Knox Mayor Reminds Residents of Golf Cart Ordinance

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers wants to remind you of the rules and regulations within the City of Knox concerning golf carts.

Mayor Chambers says golf carts are allowed on city streets only and they are not allowed on U.S. 35 or State Road 8. You may cross the highways, but you can not drive a distance on them. Golf carts are not allowed on city sidewalks or the walking trails in Wythogan Park. They may only be operated on city streets during daylight hours and a triangular, slow moving vehicle sign or a red or amber flashing light must be displayed at all times.

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Knox Resident Arrested on Methamphetamine-Related Charges

Posted on Author WKVI

A Knox man was arrested on Wednesday after Knox City Police and a Starke County Sheriff’s Department officer found drug-related items in his possession.

Police were called to the Super Value Inn in reference to a wanted person. Police saw the suspect, Matthew Hamilton, peeking out of a window at them from a room at the motel and asked him to open the door. He did and police ordered him to the ground. Police swept the room and found a bag of pills, a burnt spoon and hypodermic needles. Officers also found items reportedly used in the use of methamphetamine.

Hamilton, 22, was arrested on four active arrest warrants through Marshalll County and additional preliminary charges of Possession of Methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a Family Housing Complex and Reckless Possession of Paraphernalia.

Knox Man Arrested for Alleged Sandal Theft

Posted on Author WKVI

A Knox man was arrested after allegedly stealing sandals from Dollar General in Knox.

A Knox City Police officer was dispatched to Dollar General where an employee reported that a man, later identified as Lolus Johnson, had stolen a pair of shoes. He had left his old shoes in the store.

When police were enroute to the store, Johnson was spotted in the alley between Heaton Street and Pearl Street. The officer approached Johnson and Johnson reportedly stepped out of his sandals he was wearing and started walking barefoot. The officer asked about the shoes and Johnson allegedly admitted to police that he did take the shoes because he didn’t have any money.

Lolus Johnson, 51, was detained and while police conducted a routine pat-down they allegedly found a marijuana cigarette and controlled substances. He was arrested on preliminary charges of Theft, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

City of Knox Named in Federal Lawsuit

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox is one of 50 municipalities named in a federal lawsuit. Kevin D. Miller, who was subjected to a K9 drug search of his person and car in Marshall County last year, has brought suit claiming that dog and all trained by Vohne-Liche Kennels are unreliable. Miller claimed that the dog falsely detected drugs in the car, and in the process of searching the vehicle traumatized his wife. He had initially been stopped for a traffic violation.

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Part-Time Water Superintendent Named

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

To date, Mayor Rick Chambers has been unable to fill the Water Superintendent position with the city, so this week he told the Knox City Council members that he has come to an agreement with a part-time person.

“His name is Bob Johnson, and he lives just over the Marshall County line near Koontz Lake,” reported Mayor Chambers. “He will come in five days a week and take the water samples. Since I’ve been unable to find a Superintendent, Gordon Burger has filled in, but he wants to be done by the end of March.”

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100-Year-Old Structure Destroyed by Fire in the Bass Lake Area

Posted on Author WKVI

Three fire departments battled a house fire at 200 E. and 500 S. in the Bass Lake area yesterday afternoon.

Firefighters from the Bass Lake, Knox-Center Township and North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Departments responded to the location where a 100-year old structure was fully engulfed in flames before crews arrived on scene. No cause has been released yet. A representative from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office was scheduled to meet with Bass Lake fire officials to determine a cause of the fire.

SCILL Center Classes Still Available

Posted on Author WKVI
SCILL Center

Though classes have already started, it’s still not too late to sign up. Several openings are still available for the computer classes offered at the SCILL Center, which are open to the public and area businesses. Classes will be offered from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., with a cost of $40. A minimum of six people are required for each session.

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Funds Remain after Completion of Storm Sewer Infrastructure Project

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

Mayor Rick Chambers announced at the most recent Knox City Council meeting that there was money left over from the Storm Sewer Infrastructure project.
Chambers said Territorial Engineers has looked over the project, and the Knox Street Department was given the extra money.

“The street department had the first shot at it and they wanted some streets repaved and overlaid,” stated Mayor Chambers. “The streets to be repaved are Sycamore between John and Bender, and John Street east of U.S. 35 from Prettyman to McGill will also be completely repaved.”

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Knox City Council Discusses the Addition of Security Cameras

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Hall
Knox City Hall

It might just be a sign of the times but more and more municipalities are installing surveillance cameras. Knox Mayor Rick Chambers brought the idea of installing cameras in City Hall to the City Council meeting recently. In his presentation, Chambers said there are irate customers from time to time at the Clerk-Treasurer’s office and the Knox City Court. The court has the potential for incidents to happen in the heat of testimony and decisions being made from the bench.

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City of Knox to Cut Lightning Claims

Posted on Author WKVI

The City of Knox is attempting to cut down on lightning damage. City Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston has notified the City Council that he is trying to work with the insurance company to eliminate the claims.

“I want to mention that we were contacted by the insurance carrier about our loses because of lightning. So I’m coming up with a list of the steps the City is taking to try to alleviate the problems. We have cut down some trees and put in arresters to try to make the insurance company happy. We don’t want them to raise our rates any more. The last time it was not just a matter of raising rates, they actually raised the deductible for lightning claims,” Houston said.

