Lincoln Day Dinner Celebrates American Dream

Posted on Author WKVI
Diego Morales, special assistant to Gov. Pence (keynote speaker), Sen. Ed Charbonneau, new State GOP Chairman Jeff Cardwell (making his first appearance since being named), Brenda Stanojevic (County Chair), Rep. Tom Dermody, Rep. Doug Gutwein, Greg Wireman (winner of the Chairman's Award for 2015)
Diego Morales, special assistant to Gov. Pence, Sen. Ed Charbonneau, new State GOP Chairman Jeff Cardwell, County Chair Brenda Stanojevic  Rep. Tom Dermody, Rep. Doug Gutwein and 2015 Chairman’s Award winner Greg Wireman.

“The American dream is still alive and well” was one of the several the messages which brought loud rounds of applause from attendees of the 2015 Starke County Republican Lincoln Day dinner at Bass Lake Saturday evening. Speaking was Diego Morales, a Guatemala native, who is the the Director of Community Affairs for the Indiana Governor’s office. He added, to be successful, it was important for him to learn the English language, adopt  American culture and to take advantage of the nation’s education system.

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Starke County Voters Choose Dulin and Bope

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Voters in Starke County have selected the Democratic and Republican Party nominees for sheriff. Bill Dulin got the most votes of any candidate on the ballot, beating fellow Democrat Harold Smith by nearly 1,000 votes, according to unofficial totals.

“We’ve got a lot of momentum going in. We’re going to take a couple months off and regather our thoughts and hit it again come November,” Dulin said.

Smith got 850 votes to Dulin’s 1,840 and admits he’s disappointed. “We tried. Like I said, the final results came in, and it is what it is,” he told WKVI news.

On the Republican side, Bill Bope beat Greg Wireman by a margin of 646 to 381 and said he’s excited about the Nov. 4 General Election. Continue reading →

Republican Sheriff’s Candidate Named to Indiana Leadership Forum

Posted on Author WKVI
Greg wireman
Greg Wireman

A Starke County Sheriff’s Candidate is among 25 statewide applicants selected to the Indiana Leadership Forum this year. Greg Wireman is the first Republican from Starke County named to the forum since it began in 1993. It’s a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to preparing Indiana’s most talented community leaders for various political leadership and public service roles throughout the state. Applicants must have a track record of leadership skills, self-motivation, professional achievement and exemplary character and demonstrate a strong potential for future success along with a willingness to be more actively engaged in the community. A six-member selection committee evaluated all applicants based on these criteria, and the finalists underwent oral interviews.

“The Judicial Process Worked,” Says Wireman

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
After being exonerated of the charges against him, Starke County sheriff’s candidate Greg Wireman told WKVI that he knew all along it was a big misunderstanding and the charges would ultimately be dropped. Wireman was accused of impersonating a corrections officer in February at his aunt’s rural Starke County home after she called him because three door-to-door vacuum cleaner salespeople were being very pushy and wouldn’t leave her house. They claim Wireman detained them and told them he was a corrections officer.

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Charges Dropped Against Greg Wireman

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
Charges have been dropped against the Starke County sheriff’s candidate who was accused of impersonating a corrections officer in February. Greg Wireman was due to be in Pulaski Superior Court this morning, but the hearing did not take place. Rather, Wireman’s attorney filed a Memorandum in Support of Motion to Dismiss in which he explained Wireman was, in fact, a corrections officer at the time he was accused of impersonating one.

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Wireman Set to Appear in Pulaski Superior Court

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Starke County sheriff’s candidate who is charged with impersonating a corrections officer is due back in Pulaski Superior Court this morning. Greg Wireman’s next appearance before Judge Patrick Blankenship is scheduled at 11:15 a.m. EDT. He entered a plea of not guilty during his initial appearance last month, and his attorney has filed a motion to dismiss all charges filed by Pulaski County Prosecutor Stacey Mrak after Starke County officials recused themselves. They stem from a Feb. 15 incident at Wireman’s aunt’s rural Starke County home. She called him because three door-to-door vacuum cleaner salespeople were being very pushy and wouldn’t leave her house. They claim Wireman detained them and told them he was a corrections officer.

