Jury Returns Guilty Verdict on 6 of the 7 Charges Brooke Case

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

A jury of 8 men and four women has returned a guilty verdict on 6 of the seven charges against John Brooke in Starke Circuit

Brooke

Court.  The trial was conducted in front of Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall.

A stoic John Brooke heard the guilty verdict given, while friends and family in the gallery wept.

He was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Intimidation, Possession and Manufacturing Destructive Devices, Resisting Law Enforcement,

Unlawful Use of Body Armour, and Assisting a Criminal.

The only count he was found not guilty on was a seventh charge, possession of a destructive device.

Sentencing has been set by Judge Hall for May 12th. at 10:00.

Brooke was part of a potentially deadly situation at Bass Lake in February of 2010 in which an occupant in his home opened fire on Starke County Police officers who were trying to serve an Illinois warrant.  Michael Drogosz, the shooter in that incident was sentenced to a lengthy prison term in August.

We’ll have more information in the morning.

Two Arrested after Traffic Stop in Knox

Posted on Author WKVI

Two Starke County residents were arrested this morning after a routine traffic stop.

A Knox City Police officer pulled over a vehicle on 300 E. and 250 N. in Knox. During the course of the traffic stop, a K9 was deployed to search for drugs. The K9 indicated that drugs were the vehicle and methamphetamine was seized. After an investigation, the officer found a handgun in the vehicle. Traci Jacobs and Paul Higdon were then arrested on preliminary charges of Serious Violent Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession of Methamphetamine. They are currently being held in the Starke County Jail.

30 Meth Labs Dismantled in Starke County by the Indiana State Police in 2010

Posted on Author WKVI

The Indiana State Police-Lowell and Bremen Districts released methamphetamine lab statistics from the counties they serve. 6 meth labs have been seized by the Department in LaPorte County and in Pulaski County, 6 in Jasper County, 7 in White County, 16 in Fulton County, 15 in Cass County, and 53 in Marshall County.

30 meth labs were seized by Indiana State Police in Starke County.

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Vote Center Decision to Come by 2012 in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI

The General Assembly has passed a proposal to allow any Indiana county to use centralized vote centers instead of neighborhood polling precincts. We asked Starke County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski, what comes next.

“Now it is up to each County Election Board to resolute that we do indeed go ahead and establish these voting centers,” replied Skronski. “The Commissioners and the County Council would have to approve this. Throughout Starke County I think about five voting centers would be in the numbers for us to handle that many and to make it convenient for the voters. The biggest issue here is the reduction of the cost of the elections.”

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Latest Filings for 2011 Municipal Election

Posted on Author WKVI

Thirteen people have filed for candidacy for the 2011 Municipal election in the Starke County Clerk’s office. The two latest candidate filings include Donald Kring for Knox City Council and Bob Yung for Hamlet Town Board.

Clerk Evelyn Skronski explained that candidates filing for positions in the North Judson and Hamlet town elections have until August 1st to file while candidates for the City of Knox election have until February 18th to file. In general, Primary Elections are not held for the candidates of major parties, the Democratic and Republican parties, in towns under a population of 3,500 unless the town has adopted an ordinance to nominate candidates at a primary election. This applies for candidates running for positions in Hamlet and North Judson. If there is a party opposition on any of the seats open for candidacy in North Judson or Hamlet, a Town Convention will be held to determine the candidate for the General Election. Those are typically held in August.

The same rules apply for candidates in Pulaski County in the towns of Winamac, Medaryville and Francesville. One candidate has filed for candidacy for the 2011 Municipal Election. Christina Hoffa has filed for Winamac Town Clerk-Treasurer.

Center Township Precincts in Knox to Consolidate for 2011 Primary Election

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski

Starke County will go from 21 to 19 precincts in the spring Primary Election.

“We’re consolidating Center one, two, three, and four from their current locations to the Community Center,” said Starke County Clerk, Evelyn Skronski. “Hopefully, this is going to make it cost effective and voter comfortable.”

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Committee Looking to Upgrade Ambulance Services in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI

Does Starke County need to upgrade it’s ambulance service by adding Advanced Life Service? This is the second in a series we have been running this week on this topic.

As we told you yesterday, Starke County is one of only two counties in the state that does not offer Advanced Life Service to its citizens.  Even though officials have heard that the service can be paid for by charging higher rates with the Advanced Life Service, it is probably going to cost approximately $250,000 to secure the services of licensed paramedics.

Kris Rannells has worked as a paramedic in the past before returning home to join the family funeral home business in Hamlet. He says the Basic Ambulance Service in Starke County is doing a good job.

“They’re doing the most with what they have, but you’re going to have a better chance of saving more lives and keeping medical situations from expanding into a much more problematic situation with a paramedic than you are with an EMT,” said Rannells. “They are able to give all kinds of different medications and do different things to keep those medical problems from exasperating themselves.”

