Local Pro Bodybuilder Sets Up Shop In Knox

After hitting up competitions in about 30 states over the course of two years, professional bodybuilder Eric Keen is settling down – but that doesn’t mean he’s getting out of the sport entirely. Keen, who suffers from cerebral palsy which has affected the use of his legs, said he stopped doing competitions as of October to focus on his business ventures.

Enter Keen Performance in Knox, a business that Keen came up with as a way to help fellow professional bodybuilders who wish to compete but face difficulties with the finances. The shop, which offers a variety of fitness supplements, jerseys, t-shirts, and a plethora of other items as well, will donate a portion of the profits to help professional bodybuilders compete.

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Plymouth Police Arrest Three For Theft

Plymouth police officers were called to several theft calls this week.

A Knox woman was arrested after Walmart officials called police to the store. Vicki Geruska of Knox has reportedly changed prices on articles and then attempted to pay for the merchandise at the lower price. She was arrested on a preliminary charge of Theft.

Two Plymouth teenagers were arrested early yesterday morning after they allegedly shoplifted items from Kroger. Amanda L. Whitt, 18, and Katlynn Morgan, 19, were taken into custody and transported to the Marshall County Jail. They face preliminary charges of Theft.

West Central School Board Approves School Bus Purchase

West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon

The West Central School Board members approved several action items during their meeting Thursday night and Superintendent Charles Mellon said one of those items included approving the purchase of school buses.

“We have one that is a 72-passenger bus, also an activity bus. Best bids came in from Midwest Transit so the board approved the purchase of those and they will be delivered here sometime in the second semester,” said Mellon.

The Board also approved the school calendar for the 2013-2014 school year.

“People like to have that a year in advance to schedule vacations,” Mellon said.

Christmas Cantata Scheduled For Tomorrow

The 2011 Community Choir gets ready to sing in the annual Christmas Cantata

The 15th Annual Christmas Cantata will be presented by the Community Choir tomorrow with two performances at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Knox United Methodist Church.

The 50-member group will present “All is Calm, All is Bright” and Choir member Ken Whiles tells us what kind of music we can expect to enjoy.

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Week in Review for Dec. 3-7, 2012

The investigation into the fire at the Sandbar at Bass Lake continues. Five fire departments helped contain the fire that started in the early morning hours on Sunday. Bass Lake Fire Chief Les Jensen has not given a preliminary cause of the fire, saying only he would release the official cause when determined by the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office.  Continue reading

Nasty Weather Isn’t Far, Take These Tips To Drive Safe

The troublesome combination of long drives and a short amount of time can be deadly, especially with the changing seasons. In order to avoid becoming another statistic, drivers are urged to get plenty of rest before driving, avoid alcohol, and wear seat belts at all times.

To make matters worse, the upcoming holidays coincide with the firearm deer season. Hunters will add to the number of drivers on the road during the high-travel holiday, and a large deer herd combined with high traffic creates a high probability for collisions. In fact, in 2011, eight people lost their lives in deer-vehicle accidents which totaled 53,592 crashes with 1295 injuries.

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O’Bryant Sentenced to 150 Years

Steven O'Bryant

A 43-year-old Starke County man has been sentenced after being found guilty on three counts of Child Molesting as a Class A felony.

Special Judge John M. Marnocha from St. Joseph Superior Court sentenced Steven L. O’Bryant in Starke Circuit Court yesterday to serve 150 years in prison. O’Bryant was found guilty of the charges after a jury trial in his case in early November. A dozen witnesses were called to the stand, including ten from the state and two from the defense. The jury took less than two hours to find that he was guilty of molesting a juvenile while he stayed at that juvenile’s Starke County residence over the course of two months from March 30 to May 30.

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Kokomo Company Salvaging Items From Old SCEDF Building

Knox residents may have noticed a construction team working on the old movie theater building on Main Street, but don’t worry – that building isn’t being torn down yet.

Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charles Weaver told WKVI that a well-known Kokomo company has expressed interest in removing salvageable items from within the building at 4 N. Main Street, which was once home to a movie theater as well as the SCEDF office.

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Pulaski County Commissioners File Suit For Defaulted Loan From 2004

Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

The former president and secretary of a Winamac business are in some hot water, as the Pulaski County Commissioners filed a lawsuit against them after they defaulted on a loan from 2004.

The lawsuit, filed on Nov. 29, names Jerry R. Howe, Jr. and Scott Roudebush as defendants and seeks to have $151,425.50 reimbursed to the county, along with the appropriate interest, attorney fees, and court costs. The county has hired the Merrillville-based law firm Genetos, Retson, Yoon and Molina, LLP, after it was learned that County Attorney Kevin Tankerslee had represented one of the defendants in a previous matter.

