Walking/Biking to School a Healthy Choice; Oct. 3 is Walk to School Day

Posted on Author WKVI

Wednesday, Oct. 3 is Walk to School Day.

Studies show that fewer children walk or bike than 40 years ago.

With today’s children, experts recommend that children do 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day. Walking or bicycling to school offers an opportunity for you to get physical activity in for the day. Exposure to nature and time for free outdoor play can have multiple health benefits including stress reduction, relief of ADHD symptoms in children and increased cognitive and motor functioning.

Participating schools are encouraged to register their events at www.walktoschool.org.

Area Football Coaching Leaders

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Football Coaching Leaders: Through 9/21/12

Tim Roth-Winamac (32 years): 197-130 .602

Justin Bogunia-John Glenn (15 years): 99-64 .607

Andy Thomas-Culver (13 years): 85-57 .599

Kevin Cox-NJSP (11 years): 74-46 .617

Dan Klimczak-South Central (7 years): 63-13 .829

Darren Rodriguez (5 years): 20-27 .425

Chris McGowen-Knox (1 year): 1-5 .166

Train Accident Causes Major Headaches in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI

A train accident in Knox has caused some community concern, but officials say the accident resulted in no injuries and they are working on getting the area cleaned up.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department told WKVI that a Norfolk Southern service truck was performing maintenance on the tracks when a train rolled through town. The conductor reportedly thought the service truck was out of his way but miscalculated, striking the service truck.

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Missing LaPorte Girl Found Safe in Florida

Posted on Author WKVI

A missing 17-year-old LaPorte girl has been reportedly found safe and sound in Florida, having been reported missing on Wednesday.

The family of Emily Sue Snyder had been asking for the public’s help in locating their daughter who was reported missing on Wednesday. She was last seen at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday when she was presumed to be heading to classes at South Central High School, but her parents soon learned she didn’t make it to school.

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Knox Man Arrested For Allegedly Driving Drunk

Posted on Author WKVI

A Knox man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly driving drunk.

Jack Stoddard, Jr. was reportedly driving his vehicle around 1:30 a.m. when he lost control of his vehicle at the intersection of County Road 25 North and County Road 600 East. Officers arrived on scene and found Stoddard and a female passenger out of the vehicle. Stoddard told police that he lost control of the vehicle during an argument with his girlfriend.

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Knox Man Faces Two Cases In Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Courthouse

A Knox man appeared in the Starke Circuit Court this week for his sentencing hearing, but the state withdrew the plea agreement after he racked up a number of new charges.

Fifty-one-year-old Lolus Johnson was arrested in March for allegedly stealing a pair of sandals from Dollar General. When police found him and patted him down, they allegedly found a marijuana cigarette and other controlled substances. He was arrested and faces charges of Theft, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Marijuana.

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Skillman Honors Recipients of Affordable Housing Awards

Posted on Author WKVI

Lt. Governor Becky Skillman recently honored recipients of the 2012 Excellence in Affordable Housing awards, which honor Hoosiers for their impact on communities throughout the state. The recipients were announced at the Annual Statewide Conference on Housing and Community Economic Development, sponsored by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development.

Skillman said she is reminded every year of the caliber of partners throughout Indiana who are working on innovative projects that strive to improve communities. She said the recipients deserve praise for their community and economic development efforts.

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Employment Grows In Indiana; DWD Says Federal Numbers Don’t Add Up

Posted on Author WKVI

Hoosier employers have continued to grow their workforces for the tenth month in a row, once again adding jobs in Indiana to the tune of 7200 private sector jobs. The rate of job growth in Indiana triped the national average of 0.1 percent, and since July 2009, the low point of employment, Indiana has added more than 150,000 private sector jobs.

The areas with the most significant gains for the month of August were Private Educational and Health Services with 5200 jobs added and Construction with 2200 jobs added.

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Week in Review for Sept. 17-21, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

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

Wythogan Park in Knox opened this week. There are some areas still blocked off due to the amount of debris yet to be cleared. The walking trail is accessible. Contractors will continue working in the park, but the majority of the larger logs and branches have been removed. The park has been closed since July 24 when a fierce storm reeled through the Knox area, causing thousands of dollars in damage within the park.  Continue reading →

One Wing at LaPorte County Jail Forced to Close

Posted on Author WKVI
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
La Porte County Sheriff's Office

A wing is now closed in the LaPorte County Jail after the LaPorte County Council did not approve a request for an additional appropriation of $70,000 to fund the jail overtime budget for the rest of the year. That money was to be used to properly staff jail operations. As a result, Sheriff Michael Mollenhauer said all overtime has been stopped.

