Starke County Commissioners Discuss Prosecutor’s Claims
The discussion between the Starke County Commissioners and outgoing Prosecutor Julianne Havens came to an amicable agreement Monday night. Havens had earlier submitted claims for law enforcement needs and the Commissioners questioned whether the funding was appropriate for the funding source. Havens, herself, eliminated some of the items from questionable categories.
“It gets complicated because I can use the IV-D fund for child support enforcement and for five years I’ve been using it to support child support,” explained Prosecutor Havens. “This year, I was going to try and focus on the enforcement aspect of it which, to me, means police. They agreed with my argument. However, they indicated that if an audit were to happen, the way they look at it is a proportional nexus. They are going to look at it whether or not the police are out supporting child support, making arrests, picking up people on body attachments and things of that nature. Their fear is that the proportionate nexus is not going to be enough for them to say that these funds that were spent were reasonable.”
The 2010 Henry F. Schricker Award Winner is Marvin McLaughlin
The Starke County Chamber of Commerce announces that this year’s Henry F. Schricker “Service before Self” Award winner is Marvin D. McLaughlin. McLaughlin is well-known to all citizens in Starke County.
Marvin McLaughlin is known to most of us in the County as the “Honorable Judge Marvin McLaughlin” for his many years of service on the Starke County Circuit Court bench.
When Marvin McLaughlin was sworn in as judge, then-retired Governor Schricker said a few words. McLaughlin said this about Henry Schricker.
“Back in the 1950s when he ran for Congress, I worked as a volunteer on his campaign at the Statehouse,” said McLaughlin. “He was a very interesting person and he was very interested in you as an individual and he was a very appreciative person.”
He is a winner of the Sagamore of the Wabash, having been presented the award at his retirement recognition event from the bench in 1992.
Among his proud achievements is having been a 4-H leader.
“For 15 years I was a 4-H leader,” said McLaughlin. “When we first came to the County, that’s when Purdue had changed, saying that the agriculture teachers could no longer be 4-H leaders. In North Judson, we didn’t have a 4-H club. The kids had to go somewhere else. I started the club from scratch.”
Congratulations to Marvin McLaughlin of North Judson who is this year’s Henry F. Schricker Award winner for 2010. He will be feted at a banquet in January at the Knox Community Center.
Outdoor Christmas Decoration Contest Winners Chosen
Knox Mayor, Rick Chambers, wants to congratulate the winners of the 2010 Outdoor Christmas Decoration contest.
First place went to Rachel Fletcher at 5675 S. 500 E. in Knox. Mr. and Mrs. Gene Wheeler and Mr. and Mrs. Tom Parkison, who live in the 400 block of Carlson Drive in Knox tied for second place and Mr. and Mrs. Stacey Griffith at 302 Main Street in Knox took third place.
Additional Charges Filed Against Walkerton Man Involved in Police Standoff
Additional charges have been filed against a Walkerton man who told Starke County police officers to leave him alone or he would kill them or himself. Donald Smith, 33, engaged in a 45 minute standoff with officers before he was taken into custody on December 15th, from a camper he was occupying.
Smith has been charged with Dealing Methamphetamine, a Class B Felony; Possession of Precursors with a Firearm, a Class C Felony; Intimidation, a Class D Felony; and Theft, a Class D Felony. He has a bond of $75,000 through Starke Circuit Court.
Knox and North Judson to Receive Grants for Storm Water Infrastructure Projects
Christmas came early for Knox and North Judson officials. Lieutenant Governor, Becky Skillman, announced that 13 Hoosier communities will receive grants totaling almost $11 million dollars for storm water infrastructure projects. These grants are funded by an appropriation for disaster recovery efforts from the federal Community Development Block Grant program.
News from the Winamac Town Board
At their recent meeting, the Winamac Town Board members approved the salary ordinances for employees and elected officials. A one-and-a-half percent increase was approved.
Brad Zellers, Wastewater Superintendent, told the Board members that the lack of grass sitting in the streets has made a difference. Earlier this year, the Town Board was concerned about how the clippings were clogging the sewer system, especially during rain events. Zellers said he will be able to determine the true success of that change in the Spring when he and his staff vactor the sewer lines. Zellers reported to the Board that they been repairing several small pumps and will start on building improvements in the remaining portion of the pole building this winter.
Government Offices Will be Closed for Christmas Holiday
Several government buildings will be closed due to the Christmas holiday.
The Post Office will be open Friday from 8:00 a.m. to Noon CT only. Mail will not be delivered until Monday, December 27th. The Starke County Courthouse and the Pulaski County Courthouse will be closed Thursday and Friday this week. The Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches will be closed Friday and will resume normal hours of operation on Tuesday, December 28th.
Knox Community Center Damage Over $18,000
The estimated amount of damage done to the Knox Community Center on December 11th comes to $18,713.03. 25 tables and 112 chairs were damaged and the carpets were stained during a wedding reception held at the facility.
The City of Knox continues to work with Nicole Dobson and Brandon Bailey who have reportedly told the City that they are taking responsibility for the damages.
During the December 14th Knox City Council meeting, the Council members talked about increasing security measures at the Community Center to discourage this type of behavior.