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Three Men Plead Not Guilty In Starke Circuit Court

Starke County Courthouse

Three initial hearings were heard in the Starke Circuit Court this week for men accused of a variety of crimes, including Dealing in Cocaine, Domestic Battery, and various Possession Charges.

Matthew Norem pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him, including Dealing in Cocaine or a Narcotic as a Class A felony and Trafficking with an Inmate as a Class C felony. Norem is accused of knowingly possessing at least three grams of heroin in his underwear at the Starke County Jail when he was arrested in December.

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North Judson Town Board Approves Salary and Redistricting Ordinances

The North Judson Town Board this week adopted their new salary ordinance upon its third reading, and the ordinance will soon go to the local newspaper for publication. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained the board also held the third reading of the zoning variance request by Osborne Realty, a business wishing to move their real estate office into a single-family residential building.

The Board of Zoning Appeals during their October meeting approved the business’s request, and the town board is now passing an ordinance to confirm the variance. The building will soon be rezoned to general business.

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Pulaski County Officials To Be Sworn In Soon

A swearing-in ceremony for Pulaski County elected officials will be held Wednesday, December 19 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

The ceremony is slated to take place in the commissioners meeting room on the second floor of the courthouse. All elected officials are encouraged to attend and officially be sworn into office. Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Michael Shurn and Pulaski Superior Court Judge Pat Blankenship will administer the oaths of office.

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Scam Targets First-Time Homeowners

Yet another scam is making the rounds across the state, as Marshall County Auditor Penny Lukenbill recently warned taxpayers about a scam that seems to focus on targeting first-time homeowners.

The bill appears to originate from a Washington, D.C. company and asks the homeowner to pay $83 for a copy of their property deed – information which is publicly available in the recorder’s office and can be printed any time for a fee of just $1 per page. Typical deeds are only two pages long.

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CLASP Still Collecting Toy Store Donations

The Coordinated Local Assistance Project (CLASP), coordinated by Pulaski County Human Services, continues to collect new toy donations for the Toy Store which will open on Dec. 15. December 14 is the last day to donate toys.

This is the 16th year for this community effort supported by CLASP, and last year, 370 families received food, clothes or toys thanks to the giving spirit of the community.

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ABATE’s Toys for Kids Event Looks To Help More Than 200 Children

ABATE’s Toys for Kids event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. at the Knox VFW. ABATE Treasurer Deb Young said this is an invitation-only event and the members were able to help quite a few families this year.

“We have a total of 79 families and 214 children whom we have purchased gifts for,” explained Deb Young. “I’m very excited to see the kids on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, we’re not able to provide for all the children in Starke County so we do it by invitation.”

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Construction Worker Loses Life In Accident at NIPSCO Station

A construction worker lost his life Tuesday morning at NIPSCO’s generating station in Wheatfield after he reportedly fell from scaffolding.

The man, identified as Troy Jabaay, 49 of Hebron, was transferred to Porter Regional Hospital but was pronounced dead at 8:44 a.m. A contract employee with Safway Services LLC, Jabaay had been performing maintenance at the station when the accident occurred. Forklift blue lights are extremely effective in improving forklift/pedestrian safety, are easy to install and very cost effective, read the description here on forklift blue lights.

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Starke County Approves Switch to Narrowband Radios

IT Director Joe Short

Starke County IT Director Joe Short told the commissioners this week that time is running out to switch county radio equipment to narrowband systems. The switchover, which was ordered by the FCC in December 2004, has an end-of-the-year deadline for Indiana counties.

Short told the commissioners that the current communication towers in San Pierre and North Judson are a bit “spotty,” which may be worsened with the switch to narrowband systems which have a shorter range. Several towers were damaged during this year’s June and July storms, and Short recommended waiting to reprogram the radio equipment until the towers have been fully repaired and the Sheriff’s Department’s radio tower relocated.

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North Judson Finalizes ADA Plan

The town of North Judson has met the ever-nearing deadline for the drafting of an ADA compliance plan. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that ADA Coordinator Doug Vessely presented the final draft of the ADA plan that he had developed, with details about what improvements have been made and what work must still be done.

Henry explained that the plan is basically finalized, and just in time – the deadline of Dec. 31 was getting a little too close for comfort.

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Hensler Nursery To Present Statehouse With 26-Foot Tree

A 26-foot Concolor Fir growing at Hensler Nursery in Hamlet will be cut down for Indiana’s Statehouse Rotunda tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

This tree will be placed on a trailer for transport to Indianapolis and will be on display at Hensler’s over the weekend. The tree will be presented to the Governor on Wednesday, Dec. 12 in the Governor’s office at 9 a.m. ET.

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