Star City Man Injured in One Vehicle Accident

Posted on Author WKVI

Officers from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department investigated a one vehicle accident Thursday morning on State Road 14 between County Roads 550 and 600 East.

Richard Stevenson, 59, of Star City told police that he was traveling eastbound on State Road 14 when, for some unknown reason, traveled into the westbound lane of traffic. He said he did not attempt to correct this action because he stated he would have lost control of the vehicle. Stevenson’s vehicle then left the north side of the roadway and collided with a pole and a mailbox before coming to rest on the side of the road.

Continue reading →

Starke County Council Works on Budget

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Council worked on the 2012 budget all day Wednesday.

“This year, what we felt was a prudent thing to do, is to freeze the budget at the 2011 level,” said Starke County Council President, Mark Smith.

Smith said no raises were given county employees for 2012.

“I always hate it when it comes down to this because folks will say, ‘Don’t you know that those people deserve a raise?’ I absolutely believe that they deserve a raise. However, if we ‘froze’ the budget but allowed a raise, what I’m telling the taxpayers is ‘You’re going to get just a little less services but we’ve decided to give a raise anyway’. At some point, there’s got to be a little bit of a leveling out there, a little bit of fiscal responsibility, to look at the big picture.”

Continue reading →

Eastern Pulaski School Superintendent Placed on Probation

Posted on Author WKVI
Dr. Robert Klitzman
Dr. Robert Klitzman

The Eastern Pulaski School Board placed Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman on contractual probation for the next year. The Board has agonized over what disciplinary action to take following Dr. Klitzman’s arrest for operating a vehicle with an alcohol content over the legal limit in July.

The Superintendent called the whole matter “humbling” and vowed to follow the Board’s action.

Continue reading →

TV Stolen from Community Services of Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI
Suspect(s) broke a window to gain entry into Community Services of Starke County

Knox City Police officers are investigating a break-in at the Community Services of Starke County building in Knox.

Police say that some unknown subject(s) broke a window on the south side of the building and gained entry. The subject(s) then removed a 42 inch flat screen TV from the building and that was the only item reported stolen. No other damage was reported. Police were called to the scene Thursday morning at 7:20 a.m. but it is believed the incident happened late Wednesday evening or in the early morning hours on Thursday. Evidence was secured at the scene.

Continue reading →

City Council Approves Request to Seek Housing Grant

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council (L to R) Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg, Ron Parker, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Mayor Rick Chambers, Attorney David Matsey, Ed Blue and Greg Matt

Mayor Rick Chambers asked the Knox City Council members this week for permission to apply for a housing grant.

“I’ve been in contact with K-IRPC to seek a housing grant. We had one three years ago and we ended up getting about $65,000. The Council matched that with 10%. We applied originally for $150,000 and it was cut several times. So, I’m again seeking a housing grant and I’m asking for a 10% match up to $150,000. K-IRPC needs to know that we are willing to do a 10% match before they can go any farther with this grant process.”

Continue reading →

Rooster Rumblers Receive Eight-Day Plea Deadline Extension

Posted on Author WKVI
Gilberto Navarro
Salvador Reyes
Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Arnoldo Perez

With the case at its six-month mark since their arrest, four individuals allegedly involved in an animal fighting contest in February have been given another week for their attorney, Doug Shaw from Crown Point, to work with Starke County Prosecutor Nick Bourff to formulate an acceptable plea agreement. A request for change of venue by the defense was also denied. The defendants, Gilberto Narravo, Salvador Reyes, Juan Carlos Rodriguez, and Arnoldo Perez, were present in the Starke Cirtcuit courtroom with their wives acting as translators.

Continue reading →

Knox Man Arrested on Residential Entry, Drug Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Jason Sims

Knox City Police Officers arrested a man after he was found to be in a residence he was kicked out of and in possession of drug paraphernalia.

Joseph Johnson told police that he and his girlfriend left the house and when they returned, they heard someone in the bathroom. They found out that is was Jason Sims, who was asked to leave the residence the evening prior to this incident. Sims reportedly locked himself in the bathroom and Johnson called the police department. When officers arrived, they were able to gain access into the bathroom and take Sims into custody. Sims reportedly told police that someone let him into the home, but no one else lives at the residence and nobody else was at the residence to let him in.

Continue reading →

iPads are a Plus, says Culver Community Schools

Posted on Author WKVI

After the students at Culver Community High School have had time to adjust to the new devices they’ve been gifted with, the school is proud to say things are moving along smoothly. At the beginning of this school year, students were presented with their very own Apple iPad to use for the duration of the school year. These devices can be taken home and used to do homework, research, talk with other students, read their textbooks on the device, and perform countless other helpful tasks. Unfortunately, they also open the door to new levels of procrastination, because students now have in their hands a device that they can choose to use for either school work or entertainment.

Continue reading →

Greenspace Winamac Report Given to Winamac Town Board

Posted on Author WKVI

The Winamac Town Board heard from Fred Zarht from the Greenspace Winamac organization.

The organization applied for a grant called “Make Your Trees Count Grant Program” and in 2009, they were selected to receive the grant to pay for trees on the streets. The inventory was completed this year and only 437 vacancies remain where trees could be planted and they’re working on closing that gap. 282 trees were planted this spring.