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Week 6 Football Predictions

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Harold’s Picks: 20-9 (overall) 18-7 (with blind picks)

Knox-28  Culver-21

CMA-35  John Glenn-14

Kankakee Valley-28  NJSP-7

South Central-41  Lake Station-13

West Central-48  Winamac-37

Nathan’s Picks: 20-9 (overall) 18-7 (with blind picks)

Knox-28  Culver-21

CMA-22  John Glenn-7

Kankakee Valley-35  NJSP-20

South Central-31  Lake Station-12

Winamac-42  West Central-35

Sean’s Picks: 6-1

Knox-24  Culver-14

John Glenn-31  CMA-17

Kankakee Valley-35  NJSP-31

South Central-27  Lake Station-17

West Central-34  Winamac-28

Tom’s Blind Picks: 8-17

Culver Over Knox

CMA over John Glenn

North Judson over Kankakee Valley

South Central over Lake Station

West Central over Winamac

Bell Faces Death Penalty If Convicted of Murder

Posted on Author WKVI
Roy Bell

A man accused of killing an elderly woman formerly from Knox could face the death penalty if he is convicted. Roy Bell of Rochester will appear in Fulton Superior Court on Tuesday, where he faces charges including Murder as he is the suspected gunman in the death of 81-year-old Wilma Upsall during a bungled home invasion in November 2011.

Two other men, William Scroggs of Delong and Jason Miller of Plymouth, face similar charges but prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty in either of those cases. The state filed a request for the death sentence for Bell in March and the initial hearing for that request was held on April 3.

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North Judson Town Board Approves Addition Of Part-Time Position

Posted on Author WKVI
North Judson Town Board

A new position has opened up for the town of North Judson. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that they held the third reading of an amendment to the town’s salary ordinance, authorizing the addition of a part-time clerical employee for the clerk’s and billing offices. The board adopted the amendment, and Henry said they will soon be taking applications.

Henry explained that the part-time employee would split his or her time between the two offices, but will spend the majority of his or her time in the clerk-treasurer’s office. The employee will be trained in both departments, and will be cross-trained on the billing side to allow the employee to substitute for the billing clerk during vacations. Henry says this employee will be similar to a floating employee between the two departments, but will concentrate on the clerk-treasurer’s side.

Traffic Stop in North Judson Nets Two Arrests

Posted on Author WKVI

Two people were arrested following a traffic stop in North Judson Monday night.

Officers observed a car near Schricker and Talmer Street that was known to be driven by Randall Stone who has a suspended driver’s license. Police conducted a traffic stop and confirmed that Stone was driving the vehicle with a suspended license. During the traffic stop, a search of the vehicle was conducted and drugs were allegedly found inside the vehicle.

Randall Stone, 43, of Wheatfield, was arrested on preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine Within 1,000 feet of a Public Park and Driving While Suspended With a Prior Conviction. His passenger, Patricia Ann Vega, 48, of North Judson, was arrested on preliminary charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Controlled Substance within 1,000 feet of a Public Park. Stone’s vehicle was impounded for having false and fictitious plates.

ADM Counts Reported at Eastern Pulaski, West Central Schools

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Average Daily Membership, or ADM counts, were conducted throughout the state for all school corporations last Friday. Schools rely on this count as corporations receive funding for every student counted on that day.

Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said that his corporation is down approximately 30 students. That amounts to a loss of $150,000 in funding for the school. Dr. Klitzman said this year’s count was 1,190.

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Pulaski County Commissioners Discuss Maintenance Items

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

The Pulaski County Commissioners this week discussed a number of maintenance items for the county with Maintenance Director Morry Demarco. According to Demarco, the old county highway garage is in need of being cleaned out and boarded up, but a number of gas heaters remain in the building. He asked the commissioners if they would like the heaters to be moved to other county buildings where they could be used.

Commissioner Michael Tiede told Demarco to ask the new county garage if they have any need for the heaters, and if not, he told Demarco to try to sell the heaters.

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