The Henry F. Schricker library expansion project is underway and moving along right on schedule. Library Director Sheila Urwiler said that the next step they’ll be taking is to get the plans and drawings to an estimator.
“We’re getting our final estimates and they’re drawing up the construction documents to go out for bidding, and the bidding should start in February sometime, we’re not sure exactly when yet, but that’s the goal right now,” said Urwiler.
Five Starke County Republican candidates successful in the November Municipal Election were sworn into office last night. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall swore in City Court Judge Charles Hasnerl and he said his office will be busy in 2012.
“One of the primary issues that we’re dealing with, along with the City in working with the Council and the Mayor, is the financial issue and trying to come up with resources to cover the costs,” said Hasnerl. “It’s a needed service and we handle a number of cases for the entire county so that’s going to be our primary focus – not just this year, but throughout this term.”
The city of Knox brought in over $500 by selling scrap metal that had been laying around. Mayor Rick Chambers explained that sheets of corrugated metal had been purchased when the city was installing new sidewalks downtown because the engineers were under the impression that there were tunnels beneath the sidewalks, but after the sidewalks were dug up, they quickly realized that was not the case.
This week we have been reviewing the Top Stories of 2011. Today we reveal the top story of the Year.
It was a story that captivated all who heard it. Chief Warrant Officer Andy Howes returned home after being lost in the Vietnam War on January 10th, 1970. Although his remains had been in storage in Hawaii since the ’80’s, only improved testing allowed an Armed Forces Forensic Team to match DNA samples to those that had earlier been taken from relatives.
Nathan Hummel made his initial appearance in Starke Circuit Court yesterday afternoon. Hummel is accused of robbing the Knox CVS with his brother, Jonathan Hummel, on December 20th.
Hummel is charged with Dealing in Narcotic Drugs as a Class A felony; Robbery as a Class B felony; Aiding, Inducing, or Causing a Robbery as a Class B felony; Resisting Law Enforcement as a Class D felony; Criminal Mischief as a Class D felony; and Attempting to Disarm a Police Officer as a Class C felony.
Two people were arrested in Knox on Christmas Day on Battery charges.
Austin Pike told Knox City police officers that he and Walter Smith got into an argument and a fight ensued. The argument started as a verbal disagreement and it escalated to a fist fight. Pike told police that he hit Smith in the face. Smith became very angry and allegedly grabbed a knife and tried to stab Pike with it. Pike said Smith then left the residence.
The Knox City Council this week agreed to decline a grant offered by the federal government for replacing street signs, and instead will proceed with replacing the signs on their own.
Mayor Rick Chambers told WKVI that the council agreed to decline the grant because the $50,000 grant required a $5,000 match from the city. That cost, combined with the fact that the grant only covered the engineering aspect of the project, convinced the council to proceed with the project at their own expense. New regulations from the federal government requires all signs to be replaced with newer, more reflective signs by 2018.
With the feeling of Christmas still lingering in the air, the Knox City Council this week discussed the possibility of hosting a Christmas market– a street market featuring nativity scenes, nutcrackers, books, hand-crafted items, and other traditional Christmas goodies like cookies, soups, almonds, and other treats.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers explains that with a Christmas market, the city could combine its Christmas events into one weekend bonanza.
Knox City Police continue to investigate the robbery at CVS in Knox.
On Tuesday, December 20th, Nathan Hummel and Jonathan Hummel reportedly went into the Knox CVS and stole prescription medication from the pharmacy. They held the pharmacist and store clerk at knifepoint at the time of the incident. They fled from the scene and after a pursuit, fled their vehicle on Upas Road in Marshall County. Nathan Hummel was found hiding in a closet in Raymond Hummel’s residence and was taken into custody. Jonathan Hummel escaped. Continue reading
Power should be restored to 732 Knox customers by 1:30 p.m.
NIPSCO Public Affairs Officer, Rick Colinski, said that a car accident at Portland and Pacific streets in Knox caused the outage. Crews are replacing a cross bar that was broken on the pole that was hit by the car. Officials at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department said there were no injuries sustained in the accident.
A Knox man was found breaking into a home and then ran from police.
On Friday, December 23rd, Knox City Police received a complaint of a person breaking into a home on Pearl Street. The officer arrived at the residence and got out of the car and announced his presence. The suspect, Timothy Howard, Jr., ran from the scene. The officer got back into his car and pursued the suspect. The officer went into the alley from Washington Street and Howard ran in front of the car.
