West Central School Board Approves RISE Evaluation Model

Posted on Author WKVI
West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon

The West Central School Board approved the corporation’s RISE Evaluation model. Superintendent Charles Mellon said it is similar to the teacher and administrator evaluation model used by the state.

“There would be a new evaluation system for principals as well as myself,” said Mellon. “People outside the actual classroom have their own separate evaluation but it mirrors the others. The media specialist has an evaluation, and those type of people who are not in the classroom but who work directly with kids will have their own evaluation. The counselors would have their own evaluation, but again, it mirrors the RISE model.”

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Bit Of Burden Alleviated For Starke County Food Pantry

Posted on Author WKVI
Community Services of Starke County
Community Services of Starke County

Community Services of Starke County Program Director Cecilia Torres-Bowman says the food pantry has been doing a good job of holding its own this summer, thanks in part to regular donations from the community and the presence of mobile food pantries that have been visiting the area.

While there are no fundraisers planned for the immediate future, the food pantry’s shelves are fairly stocked thanks to regular donations. Torres-Bowman says the heat has also played a part in lowering demand from the pantry.

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US HealthWorks Offers Tips To Avoid Heat Exhaustion

Posted on Author WKVI

Summer’s officially here, but temperatures continue to climb. Sofia Gutierrez with US HealthWorks says whether you are participating in a vigorous activity like running, biking, or tennis, or you’re just out for a walk or some yard work, it’s very important to stay hydrated and avoid heat exhaustion.

Gutierrez says the key to staying hydrated is to drink water regularly throughout any activity, but if you’ll be doing physical activity for more than an hour, a sports drink with electrolytes and carbohydrates may be necessary. She says drinks to avoid include alcohol, energy drinks, soft drinks, and fruit juices that are high in sugar.

US HealthWorks encourages anyone outside in the heat to carry a water bottle, especially when traveling or exercising. Strenuous activity is best performed early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler, and it’s best to wear light-colored, absorbent, loose-fitting clothes.

WKVI Broadcasts Live From Zip-Thru Mart’s One Year Anniversary

Posted on Author WKVI
Front row: Lenny Dessauer and Tom Berg; Back row: Pat Dunn, Janice Estok, and Chuck Estok.

Cars packed the parking lot of the Zip-Thru Mart to enjoy some free snow cones and cotton candy in celebration of the business’s one-year anniversary.

WKVI was present and broadcasting live from the business, and while lines formed to enjoy the free refreshments, Tom Berg and Lenny Dessauer presented random customers with free lottery scratch-off tickets. While no big wins were reported from the scratch-offs, one lucky customer did receive four free tickets to Indiana Beach, courtesy of WKVI.

Starke United Golf Outing Set For Friday

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke United Golf Outing will tee off at the Bass Lake Golf Course tomorrow with a shot gun start at 1:00 p.m. CT.

This is a four person scramble with a cost of $240 per team which includes green fees, lunch and dinner. Registration and lunch begins at Noon. Take part in betting holes, a putting contest, and a skins game during this event. Team prizes will be awarded.

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Price of Gasoline To Affect Travel Fourth of July Travel Plans

Posted on Author WKVI

Over forty million Americans will be traveling this Fourth of July holiday.

The price of gasoline will play a factor in travel plans, but thankfully, a year-to-date peak has already been set at an average price of $3.94 per gallon for regular gasoline. The current national average price of regular gasoline is $3.50 per gallon, which is 15 cents less than this time last year.

The average distance traveled by Americans during the Fourth of July holiday weekend is expected to be 723 miles, which is an increase this year.

Police will be out in force to patrol for intoxicated an unrestrained motorists.

Pulaski County Police Investigate Drowning Incident

Posted on Author WKVI

A drowning incident is being investigated by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department.

Officers were called to 4242 W. 400 N. in Winamac about a possible drowning. Andrew Jackson informed officers that his mother, Cynthia Jackson, had gone swimming in a pond located on the property and had drowned. She reportedly had permission to be on the property.

