The Knox Community School Board and the Facility Study Committee will be meeting with Dr. Mike Trego this evening to discuss the referendum process.
Dr. Trego, a professor at Indiana State University and an expert on how to successfully get a referendum to pass, will meet with the Board in a special work session tonight in place of their regular board meeting.
The Knox City Council last week discussed the old laundromat building at 64 E. Lake St., which will soon be demolished. Mayor Rick Chambers says he has already gotten a few quotes on its demolition, but they are still waiting on the necessary paperwork to be completed before any quote can be accepted.
Chambers told the council that if the paperwork is completed in time, the Board of Works will likely discuss and possibly choose the winning bid at their next meeting.
A number of people in the city of Knox have called the city to report suspected fraudulent calls from companies selling insurance on water lines, but Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston says the offer might not be a scam.
According to Houston, the city is responsible for the main water line, but the lines running to the home and inside is the homeowner’s responsibility. As a result, it is possible to legitimately insure those lines, but he discourages the idea. He says there have only been a few times when that line has actually broken, and he feels it probably wouldn’t be worth insuring.
These insurance companies are typically not affiliated with utility providers, and Houston encourages all residents who are approached with such an offer to do some investigating before making their decision. The city of Knox does not endorse any water line insurance provider.
The Knox City Council this week discussed the results of their controlled burn to dispose of tree waste from the June and July storms. Mayor Rick Chambers explained to the council that he had received several complaints concerning ash and soot from the fire, and one resident had filed a police report regarding damage to his vehicle from burning ash that had fallen on the car.
Chambers told the council that he sent the incident report of the damage to the city’s insurance company. The man is claiming $492 in damage, stating that the car requires a “wash and buff job,” and while Chambers feels that’s a little expensive for such a job, he has forwarded the information to the city’s insurance company to allow them to deal with sorting it out.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management granted the city’s burn permit on Aug. 9, allowing the city 30 days to conduct the burn. According to the permit, the city was allowed to conduct the controlled burn at the Starke County Highway Garage, Knox City Dump, or Wythogan Park, and the council decided that the dump was the safest place for the burn.
A Knox man was arrested Wednesday morning after allegedly attacking and stabbing a woman during an argument.
Knox City Police officers were called to 305 Bender Street after a caller reported a domestic disturbance. When police arrived on scene, Dennis Hamilton and the female victim stated that they didn’t need any help and the officers left. A short time later, police were called back to the scene after Hamilton and the victim allegedly continued arguing to the point where it got violent.
Knox City Police officers arrested a Knox man Tuesday after receiving an anonymous tip of an alleged drug deal in the Knox Post Office parking lot.
Officers arrived at the post office to find persons on a moped and in a car. The suspects were known to police as having been involved with narcotics in a prior setting. The officers approached the suspects in the car who were identified as Kurtis Singleton and Aaron Brewer, and noticed a smell of burnt marijuana emitting from the vehicle. They were asked to exit the car and as Singleton stepped out of the car, a cigarette package and a piece of foil hit the ground. He reportedly picked up the cigarette package and stepped on the foil. Officers were able to retrieve the foil package and it contained a white powdery substance that later field tested positive for methamphetamine.
Singleton, 20 of Knox, was then taken into custody and transported to the Starke County Jail. As he got out of the squad car to be processed into the jail, he allegedly dropped another piece of foil that contained a white powdery substance that also field tested positive for methamphetamine. He was booked on a preliminary charge of Possession of Methamphetamine.
The Knox City Council this week approved a resolution to establish a Special Event Fund for the city. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the council that he had spoken with the auditor for the State Board of Accounts who will be conducting the audit for Knox, and Houston had asked what to do with donations received for specific events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks.
According to Houston, the State Board of Accounts recommended creating a Special Event Fund to hold donations earmarked for a specific purpose. This fund will be separate from the city’s Donation Fund, which Houston says is used for donations to organizations or departments, such as police.
This new fund will be used to keep track of donations received for special events, but Houston emphasized that all donations going into this fund must be labeled for a specific purpose.
The council approved the resolution creating the Special Event Fund.
“It’s starting to look like a park again.”
Knox Park Superintendent George Byer says the cleanup at Wythogan Park is nearing completion, and the park is almost clear enough to allow visitors once again. With brush pickup said to be roughly two-thirds complete, and the cleanup of trees and hanging branches almost halfway complete, Byer says the park doesn’t look so much like a disaster area anymore.
“The park is looking great compared to what it was here a month ago,” Byer said. “It takes time to clean up a disaster like we’ve got. I think we’re moving along very well with it.”
Since announcing his withdrawal from the Knox School Board race because of the unwillingness of other candidates to sign a waiver of equal-time rights so he could continue to broadcast ball games on WKVI, Harold Welter has been informed by Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski that she was unable to get his name removed from the ballot. WKVI then contacted the FCC and were informed that even though Welter had withdrawn, the equal-time provision would still apply to WKVI because his name will remain on the ballot.
Welter offered the other candidates not to serve if elected in order to get their cooperation, but that offer was also rejected. Therefore, he’s decided that for the first time in 48 years, he will not broadcast sports for the required 60 days before the election.
