Marsh Manor Fate to be Decided May 25th, 2011

Posted on Author WKVI
Marsh Manor is pictured here shortly after the fire

The fate of Marsh Manor on Main Street in Knox will be decided on May 25th. According to Planning Commissioner Greg Matt, the building has been boarded up after the last of the renters were evicted. According to some, the building had been home to several “squatters” too before it was finally emptied.

Once a home to Dr. Kelly, a prominent dentist in the community, the home had been turned into an apartment building. It had fallen on hard times during the past few years, with a fire the final blow to its viability as a rooming house.

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Knox City Council Discusses Protection Against Lightning Damage to City Equipment

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council #2
Back Row: Mayor Rick Chambers, Ed Blue, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Greg Matt and Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

Mayor Rick Chambers informed the Knox City Council this week that he is exploring ways to protect city equipment from lightning strikes.

“Jeff, Ed and I, met with the company called Flotronics, a company that engineers and designs electrical systems components to stop lightning damage,” the Mayor told the Council. “They came up with some figures at the Wastewater Plant, $12,449 and $8,295 at the Water Plant. So, it’ll be about $21,000. It’s to protect the wires so the lightning doesn’t go through the wires into the machines and it’s put on in layers, like three different layers, of protection.”

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Bella Vita Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Held Thursday

Posted on Author WKVI
The Bella Vita Board of Directors and community help cut the ribbon to the Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held yesterday at the recently opened Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center in Knox. The Center is located in a home that was owned by Frances Meyers on South Heaton Street.

“I have the honor to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors for Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center,” said Rhonda Adcock. “This day, for me, represents a vision that has become a reality. What started out as a desire to just help hurting women came from hearing burdens and stories of others, a vision to have a crisis pregnancy center here in Knox. Starting on the Steering Committee, and now the Board, has given me a front row seat to see that vision become the reality that you see within this house today.”

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Ted Hayes Spotlights Class of 1961 in Today’s “Ted Hayes Remembers” Program

Posted on Author WKVI
Linda Lock. This picture is from the 1961 Sandbur Yearbook

TED HAYES REMEMBERS 5-13 (download or listen)

You’re invited to listen to “Ted Hayes Remembers” today at 12:20 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. CT. He will talk about the Knox High School Class of 1961.

It was the biggest class to graduate to that date (110). The varsity basketball record of 19-1 still stands as the best ever. Mark Simmons taught Government and History, Jane Beeson taught Home Ec., Henry Meurer was the High School Band Director, Bob Beeson was the basketball coach and Dale Snelling was the football coach.

Linda Lock and Ron Fletcher were chosen as Mr. and Miss Knox High School. Linda was also the Homecoming Queen her senior year.

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Knox Resident Injured in Motorcycle Accident

Posted on Author WKVI

Corey Czarnecki, of Knox, is resting in a Chicago Hospital today after a Tuesday night motorcycle accident that occurred in LaPorte County.

Czarnecki was riding his motorcycle on County Road 600 North when a dog suddenly darted in front of him. The police report stated that when Czarnecki hit the brakes, he left a 13 foot rubber skid mark and the bike traveled 120 feet before coming to rest. The owner of the dog, Dawn Scott, said she saw the dog run toward the road. When she ran to the site of the accident, she found Czarnecki laying on the side of the road.

Henry F. Schricker Public Library Staff to Celebrate 100 Years of the Indy 500

Posted on Author WKVI
Nancy Pimm

The staff at the Henry F. Schricker Public Library in Knox is celebrating 100 years of the Indy 500.

Nancy Pimm, who worked in the pits at the Indy 500 from 1984-1989, will be at the Library on Thursday, May 12th to discuss her book Indy 500: The Inside Track, and show racing gear that she and her husband have collected. They will show fire suits, visors, racing shoes and gloves, plus a front wing and rear wing mount from Danica Patrick’s car, a custom driver seat from Kenny Brack, racing tires, and more.

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Improvements Continue at Wythogan Park in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI
A crew works on the skate park at Wythogan Park in Knox

“There’s more to come.” That was the word from Knox Park Board member, Rodger Weigel, who was at Wythogan Park when Ted Hayes took a tour last week. New dugouts were recently constructed, and a new curly slide was installed at the park. Improvements are now being made at the skate park.

Weigel said that more improvements are coming.

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Bella Vita Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Scheduled for Thursday

Posted on Author WKVI

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 12th, at 9:00 a.m. CT at Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center in Knox. An open house will follow until about Noon. Bella Vita is at 206 S. Heaton St. in Knox.

All services at Bella Vita are free and confidential. Services include: pregnancy tests, peer counseling by trained advocates about pregnancy options, referrals to community resources, and education classes that empower women to make healthy choices as well as earn needed material items. Call (574) 772-2877 for more information.

Knox Citywide Yard Sale Scheduled for Saturday

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox citywide yard sale is scheduled for this Saturday, May 14th from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No permit is required for that day only. You may participate if you live in the city limits and in the two mile jurisdiction.

