The Starke County Jail Committee, that has been selected to address the problems at the aging Starke County Jail, received notice that House Bill 1213 passed on the last day of the session. The approval allows the Starke County Council to increase the County Economic Development Income Tax to finance, construct and equip a jail facility. The County Council is only permitted to raise enough funds to cover the costs of the jail and the additional tax rate cannot increase more than .65%.
A mediation session conducted by former Starke County Judge Marvin McLaughlin will be this morning at 9:00 a.m. McLaughlin, a current Starke County Councilman, volunteered to mediate a disagreement between Merit Board President Ken Arnett, and Starke County Sheriff Oscar Cowen.
The pair appeared before the County Council in mid-February. Arnett requested funds to fight a suit brought against him and the merit board members by the Sheriff.
Starke County experienced a significant jump in unemployment in January, according to the most recent figures. Starke County’s percentage jumped from 10.5% in December to 11.7% in January. That placed the county in a tie for fifth place with Blackford County on the highest unemployment rates in the state.
Vermillion County had the highest rate at 12.3%.
The City of Knox has to create an ordinance establishing new districts before December 31st, 2012. The new districts have to be changed if new precincts are created.
City Attorney David Matsey said new districts do not have to be established because of population shifts as everyone votes for all council members regardless of districts. Some districts have double the population count as others, as the maps are drawn geographically.
Two Knox residents were arrested on drug charges on Wednesday.
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department received information regarding a possible methamphetamine operation at 2135 S. Rhea Street in Knox. After an investigation, detectives applied for a search warrant for the residence, which was granted. Starke County and Knox City police officers executed the search warrant and reportedly found an active one-pot method methamphetamine lab, precursors used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, the finished product, and drug paraphernalia.
A LaPorte man was arrested Wednesday after officers found a growing operation at his home.
Officers from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Division served an arrest warrant on Todd Borawski at 1591 S. Range Road in LaPorte. When they arrived on scene, Borawski wasn’t at home, but the officers discovered an indoor marijuana growing operation. A search warrant was granted by the LaPorte Circuit Court and the officers seized 56.8 grams of marijuana, marijuana plants, high intensity lights used in the operation, and other drug paraphernalia.
The Knox Farmer’s Market is scheduled to open in May.
“On May 5th, the Knox Farmer’s Market will open,” said Knox Mayor Rick Chambers. “The market will be open three days a week – Wednesdays from 2:00-7:00 p.m., Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to Noon and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wayne Hughart will manage the Farmer’s Market again this year. For more information, you can call him at (574) 200-9154.”
A special display is being featured at the Henry F. Schricker Public Library in Knox and at the North Judson-Wayne Township Public Library for the next two months.
Endangered Heritage, a collections care advocacy exhibit from the Indiana Historical Society, helps educate local communities about the need for good collections stewardship. It gives examples of the dangers to objects in collections and information about caring for collections. You can obtain great information on how to preserve family heirlooms that you may want to pass down to your children and to generations after that.
More than 20 students, parents, and other members of the Eastern Pulaski Schools community spoke out at the recent school board meeting against bullying in school, which has gotten out of hand.
Parents expressed their anger at the corporation for doing what they feel is a minimum to prevent or discipline bullying in the school system. Several parents said that their children are afraid to use bathrooms or even attend extracurricular activities for fear of bullies.
A one hundred year history of the sewer system and treatment plant was presented this week at the Knox City Council meeting. Wastewater Superintendent, Kelly Clemons, gave a map and pictorial history of the time period from 1911 through 2011.
Of course there was no treatment plant in the early 1900’s as all waste was deposited into the Yellow River. Numerous sewers were added in 1936, and wastewater was discharged in an area where the T-ball fields are located in Wythogan Park. The first treatment plant was erected in 1942.
Two people were arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop by the West Central High School on Monday.
