WKVI Information Center

A Culver man was arrested early Friday morning after a traffic stop.

Plymouth police pulled over a vehicle driven by 21-year-old Tyler Byers, of Culver, and when police asked him his name, he gave the officer a false name. When police correctly identified Byers, they found he had two outstanding warrants for his arrest.

Byers was arrested on the two arrest warrants and a preliminary charge of False Informing.

Higdon Receives Two Years For Fleeing Police

After fleeing from police in a vehicle on April 27 before he was ultimately arrested and charged with Resisting Law Enforcement, Driving While Suspended, and Reckless Driving, Raymond Higdon appeared in the Starke Circuit Court this week for his plea and sentencing hearing.

Higdon pleaded guilty to Resisting Law Enforcement as a Class D felony, and the other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. Higdon will serve two years in the Department of Corrections with none of that sentence suspended, and he will also be required to pay all court costs and submit to a DNA cheek swab.

Week in Review for July 9th-13th, 2012

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

The Starke County Commissioners have decided to reinstate the burn ban due to the dry conditions and an increase in fire activity. Open burning of any kind is prohibited, except for grills. You may burn debris in a burn barrel with a one-quarter inch mesh top from dawn to dusk. This burn ban will be in effect until July 16th when the Starke County Commissioners and EMA Director Ted Bombagetti reevaluate the conditions. Continue reading →

New West Central Elementary Principal Hired

Mellon, Charles — West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon

The West Central School Board members hired a new Elementary School Principal at their meeting Thursday night. West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon said he will be a great addition to the staff.

“Daniel Zylstra is our new Elementary Principal. He is coming from the Hammond School Corporation. He was at the meeting to sign his contract so he will be ready to jump in and get things rolling here in the near future,” said Mellon.

Court of Appeals Upholds Haut’s Sentence

The Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction and sentence against Jack Haut.

Haut was found guilty by a jury of a Class C Felony charge of Reckless Homicide and was sentenced to eight years in prison. A jury found that Haut had driven his pickup truck on U.S. 35 north of Knox and into the path of a motorcycle driven by Tom White, who died from injuries in that accident. Haut claimed he had no recollection of that event and chemical tests proved that he had controlled substances in his body at the time of the accident. A police officer had testified during the trial that Haut appeared intoxicated at the scene.

The Court of Appeals noted in their decision that sufficient evidence supported his conviction and the court upheld the jury’s decision and the judge’s sentence.

Thieves Steal Backhoe to Demolish Knox Business

July 13, 2012July 13, 2012WKVI

A Walkerton man is among three men accused of stealing a backhoe from the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Kingsbury to tear down the building that formerly housed Windy City Golf Carts in Knox.

According to a published report, three men bid on a demolition job but didn’t have the equipment to tear down the building. Instead, they reportedly stole a backhoe from the U.S. Army Reserve Center.

Drought Continues To Devastate Local Crops

With reports of farmers throughout Indiana mowing down their crops because of irreparable damage from drought conditions, Purdue Agricultural Economist Chris Hurt says there is a reason for removing the damaged corn entirely. He says that while there is no real positive reason to do so, there are a number of possible reasons to want to have the entire crop removed.

First, he says if there is going to be no usable corn crop – that is, ears and seeds – then there is value to the stock itself for use as cattle feed. Generally, this would be chopped down and placed in silos or bailed.

Class Action Lawsuit Against Starke County Still On Hold

The class action lawsuit against Starke County by former Starke County Jail inmate Jack Haut is still at a standstill, as the court is currently awaiting an expert witness report from the plaintiffs to substantiate their allegations that the jail is so overcrowded that conditions are unconstitutional for inmates.

While they have until Aug. 30 to do so, the plaintiffs have been having a rough time coming up with the expert witness report required by the court. It was reported that they had found an expert witness and had begun developing the report, but the witness unexpectedly passed away, effectively bringing them back to square one. They now have to hire a new expert witness to work on the report, and until then, there is no trial setting for the case.

NIPSCO Reports Credit Scam Throughout Northern Indiana

A credit scam has been reported to NIPSCO officials.

NIPSCO customers have been receiving phone calls where a scammer asks the customer to provide personal information and says that after all that information is submitted, the customer will receive energy credits from the government. The scam artist will ask for your Social Security number and then give you a fraudulent bank routing number to pay utility companies.

NIPSCO reminds you to never give out personal information to unconfirmed sources. NIPSCO only asks for a Social Security number when a customer is applying for new service.

Utility companies are working with law enforcement to bring an end to the scam.

Charges Dropped Against Former Hamlet Street Superintendent

The State of Indiana has dropped charges against former Hamlet Street Superintendent John Goble, Sr.

Any outstanding summons regarding charges in this case have been ordered revoked.

Goble had resigned from the Town of Hamlet in January, and his temporary replacement reportedly could not find certain pieces of equipment. A current equipment inventory list and receipts did not match. A warrant was issued for Goble’s arrest and he was arrested in late March on a charge of theft. He pleaded not guilty to the charge in Starke Circuit Court.

After further investigation, the State of Indiana filed a motion to dismiss the cause without prejudice, which was signed on June 27.

Two Ordinances Passed By Knox City Council

Knox-City-Council-2012 — Knox City Council

Two ordinances were passed this week at the meeting of the Knox City Council on their first readings. The first ordinance increased the water rate for the city in two phases: the first would increase the rate by $2.35, and the second would raise it an additional $2.35, effectively making a total increase of $4.70.

The second ordinance passed was an amendment to the sewer and stormwater ordinance, increasing the rate by $1 this year and an additional $1 next year.

