Knox High School Freshman Sponsors Service Project

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox High School Freshman, Taylor Kemble, is sponsoring another service project.

“I’m having my fourth annual rummage sale,” Taylor announced. “It will be at the Knox United Methodist Church and it will be this Saturday, April 2nd fro 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All proceeds will be used to buy backpacks for school children in Knox, and Oregon-Davis and North Judson elementary schools. All items will be $.50 unless otherwise marked and I will also be taking donations this year and they will be accepted March 31st and April 1st at the Knox United Methodist Church from 3:30-5:30 p.m.”

Taylor is asking that items be taken to the Knox United Methodist Church from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

“I will take any item,” she said. “I have a loft bed that I’m hopefully going to be able to sell. I will accept any items. I actually had an exercise bike donated one year.”

Taylor has sponsored projects that have had national recognition. She was honored by then-First Lady Laura Bush. For more information on Taylor’s annual service project, call 772-7746.

Lisa Owens Story to Continue Tonight on Oprah Winfrey Network

Posted on Author WKVI
Lisa Owens

“Breaking Down the Bars” continues tonight on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Now in work release, Amanda gets busted for spending time with her new boyfriend, Tiffany buckles under the pressures of motherhood after coming home and Lisa Owens has a dramatic face-to-face meeting with her slain husband’s step mother. All of those elements will be featured during tonight’s program which will air at 8:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. ET on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Two Knox Residents Arrested after Children Found at Home with No Adult Supervision

Posted on Author WKVI
Daniel Pastorcik

Two Knox residents were arrested Friday after police found that two children were left in their apartment with no adult supervision.

Tiffany Pastorcik

According to the Knox City Police report, a small five year old child was found by Roosevelt Road in Knox by a neighbor. She called police where she said she found the boy crying looking for his mother. The child led police to the apartment where he lives on Ruthie Drive. Police found the home to be a mess and another small child was in the residence with no adult supervision. Police called CPS and left the premises after they arrived. Police found Daniel Pastorcik, the children’s father, driving in his vehicle that began traveling at a high rate of speed. Police conducted a traffic stop and called in the K9 unit to assist. The K9 indicated on the presence of narcotics in the passenger seat.

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JW Hicks Presents Expansion Plans to Knox City Council

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

James Hicks, accompanied by his son Brian, Josh Deal and Starke County Economic Development Foundation Director, Charles Weaver, attended the Knox City Council meeting Tuesday night. Hicks, the owner of JW Hicks, Inc., which includes a plant in Knox, came before the Council to announce plans for a 110,000 square foot addition to the Knox facility. Continue reading →

Public Testing of Voting Machines Scheduled for Tuesday

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Election Board is gearing up for its first election with the consolidation of four precincts into one this spring.  Center one, two, three and four precincts will all vote in the Knox Community Center.

Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. CT, the public will be able to test the voting machines.  The testing will be done on the first floor of the Courthouse.

Following the testing, the Election Board will meet.  The Board will discuss the amendment of a resolution regarding the relocation of the precincts and the number of poll workers.

City of Knox to Offer 50/50 Sidewalk Program this Summer

Posted on Author WKVI

The City of Knox will be participating in the residential and business sidewalk replacement program again this year and residents and business owners are encouraged to get in their applications as soon as possible.

The City will pay 50% of the cost of material and labor for sidewalk replacement on a first come, first served basis and as monies are available to support the program. The Street Superintendent will measure and inspect the request and approve or disapprove the work order. After a bid is awarded to a contractor, the property owner will be notified of the cost and must pay 50% to the City before construction can begin. If not, the project will be placed on the bottom of the work schedule.

Applications may be picked up at City Hall and they must be dated and received by Thursday, April 21st.

Knox City Council Receives One Appraisal on Dean Wells’ Property; State Requires Two

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council (L to R) Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg, Ron Parker, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Mayor Rick Chambers, Attorney David Matsey, Ed Blue and Greg Matt

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers told the Knox City Council this week that the first appraisal on the Dean Wells property across from City Hall has been received.

