Literacy Council Established In Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI
Sheila Urwiler

There is now a Literacy Council in Starke County. Through the efforts of Sheila Urwiler, director of the Starke County Library System and Jerry Gurrado of the SCILL Center, a council has been established and volunteers trained.

“We’ve had five people go through the training and are now certified. We’re looking for more volunteers because the more people we have do this, the better. Training only takes about one to two hours. It’s not hard to do. You don’t have to be a teacher; you can just be a person who has a few hours of time a week who would like to help out,” Urwiler said.

Tutoring has already started for students in the program.

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Starke County Relay For Life Event Raised More Than $58,000

Posted on Author WKVI
Erica Taylor Joseph, Jaxon Joseph, and Macie Keppler were members of the Hawg Wild DJs team.

The Starke County Relay for Life held over the weekend was a success! Relay for Life Coordinator Megan Hamand gave the results figure at the end of the event Saturday morning.

“We raised $58,445 this year, which is amazing. I couldn’t believe it when we hit $52,000 last year, but our 44 teams were determined to beat last year’s total and we did,” Hamand said.

The “Hawg Wild DJs” team was unofficially named the top fundraiser, and team member Ericka Taylor Joseph explained some of her team’s fund raising methods.

“We usually have several fund raisers. We had a Purses for a Purpose fundraiser and a pork fundraiser. Our team is large, and everyone pitches in and raises its $100 personal goal,” Joseph explained.

Joseph explained that there is one thing in particular that all the team members have in common.

“Actually, everyone on the team has lost someone to cancer. I lost my father Tommy D. Taylor to cancer ten years ago,” Joseph observed.

Hamand thanked everyone who made the event a huge success, and she says planning is already underway for the 2013 relay.

West Central School Board Changes Regular Meetings

Posted on Author WKVI
West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon

The West Central School Board modified its meeting date schedule, and Superintendent Charles Mellon says the board will now only meet once a month instead of twice a month.

“We’re going to a little different format,” explained Mellon. “We’re going to be meeting the first Thursday of the month. The only time we deviate from that would be the first week in January and the first week in July. This will be something new – we’ve always been a two-meeting-per-month corporation, but we’re going to try something different.”

The first meeting in January and in July in 2013 will be on the second Thursday of the month. If the
board needs to meet more than once a month, special sessions can be called in order to take care of business.

35th Annual Mint Festival Is This Weekend

Posted on Author WKVI

The 35th Annual North Judson Mint Festival is this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and Mint Festival President Terry Thompson says plenty of activities are planned.

“We have more carnival rides this year and some are new and we have karaoke, which is a big event this year for us,” said Thompson. “It will be in the middle of town on Saturday from 1 – 4 p.m. The Mint Idol Contest will be Friday night at 6 p.m., and there will be town-wide yard sales Saturday and Sunday.”

Those are just a few of the events scheduled, and Thompson will talk about more Mint Festival events through the week as the event nears.

Oregon-Davis School Board Seeking Two New Members

Posted on Author WKVI
Oregon-Davis Jr./Sr. High School

The Oregon-Davis School Corporation is searching for two replacements for the school board. Candidates are being sought for a District III position and an At-Large member.

If you are interested in serving on the Oregon-Davis School Board, submit a letter of interest with background information and reasons why you want to be a school board member. Included in the letter should be an explanation of how you could contribute to the success of the Oregon-Davis School Corporation.

Consideration for candidates will be held at the June 18 school board meeting.

Send candidacy letters to Julie McLiver, administrative assistant at the Oregon-Davis School Corporation at 5998 N. 750 E., Hamlet, IN, 46532. Oregon-Davis has a policy of providing equal opportunity.

NJSP Joins Area Schools In Summer Food Service Program

Posted on Author WKVI

The North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation is participating in the Summer Food Service Program where free meals will be available to all children age 18 and younger. This is the fourth area school that has announced its participation in the program, following Knox, Culver, and Oregon-Davis.

Breakfast will be served to all children from 7:45 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and lunch will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meals will be provided Monday through Thursday to all children without charge and all meals are the same for everyone. Breakfast and lunch will be served at the North Judson-San Pierre Elementary School Cafeteria.

Adults may eat at the site for a charge of $1 for breakfast and $2 for lunch.

