Starke Commissioners Approve Boa Shores Addition
Indianapolis Teens Arrested for Bass Lake Boat Thefts
A holiday weekend joyride around Bass Lake in two stolen boats ended with a trip to the Starke County Jail for at least two Indianapolis teenagers. ABC 57 reports two homeowners at the lake woke up Sunday morning to find their boats were missing from a public dock. They later learned three teenagers had stolen the watercraft the previous night and taken the boats for a ride around the lake and that witnesses to their late night sail had called the police. The teens reportedly ditched the boats and took off into a nearby campground. They were spotted the following day by officers from the Chicago Police Department who had seen them the previous evening. The off-duty cops tried holding them until the Starke County Sheriff’s Department arrived, but one of the boys ran away. It’s unclear whether he was captured, but the other two were arrested.
Melody Drive In Owner Hopes to Reopen Soon
The Melody Drive In should be back in business by the weekend. Co-owner Fred Heise, Jr. tells WKVI news the goal is to open with movies on screen two Friday, a week after strong winds ripped down screen 1 and caused extensive damage to the ticket booth at the popular Bass Lake attraction. Meanwhile, Heise is waiting for an insurance adjuster to assess the damage before the piles of debris can be hauled off. Nobody was injured.
Heise says his long-term goal is to replace the damaged screen, but until then he says movies will rotate through on the remaining one.
“We’re going to have to shuffle a little bit as far as the types of movies and when we’re going to play certain movies, so if people can just be a little patient we will play everyone’s movies. We may have to wait on a few of them, but we will eventually get around to them,” Heise says. Before opening for the season, the Melody Drive In underwent a digital upgrade. Heise says the past weekend has been quite trying for his parents. He adds the entire family will be fine, and says they appreciate the outpouring of support from friends and neighbors.
Foul Play Not Suspected in Death of Bass Lake Man
Foul play is not suspected in the death of a Bass Lake man who was found dead in his home Saturday morning. Starke County Coroner Kris Rannells says they won’t have a conclusive cause of death for at least four to six weeks as the official autopsy report is compiled and processed, but he says they do not suspect foul play at this time.
The body of 52-year-old David Griffin was discovered by his brother Saturday morning when he had gone to check on Griffin because nobody had heard from him in several days. The body was found in a Bass Lake home and was reported to be badly decomposed, indicating that he had been deceased for some time.
Identity of Deceased Bass Lake Man Released; Cause of Death Not Yet Announced
The identity of the deceased man discovered in a Bass Lake home has been released. Starke County Coroner Kris Rannells says 52-year-old David Griffin was found dead inside his residence by his brother, who had gone to check on him because nobody had heard from Griffin in some time.
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department, Starke County Coroner, Indiana State Police, and LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department all responded to the scene to conduct investigations. A forensic autopsy was performed yesterday at the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center in Fort Wayne, although no cause or manner of death has been announced.
Rannells says the cause of death will be released when the autopsy report is finalized, but he noted that there does not appear to be any signs of foul play regarding Griffin’s death. The man was found dead in a Bass Lake home Saturday morning, and the body was said to be badly decomposed.
Decomposed Body Found In Bass Lake Home, Police Investigating
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the mysterious death of a Starke County man who was found in a home along Bass Lake Saturday morning.
Just after 9 a.m., police found a dead body in a Bass Lake home. While his identity has not yet been released, his body was reportedly badly decomposed, indicating that the man had been deceased for some time in the home.
Foul play has not been ruled out, and the Sheriff’s Department has launched a death investigation that will begin Monday with a forensic autopsy.
Endangered Aquatic Plants In Danger Near Bass Lake
The Indiana Division of Nature Preserves is asking you to help protect a state endangered aquatic plant at Bass Lake.
Conservation Officer Keith Wildeman said the plants have been exposed in areas where the water level has dropped and DNR officials have identified off-road and motor vehicle tracks over these plants.
Crews Still Working To Clean Up Storm Aftermath
Crews are still working diligently to clean up the damage from last weekend’s series of storms, but Bass Lake Fire Chief Les Jensen says the clean up efforts are going very well. The Starke County Highway Department has been removing branches from roads and power lines, and Jensen says the roads around Bass Lake that were previously closed are now open. However, some branches are still close to the road because cleanup crews had focused on getting the roads cleared and open, but those branches will soon be removed.
The NIPSCO Outage Center reports that only one customer in the Knox area is still affected by outages, with a total of 97 NIPSCO customers affected in Northern Indiana. KVREMC crews are also making efforts to clear lines and undo damages caused by the storm.