“It was appraised at $110,000 and where do you want to go from here?” Mayor Chambers asked the Council. “We need two appraisals, that’s required by the State. We can offer the average of the two. I have another appraiser lined up, so if we want to continue with this, we need a motion to obtain a second appraisal.”

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Jerry Johnson will Never Forget Playing Against Lew Alcinder in the 1969 NCAA Championship Game

Posted on Author WKVI
Jerry Johnson guards Lew Alcinder in the 1969 NCAA championship game. Indy Star file photo

“Coach, I just stood by this guy he must be at least 7 feet, 4 inches tall.” That’s what Jerry Johnson said to Head Coach, George King, in the huddle before Purdue met UCLA in the final game of the 1969 NCAA basketball tournament.

Ted Hayes remembers

“I’m 6-10 and he towers over me,” Johnson said.

“Don’t worry about it Jerry,” King replied. “We’re just counting on you to hold him under 33 points.”

Jerry tried and he did pretty well. Kareem Abdul Jabbar, known in those days as Lew Alcinder, only scored 37 against Johnson.

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Knox North-Side Warning Siren to be Repaired

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

The Knox City Council received disturbing news this week. The emergency sirens that alert residents in the north side of the city do not work.

“The board that operates that siren got hit by lightning at some point in time this summer and we didn’t know it until they did a test this past week and the siren did not go off,” said Knox Mayor, Rick Chambers. “Clint got the radio repairman over here to look at that and he showed us the board that is burned up. The board is $2,700 which is a big enough problem in itself, but by the end of 2012, all the frequencies are going to change. The frequency that operates that siren will no longer be allowed and we could put in the new frequency now, but the County is still operating on the old frequency. Until they update, we can’t update.”

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Jerry Johnson Talks of His Memories of John Wooden on ‘Ted Hayes Remembers’

Posted on Author WKVI
John Wooden

How would you like to sit and have pizza with the greatest college basketball coach ever? Well Ted Hayes’ guest on tomorrow’s “Ted Hayes Remembers” program got to do that a few years ago. Jerry Johnson, who played basketball at Purdue, got to enjoy listening to “The Master”, Johnny Wooden, at banquets and once over pizza. Jerry said it was a thrill.

“I had many occasions in his later years to go down and listen to him at least four times and give speeches at different banquets for basketball, or for different things,” said Johnson. “He was a super gentlemen. He was getting pretty frail, but when we got done with what he was doing, he met us at Brunos for pizza and he had his secretary friend with him who took good care of him. He was a nice gentleman and just an unbelievably astute player, mentor, coach and teacher.”

Jerry Johnson and Ted will talk basketball this Friday on “Ted Hayes Remembers” at 12:20 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. CT.

Knox City Police Department Officers Alert for Mobile Meth Labs during Traffic Stops

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Police Chief Clint Norem

Elkhart police were hospitalized after they found a mobile meth lab in a vehicle and inhaled the chemicals that are used in the manufacture of the drug. WKVI talked with Knox City Police Chief, Clint Norem, and he said that officers don’t know what they’re going to come up against when they conduct a traffic stop:

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Jerry Johnson to Talk Basketball on ‘Ted Hayes Remembers’

Posted on Author WKVI
1969 Purdue Basketball Team. Jerry Johnson is the third person in the second row

How many people live next door to a person who started in an NCAA Final Basketball game? Ted Hayes does.

Jerry Johnson will be Ted’s guest this Friday on “Ted Hayes Remembers”.

Back in 1969, the Purdue Boilermakers, winners of the Big 10 Conference, were seeded into the NCAA tournament. Although they were not expected to win, the Boilers ended up in the final game against John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins.

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Jerry Johnson to be Featured on ‘Ted Hayes Remembers’ This Friday

Posted on Author WKVI

It was on this date in 1969 that UCLA beat Purdue in the final game of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.

