North Judson Town Council Meets Tonight at 6:30 p.m.

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

North Judson Town Council members will hold a discussion over railroad committee bylaws when they meet tonight.

Additionally, members will appoint a member to the Public Library Board and consider a resolution to transfer funds.

Department heads will also provide reports to the council members. Town Marshal Kelly Fisher will deliver an update about the fundraisers that have been put in place since she presented a proposal about bringing on a dual-purpose K9 to the North Judson Police Department at the last town council meeting Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Considers Proposal to Add K-9 Officer to NJ’s Full-Time Police Force

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Town Marshal Kelly Fisher presented a request to purchase a dual-purpose K-9 officer during Monday night’s North Judson Town Council meeting.

Fisher addressed the fact that one of their part-time officers, Scott Beishuizen, does have a K-9 but she feels having one on the full-time force would be advantageous.  She explained that after conducting some research, she found that the Peru-based organization Vohne Liche Kennels has the best available training program. She also mentioned that Vohne Liche dogs are less likely to be involved in law suits due to the level of training they have. She presented council members with booklets detailing what the organization offers.

Fisher said, “The course teaches the K-9 and the handler the proper techniques to be a successful team and what we what we thought would fit best and what would give us the most for our money would be to get a dual-purpose K-9.” Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Approves Recommendation for Fourth Full-Time Officer

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan
Chief Deputy Frank Thomas, Police Chief Kelly Fisher, James Dulin & Officer Rico Simpson (photo provided by Peggy Bohac)

Town Marshal Kelly Fisher recommended appointing James Dulin to the open position at the North Judson Police Department during last night’s North Judson Town Council meeting.

According to Fisher, the hiring process included a physical agility test that was structured after academy exit standards, a written exam and point-based interviews conducted by a seven person panel.

The panel included all three full-time officers with the NJ PD, a retired resident with past law-enforcement experience, a former Chief Deputy, a current officer with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Councilman John Rowe as the town council’s liaison. Continue reading →

North Judson Town Council Meets Tonight

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Town Council will receive a presentation from Larry Wickert, Board President of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, when they meet tonight.

The council members will revisit their discussion of town employee health insurance renewal.At their last meeting, their insurance broker John Howard presented them with a packet that they agreed to review and further discuss at tonight’s meeting.

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North Judson Police Department Finds Fourth Full-Time Officer

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Police Department has been in the process of finding an additional officer to complete their force.

Back in September, North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher told Town Council members that her department was searching for a fourth full-time officer.

For the time being, the full-time positions are filled by Fisher and Officer Frank Thomas and Officer Rico Simpson. She stated that she was proud of the work done by everyone in the department, but the addition of another full-time officer would help everything fall into place. Continue reading →

Starke County Law-Enforcement Agencies Join State-Wide Initiative

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

For the first time in awhile, the law-enforcement agencies of Starke County are joining the state-wide Operation Pull Over campaign. The initiative started on Friday and will run through December 3rd. During this time, there will be increased patrols where officers will be on the look out for motorists violating the seat belt and impaired driving laws.

North Judson Town Marshall Kelly Fisher said her officers will be joining members of the Hamlet and Knox Police Departments as well as the Starke County Sheriff’s Office with the operation. She said it’s important to have this blitz at this time of the year since more people are out on the road visiting friends and family for the holidays.

One bit of advice she had for motorists was to have a designated driver if they plan to be attending a party where they’ll be drinking. She explained the procedure of what happens when an officer has probable cause to pull a vehicle over for driving under the influence. Continue reading →

Starke County Police Agencies to Participate in Operation Pull Over Campaign

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

All four police agencies in Starke County will participate in the upcoming Operation Pull Over Campaign.

Chad Dulin is the coordinator for the Starke County effort. He told the Knox Board of Public Works members Wednesday morning that Starke County is getting 100 hours from the St. Joseph County’s Sheriff’s Department’s enforcement effort to participate in the campaign. Dulin said the county hasn’t been a part of an Operation Pullover campaign for some time and this is a way to get back into the program. Continue reading →

North Judson Man Arrested on Arson Charge

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

A North Judson man is currently being held at the Starke County Jail on a preliminary charge of arson, a Level 4 felony, after he allegedly confessed to starting a fire at the old Craven’s factory back in September.

