The Knox Community School Board approved the addition of a new Data Systems Coordinator position Monday night.
There are so many tests that need to be dissected every year from the ISTEP, End of Course Assessment Tests and to the NWEA testing at the lower grade levels, one person needs to be in charge of assessing the data being brought into the corporation.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa says that data is helpful to figure out lesson plans and unit plans and much more.
A Victorian High Tea is being planned by local residents looking to combine a fun afternoon and support a worthy cause at the same time. Proceeds from the event will be given to the Community Services of Starke County’s food pantry.
The event will be held at the Knox Community Center on Thursday, April 26th, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A brunch will be provided by Christo’s Family Dining and served by local celebrities. A silent auction will be held, along with other entertainment, elegant decorations, drawings, and a free gift for all attendees. All tickets must be purchased in advance as no tickets will be sold at the door.
The SCILL Center Director Jerry Gurrado announced this week that a literacy program is coming to Starke County. Gurrado talked about the program’s focus.
“We had a training session at the library in Knox, and we had four volunteers that were trained,” explained Gurrado. “If anyone is in need of getting training in basic reading or math skills, the courses are taught in a one-on-one situation instead of in a big classroom.”
In 1999, Knox Community School Board members were reviewing plans for a proposed $15 million renovation project of Knox Middle School.
One of the biggest concerns was moving the football field to the high school.
Costs were totaled after adding the new addition, renovation, demolition of the existing building, site work, new football field, track, concession building, restrooms, and locker rooms.
The Knox Community School Board has taken action against a teacher accused of inappropriate behavior with a 16-year-old student.
“The Board did approve a letter of suspension with pay for Mr. Ryan Corbin, teacher at Knox High School,” said Superintendent A.J. Gappa. “Beyond that, I’m not at liberty to discuss personnel matters so I have no further comment.”
The Board approved the letter during their regular Board meeting last night.
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall set a $15,000 bond for Knox Community School swim coach Robert R. Corbin, who is charged with two counts of Attempted Child Seduction as Class D felonies. Corbin, 27, is also prohibited from making any contact with the victim.
In the affidavit in support of probable cause filed today in circuit court by Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff and prepared by Knox City Police Department Detective David Combs, it is alleged that on Wednesday, March 28, Knox Police Department Officer Chad Keen responded to a call and went to a residence in Knox. He was informed by the victim’s father that his sixteen-year-old daughter had been receiving inappropriate messages from a Knox teacher, and Officer Keen took printed pages of Facebook messages between his daughter and Corbin.
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EMS Director Paul Mathewson appeared before the Starke County Commissioners yesterday and shared a story that points out the advantages of moving to Advanced Life Service here. On March 23rd, the ambulance crew was called out to a case where a television fell on a five year old girl from a dresser. Mathewson was on the run and reported that the likelihood of recovery initially looked gloomy, but because of the advanced training, the crew was able to begin treatment and take her into IU Health Starke Hospital. Once there, the girl was stabilized and a Med Flight helicopter was called in to get her to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis as quickly as possible.
The Pulaski County Commissioners moved to stick with their decision of allowing Cathy Fritz to conduct drug testing for the county. This comes after Brandon Williams of Indiana Testing approached the commissioners to present information about their company.
According to Williams, Indiana has been working with the Pulaski County Highway Department for 25 years, handling the testing required by the Department of Transportation. Additionally, the county is under an automatically-renewing contract with Indiana Testing to conduct drug testing for the Highway Department.
Two people were arrested on Saturday after a reckless driving incident was called into the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department.
A caller said a person was driving a vehicle through the grass at the Good Oil Company and now they’re in the parking lot at the Pulaski County YMCA. The reporting officer spoke with one of the passengers, Justin Manning, and deduced that he was impaired. A Portable Breathalizer Test was administered and it reportedly showed that he was under the influence. While the officer was placing Manning in handcuffs, he could smell marijuana. Another passenger, Jesus Maldonado, was also detained as he allegedly had marijuana leaves all over the front of his clothing. A small bag reportedly containing marijuana was found in the center console of the vehicle and also on the floor. A juvenile was also detained at the scene.
Governor Mitch Daniels recently signed into law a bill amended by Republican State Representative Tom Dermody, of LaPorte, that addresses the ongoing property tax problems in LaPorte County. The bill establishes taxpayer protections, gives incentives to local officials to participate in responsible leadership and gives the LaPorte County Commissioners more control to remedy the situation.
Taxpayers were recently notified they had a limited amount of time to pay property tax bills from 2007. This bill gives the county council the authority to allow taxpayers six months or more to send in their payments or to set up a payment plan. The county will also be prohibited from placing a property on tax sale for at least one year after the payment deadline. For those who can afford to pay immediately, the council will have the option of granting a tax credit of up to two percent of delayed property taxes if the taxes are paid within 30 days.