Wireman Pleads Not Guilty During Initial Court Appearance

Posted on Author WKVI

 

 
 

The Starke County sheriff’s candidate who is charged with impersonating a corrections officer made his initial court appearance this morning in Pulaski County. Greg Wireman entered a not guilty plea to the charge, which was filed by Pulaski County Prosecutor Stacey Mrak after Starke County officials recused themselves. It stems from a February incident at Wireman’s aunt’s rural Starke County home. She called him because three door-to-door vacuum cleaner salespeople were being very pushy and wouldn’t leave her house. They claim Wireman detained them and claimed he was a corrections officer. Wireman’s next appearance before Pulaski Superior Court Judge Patrick Blankenship is Aug. 15. His attorney has filed a motion to dismiss all charges.

Kirby Spokeswoman Responds to WKVI Inquiry

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A spokeswoman for the Kirby Company tells WKVI news the company conducts background checks on all of its independent distributors prior to authorizing them to sell the company’s products. However,
“since distributors of Kirby products are independently owned and operated businesses, the background checks run on their salespeople or ‘dealers’ are done by the distributors themselves. Distributors of Kirby products sign contracts, which require them to conduct background checks on all of their dealers entering consumers’ homes for purposes of demonstrating and/or selling Kirby home cleaning systems. Once a year, the distributors sign certifications that they are running background checks on all members of their sales force.”

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Sheriff’s Candidate Faces Charge of Impersonating a Public Servant

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A North Judson man who hopes to become Starke County’s next sheriff faces a felony charge of impersonation of a public servant. The charge against Gregory R. Wireman, 38, stems from a Feb. 15 incident on CR 200 S. east of SR 39. Court documents indicate Wireman detained a woman and two men in a white van with a Michigan registration who were going door to door in the area claiming to be selling vacuum cleaners and other cleaning supplies. Wireman says several residents called 911 but officers were unable to respond, so his aunt, Donna Wheeler, phoned him for help. Wireman reportedly blocked the van in the driveway at the Wheeler’s home, took the three salespeople’s driver’s licenses and refused to let them leave. They claim Wireman told them he was a corrections officer but did not have his badge with him. Court documents indicate he admitted searching the two male salesmen prior to the arrival of Deputy James Upsall from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office. According to the incident report, Upsall turned the case over to Starke County Deputy Kelly Fisher due to a conflict of interest stemming from his plans to also run for sheriff. He also gave the salespeople the address of the Starke County Sheriff’s Office so they could file a formal complaint against Wireman.

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Kirby Dealer Confirms Vacuum Cleaner Salespeople Were Independent Contractors

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A representative of a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Kirby Vacuum Cleaner dealer confirms that the three people in the white van who were attempting to sell products door-to-door in Starke County back in February all worked for his company at the time. Alexandria Marie Cortese, 23, and Collin Joel Paul, 23, are still employed by Cezo, Inc. in Grand Rapids. Craig F. Randle, 27, worked for the company at the time but left a few months ago. The three filed complaints against Greg Wireman of North Judson, who is running for Starke County Sheriff, claiming that he told them he was a corrections officer. Wireman now faces a D felony charge and has been summoned to appear in court next month.

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Walorski Gives Update on Congress at Republican Lincoln Day Dinner

Posted on Author WKVI
Congresswoman Jackie Walorski spoke to the crowd of more than 100 people of Congress activities.
Congresswoman Jackie Walorski spoke to the crowd of more than 100 people of Congress activities.

A crowd packed into the Bass Lake Property Owner’s Association building, filling up the seats and taking up every space available in the parking lot to attend the Starke County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner. With a number of prominent community members in attendance, including government representatives at the county, state, and federal levels, including Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, those in attendance got a solid idea of what is happening legislatively.

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