Report Storm Damages Online To Department of Homeland Security
It wasn’t a tornado went through the area on Friday, but strong straight-line winds that caused power outages across the listening area and extensive damage to homes and boats at Bass Lake and several other locations.
If you sustained damage caused by severe weather Friday or Sunday, report it to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security by going online to www.myoracle.in.gov/hs/damage. If you don’t have internet access, contact a friend or neighbor for help, or go to the local library and someone can help you with you in this process.
Drought Affects Water Levels; Beware Hidden Obstructions
The drought is affecting everyone from farmers to outdoor enthusiasts.
Conservation officer Keith Wildeman said that because of the drought conditions, water levels are low in public freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams. You should be prepared to run into issues while visiting your favorite lake or river because of the low water levels.
Boater Stumbles Upon Old Bass Lake Diving Board
Do you ever remember diving off the diving board at Bass Lake? What year was it? Well, you might never dive off of it again, but because of the low water at Bass Lake the old diving board and platform have been discovered. A boat struck the items in about four feet of water, and although at first no one knew what it was, it was soon discovered that the platform had four polls on each corner and a rug on top of the deck.
On another note, Starke County’s most famous bridge – the one that went over Eagle Creek – has been removed. The wooden bridge was the site of a near-tragic event that occurred in April 1996 when a runaway school bus went over the bridge before a student, John Waldron, stopped it in a field.
The bridge has recently been taken out and a culvert installed. Highway workers brought the old wooden bridge to the highway garage property. It’s not known if it will be sold, scrapped, or used for parts.
Parts Of Bass Lake To Be Treated With Herbicide
Selected areas of Bass Lake will be treated with an EPA-registered aquatic herbicide on or after May 21. The herbicide is being applied for the control of Invasive Eurasian Water Milfoil.
The treatment is being funded by the Bass Lake Conservancy District under an IDNR permit, and according to a news release, there are no restrictions on fish consumption or body contact.
Bass Lake Residents Request Pier Placement at Shewski Road
Several Bass Lake residents got the answer they were seeking at the recent Starke County Commissioners meeting. The residents, who have placed a pier into the water at the end of Shewski Road in the past, petitioned the commissioners to allow them to do so again this year.
One of the sticking points was that the pier would be three feet over the access point in the lake. After several of the residents made points to the commissioners, a motion was made by Commissioner Jennifer Davis to allow the pier to be put in this year, and it will be studied and evaluated before the next season. That motion was approved unanimously as the room rang with applause.
From the WKVI Archives
Knox native Jerry Johnson played in the 1969 NCAA Basketball Final game on this date. His Purdue Boilermakers lost to UCLA 92-72.
Chicago gangster, Diamond Joe Esposito, who owned a cottage at Bass Lake, was shot and killed in a gangland slaying in the Windy City. He had his hand in bootlegging and prostitution. He was killed on this date in 1928.
From the WKVI Archives
It was on this date in 1928 that it was announced that Bass Lake would be the home of the largest and most beautiful Fish Hatchery in Indiana. The Indiana Department of Conservation purchased five acres of land surrounding the present hatchery. The hatchery would then cover ten acres of land.
Medaryville Woman Arrested after Telling Police Fabricated Story
A Medaryville woman was arrested Sunday after telling police of a battery incident that never occurred.
Heather Robbins reportedly told police that she was traveling on County Road 200 North just west of State Road 39 in Pulaski County when she saw red and blue lights behind her at approximately 4:00 a.m. ET. She said that she pulled over to the side of the road and an unknown person pulled her from the vehicle and beat her. She said she lost consciousness and woke up in her car. She returned home to North Judson to visit her family who urged her to go to the hospital.
F.B.I. Arrests Two at Bass Lake
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.
Bass Lake Conservancy District to File Liens Against Past-Due Landowners
The Bass Lake Conservancy District Board has announced its intent to file liens against property owners who owe more than $150 to the district as of September 7th. These liens will not be filed until Executive Director Patti Bush obtains all the necessary legal descriptions of the properties she plans to file for liens against.
From the WKVI Archives
On this date, 83 years ago, it was announced that a new dance pavilion was planned for Bass Lake.
“First, let me tell you the pavilion announcement was being made on this date in 1928,” said Ted Hayes. “Yes, the pavilion was to be added to the current one at the Taggart Hotel. It should be ready for the summer months of 1929. And manager Bogan says Dorothy Bush’s Blue Dog band has already been secured for the opening weekend. And here’s some more exciting news, there are plans to screen in the front porches at the Taggart.”
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