Public Information Meetings Scheduled For Starke County Jail Project

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

The Starke County Jail Committee met recently and a consultant from the DLZ Corporation gave the committee options concerning the jail. Commissioner Kathy Norem said several public information meetings have been scheduled to inform county residents of those findings.

“The first will be Thursday, July 26 at the Knox Middle School Cafeteria at 6 p.m., or you can attend one of the other two meetings,” Norem explained. “One will be Tuesday, July 31 at the Oregon-Davis High School Cafeteria at 6 p.m. or Wednesday, August 1 at 6 p.m. at the North Judson-San Pierre High School Auditorium.”

Norem says a number of options were presented by DLZ, and each of them have their pros and cons.

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North Judson Man Arrested For Theft Of Air Compressor

Posted on Author WKVI

A North Judson man was arrested Wednesday after a theft investigation.

On Monday, July 9, Rebecca Brown told Starke County police that an air compressor was stolen from a pole barn on her property at 1417 W. 400 S. in North Judson. She went to the pawn shop on Tuesday, July 10 and found the air compressor. After an investigation, police found that the air compressor was pawned by Michael Tolson well before she discovered it was missing. Stealing someone’s air compressor is a surprising thing especially today when there are a lot of affordable yet great options on https://occupythefarm.org/how-to-refill-co2-tank-with-air-compressor or with any local hardware stores.

Tolson, 22, was arrested on a preliminary charge of Theft. He is in the Starke County jail with no bond.

Class Action Lawsuit Against Starke County Still On Hold

Posted on Author WKVI
Jack Haut

The class action lawsuit against Starke County by former Starke County Jail inmate Jack Haut is still at a standstill, as the court is currently awaiting an expert witness report from the plaintiffs to substantiate their allegations that the jail is so overcrowded that conditions are unconstitutional for inmates.

While they have until Aug. 30 to do so, the plaintiffs have been having a rough time coming up with the expert witness report required by the court. It was reported that they had found an expert witness and had begun developing the report, but the witness unexpectedly passed away, effectively bringing them back to square one. They now have to hire a new expert witness to work on the report, and until then, there is no trial setting for the case.

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Pulaski County Continues To House Some Starke County Inmates

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

An agreement has been made to house inmates from the Starke County Jail in the Pulaski County Jail. If the population goes over the rated capacity of 62, a certain number of inmates will be transported to the Pulaski County facility.

Starke County Commissioner Kathy Norem explained that the agreement does come at a price.

“We pay them twenty dollars per day, per inmate and that they will house them, feed them and provide their medical care,” said Norem.

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Starke County Officials Discuss Housing Prisoners in Pulaski County

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

Starke County government officials this week discussed finances as they apply to county jail inmates being housed at the Pulaski County Jail.

With the Starke County Jail being rated for only 62 prisoners and the population approaching 80 at times, Commissioner Kathy Norem and Sheriff Oscar Cowen have been looking at ways to solve the problem – but that takes extra funds to pay Pulaski County and transport the prisoners back and forth.

Council President David Pearman explained that this is the most cost-effective solution they have found so far.

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Rachel Berdine Arrested, Charged With Helping Hunnicutt Escape

Posted on Author WKVI
Rachel Berdine

The woman suspected of aiding Joshua Hunnicutt in his escape from the Starke County Jail was arrested Sunday evening.

Officials say Rachel Berdine arrived at the Starke County Jail to visit Hunnicutt and police arrested her on an active arrest warrant for Escape and Conspiracy to Commit Escape, both Class C Felony charges.

She is being held in the Starke County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

Police believe that Hunnicutt escaped from the jail on May 23 by climbing an outside recreation wall topped with razor wire, and allegedly got into a car driven by his girlfriend, Berdine, who then drove away from the scene. Hunnicutt turned himself in five days later and has pleaded not guilty in Starke Circuit Court to charges of Escape and Conspiracy to Commit Escape.

Hunnicutt Pleas Not Guilty To Escape Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Joshua Hunnicutt

Joshua Hunnicutt appeared in the Starke Circuit Court for his initial hearing yesterday, where he charges of Escape as a Class C felony and Conspiracy to Commit Escape as a Class C felony. Hunnicutt was appointed attorney Richard Ballard as pauper council.

Hunnicutt had been on the run since climbing a razor-wire wall in the recreation area of the Starke County Jail on May 23 and fleeing from police for five days. He said he turned himself back in because he realized he had made a poor decision in escaping, and said he doesn’t have any recollection of what took place prior to his escape.

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Starke County Commissioners Discuss Jail Population

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Commissioners this week held a lengthy discussion on the jail population. Pulaski County has been housing some Starke County prisoners to keep the population at 62.

Pulaski County has a 130-bed jail, and has been housing the overflow in the Starke County Jail under an informal agreement. The commissioners would like to enter into a long-term agreement with Pulaski County until a new or rehabilitated jail is available to house Starke County’s burgeoning prisoner population.

