Two people were arrested in Knox on Christmas Day on Battery charges.
Austin Pike told Knox City police officers that he and Walter Smith got into an argument and a fight ensued. The argument started as a verbal disagreement and it escalated to a fist fight. Pike told police that he hit Smith in the face. Smith became very angry and allegedly grabbed a knife and tried to stab Pike with it. Pike said Smith then left the residence.
The Knox City Council this week agreed to decline a grant offered by the federal government for replacing street signs, and instead will proceed with replacing the signs on their own.
Mayor Rick Chambers told WKVI that the council agreed to decline the grant because the $50,000 grant required a $5,000 match from the city. That cost, combined with the fact that the grant only covered the engineering aspect of the project, convinced the council to proceed with the project at their own expense. New regulations from the federal government requires all signs to be replaced with newer, more reflective signs by 2018.
Robert Reed made his initial appearance in court yesterday, where he pleaded not guilty to Robbery as a Class B felony, Receiving Stolen Property as a Class D felony, Resisting Law Enforcement as both a Class D felony and a Class A misdemeanor, and Habitual Traffic Violator.
Good news for the beginning of 2012—gas prices aren’t expected to spike come the New Year. Don Good of Good Oil in Winamac said that current oil prices are, as of now, driven heavily by the world economy, and with the possibility of an economic slowdown in China, Good expects prices to stabilize or even come down early 2012.
North Judson Town Marshal, Doug Vessely, presented the North Judson Town Board with a Use and Mandatory Wear Policy, regarding the use of body armor.
The policy outlines the need for officers to wear protective vests during their time on duty and in times of high-risk and/or tactical situations. Tactical situations may include search warrant executions, drug raids, initial crime scene response and serving felony warrants. All officers working in police-related secondary positions must also wear protective vests.
With the feeling of Christmas still lingering in the air, the Knox City Council this week discussed the possibility of hosting a Christmas market– a street market featuring nativity scenes, nutcrackers, books, hand-crafted items, and other traditional Christmas goodies like cookies, soups, almonds, and other treats.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers explains that with a Christmas market, the city could combine its Christmas events into one weekend bonanza.
We’re down to the final three top 10 stories of 2011.
One of the top stories of the year involved State Representative Nancy Dembowski, who with 43 Democrat legislators, fled to Illinois to avoid voting on anticipated right to work legislation. After staying out for weeks, the legislators finally returned to the cheers of union workers and jeers from their Republican colleagues. The issue is coming back to the legislators in the 2012 General Assembly. The Republican majority party imposed fines on those who left.
Knox City Police continue to investigate the robbery at CVS in Knox.
On Tuesday, December 20th, Nathan Hummel and Jonathan Hummel reportedly went into the Knox CVS and stole prescription medication from the pharmacy. They held the pharmacist and store clerk at knifepoint at the time of the incident. They fled from the scene and after a pursuit, fled their vehicle on Upas Road in Marshall County. Nathan Hummel was found hiding in a closet in Raymond Hummel’s residence and was taken into custody. Jonathan Hummel escaped. Continue reading
Three individuals were arrested in Pulaski County Friday on methamphetamine-related charges following a traffic stop near 314 South Monticello Street in Winamac.
Myrtle Beem was recently sentenced in Starke Circuit Court.
She was sentenced to serve six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections on one count of Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B Felony. Four years of that sentence was suspended. Upon completion of her sentence, Beem will be placed on probation for four years and she shall complete a drug evaluation program and follow any recommended treatment as approved by the probation department.
A Winamac man was arrested after police found a gun and narcotics in his room at a residence of 475 W. in Winamac, on Monday, December 19th.
Pulaski County Sheriff’s deputies learned that Ryan Clouse, 39, is good friends with Matthew Nolte, who was recently arrested on methamphetamine related charges, and the pair may be manufacturing methamphetamine at the residence where Clouse was staying. Police arrived on scene and requested permission to search Clouse’s room. Police reportedly found narcotics in his possession and a loaded rifle. The officers asked Clouse if he was convicted of any felonies and he replied that he had. He was then told that a felon can not possess a firearm. He had a prior conviction of robbery in 1994 and he was arrested on a charge of Burglary by the Rochester Police Department in 2004. Police also asked if he had a prescription for the narcotics found in his room and he said no.
Fred Sumpter from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the fire at 2915 S. and 800 E. in Washington Township Friday morning as accidental. A wood burner was the cause of the fire.
Washington Township Assistant Fire Chief, Dave Pearman, said that if you use a wood burning stove, keep it clean and make sure that it is cleaned before the heating season.
Pearman has another piece of fire safety advice.
Charles Cole of Winamac was arrested on Christmas Day after police were called to his home after a domestic dispute.
His wife, Suzanne, told Pulaski County police that Charles allegedly set fire to their bedding and mattress that morning during the argument which burnt down the camper in which they reside. As officers were trying to get the details of the event, Cole, who was intoxicated, continued to be disorderly. He was asked by the officer to step out of the camper and Cole was told he was under arrest. Cole then took off running from police. The officer ordered him to stop or he’d be tased. He stopped and police attempted to take him into custody but he resisted.
With the holiday rush behind them, the shelves at the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry are still fairly stocked. Joan Haugh, Director of Community Services of Starke County, told WKVI that their abundance of food is due in part to people with the holiday spirit.
We continue to count down the top ten stories of 2011.
Starke County moved into the national spotlight when the new Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN, featured a series on “Women Behind Bars.” One of the women featured was Lisa Owens, who, a decade earlier, had taken the life of her husband in Knox. Owens told of life behind bars and her hope for early release from prison for the shooting. That wish was granted when Owens received an early release. She was paroled into the custody of a sister, who did not live in the county. The story evoked many emotional comments on the WKVI Discussion Board arguing the pros and cons of her early release.
The fire at at 2915 S. 800 E. in Washington Township has been ruled accidental.
“The fire started on the west side of the house around a wood burner and that’s what caused the fire,” said Fred Sumpter from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office. “The burner was positioned around the center portion of the house.”
Sumpter said his investigation into the incident is now complete.
Power should be restored to 732 Knox customers by 1:30 p.m.
NIPSCO Public Affairs Officer, Rick Colinski, said that a car accident at Portland and Pacific streets in Knox caused the outage. Crews are replacing a cross bar that was broken on the pole that was hit by the car. Officials at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department said there were no injuries sustained in the accident.
The North Judson Police Department received theft calls on Friday. The callers reported a laptop and a wallet stolen from their vehicles.
North Judson Town Marshal, Doug Vessley, would like to remind you to make sure you keep doors locked on homes and vehicles. Vessely added that keeping the doors locked helps to deter crime and keeps your valuables safe. Criminals are always checking for unlocked cars to try and find cash and other valuables.
A Knox man was found breaking into a home and then ran from police.
On Friday, December 23rd, Knox City Police received a complaint of a person breaking into a home on Pearl Street. The officer arrived at the residence and got out of the car and announced his presence. The suspect, Timothy Howard, Jr., ran from the scene. The officer got back into his car and pursued the suspect. The officer went into the alley from Washington Street and Howard ran in front of the car.
A public hearing has been scheduled to gain opinions on current design plans for the Starke County Commissioners’ project to reconstruct a portion of County Road 300 East, or Klockner Drive, in the Knox Industrial Park.
The proposed improvements include the reconstruction of County Road 300 East between Culver Road to north Pacific Avenue. The project proposes installation of new pavement, concrete curb and gutter, storm sewer collection, driveway and approach work. The project will be constructed in three phases and impacts 33 parcels and will require the acquisition of 3.4 acres of right-of-way.
