Be a Santa to a Senior this Year

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

This holiday season, Home Instead Senior Care is giving you the unique opportunity to be Santa to elderly individuals who may otherwise go without gifts.

The ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ initiative intends to bring holiday cheer into the lives of local senior citizens who may not have family around this time of the year. If you bring in a donation to the Plymouth or LaPorte locations today around 10 a.m. ET, you will have a chance to enjoy some soup and chili thanks to Home Instead Senior Care staff.

Some gift suggestions include hats, scarves and gloves as well as blankets, robes socks and slippers. Some other potential present ideas are stationery, pens, stamps, puzzles, word searches and playing cards. Monetary donations may also be made to help cover the cost of big ticket items.

The deadline for drop-offs has been extended; donations will now be accepted through December 18th. Continue reading →

Senator Donnelly to Talk Future Farm Bill at Ancilla Tomorrow

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Photo: Lauren Chapman – Indiana Public Media

This Friday, Senator Joe Donnelly will hold a farm bill listening session beginning in Cana Hall on the Ancilla College campus.

Senator Donnelly is a member of the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. The current farm bill is scheduled to expire next year so Donnelly is seeking public input about agricultural matters, specifically farm policy issues that are integral to consider when the new farm bill is being written. Continue reading →

Knox Marching Band One of Four Local Schools Heading to ISSMA Semi-State Competition

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Four local high school marching bands will be heading down to Indianapolis tomorrow for the Indiana State School Music Association Open Class Semi-State Marching Band Festival. Students from Bremen, John Glenn, Knox and Plymouth will join 80 other bands from around the state competing to be chosen as one of the 10 bands who will represent their class at the 45th Annual Indiana State Marching Band Finals.

As the sole band representing Starke County, the Knox Band Boosters are asking community members and business owners to put up signs or decorate their windows today to show support for these students. Booster Sandra Redden said the marching band members sacrificed every Saturday since the start of the school year, not to mention band camp during the summer.

She said, in all they have dedicated more than 200 hours of practice to their show entitled Pi 3.14. Friends and family as well as faculty and former band members are encouraged to come out and line Redskin Trail to see the band members off and wish them luck at their performance tomorrow. Continue reading →

Here/Hear is Bringing Their Mental Illness and Mental Health Initiative to Ancilla College

Posted on Author Jacque Ryan

Here/Hear is a nonprofit organization, based out of Plymouth, which works with a number of initiatives in order to help with mental illness. This week, the director of the organization Dr. Nate Crawford will be delivering his lecture, “Taking Care of Me: Tips for Living Well” as a part of The Lampen Lecture series at Ancilla College.

The Lampen Lecture series was named for Ancilla’s first president Sr. Joel Lampen and though it is sponsored by the college and the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, residents of surrounding communities are encouraged to attend the free lecture series any time.

On Thursday, October 19th Dr. Crawford will be speaking in Cana Hall at 12:45 p.m. (EDT). His organization creates content for the web that helps people navigate the issues surrounding mental illness and they speak with students and parents about the affliction. Their mission statement says that they believe music and the arts provide a great way to engage people in conversations about mental illness and mental health.

Lead Contamination Concerns Affect Armories

Posted on Author WKVI

Indiana National GuardThe Indiana National Guard is working to clear lead dust contamination from armories across the state. It’s residue from old indoor firing ranges and other uses of the buildings.

The issue was identified during required periodical industrial health surveys. Indiana National Guard officials are currently performing follow-up testing, analysis and remediation of all armories as necessary. Public access may be limited until they can meet strict federal surface dust level standards.   Continue reading →

Plymouth Man Jailed in Starke County Robbery, Beating

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Sheriff's Department BadgeA Plymouth man faces a pair of felony offenses in Starke County following the recent robbery and beating of an elderly Knox man. An officer from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office was called to the IU Health Starke Hospital emergency room Wednesday, Oct. 7 after Sisco Wireman was brought in after an apparent assault. The people who drove him to the hospital said a fight had taken place at a home in the 100 block of East 500 South. Continue reading →