The Knox City Police Department is currently down one police cruiser after an officer struck a deer and totaled the vehicle. Fortunately, Mayor Rick Chambers told the city council this week that the insurance company totaled the vehicle and reimbursed the city $6900 for the 2007 Crown Victoria, but Chambers said that reimbursement isn’t quite enough to cover the cost of a new vehicle.
Governor Mike Pence hailed the passage of the Indiana Works Councils Bill, which he said demonstrates the commitment of Hoosiers to make career and vocational education a priority in every high school. The bill integrates local and state resources by creating regional Indiana Works Councils with membership including representation from employers and educators.
The House of Representatives this week passed legislation that seeks to lessen the tax payment burden on Hoosier homeowners, allowing them the option to pay their property taxes in installments as opposed to a lump sum. The legislation passed the House by a 93-0 vote, bringing it one step closer to becoming law, but several counties in Indiana have already offered this option to residents.
The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Mike Pence for approval. In the meantime, every county in Indiana is gearing up to send out property tax bills, and it’s keeping the treasurers in Starke and Pulaski counties pretty busy.
If you were one of the many Hoosiers that heard the tornado sirens yesterday, don’t worry, you weren’t oblivious to any tornadoes. Rather, statewide tornado drills took place yesterday morning and evening, as the National Weather Service, Indiana State Police, Indiana Broadcasters Association, and various emergency management agencies, emergency response agencies, and sheriff’s departments throughout Indiana tested their warning and communication systems as part of Severe Weather Preparedness Week.
Jeff Borg said the staff will be doing spring cleaning next week which includes leaf pick-up. They will pick up leaves if they are placed in the street along the curb and not in the alley. Brush and limbs will be picked up each Thursday.
North Judson-San Pierre kindergarten registration is Tuesday, April 16 from 5–7 p.m. at the elementary school.
You are asked to take your child’s birth certificate, immunization record and Social Security card when they register your child. Both of you will be able to visit kindergarten classrooms and meet kindergarten teachers.
If you are unable to attend this registration, visit the school office to register your child.
You child must be the age of five on or before Aug. 1 to enter kindergarten.
The National Doctor’s Day was first celebrated in 1991, and it is a day set aside to recognize the work of doctors.
Wednesday’s celebration at IU Health Starke Hospital was an opportunity for colleagues and friends to say “thank you” for the services provided to area residents.
A Fulton County man is in serious condition at a Fort Wayne hospital after being shot during a standoff with police. Nicholas S. Westerhoff, 46, was airlifted to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne after the incident in the town of Fulton. It started around 8:15 last night with a report of a domestic situation with shots fired at a Brown Street home. Officers found Westerhoff holed up in the residence refusing to come out. The Indiana State Police North Emergency Response Team was called in to secure the area. Several attempts to negotiate with with Westerhoff were unsuccessful. He came to the door of the home around 11:40 p.m. and started firing his weapon, according to police. Officers returned fire, and Westerhoff was injured during the exchange. It’s unclear if his injury was self-inflicted or if he was shot by officers returning fire. No police officers were injured. The incident remains under investigation. Officers from the Indiana State Police, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Rochester, Kewanna and Fulton Police Departments responded to the incident, along with the Liberty Township Fire Department and Fulton County EMS.
A local attraction will not reopen for the season. The co-owner of Bass Lake Golf Course confirms the course, pro shop and restaurant are closed for good. Rudy and Cindy DeSabatine have owned the course since 2006. It is one of the oldest in the Kankakee Valley. Bass Lake Golf Course originally opened in 1921.
A LaPorte man faces felony theft and drug charges after he reportedly stole an item from an auto parts store there last night. Employees at Advance Auto Parts on State Road 2 called the police around 8:20 last night to report the theft of a cell phone mount. They gave officers a description of the suspect and the vehicle he got into when he left the store. Officers pulled it over a short time later and found a man, later identified as Zacheria Faiyaz, 20, who matched the description of the thief. Faiyaz denied any knowledge of the incident, according to police. He consented to a search, and police reportedly found various drug paraphernalia items on his person. The driver of the vehicle gave officers permission to search it. They found the phone mount, still in its store packaging, behind where Faiyaz had been sitting. Faiyaz faces felony charges of theft and possession of syringes, along with misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. Officers reportedly found a baggie of the latter during a search at the LaPorte County Jail.
In an effort to learn more about what issues and concerns area farmers have, U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski visited Lawrence Farms in Starke County and addressed a roomful of concerned farmers looking to speak their mind and be heard by their representative. Walorski said that she wanted to make sure as a representative that she has a good idea of what’s going on in the counties she represents, and in order to do that, she needed to hear from those in the agricultural field what their primary issues and concerns are.
The Knox City Council this week reviewed the efforts made by Toll Brothers in keeping with their tax abatement and approved a motion stating that the company is in substantial compliance or has made reasonable effort to keep with the terms of the abatement. Charlie Weaver, the executive director of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, and Toll Brothers owner Brian Trapp approached the council requesting the compliance statement.
Law enforcement from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and North Judson, Hamlet and Knox City Police Departments stopped a total of 221 vehicles and issued a total of 74 citations related to aggressive driving. A total of 12 Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated arrests were made and six others were arrested on non-alcohol related charges.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa said a 14-passenger mini-bus will be purchased.
“This bus will be wheelchair-equipped,” explained Gappa. “The reason we wanted to move now was because the price of mini-buses will increase next month so we did beat the price increase. The recommendation was for a Collins mini-bus.”
The bus will be delivered this summer.
The target was aggressive and impaired drivers. Officers worked 70.5 hours of impaired driving patrols and 85 hours of aggressive driving patrols. Six misdemeanor arrests and one felony arrest for Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated were made. Six criminal arrests were made including Possession of Marijuana and Possession of a Legend Drug. Police made 234 citations and gave 186 warnings during the blitz.
Operation Pullover is a federally funded enforcement initiative administered by the Traffic Safety Division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
Telehealth and telemedicine services use telecommunications and information technology to provide remote access to health assessment, diagnosis, intervention, consultation, supervision and information. Using this technology reduces re-admissions to hospitals and saves lives as well as health care costs.
Nominations are currently being accepted for the Governor’s Service Awards – Indiana’s most prestigious awards that seek to celebrate the accomplishments of servant leaders and dedicated volunteers across the Hoosier state. Nominations for individuals who display exemplary service through volunteering in the categories of corporate service, youth service, national service, service-learning, faith-based service, volunteerism, lifetime achievement, and communities of service are currently being accepted, and the awards are presented each year as part of the Governor’s Conference on Service and Nonprofit Capacity Building.
Hoosier women ranging in age from 18 to 80 are invited to take a walk on the wild side the first weekend in May. Registration is now open for the annual Indiana’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop. It gives women a chance to learn outdoor skills in a relaxed, low-pressure environment. Participants can design their own weekend experience based on their interests. Activities include learning to shoot clay targets, canoeing, fishing for trophy bass, campfire gourmet cooking, turkey calling and more. This year’s workshop takes place May 3-5 at Ross Camp in West Lafayette. Find more information and an online registration form at http://www.indianabow.com/.
