Wythogan Park Still Closed; Contractors To Begin Cleanup Next Week

Posted on Author WKVI

Wythogan Park in Knox is still closed as work remains underway to clear the debris and remove precariously-balanced branches dangerously dangling overhead. Park Superintendent George Byer told the city council this week that the contractor who has been hired to do a lot of the clearing will begin on Monday.

Despite Monday, Sept. 3 being a holiday, Byer says the contractor is anxious to get started on the cleanup. The walkway has been cleared and a very large amount of branches, limbs, logs, and other wood has already been hauled out, but they’ve got a long way to go.

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Knox City Council Discusses IDEM Controlled Brush Burn

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council discussed the controlled burn to dispose of the collected brush and debris from the June and July storms.

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers told the council that the burn was supposed to take place earlier this week but the community has voiced its concern, so Chambers says he wanted to bring it to the council for further discussion. Chambers says the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has given the city its approval for the burn.

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City of Knox To Purchase Old Laundromat

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week approved the use of $15,000 from the Economic Development Income Tax fund to purchase the property at 64 E. Lake St. in Knox, better known as the old laundromat.

The city had been interested in purchasing the property several years ago, but at that time, the property was tied up in court litigation and consequently unable to be transferred to the city, but Mayor Rick Chambers says they believe that litigation has been settled. He says the city would purchase the property for $15,000 and demolish it to expand the small park area adjacent to it.

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Several School Board Races To Appear On Nov. 6 Ballot

Posted on Author WKVI

Several school board races have surfaced since the Friday filing deadline in the Starke County Clerk’s Office.

For Knox Community Schools, voters will select three members from a ballot of eight candidates for Center Township Seats 2, 3, and 4. Those candidates include incumbent members William Kirk Bennett, Gerald (Jerry) Fletcher and Harold A. Welter, and candidates Dawn M. Bailey, Jeffrey B. Fosler, Wendy McIntire, Larry D. Sennert and Valarie Williams. Incumbent Nathan Marcum and challenger Kurt A. Kemble have filed for the California-Washington Township seat.

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Boldry Arrested On Child Seduction Charges, $100K Bond

Posted on Author WKVI
Todd Boldry

A former Knox High School basketball coach was arrested yesterday morning amidst allegations of sexual misconduct with a student that occurred as early as 2007.

Thirty-nine-year-old Todd Boldry of Knox was arrested on charges of Child Seduction and Official Misconduct, both of which are Class D felonies. Starke County Prosecutor Nick Bourff says each of those counts carry a sentence between six months and three years and up to a $10,000 fine. Bourff says Boldry was arrested on school grounds Friday morning.

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Many Events Planned as Knox Harvest Festival Continues

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox Harvest Festival continues today.

There will be many exciting events happening this Saturday at the Knox Harvest Festival. IU Health Starke Hospital, who is the major sponsor of this year’s festival, will host a 5K run with registration at 6:45 a.m. and the race at 8 a.m. Court house tours begin at 9 a.m. today, the Red Cross Blood Drive is at 10 a.m., the Potawatami Zoo Exhibit is at Noon and the annual Harvest Festival Parade will begin at 2 p.m. featuring Grand Marshal Tom Berg. The day’s final major events include a pie eating contest by the main stage, the burnout contest at industrial park, and the pedal tractor pull beginning at four.

Tomorrow, the motorcycle show by O’s Tap and Knox-Center Township Fire Department Car Show registration begin at 9 a.m., courthouse tours resume at 10 a.m., and the festival’s last major events will start at 1 p.m. including revolution wrestling, duck races, and a pet parade.

Knox School Board Spotlights Porter-Starke Counseling

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

The Knox Community School Board members spotlighted the high school’s Porter-Starke Counseling Program at their meeting this week. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said High School Assistant Principal Michael Bendicsen is on the Porter-Starke Board and he helped initiate this program for students in need.

“Mr. Bendicsen did report that he knew of at least ten students that had taken advantage of and had been helped by this program. A number of other students might have been helped but they can go other directions besides Porter-Starke as he reported. He wanted to also point out that the services are available not just the high school but in the other buildings. So far, the high school is the only one that has been able to take advantage of the services that are being offered,” said Gappa.

Knox Harvest Festival Kicks Off Today

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox Harvest Festival begins today!

