A LaPorte County man is jailed on a $1 million cash bond in connection with yesterday’s stabbing death at a Trail Creek residence. Bradley M. Arndt, 47, of Trail Creek is charged with murder as a Level 1 felony in connection with his brother’s death. Thomas Arndt, 54, of Michigan City, was stabbed multiple times with a 40 to 45 inch Samuri sword, according to an Indiana State Police news release. It was found stuck in the ground near the body. Continue reading
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department investigated an accident on Thursday involving a semi-tractor trailer and a 14-year-old pedestrian on U.S. 421 just south of Gordon Street in Francesville.
The truck driver, 57-year-old Jerry E. Dehaven of Rossville, Indiana, was southbound on U.S. 421 when he observed a pedestrian walking along the road, according to a news release. Dehaven stated that the pedestrian turned and walked into the southbound lane and he attempted to miss the pedestrian. He reportedly told police that he was unable to miss the pedestrian and she was struck by the center of the tractor-trailer knocking her to the ground.
Formal charges are pending against a homicide suspect in LaPorte County. The Indiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division is investigating a fatal stabbing that occurred Sunday afternoon in Trail Creek. Police there got a 911 call just before 1 p.m. about an argument at a home in the 100 block of Hummingbird Drive. During the telephone conversation, authorities say someone yelled into the phone that it had turned into a stabbing. Continue reading
A murder defendant is scheduled to appear in Starke Circuit Court this afternoon for a status hearing. Gary Chavez is charged with murder, kidnapping and carjacking. Authorities say he killed his estranged wife, Kimberly Chavez, at their rural Knox home on June 6, drove to Mark Bailey’s Discount Center, left his car and kidnapped a store employee at gunpoint. Continue reading
Batten down the hatches, we’re in for a blustery day. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for the WKVI listening area until 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST this evening. Southwest winds will increase to 25 to 35 miles-per-hour by mid to late morning, with gusts reaching 45 mph during the day. Continue reading
WKVI’s Fifth Annual Food Drive on Saturday was a rousing success. Tom Berg and Tony Ross collected items and donations at Five Star for the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry, while Nathan Welter, Mitch Columbe and Mary Perren did the same at Sanders in the Winamac Plaza. Items collected there went to the Pulaski County Human Services Food Pantry. They include 5,200 pounds of food and $1,392.49. Galbreath employees brought two vehicles full of food, weighing 3,000 pounds, and the Winamac Community High School Football Team also gave generously. After the drive was over, the WKVI staff helped unload the items at Pulaski County Human Services, where they will be sorted and distributed to families in need. Continue reading
The principal of a local high school is the 2014 District High School Principal of the Year. Plymouth High School Principal James Condon was honored by the Indiana Association of School Principals during their weekend celebration dinner. Continue reading
Enrollment in health plans offered through the Affordable Care Act is under way. Informational meetings are scheduled at IU Health Starke Hospital in the coming weeks to help navigate plan options. Participants can find out if insurance rates will be lower based on income and compare different options side-by-side. Several certified navigators will be on hand to answer questions and help prospective enrollees pick plans. On-site enrollment will also be available. Continue reading
River otters are thriving a little too well in Indiana nearly 20 years after their successful reintroduction into the state. Last year biologists with the division of fish and wildlife received 86 complaints of river otters eating fish from private ponds and commercial hatcheries or destroying private property. That’s up from 69 complaints in 2012. Also the number of control permits issued or renewed nearly doubled from 11 in 2012 to 21 in 2013. Continue reading
Continuing road work on Interstate 94 in Porter County will reduce the roadway to one lane for the next few nights, weather permitting. Indiana Department of Transportation contractors will be restriping the highway between State Road 249 and State Road 49 tonight and tomorrow night. That work will take place between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Continue reading
If you have business to take care of at the BMV, you may want to do it during the first part of the week. Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles branches will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28 in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday. All license branches with Saturday hours will return to their regular schedules on Saturday, Nov. 29. Visit myBMV.com for more information.
If you’re out grocery shopping today, stop and see members of the WKVI staff. The station’s fifth annual food drive will take place from 10 a.m. until noon Central today at Five Star in the Knox Mall and Sanders in the Winamac Plaza. Shoppers can donate non-perishable food or cash to help local families in need. Continue reading
A representative from U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski’s office will be in Starke and Pulaski Counties next week to help local constituents who need to access federal government services. A member of her staff will be at the Starke County Courthouse in the commissioner’s office on the first floor of the courthouse on Monday, Nov. 24 from 8 until 11 a.m. CST. Continue reading
The North Judson-San Pierre School Board this week approved the proposed pool activities list for members of the community. Superintendent Lynn Johnson says they will offer swim lessons and have open swim times for kids and their families. Continue reading
North Judson-San Pierre hosted the annual elementary spell bowl competition Thursday night. A total of 11 schools in five different classes competed against each other. Continue reading
Starke County government offices will be closed on Columbus Day in 2015. That’s in addition to the other holidays typically observed by governmental bodies. They include New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, the long Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas Day. The commissioners considered taking Martin Luther King Day off in January, but opted to keep county government open. That decision was a two-to-one vote, with President of the Commissioners Jennifer Davis voting for the closure. The county has never observed the Martin Luther King holiday in January.
At the recent annual meeting of the Starke County Historical Society officers and township directors were elected. Returning officers are Ron Vendl, President; James Shilling, Vice President; Deborah Mix, Secretary; and Peg Brettin, Treasurer. Continue reading
Freezing rain is possible late tonight into tomorrow morning across much of northwest Indiana. The National Weather Service advises rain will start to fall around midnight and continue through the early morning hours. Continue reading
A discount store chain with locations in Starke and Pulaski Counties is going out of business. Alco Stores is closing all of its 198 locations. The Coppell, Texas-based company filed for bankruptcy protection in the Northern District of Texas on Oct. 12 with the help of a bankruptcy attorney. Continue reading
The Starke County Historical Society hopes to move its museum into a new building within the next three years. It’s currently located in the home of former Indiana Gov. Henry F. Schricker at 401 South Main Street in downtown Knox. Historical Society President Ron Vendl says the home is “jam packed with items of historical significance.” He adds there is no space left to store or display things. Family physician and longtime historical society benefactor Dr. Walter Fritz has offered to sell the historical society his medical office building at 1520 South Heaton St. to use as an additional museum. The 2,550 square-feet of space on the main floor is equal to that of the Schricker home, with an additional 2,100 square feet of storage space in the the basement. Continue reading
