The Knox Community School Board held a Project and Preliminary Determination Hearing Monday night prior to the regularly scheduled meeting.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa explained the need for the project construction. He said the Palmer Wing is 60 years old and is deteriorating. The structure needs to provide an adequate educational setting for the students and infrastructure to make that possible.
A Knox man was arrested Monday after he was reportedly in possession of narcotics.
An officer with the Knox City Police Department was called to the SuperValue Inn after a call came in about a battery. The alleged victim, who later told police that a battery did not occur, told police that the suspect, Eric Wireman, had ran from the scene toward Smith Farm Store.
A new adult day services business has opened in the Knox area.
A+ HomeMakers Services’ goal, according to President Scott Bradshaw, is to provide services to the elderly, including home health care, and those who need aide to keep them at home for as long as possible so a prolonged stay at a nursing home is not needed.
A 19-year-old Knox man was arrested Saturday after police found approximately 12 grams of suspected heroin in his possession.
An officer from the Knox City Police Department pulled over a vehicle driven by Matthew Norem in the area of Lake Street and Main Street as the vehicle’s exhaust was too loud and the registration returned expired.
A Knox woman was arrested Sunday after Knox police found her with an alleged active methamphetamine lab in her vehicle.
A Knox City Police officer saw a vehicle traveling northbound on 500 East from State Road 8 and it went off the road. Shortly before approaching the intersection with Corey Drive, the vehicle’s turn signal activated and turned onto the road. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle.
The Knox Community School Board will have a project hearing and a preliminary determination hearing regarding the elementary school project tonight at 6:30 p.m. CT in the Administration Office. During this hearing, public comments will be heard.
The board will be discussing a possible referendum for an elementary school building project during that meeting.
Knox Middle School students took donations for Hurricane Sandy victims at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox yesterday morning.
Two pickup loads of items ranging from shampoo, diapers, blankets and other hygiene items were collected and will be sent to those in need.
The MPI Corporation has been sold. Headquartered in Michigan, and with a factory in Knox and three others in the country, MPI is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of automatic transmission products, supplying automotive original equipment manufacturers with clutch plates, separator plates, and backing plates.
A New York private equity fund focused on value investing and business improvement has acquired the assets of MPI from Revstone Industries, LLC. Mark Mitchell, the CEO of MPI, stated in a press release that Monomoy Capital Partners will provide MPI with the necessary resources and capital to expand and improve operations.
The Knox City Council this week realized they will need to make some changes to their water services policy, as it was brought to the attention of the council that the city sends, on average, 200 water disconnect notices per month. Tack on a cost of more than $5 for each certified letter, and that adds up to an expense of more than $1000 per month to remind customers to pay their bills.
The Knox City Council this week discussed a steel wall near the wastewater plant that has been suffering from corrosion. Mayor Rick Chambers explained that a steel building near the area where sewage is brought in has been affected by wastewater splashing on it, causing the wall to rust.
He said that, as a result, the wall is now deteriorating and letting weather get into the area. Fortunately, this wall is not structural, but is only used to keep weather out from the sewage area.
The Knox Community School Board graciously accepted a donation of memorabilia from the family of a Knox High School student who was killed in action in the Vietnam War. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the presentation was done during the Spotlight on Success portion of the meeting last week.
“Mr. Bendicsen, the Assistant Principal at the high school, brought in some recent donations from Anne Howes, the sister-in-law of Andy Howes. Andy Howes was a 1968 graduate of Knox High School and he was missing in action in Vietnam. It was recently determined that Howes died in Vietnam. His remains were brought to the states just last year. They found a picture of Andy in uniform and had it framed. Also, a pencil sketching of his name on the Vietnam Wall Memorial in Washington, D.C. and proclamations from the City of Knox and the U.S. Congress were given to the school.”
The items will be put on display.
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa reported that the school board approved the request to hold the Scholastic Book Fair at the elementary school.
“The Scholastic Book Fair will run Dec. 5–13 during the school day also during the evenings during the elementary Christmas programs,” said Gappa. “Proceeds from the book fair will be used for the student activity fund.”
The annual tree lighting celebration in the City of Knox is set for tomorrow night from 5–7 p.m. at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center.
You are asked to gather at the Community Center tree first before meeting with Santa and partaking in refreshments. Your child may have his/her picture taken with Santa Claus during this celebration.
Knox Community School Corporation Director of Curriculum and Instruction Peggy Shidaker and the assistant principals from all three schools provided the school board with information on the action plans implemented at the beginning of the year.
Superintendent A.J. Gappa said discussion was held concerning the results of the Fall NWEA test that was given to students in grades K-8.
The Knox Community School Board Monday night gave authorization for a project hearing and a preliminary determination hearing regarding the elementary school project. The hearing will be held on Monday, Dec. 3 during the regular meeting of the board. They will be discussing the possible referendum during that meeting.
As part of that discussion, Superintendent A.J. Gappa said Dr. Mike Trego, an expert in referendums from Indiana Wesleyan University, came back to the school corporation last week to discuss the referendum process with members of the school board and members of the public. The formation of a Political Action Committee (PAC) was done to work toward the success of that referendum.
Construction efforts have kicked off at the Henry F. Schricker Public Library. Director Shelia Urwiler explained that they’ve started work on the children’s wing as they’re adding about 6000 square feet for the new children and young adult department.
Urwiler said they’re hoping for the construction to be done by mid-July, but it is possible that the construction could take longer than expected. The total price on the work came to about $1.5 million, with the remaining balance from the $1.875 million they received from bonds to go toward furnishings, new fixtures, electrical wiring, and other expenses.
A pair of Knox residents were arrested Thursday after they allegedly stole prescription medication.
A Knox resident called the Knox City Police Department to say that she dropped a bottle of prescription medication outside her home and Timothy and Priscilla Bodine picked it up and stole it. The Bodines were over at the residence and to pick up coats and when the victim handed the coats to them, she told police it was then that she probably dropped the medication that she had in her hand. She later noticed it missing and believed that’s when she lost the bottle.
With family, governmental officials and friends in attendance, former State Representative Nancy Dembowski was honored for her years of service at an open house yesterday. The celebration was held in the building that now bears her name, the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center.
Emcee Ted Hayes brought up several people to speak including Starke County Economic Development Director Charles Weaver; Councilmen Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Greg Matt; plus County Democrat Chairman Kenny Wallace. Knox City Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston and his wife Michaelene also thanked Dembowski for representing Starke County so well.
Today is the day to help your neighbors in need.
Members of the WKVI staff will be ready to take your non-perishable food donation for the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry today at Five Star in Knox from 9 a.m. to Noon. When you get to the store to pick up your groceries, put a few other items in the cart for the pantry and that donation will go to help the over 290 families that utilize the food pantry each month.
One of the first community activities Nancy was involved in was the introduction of the peppermint candy canes as Christmas decorations for the City of Knox. She reminisces about that time.
