Winamac Town Board Receives Update on Sewer Separation Project

Posted on Author WKVI

Winamac Wastewater Superintendent, Brad Zellers, came before the Winamac Town Board this week to report on the $5.2 million dollar sewer separation project. Zellers said the project is actually ahead of schedule and that all of the pipes are in the ground. The installation of some manholes and catch basins have yet to be completed. Also to be determined is if the compaction is adequate to pave the streets. IDEM rules are that the pipes must be in the ground 30 days before the paving can begin, which would put it in the middle of November.

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Two Plead Guilty in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Mark Griffin

With his trial only a day away, Mark Griffin told the Starke Circuit Court that he would like to plead guilty. No plea agreement was submitted, but Griffin told Judge Kim Hall that a recommendation had been agreed on by Prosecutor Nick Bourff and Defense Attorney Richard Ballard. Griffin said that he no longer wants to take his case to trial because he has been unable to get in contact with the witnesses he had planned to bring forward.

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Bridge Construction Project in Winamac Nearing Completion

Posted on Author WKVI

The Quigley Ditch Bridge replacement project on U.S. 35 in Winamac is nearing completion. This project began in July.

The bridge deck should be poured in the next week or so and if weather cooperates, the area should open up with the removal of the temporary traffic signal the week of October 24th. The Indiana Department of Transportation informed WKVI that there may still be some work beyond the last week of October, but any restrictions will be handled by flaggers.

Accident Claims Life of a Knox High School Student

Posted on Author WKVI
Drew Shearin

A Knox High School student was killed in a single vehicle accident late Monday night.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department said that 17-year-old Andrew “Drew” Shearin was traveling eastbound on State Road 8 when for some unknown reason, his vehicle left the roadway and struck a NIPSCO utility pole. The accident occurred just east of the Yellow River Bridge. Starke County Sheriff’s Department officers and Washington Township Fire Department personnel found him trapped in the vehicle and he was pronounced dead at the scene.  Starke County EMS and the Knox City Police Department assisted at the scene.

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Jim Carr Found Guilty of Murder in New Trial

Posted on Author WKVI

James “Jim” Carr, former Pulaski County Journal reporter, has been found guilty of Murder after a four day trial in Fulton Superior Court. A jury found him guilty in the death of Roy A. Shaffer in November 2006.

Shaffer was renting a home from Carr in Monterey when Carr shot Shaffer in the face with a shotgun. He then told a woman about the incident when she drove him home from a tavern.

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Culver Community School Board Approves Teacher Contracts

Posted on Author WKVI
Culver Community School Board
Culver Community School Board Members (from left, clockwise): Jack Jones, Ryan Seiber, Marilyn Swanson, Brad Schuldt, Eugene Baker, Jim Wentzel, Ed Behnke, Ken VanDePutte

Contracts are once again ink on paper for the Culver Community Schools Corporation. After a team of administrators and the Culver Community Teacher’s Association went through a series of negotiations, a contract has finally been ratified by both the CCTA and the school board.

Superintendent Brad Schuldt praised the CCTA highly for their efforts in the negotiation, and their drive to help the corporation by making some concessions in producing this contract. The contract that was approved included no raises for the staff, including incremental raises which are given annually based on years of experience—a first since collective bargaining has been in effect. In addition, they agreed to contribute more of their own money to cover their insurance plans. Schuldt was impressed with the teachers’ willingness to cooperate in the contract negotiations.

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Pulaski County Planning Commission to Present Zoning Maps to Commissioners

Posted on Author WKVI

As one of a handful of counties north of Indianapolis still without zoning regulation, Pulaski County is under some pressure to get their zoning under control. As a solution, the Planning Commission has put together a presentation of all the planning documents, including maps of Pulaski County that detail how the land is being used in terms of businesses, cemeteries, residential areas, and agricultural areas.