Starke County Auditor Michaelene Houston Leaves Auditor’s Office after 22 Years
It is the end of an era in the Starke County Auditor’s office. Michaelene Houston spent 22 years either as a Deputy Auditor, or Auditor herself. She served as Deputy Auditor under Pam Fletcher and Mike Haugh.
“November 30th, 1984, I started as Deputy Auditor for Pam Fletcher and I worked for her for two years and one month and then Mike Haugh became Auditor and I worked for him for four years,” explained Michaelene Houston. “I then ran for the office and I was Auditor for two terms. I couldn’t run for a third consecutive term so I ran for Commissioner and I was Commissioner for four years. Then I ran for Auditor again and now I’m on my second and final term as Auditor.”
Top 10 Stories of 2010; Story #8
Story number 8 is fresh on our minds. It’s the early blizzard of 2010, and it occurred just a few days ago. With mind boggling snowfall amounts in the Kankakee Valley, all governmental offices, some businesses, and all schools took the day off last Monday, December 13th.
Wanatah had 33 inches of the white stuff to top the charts, although some Starke County locations recorded near 20. Our own Tom Berg and Lenny Dessauer took turns staying overnight at the station to keep everyone informed of the storm’s fury.
John Brooke Fails to Attain Plea Agreement; Trial Set for February
John Brooke, a suspect in events surrounding a shootout at Bass Lake in February, and his attorney, Dale Allen, told Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall Monday afternoon that they have failed to come to a satisfactory plea agreement with the court so they will move forward to trial.
The trial will begin on Monday, February 21st, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. CT and will last the week. Allen said there could be up to 50 witnesses called to take the stand. A final status hearing will be held on January 26th to ensure all paperwork is prepared for trial.
Knox City Council Approves Knox Industrial Park Name Change
At the recent meeting of the Knox City Council, Starke County Development Foundation Director, Charles Weaver, requested that the Council change the name of the Knox Industrial Park to the Starke County Rail Park. The Council unanimously approved the name change and the proposal will be taken to the Starke County Commissioners for approval. The name was changed to give it a county feel rather than a city feel.
Hoosiers Can Resume Collecting Unemployment Benefits
Hoosiers are now eligible to resume collecting the federally funded unemployment extensions. Approximately 90,000 Hoosiers who exhausted or were at risk of losing benefits have become eligible again.
In order to qualify for these retroactive benefits, Hoosiers will need to complete their weekly vouchers through Uplink, Indiana’s online filing system. Hoosiers will need to complete a voucher for each week of benefits they want to collect.
About 30,000 Hoosiers saw an interruption in their benefits due to Congressional delay.
There is no increase in the number of potential weeks of benefits. Ninety-nine weeks remains the maximum length of time someone can collect.
North Judson Police Department Report for November
North Judson Town Marshal, Doug Vessely, reports that in the month of November, the North Judson Police Department had 153 calls, 30 traffic stops, 15 lockouts, 8 thefts/conversion, 3 accidents, and 12 family disturbance calls.
Top 10 Stories of 2010; Story #9
After not running in the 2010 Starke County Primary Election, Gordon Richie was drafted by the Starke County Republican party to be its candidate in the election. In August, Richie was disqualified after the Election Board voted 2-1 that he did not properly file his candidacy in a timely manner.
Weather Statement
Statement as of 5:19 PM CST on December 20, 2010
Special Weather Statement
… Snow moving into the area…
Snow will spread into Northwest Indiana this evening. The leading
edge of the snow extended from around Rensselaer to Delphi at 615
PM EST… and should move northeast to a Wanatah to Peru line by
815 PM EST. The snow will lower visibilities to around 1 mile and
accumulate about a half inch per hour. The significant
accumulating snow is expected to last about 5 hours before
tapering off to lighter snow late tonight. Roads in the area will
become snow covered and slick overnight… so motorists should use
caution and allow extra time to reach their destinations.
Blood Donations Desperately Needed
As a result of the recent bad weather across our region during this holiday season, the local blood collections have decreased. Type O negative blood is especially needed now. Since type O negative blood can be used for any patient when there is not time to determine the patient’s blood type, it is crucial that there be a sufficient supply.
Sunday Morning Mixed League 12/12/10
Sunday Morning Mixed League 12/12/10
Team Standings:
1. The Unknown 71.0-27.0
2. The Smelly Cats 61.0-44.0
3. The Quest 59.0-46.0
4. Split Heads 58.0-47.0
5. WRJN 56.0-49.0
6. S*** Happens 46.0-59.0
7. Lucky #7 45.0-60.0
8. Odd Balls 45.0-60.0
9. Snowdon’s Lawncare 42.0-63.0
10. Strange Brew 42.0-63.0
Thursday Night Ladies League 12/16/10
Thursday Night Ladies League 12/16/10
Team Standings:
1. Sew What Embroidery 38.0-14.0
2. Area Services 35.0-17.0
3. Mark’s Body Shop 30.0-22.0
4. WKVI Radio 27.0-25.0
5. Mirror Images 27.0-25.0
6. Norton’s Packaging 26.0-26.0
7. Smith’s 23.0-29.0
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