Organizers of events like this weekend’s high school rodeo in Grovertown can pay the county to have a dedicated ambulance at their event the entire time. The Starke County Commissioners Monday approved a $500 charge to cover the cost of the truck and personnel to staff it. That same option is available to any event or organization that would like to ensure medical personnel are on site at all times. Continue reading
A pickup truck versus motorcycle crash west of North Judson last night claimed two lives. It happened around 8:30 p.m. on State Road 10 at 700 West, according to dispatchers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. Continue reading
Starke County EMS still needs a few part-time paramedics to ensure county-wide advance life support coverage around the clock. Director Keith Emigh told the county commissioners Monday the base in Knox is always fully staffed to meet ALS requirements, and the base in North Judson is between 95 and 98 percent of the time. He says a few more are needed to pull shifts in Grovertown. Continue reading
The county-owned Dodge Charger used by Starke County EMS Director Keith Emigh will soon be repainted. The former sheriff’s department patrol vehicle is currently a two-tone tan with a light bar on the top. Commissioner Don Binkley has asked repeatedly if it can be returned to a solid color so it is not as easily mistaken for a law enforcement car. Continue reading
Starke County EMS Director Keith Emigh is still trying to hire enough paramedics to staff all three bases around the clock. He told the Starke County Commissioners Monday many paramedics pick up shifts at departments all over the northern third of the state. As a result he says coordinating schedules is challenging. Continue reading
Starke County EMS Director Keith Emigh has the blessing of the county commissioners to revise a job description within the ambulance service to create an EMS 2 position. That person’s job responsibilities will include hiring and training new staff, oversight of all medics and handling many of the day-to-day operational duties of the service. He or she will report directly to Emigh, who told the county commissioners the new position will ease his workload considerably. The position was posted earlier this week, and Emigh will interview the candidates and do the hiring. He did need the commissioners’ approval of the revised job description. Continue reading
A second victim of a Friday fire at a rural Knox home has died. A representative from the Allen County Coroner’s Office in Fort Wayne tells WKVI news Linda Manns, 51, died at 10:50 p.m. Saturday from complications due to that fire. She suffered extensive thermal burns, and her death was ruled accidental. Continue reading
A second victim of a Friday fire at a rural Knox home has died. Officials with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department advise WKVI News Linda Manns, 51, died Saturday at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. Continue reading
Starting Jan. 1, patients who are treated by Starke County EMS but refuse transportation to the hospital will be billed for services. Several nearby counties have such a policy on the books already, and the Starke County Commissioners last week approved one. EMS officials say charging for things like lift assistance and routine checks will help cover the costs of things like fuel and medical supplies. Continue reading
A two-year-old child is dead as a result of a Friday morning fire at a rural Starke County home. The Bass Lake Fire Department responded to a residence in the area of 700 South and 300 East just before 7:30 a.m. yesterday They pulled two adults from the blaze but were unable to find a two-year-old child in time. Continue reading
A two-year-old child is dead as a result of an early morning fire at a rural Starke County home. The Bass Lake Fire Department responded to a residence in the area of 700 South and 300 East just before 7:30 a.m. They pulled two adults from the blaze but were unable to find a two-year-old child in time. Continue reading
The Starke County Commissioners will revisit the notion of offering Highway Superintendent Rik Ritzler a long-term contract when they meet this morning. President of the Commissioners Jennifer Davis is spearheading the effort in order to maintain continuity within the department. She notes Ritzler has a multiple-year plan for road and bridge improvements and wants to see that it is carried out.
Commissioner Kent Danford previously raised concerns about the precedent such an action would set. He says possibly offering Ritzler a contract is a “test case” and adds he will say no to anyone else who requests a long-term employment contract until he sees how this works. Commissioner Kathy Norem agrees and says the county commissioners need to approach any such matters with an abundance of caution. Danford agreed at the last commissioners meeting to meet with county attorney Marty Lucas before today and come up with contract language to address his concerns. Continue reading
Three people were injured in a traffic accident on U.S. 30 at Knoll Brothers in Starke County this morning.
Starke County deputies conducted an investigation and found that a semi truck pulled out of the truck stop headed west on U.S. 30 when a driver in an SUV traveling in the same direction rear-ended the semi, according to witness accounts released in a news release by the sheriff’s department. The SUV rolled on its side. The SUV was pulling a wood chipper at the time of the accident. The semi was stopped four-tenths of a mile west of the scene on U.S. 30.
Two people were injured in an accident in North Judson on Monday afternoon.
Starke County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the intersection of County Road 625 South and County Road 300 West where they found that a vehicle had failed to yield to the right of way. The other vehicle was struck as it was traveling north through the intersection.
The driver of a car that hit a house in Koontz Lake late last night was taken to IU Health Starke Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash. It happened at 11:10 p.m. in the 7000 block of State Road 23, according to a news release from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. Continue reading
Keith Emigh can remove the “interim” from his title as Starke County EMS Director. He’s been serving in that capacity since Paul Matthewson stepped down in July. Yesterday the commissioners offered Emigh the job on a permanent basis. He accepted their offer of the position for $40,000 per year with a $1,000 raise after his 90-day review. Emigh asked if he will be expected to run the service and also work a truck and was told that is his call to make as director. He was one of eight applicants interviewed for the position.
The Starke County Commissioners are set to hire a new county EMS director. Keith Emigh has served in an interim capacity since Paul Matthewson resigned in July and was one of the applicants for the position. That hiring is one of the items on their agenda for today’s meeting. Continue reading
A passenger in a vehicle involved in a Sunday morning crash at the intersection of State Roads 10 and 39 east of North Judson was flown to a South Bend hospital. A news release from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department indicates multiple people were injured. The North Judson-Wayne Township Volunteer Fire Department had to cut one person from the wreckage. Continue reading
A semi vs. passenger car accident at the intersection of State Road 10 and Range Road just east of North Judson Monday morning resulted in fatal injuries.
Officers arrived at the scene shortly after 11 a.m. and found a semi tanker on its side engulfed in flames. The passenger car involved in the accident was located on the side of the roadway, according to the accident report. The driver was airlifted from the scene to South Bend Memorial Hospital where she later died of her injuries. The passenger and the semi driver were taken to IU Health Starke Hospital and later transferred to South Bend Memorial Hospital. Their medical conditions are unknown.
The driver of a moped that crashed on 1100 East north of State Road 8 last evening was airlifted to South Bend Memorial Hospital. The Starke County 911 Center got several calls about the wreck around 5:45 p.m. Continue reading
