Starke County Humane Society Staying Put

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Humane SocietyThe Starke County Humane Society is still open for business six days a week. Longtime employee Shanna Lloyd was named the director last week after Suzanne Crider resigned and says it’s business as usual.

“We’re still here for the animals that need a place to stay. We’re still going to remain a nonprofit. We are privately funded. We are not supported by any government funding, so we still need those donations coming in to help us keep the doors open and keep us running so we can take care of all the stray dogs and cats in our area and even outside our area,” Lloyd told WKVI News.

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Starke County Humane Society Board Names New Director

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Humane SocietyThe Starke County Humane Society has a new director.

Shanna Lloyd took over that role on May 6 after longtime director Suzanne Crider resigned the previous day. Lloyd has been an employee of the shelter since 2009 and a volunteer since 1998. The board also reorganized last week and elected new officers. R.J. Howard is now the president. Tom O’Day is the vice-president, and Amanda Pollard is the secretary.

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Starke County Residents Urged to Take “Another Step Forward”

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Last year Starke County residents logged enough miles from Memorial Day to Labor Day to lap the globe three times as part of the Moving Starke County Forward Walking Challenge. This year they are encouraged to take “Another Step Forward.” Ryan Greer is heading up this year’s effort and has set a goal of walking a collective 50,000 miles as a county during the same time period. Last year’s original goal was 3,000 collective miles, which is the equivalent of a trek from the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate Bridge. That goal was quickly met and exceeded nine times over, with 27,000 total miles walked. Continue reading →

Local Cops to Wait Tables for Charity

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

If you’ve ever wanted to give orders to a cop, you’ll have a chance Monday night.

Several members of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 128 will be waiting tables at the Knox Pizza Hut from 4 until 8 p.m.

Be sure to tip generously, though. Proceeds from the Tip A Cop Fundraiser will be used to help local youngsters in need buy school supplies as part of the Shop With a Cop program before school starts in August.

IU Health Offers Discounted Mammograms in May

Posted on Author WKVI

Breast Cancer Pink RibbonGive Mom, or any special woman in your life the gift of peace of mind this Mother’s Day. Encourage them to take advantage of the discounted mammograms IU Health Starke Hospital is offering this month. Josephine Klicek is the director of diagnostic imaging. She says women can get their mammogram and reading for $95, and mo doctor’s order is needed if it’s just a screening test.

Women should get their first mammogram when they turn 40, unless they develop problems like a lump, redness or inflammation sooner. Also, if there is a family history of breast cancer, women are urged to get a mammogram 10 years before that woman was diagnosed. For instance, if the diagnosis was made at age 44, get a mammogram when you are 34.  Continue reading →

7th Annual Starke County Youth Club WKVI Radiothon Begins Today

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Starke County Youth Club participants, volunteers, members and community leaders will take over the WKVI airwaves today to share information about and raise money for the nonprofit organization. The club provides enrichment programs for local youngsters. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says they are tied to the state’s curriculum standards. and lesson plans accompany every activity. They stress Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, STEM for short, activities in a outside-the-box type of way.

“It’s everything from science experiments like you might remember from middle school, to teaching kids, even young ones, what engineering is about. How do you engineer a bridge? What kind of materials can you use? What’s stronger, this material or that material? All of those skills help prepare the next workforce.”

Szakonyi says careers in STEM fields are the wave of the future and adds its an exciting time to be teaching youngsters about math and science concepts. Continue reading →

Starke County Youth Club Cooking Class Serves Life Skills

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Starke County Youth Club teaches life skills to the 600 youngsters enrolled in their after-school programs. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says the cooking class is one of the most popular enrichment activities they offer. She says it teaches nutrition, kitchen safety and self-reliance. Even the youngest participants can learn basic terminology like what it means to dice or core. Szakonyi says youngsters learn how to prepare food and also how to make healthy food choices. She says youngsters learn that filling their bodies with sugar and other harmful things will compromise their ability to learn well and will make them feel sick.