Jerry Johnson of Knox started in that game going up against Lew Alcinder, who eventually became Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Jerry Johnson will be Ted Hayes’ guest on “Ted Hayes Remembers” this Friday at 12:20 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. CT.

Too bad Jerry won’t be able to cheer, cheer, for old Purdue during the program as the Boilermakers stumbled against VCU Sunday evening.

City of Knox, MPI, Working to Properly Treat Chemicals at Knox Wastewater Treatment Facility

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Wastewater Treatment Plant

Mayor Rick Chambers updated the Knox City Council members on the possible resumption of water discharge from the Indiana Fine Blanking (MPI) Plant in Knox into the City Wastewater Treatment Plant.

MPI has to treat the metals it produces so no rust will appear on the finished product. A soap is used in the water treatment to clean the metal. When it was discharged into the Knox Wastewater Treatment Plant, it was interfering with the plant’s equipment. According to Wastewater Superintendent, Kelly Clemons, the size of the plant and its equipment made it impossible to handle the discharge.

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Pastor Tim Miller Visits with Ted Hayes on ‘Ted Hayes Remembers’ Today

Posted on Author WKVI
Pastor Tim Miller

TED HAYES REMEMBERS 3-18

Pastor Tim Miller is going to be the guest today on “Ted Hayes Remembers”. Pastor Miller will be leaving Our Redeemer Lutheran Church after a quarter century in the pulpit.

Our Redeemer was known at one time for the number of Junior and Senior High School students. But in recent years there’s been a drop in those numbers.

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Knox City Police Department Offers Tip Line

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox City Police Department is offering an anonymous tip line to give residents the opportunity to call in crime tips for police.

According to City Police Chief Clint Norem, when you call the Police Department at (574) 772-4122, you will have an option to speak to an on-duty officer, leave a message for an officer, or leave an anonymous tip. Chief Norem said residents who choose the anonymous tip line can leave a message about drug activity, break-ins, thefts, burglaries, or information on individuals wanted on warrants, and an officer will follow through with an investigation.

‘Ted Hayes Remembers’ Program to Feature Pastor Tim Miller

Posted on Author WKVI
Pastor Miller and his family on Installation Day at Our Redeemer in 1986

Recently we announced that Pastor Tim Miller of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Knox will be relocating in April to the Clear Lake Lutheran Church in Fremont, Indiana. Pastor Miller has served Our Redeemer, and its congregation, for 25 years which is longer than any other recent mainline pastor.

In an interview with Ted Hayes this week, it was noted that Pastor Miller will be missed when the festival season gears up this summer. That’s because under his guidance, Our Redeemer received its share of award winning float entries over the years.

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Former Knox Resident Living in Japan Not Harmed in Earthquake

Posted on Author WKVI
Peggy Ikeda

A former Knox resident who has taught in Japan for a number of years is reported to be “safe and sound.” Peggy Ikeda, daughter of Kiyoko and the late Giichi Ikeda, emailed her sister, Dr. Katherine Kamrath, that there was none of the devastation where she lives.

Peggy is a 1969 graduate of Knox High School. She lives and teaches in Kanazawa, Japan, which is on the western side of the island.

As a side bar to this story, Dr. Kamrath reports that her mother, Kiyoko, is in an assisted living complex near her home in Lafayette, California.

Kiyoko (or Kee-oh as she was known to everyone in Knox) was a former Starke County elected official before retiring to the west coast to be near her daughter and family.

‘Breaking Down the Bars’, Featuring Lisa Owens, Continues Tonight

Posted on Author WKVI
Lisa Owens

The second segment of the Lisa Owens story on the “Breaking Down the Bars” program will be broadcast tonight at 8:00 p.m. on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Owens was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for the shooting death of her husband, Jeff.

In the first segment, Owens met with her sister and they discussed the future after her release from the Rockville Correctional Facility.

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