IU Health Starke Hospital Doctor Urges Caution Against Poison Ivy

Posted on Author WKVI

Be careful about that friendly puppy you pet, the purring cat you stroke, or anyone who wants to shake your hand after coming inside from a walk in the woods. You could be in for a case of poison ivy if you come in contact with pets, people, or your own touching of the plant.

Dr. Almuhannad Alfrhan at I.U. Health-Starke Hospital explained that there are some creams that can prevent getting poison ivy rash.

“There are some topical creams that help in prevention. They are only partially effective though, and they need to be applied every three hours to have a reasonable response,” Alfrhan said.

Poison ivy afflicts 55 million Americans each year. For severe cases, a trip to the doctor is necessary for a cortisone shot. Smoke from burning poison ivy can affect your lungs and cover your face and lungs. Fortunately, itching skin can be soothed with calamine lotion.

Alfrhan explained what to do if you realize you have been in contact with poison ivy.

“Take your clothes off that were in direct contact, and wash the skin. You will need to do this within ten minutes to give yourself a chance of not being affected,” he said.

When you rinse an exposed area, use cold water as hot water can open your pores and let the bad oil in. Finally, remember to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while in the woods or gardening.

Alfran said some people don’t develop the rash right away.

“That’s the tricky part,” Alfran noted. “Most people don’t develop the reaction immediately afterwords. Some people will take a few days to three weeks before it develops. It’s really hard to connect the dots to know where you got the exposure from.”

Charles Weaver Elected to Economic Development Association Foundation Board

Posted on Author WKVI
Charles Weaver
Charles Weaver

The Board of Directors of the Indiana Economic Development Association Foundation has welcomed Charles W. Weaver, executive director of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, as a member of the board. Weaver will also serve as Chair of the Scholarship Committee of the Foundation.

Weaver has served as executive director of the SCEDF since August 2005, after he spent several years serving on the board not only as its president, but also as an unpaid attorney for the organization as far back as its founding in 1985. In addition, he serves on the Managing Board and Executive Committee of the Northwest Indiana Forum, and as Chair of the Forum’s Economic Development Committee. Twice he has been honored by the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana for various projects involving the SCEDF.

The Board of Directors for the Foundation is made up of active members from various industry and economic development organizations, and supports educational opportunities for economic developers to attend training and develop professionally.

From the WKVI Archives

Posted on Author WKVI
Andy Howes

It’s hard to believe, but Vietnam war hero Andy Howes would have celebrated his 62nd birthday today had he lived. Born in Little Rock, Ark., on June 15, 1950, and raised in Knox, Chief Warrant Officer Andy Howes was a copilot on Rattler 91, a Huey helicopter from the 71st Assault Helicopter Co. which was stationed at Chu Lai, South Vietnam.

While on a mission with two other helicopters in November 1970, Rattler 91 lost radio contact and failed to return to base. A search failed to turn up the helicopter or the bodies of the four-member crew. Over the years though, the remains of the pilot and two crewmen were found, but not the remains of Warrant Officer Andy Howes. Through the efforts of POW groups and the United States Government, the search continued for those left behind. Remains that were not identified were returned to Hawaii to await identification.

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Vehicle Fires Deemed Arson By State Fire Marshall

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox City Police Department and the Knox-Center Township Fire Department were called to a vehicle fire at Carl Manns’ residence at 503 S. Heaton Street late Tuesday night.

When officials arrived on scene, they found two vehicles on fire. After the fires were extinguished, the State Fire Marshal’s Office was notified and an investigator helped process the evidence. The evidence led the investigator and Knox police officers to the conclusion that the fires were acts of arson.

Last week, Knox City Police officers and members of the fire department were called to a suspicious fire outside of a vacant home next to the residence of Carl Manns. A small amount of siding and a shutter were damaged in that incident, but luckily, the neighbors who called in the incident had the fire out before officials arrived on scene.

Detectives are asking that if you have any information about either incident, call the Knox City Police Department at 772-4122.

Hunnicutt Pleas Not Guilty To Escape Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Joshua Hunnicutt

Joshua Hunnicutt appeared in the Starke Circuit Court for his initial hearing yesterday, where he charges of Escape as a Class C felony and Conspiracy to Commit Escape as a Class C felony. Hunnicutt was appointed attorney Richard Ballard as pauper council.

Hunnicutt had been on the run since climbing a razor-wire wall in the recreation area of the Starke County Jail on May 23 and fleeing from police for five days. He said he turned himself back in because he realized he had made a poor decision in escaping, and said he doesn’t have any recollection of what took place prior to his escape.

