The Indiana State Police recently released statistics of methamphetamine lab seizures in the state for 2011.
With 24 seizures, Starke County had the most in Area 1 District 13, followed by Pulaski and Jasper counties reporting eight, LaPorte County with seven and Lake and Porter counties with five each. In Area 2 District 24, Marshall County had 41, Kosciusko County had 58, and Elkhart County had 71.
The county with the most dismantled methamphetamine labs by state police officers in 2011 is Vanderburgh County with 72. There were no meth labs seized in Warren County.
Indiana Conservation Officers who cover seven counties including Fulton, Kosciusko and Marshall Counties, issued over 220 tickets over the Memorial Day weekend.
Officers spent the majority of their time on boating patrol enforcement, with 159 boating tickets given as well as 11 boating while intoxicated custodial arrests. One person was arrested on a felony count of intimidation with a deadly weapon. Other charges include disorderly conduct, possession of marijuana, and resisting law enforcement, along with other infractions. Twenty-five fishing violations were also discovered.
Sixteen officers logged 461 hours of patrol which included patrols at Potato Creek State Park and Tri-County Fish and Wildlife Area.
Marshall County Sheriff Tom Chamberlin has announced that he will be hosting the annual blood drive campaign to honor fallen officers. Last year, 23 units of blood were collected, benefiting over 69 people.
Chamberlin said this year’s goal is to surpass last year’s collection both locally and nationwide. The American Red Cross Bloodmobile will be in the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department parking lot at 1400 Pioneer Drive in Plymouth on Monday, June 4 from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET. Appointments are encouraged, but not necessary. Call 1-800 REDCROSS for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Here is look at some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Joshua Hunnicutt
Fugitive Joshua Hunnicutt turned himself into the Starke County Jail on Sunday. He had escaped from the facility on Wednesday, May 23rd by climbing the outside rec area wall. He reportedly told police that he turned himself in because he realized he would eventually be caught. He is currently being held in the Starke County Jail on his previous charge of possession of methamphetamine and a new charge of Escape as a Class C felony. Continue reading →
The three-day trial for Dale Hite concluded today with the jury’s verdict of guilty on all eight counts.
Hite was found guilty of two counts of Resisting Law Enforcement Resulting in Death as Class B felonies, two counts of Reckless Homicide as Class C felonies, and counts of Resisting Law Enforcement as a Class D felony, Possession of Methamphetamine as a Class D felony, Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign as a Class C infraction, and Failure to use Headlights From Sunset to Sunrise as a Class C felony.
The trial started on Wednesday and ended Friday afternoon. Hite’s bond has been revoked, and he is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on June 26 at 1 p.m.
When officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department were investigating a report of manufacturing methamphetamine, a vehicle approached the residence they were checking out and immediately sped off. Officers followed the vehicle, but its headlights turned off shortly before the vehicle went off the road, crashing into some trees at 124 mph, police say.
Two passengers died in the crash, and Hite was airlifted from the scene. Police reportedly found methamphetamine in Hite’s pockets, and it was later determined that he was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Police removed this trash left from a meth lab from the Yellow River
Methamphetamine trash was recently removed from the Yellow River in Marshall County by members of the Indiana State Police Meth Suppression Section and the Underwater Search and Rescue/Recovery Team.
A local fisherman reported seeing several suspicious items floating in the Yellow River near Peach Road and 14th Road that he believed could be trash from a meth lab. Officers searched nearly three miles of the Yellow River and Indiana State Police Sergeant, Trent Smith, said the amount of meth trash the officers found “would make your stomach turn”.
A post was recently made on the WKVI Discussion board that read, “I work at a local factory for minimum type wages. I have two children and a wife. We’re falling more and more behind every day. Selling meth is looking better all the time.”
Could the economy behind the methamphetamine epidemic in Indiana? John Thorstad, Starke County’s Chief Probation Officer, said the economy might be part of the answer, but fast, easy money is probably more of a reason for producing and selling methamphetamine. He did, however, say law enforcement is having great success in closing down operations here.
Kruz currently produces four of these steel trailers per week.
Two Starke County companies have been making major contributions to the frac drilling industry, particularly in North and South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Frac drilling is a term used for the procedure of extracting natural gas through a process known as “hydraulic fracturing,” along with both vertical and horizontal drilling. The process requires anywhere from one million to five million gallons of water.
Both Kruz, Inc. and Sabre Manufacturing, LLC are manufacturing tanks that are used in two different operations at frac drilling sites in those four states. Steel trailers used to carry 5500 gallons of water to these sites are manufactured by Kruz, which currently produces four trailers per week with plans to produce one per day beginning today.
Knox City Attorney David Matsey says the city may soon be purchasing two properties. The properties belong to Don Nordstrom, and the city is currently waiting on a proposal from the owner regarding the purchase price.
Matsey identified the properties as 304 S. Main St., formerly known as Marsh Manor, and the vacant laundromat located across the street from the Knox Community Center.
North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson
Seniors from the North Judson-San Pierre High School participated in their final events for their high school careers this week. Superintendent Lynn Johnson said a banquet was held Wednesday night for the students.
