Fire Officials Investigate Arson Incident in Star City

Posted on Author WKVI

The Star City Fire Department and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating a house fire that occurred at Nathan VanDerAa’s home in Star City on Sunday.

The Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office told WKVI that the fire is considered incendiary, meaning that it was created by someone. The home and VanDerAa’s vehicle were both set on fire. VanDerAa was reportedly not at home at the time of the incident. If you have any information about this arson, call the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department at (574) 946-6655. A reward of $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of any suspect(s) responsible for this incident. Continue reading →

Starke County Community Corrections Report Given to Commissioners

Posted on Author WKVI
Robert Hinojosa

Starke County Community Corrections Director, Robert Hinojosa, presented his annual calendar year report to the Starke County Commissioners this week.
Hinojosa talked about the three components of Community Corrections. Those are Home Detention, Community Service, and the Community Transition Program. He talked about the Community Transition Program.

“The offenders who have been sentenced to the Department of Corrections from Starke County all get released back with little or no services available to them so what we’ve chosen to do is provide services in the last 30 to 60 days of their sentence to transition them back,” explained Hinojosa. “We know that if they are unable to access services, they will fail, they will get rearrested, they’ll go back to the Department of Corrections and it’ll be a never ending cycle.”

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Pulaski County Bridges Undergoing Some Work

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

A bridge inventory was presented to the Pulaski County Commissioners this week. According to the inventory, there are currently 74 bridges in Pulaski County. One bridge is fracture critical, meaning that is needs to be looked at to determine its need of repair immediately, and six underwater inspections will be due in 2014. On the plus side, the majority of bridges in Pulaski County are considered to be in great condition, with most issues on the minor side.

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Granger Man Injured in Vehicle Rollover in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI

Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department were called to a single vehicle rollover Wednesday afternoon on U.S. 35 just north of 300 North.

The driver, Douglas Kline, 67, of Granger, Indiana, told police that he was traveling north on U.S. 35 and he must have dozed off. The vehicle left the roadway and flipped in a ditch on the west side of the road. Kline suffered minor injuries in the accident. He was transported to IU Health Starke Hospital for treatment.

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Probation Revocation Requested for LaCrosse Man

Posted on Author WKVI
Johnny R. Mathis, Jr.

Prosecutors have asked Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak, Jr. to revoke the bond for 38-year-old Johnny R. Mathis Jr., of LaCrosse, who has been charged with defrauding a local casino by not paying a $1.3 million gambling line of credit.

Mathis, who is charged with theft and fraud, both Class C felonies punishable by a sentence of two to eight years, and deception, a misdemeanor, has been free on $2,000 cash bond posted in July 2007. When he posted bond, Mathis signed a document that he may not leave the state without permission of the court. After missing a court hearing in March 2010, the judge allowed travel for business purposes.

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News from the North Judson Town Board

Posted on Author WKVI

The North Judson Town Board took a good look at what the paving schedule would be in the near future and the members decided that chip and seal work may work more in their favor than the cost of paving.

In other news:
Officers from the North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department are looking at quotes for a new rescue truck and Town Marshal, Doug Vessely, told the Board that he is gathering quotes for five new police vests.

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Knox Community School Board Hires Technology Coach

Posted on Author WKVI
Chris Ross

The Knox Community School Board created a new technical position and filled it at their meeting this week. Superintendent A.J. Gappa gives us the details on the new position.

“This year, we had a teacher retire from the Middle School in the Industrial Tech area and rather than fill that position, the Administration felt that with the One-to-One Computer Program which we have undertaken, we would best be served by a teacher/coach that could go in and help teachers with the computers and the programs and different objects that they could use in their classroom,” he said.

