Cold Weather Preparation Tips from Knox Water Department Superintendent Todd Gardner

Today is officially the first day of winter and as temperatures are expected to dip below freezing in the coming weeks, home owners need to take necessary precautions to avoid frozen pipes.

Knox Water Department Superintendent Todd Gardner has a few helpful tips to help protect homes this winter season. Superintendent Gardner reported that most incidents happen at the beginning of the season since people don’t take these simple steps before cold weather hits.

His first tip is to be sure that all hoses are disconnected and outdoor faucets are turned off. He said even “frost-free” faucets can freeze and break if they’re not disconnected and completely switched off. He also stressed the importance of making sure that crawlspace doors and other openings are securely shut to keep drafts from entering the home and cooling the water pipes. Continue reading

Progress Made in North Judson PD K-9 Fundraiser, Additional Donations Still Needed

The North Judson Police Department is already nearing their $20,000 goal for the purchase of a K-9 and subsequent training thanks to a decision made by town council members Monday evening.

Town Marshal Kelly Fisher requested for $15,000 to be encumbered from the general police insurance fund into the K-9 fund to help cover the cost of purchasing a K-9 from the Peru-based company Vohne Liche Kennels. The council members unanimously approved Fisher’s request.

Fisher also acknowledged some local businesses and organizations that are already offering assistance to the NJPD. San Pierre Veterinary Clinic offered to donate annual shots and physicals and Feed Barn is donating all food needed for the K-9. Continue reading

Trial Scheduled for North Judson Man Charged with Stalking

A trial for 45-year-old Clayton Conley, of North Judson, is scheduled in Starke Circuit Court today. Conley is reportedly charged with stalking, a level 6 felony.

According to the provided police report, Conley was arrested twice on March 29th for separate incidents involving his sister. Detective Sergeant Adam Gray with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department reports that Conley was first escorted off his sister’s property around 7:53 a.m. when he refused to leave after an argument. Continue reading

Wanted Starke County Man in Custody

James Watts

A Starke County man was taken into custody Saturday after Knox City Police officers received a tip on his location.

According to Knox City Police Chief Harold Smith, officers went to a home in the 400 block of W. Lewis Drive in Knox after confirming that James Watts had several outstanding warrants in Starke County and Marshall County.

Police say Watts fled to the back of the home when officers initially made contact with him. Starke County Sheriff’s K9 Zardoz was deployed into the residence. In a search of the home, K9 Zardoz located Watts who was reportedly hiding in a crawl space. According to police, Watts initially attempted to fight with the K9 and was bitten. Watts was then placed into custody.

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Starke County Sheriff’s Office Receives Award from Porter-Starke Services

Porter-Starke Services, the local not-for-profit community mental health center, has a mission to enhance the quality of life in our community through prevention, treatment, education and research. The organization presents the Service to Community Mental Health Award to individuals in the area who are contributing to that mission.

The Starke County Sheriff’s Office recently won the award for their work with inmates. Sheriff Bill Dulin described receiving the recognition as a huge testament to the hard work the jail and Starke County Staff does on a daily basis that sometimes goes unnoticed. Continue reading

Overdose Cases Cause Shortage of Narcan

Starke County first responders had an emergency of their own after running out of Narcan to assist in five apparent heroin overdose cases in a six-hour span on Saturday.

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According to the Starke County Sheriff’s Office, a heroin overdose was called into the dispatch center on Saturday at 9:20 a.m. Two men were found after responders had to breach a door in order to get inside to tend to them. One was found unconscious on the floor and another on a bed inside the home in the 400 E. block of 200 S. Starke County medics were able to revive the man on the floor using heroin antidote, Narcan.

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Three Injured in Two-Car Accident in Grovertown

Three people were injured in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of U.S. 30 and State Road 23 that happened just after 7 a.m. Thursday. according to the information via localaccidentreports.

Starke County police say heavy damage was sustained to a passenger vehicle and an SUV when emergency responders arrived at the scene. The driver of the SUV was on the ground outside of her vehicle when responders attended to her. She was transported to the hospital for treatment where she will need to see a car accident chiropractor, the DFW Car Accident Lawyers are still trying to figure out who’s fault is it. Her family had read more about Meier Family Chiropractic clinic and they consulted them perform a full body chiropractic analysis, and to determine the best course of treatment for her. If you are ever caught in a car accident, consider choosing your own doctor during an injury case, this can help to get a better settlement.

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Starke County Sheriff’s Office Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative

The Starke County Sheriff’s Office will be working with community members to combat prescription drug abuse with their Prescription Drug Take-Back event today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prescription pills that sit in your medicine cabinet or around your home can be susceptible to theft, misuse and abuse. To prevent these types of crimes, the Sheriff’s Office is asking individuals to bring in potentially dangerous, expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs. Continue reading

Two Arrested on Methamphetamine Charges

Two Knox residents were arrested on drug charges after a month-long investigation conducted by investigators from the Starke County Sheriff’s Office.

Police say they found 31-year-old Matthew Bradley hiding in a residence in the 3,000 S. block of 100 W. in North Judson on Tuesday, Aug 15. Bradley was detained along with 25-year-old Haley Marshall after methamphetamine-related items were found inside the room where Bradley was found, according to the report.

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Starke County Sheriff Requests Three Full-Time Staff Members

The Starke County Commissioners considered a proposal from Sheriff Bill Dulin to move three part-time employees to full-time positions at the Starke County Sheriff’s Office in 2018.

Sheriff Dulin said he’d like to have a full-time receptionist, full-time cook and full-time 911 operator. He said a significant savings in part-time funding would be saved if these three employees moved to full-time. He is also asking for a raise of $1,000 for dispatchers to be included in the 2018 budget.

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