According to information disclosed by Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin, on Monday, October 23rd detectives with the Starke County Sheriff’s Office were in the process of conducting interviews with possible suspect(s) about numerous burglaries within the county.

During questioning, 19-year-old Jacob Carter allegeldy confessed to starting a fire at a building in North Judson. Carter reportedly admitted to lighting a fire which led to a large pile of tires burning, according to the release. Continue reading →

Red Ribbon Week Starts Today

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

According to National Family Partnership, children of parents who talk to their teens about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those who don’t, yet only a quarter of teens report having these conversations. Today kicks off the start of Red Ribbon Week, a campaign that aims to educate youth about the dangers of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and to promote prevention.

From October 23rd through the 31st, educators, parents and citizens are encouraged to look at the ways they can help stomp out drug and alcohol abuse in our communities. Since it’s inception in the 1980s, the Red Ribbon program has helped educate millions around the world. Continue reading →

Wanted Starke County Man in Custody

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
James Watts

A Starke County man was taken into custody Saturday after Knox City Police officers received a tip on his location.

According to Knox City Police Chief Harold Smith, officers went to a home in the 400 block of W. Lewis Drive in Knox after confirming that James Watts had several outstanding warrants in Starke County and Marshall County.

Police say Watts fled to the back of the home when officers initially made contact with him. Starke County Sheriff’s K9 Zardoz was deployed into the residence. In a search of the home, K9 Zardoz located Watts who was reportedly hiding in a crawl space. According to police, Watts initially attempted to fight with the K9 and was bitten. Watts was then placed into custody.

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Local Police Departments & K-9 Officers Join Forces for High School Sweep

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Police Department’s K-9 officer, Gunner, was re-certified last week according to North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher. She mentioned his re-certification during her department report during the North Judson Town Council meeting on Monday night.

She also informed the council that on September 29th, three police departments joined forces to conduct a sweep through the North Judson High School building and parking lot to see if any drugs or other illegal substances were on the property.

Fisher said the North Judson Police Department’s reserve officer Scott Beishuizen was on the scene with his K-9, Gunner. The Hobart Police Department’s Matt Dasel assisted with their K-9, Jack and Knox City Police Officer Chad Dulin had K-9 O’Neill there to help as well. Continue reading →

North Judson Police Department Seeks Fourth Full-Time Officer

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

The North Judson Police Department is accepting applications for a new officer now through October 11th. Town Marshall Kelly Fisher addressed the Town Council Monday night, saying the department is looking to complete their force with a fourth officer.

Currently the full-time force consists of Fisher and Officer Frank Thomas and Officer Rico Simpson. Fisher said she is very proud of the work being done by the full-time and part-time officers but an additional full-time position would allow everything to fall into place. Continue reading →

Investigators Looking into Counterfeit Bills

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Several counterfeit $100 bills are being analyzed after they were used to pay for items at different businesses in North Judson.

North Judson Town Marshal Kelly Fisher was called to a bank in town where several businesses reportedly deposited the counterfeit money from daily transactions. According to police, the bills were tested with markers no sign of deception. Police say they were still found to be counterfeit.

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Police Seeking Information in North Judson Church Burglary

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
 

Officers from the North Judson Police Department are investigating a burglary that occurred at the St. Peter Lutheran Church on Talmer Avenue.

Police say the incident happened during the overnight hours of Sunday, Aug. 6. While police initially thought a broken window was the entry point into the church, they learned that the suspects entered the building in a different manner.

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Monterey Deaths Under Investigation with Sheriff’s Department

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
 

Detectives and officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the deaths of two Monterey residents.

According to Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin, a caller notified police around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, June 17 that there was a cause for concern when a co-worker did not check in for work that day. The responding officer arrived at the home and talked to a family member who told the officer that two people were deceased inside the residence. The responding officer entered victim’s residence at 8893 S. Elm Street in Monterey where two people were found dead.

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Indiana State Police to Investigate Shooting in Starke, La Porte Counties

Posted on Author Anita Goodan
 

Troopers from the Indiana State Police will be taking over the investigation of a shooting incident Thursday afternoon that started in North Judson and ended in La Porte County.

According to police, at about 4:05 p.m., a North Judson police officer recognized the driver of a vehicle who was wanted on a warrant. The officer conducted a traffic stop on State Road 10 by the CVS Pharmacy where the driver allegedly gave the officer false information. Police say the driver then fled from the scene.

Continue reading →