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La Porte Woman Arrested For Dealing Cocaine

Posted on Author WKVI
Christy Fletcher

Thirty-two year old Christy M. Fletcher was arrested by La Porte Metro Operations Detectives on Tuesday as a result of an ongoing investigation into the sale of illicit substances in La Porte County.

Fletcher was arrested at 117 Farrand Avenue in La Porte on outstanding arrest warrants that had been issued through La Porte Circuit Court for Dealing Cocaine as a Class A felony.

Fletcher is currently being held in the La Porte County Jail pending bond or court appearance.

David Schoeff Is New Culver Town Manager

Posted on Author WKVI

The town of Culver has a new town manager. David Schoeff comes to Culver after serving as the director of engineering for the city of Huntington for the past 12 years, and he is also currently finishing his degree in Business Administration.

Schoeff says he already has goals in mind for the town.

“One of my goals is attempting to find ways to help fund projects, and to help Culver grow and prosper,” he said.

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Mint Festival To Feature Star Wars Characters

Posted on Author WKVI

May the Force be with you during the North Judson Mint Festival!

This Saturday and Sunday, Star Wars characters from the the Dark Side and the Rebel Alliance will be at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

Six trains will be operating this weekend with round-trip train rides available to English Lake and LaCrosse. These trains take you through the scenic countryside and allow you to relax on a short trip. Several pieces of equipment will also be on display, including the massive C&O No. 2789 locomotive, plus other pieces under restoration.

The Museum will also be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is free admission to the museum, but there is a fee for train rides. For more information, visit www.hoosiervalley.org.

Eastern Pulaski Schools Take A Different Approach To Technology

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

While schools throughout the state swiftly move forward with providing students with more and more technology, Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman says the school board has decided to take technology there at a more manageable pace.

“There’s been many schools that have decided they’re going to give every student a computer, a hand-held device – it’s called the one-on-one approach, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We found at Eastern Pulaski, our approach would be moving forward a little bit slower. We’re going to put hand-held devices, iPads, in the hands of students in certain subjects and then keep expanding and growing from that,” stated Klitzman.

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Winamac Town Board Discusses Nepotism Ordinance

Posted on Author WKVI
Winamac Town Hall

The Winamac Town Board members Monday night discussed how they are going to implement the town’s nepotism ordinance.

The board recently passed a nepotism ordinance that closely mirrors the state’s new law on the subject that will take effect July 1. House Enrolled Act 1005 states that all local government entities must implement and adopt a nepotism policy consistent with the Indiana code.

The town’s policy outlines that after July 1, an individual who is a relative of an existing employee may not be employed by the town in a position that results in one relative being in direct line of supervision of the other relative. Those who already may be employed in this capacity may be grandfathered in after the law takes effect July 1. A relative of an elected official, an individual who works or is appointed to any department or board on any basis, or a member of the fire department and police department will not be approved for employment under this policy.

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Knox City Council Discusses Requests For Free Exercise At Community Center

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community Center

The Knox City Council faced a roomful of concerned women this week at its regular meeting. The women were part of an exercise group that had used the Knox Community Center since 1998 twice a week at no charge, but recently, they were asked to move to the Girl Scout Cabin in order to keep their “no charge” status.

The sessions were conducted by Virginia Wireman-Duncan who read a prepared statement.

“We would like to know who decided to evict us from the community center and why. The exercise
class has met at the community center since Sept. 30, 1998. There has never been a charge for those
attending the classes,” said Wireman-Duncan. “During the 14 years we met we were not charged because we were recognized as a community service for the city of Knox. There are now 55 members; thirty or more attend each class. So they wanted to know, first of all, why we were evicted from it, and second who initiated that we be removed from the community center.”

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PETA BOA Board to Meet June 25

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County PETA BOA Board has scheduled an organizational meeting on June 25, and they expect to hear a number of appeals regarding assessments that the board has set on real estate. The meeting will start at 9 a.m., and each appeal will be given roughly an hour to be discussed.

While the board expects to hear anywhere from five to eight appeals at the meeting, Starke County Assessor Rhonda Milner says they don’t necessarily make a decision immediately. She says that in some instances, the board may need to review documents and send the taxpayer paperwork afterward with their decision on the appeal.

In some cases, an inspection must be completed before the board can make their decision, but Milner says that the decision is usually made within a month.

