LaPorte County Residents Encouraged to Sign-up for Rave Alert to Stay Informed

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

LaPorte County public safety officials are excited to announce a new free notification service that can keep residents and travelers informed on potentially hazardous situations involving weather, traffic and emergencies as well as other community events.

The service, Rave Alert, enables individuals to receive timely and useful emergency alerts via voice messages, texts or emails that are delivered directly to their cell phone. They can identify when and how they are alerted and communicated with before, during and after the emergencies.

Rave Alert is a trusted service utilized by several state and local authorities, business and educational institutions. Millions of messages are sent daily that help make first responders and residents better informed during emergency situations. Continue reading →

Public Hearing This Week for LaPorte County Road Construction

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

A public hearing is scheduled for this week to gather input on the proposed U.S. 20 pavement project from a 0.2 mile east of U.S. 421 to a 0.3 mile west of the U.S. 35/State Road 212 interchange in Coolspring and Michigan Township in LaPorte County.

The pavement conditions will be improved in that section of road with the addition of a center turn lane with concrete curb and gutter between Woodland Avenue and Johnson Road. An auxiliary turn lane for westbound traffic will be constructed adjacent to the Evergreen Park Business Center.

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Governor Signs LaPorte County Property Tax Law

Posted on Author WKVI
State Representative Tom Dermody
State Representative Tom Dermody

LaPorte County property owners have a new layer of protections and payment options thanks to a bill authored by Rep. Tom Dermody and signed into law by Gov. Mike Pence. The measure offers flexible repayment options and plans along with incentives to make early or on-time payments. It authorizes the Department of Local Government Finance to delay the payment of tax bills imposed for the March 1, 2012 or Jan. 15, 2013 assessment dates. The bill also creates a 2 percent discount for those who pay their property taxes on time. If payments are delinquent, the bill creates an additional 12 month period before a property is put up for auction. Continue reading →

Snow Keeps State Troopers Busy

Posted on Author WKVI

State troopers from the Indiana State Police Lowell Post are staying busy as a result of the snow that fell overnight into the early morning hours. They responded to 26 property damage crashes, 7 personal injury crashes, 30 slide off’s and 10 calls to assist motorists. The Lowell district includes Starke, Pulaski, LaPorte, Porter, Lake, Newton and Jasper Counties. Motorists are reminded to travel cautiously, as roads remain wet, snow-covered and slushy. Slow down and allow plenty of stopping distance.

 

March Madness Snowstorm Socks Kankakee Valley

Posted on Author WKVI

It’s a whole different kind of March Madness across the Kankakee Valley this morning. Roads are slick and snow-covered after a late season overnight snowstorm. This is making for hazardous travel. If you do have to be out, allow yourself plenty of time to reach your destination, and remember, ice and snow, take it slow. Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, brake early and accelerate slowly. If you see a snow plow, stay back and give it plenty of room to operate. Don’t tailgate or try to pass a plow truck, as the roadway will be clearer behind the plow than in front of it.

You can check road conditions anywhere in the state by visiting www.trafficwise.in.gov or by dialing toll-free 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) for updated Indiana travel information, including road conditions, road closures, construction information and other traffic alerts.

Snow should taper off into flurries by midday, but additional snowfall is expected tonight and into tomorrow before temperatures warm up into the 40s by the middle of the week. Fortunately the snow will not be a factor for schools today, as most school systems within the WKVI listening area are on spring break this week. However, if we receive word of any other weather-related closings or delays we will pass it along on the closings and delays page at www.wkvi.com as well as on the air and on our Facebook page.

 

Toll Road at the 58 Mile Marker in LaPorte County Now Open

Posted on Author WKVI
Truck fire photo provided by Indiana State Police

Both the east and westbound lanes of the Indiana Toll Road were closed down shortly after 1:00 a.m. today due to a fire at the 58 mile marker in LaPorte County. A semi tractor trailer hauling a flammable liquid caught fire in the west bound lane.

At this time, all lanes of the Indiana Toll Road are open.  The lanes were closed close to 12 hours to clean up the area.

Continue reading →

Governor Daniels Signs Bill that Addresses Property Tax Issues in LaPorte County

Posted on Author WKVI

Governor Mitch Daniels recently signed into law a bill amended by Republican State Representative Tom Dermody, of LaPorte, that addresses the ongoing property tax problems in LaPorte County. The bill establishes taxpayer protections, gives incentives to local officials to participate in responsible leadership and gives the LaPorte County Commissioners more control to remedy the situation.

