“It’s just devastating.” That’s the way North Judson-San Pierre School Superintendent Lynn Johnson and Oregon-Davis School Superintendent Dr. Steve Disney described the cuts these two systems will have to make in the 2011-2012 school year.
Lynn Johnson talked about the cuts to her system.
“We are possibly losing $1.2 million,” said Mrs. Johnson. “For a small school, that is a devastating amount.”
Thomas Morin recently appeared before the Knox City Council and the Starke County Commissioners with a detailed 22 page document that lays out a handicapped parking plan for city and residential parking.
In his presentation, Morin explained to the Knox City Council what he wanted for the downtown Knox business district.
MobilityWorks, a leading dealer of BraunAbility accessible wheelchair vans and lift systems gifted a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan with a BraunAbility conversion van to Juliana Ramos last Wednesday. Ms. Ramos is a bride-to-be who now relies on a wheelchair for mobility after suffering traumatic brain injuries as a result of a car accident in October of 2009.
The Starke County Election Board will meet today at 10:00 a.m. in the second floor meeting room of the Courthouse. The three member board will be conducting a poll worker review for the 2011 Municipal Election, proofing the 2011 primary ballots for the City Election, and conducting other business that might come before the Board.
The 2011 City Election is important since it will be the first since the consolidation of Knox’s four precincts.
“We’re consolidating Center one, two, three and four from their current locations to the Knox Community Center,” said Evelyn Skronski, Election Board Secretary and Election Administrator. “Hopefully this is going to make it more cost effective and voter comfortable.”
Skronski said depending on how well the City Election goes, there might be some other consolidation before the 2012 election.
“We’re considering consolidation precincts in Wayne, Washington, Oregon, and California and relocating a couple of others. This could happen in 2012 for the next Presidential Election.”
Skronski said the consolidation seems to be a good move.
“Voting Centers have been in the news a lot lately and this is just one trial run step towards seeing if consolidation will work.”
We asked her about the set up at the Knox Community Center for the Spring
Primary.
“There will be two inspectors and the judges, clerks and sheriffs. The voters will come in the front door and split off; one and two to the left and three and four to the right and they will continue on just like they would if they were at their regular precincts.”
St. Patrick’s Day is Thursday and if you’re Irish, this is your day to celebrate. St. Patrick of course was the patron saint of Ireland, and St. Patrick’s day began as a Catholic holiday. In the past three to four centuries though, it has become more of a secular celebration of Irish culture.
It might surprise you to know that the color blue was originally associated with St.
Patrick, but over the years that has changed to green. It’s said that St. Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the trinity to the Irish.
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 13th, which means everyone will move their clocks ahead one hour. Clocks may be moved at bedtime Saturday night or at 2:00 a.m. prevailing time Sunday morning.
The purpose of Daylight Saving Time is to extend daylight by an hour in the afternoons during spring, summer and much of the fall. While Indiana observes Daylight Saving Time, the state remains divided in telling time. 80 of the 92 counties use Eastern Time while the other 12 use Central Time. Arizona and Hawaii use Standard Time year round.
Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
Andrew Glover of Knox was arrested Saturday, March 5th after police were called to his residence in reference to a domestic violence incident. Glover engaged in a standoff with police and was eventually taken into custody by a SWAT team. He has preliminary charges of Criminal Confinement, Domestic Battery in the Presence of a Minor Child with a Prior, Intimidation, Battery and Resisting Law Enforcement.
Knox Community School Board President Harold Welter says that traditional public schools and charter schools are not yet on a level playing field and when that gets ironed out, he doesn’t see a problem with the competition between the two. The says the Knox staff is full of competitors and will do what they can to draw students to their particular class. He also said that the Knox Federation of Teachers and the School Board have always had positive collective bargaining sessions when it comes to discussing salaries and benefits.
Forensic Fluids Laboratories in Kalamazoo, Michigan was contracted by the Starke County Commissioners to conduct oral fluid drug tests on new County employees and 10 percent of current employees.
Lisa Owens, who was convicted of shooting her husband Jeff in the shower in their home in Knox, was featured on the “Breaking Down the Bars” program on the Oprah Winfrey Network Tuesday night.
Starke County Sheriff Oscar Cowen informed the Starke County Commissioners that the furnace and air conditioning unit is going out at the Starke County Jail, the roof needs replaced and a water pipe leak caused damage to the lower floor of the Jail where the Prosecutor’s Office is located.
23 people charged with Attending an Animal Fight Contest plead Guilty in Knox City Court Monday evening. 7 others who charged with the same charge plead not guilty. 31 other defendants appeared before Judge Charles Hasnerl Wednesday afternoon.