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Tippecanoe Township Deannexation Movement Put On Hold

Posted on Author WKVI
Culver Community School Board
Culver Community School Board Members (from left, clockwise): Jack Jones, Ryan Seiber, Marilyn Swanson, Brad Schuldt, Eugene Baker, Jim Wentzel, Ed Behnke, Ken VanDePutte

Monterey Town Board President Jim Fleury says the movement to deannex Tippecanoe Township from the Culver Community Schools Corporation has been put on hold, pending the outcome of House Bill 1047.

House Bill 1047 is currently being discussed by the education study committee at the state-level, and it involves the feasibility of establishing a process by which residents of a part of an existing school corporation may elect to deannex from that corporation and either annex to another existing corporation or establish their own.

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Fallen Oak Tree Causes Fire, Car Accident

Posted on Author WKVI

The Washington Township Fire Department was called to a fire on 1025 East Monday night.

Assistant Fire Chief Dave Pearman said a big oak tree fell on some electrical lines in that area which caused two transformers to explode. The tree then fell into the road, and a driver soon struck the tree. The fire was extinguished by the fire department and the driver received minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene.

REMC was called to the scene to deactivate the electrical lines so cleanup could begin.

Starke County Council Approves Save The Hospital Funds For Facility Study

Posted on Author WKVI
David Pearman

The Starke County Council in a super-majority vote this week approved an amendment to the Save the Hospital Fund that would allow up to $50,000 to be used on a study that would assess the value of the property and operations of IU Health Starke Hospital. IU Health La Porte has been in a lease agreement with the county, but has expressed interest in purchasing the facility.

“We’re going to select a consultant with specific expertise and knowledge in this type of release,” said Council President David Pearman. “It has to be a similar situation where a county has decided to get out of the hospital business.”

Pearman expressed his opinion at this week’s meeting that it is probably better if the county gets out of the healthcare business.

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Pulaski County Health Dept. Urges Caution When It Comes to Bats

Posted on Author WKVI

Terri Hansen of the Pulaski County Health Department and Animal Control Officer Debra Tiede approached the county commissioners this week with an urgent message to county residents. Hansen says the number of calls concerning bats that have managed to get inside peoples’ homes has increased this year, with three bats submitted for rabies testing within the last five weeks.

She says it’s not yet time to panic, but it is time for people to become educated about the risk of being bitten by an infected bat. Hansen encourages people to close up their chimneys and fireplaces when they are not in use to prevent bats from entering the home.

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North Judson Town Board Passes Two Resolutions

Posted on Author WKVI
North Judson Town Board

The North Judson Town Board passed two resolutions at its meeting this week. The first resolution concerned modifications to the grant received by the board from the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission for the State Road 39 project. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says she received an email from a KIRPC representative who informed her that the board needed to pass a resolution concerning modifications to the grant.

The board also passed a resolution concerning the town’s anti-nepotism policy, which Henry says is included in the handbook, but a revision was required. She says although their current policy is more stringent than the state-mandated policy, the state requires that the policy address step-relatives. The handbook was revised to include the required content.

A surveyor gave the board an estimate on the cost to plot, measure, and place markers in the Highland Cemetery’s 13th section, which was never properly surveyed. She says the estimate came in at $2200, but it is a very rough estimate and will likely change. The board voted to go ahead with the plotting.

Winamac Men Arrested For Tool Theft

Posted on Author WKVI

Two Winamac men were arrested after an alleged theft incident early Sunday morning.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a possible theft case, and the caller stated that three people were getting into his vehicle. When the officer arrived on scene, 25-year-old Robert Howard, of Winamac, was detained and asked what he was doing on the property. He stated that he was picking up scrap with two other people. He said he had permission from the previous owner to take scrap from the property, but police soon learned that they were not allowed to take any items from the residence.

The victim identified several tools and other parts in Howard’s vehicle that were his. Howard was arrested on preliminary charges of Theft and Trespassing. Another person with Howard, Alton Allen, 28, was arrested on a preliminary charge of Trespassing. A juvenile was also taken into custody, and all three were taken to the Starke County Jail.

Culver School Corporation Seeking To Fill Four Vacant Positions

Posted on Author WKVI
Culver Community School Superintendent Brad Schuldt

The Culver School Board has switched to their summer meeting schedule, having met last on June 4 with no meetings scheduled until July 16. Superintendent Brad Schuldt says the board is currently working on filling a number of open positions including the assistant principal position at the elementary school. Two teachers have retired from the corporation, and two other employees have moved on to other projects.