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Week 4 Football Picks

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Harold’s Picks (9-6):

NJSP-48  Boone Grove-0

Culver-27  New Prairie-7

Jimtown-55  Knox-0

John Glenn-58  LaVille-7

South Central-34  Whiting-21

West Central-48  North White-14

Winamac-32  South Newton-14

Nathan’s Picks (11-4)

NJSP-35  Boone Grove-14

Culver-28  New Prairie-7

Jimtown-55  Knox-0

John Glenn-60  LaVille-0

South Central-28  Whiting-14

West Central-42  North White-14

South Newton-21  Winamac-14

Updated Football Predictions

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Week 3

Harold’s Picks (4-5):

John Glenn-48  Knox-6 (Actual score: John Glenn-53  Knox-8)

Winamac-28  North White-6 (Actual score: Winamac-49  North White-18)

West Central-28  Tri-County-7 (Actual score: West Central-60  Tri-County-7)

Culver-34  Triton-12 (Actual score: Culver-33  Triton-3)

South Central-28  Hammond Noll-14 (Actual score: South Central-33  Hammond Noll-7

Rensselaer-21  NJSP-7 (Actual score: NJSP-26  Rensselaer-14)

Nathan’s Picks (7-2):

John Glenn-28  Knox-0 (Actual score: John Glenn-53  Knox-8)

Winamac-21  North White-7 (Actual score: Winamac-49  North White-18)

Tri-County-21  West Central-20 (Actual score: West Central-60  Tri-County-7)

Culver-35  Triton-7 (Actual score: Culver-33  Triton-3)

Hammond Noll-35  South Central 28 (OT) (Actual score: South Central-33  Hammond Noll-7)

NJSP-28  Rensselaer-21 (Actual score: NJSP-26  Rensselaer-14)

Week 2

Harold’s Picks (1-3):

West Central-35  Caston-21 (Actual score: West Central-38  Caston-8)

South Central-21  Culver-14 (Actual score: Culver-29  South Central-12)

Pioneer-35  Winamac-7 (Actual score: Pioneer-48  Winamac-21)

Jimtown-27  John Glenn-20 (Actual score: Jimtown-14  John Glenn-13)

Knox-20  NJSP-14 (Actual score: NJSP-19  Knox-0)

Nathan’s Picks (4-0):

Caston-21  West Central-20 (Actual score: West Central-38  Caston-8)

Culver-35  South Central-21 (Actual score: Culver-29  South Central-12)

Pioneer-42  Winamac-7 (Actual score: Pioneer-48  Winamac-21)

John Glenn-17  Jimtown-7 (Actual score: Jimtown-14  John Glenn-13)

NJSP-14  Knox-6 (Actual score: NJSP-19  Knox-0)

Officials Meet to Discuss Hamlet West Infrastructure Project

Posted on Author WKVI
This water tower was constructed as part of the Hamlet West Infrastructure project

A meeting was held yesterday with county officials to discuss the funding of the Hamlet West Infrastructure project. Starke County Economic Development Foundation Director, Charles Weaver, has a synopsis of the meeting.

“The meeting came about because we’ve finalized the grant reimbursement with the Economic Development Administration (EDA) which we turned a little more than $128,000 this last last draw for the project. With the completion of the EDA part of the project, we can now go back and do the final billings to the State of Indiana under the Industrial Development Grant Fund, as well as to TIF bonds managed by SYSCO. This will allow the county to be reimbursed, in whole, for the project.”

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Starke County Commissioners Consider Moving Drug Testing

Posted on Author WKVI
IU Health Starke Hospital

The Starke County Commissioners are considering moving the drug testing of some government employees, including the highway department, to Midwest Toxicology. At this week’s Commissioners meeting, Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, said when he sends an employee to IU Health Starke Hospital, it could take hours for them to have the drug test administered. In case the Emergency Room is busy, they must wait. Siddall said that he fully understood that the ER room takes precedent, but that with Midwest Toxicology there would be no waiting period.

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Recorder’s Office to Receive New Software

Posted on Author WKVI

A major upgrade to the software used in the Pulaski County Recorder’s office is underway. The county commissioners approved a request from Recorder Lynn Wilder, who highly recommended an upgrade to software provided by Computer Systems, Inc. CEO/President Kevin Cook and Account Manager John Wood were also present to speak about the software.

With a cost of $45,452, the new software will be a vast improvement over the old software, which hasn’t been updated since 2003. The new software will be funded 100% out of the perpetuation fund, which is a fund which is primarily used for the preservation of documents through electronic means. After a storm caused a large server crash in her office, Wilder decided it was time to upgrade. She received three quotes for software: one from Manatron, which was too expensive and offered an inferior product; one from Fidlar, which was top-notch but extremely expensive; and one from Computer Systems, Inc., who offered the perfect price and excellent software.

