Students attending Knox Community Schools will have their first official day on Tuesday, August 4th. Prior to that first day back, high school students must obtain their laptops from the school. This can be done during Freshman orientation on July 31st from 8 until 11 am or during back-to-school night on August 3rd from 4 until 6 pm. Orientation pick-up is limited to Freshman students only. Continue reading
WoodStarke Fundraiser Concert Scheduled Saturday
WoodStarke is less than a month away and as event planners prepare for the family-friendly festival in the park, money is still needed in order to rent a center stage for performers to use. In an effort to raise funds, this weekend individuals can get a sneak peak of a few of the bands that will be playing during WoodStarke. Continue reading
Murder Defendant Intends to Testify During Trial
Murder defendant Gary Chavez plans to testify in during his jury trial in Starke Circuit Court. Defense attorney David Welter told Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall this morning that is his client’s intention. Chavez does have the right to change his mind at any time. Continue reading
Doctor to Testify in Chavez Murder Trial
The doctor who did the autopsy on a Portage woman who was found dead at a rural Knox home last June is scheduled to testify today in the murder trial of her accused killer. Gary Chavez is charged with murder in connection with his estranged wife, Kimberly Chavez’, death. He is also charged with kidnapping and carjacking in connection with other incidents that occurred on June 6, 2014. Several police officers and evidence technicians are also on today’s witness list. Continue reading
Knox Street Department to Inspect Alleyway
During their meeting yesterday evening the Knox City Council acted on a request from a citizen that was initially brought to their attention during a meeting earlier this month. At the July 15th meeting, local resident Steven Dodge presented a petition to establish a street on an existing city right-of-way to divert people away from the unofficial alley currently being used on his property at 801 S Bower St. At that meeting Dodge also showed the council research dating back to 1895 that showed a 33-ft-wide street was dedicated there between Portland and Bower streets. Continue reading
Kidnapping Victim Testifies in Chavez Trial
The Knox man who claims he was kidnapped from Mark Bailey’s Discount Center last June by a murder suspect was the first witness to testify in his trial. Gary Chavez is also on trial for kidnapping and carjacking stemming from a June 6, 2014 incident. He’s accused of stabbing his estranged wife, Kimberly Chavez, to death at his rural California Township home, driving to Mark Bailey’s and kidnapping employee Bryant Wagner at gunpoint as he sat in his 2005 Monte Carlo in the store parking lot. Continue reading
Opening Arguments Scheduled Today in Starke County Murder Trial
The state will begin presenting its case today against the Knox man who is accused of killing his estranged wife, kidnapping an employee from Mark Bailey’s Discount Center and stealing a car from a couple in English Lake. Gary Chavez is on trial for murder, kidnapping and carjacking in connection with the June 6, 2014 incidents. His trial started yesterday with jury selection, which took the entire day. Continue reading
Knox City Council to Consider Request to Change Traffic Pattern
The Knox City Council will review a citizen request to encourage traffic to flow just a bit differently.
Murder Trial Starts Today in Starke Circuit Court
The trial for a Knox man accused of killing his estranged wife last June at his rural California Township residence gets under way today with jury selection. Continue reading
Kids Closet Ministry’s Pack-A-Backpack Event is Back!
Starke County students who receive either free or reduced lunch during the school year have a chance to receive a backpack full of free supplies tonight or tomorrow at the North Judson United Methodist Church fellowship hall. Continue reading
Yellowstone Trail Pageant Deadline Approaching
Time is running out to sign-up for the 6th annual Yellowstone Pageant. The deadline to submit your entry form and fee is tomorrow. To qualify for the pageant you must live or attend school in Starke County. The event will be held outdoors, rain or shine, at 1 pm on August 15th in the Starke County Fairgrounds. Continue reading
Kids Closet Receives a Plethora of Supplies for Upcoming Back-to-School Event
Kids Closet Ministry annually provides school supplies to underprivileged children in Starke County with their Pack-a-Backpack event. Community members get the chance to contribute during their school supply drives. This year while Kids Closet was posted outside the Dollar General stores in North Judson and Knox they received an ample amount of supplies from weekend shoppers. However it was the donations from two other local foundations that helped provide the new backpacks for all the donated supplies. Continue reading
Knox Sewer System Requires Expensive Upgrades
The City of Knox wastewater treatment system needs some costly upgrades to address aging infrastructure. Superintendent Kelly Clemons told the board of works this week a sewer main that broke near the White House Motel a few weeks ago is 80 years old. Crews patched it together, but that’s not considered a long-term fix. Continue reading
Historical Marker Commemorates Knox Drugstore Site
A historical marker now stands on the site of one of downtown Knox’s first commercial structures. The Koffel Building at the corner of Main and Lake Streets was completed in 1891, a year before the city’s streets were paved with brick, four years before municipal electrical service was offered and 17 years before city water was available. Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver says drug stores were a vital part of a booming business district.
“Always in the drugstore the fountain was a big thing. From the very beginning there were tables where it was appropriate for the ladies to come in to have coffee, tea or a soft drink or whatever from the fountain. That became quite a social center in the day.” Continue reading
Back-To-School Fair Showcases New HealthLinc Location
The month of July is coming to a close and we all know what that means, the start of school season is upon us. Some students are returning to school as early as the first week of August. The start of the school year can be just as stressful for parents as it is for kids. There are so many things to attend to, registration, breaking summer sleeping habits, obtaining supplies and then of course, there are the required inoculations and physicals. Luckily, HealthLinc is offering an easy way to check some of those things off your to-do-list while simultaneously having a fun time with the whole family. Continue reading
Wet Summer Creates Work for Knox Street Department
The Knox Street Department is trying to keep up with the mosquito population as a result of continued rains. Superintendent Jeff Borg advised the board of works he sprayed extensively Monday night and did some spot spraying last week. Continue reading
Knox Elementary Art Program Will Continue
Students in the Knox Elementary School will enjoy art classes in the 2015-16 school year, after a Tuesday clarification of Monday night’s school board vote in a reduction in force recommendation. If approved, art instruction would have been moved to the classroom. Continue reading
Stabbing Suspect Pleads Guilty to Battery Charge, Sentenced
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The Knox man accused of critically stabbing another man during a melee at a home in Parkview Heights last November was sentenced yesterday in Starke Circuit Court. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Accept Roofing, Mowing Bids
The Starke County Commissioners have hired a Knox contractor to fix what is described as a “serious leaky roof” at the county’s storage warehouse. Continue reading
Judge Accepts Pleas, Sentences Three Defendants
Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall yesterday accepted plea agreements and sentenced three defendants. Dakota Rousch, 19, of Knox, was sentenced to two years in prison for attempted theft, two years in prison for assisting a criminal and two years in prison for residential entry. The sentences are to run consecutively, for a total of six years, with no time suspended. That sentence can be served on work release through Pulaski County. Continue reading
