The Starke County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Hub Coalition Starke County, is teaming up with the Drug Enforcement Administration for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, April 27.
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Firefighters from several fire departments battled a barn fire in North Judson early Saturday morning.
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A storm that ripped through Starke County Saturday night reportedly claimed the life of an occupant inside a house trailer in San Pierre, according to the Starke County Coroner’s Office. Another person was transported to the hospital.
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Firefighters from the San Pierre Fire Department and the North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department were called to a structure fire at 500 S. and 650 W. at about 4:40 p.m. CT Sunday afternoon.
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Additional information about Friday’s successful search and rescue for Spencer Allen and his son has been released by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners are being asked to weigh in on an issue affecting the newly established Railroad Township Volunteer Fire Department. Continue reading
A lawsuit filed on behalf of three Railroad Township advisory board members against the township trustee secretary claims the Dec. 15 meeting in which the trustee announced plans to abolish the San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department violated the state’s Open Door Law. If you have bonds from UBS Puerto Rico, find out what you should do next.
The suit claims Trustee Mandy Thomason and board member Michael Lawecki were in attendance at the meeting, but advisory board President Clarence Gehrke and member August Eckert were not notified in advance. Thomason announced via Facebook the day of the meeting that a session was taking place “regarding the status of fire protection in Railroad Township.” Continue reading
Firefighters from the North Judson and San Pierre Volunteer Fire Departments spent the morning battling a blaze at an unoccupied home in the 5000 block of 600 West. Continue reading
An autopsy is scheduled today in Lafayette for the victim of a Saturday morning home explosion in northwest Pulaski County. It happened just after 7 a.m. Saturday in the area of 1600 West and 2505 North, according to officials with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. Continue reading
The Medaryville Fire Department fought a brush and house fire this afternoon.
Medaryville Fire Chief Shaun Hauptli told WKVI News that the fire started as a neighbor was burning brush at 14715 W. 450 N. in Medaryville. The pile was left unattended. The wind picked up and spread the fire to the home of Charlotte Stoner. The home sustained water and smoke damage along with structure damage to the second story, mainly contained to the roof.
Firefighters from the North Judson-Wayne Township and San Pierre Fire Departments spent about two hours extinguishing a trailer full of tires that caught fire last evening in North Judson. They were dispatched to the fire at the end of Sheridan Avenue at the old Cravens factory around 5:30 p.m. Fire Chief Joe Leszek tells WKVI news the cause has not yet been determined. No injuries were reported.
An investigator from the state fire marshal’s office will be called in to determine the origin and cause of a fire that destroyed a Starke County business. The Bass Lake Fire Department was initially called to C &C Salvage on U.S. 35 south of Toto Road at 5:17 p.m. Thursday night, according to dispatchers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office. A black mushroom cloud of smoke could be seen for miles. Firefighters from the Knox, North Judson, Hamlet, Washington Township, Koontz Lake, San Pierre and Monterey were all called in to assist. Bass Lake Fire Chief Les Jensen says one firefighter suffered minor injuries. Continue reading
Last Thursday’s fire that damaged a vacant barn south of San Pierre was intentionally set, according to fire investigators. The San Pierre Volunteer Fire Department was called to the structure at 8720 S. U.S. 421 around 11:30 Thursday night and remained on the scene for about 90 minutes. No injuries were reported.
This is the third intentionally-set fire in San Pierre in the past month. The first was a vacant house at 9360 W. 900 S., which was destroyed by flames on Sept. 11. The second structure fire was Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the vacant San Pierre Grain Elevator. Firefighters from San Pierre, North Judson, Bass Lake Medaryville and Wheatfield spent about four hours extinguishing that blaze. Fire department officials aren’t sure at this time whether the three fires are related.
Anyone with information about any of the fires is urged to call the state’s arson hotline at 1-800-382-4628. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to an arrest or conviction. Callers can remain anonymous.
Lightning from a storm that rolled through the area late last night may be to blame for sparking a fire that destroyed a vacant pallet barn on U.S. 421 in San Pierre. Dispatchers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office got a call about the blaze around 11:30. Firefighters remained on the scene for about an hour and a half. No injuries were reported. We’ll have more information later today.
Spring fever has hit and everyone has been out cleaning yards and burning unwanted brush and leaves. Firefighters ask that you not burn anything outside on days where the gusty winds are forecast. It’s safer to put off until a calm wind is predicted in order to burn things outside.
San Pierre Fire Chief Mike Korous said that beginning Friday night and each night through Tuesday morning, an hour later each time, an unknown person(s) has started a fire on 900 West south of 700 South, 900 West north of 500 South, and on 800 West and 500 South. No homes or other buildings have been threatened by the fires, but a grass and brush fire is started every night on the side of the roads mentioned.
The San Pierre Fire Department responded to a house fire Tuesday morning, just two hours after the storms rolled through the area. The home was on State Road 10 west of the town of San Pierre.
San Pierre Fire Department Investigator Andy Tilleraas said that a large tree fell on electric wires by the residence and pulled the wires from the meter box, causing the fire. When firefighters arrived on scene, the house was fully engulfed and it was a total loss.
The fire does remain under investigation.
Starke County emergency personnel were called to an accident yesterday afternoon where two vehicles burst into flames.
When officers arrived at the scene at U.S. 421 in San Pierre, they found a semi and a car fully engulfed in flames. Both drivers had been pulled from the wreckage. Officers determined that the driver of the passenger vehicle crossed the center line causing the accident. The semi was hauling mattresses which took firefighters nearly three hours to extinguish.
Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and emergency personnel were called to a personal injury accident on Saturday afternoon.
The accident occurred on Highway 421 south of San Pierre by the south junction of State Road 10. Carey Foley, 56, of Demotte, was traveling in that area when for some unknown reason, he passed out, left the roadway, hit a tree, hit a utility pole and then hit another tree and came to rest. Foley was pinned in the vehicle and the San Pierre and North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Departments were called to the scene to assist with extrication. Foley was airlifted from the scene to Memorial Hospital in South Bend and his condition is unknown at this time.
In a ceremony held at the Knox South Side Fire Station Sunday, Starke County Honor Guard member, Robert Rozhon, of North Judson, was presented the Larry Hartley-Striker award for service to the unit.
Mr. Rozhon, 79, is a charter member of the award winning organization. He was a member of the San Pierre Fire Department from 1963-1976, and the North Judson Fire Department from 1976-1997.
