Starke County Commissioners Approve Request to Replace Antennas

IT Director Joe Short

Starke County IT Director Joe Short told the commissioners this week that he has met with a few radio tower authorities and showed them around the county’s radio towers, looking for input on how to go about building a new tower.

According to Short, they recommended building a 180-foot tower and a 20-foot antenna. The construction of the tower would require a request for sealed bids, but before the county can request bid proposals, Short says they must determine where the tower will be built.

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Officer Justified In Shooting, Killing Dog That Attacked Him

Hamlet Town Marshal Frank Lonigro III

Hamlet Town Marshal Frank Lonigro III says an officer who shot and killed an attacking dog was justified in his actions. On Sept. 15, an officer with the Hamlet Police Department approached a residence at 218 Railroad St. in search of a wanted subject. When the officer asked the woman who answered the door if the wanted female was home, she said she was not.

The officer then asked to speak with Kenneth Schoff, who was also reported to live at the residence. When Schoff opened the door to come outside, a pit bull ran from the house barking and growling, and lunged at the police officer. The officer tried pushing the dog away, but the pit bull continued trying to bite him, forcing the officer to draw his weapon and fire three shots in an attempt to stop the attacking dog. The dog was struck by the shots, and fell onto the ground before quickly jumping up and attacking the officer once again.

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Case Against Former Starke County Treasurer Crawling Along

Linda Belork

The case against former Starke County Treasurer Linda Belork is shambling along in Jasper Circuit Court. The Indiana Supreme Court extended Judge John Potter’s decision deadline to Oct. 22, allowing him 13 more days to decide on the case.

Judge Potter has yet to make his decision regarding the case between Belork and the Starke County Commissioners, who claim Belork misappropriated $900,000 during her time as treasurer. The attorney for the Starke County Commissioners and the attorney for Linda Belork and Ohio Casualty appeared before the judge on June 6 and presented evidence supporting their cases.

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Wythogan Park To Open Today

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers has announced that Wythogan Park will open today.

The walking trail will be open to the public but visitors are asked to maneuver around the park with caution. Some areas will still be closed due to debris.

Contractors will continue working in the park until all of the debris is cleared out, but the majority of the larger logs and branches have been cleared from the park.

The park was closed after a July 24 storm reeled through the Knox area, causing thousands of dollars in damage within Wythogan Park. The storm also caused millions of dollars in damage to the Starke County Airport. The Starke County Courthouse suffered damage as well as the radio tower at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. All entities are still attempting to pick up the pieces after the storm nearly two months later.

Habitat For Humanity Interested In Salvaging Items From Knox Laundromat

Knox City Council

The Knox City Council last week discussed the old laundromat building at 64 E. Lake St., which will soon be demolished. Mayor Rick Chambers says he has already gotten a few quotes on its demolition, but they are still waiting on the necessary paperwork to be completed before any quote can be accepted.

Chambers told the council that if the paperwork is completed in time, the Board of Works will likely discuss and possibly choose the winning bid at their next meeting.

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Water Line Insurance Not a Scam; Knox Clerk-Treasurer Advises Against It

Knox Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston

A number of people in the city of Knox have called the city to report suspected fraudulent calls from companies selling insurance on water lines, but Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston says the offer might not be a scam.

According to Houston, the city is responsible for the main water line, but the lines running to the home and inside is the homeowner’s responsibility. As a result, it is possible to legitimately insure those lines, but he discourages the idea. He says there have only been a few times when that line has actually broken, and he feels it probably wouldn’t be worth insuring.

These insurance companies are typically not affiliated with utility providers, and Houston encourages all residents who are approached with such an offer to do some investigating before making their decision. The city of Knox does not endorse any water line insurance provider.

Trial Set For Man Accused of Pushing a Woman Out of Moving Car

Jason Cooke

The jury trial for a man accused of pushing a woman out of a moving vehicle has been scheduled for Nov. 28 at 9 a.m. in the Starke Circuit Court. Jason Cooke of Plymouth was arrested Sept. 3 on charges of Residential Entry and Trespass, and was arrested again the very next day on charges of Aggravated Battery.

Police say Cooke entered the home of Linda Draper and refused to leave despite her repeated orders to get off her property. When police were called, Cooke left the property but was soon taken into custody and arrested on preliminary charges of Residential Entry as a Class D felony and Criminal Trespass as as Class A misdemeanor.