“The cooking class is a lot of fun because kids get to eat, but they also get a lot of information that is important for their lives, Szakonyi says. Learn about the cooking class and more during tomorrow’s 7th Annual Starke County Youth Club WKVI Radiothon. It starts tomorrow at10 a.m. CDT right here on WKVI. They hope to raise $40,000. Find more information about the club on their website, http://www.thescyc.org/index.html.

 

 

 

 

Starke County Youth Club Stresses Health and Wellness

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Starke County Youth Club provides more than homework help for the 600 students it serves at four after-school sites. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi  says health and wellness is a critical component of the Starke County Youth Club’s mission.

“When we survey our kids about how much time they would be watching television or how much time they’d be playing on their game systems or video gaming, we know that’s significant, and it’s way more time than is healthy for them,” Szakonyi  says.

She adds the Starke County Youth Club is constantly looking for ways to help the students they serve be more active. Instructors try to balance technology-based learning with physical activity, nutrition classes and life skills that help them to be healthier in all aspects. Continue reading →

North Judson-San Pierre Drama Department to Present Familiar Musical

Posted on Author WKVI

The North Judson-San Pierre drama department will present Grease: The Musical on May 8, 9, 10 and 11.

Director Erin Sprouse said the musical will mirror the movie.

“The movie was actually based off the play,” said Sprouse. “It’s a lot of fun. We’re doing a lot of the costuming from the movie and trying to keep it as true to form so that everybody is really excited about it.”

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Preschool Helps Children Develop Social Skills

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Preschool Project logoThe Starke County Early Education Advisory Council invites families with young children to a preschool fair this evening from 5 until 7 at the community center in downtown Knox. More than 25 preschools and community organizations will have booths, and several will offer activities for children. Porter-Starke Director of Children’s Services Todd Willis says preschool is a good opportunity for children and parents to get used to being away from one another. He says one of the main causes of stress for young children is separating from their family, so getting them into an environment where they can learn to take turns and make peer relationships outside the family is extremely important.

“When I don’t learn as a young child how to resolve conflict with my peer, and I need to resort to throwing a temper tantrum or aggression, if those basic skills are not learned early, they follow the kid into adulthood. Really, the opportunity for a child in that 3 to 4 age learning that early is crucial,” Willis says. Continue reading →

Starke United Fund Grant Applications Due Friday

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke United
 

Nonprofit organizations interested in applying for Starke United Fund grants have just a few more days to finish their applications. They are due Friday, May 2. The Starke United Fund Committee will review applications and award the grants to the chosen organizations. Last year 12 grants totaling $11,000 were given to Starke County organizations including: The Caring Place, Community Services of Starke County, HealthLinc, Junior Achievement, Marshall-Starke Development Center, Moving Starke County Forward, Love INC., North Judson-San Pierre School JumpStart, Psi Iota Xi, A.B.A.T.E. Toys 4 Tots, Starke County WIC Program and the Starke County Youth Club. Continue reading →

Starke County Youth Club Helps Schools Help Students

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Starke County Youth Club aims to be a support system for children, families and the three county school corporations.

“We know that schools are under tremendous pressure to have kids succeed academically, and that a lot of funding for schools is tied to how kids perform on standardized tests. That’s really a lot to ask of a school community. It is part of our job to ensure we are supporting what the schools need to accomplish.”

Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says the Starke County Youth Club does that by providing after school enrichment programs for 600 youngsters at four sites across the county. All of the programs are based in local schools, so Szakonyi says the staff is in constant contact with teachers, administrators and others to make sure students are getting what they need. She says children who succeed academically have a greater likelihood of being successful adults.  Continue reading →

Educator Stresses Importance of Early Childhood Education

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Preschool Project logoStarke County Preschool Project logoStarke County parents of young children are encouraged to attend tomorrow’s Starke County Preschool Fair at the community center in downtown Knox. The Starke County Early Education Advisory Council organized the event, which will take place from 5 until 7 p.m. CDT. More than 25 preschools and community organizations will have booths, and several will offer activities for children. Starke County Head Start Education Manager Dawn Wallen says sending your child to a quality preschool is an investment in their future. The kindergarten curriculum has become more rigorous since many of today’s parents and grandparents were in school. Wallen says students are expected to know and recognize all 26 letters of the alphabet and the sounds of letters. They should also be able to recognize numerals 1 through 20. Continue reading →

