructional days can be held.
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The Culver School Board was happy to accept a donation made Monday night that will help improve some of Culver High School’s technology equipment.
According to Superintendent Vicki McGuire, a $1-thousand donation was made by a member of the Culver Lion’s club to help make the purchase of audio technology.
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The North Judson Town Council has filled the vacant positions on each of their boards and commissions.
During a meeting last night, the Board said those positions include spots on the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals. The Council asks for recommendations from current board members for individuals interested in serving on one of the boards.
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The Culver Town Council met yesterday to review what some board members consider a recurring lack of volunteers with the Town’s EMS Department over the last five years.
Due to Culver’s size and perhaps department set-up, the Emergency Medical Services Department often lacks adequate staffing. A special session was held Monday to aid in reviewing the matter.
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The Marshall County Commissioners this week discussed a prepayment limit for department heads.
Commissioner Deb Griewank suggested the change to the purchase ordinance so department heads can make county equipment purchases with a personal credit card that does not exceed $750. She said that it was brought to her attention that sometimes different departments need to buy something online but don’t have the time to wait for commissioner approval. Buildings and maintenance directors can find items on eBay for cheaper but then they have to wait to purchase the items pending approval. Time could cost them.
Deer hunters harvested a total of 1,004 deer during controlled hunts at 18 state parks and one state natural area in November and December of 2014, according to Mike Mycroft, chief of natural resources for the DNR Division of State Parks. Tippecanoe River and Potato Creek State Parks were among the facilities where hunts were conducted to thin the herd. Final totals released by the DNR indicate hunters took 123 deer at TRSP and 136 at Potato Creek. Continue reading
Starke County has been downgraded from an orange-level travel watch to a yellow-level travel advisory. EMA Director Ted Bombagetti tells WKVI News he met this morning with Starke County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler and they decided county roads have improved enough to loosen the travel restrictions. Continue reading
Starke County is still under a travel watch. That’s the orange level, and it means only essential travel such as trips to and from work is recommended. Pulaski and Marshall Counties have both downgraded to yellow advisory levels. Starke County Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Bombagetti says county officials will reevaluate the travel status this morning. He warns roads are still slick and hazardous, so be careful if you venture out. Find updated travel advisory information online at http://www.in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory/.
As of last night, Starke County Highway Department snow plow drivers had worked 24 of the past 36 hours clearing ice and snow from roads. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler shared that information with the county commissioners during their meeting last night. Commissioner Kathy Norem praised their efforts and noted the county roads are in better shape than state roads 8, 23 and U.S. 35. Continue reading
The new Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center is still on schedule to open this spring. A public open house is tentatively planned for Friday, May 22, and inmates will be transferred to the facility on June 1. The building is located east of Knox on State Road 8 at County Road 550 East. Continue reading
Public transportation offered by Community Services of Starke County, Pulaski County Human Services and Marshall County Council on Aging is in high demand. Funding to keep up with the demand has caused legislators to get involved.
The Public Mass Transportation Fund has not received any additional money for seven years. The funding is distributed among 65 public and nonprofit agencies that offer transportation by reservation or on-demand. According to Joan Haugh, Executive Director of Community Services of Starke County, officials there have to turn down requests for trips due to lack of drivers, vehicles and available money. Last year, 757 different individuals were transported which shows a need for funding to provide a community service. About 50 passenger trips are provided each day.
Motorists saw gasoline prices on a downward trend for several months, but for the past few days the price has increased slightly.
According to AAA Hoosier Motor Club, prices for unleaded gasoline declined a record 123 consecutive days to $2.03 a gallon. The price increased last week for the first time since Sept. 25 of last year.
A new study says TIF District’s may not be as good for economic growth as initially thought.
The paper from Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research says Tax Increment Financing Districts are often associated with less employment, less taxable income, and slightly higher tax rates.
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The Knox Harvest Days Festival Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 11 to discuss the upcoming community event.
The Harvest Days Festival was not held the last two years. In a previous Knox City Council meeting, it was announced that an individual would like to take over the festival and offer the same type of activities as events before. She said many church organizations are willing to step in and help put it together. It would be held Aug. 21 through Aug. 23.
If you received an email that claims to be a Better Business Bureau standard business questionnaire, BBB officials warn you not to open the attachment.
The email went out on Friday morning to businesses across the country. The email has a ZIP file attachment that links to a site that can download malware on the user’s computer. Ben Steinberg, Chief Information Officer for the Council of Better Business Bureaus, said security vendors were immediately notified, and the website will be taken offline.
Starke County will likely remain under an orange level travel watch through the overnight hours, according to Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Bombagetti. He says restricting travel to emergencies only will give snow plow drivers a chance to clear snow from roads and spread a mixture of salt and sand to help with traction. Continue reading
A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the WKVI listening area through 7 a.m. EST/6 a.m. CST. A combination of light and blowing and drifting snow will make travel difficult to impossible, and some unplowed roads are likely impassable. Motorists should only travel in an emergency. If you do venture out, be sure to take a flashlight, extra food and water, a shovel, blankets, jumper cables, a cell phone charger and sand or kitty litter to use for traction should you become stuck.
Travel watches are in effect for the entire WKVI listening area. A watch means conditions are threatening to the safety of the public. During a “watch” local travel advisory, only essential travel, such as to and from work or in emergency situations, is recommended, and emergency action plans should be implemented by businesses, schools, government agencies, and other organizations. Find a complete list of school and business closings on our closings and delays page https://wkvi.com/closings-and-delays/.