The only signs permitted will be those provided by City Hall and those signs are $.50 each. Additional sale dates in conjunction with the citywide sale will require the normal permit and two signs are included in the permit price.

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National Day of Prayer Service Held Thursday in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI
Pastor James Adcock

The Annual National Day of Prayer Service was held yesterday morning at the Knox Community Center. Sponsored by the City of Knox, and Love Inc., over 200 people attended and heard an address by Pastor James Adcock of the Bible Baptist Church.

“The World Day of Prayer is a day of reflection of where our nation is, was and where it’s going,” said Pastor Adcock. “Everything in our nation has come as a result of prayer, from George Washington to our current President, Barack Obama. Everything happens as a result of prayer and I think this is the day we reflect on that.”

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Starke County I.T. Director Makes Modifications to Video Arraignment System at Jail

Posted on Author WKVI
I.T. Director Bob Smith

I.T. Director Bob Smith appeared before the Starke County Commissioners this week. Smith notified the Commissioners that he needed to make some “tweaks” in the Video Arraignment Program and the Starke County Jail monitoring system to make them work more effectively.

“We found out there were a few glitches that was missed, so this is an additional requirement we need to meet for the law that Judge Hall informed me of,” said IT Director, Bob Smith. “We just want to make sure that we are covering everything and getting it up to par.”

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Starke County Commissioners Approve Ordinance Restricting Weapons at Courthouse

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Courthouse

The courthouse is now a weapon-free zone, thanks to the ordinance passed by the Starke County Commissioners at their recent meeting. A public hearing was held regarding the proposed ordinance that would restrict firearms and other weapons at courthouse facilities as well as other public meetings. There was no public comment, and the Commissioners voted to approve the ordinance.

“We’re just trying to protect our court, protect our judge, protect the people who work at the courthouse, and also us,” said Commissioner Dan Bridegroom.

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The Late Almo Smith to be Featured on ‘Ted Hayes Remembers’ Program

Posted on Author WKVI
Almo Smith

On “Ted Hayes Remembers” this week, he’ll feature an interview with the late Almo Smith.

In his days in Knox, Almo Smith worked at the Kingsbury Ordinance Plant, sold insurance, served on the Hospital Board, and was the City Court Judge. He was also one of the founding fathers of WKVI radio. Mr. Smith hired both Harold Welter and Ted Hayes to get the station “off the ground.”

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New Curly Slide Erected in Wythogan Park

Posted on Author WKVI
New curly slide at Wythogan Park

A generation of kids went down the curly slide in Wythogan Park. Now, the old curly slide has gone the way of many rides that have seen “better days.”

A new slide has been erected.

“We bought a brand new swirl slide that will replace the old one that he had installed on August 2nd, 1977,” said Park Superintendent, George Byer. “This one will be a blessing for us. We wanted new playground equipment so this is going to fall right in place.”

Incumbents Re-Elected in City of Knox Primary Election

Posted on Author WKVI
Rick and Marlene Chambers

Knox City Democrats went to the polls yesterday and re-elected Mayor Rick Chambers, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, and City Councilman Ron Parker in the contested races.

Chambers defeated challenger Mark Smith 401-288 in the mayoral race, and at party headquarters, he thanked his supporters.

“It’s been an exciting four years and I’m just humbled by the public coming out and voting and supporting me,” said Chambers. “We’re here to support the public. I’ve got to thank my family. My Mother-in-Law, my kids, everybody else that helped me, and the City workers who have made me look good for the past four years. We’ve got to thank them.”

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Voters Encouraged to Vote Today in City of Knox May Primary Election

Posted on Author WKVI

It’s Primary Election Day! Voters in precincts 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Center Township in Knox are encouraged to vote today and all voting will be done at the Knox Community Center. Polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Starke County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski, received 182 absentee ballots in her office. 123 walk-in ballots, 37 ballots by mail and 22 Travel Board were received. Of those votes 163 were Democratic ballots and 19 were Republican ballots.

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Knox City, North Judson Police Department Statistics for April

Posted on Author WKVI
police badge

Knox City Police Chief, Clint Norem, says the Department handled 396 calls in the month of April, investigated 6 accidents and filed 36 incident reports.

19 people were arrested on 24 traffic charges, 50 people were arrested on 66 criminal charges and 2 people were cited for 2 ordinance violations. There were 7 battery arrests, 10 warrant arrests and 11 drug arrests made in April.

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Bryanne Cavender Wins TV Theme Trivia Contest!

Posted on Author WKVI
Bryanne Cavender and Lenny Dessauer

Bryanne Cavender of Knox was this month’s lucky contest winner!  She won a computer from NWI Technologies for correctly guessing a TV Theme while playing with WKVI’s Lenny Dessauer in the afternoon.  Thank you to NWI Technologies for a fantastic prize to giveaway and thank you, Bryanne, for listening!

Listen for May’s contest, Movie Quotes, an a mini vacation package for one lucky winner!  The contest will begin May 9th.