Officers arrived at the scene shortly after but did not find the suspects in the area, so they traveled to a local recycling business to find out if the suspects had taken the tractor there to find its value. A company employee informed police that three men had just pushed a garden tractor into their lot with a vehicle before pushing it onto the weigh scale by hand.
The driver, Glenn Linderman, was pulled over near the intersection of Glenn Overmyer Drive and State Road 17 for multiple traffic infractions. Linderman was reportedly found to be operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license.
Police are encouraging anyone with information regarding this crime or any other suspicious activity to contact the LaPorte Police Department at (219) 362-9446, or visit www.lpcitypd.com to submit a tip. You can remain anonymous while providing this vital information, doing your part to make the community safer. Please be as specific as you can and provide as many details as possible about the activity you are reporting.
The Culver Cavaliers won their second sectional championship in the last three years and the eighth in school history. The Cavs won two hard fought games in their own sectional, defeating South Central 1-0 in the bye round, and Triton 2-0 in the championship.
The Winamac Lady Warriors won the softball sectional championship for the third time in school history. The Warriors defeated North Judson in the bye round of the Rochester sectional 16-0 before moving on to defeat the #1 ranked Rochester Zebras 6-1 in the championship. (Not pictured: Macy Bischoff)
Former North Judson Clerk Treasurer Connie Miller will serve a year on home detention and five years on probation as punishment for stealing $74,000 from the town between January of 2010 and December of 2011. She pleaded guilty to three of the 10 felony counts filed against her during a hearing this morning in South Bend. Special Judge Jerome Frese also ordered Miller to pay more than $52,000 in restitution. A civil suit has also been filed against Miller in an attempt to recover some of the money.
In a previous court setting, Special Judge Jerome Frese rejected the plea agreement and asked for Special Prosecutor Michael Krebes and Defense Attorney Todd Wallsmith to come back with an amended plea agreement that reflects a change in length of sentence. Miller had pleaded guilty to three counts of Theft as Class D felonies.
The Starke County commissioners this week received an update on two construction projects that will soon begin in the county to replace two bridges, one near Koontz Lake and the other on U.S. 35. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler told the commissioners that a pre-construction meeting was held on Tuesday to discuss the schedule for Bridge 43 near Koontz Lake, but because they are currently waiting on an environmental permit to clear, the schedule is not yet concrete.
Once the permit has cleared, Ritzler explained, the schedule can be set and construction can begin within two or three weeks after obtaining the permit.
The school board met in regular session Wednesday night when Daniel Geise was named as the superintendent on an interim basis. The board will plan a formal search in the future.
Haeck explained that INDOT was interested in the county’s opinion regarding the stop signs along the railroad track that spans from Argos to Walkerton. INDOT wanted to know if the county wanted to amend those signs from stop signs to a yield sign or remove them. Haeck told the commissioners that his department reviewed all of the stop signs and asked the commissioners what to do.
Early education is important to a child’s development and the Knox Community School Corporation is currently conducting a kindergarten camp for children who have not had any prior education experience. Eighteen students are enrolled in the camp that runs through the end of June.
The school corporation has partnered with IU Health Starke Hospital and United Way to present this unique opportunity to low-income and under-served children so they can get caught up with the skills recommended before they enter kindergarten.
“Sophie came back from the Northern State Conference meet and I found out that she ran the fastest time in the history of the Northern State Conference in the 400-meter and she also missed the 200-meter dash by two-tenths of a second,” explained Miller. “She scored more points than another athlete in the Northern State Conference meet this year. It’s a great accomplishment for an eighth grader at Knox Middle School.”
The board commended Sophie on her accomplishment and told her that she has raised the bar for other students.
Sophie attended the meeting along with her parents, Travis and Amie Flora, her sister Josie Flora and her grandmother Kathy Norem.
Tippecanoe River flooding remains a possibility through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. The flood warning for the river at Ora has been extended until late Saturday night. Moderate flooding is occurring along the river now as a result of recent, heavy rainfall. The river was holding steady at 13.1 feet last night at 9. Flood stage is 12 feet. The river is expected to fall below that level early Saturday. Additional rain is in the forecast, and that could add to the problem. Motorists are reminded to “turn around, don’t drown.” If water is over the roadway, don’t try to drive through it, as the road may be washed out underneath.
A black and yellow tow-behind Atlas Copco air compressor, a 90 pound jackhammer and a chipping hammer were stolen recently from the LaPorte County Airport. They disappeared sometime between May 29 and June 5, according to the report filed with the LaPorte City Police. The items were last seen near the construction site for the airport’s new hangar. They are valued at $5,000. Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to contact the LaPorte Police Department at 219-362-9446 or visit their website at www.lpcitypd.com.
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