Alice Kay is Laid to Rest

Posted on Author WKVI
Alice Kay

Knox’s First, First Lady was laid to rest yesterday at Crown Hill Cemetery. Alice Kay, 101, was the wife of Knox’s first Mayor, Glen Kay.

In services at the Catherine Kasper Home Chapel in Donaldson, Father Mike, Acting Priest for the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Ministry, noted in his funeral mass that Alice liked to dance. He said, “I hope that someone will commission a mural painting of Alice dancing with Jesus in Heaven.”

Ted Hayes remembered that on her 100th birthday everyone at the party saluted her with a glass of expensive champagne. Alice didn’t say much but indicated to her caretakers that she would pass on the cake for another glass of “the bubbly.”

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Harlem Wizards Give Knox Band Boosters A Boost

Posted on Author WKVI

The Harlem Wizards basketball team brings their high octane form of Hoops to Knox tonight to help raise funds for the Knox Band Boosters. The money raised will be used to fund a trip to Florida by the Knox High School Band.

Opposing players taking part in the game will include, among others, WKVI Morning Man Tom Berg. Berg has been saving himself for just this moment.

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Knox Harvest Festival Meeting To Be Held Tuesday

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox Harvest Days celebration is August 24 – 26, and Michelle Bachtel, owner of the local H & R Block in Knox, is the new festival president. Bachtel says the organization has made a number of developments, including a new website.

“Well the first thing we did is establish the Knox Harvest Festival as its own legal entity, so it is now an organization that can be donated to. Sponsors can sponsor it and know the money is going where it needs to go and to whom its suppose to go. The second thing we did is develop a web page: knoxharvestfestival.org. If you need to e-mail me it’s just michelle@knoxharvestfestival.org,” Bachtel said.

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Knox Mayor Names New Water Superintendent

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers has announced the employment of a new Water Superintendent for the city. Todd Gardner has been chosen and he has been the maintenance man for the LaVille School for the past five years and before that he was employed in the Maintenance Department at Ancilla College. He replaces Gordon Burger who has retired from the position. He has all of the proper licenses.

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Knox City Police Arrest Man for Alleged Theft, Another Involved Hit by Vehicle

Posted on Author WKVI
Casan Bogan

A Valparaiso man was arrested after a theft incident at Sabre Manufacturing in Knox on April 9th.

Knox City Police responded to Sabre Manufacturing after a call came in about a suspicious vehicle. When police arrived on scene, two forklifts were parked next to the vehicle. According to police, the vehicle’s back glass window was open and wire was hanging out of the back. The employees said they blocked the vehicle in so it couldn’t leave. The employees reportedly told police that they saw a man, later identified as Michael Bundy, Jr., and Bundy reportedly said to the employees that he was intoxicated and he did something bad. He then left he area on State Road 8. After an investigation, it was learned that the wire in the vehicle was stolen from the factory. The vehicle that had the wire in it returned to a relative of Bundy Jr.’s. The employees said that Casan Bogan, Bundy, Jr.’s cousin and a janitor at Sabre, was also seen in the area where the wire was taken. Both had reportedly been drinking earlier in the evening.

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Alice Kay, Wife of First Knox Mayor Glen Kay, Passes away at Age 101

Posted on Author WKVI
Alice Kay

The wife of the first mayor of the City of Knox, Alice Kay, passed away Tuesday at the age of 101. She had lived for many years at the Catherine Kasper Home in Donaldson. She would have been 102 on May 8th.

“She was just a wisp of a lady, but her personality was that of a person twice her size,” stated Ted Hayes. “Alice Kay was devoted to her husband Glen, daughter Judy, grandson Dirk, son-in-law Herb, St. Aquinas Catholic Church and her many friends. She was a partner with her husband in Glen Kay Clothing and Shoes which was located in the building that now houses Fingerhut Bakery in Knox.”

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Knox Man Arrested Following Burglary

Posted on Author WKVI
Erik Draper

Knox City Police officers were called to a residence in Knox early Saturday morning in response to a burglary in progress. While en route to the address on south Main Street, officers learned that a male had fled from the residence on foot after allegedly stealing a purse and medication belonging to the homeowner.

Officers learned of a possible suspect, and on Saturday morning, a search warrant was executed at the Woods Apartments on East Danker Street in Knox, where they found the items that had been stolen from the Main Street residence. Eric Draper, 34, of Knox was taken into custody.

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City of Knox to Receive Funds from State Accounting Error

Posted on Author WKVI

A state error that was announced earlier in the month could provide funds coming back to the City of Knox. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston said last week that a revelation in December found that the state didn’t account for some $320 million in corporate taxes. That triggered an internal audit that resulted in a discovery of a needed distribution to cities, towns and counties of $206 million.

