WKVI Information Center

An infant who was found unresponsive early Thursday morning in Knox died of natural causes.

Knox City Police Detective Dave Combs, the deputy coroner and a representative from the Department of Child Services learned the preliminary results of the autopsy conducted by a Fort Wayne Pathologist on Friday.

The exact cause of death will not be known for another six to eight weeks as testing is ongoing.

Services for 3-week-old Olivia Robinson were held yesterday afternoon at the Braman and Bailey Funeral Home in North Judson.

Pulaski County Continues Storm Cleanup Efforts

Sunday’s storms, while devastating to some, only caused moderate damage in Pulaski County but left many residents without power for several hours. EMA Director Larry Hoover explained there were some severe effects, particularly by Medaryville, which were caused by two small tornadoes that had developed during the storm.

“We started out with the storm front coming in and we had two small tornadoes spin up out of there. We had some minor property damage; no personal injuries, fortunately. Obviously no deaths. We did have quite a large outage on power; Winamac was out probably until about 8 p.m. Medaryville got their power back about 7:30-ish this morning. Denham now has their power and the crews are working on finish up Ripley. Hopefully they’ll be done by 2 o’ clock this afternoon getting the power back on,” said Hoover.

Marshall County Commissioners Approve Purchase of Three New Police Interceptors

The Marshall County Commissioners discussed the purchase of vehicles for the sheriff’s department Monday morning.

Captain Daniel Butt with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department presented the request for three all-wheel drive Ford Interceptors. Oliver Ford in Plymouth turned in a state bid of $26,642 per unit and the sheriff’s department would get three vehicles. A 2009 Crown Victoria, a 2007 Ford Taurus and a 2007 Ford Fusion would be traded in for a total trade value of $7,200. The total cost of the purchase of the vehicles would be $72,726.

Marshall County Residents Cleaning Up After Storm

Residents continue cleaning up after a line of storms bared down on the Kankakee Valley Sunday night.

Marshall County Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Avery told WKVI that he’s gotten a few reports from residents who sustained structural damage. He encourages those who have damage to call his office at (574) 936-3740. Federal assistance may be available. Avery stated that the state would have to meet a minimal threshold in order to be eligible for assistance.

Starke County Community Foundation Awards Grants to Local Charities

Dozens of founders of Starke County Community Foundation funds, along with donors and charitable organizations, attended the Community Foundation’s fund founder celebration and grant reception on Thursday, Nov. 16 at Community Services of Starke County in Knox.

The founders were present to celebrate the accomplishments of 2013, during which more than $140,000 was awarded in grants and scholarships – more than $24,000 of which was awarded Thursday evening during the reception through the SCCF’s annual unrestricted grant process. The named unrestricted funds that made the grants possible are: The Freedom Fund, the Ann R. and Orville Nichols Memorial Fund, the Schuyler Family Endowment Fund, the Stewart Lain Memorial Fund, the Starke County General Unrestricted Fund, and the Arlowa S. Vorm Memorial Fund.

Prepare Your Emergency Disaster Kit Now

With winter weather on its way and a hefty storm in our rear-views, now is the perfect time to create a home disaster kit if you haven’t already. To that end, Pulaski County EMA Director Larry Hoover has a number of tips.

The most important tip, Hoover said, is to make sure your family knows where to go in a severe storm. Lay out an emergency plan with a place to meet in case you get separated and designate an emergency contact that is out of the immediate area to call in case of a disaster.

Penalties Issued to Nationwide Series Team

November 18, 2013WKVI

A post-race inspection found the No. 32 NASCAR Nationwide Series team in violation of several rules. Kyle Larson drove the car in the series finale Saturday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Sections 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing; 12-4J (Any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to the NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book or has been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20A-12.8.1(B) (The car failed to meet the minimum front car heights).

Crew Chief Trent Owens was fined $10,000 and was placed on NASCAR probation until Apr. 2, 2014. Kyle Larson was docked six championship points and car owner, Harry Scott, was docked six points.

Interview: Max Gresham

November 18, 2013WKVI

Max Gresham speaks to fans at Eldora Speedway

It wasn’t the year Max Gresham had hoped for, but he’s excited to see what will come in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2014. He drove the No. 8 for Sharp-Gallaher Racing throughout the 2013 season. Here is what he had to say about the year and what he has planned in the off-season:

Max Gresham NCWTS

Plymouth PD Investigating Restaurant Burglary

November 18, 2013WKVI

Plymouth Police Department detectives are investigating a burglary at the Symphony Family Restaurant.