The street trees that they have are valued at nearly $2 million. The annual benefits of street tress are valued at $192,649 or approximately $119 per tree. The trees absorb 2,528,527 gallons of water which saves the town $68,528 in sewer fees.

Continue reading →

Week 5 Football Picks

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Harold’s Picks: (14-8)

Bremen-32  Culver-14

John Glenn-55  Triton-7

Knox-34  LaVille-0

Wheeler-48  South Central-7

South Newton-28  West Central-21

Winamac-34  Tri-County-7

Pioneer-21  NJSP-14

Nathan’s Picks: (17-5)

Culver-20  Bremen-14

John Glenn-50  Triton-0

Knox-35  LaVille-7

South Central-28  Wheeler-21

West Central-42  South Newton-14

Tri-County-14  Winamac-13

NJSP-24  Pioneer-20

F.B.I. Arrests Two at Bass Lake

Posted on Author WKVI
Heather Wilson
Michael Simpson

An F.B.I. Task Force officer arrested two people at Bass Lake Tuesday evening. Police were alerted that 44-year-old Michael Simpson had escaped from a jail in Kentucky, where he was jailed on a sex crime, and may be in the Starke County. An F.B.I. Task Force officer stopped the suspect’s vehicle at County Road 600 East and State Road 10 where he found Simpson and 23-year-old Heather Wilson, both from Louisville, Kentucky. A two-year-old child was also in the vehicle.

Continue reading →

Knox City Council Weighs Options on Building in Downtown Area

Posted on Author WKVI
This is the location of the old Everett's Drug Store/movie theater

Gene Blastic, a Board member on the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, came before the Knox City Council this week to discuss options concerning the old Everett’s Drug Store. The building, at the corner of Lake and Main Street, was for a short time a movie theater, and is owned by the Economic Development Foundation.

Continue reading →

Winamac Town Board Discussed Sewer Separation Project

Posted on Author WKVI

The Winamac Town Board discussed the sewer separation project at their meeting this week.

The Board heard that the wastewater piping had been fixed and the sewer separation was now being done on Riverside Drive between Rowan and 13th streets. The Board opened bids for the paving part of the project and pending further review of the specs from the Board Attorney, the lowest bid will be approved and that came from Central Paving at $53,545. Part of Washington Street will be paved in addition to this project. The Board hopes the entire project can be completed by the end of November or before the weather prohibits the application of asphalt.

Continue reading →

Starke County Election Board Sets Absentee Voting Hours

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Election Board set absentee voting times for the November Municipal General Election yesterday. Absentee voting will be available Saturday, October 29th and Monday, October 31st through Saturday, November 5th from 8:00 a.m. to Noon and from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in the Starke County Courthouse. On Thursday, November 3rd, the hours will be from 1:00-4:00 and from 5:00-9:00 p.m.
The Travel Board will start collecting votes beginning October 20th.

Continue reading →

Knox City Council Passes 2012 Budget

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council #2
Back Row: Mayor Rick Chambers, Ed Blue, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Greg Matt and Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

The Knox City Council members, on the recommendation of Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, passed the budget during their meeting this week. The budget is for $3.1 million and includes a 2% across-the-board raise for employees and officials.

Houston gave the Council some advice before the vote.

“At this point, once it’s been advertised, you guys can vote. Either accept it the way it is or you can cut, but you can not add anything to the budget at this point. You can’t go above what’s been advertised,” said Houston.

Continue reading →

Starke County Health Department to Hold Flu Clinics Soon

Posted on Author WKVI

We’re entering into the fall season and there has been a lot of information about the flu as we get into the flu season.

Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch told WKVI that he is ordering flu shot supplies and he will hold evening flu clinics so you can get your flu shot for the season. When he gets the supply, he will also be able to administer flu shots during immunization hours on Tuesdays by appointment.

Continue reading →

Homecoming Activities Begin Today in Winamac

Posted on Author WKVI

Homecoming activities begin today in Winamac.

“We’ll be playing Tri-County on Friday,” said Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman. “We have all of the traditional festivities. We’ll have our homecoming on Thursday. After the parade, we’ll end up at the football field and we’ll have a community pep rally where our school and community get together with one focus. We’ll try and generate enough excitement and enthusiasm for our students and players to have a really good showing at our football game Friday night.”

Winamac Town Board Receives Grants, Hold Public Hearing for Budget

Posted on Author WKVI
Winamac Town Hall

The Winamac Town Board members held a Public Hearing for the proposed 2012 budget at their meeting Monday night. No comments were made during the hearing. The total of all funds proposed for 2012 is $1,470,882.

The Town Board also learned that the Town is the recipient of a fully-funded Safe Routes to School Green 3 grant worth $75,000. The Safe Routes to School grant allows a study to be done to see how students travel to school and, if needed, to provide a sidewalk or other gateway for children to safely travel to school. The Town will put up the money immediately and it will be paid back in full.

Continue reading →

Starke County Traffic Safety Partnership Finishes Blitz, Another Set for Next Week

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Traffic Safety Partnership recently participated in an Operation Pull Over Enforcement and gave out 11 speeding warnings, 45 equipment violation warnings, 1 open container ticket, 13 speeding citations, 5 Driving While Intoxicated arrests and 1 warrant arrest. This blitz was in accordance with the Indiana Governor’s Council on Impaired or Dangerous Driving.

Continue reading →