April Revenue Report Indicates Healthy Tax Collections Overall

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

April was a good month for the state’s general fund in terms of tax collections, which are $71.3 million above the most recent revenue forecast and $81.4 million above collections for the same period last year. State Budget Agency Director Christopher Atkins credits an 11-percent increase in individual income tax collections, which are also up significantly from last year and are running 3.7 percent ahead of the forecast amount.

Sales tax collections for April were up slightly over last year but missed the forecast mark by .05 percent. They’ve increased since last year but are still less than one-percent below the forecast amount. Corporate income tax collections missed the mark significantly for April, coming in at 11.4 percent below forecast for the month. Year-to-date they’re half-a-percent below forecast.

 

Newly Approved Principal Eager to Begin at O-D

Posted on Author WKVI
Oregon-Davis Jr./Sr. High School
Oregon-Davis Jr./Sr. High School

The Oregon-Davis School Board recently named a new high school principal to take the place of Greg Briles.

Tim Pletcher has been in education for the past 19 years and has spent his entire career at South Bend schools – mainly at Washington High School. He completed his undergraduate work at IUSB and he got his Master’s Degree from the University of Illinois. He also completed a doctorate at the University of Illinois and licensing at Indiana Wesleyan.

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Starke County Humane Society Fundraiser Planned Saturday

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A fundraiser is in the works to benefit the Starke County Humane Society, and anyone who’s a fan of Elvis is certainly going to want to attend this event. On Saturday night at Grand Central Station, attendees of the “You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog Night Out for the Animals” will be treated to a performance by Irv Cass, a two-time world champion Elvis tribute artist. On top of that, Bub’s BBQ will be catering the event with their authentic, delicious barbecue.

RJ Howard, owner of Bub’s BBQ, said he has an emotional connection to the Starke County Humane Society and catering the event was the least he could do.

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State Reports Trouble-Free ISTEP Testing

Posted on Author WKVI

Indiana Department of Education

ISTEP+ testing resumes today in classrooms across the state. No major problems were reported during the administration of ISTEP tests yesterday, according to officials with the Indiana Department of Education. Computer crashes earlier in the week halted the administration of the test. As a workaround, state officials asked schools to cut the number of students testing at a time by half. That reduction continues today, and the department of education has extended the testing window by two additional days. Schools now have until May 17 to finish giving the test. Minimal interruptions were reported yesterday, according to state officials, who say 41 percent of the total expected ISTEP+ sessions have been completed this week. Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz remains committed to working with schools, students and parents to ensure that they have the time they need to guarantee all Hoosier students have the opportunity to take a fair test.

Starke County Prayer Breakfast Held This Morning

Posted on Author WKVI
Ed Hasnerl
Ed Hasnerl

The Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox was filled with eager community members to help pray for our nation during today’s National Day of Prayer.

This year’s theme is “Pray for America”. It’s about coming together as a nation to better ourselves and make America the best place to be. Eagle Creek Community Church Pastor Ed Hasnerl gave a message of hope and urged neighbors to lift each other up in prayer.

“Of course we need to pray for America, but before our prayers can be effective as they can be we need to examine ourselves, our lives, repent, and then God will hear our prayers and He will heal our nation,” stated Hasnerl.

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Winamac Police Officer Charged with Theft

Posted on Author WKVI
police badge
 

An investigation into money found missing from an evidence storage locker at the Winamac Police Department has unearthed a suspect.

Daymond Hartley, a Winamac officer on the night shift, allegedly admitted to Winamac Police Chief Michael Buchanan that he took $6,352 from the storage locker while working a shift during the last week of March. The money had been collected as evidence after a fatal accident involving Jamie Sheets of Winamac.

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Joint Investigation Leads to Three Arrests in Fulton County

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A joint criminal investigation by the Indiana State Police and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department led to the arrests of two rural Fulton County residents Tuesday night, as well as a fugitive from South Bend. Police arrested 37-year-old Charla Richard and 45-year-old John Wise, both from 2183 W. 500 N. in Fulton County near Rochester, on felony charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Precursors, and Possession of a Police Scanner During the Commission of a Felony.

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Monterey Bridge Project on Schedule

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Monterey Bridge project is moving along despite the water issues experienced in April.

Bret Smiley, construction manager with United Consulting, said there was a bit of a flooding issue at the southern end of the bridge project, but that isn’t affecting the work being done this week on the north side of the bridge. The south side of the bridge project had been underwater and the workers have been working around that issue. LaPorte Construction built up a makeshift berm to help with erosion issues and to push back the river water.

Rain dates were built into the original construction schedule so Smiley noted the project is on schedule. They are drive piling the north side of the bridge so beams can be set this week and situating the crane so it can safely operate. Smiley said the ground is swelled with water and unstable so they are creating a safe platform for the crane.

Smiley said the retaining walls will be built in the next week or so.

Culver School Board Approves Cut of Five Teachers

Posted on Author WKVI

Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt
Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt
The Culver Community School Board at their meeting Monday night began the process of reducing force at their corporation – essentially cutting down on the number of employees. The board unanimously adopted a resolution to cut five teachers at the end of this school year, but Superintendent Brad Schuldt said the board has not yet decided which five staff members will be let go.

