Operation Quiet Comfort Raises $5000

Operation Quiet Comfort was a huge success this week in Plymouth. The fundraiser attracted over 300 people to the Memories Reception Hall for dinner and a program.

The speaker for the evening was Jan Houin who told the story of the organization which is part of a larger nationwide group, whose purpose is to provide blankets, clothing items and other articles of comfort in a care-type package to wounded soldiers.

The event raised $5000.

In her presentation, Houin read letters from servicemen who had received the articles from Plymouth, including one soldier who had lost an arm in battle saying he most appreciated the “warm socks.” Another commented on how the “blocks”
on the homemade blankets had lifted her spirits during a long recovery period.

On the “blocks” were messages of appreciation for their service to their country, and how a grateful nation has them in their thoughts and prayers

Also honored was the medical staff that tends to the needs of the injured.

Houin thanked all who attended and supported the organization.

Change in Leadership at I.U. Health Starke Hospital

David Hyatt

There will be a change in leadership at I.U. Health Starke Hospital, as Thor Thordarson, President and CEO of I.U. Health La Porte announced Friday that Linda Satkoski, current president of I.U. Health Starke Hospital, will become the Chief Operating Officer for the entire La Porte Health system. David Hyatt has agreed to become the Interim President at Starke.

The change in leadership will take place June 4th, and we’ll hear more from Thordarson, Satkoski, and Hyatt in interviews next week.

Week in Review for April 16th-20th, 2012

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

Starke County Jail

Data collection will begin now to get the paperwork ready for construction, or renovation, of the Starke County Jail. The Starke County Jail Committee is looking for estimates to give to the public and all the information gathered will be used to assemble a proposal for a jail project. The data will be collected over a period of 60-90 days and all will be given to the Committee for review.  Continue reading

Hope Wagner to attend Indiana University Northwest

Hope Wagner

Knox senior basketball player Hope Wagner has officially committed to Indiana University Northwest where she will begin her college basketball career next winter. Wagner is coming off a year when she not only led the team in scoring and assists, but was also one of the main leaders on a team that won the school’s first sectional championship since 1995.

After graduating most of the scoring off of last year’s team, the Redhawks anticipate Wagner’s aggressive style of offense to make an immediate impact. Hope’s own expectations of herself mirror that of her future coaches, “we lost a lot of scoring, so I’m going to have to do my best going to the basket and looking to shoot as much as I can”. While attending IU Northwest, Hope plans on studying criminal justice.

Hope posses with IU coach Ryan Shelton, Knox AD Phil Owens, and Knox coach Dan Huizenga.
Hope officially signs with IU Northwest as her family looks on.

Ethan Biggs to attend Rochester Community and Technical College

Ethan Biggs

South Central’s all-time leading rusher Ethan Biggs has decided to continue his football career in Rochester Minnesota. The Rochester Community Yellowjackets have one of the top Junior College football programs in the country, having won two national championships in 2000 and 2007, and have suffered just one losing season since 1968.

Holding multiple offensive records at South Central High School, Biggs is unsure which side of the ball he will be playing on this fall. The Yellowjacket offensive and defensive coaches are in a battle to have Ethan at either free safety or running back. When asked which side he would rather play for Ethan said “I love running the ball, but it really doesn’t matter to me as long as I can play and help the team out and hopefully win another championship”. Ethan plans on studying nursing while attending Rochester.

North Judson Railroad Committee Seeks Grant to Repair Crossing

The North Judson Railroad Committee is currently working on gathering funding for repairs on the U.S. 30 railroad crossing. Because a lot of truck traffic goes over the railroad, it has recently fallen into a minor state of disrepair — and with an expected increase in traffic passing over that crossing, the repairs are important.

Unfortunately, the repairs are not expected to be cheap. The committee is working on finding grants to fund the repairs, but the total cost is yet unknown.

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Starke United Dinner Held Last Night in Knox

Starke United Executive Director Julie Dessauer, Sandy Kersting-Rudd and Board Chair Todd Zeltwanger

The Starke United Annual Dinner was held last night at Community Services of Starke County.

Executive Director Julie Dessauer talked about programs Starke United supported during 2011 which included the Kindergarten Countdown, the Boy Scout and Girl Scout Food Drive, JA More than Money, Familywize, and 211. $13,000 will be distrbuted in undesignated funds this year.

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Oregon-Davis School Board Takes Action to Reduce Taxes

Oregon-Davis taxpayers will be noticing a reduction in their future bills because of action taken by the school board Monday.

