Grant Match Approved for Proposed Water Project in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council discussed a grant match amount for the proposed water project.

The project will replace outdated galvanized lines and repair pressure issues to fire hydrants. Water Superintendent Todd Gardner told the Board of Public Works recently that the section of line around brown circle on Delamatyr and Fisher and Adam will be replaced. The other part of the project would extend lines to Mound Street and Myrtle Court. Washington Street and Allen Drive would also be involved.  The project may also include an extension of lines from Williams Street to John Street.

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Rural Knox Resident Airlifted After Severe Accident in Valpo

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Police in Valparaiso were called to the scene of an accident Saturday morning that saw the driver airlifted from the scene.

The incident occurred just before 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of State Road 49 and County Road 500 North. According to the Police Department, 22-year-old John Binkowski of rural Knox was stopped at a red light when an oncoming semi-tractor trailer allegedly disregarded to the signal.
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Knox High School Students Gathering Donations for Serenity Garden

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Engraved name bricks are still for sale to be placed in the Serenity Garden in downtown Knox.

Serenity Garden is a project Knox High School students are eager to start once the weather is nice. The idea behind the project is to beautify an area where an older building was demolished some years ago. A gazebo is planned for construction and benches will be set up in the garden as well.

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North Bend Polling Site to get Upgrade

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Improvements will be done to the North Bend Township polling location thanks to a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant.

According to Starke County Clerk Vicki Cooley, the county was awarded the grant worth $24,459.35. The money will be used to upgrade the handicapped accessibility at that site. The improvements will be done this spring. Proposals for the work will be taken soon.

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Students Report to Knox School Board about Unique Experience

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A new experience for 8th grade Language Arts students was reported on the Spotlight on Success agenda item at the recent Knox School Board meeting.

Mrs. Cotto arranged for her students to speak by live video with a survivor of the Nazi holocaust. The elderly survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp told of hiding in the countryside with other teenagers only to be arrested and confined. He told them he knew Ann Frank, whose similar WWII experiences have been documented in a book, on stage and in a movie.

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Knox School Board Approves New Computer Plan

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox-School-Board-2014Knox School Superintendent A.J. Gappa discussed with school board members recently a plan to provide students and teachers with new personal computers for the school’s completed four-year one-to-one computer program. The warranties are expiring on the current computers. He reported the cost for the next four years may be less than the last four years.

He said students who have had personal use of computers leave high school with technical knowledge that translates into many areas of life and they are better prepared for a college education.

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Starke County Highway Department Adds Four-Way Stop

Posted on Author WKVI

4-way_stop_signStarke County has a new four-way stop. County highway crews added stop signs at all four corners of the intersection of 350 South and 200 East this week. Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler says they’ve also installed “new traffic pattern ahead” signs about 200 feet before the four approaches as well. The additional stop signs were added after a Purdue University engineering study found a need for a four-way stop due to safety concerns and traffic counts.

Knox Community School Board Approves School Calendar

Posted on Author WKVI

CalendarThe 2015-2016 Knox Community School Corporation balanced calendar was approved by the School Board this week.

Classes will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The last student day will be June 1. Commencement is scheduled for June 10.

The new calendar includes a number of extended vacation periods. The first occurs in October, fall break, from the 19th to the 23rd. A three-day Thanksgiving break is scheduled November 25-27.

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ISTEP Testing Delayed at Knox Schools

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The icy conditions yesterday, causing cancellation of a school day, also delayed the start of ISTEP testing in the Knox Middle School. Testing there was scheduled to start Tuesday.

At Monday’s meeting of the Knox School Board, Superintendent A.J. Gappa reviewed the constant changes in the ISTEP provisions by the State. In a visual presentation, he compared last year’s testing plan with the current year.

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Local Students Compete In Auto Skills Contest

Posted on Author WKVI

SCILLSeveral students from a local career center were able to test their skills after participating in a regional auto competition.

It was the first time participating in the SkillsUSA Regional Auto Service competition for four of the students. They attend the Starke County Initiative for Lifelong Learning – which partners students, educators, and industry to enhance workforce skills.
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Local Authorities Not Participating In Operation Pullover

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A federally funded program that allows law enforcement officers to work additional hours will not be in use in Starke County this year.

Operation Pull Over is designed to target areas that are considered problematic by enforcing traffic laws and seatbelt violations more aggressively. The Knox City Police Department oversaw the program’s operation last year in conjunction with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department.
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Knox City Police Chief Gives Updates on Staffing, Jail Tour

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox City Police Chief Clint Norem
Knox City Police Chief Clint Norem

The Knox City Police Department is working hard to cover shifts. One full-time officer is out on medical leave, and others have been out sick. Only two part-time officers are on the roster while a third is on medical leave, and it’s not known when that officer will return. Chief Clint Norem said other departments have offered to step up to assist the department.

Chief Norem also recently told the Board of Public Works that officer Eric Vanderhoff will be on his way to the police academy on March 9 and will be gone until July.

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Neighboring Business Hope They’re Unaffected By Child Porn Arrest

Posted on Author WKVI
Robert Wisilinski
Robert Wisilinski

Neighboring businesses are commenting on an alleged incident that landed a Knox man in jail on Child Molesting and other counts.

According to police, 67-year-old Robert Wisilinski was arrested after a couple of missing juvenile calls led officers to his Heaton Street address. After refusing to answer the door, Wisilinski was spotted exiting the home with one of the missing juveniles.
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Knox Water Department Dealing with Frozen Water Meters

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Knox Water Department has been dealing with frozen water meters this winter, although the number of meters changed has not reached last year’s totals.

Superintendent Todd Gardner told the Board of Public Works this week that freeze plates break when temperatures are cold, and Gardner stocked up after last year’s cold winter. He said crews typically will repair 15 to 20 freeze plates, but last year the number shot up to 120.

“They’re plastic. They’re meant to break so they don’t break the brass meters. We take them apart and clean them up and put them back together,” said Gardner.

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