An additional appropriation was also approved at the meeting. The appropriation moved $140,000 from the Cumulative Sewer Fund to rebuild the lift station located on Claybaugh Drive in Knox, near the South Side Fire Station. Another $27,301.08 was moved from the Sewer Improvement Fund, and $21,000 in EDIT funds were also appropriated for the project.

Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston says the council will also be reestablishing the Cumulative Capital Development Fund in the near future.

LaPorte Man Arrested For Dealing Heroin Following Anonymous Tip

July 13, 2012July 13, 2012WKVI

A LaPorte man was taken into custody after LaPorte Metro Operations Unit detectives executed an arrest warrant on Wednesday.

Twenty-year-old Thomas J. Dykstra was arrested for an outstanding arrest warrant through LaPorte County Circuit Court for Dealing a Controlled Substance, heroin, as a Class A Felony. He is currently being held in the LaPorte County Jail with no bond.

Dykstra’s arrest was the result of a continued effort by the LaPorte Metro Operations Unit in investigating anonymous tips received from the public. If you have a tip for police, call (219) 325-9022.

Eastern Pulaski School Purchases RISE Software

The Eastern Pulaski School Board approved the purchase of software for the RISE evaluation model for teachers and administrators. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman says the company Own It! designed the software that parallels the evaluation requirements.

“The forms, the checklists, the graphs, the details – all of that is right in that software,” said Klitzman. “They can use their iPad, do the evaluation and then as soon as they’re ready with it, they can push the magic button and send that right to the teacher’s computer as well.”

Evaluation models and procedures for teachers and administrators need to be in place in the fall per state mandate. The RISE model uses multiple sources of information to paint a fair, accurate, and comprehensive picture of a teacher’s performance. It also provides information on the most important aspects of teaching: planning, instruction, leadership, and student learning.

Tom Berg Continues His Record Attempt As More Support Pours In

July 13, 2012July 13, 2012WKVI

alliance ems mask — An employee of Alliance EMS fitted Tom with an oxygen mask for a breath of fresh air.

With just 91 hours left to go as of 5 a.m. this morning, Tom Berg is still holding strong in his attempt to break the world record for the longest continuous radio broadcast by a single host.

Yesterday was a busy day for Tom, as he had visitors in and out of the studio providing him with donations, gifts, tips, tricks, and all kinds of other support.

More people have come forth and pledged to donate $1 per hour Tom stays on the air to charities, and numerous businesses from Knox have provided him and his witnesses with food and other supplies. Alliance EMS visited Tom yesterday with an oxygen mask to get him some fresh air, and even WNDU visited the studio to run a piece on his efforts. You can view the article at: http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/Knox_radio_DJ_attempts_world_record_162279326.html

Finally, Mikey’s Pizza Pit Stop in Knox surprised Tom with his favorite pizza – chicken bacon ranch.

Police Investigating Break-In At Culver Military Academy

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a break-in at Culver Military Academy.

When police arrived in the area of Sycamore Road and 17th Road, which is on the property of Culver Military Academy, it was learned that several buildings were broken into in the late afternoon on July 6 into the early morning hours on Saturday, July 7. Items were taken from those buildings including Echo and Stihl power tools. Several of the buildings were forced open to gain entry and items were damaged inside one of the structures.

If you have any information about this incident, call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department at (574) 936-3187.

No Water Restrictions in Starke County… For Now

July 12, 2012July 12, 2012WKVI

Several communities in the state have ordered water restrictions due to severe drought conditions.

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers said that the water superintendent has not ordered any restrictions for Knox, and said the water supply and level look good. Officials will be monitoring conditions.

North Judson Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann is asking residents to monitor water use and supply. Check for leaky faucets and any other unnecessary leaks to help conserve water just in case a restriction is ordered.

Fort Receives 10-Year Sentence For Dealing In Methamphetamine

starke-county-courthouse — Starke County Courthouse

A number of plea and sentencing hearings were held in the Starke Circuit Court by Magistrate Jeanene Calabrese yesterday afternoon.

Mary Fort pleaded guilty to one count of Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B felony. She also admitted to committing two probation violations in that she failed to attend Narcotics Anonymous classes, and failed to pay fees and court costs related to her probation. She was also arrested in March, and failed a random drug test for methamphetamine.

Two Important Pieces Of State Legislation Now In Effect

It may be summertime, but State Senator Ed Charbonneau is certainly not taking a break. He says this is the time of year to ramp up summer study committees, whose job is to focus on various topics that were initiated in bills filed during the previous legislative session. When some of those legislative items are too lengthy of a project to address during the legislative session, they are deferred to summer study committees that meet a number of times to take an intense look at issues referred to them by the legislature.

Charbonneau says that with the committees and the large number of county fairs, he’s kept fairly busy.

“It’s a good time, it’s an interesting time, and it’s a time when you can really get out and talk to constituents and really hear firsthand about a lot of issues that are on peoples’ minds. And certainly now, as you might expect, it’s jobs, economic development, job creation, and how do we get things turned around so that we can get on the right track. If we can create the jobs, it’s going to help local government, it’s gonna help schools, it’s gonna help everybody,” said Charbonneau.

Two Arrested By Plymouth Police This Week

Officers from the Plymouth Police Department were called to The Mayflower on Wednesday after a suspicious vehicle was spotted in the parking lot.

When the officers arrived on scene, two men were in a red pickup truck that reportedly had been parked there for two hours. Upon further investigation, Bryan T. Miller, 30, of Plymouth was arrested on a preliminary charge of Possession of Methamphetamine.