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Pulaski County Discusses Agriculture’s Importance in Renewable Energy

Posted on Author WKVI

According to a specialist in renewable energies, Pulaski County is in a prime location to take advantage of corn-based renewable fuel. Chad Martin from Purdue Extension was present at the economic summit at the Francesville Fire Station on Sept. 22, and he told community leaders that corn stover, which is the pieces of corn plants that are left over from the harvest process such as stalks and cobs, can be converted to fuel instead of thrown away or left on the field.

Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer says that this could be a great opportunity for Pulaski County to shine, because its skill in agriculture paired with a focus on renewable energy could be extremely beneficial to farmers, as well as the county as a whole.

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Knox-Center Township Fire Chief Offers Fire Prevention Tips

Posted on Author WKVI

National Fire Prevention Week is this week and Knox-Center Township Fire Chief, Kenny Pfost, has this fire prevention tip.

“Keep paper, dish towels and other combustibles away from the stove top,” he urged. “Some people have paper towel dispensers below the cabinets and it is recommended that a toaster is not placed underneath that dispenser.”

Pfost said it’s important to have house numbers visible so firefighters can find your home in case of a fire.

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Knox City Police Investigates Burglary at Five Star

Posted on Author WKVI

The investigation into the burglary at Five Star continues and is being handled by the Knox City Police Department where they will be reviewing security cameras that caught three suspects in the store. The burglary occurred shortly after 1:00 a.m. Monday morning.

Police told WKVI that the suspects broke into the store by prying open the back door. The suspects did minimal damage in the store and they attempted to get money from an ATM, but no money was stolen. A complete inventory has not been done to see if anything was taken. Police are are looking for the vehicle used in the incident, a late 1990s model Chevy Malibu.

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Tippecanoe Township Deannexation Petition Gathers 600 Signatures

Posted on Author WKVI
Monterey Elementary School

Several residents of Tippecanoe Township, outraged at the closure of Monterey Elementary, have started a petition for de-annexation from the Culver Community School Corporation to the Eastern Pulaski School Corporation. This petition, which has now collected over 600 signatures, will soon be presented to the Culver School Board in the hopes that they will agree to the request.

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November Election to Offer Only Contested Races on Ballot

Posted on Author WKVI

The November General Election is now less than one month away. Voters will be selecting a Clerk-Treasurer, Town Council members and Mayors, in some cases in this Municipal Election.

For the City of Knox, only one race is contested and that is the City Council District One race with candidates Don Kring, a Democrat and Republican Thom Morin. That will be the only race that will appear on the ballot. This year’s legislature approved the printing of only contested races on this year’s ballot. Starke County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski, said that may cause some confusion for voters.

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Sewer Separation Project in North Judson on Schedule

Posted on Author WKVI
North Judson Town Board: Dan Anderson, Wendy Hoppe, Jane Ellen Felchuk, Attorney Cassie Hine and Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller

The North Judson Town Board discussed the State Road 39 project and its progress last week.

The project is going smoothly and paving on State Road 39 should begin this week. Another half block has been added to this project as leftover funds allowed for the completion of additional work. This will take care of the sewer separation issue on that part of town. Only a small section of town needs to be done before all of the storm water and sewer drains are separated throughout the town.

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Starke County Health Nurse Schedules Flu Shot Clinics

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Health Nurse, Frank Lynch, has released information about upcoming flu shot clinics.

Adult flu shots will be given on Thursday, October 13th from 4:30-7:00 p.m. CT at the Health Department in the Starke County Courthouse. A children’s flu shot clinic will be held on Thursday, October 20th from 4:30-7:00 p.m. CT. Some nasal mists will be available for children.

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National Fire Prevention Week

Posted on Author WKVI

This week is National Fire Prevention week.

“Fire Prevention Week lasts all week through the 15th,” said Knox-Center Township Fire Chief, Kenny Pfost. “We try to educate not only children, but adults as well on fire prevention tips and techniques and how to be safer.”

“October is always a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Make sure that you have at least two exit plans. If you live in a two story house, you need to have some sort of escape devise if you should have a fire so you can escape the second floor. You should have something like a collapseable ladder. You need to have a meeting place outside to where everyone can meet up when they’re outside of the house.”

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