Schuldt said the resolution merely confirms that the corporation will perform a reduction in force by five teachers, but no specifics have been decided – that is, the board has not made a decision as to who will be cut nor what buildings will be affected. He said the board will know by their meeting in mid-June which teachers’ contracts will be canceled by the board.

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Several Offenders Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Courthouse
Starke County Courthouse

Several sentencing hearings were held in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday.

Tiffany Woodard Wireman pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state in two different cases to charges of Visiting a Common Nuisance as a Class B Misdemeanor and Escape as a Class D Felony. On the misdemeanor charge, she was sentenced to 60 days in the Starke County Jail. On the Escape charge, she was sentenced to 18 months in the Department of Corrections with six months suspended to be served on probation. The sentences will be served consecutively. She had removed her electronic monitoring device while serving time with Starke County Community Corrections.

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Weather Delays Spring Planting Season

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
It has been a cold, wet spring which has caused farmers to be a bit tardy in getting fields planted throughout the state, but Chad Rushing, agriculture and natural resources educator at Purdue Extension in Starke County, said it’s still in the window of time where crops will produce optimum yields.

“We’re a little bit behind schedule, but everything is still on track for maximum yield potential,” said Rushing. “Planting is delayed. Corn is usually at about 20 percent planted by now and it’s about one percent across the state.”

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Keep Pets Safe in Hot Weather

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Dog owners are reminded not to let the warm weather take a tragic turn by leaving four-legged friends in the car with the windows rolled up. Temperatures inside a car can spike quickly, even if it’s parked in the shade. On a 78-degree day it feels like 90 degrees inside a car, and dogs can quickly overheat. Experts say even 60-degree days can get too warm for animals to be shut inside a car for very long. They advise against rolling windows down, because animals can escape and owners may be liable if they bite someone. Leaving the air conditioning running is discouraged because it can possibly fail or shut off and lead to a preventable tragedy. If you do take them along, bring plenty of water in a dish for them and don’t leave them alone for more than 15 minutes at a time. Also be sure any outdoor pets have adequate shade and plenty of fresh drinking water, and bring them inside when temperatures get too warm.

New CASA Volunteers Sworn into Service

Posted on Author WKVI
Judge Kim Hall swore in new CASA members Rebecca Berg, Patricia Camp, Katlyn Foust, and John Wampler.
Judge Kim Hall swore in new CASA members Rebecca Berg, Patricia Camp, Katlyn Foust, and John Wampler.

Four new Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, members were sworn into service by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall in a special ceremony Tuesday.

Katlyn Foust, Patricia Camp, Rebecca Berg, John Wampler each completed 30 hours of classroom training plus an hour of observing cases. They all passed four separate background checks, including a federal fingerprint search.

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Man Fishing at Bass Lake Cited

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A Culver man was cited for violations by a Indiana Conservation Officer.

William D. Corey III, 55, was bank fishing at Bass Lake when a conservation officer checked his catch for the day. The officer found 45 crappie in his possession which is nearly twice than the allowed bag limit of 25.

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WCHS Student Council Holds Donation Drive for Lafayette Central Catholic Senior

Posted on Author WKVI
Winamac Community High School
Winamac Community High School

Two Lafayette Central Catholic students are fighting side-by-side against leukemia, but they’re not alone in their battle. Last fall, Lafayette Central Catholic senior Patrick Mackey helped organize donations and garner support from the community for the family of Cooper Fulmer, the brother of senior Gavin Fulmer. Mackey learned that Cooper was beginning his treatments for leukemia, a condition Mackey takes very seriously due to the loss of his 15-year-old sister Clair to the disease in June 2011. In light of that, during the regional game against Lafayette Central Catholic last fall, Mackey and several other students made donations and lent their support to the Fulmer family.

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Oregon-Davis Students to Participate in Mini-Relay

Posted on Author WKVI
Oregon-Davis Jr./Sr. High School
Oregon-Davis Jr./Sr. High School

Oregon-Davis students will be collecting money for the American Cancer Society and walking in a mini-relay event at the school.

The mini-relay will be on Friday, May 10 beginning at 7:20 a.m. CT and the students will be walking during school for one class period to help raise money in the fight against cancer and learn about ways to stay healthy.

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Bills Proposed by Sen. Arnold Improve School Safety, Law Enforcement Policies

Posted on Author WKVI

Senator Jim Arnold
Senator Jim Arnold
A number of bills proposed by State Senator Jim Arnold of LaPorte during the recently adjourned legislative session have been approved by the General Assembly, and several of them have already been signed into law – most of which become effective July 1. Among those are bills aimed at improving school safety standards and policies regarding law enforcement.

Senate Enrolled Act 1, co-authored by Arnold, seeks to increase safety for Hoosier school children by assisting schools in hiring more school resource officers and dictates how to implement resource officer programs. The act requires individuals to complete training sessions for law enforcement officers as well as receive 40 hours of certified school officer training.

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Cash for College Initiative Provides “Ask the Expert” Session for FAFSA Help

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

As part of Learn More Indiana’s annual Cash for College initiative, the organization will provide person-to-person help on Saturday to families and students rushing to make final corrections to their Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms. The financial aid form which qualifies students to receive financial aid from colleges, the state, the federal government and several other sources was due on March 10 but corrections are accepted until May 15, giving applicants time to correct any issues.

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