The Starke County Jail will soon be home to the state’s first non-prison-based intensive drug treatment program. During a recent drug task force meeting, Gov. Mike Pence directed the Department of Correction to work with Starke County to adopt and pilot the Regional Therapeutic Communities (RTC) program. It gives local officials more treatment options to address drug addiction. Continue reading
County Commissioners to Discuss NIPSCO Project
The Starke County Commissioners will meet earlier than usual this evening to discuss a utility project that is coming through the county. They’ve called a special session for 5:30 p.m. in advance of their regular 6 p.m. meeting to talk about NIPSCO’s Reynolds-Topeka transmission line project. Continue reading
Starke County Sheriff’s Office Adds Second K9
The Starke County Sheriff’s Office hopes the newest addition to the department will help to take a bite out of crime. K9 Zardos was purchased recently with funds donated by members of the community. Sheriff Bill Dulin says the dog is certified in narcotics detection and tracking and was purchased from Vohn Liche Kennels in Denver, Ind. Continue reading
Authorities Apprehend Runaway Teenager
A runaway teenage girl who gave the officer who picked her up the slip Thursday night is lodged in a juvenile treatment facility following an extensive, multi-agency search. Continue reading
New Information Emerges in North Judson Police Shooting
The North Judson man shot by police responding to a call at his residence is in stable condition at Memorial Hospital of South Bend. That’s where 29-year-old Richard Joseph Benwell was airlifted early Tuesday afternoon with what was described as a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin says sheriff’s deputies and North Judson Police were notified by dispatchers of a man hitting his fiancée’s car with a sledgehammer in the 5000 block of 800 South. That’s southwest of North Judson.
Sheriff Looks for Funds to Cover Drug Counseling Costs
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin wants to charge inmates a fee to cover the cost of drug counseling services at the jail. He presented his idea to the county commissioners Monday evening. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Recommend Additional Jail Hires
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin has the blessing of the Starke County Commissioners to hire two additional full-time jail officers. First the county council must appropriate the money to do so. Indications are it will come from the tax money collected to pay for the jail project. Continue reading
Starke County Forest Dam Discussion Continues This Evening
The discussion of how to handle drainage issues caused by beavers in the Starke County Forest will continue during tonight’s county commissioners meeting. Surveyor Dennis Estok and representatives from Walkerton-based Territorial Engineering will present a proposal to the commissioners during their 6 p.m. session. The Drainage Board decided earlier this year to open a drainage point in the Starke County Forest. A beaver dam is causing neighboring land to flood. The Starke County Park Board, which oversees the forest, has since stepped in and asked that a long-term solution be found to the problem. Continue reading
No Contraband Found in Inmate Belongings
No contraband was found in the personal belongings of the 62 Starke County Jail inmates, according to Sheriff Bill Dulin. Continue reading
Inmates Successfully Moved into New Jail
The 62 inmates in the Starke County Jail spent their first night in the county’s new $15 million, state-of-the-art facility. Continue reading
Starke County Council Sets County Vehicle Maintenance Rate
The Starke County Council reluctantly set a labor rate of $18.50 per hour for work on county-owned vehicles by mechanics at the highway garage. That’s the journeyman mechanic’s hourly rate. Continue reading
Starke County Council Approves Jail Commander Pay Raise
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin can increase the starting pay for his next jail commander after action Monday evening by the Starke County Council. Continue reading
Starke County Council to Consider Jail Commander Pay
The Starke County Council will decide tonight whether to increase the salary for the jail commander. Sheriff Bill Dulin’s request to boost the pay for the position to reflect the additional responsibilities at the new jail got a favorable recommendation from the county commissioners. Dulin told them he can transfer money from within his budget to cover the extra expense. Continue reading
Starke County Sheriff Posts Jail Commander Position
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin is looking for a new jail commander to run the new $15 million facility. Continue reading
Starke County Council Prepares For Budget Planning
Starke County department heads will soon begin work on their annual budgets for the upcoming year. Auditor Kay Chaffins says preliminary budgets need to be submitted to the state Department of Local Government Finance by the end of June. This will be the first budget session for Sheriff Bill Dulin and Clerk Vicki Cooley, both of whom were elected last fall and took office in January. Continue reading
Starke County Sheriff Still Raising Money for K9
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin is still collecting donations to add a second drug and search dog to the force. The dog and training for its handler will cost about $16,000. Dulin says the sheriff’s office is about $3,000 short of that goal. Fundraisers will be scheduled later this summer. Meanwhile, cash donations or money orders made out to “Starke County K9 Fund” can be dropped off at the jail. Personal checks will not be accepted. All contributions are tax deductible. Continue reading
Starke County Officials Celebrate Justice Center Completion
Starke County’s new jail is ready for occupancy. Officials celebrated the completion of the 144 bed, state-of-the-art facility yesterday with a public dedication and ribbon cutting, attended by more than 300 people. The $15.4 million project came in on time and under budget and gives Starke County the distinction of going from the oldest jail in the state to the newest. The old facility across from the courthouse opened in 1977. It will be renovated into office space for Starke County Community Corrections and the probation department. Continue reading
Starke County Offices Closed for Jail Grand Opening
Starke County government offices will be closed for awhile today so employees can attend the grand opening ceremony for the new jail. The program gets under way at noon at the site east of Knox on State Road 8 and 550 East. The Starke County Courthouse, annex and highway garage will be closed from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The public is invited to the building dedication gala and memorial garden ceremony. Tours will be offered until at least 6 p.m. after the formal program concludes, and Sheriff Bill Dulin and his command staff will be on hand to answer questions. Food will also be served. Continue reading
County Officials Extend Hours for Jail Tours
Tours of the new Starke County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center will be offered until at least 6 tomorrow evening. The public is invited to the grand opening and building dedication of the state-of-the-art facility on State Road 8 at 550 East. Tours will be offered after the noon formal program and memorial garden ceremony. They were originally scheduled until 4 p.m., but the county commissioners and Sheriff Bill Dulin have agreed to extend them so people can stop by after work. Tours will be offered as long as people are in line waiting to see the inside of the building. Dulin and his command staff will also be on hand to answer questions. Food will also be served. Continue reading
Starke County Sheriff and Prosecutor Encourage Safe Celebrations
Prom season is here, and graduation is right around the corner. Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin and Prosecutor Nick Bourff want local youth to celebrate both safely and soberly. Dulin notes it is illegal for anyone under 21 to possess or consume alcohol. In spite of that, he says young drivers make up a significant proportion of drunk drivers causing traffic crashes on Indiana’s roadways. Drivers under 21 who are caught driving with even a trace of alcohol in their systems will have their driving privileges suspended. Continue reading
