WKVI Information Center

Daniel L. Rannells Photo — Daniel Rannells

Funeral Operator Dan Rannells, who passed away last week at the age of 81, earned the affection of those in the Hamlet community and beyond because he cared about them. He was revered and respected by those in a privileged social circle, but it was those of modest means who loved him the most. You can see the lasting impact Rannells had on the community he served by the dedication of his family to the values instilled in them.

Grovertown Man Found Unconscious, Not Breathing in Driveway

A Grovertown man was found unconscious and not breathing in his driveway Saturday morning. Starke County dispatch received a call of a man lying in his driveway at 4515 1150 E. near Grovertown, and when police arrived, he was found unresponsive and not breathing. It is unknown at this time how long he was in the driveway before emergency services arrived.

Police Arrest Two From Knox For Manufacturing Meth In Vacant Home

Two Knox residents were arrested Wednesday after a call came in about the pair being inside a vacant home.

Knox City Police officers and deputies from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department arrived at 250 W. Locust Dr. where they found 53-year-old Tony Clemons and 42-year-old Melissa McCarty. The officers found them to be involved in the process of manufacturing methamphetamine and in possession of other illegal narcotics.

The Indiana State Police Clandestine Lab Team was called to the residence to remove the hazardous chemicals from the scene and Clemons and McCarty were taken to the Starke County Jail. They face preliminary charges of Illegal Drug Lab, Dealing Methamphetamine, and drug possession charges.

Walkerton Driver Sends Car Up a Pole

High speeds and a turn that was too tight drove a Chevrolet Impala up a pole in Walkerton Sunday afternoon. At approximately 12:30 p.m., an elderly female was traveling along State Road 23 and took a tight turn too fast, sending her vehicle airborne and into a NIPSCO utility pole’s guide wire. The vehicle rode along the wire and propped itself neatly against the utility pole, where it sat for several hours.

Officers were forced to shut down State Road 23 around 4 p.m. because they feared the approaching thunderstorms would cause the vehicle to fall into the roadway, and the road remained closed until after 9 p.m. when a crane was able to safely bring the car back to the ground. The elderly woman was not injured, though visibly shaken, having been off the ground for several hours throughout the ordeal.

Marshall County Union Twp. Polling Site Moved

A polling site change was approved by the Marshall County Commissioners.

Marshall County Clerk Julie Fox and Roger Wise from the Election Board proposed moving the Union Township polling site from the Culver-Union Township Public Library to the Culver Depot on Lakeshore Drive.

Relay For Life Kickoff Planned for January

Though the event doesn’t start until June, teams are already raising funds for the upcoming Relay for Life event, featuring this year’s theme of “Colors of Cancer.” Meghan Hamand of Relay said they always start planning the following year’s event as soon as possible because it takes a significant amount of time to prepare for such an event.

Last year, Relay for Life raised over $60,000, and this year they aim to top that. With a steep goal of $65,000, Hamand said they really need all the time they can get.

Marshall County EMA Reviewing Drafted Preparedness Plan

The Marshall County Commissioners recently heard from EMA Director Clyde Avery, who told the board that the EMA Advisory Council is currently reviewing a draft of the Emergency Management Strategic Preparedness Plan and has until Oct. 19 to make recommendations. He will submit the plan to the commissioners for approval in November.

He also told the commissioners that he will host an exercise on Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to noon ET in the Marshall County Courthouse to discuss the activation protocol for the Emergency Operations Center. He will also be discussing the roles and responsibilities of the Emergency Support Functions and Policy Group members.

Two Fungal Meningitis Deaths Reported In Indiana

With more than 200 cases reported in 14 states nationwide, fungal meningitis is causing quite a scare, and Indiana is feeling the effects as well. Twenty-eight cases of the infection have been reported in Indiana with two reported deaths, though 15 deaths have been reported nationwide from the infection that has been linked to injections of a steroid used to treat back pain.

USPS Undergoes Some Pricing Changes

A number of changes have been made to the pricing for First-Class single-piece letters and domestic flat rate shipping products through the United States Postal Service.

Mary Dando, head of corporate communications for the Greater Indiana District of the USPS, explained that most First-Class stamps are now Forever stamps, and those that have already been purchased will still be good even after the change in pricing takes effect Jan. 27. Also beginning early next year, the Postal Service will offer a First-Class Mail Global Forever Stamp, which Dando explained will allow customers to mail letters anywhere in the world for one set price of $1.10.

DOC Van Strikes Car In Pulaski County

A Department of Corrections van was involved in a crash in Pulaski County on Thursday.

The DOC van, driven by 32-year-old Michael Ritchey of Rockville, was driving south on State Road 39 when he reportedly failed to yield to the right of way at the intersection with State Road 14 in Pulaski County.

Richard Clark Arrested For Possession, DUI in Marshall County

k9 arras marshall county — K9 Arras joins the Marshall County Sheriff's Department

The new Marshall County K9 was involved in his first arrest incident Wednesday.

An officer from the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of State Road 17 near State Road 8. K9 Arras and his handler were called to the scene where Arras performed a narcotics search. The K9 indicated on the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle.

