BP Releases List of Sites Affected By Tainted Fuel

Posted on Author WKVI

BP has released a searchable database containing a list of the gasoline retail sites that sold off-specification gasoline. BP says this gasoline has been associated with problems related to the alkylation unit at their refinery in Whiting.

BP officials say that once these locations were identified, each retail site was instructed to immediately stop selling the tainted fuel and to properly clean out their tanks and dispose of the material. They say the problem at the Whiting refinery has been fixed, and they are now only supplying terminals with gasoline that meet their “rigorous quality standards.”

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Several School Board Races To Appear On Nov. 6 Ballot

Posted on Author WKVI

Several school board races have surfaced since the Friday filing deadline in the Starke County Clerk’s Office.

For Knox Community Schools, voters will select three members from a ballot of eight candidates for Center Township Seats 2, 3, and 4. Those candidates include incumbent members William Kirk Bennett, Gerald (Jerry) Fletcher and Harold A. Welter, and candidates Dawn M. Bailey, Jeffrey B. Fosler, Wendy McIntire, Larry D. Sennert and Valarie Williams. Incumbent Nathan Marcum and challenger Kurt A. Kemble have filed for the California-Washington Township seat.

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Town of Culver Discusses Drilling of New Well

Posted on Author WKVI

In light of this year’s worsening drought, the town of Culver is looking into the possibility of drilling an extra well for the town’s water supply.

According to Town Manager David Schoeff, the town board had discussed the idea a while ago and had a study done regarding the project, but nothing had come of it. Since then, some comments had been made at the last board meeting that some residents thought the board should look into the idea once again because of the dry weather.

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Culver Town Council To Hold Budget Work Session

Posted on Author WKVI

The Culver Town Council has announced that it will meet for a budget work session today at 3 p.m. to discuss several budgets.

According to Town Manager David Schoeff, the council has been busy with a number of projects, and reviewing the budgets is one such project. While they’ve had their hands full with their budget reviews, Schoeff says the town is also still working on updating their comprehensive plan. He says the council is hoping to submit a request for proposals for the plan soon. The current plan is nearly 20 years old, and Schoeff says it’s time to reevaluate Culver, and plan ahead for the next 20 years.

The council will meet to discuss the Local Roads and Streets, Cumulative Capital Development, and Tree Commission budgets, as well as the Park and Clerk Budget. The meeting will take place at the Culver Town Hall, located at 200 E. Washington St. in Culver.

School Year Approaching – Drive Safe!

Posted on Author WKVI

The school year begins for most students in our area on Tuesday, so be aware that student traffic will be picking up as they begin walking or biking to school.

The afternoon hours are particularly dangerous for children who walk from school. Drivers are asked to slow down around schools and watch carefully for kids who may emerge suddenly from between two parked cars. Children riding bicycles are often inexperienced, unsteady, and unpredictable, so be sure to slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle.

If your child drives to school, remind them of these safety tips as they navigate to school. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. and more than one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occur during the after school hours of 3–7 p.m.

Work Sessions Planned For Culver Town Council

Posted on Author WKVI

A number of work sessions will be conducted by the Culver Town Council next week.

On Monday, Aug. 6, the council will meet to review budgets for the police department, clerk’s department, and motor vehicle highway. This meeting will take place at 3:30 p.m. in the Culver Town Hall. The council will also meet on Aug. 7 at 3:30 p.m. to review budgets for the fire department, EMS, and park department.

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Maxinkuckee Players To Wrap Up Show This Weekend

Posted on Author WKVI

Four performances down, two to go – the Maxinkuckee Players will wrap up their live performances of Crazy For You this weekend in the Culver High School auditorium. The musical production, featuring a lot of George Gershwin music, is a romantic comedy musical set in the 1930s.

According to Players member Gregg Underwood, the production also features something unique: open-curtain scene changes. He says between scenes, the props and scenes are changed around in full view of the audience, fully choreographed as much as the production itself.