Two Knox Residents Arrested For Manufacturing Methamphetamine

Posted on Author WKVI

Two Knox residents were arrested after police found an active methamphetamine lab at their residence.

On Thursday, the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Indiana State Police conducted a search warrant at 4335 E. 200 S. in Knox and arrested Mary Fort on two valid Starke Circuit Court warrant for revocation of probation.

Indiana State Police officers received consent to search the property by all parties involved and they found an active one pot method methamphetamine lab, precursors, methamphetamine, and paraphernalia.

Randall Appleton was arrested after the search. Appleton and Mary Fort both face Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Maintaining a Common Nuisance.

Court of Appeals Upholds 110-Year Sentence for Ernest Wireman

Posted on Author WKVI
Ernest Wireman

The Court of Appeals has rejected Ernest Wireman’s cumulative error claim following a nine-day trial in June of 2010 in Starke Circuit Court. Wireman was accused of brutally murdering his wife, Mary, before burning down the trailer with her inside and shooting her son, Jeremy, who survived the attack. Wireman pleaded insanity to the charges against him, but was found guilty but mentally ill of Murder, Attempted Murder as a Class A felony, and Arson as a Class B felony and ordered to serve 110 years in the Department of Corrections.

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City of Knox to Create New Districts

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

The City of Knox has to create an ordinance establishing new districts before December 31st, 2012. The new districts have to be changed if new precincts are created.

City Attorney David Matsey said new districts do not have to be established because of population shifts as everyone votes for all council members regardless of districts. Some districts have double the population count as others, as the maps are drawn geographically.

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Two Arrested after Search Warrant

Posted on Author WKVI
Jessica Boyd
Shawn Heck

Two Knox residents were arrested on drug charges on Wednesday.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department received information regarding a possible methamphetamine operation at 2135 S. Rhea Street in Knox. After an investigation, detectives applied for a search warrant for the residence, which was granted. Starke County and Knox City police officers executed the search warrant and reportedly found an active one-pot method methamphetamine lab, precursors used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, the finished product, and drug paraphernalia.

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Knox Farmer’s Market to Open in May

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox Farmer’s Market is scheduled to open in May.

“On May 5th, the Knox Farmer’s Market will open,” said Knox Mayor Rick Chambers. “The market will be open three days a week – Wednesdays from 2:00-7:00 p.m., Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to Noon and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wayne Hughart will manage the Farmer’s Market again this year. For more information, you can call him at (574) 200-9154.”

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Endangered Heritage Exhibit on Display at Knox, North Judson Libraries

Posted on Author WKVI

A special display is being featured at the Henry F. Schricker Public Library in Knox and at the North Judson-Wayne Township Public Library for the next two months.

Endangered Heritage, a collections care advocacy exhibit from the Indiana Historical Society, helps educate local communities about the need for good collections stewardship. It gives examples of the dangers to objects in collections and information about caring for collections. You can obtain great information on how to preserve family heirlooms that you may want to pass down to your children and to generations after that.

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Wastewater Treatment Facility Presentation Given to Knox City Council

Posted on Author WKVI
Kelly Clemons presents the board with a history of the Wastewater Treatment facility

A one hundred year history of the sewer system and treatment plant was presented this week at the Knox City Council meeting. Wastewater Superintendent, Kelly Clemons, gave a map and pictorial history of the time period from 1911 through 2011.

Of course there was no treatment plant in the early 1900’s as all waste was deposited into the Yellow River. Numerous sewers were added in 1936, and wastewater was discharged in an area where the T-ball fields are located in Wythogan Park. The first treatment plant was erected in 1942.

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Notes from the WKVI News Desk

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox Park Superintendent, George Byer, announced this week that Wythogan and Sandy Acres parks have opened. The swings will be up by next week and the water will be turned on in the next few days. Byer said everything will be ready for the children during spring break.

WKVI Radio has learned that a former resident of Knox, Helen Sands, has passed away in San Antonio, Texas. She had resided near her son Larry for a number of years. Helen Sands, in the early days of WKVI Radio, was a frequent guest on the night-time music shows and she shared her record collection. She was at one time an employee of the Starke County Highway Department. A memorial service is planned for Mrs. Sands next week in Knox.

U.S. 35 to Close at Railroad Crossing in Knox for Two Days

Posted on Author WKVI

The Indiana Department of Transportation will be closing the U.S. 35 railroad crossing in downtown Knox beginning Thursday, March 15th. Crews will fill potholes and smooth the crossing surface. The crossing is expected to be open Friday, March 16th in the evening.

Be sure to plan ahead and secure alternative routes during this construction project. INDOT reminds you to use caution and consider worker safety when driving through a construction zone.

Johnny P. Whitt, Jr. Arrested on Drug Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Johnny P. Whitt, Jr.

Johnny P. Whitt, Jr. was arrested March 6th and faces methamphetamine-related charges after police received a report of a suspicious man at Zingo Express who purchased tin foil and salt, and asked if the store sold Zip-Lock bags.

When police arrived, they found Whitt leaving the store and walking to the Super Value Inn, just north of the Zingo Express. After entering the hotel, police monitored the building and followed him after he left, before pulling him over at the intersection of Delaware Street and U.S. 35 in Knox. The man was identified as Whitt, and marijuana was found on his person along with multiple packs of cold medication.

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