The Starke County Commissioners yesterday tabled a request by the County Auditor, Kay Chaffins, and Interim Treasurer, Kasey Clark, for new financial software. George Zeltner, of Low Associates of South Bend, answered questions about how the system could streamline both offices, including the providing of information between the two governmental entities.
The Yellowstone Trail Fest Planning Committee will be meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Holy Cross Church, 100 S. Starke Street, in Hamlet, on Thursday, April 12th.
This year, the 100th Anniversary of the Yellowstone Trail will be celebrated. The trail was an early automobile route from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound. The dates are August 17th-19th. Hamlet celebrates the fact that the town was on the Yellowstone Trail.
The DNR Division of Forestry is asking for your help in identifying suspicious-looking trees.
Information about these trees is wanted in connection with the 2012 “Invasion of the Weird Trees” – an online publication that identifies the weirdest trees for each county based on your submissions. The publication is updated every four years.
The trees can be any species and size. The only requirement is that they be weird and be a living tree.
Past entries in “Invasion of the Weird Trees” have included trees that swallowed signs, trees grown together like conjoined twins and trees with trunks twisted like a snail shell.
This is the date in 1974 that multiple tornadoes traveled through Indiana. The most devastated town was Monticello where most of the downtown buildings were demolished beyond recognition. Structures in shambles included the White County Courthouse, the First Presbyterian Church and the First National Bank. Another community hard-hit was Thornhope in Pulaski County.
The Knox City Police Department continues to investigate an alleged improper internet contact incident between a Knox High School gym teacher and a student.
Police investigated a complaint last week where a parent reported the act. Robert “Ryan” Corbin, 27, of Knox, was arrested Sunday as a result of the preliminary investigation. He faces preliminary charges of Child Seduction and Attempted Child Seduction, both Class D Felonies. He is being held in the Starke County Jail under no bond.
John Goble, Sr., former Street Superintendent for the Town of Hamlet, was recently arrested on a warrant for theft.
Police say that in January, Goble and his son, John Goble, Jr., resigned their positions with the street department after a disagreement with the Hamlet Town Board and the Board appointed Town Marshal Frank Lonigro III as the temporary Street Superintendent until a full-time replacement was found.
Lonigro was told by the Town Board members to conduct an inventory of all town equipment with the Street Department. Lonigro could not find a current equipment inventory list so he contacted Smith Farm Store, where most of the town’s equipment is purchased, to get a list of receipts for 2011. Lonigro reportedly found that equipment purchased and was signed for by John Goble, Sr. was unaccounted for in an inventory check. Alleged items that have not been accounted for totals $1,358.65.
The back and forth argument over the placement of a structure in rural Grovertown might come before the Starke County Board of Commissioners today. Betty and George Dotlich have fought the issuance of a permit to Julia Ford since it was reissued in January. At the last Commissioners meeting, the pair asked the Board of Review to examine the BZA ruling that would allow the unit to stay on it’s location.
Frustrated with gasoline prices? Don Good, a gasoline distributor in Winamac Indiana talks about where gas prices are going.
“The general wisdom is that we are going to see it up for a little while longer,” Good replied. “We are, though, approaching the top. There is not only a demand degradation here, but China is starting to slow down also. So it kind of appears that we are approaching the top.”
Anger, suspicion and frustration are only three of the words used to describe the public’s reaction to the gasoline prices.
“Everybody is frustrated with it. An up market just absolutely kills everyone. You just can’t move it to the street fast enough when it moves like this. We’re seeing 10-15 cent jumps a night with no reason,” Good said.
He’s said it before, and he’ll say it again, if we could only get the speculators out of the market we could stabilize these prices.
“Here’s the thing. We’ve been pushing the oversight on the commodities market for several years. We’re trying to get the speculation slowed down. Here’s something to consider: there is at least 56 cents a gallon minimum in speculation.”
Good said don’t be surprised that when the market breaks, prices will go down rapidly.
Today is National Autism Awareness Day.
Autism rates have skyrocketed with one in 88 children falling on the autism spectrum. This study comes as a professional group is considering changing the diagnosis criteria, which could bring another overhaul of the statistics related to autism.
A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention journal, found that one in 88 eight-year-olds in 2008 were diagnosed with autism, a 23 percent increase from 2006.
Experts remain divided on the cause of the increase. Some say it stems from better surveillance and diagnosis. Others point to environmental factors.
Autism Speaks, a national advocacy and research funding agency, said the figures mean the U.S. needs to take immediate action to help families and children on the spectrum and invest in research to help explain why the numbers are rising so rapidly.
To be diagnosed with autism, a child must have deficits in three areas: communication, social skills and the ability to shift focus.
The state’s top climate expert says warm weather should continue for the next three months. However, with the warm weather comes a risk of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.
Dev Niyogi says we can expect cold weather to pop up every now and then and that could threaten flowers and trees that are in bloom.