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Yellow Bridge Construction to Begin April 30th

Posted on Author WKVI

The Indiana Department of Transportation has awarded a bid to a Gary company on the bridge reconstruction project over the Yellow River on U.S. 35 in Knox.

Construction should begin on the U.S. 35 bridge by the end of April. Work on the bridge will be restricted to one lane at a time, so the other lane would remain open for one-way traffic, with a traffic signal controlling the flow of traffic. The expected length of the lane restrictions on the bridge is 150 days.

Toll Brothers Seeks Statement of Benefits Approval from Knox City Council

Posted on Author WKVI
Back Row: Greg Matt, Mayor Rick Chambers, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Donald Kring, City Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

Ron Gifford from the Starke County Economic Development Foundation appeared before the Knox City Council last week seeking a Statement of Benefits document for the Toll Brothers plant in Knox. Toll Brothers is the preeminent luxury home-builder in America.

The Statement of Benefits document that Toll Brothers is seeking is to certify that they are in substantial compliance with the original tax abatement that was granted.

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Corey Drive Residents Requesting Street Lights

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

Residents of Corey Drive in Knox are requesting street lights, according to Mayor Rick Chambers.

“One of the NIPSCO guys stopped up the other day. He said a couple of people in that area had stopped and talked to him about getting two lights in that subdivision. There are no street lights on Corey Drive at 500 East. The ordinance that the planning commission is working on would require new subdivisions to put in their own lights. Now there is a light at the intersection of 500 east and Corey Drive. They are asking for two lights. If you have been in that area there is a hump, and the NIPSCO guy thinks a couple of lights on either side would be nice,” said Chambers.

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Kindergarten Countdown Meeting Tomorrow in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI

A Kindergarten Countdown informational meeting is scheduled for tomorrow for students entering the Knox Community Elementary School Kindergarten program. Starke United, IU Health and the Knox Community School Corporation are sponsoring a Kindergarten Camp in June and this meeting will help explain the function of the camp. Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Knox Community School Corporation, Peggy Shidaker, has more.

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Knox City Council Approves Block Party Request

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox City Council has enthusiastically given its approval to block off a portion of Airway Drive on June 16th from noon until 10:00 p.m. for a block party. Jessie Cabrera from the Mexico Lindo Restaurant requested that the block be closed from Heaton Street one block on Airway Drive.

Cabrera said there will be music, dining and a carnival to celebrate the restaurant’s 5th anniversary in operation.

Mike Aulby Participates in Junior Achievement Bowl-a-Thon

Posted on Author WKVI
Mike Aulby throws a ball during the Bowl-a-Thon

Pro Bowler and PBA Hall of Fame Member, Mike Aulby, was in Knox last night to help support the Junior Achievement organization in a Bowl-a-Thon event at Bowlaway Lanes.

There were several teams that participated in the event, including the WKVI Men’s and Women’s teams. Each team won a game, but the Women’s team won in series points by 23 pins. Several door prizes were given out and a game of chance was won by Tom Berg. The WKVI Men’s team brought in the most in pledges with $380.

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Rockwell Property Deemed Economic Revitalization Area

Posted on Author WKVI
Back Row: Greg Matt, Mayor Rick Chambers, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Donald Kring, City Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

Attorney Ed Volk came before the Knox City Council this week requesting a resolution approving the Rockwell property in Knox as an Economic Revitalization area. According to Volk, this would open the way for the sale of the property and hopefully employment opportunities for area residents.

The resolution had to be signed before there can be a statement of benefits. After publication, notices will be sent to all taxing entities. This is all required by statute.

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Knox Mayor Accepting Applications for 50/50 Sidewalk Program

Posted on Author WKVI
Does your sidewalk look like this?

If the sidewalk in front of your Knox residence or business needs repaired, you could have half of it paid for by the City of Knox.

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers is now taking applications for the 50/50 residential/business sidewalk replacement program. Your request will be evaluated by the Street Superintendent and he will approve or disapprove the application. A bid will be requested for the work to be done and after the bid is awarded, you will be notified of the cost and you must pay for your half of the cost before construction begins.

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David Heineman Senior Arrested on Meth Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
David Heineman, Sr.

Knox City Police were called to a fight and ended up arresting a man for an active meth lab.

Police were called to a residence on Lake Street and found two men fighting in an upstairs room. When police attempted to detain the men, David Heineman, Sr. resisted demands by the police officer to stop resisting. The other subject complied and told police that the argument started because he thought meth labs were in the room. The officer did observe items that were commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine in the room.

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