Starke County postal patrons did their part to “stamp out hunger” during a recent U.S. Postal Service food drive. Donations placed next to mail boxes on Saturday, May 9 were picked up by mail carriers and given to the Community Services of Starke County food pantry. Executive Director Joan Haugh says they got 1,739 pounds of food. The Knox Post Office collected 1,230 pounds of food; North Judson picked up 475 pounds, and the Hamlet Post Office delivered 34 pounds of food.
Members of the Knox VFW Post 748 Ladies Auxiliary are raising awareness of and money for local wounded warriors over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Proceeds from a Sunday morning pancake breakfast at the post from 7 until 11 a.m. will benefit soldiers injured in the line of duty. After breakfast a 24-hour watch will begin outside the post. It will wrap up with a program Monday morning.
A not guilty verdict was delivered following a one-day trial in Starke Circuit Court.
The defendant, Suly Hayman, 29, of Knox was accused of felony battery in an incident stemming from November 2013. The state called four witnesses while the defense called three witnesses, including the defendant. The trial took place on Wednesday.
Six jurors heard testimony in the case.
Starke County’s newest restaurant is in a rather unlikely location. Bistro 35 is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner at IU Health Starke Hospital. The first floor eatery is run by the food and nutrition department at the facility.
Food and nutrition services manager Laura Boyd says it’s a great place to get a quick grab-and-go lunch or sneak away from the office for a break. Wi-fi is available. Continue reading
The Starke County Park Board last night voted to draft a letter to the current lessee of the Beach and Campground at Bass Lake setting forth certain repairs and maintenance to safety and health hazards that must be completed within 30 days. The letter will also set forth that a plan of repair and replacement be developed and established for other equipment and buildings. Continue reading
Knox High School’s 112 senior candidates for graduation will complete their high school careers in services at the Weinberg Gymnasium, Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m. Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff also reported to the Knox School Board Monday that seniors will receive their earned honors in a Friday morning program, the 22nd, at the High School gymnasium. The public is invited to the 8:15 a.m. activity. Continue reading
The murder trial for a Knox man accused of beating his estranged wife to death at their rural California Township home last June is still on schedule for late July. Gary Chavez was scheduled to stand trial last month, but the proceeding was canceled at the last minute due to what a jail physician deemed an urgent surgical procedure. Continue reading
A Knox man received a sentence of five years on home detention after pleading guilty to charges in two different cases in Starke Circuit Court.
Nathaniel Furlong admitted to a probation violation and was sentenced to four years in the Indiana Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended. He was permitted to serve his sentence on home detention with electronic monitoring with Starke County Community Corrections.
The facility is not being fully used, presenting an opportunity to fundraise for a good cause.
Starke County Relay for Life will be hosting an event on May 21st that mimics being jailed. Individuals can surrender themselves at the new Starke County Jail on that date, or issue a “warrant” for someone’s “arrest.”
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The Starke County Commissioners should have a better idea how much repairs to the courthouse will cost after their meeting tonight. They’ve asked for quotes on tuckpointing the brick in order to set a budget for the work. Fixing the masonry is one of several repairs that need to be made to the historic structure. Wiring needs to be upgraded, and the roof needs to be fixed as well. Continue reading
The City of Knox will be accepting bids for a bit of street repair work in the coming months.
The Board of Public Works says it take the sealed bids for construction until June 8th. The bids will be reviewed by the board at a later date.
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Knox High School students will continue work on the Serenity Garden project today. The downtown Knox beautification project is on the north side of the intersection of Main Street and Lake Street.
Benches were installed last Saturday, and the concrete was poured to serve as the base of a gazebo. The gazebo will be constructed using split block, concrete, and wood rafters. It nearly mimics the structure at the Eagle Creek Community Church. A red metal roof will top the gazebo. The labor was donated for the concrete work. Additional labor is donated for other aspects of this specific project.
Criminal charges could be filed against the owner of several horses found loose on Wednesday. Continue reading
Individuals afflicted with sexually transmitted diseases will have an opportunity to be screened for symptoms of the disease, Monday.
The Starke County Health Department will be hosting AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist. The group is based out of South Bend through the Methodist Church and works to educate the public about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
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Car lovers of all ages will have an opportunity to view a bit of craftsmanship this weekend in Knox.
The Starke County Initiative for Lifelong Learning is hosting its Auto Tech Car Show on Saturday. The SCILL partnership focuses on workforce development in the local area.
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A Knox man who is a suspected cook in a methamphetamine investigation was captured by Starke County Sheriff’s Deputies on Tuesday night.
Starke County police say James Messer, 34, of Knox was found crouched down in a wooded area behind a pole barn in the area of 200 South and Toto Road after a resident reported trespassers on the property. Messer was sought by police after a meth lab, precursors and other items associated with the manufacture of meth were reportedly found inside his home last week. Messer was with Robert Moe, 22, of Culver at the time of this incident. Moe is wanted on methamphetamine charges, according to the news release.
The Knox City Council reviewed the newly completed comprehensive plan during their meeting on Tuesday night.
The members commented that a lot of hard work was put into the committee meetings to come up with a vision for the city in the next five years. The comprehensive plan contains needs and wishes of members of the city that includes downtown projects, improvements to Main Street, the addition of signs and other features on South Main Street, beautifying the area around the schools and Sandy Acres Park, and an improvement to the Parkview area. Also included in the plan is an infrastructure and utility extension from Main Street to County Road 200 South.
Members of the public are invited to the grand opening and building dedication of the new Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center on State Road 8 at 550 East, east of Knox. Festivities will take place Friday, May 22. After the formal program and memorial garden ceremony at noon, tours of the state-of-the-art facility will be offered. Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin and his command staff will be on hand to answer questions, and food will be served until 4 p.m. Continue reading