Women Over 40 Need Mammograms, Says Klicek

Posted on Author WKVI
IU Health Starke Hospital

Ladies over 40, have you had your yearly mammogram? According to Josephine Klicek at IU Health Starke Hospital, there is no more important decision you can make today than to schedule your mammogram.

Klicek is so passionate that women over 40 should have a yearly mammogram that she set up a table at the recent Health Fair, sponsored in part by IU Health Starke Hospital.

“When the patients would come up, one of the things we would ask them is, ‘Do you have insurance? Have you had your yearly mammogram?’” she said.

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Tri Ancilla Event Raises $4600

Posted on Author WKVI

Todd Zeltwanger, executive director of Institutional Advancement at Ancilla College, has announced the recently-held Tri Ancilla event netted approximately $4600. Zeltwanger said that was significantly up over the past two years.

The event also brought a field of 140 participants from five different states to the college for the fourth annual triathlon. Men and women, ranging in age from 15 to 87, participated in a 500-yard swim, 11-mile bike ride, and 3.1-mile run that toured the Donaldson campus and surrounding areas.

Prizes were awarded to the top male and female finishers as well as the winners of various age groups. On the men’s side, the overall winner was Jim Langfeldt of Plymouth. On the women’s side, the overall winner was Madison Woods of Osceola.

The event was held on May 19.

West Nile Virus Confirmed Early This Year

Posted on Author WKVI

First signs of West Nile virus activity in Indiana have already been confirmed – a full month sooner than last year. Mosquitoes in Orange County have tested positive for the virus, considerably earlier than the first positive mosquitoes found last year in Mid-July. State health officials say it’s not possible to predict the severity of this year’s West Nile virus season, as temperatures and rainfall will have an impact. Last year, the virus was found in mosquitoes in 34 counties.

Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch has a number of tips for those looking to avoid mosquitoes.

“Big thing is to just be insect repellant when you’re outdoors, try to avoid mosquito-infested areas around dusk to dawn – that’s when they’re most prevalent, use your repellant, screens on the windows and doors, and any standing water – bird baths, puddles, anything like that – try to keep those cleaned out as best as possible,” said Lynch.

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Four Arrested In Knox On Possession Charges

Posted on Author WKVI

Four people were arrested in Knox on Monday after police reportedly found drugs in a vehicle.

Knox City Police officers and officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Community Corrections were near the Super Value Inn when they saw a suspicious vehicle pull into the hotel parking lot. A woman got out of the car and, once she saw police, quickly got back in. Police stopped the vehicle and talked to the occupants.

One officer reported smelling burnt marijuana in the car and asked everyone to exit the vehicle. After the driver granted police permission to search the vehicle, police reportedly found methamphetamine and marijuana in the car, which were field tested with a positive result on both tests.

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Two Arrested In La Porte For Dealing Controlled Substances

Posted on Author WKVI
Steven McClelland
Allisha Mendoa

Two La Porte residents were arrested on Friday after an arrest warrant was executed by the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Division and La Porte Metro Operations Unit.

Allisha Mendoa, 31, was arrested on charges of Dealing a Schedule II Controlled Substance, a Class B Felony; two counts of Dealing a Schedule IV Controlled Substance, a Class C Felony; and misdemeanor charges of Aiding, Inducing, or Causing an Offense and Visiting a Common Nuisance.

Steven McClelland was arrested on charges of Dealing a Schedule II Controlled Substance, a Class B Felony; Dealing a Scheduled IV Controlled Substance, a Class C Felony; and a misdemeanor charge of Visiting a Common Nuisance.

These arrests are the results of investigations conducted by the La Porte Metro Operations Unit in response to community concerns about illicit activity in the area.

Knox Earns Recognition As Riley School, Corporation

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

Effort at all three Knox Community School buildings was highlighted during Monday night’s Knox Community School Board meeting. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said that because of the effort, the corporation is now known as a Riley Corporation.

“We highlighted all three buildings, the elementary school, middle school and the high school, for contributions made to the Riley’s Children Hospital in Indianapolis,” said Gappa. “This is a great benefit to kids throughout the State of Indiana. I know many Knox kids in the past have used the facilities at Riley and many Starke County kids also,” said Gappa.

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Sentencings Handed Down in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Vernon Chessor appeared for his sentencing hearing in the Starke Circuit Court on Friday, where he faced charges of Possession of Methamphetamine as Class D felonies as well as a probation violation charge in a separate case. A charge of Possession of a Syringe was dismissed.