“We approved the resolution to finalize the refinancing of our existing debt,” explained Superintendent Dr. Steve Disney. “What that means is that the previous debt from 2002 was at 5%, and with refinancing that goes down to 2.3%. We’ve been working on this for about nine months and this will mean a one million dollar savings to the taxpayers.  It will knock about four cents off the property tax rate in 2013.”

North Judson Town Marshal Presents Information to School Board

Doug Vessely
North Judson Town Marshal Doug Vessely

North Judson Town Marshal Doug Vessely gave a presentation to the North Judson-San Pierre School Board this week.

“We had a presentation by Police Chief Doug Vessely on substance abuse within the community and Starke County,” said Superintendent Lynn Johnson. “His information will be helpful as we are in the process of revising our policies to implement next school year. This was an informational session by Officer Vessely.”

Mowing Season in North Judson: No Taller Than Four Inches

Mowing season is finally here, and that means grass needs to be kept under four inches in the town of North Judson. If property is left unattended and the grass gets out of hand, the property owner will be notified to get the lawn mowed. If that notice goes unheeded, a fee can be imposed and, if necessary, a lien made on the property. This ordinance has been in place in the town of North Judson for several years.

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Relay for Life to begin in Culver Today

Culver participants get ready for this year's event

More than 50 teams and 400 participants will be involved this evening in the fifth annual Relay For Life of Culver. The overnight event begins at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Multipurpose Building on the campus of Culver Academies.

Student organizers have set a $130,000 goal for this year’s event, which will be held indoors and outdoors. Many of the events will be staged in the Multipurpose Building on the corner of Indiana 10 and Academy Road, but activities and vendors will also be located in the grassy area along Indiana 10. Relay walkers will be able to turn their laps inside, outside, or a little of each.

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13th Annual Peace Officer Memorial Scheduled for May 9th in LaPorte

LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting the 13th Annual Peace Officer Memorial on Wednesday, May 9th.

The ceremony is held each year in remembrance of fallen officers in LaPorte County, as well as the United States, and also recognizes those that are injured in the line of duty. Orland Park, Illinois Police Chief Tim McCarthy will be this year’s keynote speaker. Chief McCarthy, who retired from the United States Secret Service, is best known for his heroic effort to save President Ronald Reagan during an attempt on the President’s life on March 30th, 1981. McCarthy used his body to shield President Reagan and as a result, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.

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Starke County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner Set for Saturday

New Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson is slated as a speaker Saturday night at the Starke County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner. The event, to be held at the newly remodeled Bass Lake Community Center, will begin with a social hour at 6:00 p.m. and the dinner at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Other local and state candidates are expected to be in attendance as well as Second District Congressional candidate, Jackie Walorski.

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From the WKVI Archives

It was 20 years ago in 1992 that a 1970 North Judson graduate, Dr. Richard Radke, and a 1965 grad, Robert “Leo” Schreiber, were inducted into the 5th Annual North Judson-San Pierre Academic Hall of Fame.

Back in 1945, the Chicago Cubs played in the World Series. They didn’t win the series, but at least they played.

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Initial Hearings Held in Starke Circuit Court

Accused of firing a gun in the Wythogan Park in Knox, Dustin Spencer was present for his initial hearing in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday. Spencer pleaded not guilty to the charges against him: Criminal Recklessness as both Class C and Class D felonies.

Spencer requested a court-appointed attorney and was granted Attorney Timothy Lemon. These charges stem from an incident on April 10th in which police say Spencer fired a gun in the park with several bystanders, including juveniles playing on a baseball diamond, and he also allegedly fired the gun toward an occupied dwelling.

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North Judson Town Board Discusses Highland Cemetery

North Judson Town Board

The Highland Cemetery was discussed once again at the recent meeting of the North Judson Town Board. The board discussed the possibility of adding an additional entrance to the cemetery, but it was mentioned that a second entrance already exists on County Road 300. That entrance has not been used in a very long time, and it has become overgrown and is in a state of disrepair. The board is looking into what expenses they can expect to get the entrance re-opened and cleaned up.

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North Judson-San Pierre School Board Learns IREAD Results

North Judson-San Pierre High School

The North Judson-San Pierre School Board got an update on how the third grade students performed on the state mandated IREAD test. This is a new test and if the students do not pass the test the first time, they will have a second chance in the summer. If the student cannot pass the test the second time, the child will be held back to retake the third grade reading class.

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