The Knox City Council held a rather brief meeting last night before the end of the year, and discussed a number of items.
Mayor Rick Chambers told the council that he had spoken to the contractor hired by the city regarding the laundromat, and was told the contractor was running behind schedule due to the holidays. However, he did remove a number of items – mainly washers and dryers – and took them to an auction in an effort to find a buyer.
Governor Mitch Daniels has made some appointments to several boards and commissions.
One reappointment Daniels made was to the State Board of Health Facility Administration. Daniels reappointed Jennifer Gappa of Knox who will serve on the board that issues licenses to qualified persons as health facility administrators and establishes qualification criteria for them as well. The board adopts rules establishing standards for the competent practice of a health facility administrator and may suspend, deny or revoke licenses for violations of those standards.
Gappa’s term expires in 2015.
The Starke County Tri Kappa organization recently donated sweatshirts and sweatpants to the Emergency Department of Indiana University Health Starke Hospital.
The donations will be used by sexual assault victims.
Often times, clothing is taken from the victims of sexual assaults for evidence purposes for a police investigation and the victims are left without clothes to wear when released from the hospital. Nikkole Frazier, an ER nurse and sexual assault nursing examiner, usually helps police gather evidence and was happy to see the donation.
Anyone who wishes to dispose of their natural Christmas tree may do so by placing the tree near the curb where they would normally put any brush during the summer months. Officials emphasized that all ornaments and tinsel must be removed before the tree will be taken for disposal.
In addition, residents can also dispose of their tree in the city’s compost drop-off pile located behind City Hall. The garbage contractors will not pick up disposed natural Christmas trees – these must be picked up by the brush pickup crews or dropped off at the compost drop-off pile.
During their meeting this week, the Knox Community School Board took time to discuss the Newtown, Conn. elementary school shooting and safety procedures at the corporation.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa explained that the state is highly regarded in it school safety initiatives.
The Knox Community School Corporation will be implementing a new system to better keep parents and patrons aware of upcoming events or other important news concerning the corporation.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the School Messenger ties into the PowerSchool database.
The Knox Community School Board honored Board President Harold Welter and fellow board member Nathan Marcum Monday as they attended their last board meeting as members Monday night. Superintendent A.J. Gappa presented the pair with engraved clocks as a momentum of their time served on the board. Welter also received a plaque for serving as the Board’s President. Welter and Marcum were not re-elected to their positions in the November General Election.
A Knox man died Sunday while cutting down trees.
Starke County Coroner Kris Rannells confirmed that John A. Nolen, Sr. was cutting down trees with his nephew Sunday afternoon when a tree fell on him and trapped him underneath it. Nolen was attempting to guide the tree with a rope as his nephew cut the trunk when it fell.
Starke County Emergency Medical Services and responders from the Bass Lake Fire Department arrived at the scene at an area east of Starke County on 400 South, but Nolen had already died of his injuries. The Starke County Sheriff’s Department and the Starke County Coroner conducted an investigation and Coroner Rannells found that 69-year-old John Nolen, Sr. died instantly at the scene of blunt force trauma.
WKVI’s Harold Welter and Nathan Welter took their Saturday Sportsline Show to the Knox McDonald’s this weekend. Coaches Dan Huizenga, Chris McGowen, Terry Minix, Kyle Elliott and Rick Budka discussed their week in basketball in both boys and girls action.
Where will they go next? Continue reading
The familiar words, “Dear Santa,” will soon be written by nearly one thousand elementary students at Knox Elementary School as the Parent-Teacher Organization turns hundreds of letters into donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
PTO member Tammy Taulbee said the elementary school students will each write a letter to Santa that will be dropped off at Macy’s as part of their “Believe” holiday campaign. For each letter addressed to Santa that Macy’s receives, they will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Taulbee said the PTO received information about the campaign and thought it would be a great class project with an even better message.
The Knox City Council this week tabled an ordinance because of some confusion over how to proceed with approving it. The council had previously discussed the ordinance, which provides deadlines that outdoor seasonal displays must be removed and provides a fee for allowing them, but an issue arose. Mayor Rick Chambers explained the ordinance had to be revised because it did not provide actual dates before which seasonal displays must be taken down.