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North Judson Town Board Adds Two Blocks to Sewer Separation Project

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 approved a change order with the State Road 39 project during their meeting this week. The project originally came under bid by approximately $108,000 and with this leftover grant money, the Board approved sewer separation work to be done on two additional blocks at a cost of $75,969. That leaves $33,000 left in available grant funds for change orders. Nies Engineering is currently working on sewer separation project.

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September 11th Services Scheduled for Sunday

Posted on Author WKVI

9-11 services are planned throughout the listening area this Sunday.

At Knox, WKVI is sponsoring a Commemoration Ceremony at the Knox High School Football Field from 4:00-5:00 p.m. CT. Among those participating are WKVI personalities Tom Berg, Harold Welter, Ed Hasnerl, and Ted Hayes. Starke County EMS Director, Paul Mathewson, will also speak and vocalist Mae Crider will present special music.

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Donations Needed at Starke County Food Pantry

Posted on Author WKVI
Help fill these shelves at the Starke County Food Pantry!

The Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry shelves are again bare. Cecilia Torres told Ted Hayes yesterday that 279 families were helped with meat and groceries in August. That number reached an all-time high.

“More and more people are turning to the Food Pantry and donations are down,” said Torres. “We get our food from churches, organizations and individuals who open up their pocketbooks and their hearts to us. We’ve gotten a few dollar donations.”

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2010 Audit of Treasurer’s Office Received by Starke County Commissioners

Posted on Author WKVI
Linda Belork

The Indiana State Board of Accounts has completed the 2010 audit of the Starke County Treasurer’s Office. Starke County officials have been anxious to receive the report that will complete the most recent bookkeeping activities in the Treasurer’s Office that the Board will audit. The report is now in the hands of county officials.

Treasurer Linda Belork was removed from office by the County Commissioners after irregularities in the 2009 accounts were reported by the State Board of Accounts. The Commissioners also removed the deputies from office and named Casey Clark and Michelle Snowdon to handle the day-to-day activities in the office until the matter is straightened out.

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Starke County Landfill Close to Closure

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

Brian Horvath of Weaver and Boos Consultants gave a report to the Starke County Commissioners yesterday that indicates that they are getting closer to closing the old Starke County Landfill. Gas probes were installed over the summer and the Commissioners received a report this week of what information the company has gotten while monitoring the probes.

Horvath was asked what the next step is in getting the landfill closed.

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Pulaski County Commissioners Waive Building Fees for KIRPC Housing Improvement Project

Posted on Author WKVI
Pulaski County Commissioners Tracey Shorter, Kenneth Boswell, Michael Tiede

A warmer winter than usual is in the works for eight low-income homeowners in Pulaski County, thanks to a grant from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. Shawn Cain from the Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission appeared before the county commissioners to request they approve a waiver of building fees for these eight homes that have been selected to receive much-needed improvements at no cost to the owners.

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SCILL Center Students get Visit from Chicago College

Posted on Author WKVI
The college representatives brought their trailer with an interactive gaming system for the students to demonstrate

Two representatives from Universal Technical Institute of Chicago were at the SCILL Center yesterday explaining some of the courses offered at their school for students who would like a career in the automotive field. They brought a 1920s car with a Chevy motor for the students to see. The students were also competing against each other on how fast they could change spark plugs.

SCILL Center Director, Jerry Gurrado, said that these students are lucky in that colleges are able to come to the SCILL Center and present a post-secondary curriculum to the students. Continue reading →

Starke County Commissioners Receive Update on Bridge Projects

Posted on Author WKVI
County bridge #156 over the Robbins Ditch

Starke County Highway Superintendent, Steve Siddall, and Engineer Ken Minot approached the Starke County Commissioners yesterday to give them an update on three bridge projects.

Siddall was asked if Bridge #156, which is located at Range Road and 400 North, is moving on schedule.

“With what the Commissioners want for fall harvest, we’re right on time,” replied Siddall. “Hopefully, the weather cooperates.”

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