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Starke County Jail Population Nears Boiling Point

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

Fifteen Starke County prisoners are being housed in the Pulaski County Jail after it was decided by county officials and Sheriff Oscar Cowen that the extreme overcrowding was just too dangerous to allow it to continue.

Commissioner Kathy Norem said yesterday that she feared the overcrowding might trigger an outbreak of violence against other prisoners or jail staff. The overcrowding puts extreme pressure on the staff, which may have contributed partially to the recent escape.

Recently, the population ran over 80 prisoners, and it’s hoped that the measure will keep the prison population at 62 or below.

The housing of prisoners in Pulaski County is being accomplished under a temporary agreement.

Joshua Hunnicutt On The Run From Starke County Jail

Posted on Author WKVI
Rachel Berdine
Joshua Hunnicutt

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department has announced an inmate escape from the rec area of the Starke County Jail. Officials say Joshua Hunnicutt walked out from the jail at 3:55 p.m. yesterday.

Police believe that Hunnicutt escaped from the jail and into a car driven by his girlfriend, Rachel Berdine. She is known to drive a purple 1995 Geo Tracker with license plate number 513CEH. The suspects may have headed south of Knox.

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Starke County Jail Committee Receives Timeline

Posted on Author WKVI

Lisa A. Lee, partner at Ice Miller LLP, presented a draft timetable for the Starke County Jail project to the jail committee on Friday. The timetable included a list of dates for important steps that must be completed for the project to move forward.

The next committee meeting is scheduled for the afternoon of June 15, when the committee will receive an update from the DLZ Architectural Firm and the Skillman Corporation regarding cost proposals and budgets. Community meetings are expected to be held June 25-30, but that date could be moved sooner if the committee decides to move a month early.

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David Heineman Senior Arrested on Meth Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
David Heineman, Sr.

Knox City Police were called to a fight and ended up arresting a man for an active meth lab.

Police were called to a residence on Lake Street and found two men fighting in an upstairs room. When police attempted to detain the men, David Heineman, Sr. resisted demands by the police officer to stop resisting. The other subject complied and told police that the argument started because he thought meth labs were in the room. The officer did observe items that were commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine in the room.

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Knox Gym Teacher Arrested on Child Seduction Charges

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox City Police Department continues to investigate an alleged improper internet contact incident between a Knox High School gym teacher and a student.

Police investigated a complaint last week where a parent reported the act. Robert “Ryan” Corbin, 27, of Knox, was arrested Sunday as a result of the preliminary investigation. He faces preliminary charges of Child Seduction and Attempted Child Seduction, both Class D Felonies. He is being held in the Starke County Jail under no bond.

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Jennie Carter Charged with Theft

Posted on Author WKVI
Jennie Carter

The woman who was at the center of a controversy that ultimately involved the Starke County Tourism Office and Drug and Tobacco Free Starke County was arrested yesterday on a State Police warrant and charged with Theft. Jennie Carter was booked into the Starke County Jail and eventually bonded out on a $5,000 cash bond.

Carter was accused of mishandling $7,140 in 2011. She eventually admitted to the misappropriation of the funds and agreed to pay it back by March 15th of this year.

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Hamlet Man Arrested after Battery Incident

Posted on Author WKVI
Don Paulson

A Hamlet man was arrested Monday night after a domestic complaint.

An officer with the Hamlet Police Department arrived at 409 Pearl Street and found 54-year-old David Paulson on the front porch and he reportedly began yelling at the officers. Officers learned that Paulson had allegedly held a 15-year-old girl down on the couch and threw a beer can at her. The can hit the teenager in the face. Paulson was reportedly highly intoxicated at the time of the incident, according to police.

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House Bill 1213 Passes which Allows Starke County Council to Raise CEDIT Tax to Fund Jail

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

The Starke County Jail Committee, that has been selected to address the problems at the aging Starke County Jail, received notice that House Bill 1213 passed on the last day of the session. The approval allows the Starke County Council to increase the County Economic Development Income Tax to finance, construct and equip a jail facility. The County Council is only permitted to raise enough funds to cover the costs of the jail and the additional tax rate cannot increase more than .65%.

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James Ritenour III Arrested after an Alleged Battery Incident

Posted on Author WKVI
James Ritenour III

James Ritenour III is being held in the Starke County Jail under $100,000 bond in a case that involves his mother. Jayne Ritenour told police that her son battered her and threatened her life last Sunday evening. The incident happened, according to the mother, in her home at 5620 S. 700 E. in Knox.

The mother and son were involved in an altercation that stemmed from a malfunctioning microwave oven. Jayne Ritenour said when she returned home from church she noticed the microwave was in her words “messed up”. When she questioned her son he reportedly put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.

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