Two Knox residents were arrested after the driver of a vehicle refused to pull over. On the afternoon of Dec. 7, a city police officer noticed a vehicle traveling westboud on John Street and recognized the passenger in the vehicle as Elliot Earnest, a man with an active arrest warrant.
When the officer turned his vehicle around and turned on his emergency lights, he reportedly noticed the driver look in his side mirror and and speed up. Even when the officer activated his siren, the driver refused to stop and continued to accelerate.
Discussion regarding what to do with the Knox Police Department’s K9 Marco continued last night as Police Chief Clint Norem told the city council that a dog handler valued the animal at $0. Norem explained he took the animal to a dog handler with the Hobart Police Department to try to get an idea of the dog’s value so the city could decide whether or not selling the dog was an option.
Corporal Simon Gresser of the Hobart Police Department wrote a letter to the council explaining that Marco, the four-year-old K9, doesn’t have any resale value. This is due in part to his age and medical issues, as the dog was previously diagnosed with lyme disease. The condition can often cause stiff joints and kidney failures, which would hinder the dog’s ability to work.
Knox police officers arrested Samuel Singleton after he allegedly sold items stolen from a home in Knox to the pawn shop.
On the afternoon of Dec. 6, a woman called police to report her home had been broken into while she was at school, and the perpetrator stole her television and laptop computer. The victim told police that Samuel Singleton knew where the items were.
A cooperative effort between the Knox Community School Corporation and the Kiwanis Club of Knox is seeking to assist those in need this holiday season.
Knox High School Assistant Principal Michael Bendicsen said that the corporation has for more than 20 years performed a food drive in an effort to collect nonperishable food items. Lately, he said, the food drive has also been receiving toys – something Bendicsen said was unexpected but certainly pleasant.
A Knox man was arrested Wednesday after an alleged theft incident.
William Duncan told police that gasoline had been stolen out of his truck that was parked in his driveway. He listed a possible suspect and police began their investigation.
Police went to the suspect, Matthew Bradley’s, residence and questioned him about the theft. He denied any involvement. The reporting officer found that Bradley’s shoes matched the shoe prints found at the scene, and Bradley allegedly told police that someone else stole the gas, but when he was asked about what he did with the gas, he said he put in in Sarah Drabik’s car. He was detained by police.
After hitting up competitions in about 30 states over the course of two years, professional bodybuilder Eric Keen is settling down – but that doesn’t mean he’s getting out of the sport entirely. Keen, who suffers from cerebral palsy which has affected the use of his legs, said he stopped doing competitions as of October to focus on his business ventures.
Enter Keen Performance in Knox, a business that Keen came up with as a way to help fellow professional bodybuilders who wish to compete but face difficulties with the finances. The shop, which offers a variety of fitness supplements, jerseys, t-shirts, and a plethora of other items as well, will donate a portion of the profits to help professional bodybuilders compete.
A 43-year-old Starke County man has been sentenced after being found guilty on three counts of Child Molesting as a Class A felony.
Special Judge John M. Marnocha from St. Joseph Superior Court sentenced Steven L. O’Bryant in Starke Circuit Court yesterday to serve 150 years in prison. O’Bryant was found guilty of the charges after a jury trial in his case in early November. A dozen witnesses were called to the stand, including ten from the state and two from the defense. The jury took less than two hours to find that he was guilty of molesting a juvenile while he stayed at that juvenile’s Starke County residence over the course of two months from March 30 to May 30.
Knox residents may have noticed a construction team working on the old movie theater building on Main Street, but don’t worry – that building isn’t being torn down yet.
Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charles Weaver told WKVI that a well-known Kokomo company has expressed interest in removing salvageable items from within the building at 4 N. Main Street, which was once home to a movie theater as well as the SCEDF office.
The Knox Community School Board recognized a few eighth grade students during their meeting this week for their experiences at the Reality Store. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said Mrs. Ciboch, instructor of Family and Consumer Sciences at the middle school, brought in the students to make the report to the board.