Starke County Youth Club Prepares for Annual WKVI Radiothon

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Starke County Youth Club members and volunteers will take over the WKVI airwaves on Friday to raise money for the nonprofit organization. Executive Director Irene Szakonyi says they provide academic support to 600 youngsters across the county at after-school sites at Knox, North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis Elementary schools and at O-D Junior/Senior High School. They give students quiet time to do homework, offer one-on-one tutoring in a specific subject and offer a variety of enrichment programs like technology classes, videography and world travel through culture centers. Services are offered each Monday through Friday for three hours after school.

“That is the time when kids are most likely to be the victims of or perpetrators of violent crime. We know that kids who don’t have proper supervision, who don’t have great role models, who aren’t engaged in something productive, make the wrong choices in their lives. So we’re there to provide a safe, engaging and positive environment for kids once the school day ends,” Szakonyi says. Continue reading →

Commissioners Proclaim Starke County Youth Club Day

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Friday, May 2 is Starke County Youth Club Day, by proclamation of the county commissioners. That’s also the day of the club’s 7th Annual RadioThon on WKVI from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The club offers after-school programs at Knox, North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis Elementary Schools and Oregon-Davis Junior-Senior High School each weekday as well as summer programs for local youngsters. Staff and volunteers provide homework help, enrichment activities, recreational centers and community engagement through service projects. The proclamation notes the staff and volunteers at the Starke County Youth Club are committed to assisting children in acquiring the skills they need to learn and lead. They will be taking over our airwaves on Friday to share success stories and talk about the services they provide. The nonprofit organization has set a goal of raising $40,000 during that event. Find more information at www.thescyc.org.

Starke County Officials Appoint Committee to Study Wheel Tax

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

Starke County Council members want more information about proposed wheel tax rates, types of vehicles that would be taxed and how any funds generated would be used for road improvements before making any decision about implementing such a tax. County Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler will chair a committee comprised of council members Marvin McLaughlin, Freddie Baker and Bob Sims and Commissioner Kathy Norem. After they discuss the details, a public input meeting will be scheduled to further explain the process. Ritzler has streamlined the highway department’s operations since taking over but says efficiency can only go so far. “Our limiting factor is the oil and stone that we use to improve roads. We have a certain amount of funding sources, we used them all. The only way of increasing is a user tax that is available to us, a user fee. 47 of the 92 counties in Indiana have it. Of the counties that don’t have it, many have an additional source of funding that’s not available to us, and that’s riverboat gambling money. We are in the bottom fifth of road conditions in the state,” Ritzler told the council. Continue reading →

The Starke County Youth Club Radiothon is Friday!

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The Starke County Youth Club Radiothon is set for Friday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT on K99.3 WKVI.

Testimonials, special guests and challenges will be featured on the air as volunteers answer the phone to take your pledges toward this worthwhile youth organization.

The SCYC provides high quality homework assistance, engaging enrichment activities, and recreational centers with adults who care. SCYC provides innovative services to children and families every day at four sites across the county during the school year and the summer.

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North Judson-San Pierre School Board Continues to Study Budget for Cuts

Posted on Author WKVI
 
 

The North Judson-San Pierre School Board continues to find ways to cut $1.2 million from the general fund in the corporation’s budget.

Superintendent Lynn Johnson said a budget work session was held last week to tackle this issue.

“We’re still in the process of making reductions,” stated Johnson. “We did have some retirements this year and so that does help with the budget. Some of the budget reductions will be basically a half of a year because we’re just talking just half of the year in 2014. In 2015, you’ll have the whole year’s advantage. We’re looking at making final recommendations at the May 20 meeting.”

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