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Knox City Council Discusses Backlash of IDEM Burn

Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week discussed the results of their controlled burn to dispose of tree waste from the June and July storms. Mayor Rick Chambers explained to the council that he had received several complaints concerning ash and soot from the fire, and one resident had filed a police report regarding damage to his vehicle from burning ash that had fallen on the car.

Chambers told the council that he sent the incident report of the damage to the city’s insurance company. The man is claiming $492 in damage, stating that the car requires a “wash and buff job,” and while Chambers feels that’s a little expensive for such a job, he has forwarded the information to the city’s insurance company to allow them to deal with sorting it out.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management granted the city’s burn permit on Aug. 9, allowing the city 30 days to conduct the burn. According to the permit, the city was allowed to conduct the controlled burn at the Starke County Highway Garage, Knox City Dump, or Wythogan Park, and the council decided that the dump was the safest place for the burn.

Sign Up Now For the Quit Now Indiana Contest

Tobacco Free Starke County is promoting a statewide stop smoking contest known as “Quit Now Indiana.”

This contest is designed to encourage smokers to make an attempt to quit using tobacco products and have a chance to win cash prizes up to $2,500 for remaining tobacco free for 31 days. To be eligible to win, you must be 18 years of age and older, be a legal resident of Indiana, be a current tobacco user and stay tobacco free from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. The registration period concludes Sept. 30. Contest winners will be drawn at random and will be tested to make sure you are tobacco free to be eligible to claim a prize.

Anyone interested may sign up at First National Bank of Monterey in North Judson, First Farmers Bank and Trust in North Judson, the North Judson clerk-treasurer’s office, or at the North Judson-Wayne Township Library. In Knox, you can sign up at the Starke County Health Department, the Health Linc office, Dr. Alexander’s office, Dr. Browne’s Office, Porter-Starke Services or the WIC office. In Winamac, sign up at the Pulaski County Health Department, Dr. Curtis’ office or Dr. Kauffman’s office.

Knox Man Arrested After Alleged Stabbing Incident

A Knox man was arrested Wednesday morning after allegedly attacking and stabbing a woman during an argument.

Knox City Police officers were called to 305 Bender Street after a caller reported a domestic disturbance. When police arrived on scene, Dennis Hamilton and the female victim stated that they didn’t need any help and the officers left. A short time later, police were called back to the scene after Hamilton and the victim allegedly continued arguing to the point where it got violent.

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Knox Man Arrested For Possession of Methamphetamine

Knox City Police officers arrested a Knox man Tuesday after receiving an anonymous tip of an alleged drug deal in the Knox Post Office parking lot.

Officers arrived at the post office to find persons on a moped and in a car. The suspects were known to police as having been involved with narcotics in a prior setting. The officers approached the suspects in the car who were identified as Kurtis Singleton and Aaron Brewer, and noticed a smell of burnt marijuana emitting from the vehicle. They were asked to exit the car and as Singleton stepped out of the car, a cigarette package and a piece of foil hit the ground. He reportedly picked up the cigarette package and stepped on the foil. Officers were able to retrieve the foil package and it contained a white powdery substance that later field tested positive for methamphetamine.

Singleton, 20 of Knox, was then taken into custody and transported to the Starke County Jail. As he got out of the squad car to be processed into the jail, he allegedly dropped another piece of foil that contained a white powdery substance that also field tested positive for methamphetamine. He was booked on a preliminary charge of Possession of Methamphetamine.

Ribbon-Cutting For Chester, Inc. In North Judson Today

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for this morning for Chester Agricultural Systems in North Judson. This division of Chester, Inc. announced plans in July to locate to the North Judson area.

The town will be home to an additional structure for the Agricultural Systems Division of Chester, Inc., which will house a growing inventory of necessary parts for servicing irrigation systems. The division was established in 1970 when Chester, Inc. first added center-pivot irrigation systems to their line of products and services; they now service over 1500 irrigation systems, as well as grain dryers and drying bins.

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Foul Play Not Suspected in Death of Bass Lake Man

Foul play is not suspected in the death of a Bass Lake man who was found dead in his home Saturday morning. Starke County Coroner Kris Rannells says they won’t have a conclusive cause of death for at least four to six weeks as the official autopsy report is compiled and processed, but he says they do not suspect foul play at this time.

