The annual Christmas decoration contest in the City of Knox will be held on Monday, December 19th and judging will be from 6:00-9:00 p.m. CT.
Any homeowner wishing to have their decorations judged must have the lights turned on during the judging hours. The first place winner will receive $100, second place $50 and third place will get $25.
Winners will be announced on WKVI.
The storm water project has started in the City of Knox. The total cost of the project is just over $1 million. The city is contributing $166,005 toward the project from the City’s EDIT fund, while the rest of the cost comes in the form of a Community Development Block Grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Today is the deadline to submit applications for the Indiana Department of Housing and Community Development Authority grant for an owner-occupied rehabilitation grant. The grant is open to Knox residents.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers said that he hopes to partner with the Housing and Community Development Authority to help six to ten low-income or elderly homeowners in this project with home repairs. These repairs may include energy efficiency, accessibility and safety. If you are interested and believe you may qualify, call the Mayor’s Office at 772-4553.
A suit that took almost four years to wind its way through the court system was dismissed this week in Starke Circuit Court. Dennis Fornelli had brought suit against the City of Knox and the Knox City Police Department for wrongful discharge of duty from the police force in 2006.
The suit was dismissed on Monday, November 21st. It was originally filed on December 31st, of 2007.
The man who initiated the talks on revitalizing downtown Knox was at last week’s Knox City Council meeting to listen to a plan of action to get the ball rolling. Gene Blastic was given the assignment to gauge interest from city officials and business owners in putting together a comprehensive plan that would address the deficiencies in the downtown area.
One of those deficiencies is the Starke County Economic Development building at the corner of Lake and Main Streets. The Foundation is considering plans to remodel or raze the century-old building at 2 North Main Street. Remodeling the building could cost in the range of $350,000 and that might not be in the best interest for the organization.
Knox City and Starke County officials put their heads together this week to see if they could come up with making the Knox City Court solvent. The court, which handles judicial matters from throughout the city and county, is running close to $100,000 in the red. Officials and others gathered for a work session Tuesday night before the regular Knox City Council meeting.
Fireworks season has started and you are to be reminded of the fireworks law within city limits. The use, discharge or ignition of consumer fireworks by any person or other entity is prohibited in the corporate limits of the City of Knox, Town of North Judson and the Town of Hamlet, except during the following periods: Between the hours of 5pm and two hours after sunset on June 29th and 30th, July 1st-3rd, and July 5th-9th; between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and midnight on July 4th; and between the hours of 10:00 a.m. on December 31st and 1:00 a.m. on January 1st.
The City of Knox Fireworks celebration is scheduled for Saturday, July 2nd at the Starke County Airport. Mayor Rick Chambers said the gate will open at 4:00 p.m. so you can take advantage of all the pre-fireworks activities.
“Besides the many food booths, we’ll also have a remote control model airplane club putting on a demonstration all afternoon,” previewed Mayor Chambers. “We will have some ramps set up for a BMX bike riding display and we will have the local Ham Radio Club set up and putting on a demonstration. The Fire Department is sponsoring a car cruise-in and for an additional $5.00 you can cruise down the runway at the airport behind the fire trucks. The best part is that the entry fee for all of this is still $5.00 a carload.”
Thomas H. Morin, of Knox, filed his candidacy in the Starke County Clerk’s office last week. He is running as a Republican and will face Democrat Don Kring for a City Council seat. Both are running for the seat now occupied by Ed Blue who has decided not to run for another term.
“Now that we have a race going in Center One between Mr. Morin and Donald Kring, there will definitely be a General Election,” said Starke County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski. “The Election Board, the poll workers and the Absentee Board will all be in here in the Fall to have an election.”
The Annual National Day of Prayer Service was held yesterday morning at the Knox Community Center. Sponsored by the City of Knox, and Love Inc., over 200 people attended and heard an address by Pastor James Adcock of the Bible Baptist Church.
“The World Day of Prayer is a day of reflection of where our nation is, was and where it’s going,” said Pastor Adcock. “Everything in our nation has come as a result of prayer, from George Washington to our current President, Barack Obama. Everything happens as a result of prayer and I think this is the day we reflect on that.”
