S.T.E.P.S. for Life Walk this Saturday

Posted on Author WKVI
A ribbon cutting ceremony was recently held at the newly opened Bella Vita

The first annual S.T.E.P.S For Life Walk will be held this Saturday at Wythogan Park in Knox to draw attention to and raise money for the Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center. Knox Mayor Rick Chambers will be the Grand Marshal of the walk.

The staff at Bella Vita is attempting to raise funds to keep the Resource Center open more hours per week. Right now they have funding for 18 hours per week until the end of the year. Because of the increased use of the Center, the organizers feel it should be open 40 hours.

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Two Knox Park Board Members Not Eligible to Serve

Posted on Author WKVI
Wythogan Park

Two members of the Knox Park Board are not eligible to serve. According to Knox City Council Attorney, David Matsey, the Ex-Officio members of the Board, Irene Szakonyi and Kurt Snearly, are not members of the Boards that named them to the Park Board.

By definition, an Ex-Officio member of a board is there by virtue of holding another office. The Ex-Officio members of the Park Board were named by the Starke County Library Board and the Knox Community School Board. Since neither are part of those Boards, they are not eligible to serve.

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Thom Morin Comes Before Knox City Council to Request Handicapped Parking Spaces

Posted on Author WKVI
Thom Morin

Thom Morin, who has been before the Knox City Council before to request more handicapped parking spaces, was before them again last week.

Since Mr. Morin has presented a proposed document spelling out ADA rules, the City has added a space on Main Street by the tracks, another on the north end of Main Street near Lake, one in the alley by the Community Center, and two on the east side of the Community Center. The Mayor announced that he is working on one handicapped parking spot by the Courthouse.

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Fireworks Celebration this Saturday at Starke County Airport

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox City Council, Fireworks Committee and Knox Mayor Rick Chambers invites all to this year’s fireworks display at the Starke County Airport this Saturday, July 2nd.

The gates open at 4:00 p.m. and the gate fee is $5.00. There will be numerous food booths and various clubs selling items for fundraisers. A DJ will be playing music up until the fireworks display at dusk. A Cruise-in will be held on the runway. A BMX Bike demonstration is scheduled, along with a HAM Radio and Airplane Club demonstrations.

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City of Knox Fireworks Celebration July 2nd

Posted on Author WKVI

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.”

24-Hour Vigil at Knox VFW Post

Posted on Author WKVI
Nancy Dembowski

Memorial Day Services in the Kankakee Valley began Sunday at the Knox VFW Post 748. The posting of the guard ceremonies began at 12:00 noon. Speakers included Tim Shepherd of the VFW, Dewayne Arndt, representing Congressman Joe Donnelly, State Representative Nancy Dembowski, and Knox Mayor Rick Chambers.

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Knox City Council Discusses Refinancing Knox Community Center Bonds

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council #2
Back Row: Mayor Rick Chambers, Ed Blue, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Greg Matt and Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

The Knox City Council heard a report from Mayor Rick Chambers this week on a proposal to refinance the Knox Community Center bonds.

“John Julien from Umbaugh and Associates called the other day and he had mentioned this to Jeff (Houston) and I about a year ago,” explained Mayor Chambers. “The interest rates are down. The interest rates on our current loan is 5.5% and he thinks interest rates for 2.9% could be had if we put this out for bid. This loan will be paid off in 2019. Over the length of that loan, if we can bond for 2.9%, we would save $55,000. That’s a little misleading because we have $32,000 currently in an escrow account with First Monterey Bank. So, with the expense of redoing that bond and being able to use that $32,000 now, subtract the $32,000 from the $55,000 – over the course of this loan we’d be saving $22,000.”

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Knox Mayor up for Election in City Primary Election

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

It’s two weeks before the Primary Election in Knox. Today, we will begin a series of interviews with candidates running in contested races.

Rick Chambers is completing his first term as Mayor of Knox. The Mayor sat down with us recently to talk about that four year term.

“The first term was very exciting,” he said. “I like dealing with industry. We had industry move into our Industrial Park every year I’ve been Mayor. We added about 80 jobs, we did six tax abatements for industry that either expanded or built new. It was very exciting seeing that Industrial Park grow.”

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Knox City Council Receives One Appraisal on Dean Wells’ Property; State Requires Two

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council (L to R) Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg, Ron Parker, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Mayor Rick Chambers, Attorney David Matsey, Ed Blue and Greg Matt

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers told the Knox City Council this week that the first appraisal on the Dean Wells property across from City Hall has been received.

“It was appraised at $110,000 and where do you want to go from here?” Mayor Chambers asked the Council. “We need two appraisals, that’s required by the State. We can offer the average of the two. I have another appraiser lined up, so if we want to continue with this, we need a motion to obtain a second appraisal.”

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City of Knox Garbage Rates to Increase

Posted on Author WKVI

Last week, Knox Mayor Rick Chambers reminded the City Council members that the cost of garbage pickup in the City would increase on August 1st. The total cost will go up just over $5,000.

“In 2010, it was $206,967.60,” the Mayor told the Council. “On July 31st, it will go up to 212,076.”

The increase per customers is only pennies.

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News from the Knox City Council

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council (L to R) Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg, Ron Parker, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Mayor Rick Chambers, Attorney David Matsey, Ed Blue and Greg Matt

Mayor Rick Chambers told the City Council members this week that the sign at the Community Center has to be replaced. The sign is 12 years old and is obsolete. The control box has quit.

The time clock at City Hall has quit.

“It’s an hour off and there’s no way to adjust it,” said Mayor Chambers. “They want about $300 to come in and fix that. I don’t know how long the time clock has been here. A new one is anywhere between $250 and $900, depending on what you get. We either need to get a new time clock or just do away with the time clock.”

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Knox Snow Removal Budget Stable Despite Heavy Snow Storms

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

It has snowed a lot this year! We asked Knox Mayor, Rick Chambers, if the City’s snow removal budget is in good shape:

“We’re doing excellent with our budget,” replied Mayor Chambers. “We haven’t had to work a lot of overtime. I think this past weekend was the first weekend that our street crew has actually worked overtime. We ran out of sand and my Street Department Superintendent did find a new supply of sand so we’re in good shape.

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Fluoride Levels Could Dilute in Knox’s Water Supply

Posted on Author WKVI

Those old enough to remember the early days of fluoridation of drinking water also remember the controversy it caused. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, many people thought it was a communist plot to undermine public health.
Most public officials that added fluoride to the town or city’s drinking water claimed that it helped prevent tooth decay.

Whatever side you were on, fluoridation continued.

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Outdoor Christmas Decoration Contest Winners Chosen

Posted on Author WKVI

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.

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Knox City Council Approves Knox Industrial Park Name Change

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council #2
Back Row: Mayor Rick Chambers, Ed Blue, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Greg Matt and Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

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.

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