The body of 52-year-old David Griffin was discovered by his brother Saturday morning when he had gone to check on Griffin because nobody had heard from him in several days. The body was found in a Bass Lake home and was reported to be badly decomposed, indicating that he had been deceased for some time.

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North Judson Working To Comply With ADA Requirements

Doug Vessely
North Judson Town Marshal Doug Vessely

North Judson Town Marshal Doug Vessely was recently appointed as the town’s coordinator for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry explained that the town must now review their municipal buildings and sidewalks to ensure they are ADA-compliant, because if they aren’t, the town will be unable to receive federal grants.

Henry explained that the town will be required to draft a plan to become compliant with ADA requirements, and then they will have to implement that plan as soon as possible. The deadline for a plan to be developed and submitted is Dec. 31, and any municipality that does not have their ADA plan implemented soon thereafter will be disqualified from receiving federal funds. As ADA coordinator, Vessely will work closely with Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann to ensure they meet the requirements.

Horstmann is also staying busy, having scheduled a water tower inspection for both towers this month. Both the tower on the west side of North Judson and the tower downtown will be inspected Sept. 19.

Tony Semple Foundation Brings Turkey Tracks Program To Mich.

Eric Corey and his parents

Eric Corey’s legacy lives on, as eight physically-challenged hunters who have been part of the Turkey Tracks program held each spring in Starke County travel to the small community of Millersburg, Mich. to hunt deer.

The trip was arranged by the late Eric Corey’s parents, Carol and Doug Corey, through the Tony Semple Foundation. Semple was a star linebacker for the Detroit Lions who established this foundation to help provide hunting activities for hunters with disabilities.

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Free Prostate Screenings In North Judson, LaPorte

IU Health LaPorte Hospital and IU Health Starke Hospital will be offering free prostate cancer screenings on Saturday, Sept. 22 from 8–11 a.m. CT.

The screenings will be offered at two locations: one in LaPorte and the other in North Judson. You must preregister in order to receive the free screenings. To schedule an appointment in LaPorte, call (219) 326-2073 and in North Judson call (574) 896-5533.

Prostate screenings are recommended annually for men age 40 and older.

The screening is made possible through funding provided by the LaPorte Hospital Foundation, the philanthropic arm of IU Health LaPorte Hospital and fiscal manager of the Starke Health Fund.

Two Accidents Within 45 Minutes in Starke County; Two Airlifted For Treatment

Two people were airlifted to medical facilities for serious injuries after two separate vehicle collisions were reported on State Road 10 within 45 minutes of each other on Monday.

According to the crash report filed at the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, the first collision took place at 4:30 p.m. on State Road 10 near the intersection of Range Road. Connie Boyer, 58 of North Judson, was reportedly traveling east on State Road 10 in a 2005 GMC SUV with two passengers when she slowed to make a left turn onto Range Road. She told police that she did not see the green 2001 Chevrolet car traveling toward her on State Road 10, operated by 46-year-old Michelle Howard of North Judson. Boyer made her turn into the path of Howard, causing a head-on collision.

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Knox City Council Creates Special Event Fund

Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week approved a resolution to establish a Special Event Fund for the city. Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston told the council that he had spoken with the auditor for the State Board of Accounts who will be conducting the audit for Knox, and Houston had asked what to do with donations received for specific events, such as the Fourth of July fireworks.

According to Houston, the State Board of Accounts recommended creating a Special Event Fund to hold donations earmarked for a specific purpose. This fund will be separate from the city’s Donation Fund, which Houston says is used for donations to organizations or departments, such as police.

This new fund will be used to keep track of donations received for special events, but Houston emphasized that all donations going into this fund must be labeled for a specific purpose.

The council approved the resolution creating the Special Event Fund.

Wythogan Park Cleanup Nearing Completion; Mayor Hopes For Weekend Opening

“It’s starting to look like a park again.”

Knox Park Superintendent George Byer says the cleanup at Wythogan Park is nearing completion, and the park is almost clear enough to allow visitors once again. With brush pickup said to be roughly two-thirds complete, and the cleanup of trees and hanging branches almost halfway complete, Byer says the park doesn’t look so much like a disaster area anymore.

“The park is looking great compared to what it was here a month ago,” Byer said. “It takes time to clean up a disaster like we’ve got. I think we’re moving along very well with it.”

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