Knox City Democrats went to the polls yesterday and re-elected Mayor Rick Chambers, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, and City Councilman Ron Parker in the contested races.
Chambers defeated challenger Mark Smith 401-288 in the mayoral race, and at party headquarters, he thanked his supporters.
“It’s been an exciting four years and I’m just humbled by the public coming out and voting and supporting me,” said Chambers. “We’re here to support the public. I’ve got to thank my family. My Mother-in-Law, my kids, everybody else that helped me, and the City workers who have made me look good for the past four years. We’ve got to thank them.”
It’s Primary Election Day! Voters in precincts 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Center Township in Knox are encouraged to vote today and all voting will be done at the Knox Community Center. Polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Starke County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski, received 182 absentee ballots in her office. 123 walk-in ballots, 37 ballots by mail and 22 Travel Board were received. Of those votes 163 were Democratic ballots and 19 were Republican ballots.
The Knox City Council recently approved the street paving schedule for this summer.
“We do have some intersections that we’re going to take care of that are in really bad shape. We’re still able to pave up to a half of a mile of streets. We used to be able to pave one mile and now we’re down to a half of a mile with the same budget,” explained Street Superintendent, Jeff Borg.
Some residents around the edges of Knox seem to be confused about if they are eligible to vote in the 2011 City Election, since campaign posters are appearing all over the County, well beyond the city limits. County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski, says potential voters should have been notified by mail.
“We sent out 2,855 letters to all the registered voters in Centers 1, 2, 3, and 4,” said Skronski. “Some of them came back to us as ‘unknown’ so some of the voters may not have gotten a notice. Those that we could relocate, we sent out letters. There are jagged precinct lines throughout these four precincts so the best thing to do is call the Clerk’s Office at 772-9160 and see what precinct you are in.”
Voters in all 4 Knox precincts will cast their primary ballots in the downtown Knox Community Center.
With just a few days left before the spring Primary Election in Knox, the candidates are out trying to get their message across to the voters.
Ron Parker is a Democrat City Councilman, and he stopped by WKVI recently to talk about his campaign. Parker first talked about the accomplishments of the Council.
“One of the things that we have seen is improvements in our Knox Industrial Park,” stated Parker. “With Charlie Weaver from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, we’ve seen some major moves there and we’re going to see another major move and that is J.W. Hicks. They’re going to move their Corporate Headquarters here. That’s a big deal.”
We’re less than two weeks away from the 2011 Primary Election, and we’re talking to the candidates running for office in the City of Knox Election.
Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston is in his 5th year in the position. We asked Houston what he enjoys about the job.
“I enjoy working with people, and I enjoy planning for the future with the City,” said Houston. “Right now we’re working on a number of different projects including the new J.W. Hicks project. We’re working with different grants – we’re working in the park right now with a five year grant. I like interacting with the different people in the City and with utility customers. All in all, I enjoy the job altogether.”
The City of Knox will be participating in the residential and business sidewalk replacement program again this year and residents and business owners are encouraged to get in their applications as soon as possible.
The City will pay 50% of the cost of material and labor for sidewalk replacement on a first come, first served basis and as monies are available to support the program. The Street Superintendent will measure and inspect the request and approve or disapprove the work order. After a bid is awarded to a contractor, the property owner will be notified of the cost and must pay 50% to the City before construction can begin. If not, the project will be placed on the bottom of the work schedule.
Applications may be picked up at City Hall and they must be dated and received by Thursday, April 21st.
In a new law that began January 1st, 2011, Indiana households, public schools, and small businesses are no longer able to mix unwanted computer monitors, computers, televisions, printers, computer keyboards or mice, DVD players, video cassette recorders or fax machines with municipal waster that is intended for disposal at a landfill.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers would like to remind residents that it’s time to renew or purchase dog tags for the year. There is an ordinance in effect that requires all dogs within the City of Knox to have a dog tag. This ordinance will be enforced regularly as the new year progresses.
The City of Knox was recently awarded a $837,095 grant for a storm drainage project. The project will include new storm drainage on Portland Street, John Street, Prettyman Street, East Street, and New York Street. With the City’s match of $166,000, the entire project will cost approximately $1,003,100.