Judge Kim Hall sentenced Chessor to 18 months in the Department of Corrections with no time suspended for the charge of Possession of Methamphetamine, and two years in the Department of Corrections with none suspended for the probation violation. The sentences will run consecutively for a total of two and a half years in the DOC. The court also recommended that he be placed into the CLIFF program.

Austin Bailey was also sentenced Friday to three years and nine months in the Department of Corrections. He will serve three years for a Class D felony charge of Theft, and nine months for violating his probation. He will also serve six months in the Starke County Jail.

INDOT Mowing Operations Set To Begin Across Northwest Indiana

Posted on Author WKVI

Mowing operations are set to begin soon along state rights-of-way in the La Porte District, says INDOT. While many drivers may be surprised to see grass along the right-of-way growing longer than the typical lawn, INDOT wants to remind drivers that with thousands of acres to maintain, keeping the vegetation as short as the regular lawn is not possible.

INDOT says they predominantly use a three-cycle process to mow state roadways, which includes all interstates, state roads and U.S. routes. That means each right-of-way will be mowed three times a year. The Borman Expressway (I-80/94) and State Road 912 are on a five-cycle process.

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Expanded Programs Help NIPSCO Customers Save More Money and Energy

Posted on Author WKVI

NIPSCO recently announced expanded programs for homes and businesses that invest in energy-efficient equipment by adding new money and energy-saving product rebates.

“With the addition of new types of rebates, we hope to encourage more people to choose high efficiency equipment for their custom homes and businesses,” said Kevin Kirkham, director of energy efficiency programs. “Since our rebate program began in 2008, more than $8 million in rebates have been given to customers.”

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Week in Review for June 4th-8th, 2012

Posted on Author WKVI

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

Gavin Wireman

A 27-year-old Medaryville man was arrested Saturday after allegedly robbing the Lake City Bank in Medaryville at gunpoint. A teller called the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department around 9:30 a.m. ET after the man robbed the bank. Officers gathered information in the incident and after an hour, they arrested Gavin Keith Wireman on a preliminary charge of Robbery. Police recovered the stolen money plus the alleged weapon used in the incident. Continue reading →

Knox Police and Fire Departments Called to Small House Fire

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox City Police Department and the Knox-Center Township Fire Department were called to a fire at 11:00 p.m. last night at a home across from Advanced Auto Parts on U.S. 35.

The neighbors saw the fire on the side of the vacant home and called the Sheriff’s Department. They reportedly had the fire out by the time officials arrived on scene. The fire caused a minimal amount of damage.

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Sheriff’s Department Handbook To Be Discussed By Starke Commissioners, Sheriff

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Sheriff Oscar Cowen

The Starke County Commissioners have scheduled a work session Monday afternoon to revise the Sheriff’s Department Handbook and to review the recommendations proposed to codify the county’s ordinances.

The Sheriff’s Department Handbook was discussed at this week’s commissioners meeting when Sheriff Oscar Cowen asked for directions on employee vacation time. Because of different shift requirements – some officers working eight hours and others on duty for 12 – vacation time is difficult to compute.

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North Judson Police In Need Of Two Part-Time Officers

Posted on Author WKVI
North Judson Town Board

The North Judson Town Board this week heard a report from Town Marshall Doug Vessely, who informed them that he will need to replace one part-time officer. He says the officer is retiring from the force, and he will need to hire at least one part-time employee – though he would like to hire two. Vessely says another employee has requested some time off, and he will need to hire an additional officer to take their place.

Vessely also provided the board with a map depicting barricade locations for the Mint Fest.

Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry says the town has received the spring distribution of property taxes from the Starke County auditor in the amount of $268,406. She says these funds will be distributed to individual departments that are budgeted to receive funds from property taxes.

IU Health Starke Hospital To Conduct Health Survey

Posted on Author WKVI
IU Health Starke Hospital

IU Health Starke Hospital is gathering information from community leaders, public health professionals, and community members regarding the health needs of the communities the hospital serves. All nonprofit hospitals are being asked to collect this information under the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

According to IU Health Starke Hospital Interim President David Hyatt, this gives the hospital an opportunity to improve the health of its patients.

Those selected for the survey are being asked to fill out an online survey and participate in a one-on-one interview.