Kris Rannells was a paramedic in Indianapolis. Ted Hayes asked him about life saving with this upgraded service.

“In the amount of years that I was a paramedic, I can’t necessarily tell you how many lives saved alone, let alone how many lives I saved as a paramedic that would not have been saved as an EMT. I guarantee you, I made a difference as a paramedic. I don’t know about daily, but definitely weekly that would not have been made if I was just an EMT.”

A committee looking into upgrading to Advanced Life Service will meet next with paramedics from other small counties that already have it in place.

Starke County Ministerial Alliance Reorganizes

Posted on Author WKVI
Charles Bachelder

The Starke County Ministerial Alliance met Wednesday and selected Reverend Charles Bachelder, of the First Christian Church in Knox, to be the President, and James Pradke, of Victory Christian Church, to be the Secretary.  Retired Father Richard Zollinger has been selected to be the Treasurer.

Discussed at the meeting was the Right to Life Rally to be held in Starke County the end of the month.

First Starke County Baby of 2011 born at LaPorte Regional Medical Center

Posted on Author WKVI
Ireland Rose Furlong

The first Starke County baby of the year was born at the LaPorte Regional Medical Center. Amy Singleton, of Knox, gave birth to an 8 lb., 5 oz. baby girl on Saturday, January 1st at 6:26 a.m. CT. The baby’s name is Ireland Rose Furlong. The LaPorte Regional Medical Center’s OB department reported that three New Year’s babies were born that day and Amy’s was the only one from Starke County.

Amy Singleton and Ireland

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Andy Howes’ Remains Positively Identified

Posted on Author WKVI
Andy Howes

We are learning more details about a story WKVI broke on Saturday. Several bones that were returned to the Army in 1988 have been positively identified as belonging to Andy Howes, the young soldier from Knox who was MIA for over four decades after the helicopter he was in went down in Vietnam.

We now know there were six bones recovered (a right upper arm, a left lower arm, a right upper leg, one rib, and two other bones). All of the bones are partial and degraded, but positively match the DNA profile provided by Rob (Andy’s brother) and his late sister, Valarie.

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While the Weather Remains Calm, INDOT Prepares for More Winter Weather

Posted on Author WKVI

We’ve enjoyed a few snow free days in this new year, but don’t get too excited. As we all know, Indiana weather can change quickly from one day to the next which means we could see another big snow event at any time.

The Indiana Department of Transportation is ready for the next event as their top priority is snow and ice removal. INDOT uses all available resources to keep roads open, maximize the mobility of the traveling public and help minimize accidents due to winter traveling conditions.

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A Recap of the Top 10 Stories of 2010

Posted on Author WKVI

Story #10

Tony Kerby Memorial at the Yellow River

Tony Kerby lost his life in the Yellow River attempting to save his younger brother’s life. The good looking boy went in the treacherous waters to save his 8-year-old brother Dominick when the youngster slipped off a rock. Dominick was saved when a person in the park pulled him to safety, but Tony could not swim to the banks.

Community members were so saddened by the death that a cross was put at the site to honor his efforts and his life. The memorial was created by Shelby Clemons of North Judson, his wife, Danielle, and Misty Baldridge of Knox.

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Week in Review December 27th-31st, 2010

Posted on Author WKVI

Here are a few of the stories that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:

Megan Smithson, 19, of Illinois, died in an auto accident Sunday afternoon at the intersection of State Road 10 and State Road 35 in Starke County. Police say she pulled out onto US 35 and into the path of a vehicle driven by Tony Wagner of Winamac.

We heard from three of the four Starke County Councilmen who attended their last meeting December 20th. Chuck Estok, Bill Dulin, and Bruce Fingerhut (pictured right) said that they enjoyed working with the people of Starke County.

Gerald L. Broude, Jr. was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court, Tuesday. Judge Kim Hall sentenced him to 50 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections. A jury had found him Guilty on four counts of Child Molestation on December 1st.

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Jay and Katie Amidei Witness a Miracle as Their Son, Colton, Lives Through Rare Disease

Posted on Author WKVI
Colton Amidei

It’s said that 80% of Americans believe in miracles. Do you? The Jay and Katie Amidei family, on Anns Ct. in Knox, believe in miracles. Here’s why:

Their son, Colton, was diagnosed with a rare disease after doctors found a large mass behind his eye. The disease, which is difficult to pronounce, was so rare that very few Americans had ever been diagnosed with it.

At this time last year, little Colton had gone through two surgeries to remove the tumor, the first surgery taking 12 1/2 hours. The second was performed after opening his head to remove the mass that had been missed the first “go round.”

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