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Culver Announces Decline In Middle School ISTEP Scores

Posted on Author WKVI
Culver Community School Superintendent, Brad Schuldt

Culver Schools Superintendent Brad Schuldt says their ISTEP results are in, bringing some good and bad news. He says the elementary school grades three through six had the largest gains in scores of any of the 13 middle and elementary schools in Marshall County, and more than 80 percent of the students passed.

Schuldt said that for four consecutive years, the elementary school has increased scores in every category, and a vast majority of students passed both math and language arts sections.

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Maxinkuckee Players Gearing Up For Opening Night

Posted on Author WKVI

The Maxinkuckee Players will be taking on one of their biggest challenges yet as they prepare for their opening night of Crazy For You at Culver High School. Three of the Players were in the WKVI studios yesterday to talk about the musical play, and Gregg Underwood – who will be playing Bobby Child and Bela Zangler in the play – says it’s a tough show, but they’re ready.

“This is probably one of the biggest challenges that the Players have taken on,” said Underwood. “Lot of choreography, lot of dancing, and we were able to recruit some really talented younger individuals this year that have just stepped up to the plate and are just knocking it out of the park.”

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Culver School Board Hires Several Teachers

Posted on Author WKVI
Culver Community School Board
Culver Community School Board Members (from left, clockwise): Jack Jones, Ryan Seiber, Marilyn Swanson, Brad Schuldt, Eugene Baker, Jim Wentzel, Ed Behnke, Ken VanDePutte

The Culver School Board last week approved several new hires at the elementary school and high school. Superintendent Brad Schuldt says Erin Proskey has been hired as the new elementary school assistant principal. Proskey previously taught at Knox, but comes to Culver after holding an assistant principal position at Tippecanoe Valley.

A new social studies and special education teacher has also been hired. Gina Hierlmeier will fill both teaching positions and will also serve as the girls’ varsity basketball coach. Christina Wright has also been given a position at the school as English teacher, and Jeff Allen will be the new assistant technology director.

The board also adopted the elementary and middle schools’ new handbooks, and Schuldt says that while there are a number of modifications, not many of them are major. He says the new handbook is available at their website at http://www.culver.k12.in.us. The board also approved the upcoming school year’s lunch prices. Schuldt says lunch will cost $2.55 at the middle and high schools, and the cost for lunch at the elementary school will be $2.45.

Extreme Temperatures Prompt Communities To Establish Cooling Centers

Posted on Author WKVI

With record-breaking highs yesterday, many communities in the area established cooling centers to provide citizens with a place to cool off. Visitors to the Starke County 4-H Fair had to tolerate high 90-degree temperatures that felt hotter than 101 degrees with the humidity.

Fortunately, IU Health Starke Hospital put its Health Mobile to good use providing visitors with a place to go to get out of the sweltering heat and take a break. Hospital Interim President David Hyatt said the Health Mobile will help stave off heat exhaustion for fair-goers.

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Cooling Stations Open in Culver

Posted on Author WKVI

The Town of Culver welcomes you to cool off at two designated cooling stations. You may stop in at Town Hall on 200 E. Washington Street or at the Beach Lodge on Lake Shore Drive. Those locations will be open Tuesday, July 17 through Thursday, July 19 during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Town Hall at (574) 842-3140.

Culver Man Arrested After Providing False Identity

Posted on Author WKVI

A Culver man was arrested early Friday morning after a traffic stop.

Plymouth police pulled over a vehicle driven by 21-year-old Tyler Byers, of Culver, and when police asked him his name, he gave the officer a false name. When police correctly identified Byers, they found he had two outstanding warrants for his arrest.

Byers was arrested on the two arrest warrants and a preliminary charge of False Informing.

Police Investigating Break-In At Culver Military Academy

Posted on Author WKVI

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a break-in at Culver Military Academy.