A public hearing has been scheduled to gain opinions on current design plans for the Starke County Commissioners’ project to reconstruct a portion of County Road 300 East, or Klockner Drive, in the Knox Industrial Park.
The proposed improvements include the reconstruction of County Road 300 East between Culver Road to north Pacific Avenue. The project proposes installation of new pavement, concrete curb and gutter, storm sewer collection, driveway and approach work. The project will be constructed in three phases and impacts 33 parcels and will require the acquisition of 3.4 acres of right-of-way.
A Hobart woman was arrested Friday after she reportedly told police her name and it wasn’t her correct identification.
Police saw a vehicle traveling around Henry Street and saw that the driver disregarded stop signs. The officer engaged his emergency lights and the driver didn’t stop. He continued to follow her at a slow pace. He eventually pulled over the car at the intersection of Bower Street and Culver Road. Police asked the driver for her name and she said her name was “Tracey Rowe”. Police ran her information and found that “Tracey Rowe” was not on file. Police took her to jail on preliminary charges of Resisting Law Enforcement and Reckless Driving.
One suspect remains at large in the Knox CVS armed robbery incident. The other suspect, Nathan Hummel, of Culver, was arrested at the Raymond Hummel residence on Union Road in Marshall County after the incident occurred.
A Knox man was arrested after a battery incident on Monday.
The female victim, who is pregnant, went to the Starke County Sheriff’s Department to report a battery. She told police that she and Steven Gott had gotten into an argument earlier in the day and that police were called to the residence. Gott was told to leave the residence and to not return. He returned to the residence later in the day and the police arrived and gave Gott a second warning. The victim then went to her mother’s house to do laundry and Gott arrived at the residence. Gott and the victim started fighting and Gott allegedly put his hands around her throat, hit her in the head and threatened her life. He then left the residence.
At the most recent meeting of the Knox City Council, appointments were made for several boards. Linda Berndt agreed to remain on the Starke County Development Board, newly elected City Councilman, Don Kring, will go on the Starke County Environmental Board, Ed Blue will remain on the Board of Works, and the Mayor re-appointed Ollie Lockridge and Jim Collins for the Knox Redevelopment Committee Board.
The Starke County Historical Museum will be closed today through January 31st, for maintenance and repair.
Also, when you drive by the museum, you are urged to admire the Memorial Tree donated by Hensler’s Nursery. A record number of memorial bows and names have been attached this year. Toni Snearly, Historical Society volunteer, said that 285 bows have been placed on the tree at 401 South Main St., in Knox.
The identity of a suspect arrested in connection with the robbery at CVS in Knox last night is still being withheld by Knox City Police.
Knox City Police responded to an armed robbery call at CVS at 9:18 p.m. An officer saw a vehicle leaving the scene at a high rate of speed and a traffic stop was initiated. The driver stopped, then backed into the police cruiser in an attempt to disable the vehicle. A pursuit began which lead into Marshall County. Both suspects abandoned the vehicle on Upas Road in Marshall County and one suspect was arrested. No further information was released by the Knox City Police Department and the robbery remains under investigation.
A Knox man who was injured in an early morning accident on Monday, December 5th has died. 43-year-old Thomas Guy passed away on Friday, December 16th in Memorial Hospital in South Bend.
Starke County Police responded to a single vehicle accident on December 5th at 4570 South and 100 East. Guy reportedly was traveling on County Road 100 East when he came over a hill and lost control of his vehicle, leaving the roadway and striking a tree. Guy was ejected from the vehicle and was taken to the hospital as a result of injuries sustained the accident. He died of those injuries on Friday.
The City of Knox outdoor Christmas decoration contest winners have been released from the Mayor’s Office. First place went to Rachel Fletcher at 567 S. 500 E.; second place went to Melinda Majchrzak at 1269 S. 500 E.; and third place went to Dave Heineman at 253 E. Lake Street.
Honorable mention winners include:
Gene Wheeler – 423 S. Carlson Drive
Connie Byer- 607 Bower Street
Donna Moroni – 707 Portland Street
Ken and Sandy Wagner – 101 Potter
Toni Baldwin-Dufour – 1309 Evelyn
Greg and LuAnn Matt – 104 W. New York Street