The Knox Community School Board and the Facility Study Committee have been working on a solution to address the needs at the Palmer Wing at the Knox Elementary School. A recent public meeting was held in which Superintendent A.J. Gappa reported that it was an overwhelming consensus that a new Palmer Wing needs to be constructed.
A construction referendum could be featured in the May Primary Election and the board is in the process of deciding if that’s the route they want to take. Gappa said that the board will be holding a special work session on Sept. 17 in place of their regular meeting to discuss the referendum process with a consultant.
The Knox Middle School newspaper got the spotlight this week during the recent meeting of the Knox Community School Board. Mrs. Kathleen Jerrell, a sixth grade English teacher, is the sponsor of the newspaper The Redskin Review. Superintendent A.J. Gappa talks about the presentation of good posts like this one on Jimmy John Shark.
“Mrs. Jerrell brought in some students and a copy of the news paper to show the board and did a fantastic job of presenting the paper,” said Gappa. “Most of the editions of the paper go out over the internet and the middle school website.”
The crossing was closed for routine maintenance by Norfolk Southern Railroad, and they had estimated that it would be closed to traffic until Sept. 10, but the work was completed ahead of schedule and the road is once again open to traffic.
INDOT Railroad and Utilities Engineer Mike Essling said that the planned closure was expected to be a bit longer than usual, but he said the company would coordinate efforts on restoring access to the tracks as quickly as possible. All emergency services, school corporations, and other affected parties were notified of the track’s closure and provided with alternate routes.
The Knox Community School Board formally acted on Todd Boldry’s teaching position at the Knox Middle School. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said that substitute teachers are currently filling the position.
“The school board did approve the suspension of middle school math teacher, Todd Boldry,” stated Gappa. “The suspension is effective beginning Aug. 24. That suspension is with pay, pending the outcome of an investigation.”
A Knox man was arrested after a short foot pursuit Friday evening.
Loretta Wheeler called the Starke County Sheriff’s Department to report that her son, Jonnie Wheeler, was out of control. He had just taken his medication and asked to use her car and she told him no. He then threatened to hit her vehicle with an ax. He struck the car twice with the ax before it was taken away from him.
When police arrived at the scene, Wheeler ran out of the house. Officers pursued him through the woods by Shaw’s Fertilizer and it wasn’t long until he was taken into custody.
Jonnie Wheeler has preliminary charges of Criminal Mischief and Resisting Law Enforcement by Fleeing.
The Knox McDonald’s restaurant is going through an extensive renovation.
Store Owner Bill Boldt said the entire store is going to look different when the major renovations are done.
“It’s going to be a new, modern design,” said Boldt. “It’s going to be what McDonald’s calls an ‘archaic building’ – it’s kind of like a square building. We’re going to have outside seating, the lobby is going to be all new, we’ll have bigger bathrooms, a double drive-thru, and counter service will be a little different. It’s going to be totally redone.”
A Rochester man was arrested on methamphetamine-related charges after being stopped going the wrong way on a one-way street in Knox.
Aaron Egger told a Knox City police officer that he was on his way to pick up someone and tried to go down the street but it was blocked so he went the wrong way down the one-way street. The police officer said he just came from there and it was not blocked. The officer asked to search the car but Egger declined saying it wasn’t his vehicle. The owner then arrived on scene and gave permission to search the car.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers encourages residents to follow the city’s no-burn ordinance this fall.
Some leaves are falling and, while it’s tempting to burn leaves, there is an ordinance within city limits that prohibits that activity. Residents can discard any unwanted brush in the compost pile behind Knox City Hall.
Employees with the Knox Street Department will be picking up leaves beginning Tuesday, Oct. 9. Place leaves along the side of the street for pickup and do not bag them, as the garbage contractors will not pick up bagged leaves.
The longest-serving member of the Knox Community School Board has withdrawn his candidacy for re-election.
Harold Welter, who is the President of the School Board, explained his decision to withdraw.
“The reason is that Federal Communications Commission guidelines would require that WKVI Radio give equal air time to the other seven candidates from Center Township to match the time I am on the air broadcasting sports,” Welter explained. “In past elections, other candidates have been willing to waive their equal-time rights so that I could continue to broadcast ball games. In this election, however, some candidates don’t feel comfortable with allowing that to happen, and therefore have declined to give WKVI a waiver.”
A former Knox City Police officer passed away Sunday.
Fred Hignite, 66, was a 22-year veteran of the Knox City Police Department. He also worked as a patrolman for the North Judson Police Department and the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He recently retired from the Knox City Police Department.
Funeral services will be this Saturday, Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. at the M.C. Smith Funeral Home in Knox. Visitation is Friday from 4–8 p.m. at the funeral home. Special honors will be conducted by the Knox City Police Department.
Step by step, the demolition of two buildings on North Main Street in Knox is becoming a reality. Two buildings, 2 N. Main St. and 4 N. Main St., are dilapidated and many feel they pose maintenance and safety concerns for the city.
According to Mayor Rick Chambers, the Starke County Economic Development Foundation has been looking to have the buildings torn down. The foundation was previously located at 4 N. Main St., but later moved to 1915 S. Heaton St. in Knox. The building at 2 N. Main St. has been abandoned for nearly 15 years.