Warm Spring Beneficial For Wheat Crop

Posted on Author WKVI

Eugene Matzat of the La Porte Extension Office has been talking about the condition of the crops in our area this week. Matzat explained the warm spring put the wheat crop ahead of schedule.

“Because of the warm temperatures that we had in March, as well as the general earliness of the spring, this year has been well ahead of normal,” he said.

The wheat harvest is already into the harvest stage in southern Indiana.

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Starke County Environmental Collection Event Tomorrow

Posted on Author WKVI
Workers prepare computers to be hauled away during last year's environmental collection event

The Starke County Environmental Management District is sponsoring the Environmental Collection Event tomorrow and Saturday, June 15 and 16, at the Starke County Highway Garage. Tomorrow’s event will be from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday’s event will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT. You must have an environmental coupon which was included in your 2012 Environmental Assessment Invoice. This is open to Starke County residents only.

A limit of five tires will be accepted, of which one may be a tractor tire. If you have more than five tires, there will be a charge of $2 for car tires, $4 for semi tires and $20 for farm tractor tires.

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A Nearly-Flagless Flag Day For One Bass Lake Resident

Posted on Author WKVI

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day.

Unfortunately for one Bass Lake resident, Flag Day is going to be a bit dismal this year. Since Memorial Day, Ken Myers’ flag pole at Bass Lake has been bare – that was the day someone stole not only his American flag on a 30-foot pole, but his Vietnam POW flag and his Marine flag.

“On Memorial Day, I was flying my American flag at half-staff. My wife was out watering her flowers and some people stopped by and asked why we weren’t flying my flag – it’s like a monument out here – and she looked up and all three flags were gone,” Myers said.

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From the WKVI Archives

Posted on Author WKVI

It was in 1975 that the Knox Alumni Banquet was held at the Ruth Palmer Building and the new Knox High School. Alumni President Bill Barnett reported that a crowd of 190 were served at the dinner alone. Entertainment was provided by Bill Harvey, and dance music was provided by the Tony Barren Band of South Bend. The 1975 banquet was the largest ever.

Jayne Cowen

Jayne Cowen, 23, of Knox was a contestant in the Miss Indiana Scholarship Program at Indiana State University’s Hulman Center on this date in 2001. In Cowen’s talent portion, she performed an exciting two-minute exercise and dance routine to the music of “The Twilight Zone.”

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Hunnicutt to Appear for Initial Hearing on Escape Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Joshua Hunnicutt

After fleeing the Starke County Jail on May 23 and turning himself in just five days later, Joshua Hunnicutt will appear for his initial hearing today for additional charges of Escape and Conspiracy to Commit Escape.

Hunnicutt had been on the run since climbing a razor-wire wall in the recreation area of the jail and fleeing from police. He said he turned himself back in because he realized he had made a poor decision in escaping, and said he doesn’t have any recollection of what took place prior to his escape.

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Plymouth Police Note Increase In Theft Incidents

Posted on Author WKVI

Theft incidents are on the rise in Plymouth.

The Plymouth Police Department has arrested three different people in a week for theft of items from Walmart. The most recent arrest was Monday, June 11, when Michael Dalton of Plymouth reportedly concealed and failed to pay for lithium batteries. Dalton had paid for Coleman fuel and drain cleaner, but did not pay for the batteries.

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North Judson Festival Celebrates Agricultural Aspect of Mint

Posted on Author WKVI

There is one element of the Mint Festival that makes it completely unique: mint! The agricultural aspect of mint is celebrated during this time and many farmers in the North Judson area and in Starke County produce mint that is used in every day items such as toothpaste, gum and candies.

Mint Festival President, Terry Thompson, says the oil that is distilled from the mint plants will be available for purchase during the festival.

“We do have the mint oil that everybody loves,” said Thompson. “We have mint plants and hopefully we’ll have some mint candy.”

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Sewer Separation Project Completed in Winamac

Posted on Author WKVI
Winamac Town Hall

Members of the Winamac Town Board heard from Commonwealth Engineering representatives Monday night as they reported the final figures from the storm sewer separation project.

The project was finally finished with the separation of several sewer lines in the downtown area and the repaving of some areas in town that were not properly paved in the fall. Stripes have been painted on all the streets and parking lines have also been marked.

The water tower is being painted in the town of Winamac, and that project is expected to be complete by the end of the month. Water pressure has been an issue during this project, but pressure should return to normal when painting is done. This action is done for safety issues and to make any necessary repairs.