Schuldt says Assistant Principal Craig Hopple has left the corporation to take a job in Plymouth at Lincoln Jr. High.

Three other positions are also vacant: the social studies and English positions at the high school are currently open, as well as an IT assistant position for the corporation. Schuldt says the board will likely discuss filling the positions at the July 16 meeting.

Starke County Officials Discuss Housing Prisoners in Pulaski County

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

Starke County government officials this week discussed finances as they apply to county jail inmates being housed at the Pulaski County Jail.

With the Starke County Jail being rated for only 62 prisoners and the population approaching 80 at times, Commissioner Kathy Norem and Sheriff Oscar Cowen have been looking at ways to solve the problem – but that takes extra funds to pay Pulaski County and transport the prisoners back and forth.

Council President David Pearman explained that this is the most cost-effective solution they have found so far.

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Town of Culver Begins Safe Routes to School Construction

Posted on Author WKVI

Construction has started in the town of Culver for the Safe Routes to School project, with new sidewalks being installed down School, Ohio, and Main streets. Clerk-Treasurer Karen Heim says the construction, which started last week, is a great thing for the town.

The town was awarded the grant last year through the Indiana Department of Transportation, and Heim says they’ve applied for the grant’s second round. If the town receives the second grant, sidewalks would likely be installed down Academy Road, College Road, and Lakeshore Drive.

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West Central School Board Renews Certified Contracts

Posted on Author WKVI
West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon

The West Central School Board approved the certified contracts which included Superintendent Charles Mellon, Middle and High School Principal Don Street, Athletic Director and Administrative Assistant Chuck Evans, and Guidance Counselor Marci Kennedy. Those staff members were on 12-month contracts which were renewed.

Mellon was quick to note that there was a change in one staff position.

“We had a change in Mr. Brose’s position,” explained Mellon. “He is now becoming an administrative assistant and we will be interviewing soon for an elementary principal.”

Starke County Election Board Seeks To Reduce Per-Voter Cost of Elections

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski

According to Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski, the Election Board has been looking at a number of ways to reduce the expense of elections per voter. Skronski says that the May Primary was relatively expensive in terms of cost per voter in some precincts, such as Center 3, where the cost per voter came out to $10.79. This was the highest average cost per voter for any Starke County precinct, but Skronski says other townships with a higher voter turnout were significantly less expensive per voter, such as Oregon 1, where the average cost came out to $2.32 per voter.

Skronski says that some methods that were discussed to reduce the cost per precinct included reducing the number of poll workers in precincts with less than 700 registered voters. She says they could cut down on the cost by eliminating the presence of a sheriff at those locations, but the salaries of the poll workers would have to be increased because of their additional duties. Oregon 3, Jackson, and Center 6 precincts would be affected by the resolution.

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Starke County Commissioners Discuss Insurance Increase

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Commissioners discussed briefly the commissioners’ budget that is currently being prepared. Commission President Kathy Norem says there are some expected increases.

“The thing that we did take a look at Monday night, and we have difficulty predicting because we don’t get those numbers until five or six months after the budget process, is the employee health insurance. I’m aware that we’ve had some large claims this year so we elected to put in for a 15 percent increase in that,” Norem said.

Although the budget increase is 15 percent, Norem said the county’s First Source Insurance representative thinks it may be lower.

Burn Ban Issued in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County is the latest county to enact a burn ban. The action was taken last night by the County Commissioners and will be in effect through July 2nd.

The ban does not include fireworks, although the commissioners ask that you set off fireworks with extreme caution.

The Pulaski County Commissioners have declared a county-wide burn ban effective until June 25th.

Open burning of any kind using conventional fuel such as wood or other combustible material, with the exception of grills, is prohibited. The burning of debris, such as timber or vegetation and recreational campfires, unless enclosed, is also prohibited.

The Pulaski County Commissioners ask that you NOT discharge any fireworks.

This ban is in effect until Noon ET on Monday, June 25th when conditions will be reevaluated.

Marshall County also remains under a burn ban.