Opening ceremonies are at 3:30 p.m. in the downtown area and the food and craft vendors open at 4 p.m. Enjoy music from Nightshift at 4 p.m. and 30 South at 7 p.m.

Other highlights for this year’s festival include the Courthouse Tours beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday morning, the Potowatami Zoo exhibit, and the parade Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., featuring Tom Berg as the Grand Marshal.

Music is scheduled throughout the weekend along with several contests. The BMX competition is set for Saturday and Sunday and the Knox-Center Township Fire Department burnout contest is Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Industrial Park. The fire department will also hold a car show on Sunday at noon at the corner of Lake and Pearl Streets.

Knox Schools Up Three Students From Last Year

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

The Knox Community School Board heard about the successful start to the new school year at their meeting Monday night and Superintendent A.J. Gappa gave a report on enrollment figures.

“It appears we’re up about three students total from last year’s ADM count. Last year at this time, we had approximately 1,998 kids and this year we’re about 2,001,” stated Gappa.

The official ADM, or Average Daily Membership, will be taken on Sept. 14.

J.W. Hicks to Install Fiber-Optic Cable Connecting Facilities

Posted on Author WKVI

A manufacturer in the Knox industrial park is looking to install fiber-optic cable beneath some streets in Knox to connect their two officers as if they were under one roof.

Jim Hicks of J.W. Hicks approached the Starke County Commissioners this week with a request to allow them to connect their facility at 20 S. Klockner Dr. in Knox with their new facility near the intersection of Klockner Drive and Pacific Avenue.

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Knox School Board Discusses Budget Cuts

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

The Knox Community School Board held a public hearing on the budget Monday night. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said there were no comments on the budget and the board will now move to the next step.

“The board voted to have an adoption meeting at the next board meeting which will be Sept. 5,” said Gappa.

Superintendent A.J. Gappa says the budget is about $500,000 less than the board advertised last year in the general fund, and it’s a little over $900,000 less for the total budget.

All funds total $23,254,000.

City of Knox To Receive Substantial Rebate From Life Insurance

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council

The city of Knox will be receiving a rebate from their life insurance company to the tune of $34,672.22, according to Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston.

Houston explained that the city had received a letter from Trustmark Life Insurance Company explaining that the city would receive the rebate as required under the Affordable Care Act. The company had spent more than 20 percent of its premiums on administrative costs, salaries, sales, and advertising, and as a result, that extra amount spent must be returned to the city.

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Knox School Board To Move Forward With Palmer Wing Plans

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa gave a report to the school board this week about a work session held on Aug. 8 concerning the Palmer Wing at the Elementary School.

“There were approximately 15 to 16 outside community members and it was pretty much unanimous (of that group) that the best future for the elementary school would be to build a new wing to replace the old Palmer Wing,” Gappa said.

Gappa says the board will now move forward with plans for the construction of the new Palmer Wing.

“The board will probably want to talk to community members and get some input from some people who are supportive to form committees to work toward that end,” Gappa said.

Golden Living Center in Knox Receives Coveted 10 Karat Award

Posted on Author WKVI

For the second year in a row, Golden Living Center in Knox received a perfect score in their annual survey. According to Golden Living Center’s Glenn Wilson, they received a zero-deficiency score in the survey, something only eight percent of centers in the state earn. He says to earn it twice in a row is an even greater honor, and the organization is excited to receive it.

Golden Living’s coveted 10 Karat award was also presented to Golden Living Center. The award is one of the company’s highest honors for superior performance in delivering quality care and services to its residents, and only a few Living Centers of the 304 nursing homes are selected to receive the award each year.

Wilson says the award takes into account a number of responsibilities for the center.

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Harvest Festival This Weekend; Many Events Planned

Posted on Author WKVI

There are a lot of great events scheduled during this weekend’s Harvest Festival in Knox, including a Burnout Contest sponsored by the Knox-Center Township Fire Department on Saturday.

The Burnout Contest will be held in the Knox Industrial Park with registration from 4–4:45 p.m. CT and the show at 5 p.m. The registration fee is $15. Awards will be given to the cars with the best smoke, best sound, best crowd pleaser and best total destruction.

The admission fee is $5 per vehicle.

The Fire Department will also sponsor a car show on Sunday at the corner of Pearl and Lake Streets. The show will be from noon to 3 p.m. CT and dash plaques will be given to the first 25 cars registered for the show. Registration is a $10 donation.