Taxpayers were recently notified they had a limited amount of time to pay property tax bills from 2007. This bill gives the county council the authority to allow taxpayers six months or more to send in their payments or to set up a payment plan. The county will also be prohibited from placing a property on tax sale for at least one year after the payment deadline. For those who can afford to pay immediately, the council will have the option of granting a tax credit of up to two percent of delayed property taxes if the taxes are paid within 30 days.

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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.

LaPorte Woman Killed in Train Accident

Posted on Author WKVI

On Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 11:36 AM, La Porte Police Department officers responded to the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks just east of Pulaski Street in La Porte reference to person being struck by an eastbound train. Upon arrival, officers found that a female victim, age 37, of La Porte had indeed been struck by the train and was deceased.

            A witness, from a distance of approximately 200 yards, saw the woman, who was alone at the time, walking next to the railroad, walk out on the tracks and then sit down facing west toward the eastbound train. The witness could hear a train in the immediate area and then saw the woman get struck by the train. The witness stated that the train was blowing it horn as it approached the area.  Continue reading →

While the Weather Remains Calm, INDOT Prepares for More Winter Weather

Posted on Author WKVI

We’ve enjoyed a few snow free days in this new year, but don’t get too excited. As we all know, Indiana weather can change quickly from one day to the next which means we could see another big snow event at any time.

The Indiana Department of Transportation is ready for the next event as their top priority is snow and ice removal. INDOT uses all available resources to keep roads open, maximize the mobility of the traveling public and help minimize accidents due to winter traveling conditions.

Continue reading →

Charlie Collins and Kris Rannells Give Starke County Commissioners First Responder Report

Posted on Author WKVI
Charlie Collins (L) and Kris Rannells give the Frist Responders report to the Starke County Commissioners

The Starke County Commissioners heard a report on the First Responder Training from Charlie Collins and Kris Rannells. There are now 9 certified first responders since November 15th. All scored over 90% and are operating at this time.

Every fire department in the County now has at least one first responder. The protocols are written and have been approved, according to Rannells.

Continue reading →

Week in Review for December 6th-10th, 2010

Posted on Author WKVI

Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week.

Diana Jedynak, 67, died of fire related injuries after her home caught fire early Monday morning in Washington Township. Indiana State Fire Marshal, Fred Sumpter, said the investigation into the cause of the fire was postponed due to the weather conditions and the integrity of the structure.

Northwest Indiana Forum, Inc.

The Northwest Indiana Forum’s Board of Directors have voted to acknowldge the organization’s service territory to extend beyond Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke Counties to include Newton, Jasper and Pulaski Counties.

Continue reading →

October Statistics from the Indiana State Police, Lowell District

Posted on Author WKVI
ISP Logo

Indiana State Police, at the Lowell District, recently released statistics for the month of October.

Troopers issued 1,410 traffic citations and wrote 3,071 traffic warnings. Troopers also arrested 50 drunk drivers and made 93 criminal arrests. Lowell District includes Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Pulaski and Starke Counties.

The Indiana State Police offers these safety tips for the holiday shopping season: Stay alert and be aware of what’s going on around you. Park in a well-lighted area and be sure to lock your car. Use extra caution when walking to and from your car, preferably with a friend and avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay with a check or credit card whenever possible. If you notice suspicious activity when you are shopping, contact the store’s security department or the nearest police agency.

Unemployment Report Shows Improvement

Posted on Author WKVI

The unemployment report is out for October.  Starke County went down in percentage, but went up in the state ranking.  Starke County went from 11.3% in September to an even 11% in October.  But the County moved from the ninth highest unemployment rate in the state to seventh in October.

Pulaski County and Porter County had the lowest rates in our area. Pulaski came in at 8.0% and Porter was 7.9%.  Marshall was an even 10.0%; La Porte 10.6%; Fulton 9.2%; St. Joseph 10.6% and Jasper was 8.5%.  Since the January report, Starke has dropped from 13.6% for the 11.0%; Pulaski dropped from 10.1% to 8.0% and Marshall dropped from 12.4% to 10.0%.