The North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department was called to a house fire at 112 Lane Street Friday evening. Fire Chief Joe Leszek said the fire occurred at a multiple family dwelling and the structure sustained damage.
No preliminary cause of the fire has been given and it remains under investigation with the State Fire Marshal’s Office. More information on the fire will be released as the investigation unfolds.
An agreement has been made to house inmates from the Starke County Jail in the Pulaski County Jail. If the population goes over the rated capacity of 62, a certain number of inmates will be transported to the Pulaski County facility.
Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem explained that the agreement does come at a price.
“We pay them twenty dollars per day, per inmate and that they will house them, feed them and provide their medical care,” said Norem.
One of the new requirements that began July 1 was the statewide 911 Fund that replaces E911 and Wireless 911 funds. The Marshall County Council discussed the change at their recent meeting.
The state will now collect $0.90 for all landline and cell phones which replaces the current Marshall County-established landline fee of $1.53 and the $0.50 fee on cell phones. By statute, the county is guaranteed a “Hold Harmless” amount of $500,368, which is the average revenue for the past three fiscal years.
Remaining balances and budgets will be transferred from the two existing funds, E911 and Wireless 911 funds, into the new combined fund.
A special executive meeting was held Friday for the Pulaski County Commissioners to discuss policy violations with two department heads that have not been following the employee handbook.
Both elected and appointed department heads have not been following the handbook, which outlines rules and procedures for employees to follow, providing across-the-board rules that apply to all employees.
Two important meetings are scheduled to be held this week in Starke County.
The first, the Knox City Council will be meeting on Tuesday to discuss their proposed water rate increase. Discussion will be held over Umbaugh and Associates’ recommendation to increase the water utility rate by $6.70 a month and the council will vote on whether or not to approve an ordinance increasing the water rate. A public hearing will also be held, and the meeting will take place at Knox City Hall at 7 p.m.
A special meeting for the North Judson Town Council will be held on Thursday at 4 p.m. CT to discuss the North Judson Industrial Park. According to Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry, expected attendees include Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann, Charlie Weaver and Larry Wickert of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation.
The 35th annual Northern Indiana Power from the Past begins next week, a celebration which will feature Ford and Fordson Tractors.
The preview night is set for Wednesday, July 18 with HAP’S Chicken Bash from 4:30 to 7 p.m. ET, sponsored by the Boy Scout Troop 229. The headline event for this year’s Power Show is a performance by Nashville Country Recording Artist Levi Riggs.
A “Bike Rodeo” is scheduled at the Winamac Town Park as part of the Kiwanis Club’s annual Kid’s Day on Tuesday, July 24. Area children are invited to bring their bicycle from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and promote safe bicycling riding habits in an effort to reduce accidents involving children.
The event will feature a course with safety stations where riders will learn proper riding skills and habits, as well as how to better control the bicycle and general road rules. Through bicycle and helmet inspections will be offered by Zac See of Breakaway Bikes and Fitness in Peru, and children that complete the safety course will be eligible for prizes including helmets, horns, and handlebar streamers.
This event is organized by the Winamac Safe Routes Task Force, a diverse team of local business leaders, educators, local government, health professionals and private citizens, and is funded by a Safe Routes to School grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation.
A Demotte woman is facing two felony charges in U.S. District Court.
Linda Lyrla, 57, was before Senior Judge James T. Moody last week where she pleaded guilty to charges of mail fraud and tax evasion. These charges were filed as the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
To all of my WKVI friends,
Today, I begin a second career in Knox. After 43 years at the radio station, I have formed a new company, Hayes Media Solutions. In the early stages, I will be publicizing information from IU Health Starke Hospital. In my almost 50 years in broadcasting, I have always been interested in health-related issues, so this new task will be a labor of love.
WKVI’s Tom Berg will soon make his attempt at breaking the world record for the longest continuous radio broadcast by a single host.
His attempt will begin Monday, July 9 at 5 a.m. and will end at midnight on July 16.
The record had been set by an Italian DJ at 182 hours and just a few weeks ago, a Belgian DJ broke that record by staying on the air continuously for 184 hours. That record could be broken again if Tom is successful in his attempt to break the record at 187 hours.
Volunteers are coming in to help witness the event and everything will be documented for the Guinness World Record officials. After the officials review the submitted material, it will then be announced if the record has been broken.
Listen all week next week for Tom Berg’s Guinness Book of World Record attempt on K99.3 WKVI!
Funeral services for a former Starke County Sheriff will be held tomorrow afternoon.
Wilkus Minix passed away Wednesday, July 5 at the Pulaski Memorial Hospital in Winamac. He was the Starke County Sheriff from 1995 to 1998, and he was also an officer for the North Judson Police Department and the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.
He was a member of the Starke County VFW and the Knox American Legion. He also served as a California Township Advisory Board member and was a former precinct committeeman for the Republican Party.
Funeral services will be tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT at the Braman and Son Memorial Chapel in Knox with visitation today from 4 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. He will be interred in the Crown Hill Cemetery in Knox.
Today is the last day to pay tribute to the many service members who fought for America’s freedoms and paid the ultimate price. The American Veterans Traveling Tribute and Vietnam Wall Replica is an outdoor event held on the PNC baseball field, illuminated and open for 24 hours a day since Tuesday, July 3. The exhibit will close at 11 a.m. this morning.