Adam Lolmaugh of Plymouth was arrested on a charge of burglary after he allegedly confessed to police that he was involved in the act of burglary at People’s Drug Store on February 16th.
Starke County Courthouse Custodian, Carl Goodrich, says the Courthouse elevator will soon be in the state of repair. The hydraulic system has failed and other repairs will need to be done to bring the elevator up to code.
The British Broadcasting Corporation visited Knox this week to do a story about time zones. They visited the WKVI studios to film how broadcasting to listeners in two time zones often causes confusion.
On Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 11:36 AM, La Porte Police Department officers responded to the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks just east of Pulaski Street in La Porte reference to person being struck by an eastbound train. Upon arrival, officers found that a female victim, age 37, of La Porte had indeed been struck by the train and was deceased.
A witness, from a distance of approximately 200 yards, saw the woman, who was alone at the time, walking next to the railroad, walk out on the tracks and then sit down facing west toward the eastbound train. The witness could hear a train in the immediate area and then saw the woman get struck by the train. The witness stated that the train was blowing it horn as it approached the area. Continue reading
The WKVI/American Red Cross Blood Drive is from now until 4:00 p.m. CT today (Friday). You are encouraged to come to the WKVI Radio station, 400 W. Culver Road in Knox, and give your all important blood donation.
All blood types are needed. If you are 17 years of age, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and are in good general health, you may be eligible to give blood. Call (574) 772-6241 and schedule a time to give blood.
The LaPorte County Metro Task Force have located and arrested a wanted fugitive in the City of LaPorte. On Thursday, March 10th, Metro Operation investigators developed information concerning the whereabouts of 25-year-old Bryan Lumpp. Lumpp had been listed on the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office Top Ten Wanted list.
Bryan Lumpp had been wanted on five outstanding criminal warrants for Failure To Appear. The charges for which he failed to appear include one Domestic Battery charge, three Resisting Law Enforcement charges, four Battery charges, a Public Intoxication charge, one Theft charge and one count of Residential Entry.
Starke County’s unemployment figures are up again. The January figure shows Starke County’s rate at 12.1%, the eighth highest in the state. Starke County’s rate was 11.3% in December meaning that we jumped .8% in a month.
A reporter and cameraman from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) visited Knox on Wednesday, March 9th. The pair were here to record a piece on time, and how it affects people’s lives.
Reporter Rajini Vaidyanathan visited the WKVI studios, where the BBC crew did some filming on how broadcasting to listeners in two time zones often causes confusion.
The Starke County Commissioners accepted trusteeship of a piece of property offered by professional Forester Bruce Wakeland this week. The County will be the trustee of the property that the Commissioners hope will be come a real asset to all who live here.
“129 acres is available to create a Starke County forest and I hope the public can enjoy it,” said Bruce Wakeland. “The public can learn about the marvelous wildlife area we have here in the County and how you can have good, healthy forest management and still have a beautiful place to see and enjoy. I think it’s going to be a really good asset for the County and I’m going to enjoy working with the property over the next however many years I have left.”
James Skibbe, the State of Indiana Eligibility Manager for the Starke County office of the Division of Family Resources, will present an upcoming program entitled “Understanding the Spenddown.”
Persons on Medicaid have a difficult time understanding the concept and reasoning behind the spenddown that is required before Medicaid funding can be used to meet physician or hospital expenses.
Washington Township Fire Department was the site of an Instructor 1 training session that was open to Starke County Firefighters as well as firefighters in District 2 on Sunday. Washington Township was approved as the site for the course by Chief John Grolich of Plymouth who is the District 2 training coordinator. Those taking the class included firefighters from Starke County, Bremen, Argos and Etna Green.
The Starke County Community Corrections staff will be moving this weekend to a new location. The staff will move to 1911 South Heaton Street, in the strip mall north of Christos Restaurant.
The first working day in the new office will be Monday, March 14th.
Administrator Bob Hinojosa is inviting the public to tour the facility during a Grand Opening celebration on March 22nd from 1:00-4:00 p.m. CT.
TED HAYES REMEMBERS Ted & Harold 3-11
On “Ted Hayes Remembers” today, Ted will be joined by a man who he has worked with for 43 years. They began together in Rensselaer, worked two years there, then Ted went to Peoria, Illinois, and Harold to LaPorte.
When WKVI was granted a permit, Harold turned to Ted as his first hire. Ted was the morning man (Three for the Road was the name of the show) and Harold, who was also the manager, read the news across from him.