“We had our Senior Night and we did recognize many of our Senior students with scholarships from different community organizations,” said Johnson. “We did honor our Valedictorian, who is John Eckert, and the Salutatorian Christopher Lippelt. Both boys have done a wonderful job in their school careers academically, athletically, and in community service.”
A staff breakfast has also been scheduled for today at 8 a.m., something that Johnson says is done every year.
Graduation for Knox Community High School Seniors is set for tonight at 7:00 p.m. in Weinberg Gym. Valedictorian Taylor Quella and Salutatorian Brenden Owens will be addressing the student body and a slide show of pictures will be presented.
The guest speaker will be Dr. Byron Holm, owner of the Holm Medical Clinic at Lifeplex and the Holm Medical Clinic in Walkerton. Dr. Holm is a 1965 Knox High School graduate.
With each day drawing the trip ever closer, excitement is building for those who have signed up for WKVI’s Washington, D.C. Tour. Yesterday it was announced that selected veterans on the tour will present a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Trip Coordinator Ed Hasnerl explained that a number of other events will take place as well, including a Gettysburg tour.
“We’re going to be attending a worship service at the National Cathedral on Sunday, June 17. Our Gettysburg tour is going to be presented by Alan Selge, a middle school teacher in the Knox school system. He is planning to be in costume and has videos to show. That’s going to be a very exciting event as well,” Hasnerl said.
There are still two seats available for the trip, which begins June 14.
Blue enjoys her retirement party with husband Ed Blue.
A friendly face in the Knox Clerk-Treasurer’s office is leaving. Bertha Blue has been the utility clerk for 25 years, and yesterday was her last day on the job. A party was held in her honor at Knox City Hall.
Blue explained she took up the position after the previous utility clerk left.
“I started part-time and then the girl left and I began as the utility clerk,” said Blue. “I began full time work in 1987.”
Visitors to the North Judson-San Pierre Elementary School may have noticed a few changes. The Starke County Youth Club North Judson site beautified the outside of the school with a new landscape and sign as part of a community service project.
Back Row: Greg Matt, Mayor Rick Chambers, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Donald Kring, City Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker
A request to approve a statement of benefits for Hoosier Custom Plastics was tabled by the Knox City Council last week because no one from the company was on hand to answer questions.
The document the council was being asked to sign would confirm the company is in compliance with what was promised when the tax abatement was approved.
According to the figures submitted by Hoosier Custom Plastics, the company has between 31 and 33 full-time employees, with a total yearly salary of $707,000. At the time the tax abatement was approved, the owners promised 20 employees and $595,000 in salary. Both figures would prove the company is in compliance, but the council members wanted someone representing the plastics firm to appear to answer questions.
Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston said when he spoke to a representative of the company on the phone it was stated that they’re “busting at the seams,” and “running out of room,” which would indicate business is booming.
A request for a company representative to be in attendance is being made by Houston.
With 375 adult criminal offenders reporting to the Starke County probation office for services, Chief Probation Officer John Thorstad said recently that the state has come up with new methods to identify what each offender needs to be successful in the probation program.
“Indiana has come up with a new risk assessment that determines what type of programs or what type of involvement an offender needs with probation,” Thorstad said.
Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart was in Lakeville last night to help promote Newton Park and the Little Hoosier 100 Midwest Thunder Series, an event that will be held August 11 and 12 that features kids ages 5 to 16 racing quarter midget cars. Stewart talks about the race.
“Oh it’s cool,” said Stewart. “I never got to run quarter midgets growing up because I ran go-karts, but for Bob and Joyce to put on an event like that and let these kids run an event with the quarter midgets is a lot of fun. You never know which kid that’s going to race here is going to be the next up-and-coming Jeff Gordon or Helio Castroneves. There’s a lot of good kids that will be up here racing from all over the country.”
Indiana Conservation Officers have been out patrolling on waterways and State properties and the Memorial Day weekend proved to be a busy one for officers.
55 citations and 67 boating related warnings were issued to boaters during the course of the holiday weekend. Three boaters were arrested on Lake Michigan and area lakes for Operating a Motorboat While Intoxicated.
More than 400 national, state, and local education leaders – including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan – met in Cincinnati last week for a two-day conference on transforming the teaching profession.
More than 100 school districts from 41 states sent teams to the event, and one of the two Indiana school corporations to send representatives was Oregon-Davis. Superintendent Dr. Steve Disney, Teacher Association President April Max, and School Board President Chris Lawrence attended along with a team from Ft. Wayne.
This student is really thinking hard about her next move!
For the past few months, select students at the Starke County Youth Club Knox site have been working to put together an event that would honor many area residents. Named Checkmates, this group started with a grant from Indiana Service Learning After School.
Checkmates decided to invite Starke County veterans and retired citizens to a game of chess. Once invitations were designed, professional prints were sent out to all of the potential Checkmates guests.
The Checkmates event was held on May 16, when food was served, tables were set, and the boards were prepared. What followed was 90 minutes of community involvement and fun.
At the end of the day, the entire youth club came together and provided a great service to its community. Each child involved showed great respect, cooperation, and effort in creating a memorable event that should be commended by all.
