The Winter Wonderland Festival in Winamac is today, and WKVI will be there. Jerry Curtis and Tony Ross will broadcast from noon until 1 p.m. ET amidst the crowd and vender booths. Stop by and say hello while catching the spirit of Christmas at this annual event, presented by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce.
The Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce’s Winter Wonderland event is tomorrow in downtown Winamac from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.
Several craft and business booths will be set up in different locations including the Vurpillat Opera House, fire station, Refined, Christian Church and the New Beginnings Church. Local businesses will have sales for Christmas shoppers. The Lion’s Club toy drive and the craft and bake sale will be at the Pulaski County Human Services building, the Iris-Elm Garden Club holiday arrangement show will be at the train depot and the boy scouts coat drive will take place on the courthouse lawn.
The home of former Indiana Governor Henry F. Schricker is ready for the Christmas season. A “memory tree” is at the front door on the outside, and the old fashioned Christmas tree stands fully decorated the the Schricker living room.
The Starke County Museum, which is housed in the home, will be open at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec.7th. to observe the Christmas holiday. Hot cider and cookies will be served. Visitors will also have time to make a short visit to all three floors and see the exhibits of Starke County history. Continue reading
Felony burglary charges have been filed against four LaPorte teenagers in connection with a recent break-in at a bar. LaPorte Police responded to a report of two men trying to kick in the rear door of Shooter’s Bar at 201 Washington Street at 4 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21. Continue reading
New charges have been filed against Robert Corbin in Starke Circuit Court.
Corbin, 30, pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual misconduct with a minor as a Class B felony and two counts of child seduction as a Class C felony and as a Class D felony. He allegedly had sexual intercourse and exchanged inappropriate messages with a then-15-year-old female in between January and March of 2012. He was employed at the Knox High School at the time of these alleged incidents.
Judge Kim Hall set his bond at $3,000 cash. He will retain his current counsel who is representing him in an active case that is set for trial on Jan. 14. In that case, Corbin allegedly sent inappropriate Facebook messages to a then-16-year-old student in 2012.
A school administrator who got his start in Starke County will take over as head of one of the state’s wealthiest school districts in January. The Hamilton Southeastern School Board voted Tuesday to hire Dr. Allen Bourff as superintendent. He will take over that position Jan. 1. Bourff will be paid $175,000 annually through June of 2016, with automatic annual pay raises if the board deems his performance effective or highly effective. Continue reading
The General Manager at the Family Dollar store in Knox pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft in an initial hearing in Starke Circuit Court yesterday.
Casey Anthony, 28, of South Bend, is accused of stealing $19,430.31 from the store in a one-time theft in between March and April of this year. Anthony was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and has since has bonded out of jail on a $5,000 surety bond. Anthony told Judge Kim Hall that he is working on retaining an attorney to defend him.
Marshall County Prosecutor-elect Nelson Chipman has appointed Tami L. Napier of Hancock County as the next chief deputy prosecuting attorney. Her appointment begins Jan. 1.
Tami Napier has been the chief deputy prosecutor in Hancock County for the last four years. Prior to that she served as a deputy prosecutor in Marion County for five years where she was assigned to major felonies, the sex crimes unit and the homicide division. She initiated programs like the Hancock County Child Fatality Review Team, the Hancock County Sexual Assualt Response Team and the Domestic and Sexual Assault Prevention Coalition.
Chipman feels that Napier will be a “great fit for Marshall County”.
Julie Serrano was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a felony charge of resisting law enforcement and a misdemeanor charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.
Serrano pleaded guilty to those charges in a plea agreement with the state which Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall accepted. Serrano was sentenced to 24 months in the Indiana Department of Corrections with all of the sentence suspended to be served on probation. She was sentenced to six months in the Starke County Jail on the charge of battery on a law enforcement officer with all of the time suspended to be served on probation. Those sentences will be served consecutively.
The Starke County Highway Department is already making plans for next year’s scheduled road improvements. Superintendent Rik Ritzler says they’ve been hauling in loads of stone and may have it all stockpiled by the end of the year if the weather continues to cooperate. Continue reading
The Marshall County Commissioners approved the second reading of an ordinance regulating setbacks at Pretty Lake.
A public hearing on the ordinance was held on Monday, Nov. 17 where Plan Director Ralph Booker explained to the commissioners that the Pretty Lake Homeowners Association approved a change where new construction would need to be a 45-foot setback from an 789.0 elevation line. The setback shall be determined by a line drawn between the furthest extension of adjacent structures including any decks, balconies or raised patios.
Marshall County Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters gave the commissioners a map and a list of which roads are to be opened first in the event of snow.
The commissioners had asked for a list so they know which areas would receive attention first. They also asked Peters to forward the information to the sheriff’s department, EMS, fire department, and EMA Director for emergency planning.
Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer will meet with Senator Ed Charbonneau and State Representative Doug Gutwein next week to talk about the CAGIT tax issue.
Origer will talk with the legislators about changing legislature to require that the special CAGIT tax be used to pay the jail lease instead of that money coming from the CEDIT fund as legislation currently reads. Origer argues that the CEDIT fund should be used for economic development projects and not for the jail lease.
For the first time in Indiana 4-H history enrollment can be done completely online. This is new to 2015, making it easier than ever to enroll. The fee is $15 for each child in grades 3 through 12 and is up to $45 per family.
Judging for the annual Christmas decoration contest in Knox is on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Judging will take place between 6 and 9 p.m. CT. Outdoor decorations should be lit when judging takes place in order to be eligible for the contest. Continue reading
Knox City police are looking for a suspect who stabbed Brandon Davidson in the early morning hours of Sunday, Nov. 30.
According to police, Benton Christopher Howard and Davidson got into an argument at a residence in Knox. Davidson told Howard that he didn’t want to fight, but a fight ensued. During the scuffle, Howard allegedly unsheathed a knife from his hip and stabbed Davidson in the chest.
A combination of declining enrollment, cuts in state funding and unfunded service mandates has North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation officials facing some difficult choices. They’ve already had to cut $800,000 from their budget this school year. Superintendent Lynn Johnson says eight staff members have been notified they will not have jobs after the school year ends. She says the corporation is looking to the Indiana General Assembly for meaningful education reform when the legislature convenes in January. Continue reading
The three-member commission charged with reviewing vote totals in two close Starke County races found no discrepancies in either contest. The certificate they will file with the Starke County Clerk’s office finds Democrat Pamela Stalbaum beat Republican Don White by two votes in the fourth district county council race. By the numbers, Stalbaum got 707 votes to White’s 705 for the seat currently held by Marvin McLaughlin. Continue reading