A deputy with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department asked the driver, Jaime Walker, if he could search the vehicle and she gave the officer permission to do so. When the officer approached the passenger side of the vehicle, he reportedly witnessed passenger, Tammy Grigsby, pass a small plastic bag between the seats to Tony Grigsby, Jr. In his search of the vehicle, the officer saw a prescription pill bottle in Tammy Grigsby’s purse with another individual’s name on it and a small plastic bag with prescription pills and marijuana in it.
The warm weather has prompted early spring cleaning and North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Chief, Joe Leszek, says his department has been called out to several brush fires already this season.
In the past five days, firefighters have been called to seven brush/woods fires. Leszek asks that you be cautious when burning brush this time of year as foliage has not yet begun its spring transformation and is dry. Winds are usually very strong and unpredictable this time of year.
The North Judson-San Pierre Middle School and High School band students are marching forward to help residents rebuild the Henryville schools.
Band Director, Matthew Hibbets, says sousaphones have been placed in the Middle and High School Cafeterias and you are encouraged to drop off any spare change into the instruments to help in the effort. The Henryville schools and surrounding communities in Clark County, Indiana were destroyed by tornadoes and all the change collected will help purchase musical instruments, athletic equipment, school supplies and other basic necessities.
The Northwest Indiana Community Action Corporation, on behalf of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, will be taking names of Starke and Pulaski County residents for the Housing Choice Voucher Program beginning March 30th.
The housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments.
Thanks to the Safe Routes to School Committee at the Eastern Pulaski Schools Corporation, children walking or riding bicycles to school may not be so uncommon in the future. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explained that the committee is currently working on a planning grant designed to show different routes to the school that can be enhanced and improved on in terms of accessibility and safety. Klitzman says that these improvements could encourage more parents to allow children to walk or ride their bikes to school.
Pulaski County Human Services, Inc. has received additional funds to help low income Pulaski County families pay home heating bills. Applications are still being accepted for this season’s Energy Assistance Program.
Those who have already received assistance through this program from November to today will not be able to reapply. Applications will only be accepted for those that will be applying for the first time this heating season.
Even though the temperatures approached the 80 degree mark, the Culver community turned out last night for a piping hot bowl of soup. It was the annual Soup for the Soul promotion put on by sixth grade students at Culver Elementary.
This year, the proceeds will be going to the food pantries in all four counties that feed students into the Culver school system, as well as the Davis family in the Oregon-Davis system who have a youngster waiting on a medical procedure for which they need funding.
Knox Park Superintendent, George Byer, announced this week that Wythogan and Sandy Acres parks have opened. The swings will be up by next week and the water will be turned on in the next few days. Byer said everything will be ready for the children during spring break.
WKVI Radio has learned that a former resident of Knox, Helen Sands, has passed away in San Antonio, Texas. She had resided near her son Larry for a number of years. Helen Sands, in the early days of WKVI Radio, was a frequent guest on the night-time music shows and she shared her record collection. She was at one time an employee of the Starke County Highway Department. A memorial service is planned for Mrs. Sands next week in Knox.
A special prosecutor has been named to handle the case against Sheriff Oscar Cowen in which claims of impropriety were filed by former deputy Don Ferguson. Curtis Hill of Elkhart County has been named, but he has not yet accepted the position. Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff petitioned for a special prosecutor because of his close work relationship with the Starke County Police.
The Special Judge assigned to the case, Honorable Jeffrey Thode of Porter Superior Court #6 located in Portage, Ind., will replace Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall who issued an Order of Recusal and Assignment of a Special Judge to the case.
The President and CEO of the LaPorte Regional Health System visited with the administrative team and Community Hospital Board at IU Health Starke Hospital this week. Thor Thordarson praised the leadership team for turning around the hospital that he said was losing money before they arrived.
“I came down here to congratulate the board and the leadership team for doing a fabulous job over the last several years, and really turning this hospital around from losing millions of dollars a year a few years ago to having a healthy operating margin in 2011,” stated Thordarson. “I know it’s been difficult here for the last few years so it’s very nice to see the fruits of all those very difficult decisions came out and good quality health care and financial results happen.”