When police arrived in the area of Sycamore Road and 17th Road, which is on the property of Culver Military Academy, it was learned that several buildings were broken into in the late afternoon on July 6 into the early morning hours on Saturday, July 7. Items were taken from those buildings including Echo and Stihl power tools. Several of the buildings were forced open to gain entry and items were damaged inside one of the structures.

If you have any information about this incident, call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department at (574) 936-3187.

Culver Town Manager David Schoeff Busy With Numerous Projects

Posted on Author WKVI

Recently-hired Culver Town Manager David Schoeff already has his work cut out for him, as the Town of Culver has a number of projects currently underway. Schoeff says one very important thing they are working on is a comprehensive plan project, which he says highlights some of the best aspects of the town.

“We want to redo the comprehensive plan, which obviously is a guidance document on how the community sees the town growing and prospering and so on,” Schoeff explained. “So that’s one thing, and with a town like Culver, this community has a lot of various assets that we need to identify. From an outsider looking in, it’s easy for me to see them, but for someone that may reside here for a long period of time, it kind of gets lost in the shuffle.”

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Culver Still Cleaning Up Storm Aftermath

Posted on Author WKVI
Culver Town Council Members Ed Pinder, Ralph Winters, Ginny Bess, Sally Ricciardi
Culver Town Council Members (from left to right) Ed Pinder, Ralph Winters, Ginny Bess, Sally Ricciardi

Culver Clerk-Treasurer Karen Heim says the town has been busy cleaning up the remaining debris from last weekend’s series of storms. Many people lost power in the town through Saturday, and some residents were even without power until Sunday. Heim says the street department has been dealing with a large number of downed trees and limbs, but they are working their way through town cleaning up brush and debris.

Heim says that the storm caused a bit of damage to properties in the town. Some homes were damaged, a porch was reportedly destroyed, and a limb fell through a home. Several cars were damaged by falling branches and other debris, and at least one pool was taken out by the storm.

On a positive note, construction for the Safe Routes to School project is still underway, and crews are currently replacing sidewalks down School Street. Heim says that they have been working on the project since the beginning of June.

Culver Man Arrested For Being Under the Influence of Drugs

Posted on Author WKVI

Officers from the Plymouth Police Department arrested a Culver man after he was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

On Monday, a resident called to report that a suspicious man was staggering in the parking lot at 881 Broadway Street. When officers arrived, they found Dominic Sheets and he was incoherent. He was taken to the Plymouth Police Department to get out of the heat and his condition worsened. EMS was called to the scene and Sheets was transported to the hospital. A drug screening was conducted and it was found that he had several different drugs in his system.

He was arrested on preliminary charges of Public Intoxication with a Controlled Substance in the Body.

Culver EMS Steps Up Volunteer Recruiting Efforts

Posted on Author WKVI

Culver EMS Director Chuck Dilts told the town board this week that his department has been working through various means to get more volunteers, and their efforts have paid off. He says they’ve had several inquiries as a result of their increased effort, and an EMT course began Monday with a dozen students.

Culver EMS has sponsored several of the students, but Dilts requested permission to spend $4000 to sponsor the eight remaining EMTs enrolled in the class. He says that, in return, the students would sign a one-year agreement to serve as a volunteer. Funds for the sponsorship would come from his budget.

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New Culver Town Manager Gets Right To It

Posted on Author WKVI
Culver Town Council Members Ed Pinder, Ralph Winters, Ginny Bess, Sally Ricciardi
Culver Town Council Members (from left to right) Ed Pinder, Ralph Winters, Ginny Bess, Sally Ricciardi

After newly-hired Culver Town Manager David Schoeff introduced himself to the community this week at the meeting of the town council, and thanked the community for its warm welcome, he got right to business.

Schoeff told the council that he had a meeting scheduled with the local OCRA representative, Gerry White, at 1 p.m. on Wednesday this week to discuss any outstanding projects, and to get an idea of what areas can be improved by future projects. Utilities Superintendent Bob Porter and Clerk-Treasurer Karen also attended this meeting.

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