The American Veterans Traveling Tribute exhibits cover every war and display unique dog tags of every service person who lost their life in the War on Terror. A 360-foot Vietnam Wall replica is also on display, and distinguished speakers, invocations, patriotic performers, and other attractions are available at the tribute.
Everyone is encouraged to pay tribute to all who fought and died for this nation, and the educational exhibits bring a great learning experience for entire families. Donations and volunteers are needed and greatly appreciated, and proceeds from the event will go to veterans’ causes. Donors will be listed on the American Veterans Traveling Tribute website.
A free CNA class will be available at the Valparaiso Golden Living Center facility on July 18.
Thirty applications are available for this course beginning Monday, July 9 at the Valparaiso Golden Living Center facility at 9 a.m. CT. A test will be given on Thursday, July 12 at 9 a.m. for applicants. The test will consist of basic English comprehension and math, and for those who pass the test on the first attempt, an interview will be set up and they could be placed in a class.
The class will be run from July 18 to Sept. 12, and the best part of this CNA class? It’s free! However, participants will need to purchase a white uniform, white shoes, a watch with a seconds hand and a binder for papers. For more information, call instructor Kay Brown at (219) 462-6158.
The 10th annual Cops Cycling for Survivors bicycle ride across Indiana kicks off Monday, July 9 with a departure ceremony at 9 a.m. ET. The ceremony will take place at the Law Enforcement/Firefight Memorial next to the State Capitol in downtown Indianapolis.
Fifty-three cyclists are participating in the ride and will depart shortly after the keynote comments of Terre Haute Police Chief John Plasse. The departure will take the group east toward Greenfield on the first leg of their 13-day journey to cover nearly 1000 miles bicycling the perimeter of Indiana.
With temperatures still expected in the 90s today, it’s important to be safe while in the heat.
An excessive heat warning continues today so remember to stay hydrated and stay in an air-conditioned shelter during the hottest parts of the day. Check on homebound and elderly family members or neighbors several times a day to make sure they are staying hydrated and not showing signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Statewide, nearly 1.5 percent of all emergency department visits the past few days were heat-related. One person was admitted into the Emergency Room at IU Health Starke Hospital for heat exhaustion.
Here is a look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
The proposed golf cart ordinance in Marshall County will be discussed by the Commissioners in a public hearing setting on Monday, July 16th. No time has been set for the hearing, but the Commissioners will be meeting at 10:00 a.m. ET to go over regular business. There are a few residents upset with the ordinance that restricts the use of golf carts around the county’s lakes. The ordinance does not include use on any other roadway. The ordinance also requires a driver to have a driver’s license and proof insurance must be present at all time when operating a cart. Other provisions have also been set and will be discussed during the public hearing. Continue reading
The toxicology report has been received by the Marshall County coroner in the case of a double fatal accident that occurred June 28.
Coroner Bill Cleavenger said that 16-year-old Vincent Cody Poczik and 16-year-old Hunter Brandt of Plymouth were negative for both alcohol and drugs. Cleavenger said that this eliminates one element of the investigation. It was initially believed that speed was a factor in the accident, although that has not been confirmed.
On the evening of June 28, Poczik was driving his car on 12 B Road, east of Olive Trail, when the vehicle left the roadway, struck a guardrail and flipped end over end. Cleavenger said Poczik and Brandt were killed instantly.
The accident remains under investigation with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department.
Despite the controversy regarding Pulaski and Starke counties’ recent decisions to rescind their burn bans, no fires were reported on Fourth of July in either county.
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department reports that while they had no fire calls on the holiday, they did receive a number of noise complaints because of the fireworks. Overall, it was a safe Fourth of July for the county. No fires and no serious injuries were reported, and the Starke County fireworks celebration went off without a hitch.
Culver Clerk-Treasurer Karen Heim says the town has been busy cleaning up the remaining debris from last weekend’s series of storms. Many people lost power in the town through Saturday, and some residents were even without power until Sunday. Heim says the street department has been dealing with a large number of downed trees and limbs, but they are working their way through town cleaning up brush and debris.
Heim says that the storm caused a bit of damage to properties in the town. Some homes were damaged, a porch was reportedly destroyed, and a limb fell through a home. Several cars were damaged by falling branches and other debris, and at least one pool was taken out by the storm.
On a positive note, construction for the Safe Routes to School project is still underway, and crews are currently replacing sidewalks down School Street. Heim says that they have been working on the project since the beginning of June.
The Town of North Judson has announced that it is in compliance with the new smoke-free air law as required by the state, but the town board has announced plans to draft their own, more stringent no-tobacco policy.
Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says that the ordinance would not only prevent smoking, but all use of tobacco where smoking is prohibited. She says the ordinance would include park shelters because they are currently not covered by the state law, which only applies to enclosed structures. The board is interested in including these shelters in the no-tobacco policy because they feel the shelters are there for people to enjoy, and the board feels they have the right to enjoy them without having to tolerate tobacco smoke close to them.
The board will soon have the ordinance drafted and then read for approval at an upcoming meeting.
Henry says the board also commended the town’s street department on the good job they did over the weekend in cleaning up brush and debris from last weekend’s storms.