Officers received word that on Friday, Nov. 15 at 12:26 a.m. that a burglary was taking place at the business at 1410 N. Michigan Street. The manager of the facility surprised the suspect when he entered the building. The suspect fled on foot from the restaurant and no vehicle was seen.

Celia (Rodriguez) Zellers

November 18, 2013November 19, 2013WKVI

A memorial service for Celia Rodriguez Zellers, 56, of North Judson, will take place Friday, Nov. 22 at 11 a.m. CDT at O’Donnell Funeral Home in North Judson, with visitation there one hour prior to the service.

Carol L Stachulak

November 18, 2013November 19, 2013WKVI

A memorial mass for Carol L. Stachulak, 69, of Knox, will take place Friday, Nov. 22 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Knox. It will be preceded by a rosary service at 10 a.m. Memorial contributions may be given to the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry or the Starke County Historical Society. M. C. Smith Funeral Home in Knox is in charge of arrangements.

Hunter in Marshall County Airlifted Following Fall

November 18, 2013November 18, 2013WKVI

A man who was deer hunting in Marshall County was airlifted to South Bend for the treatment of a spinal injury after falling from his tree stand near Tippecanoe Sunday morning. Rodney Kreft, 54, fell 24 feet when his tree stand broke, according to DNR officials. The stand had been left in the tree for several years, and Kreft was not wearing a safety harness. This year alone DNR officials have responded to 11 falls from tree stands resulting in serious injuries. Hunters are reminded to inspect their equipment regularly and use a harness when hunting from elevated positions in order to minimize the risk of injury.

Sunday Morning Fire Destroys Vacant Historic Home

November 18, 2013November 17, 2013WKVI

A fire early Sunday morning destroyed a historic structure on the north side of Knox. “Mackey’s Boarding House” was located at the northeast corner of Mound and Prettyman Streets. The once-stately Victorian structure had been vacant for several years. Firefighters were called out at 3:30 a.m. and remained on the scene for several hours. Knox-Center Township Fire Chief Kenny Pfost tells WKVI news the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Storms Leave Area Residents in the Dark

November 18, 2013November 17, 2013WKVI

The powerful storms that tore through the area Sunday afternoon left more than 5,000 Kankakee Valley REMC and more than 40,000 NIPSCO customers in the dark. High winds knocked down numerous trees and utility poles, and a tree that was struck by lightning in the Koontz Lake area caught fire. Straight line winds in Pulaski County caused considerable damage there as well. Power to the Pulaski County Justice Center was knocked out at the height of the storm and remained out for more than 5 hours. Sheriff Mike Gayer tells WKVI News that no injuries were reported.

Marshall County Commissioners to Meet Today

The Marshall County Commissioners will meet this morning at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Marshall County Sheriff Tom Chamberlin will present a proposal to the commissioners for the purpose of purchasing patrol vehicles for next year. Court Services Director Ward Byers will be before the board to discuss a contract with Heather Green.

Representatives Needed for Two Boards in the City of Knox

The end of the year is coming and it’s a time when officials start to look at their appointments for the next year. City of Knox officials are looking for representatives to serve on two boards.

Two representatives are needed to serve on the Knox Planning Commission for a four-year term. One representative is needed to serve on the Knox Park Board.

If you are interested in filling either of these obligations, you may call the Knox Mayor’s Office at (574) 772-4553. You must live within the incorporated limits of the city of Knox. The positions are compensated.

Pulaski Council Approves Transfers for Two Departments

The Pulaski County Council last week approved two transfers requests to help balance books for two departments. Charlene Spence with the Pulaski County Home told the council that she needed to transfer $500 into the petty cash fund from two separate funds due to confusion regarding the purpose of the petty cash account.

O-D School Board to Hold Public Hearing on Superintendent’s Contract

The Oregon-Davis School Board will meet at 6:15 p.m. CT tonight to hold a public hearing before their regularly scheduled meeting for the purpose of public discussion of the superintendent’s contract.

The school board members will hear your opinions on the proposed contract of employment for the Superintendent of Schools. Your input will be taken into consideration when the board discusses the contract for approval during an open board meeting on Monday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Eastern Pulaski School Board Approves Acquisition of Bus Bids