Starke County Sheriff’s Dept. Radio Tower Antennas Replaced

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department’s radio tower is back up and running at near-full capacity, but IT Director Joe Short said it’s still not in ideal condition. Because the tower had been damaged during the storm, it was shortened, and new regulations in the city of Knox prohibit the department from building a tower taller than 100 feet.

Radio engineers had replaced the two antennas atop the tower earlier this week at an estimated cost of $2200 per antenna, but Short said the final price came out less than that at around $4000 total. He said there was some concern over whether or not the coax cable would need to be replaced running up the tower; fortunately, however, he said the coax cable checked out and they are running between 99–100 percent efficiency. While it’s not ideal, and the antennas do not have the range they would like, Short said this is as good as it’s going to get until they decide on the location for the new tower.

Two Plead Guilty to D Felonies in Starke Circuit Court

starke-county-courthouse — Starke County Courthouse

Two individuals plead guilty to the charges against them as part of plea agreements in the Starke Circuit Court.

Joshua Barlow, 25 of Knox, pleaded guilty to an enhanced charge of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated with a Previous Conviction as a Class D felony. He admitted that on March 17 he had driven his vehicle while over the legal limit of 0.08 percent blood-alcohol concentration after he had been previous arrested and convicted on the same charge within five years.

IDEM Inspects Knox Brush Burn Site; No Violations Found

Knox-City-Council-2012 — Knox City Council

Despite a number of complaints from residents who claimed they were adversely affected by ash and soot from the controlled burn conducted by the city of Knox in September, Mayor Rick Chambers told the city council this week that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management conducted an inspection at the site of the burn and found no violations.

Chambers explained to the council that he had received several complaints concerning ash and soot from the fire, and one resident had filed a police report regarding damage to his vehicle from burning ash that had fallen on the car.

Oregon-Davis To Receive $10,000 Grant Check Next Week

Oregon-Davis-Jr_Sr-Building — Oregon-Davis Jr./Sr. High School

Oregon-Davis High School was recently awarded a $10,000 grant for Biology and Agriculture Technology for 21st Century Learners through America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund.

Local farmers nominated Oregon-Davis teachers Debbie Awald and Jacob Riley to receive the grant, and their nominations were reviewed first by math and science teachers from ineligible school districts then by the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council. The council, consisting of a group of 26 prominent farmers from across the country, was impressed with the teachers’ dedication to their students and their innovative ideas for improving their students’ educational experiences.

The check presentation ceremony will take place on Oct. 18 at 7:30 a.m. CT in the Oregon-Davis gymnasium, and every member of the community is welcome to attend the presentation to celebrate this great accomplishment by Awald and Riley for the students at Oregon-Davis.

Week in Review for Oct. 8-12, 2012

Here is a look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:

If you would like to see information about an inmate in the Pulaski County Jail, you can obtain that information by going to pulaskisheriff.net. The list can be found on the lower right-hand side of the home page. When you click on an individual inmate, you can get information on when that person was arrested, their mugshot and the current charges filed against that person. In other technology upgrades at the jail, a video device was installed which allows a family member or attorney the ability to speak to an inmate via computer. Continue reading →

Department of Corrections Van Involved in Pulaski County Accident

October 12, 2012WKVI

A Department of Corrections van was involved in a crash in Pulaski County on Thursday.

The DOC van, driven by 32-year-old Michael Ritchey, of Rockville, was driving south on State Road 39 when he reportedly failed to yield to the right of way at the intersection with State Road 14 in Pulaski County.

Week 9 Football Predictions

October 12, 2012October 15, 2012Anita Goodan

Harold’s Picks: 33-12 (overall) 29-11 (with blind picks)

John Glenn-21 Bremen-14

Winamac-42 Frontier-14

Culver-28 LaVille-7

New Prairie-28 Knox-7

South Central-30 River Forest-19

NJSP-21 Twin Lakes-14

West Central-28 Pioneer-27

Nathan’s Picks: 31-14 (overall) 28-12 (with blind picks)

John Glenn-22 Bremen-21

Frontier-2 Winamac-0

Culver-28 LaVille-6

New Prairie-35 Knox-14

South Central-28 River Forest-14

NJSP-24 Twin Lakes-20

Pioneer-35 West Central-16

Sean’s Picks:

John Glenn-20 Bremen-13

Winamac-42 Frontier-0

Culver-28 LaVille-24

New Prairie-35 Knox-17

South Couth-37 River Forest-17

North Judson-14 Twin Lakes-6

West Central-28 Pioneer-20

Tom’s Blind Picks: 16-25

John Glenn over Bremen

Winamac over Frontier

Culver over LaVille

Knox over New Prairie

South Central over River Forest

NJSP over Twin Lakes

West Central over Pioneer

Knox Man Sentenced To Six Years Home Detention For C Felony Possession

October 12, 2012October 11, 2012WKVI

The Starke Circuit Court yesterday afternoon heard a number of pleas and handed down sentences as several people pleaded guilty to the charges against them.

Lonzo Jackson, 21 of Knox, pleaded guilty to a Class C felony charge of Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors with Intent to Manufacture Within 1000 Feet of a School. He admitted that on Nov. 26, he was in possession of lithium batteries and pseudoephedrine at his grandmother’s house, which is located near a church with preschool services. Jackson will serve six years on home detention through Community Corrections followed by two years of probation. He can also request an early release from his sentence if Community Corrections recommends it.