IU Health Starke Hospital Invests Nearly $750,000 In Equipment

Posted on Author WKVI

IU Health Starke Hospital Interim President David Hyatt announced this week that the hospital has invested nearly three quarters of a million dollars in new equipment. He presented his capital expenditures report to the Starke County Council last week, and he said total capital expenditures so far this year total $862,071. He says $735,280 of these expenses were for equipment, with $63,589 in contingency funds.

Two high-tech pieces of equipment cost nearly half a million dollars alone, including a Nuclear Medicine Dual-head Camera at $276,749, and a new Patient Monitoring System for the inpatient units with a cost of $202,470. Hyatt says the new patient monitors are the most technologically-advanced monitors available, and will allow patients to be monitored anywhere in the hospital from central monitoring screens in the ICU and Medical Surgical Units.

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Knox High School National Honor Society Honored By School Board

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

The Knox High School National Honor Society was spotlighted during the school board’s recent meeting. Superintendent A.J. Gappa says the members were involved in a great fundraising effort.

“Dr. Ratliff, the principal at the high school, brought to the board a letter from the Pennies for Patients fundraising effort,” said Gappa. “Our National Honor Society at the high school raised over $1,200 in pennies to support that fund. The whole nation raised over $600,000.”

Shawn Heck Sentenced To Eight Years For Dealing Methamphetamine

Posted on Author WKVI
Shawn Heck

Shawn Heck was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Thursday.

Heck pleaded guilty to a charge of Dealing in Methamphetamine in a plea agreement which Judge Hall accepted. Heck will serve eight years on that Class B Felony charge with none of that sentence suspended in the Indiana Department of Corrections. Upon his completion of the CLIFF program and serving a mandatory six years of that term, he may apply for a modification of that sentence. He was ordered to pay a $200 drug interdiction fee. As part of his plea agreement, charges of Possession of Precursors and Possession of Methamphetamine were dropped.

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Knox High School Continues To Offer Free Breakfast and Lunch

Posted on Author WKVI

A few Knox High School students are involved in the second session of summer school, and High School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff said summer school has been going well.

“We have a lot of classes going on at the high school,” said Ratliff. “We also want to remind you that we do have free lunch or breakfast for any individual under 18 going on at the high school. They can come in and get a complimentary lunch or breakfast. If you have visitors in town, we’d welcome you here.”

Breakfast and lunch will be served at the high school Monday, July 23 through Thursday July 26. Breakfast is served from 7 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT.

Starke County 4-H Fair Comes To an End Tomorrow

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County 4-H Fair is coming to a close after a week of fun, heat, and 4-H success.

The garden tractor pull begins today at 8:30 a.m., Kid’s Day Registration is at 10 a.m. in the Show Arena, the 4-H rocket launch will be at 1 p.m. at the Starke County Airport and the Pet Fun Run is at 2 p.m., sponsored by the Starke County Humane Society.

The fair officially closes tomorrow at 5 p.m. with the Hamlet Fire Department’s truck and tractor pull.

Art Dominates Henry F. Schricker Public Library

Posted on Author WKVI
Wesley Dolinski and Darius Mirza sit surrounded by art on display at the library.

Visitors to the Henry F. Schricker Public Library may have noticed a bit of a change about the place, as the lobby is now plastered with all kinds of art, courtesy of artists Wesley Dolinski and Darius Mirza.

Sculptures, photographs, and paintings are on display at the library. Dolinski explained that most of the work was done by him and Mirza, but three or four pieces on display were purchased from art teachers of his past. More than 40 pieces are being displayed.

Photographer Darius Mirza says when he moved to America in 2006, he tried to capture the urban life settings of big cities such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, but he also wanted to share some other settings as well, such as European architecture and landscapes. As a result, his photography collection – and many of his works on display – include images from Switzerland, Romania, and other countries.

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Dale Hite Sentenced To 30 Years in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Dale Hite

It was an emotional day for the family of Amber McMillin and Nicholas White as Dale Hite was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Thursday afternoon.

McMillin and White had been killed in a car accident with Hite as the driver. On October 16, 2009, officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department were investigating a call of someone manufacturing methamphetamine and when officers arrived on scene and began searching for evidence, a vehicle approached the residence and then suddenly sped from the scene which was approximately one quarter mile north of County Road 600 North on County Road 700 East in Grovertown. As police pursued the vehicle on 600 North, the vehicle’s headlights turned off and all the officer could see was the taillights. The vehicle then went off the road at 10320 East 600 North and ran into some trees. Police indicate that the vehicle was traveling 124 miles per hour at the time of the crash. Amber McMillin and Nicholas White, both of Plymouth, were ejected from the vehicle and died of injuries at the scene. Police found that Dale Hite, who was also injured in that incident, had been driving the vehicle and police found methamphetamine in Hite’s pants pocket.

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Prominent Starke County Community Member Passes Away

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County is mourning the loss of a prominent community member who passed away this week. Michael Haugh of North Judson, 73, devoted his life to the service of others, building upon the communities in which he lived to improve the quality of life for his neighbors and everyone in the community.

Haugh moved to North Judson with his wife Joan and their four children in 1971, but before then he served the Highland community through different organizations. He was a board member for the community hospital in Munster, the parish council of Our Lady of Grace, and he was a member of the Sanitary District of Highland, the Jaycees, and the YMCA. In fact, in 1971, Haugh was named the Outstanding Young Man of the Year by the Jaycees.

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Knox-Center Township Fire Department Receives Equipment Donation

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox-Center Township Fire Department recently received a piece of equipment from Starke County Farm Bureau and the Starke County Co-Op. Fire Chief Kenny Pfost said the donation was received thanks to a grant applied for and awarded to the two entities.

“They gave us a grain bin rescue tool,” explained Pfost. “This will assist us if someone is trapped in a grain bin or silo and it can be used for various other things as far as sand or gravel or something like that.”

He explains how the apparatus works.

“This tube slips over the top of the person and as we are moving the material from around them, the tube slides down and it prevents more material from trapping the person further,” said Pfost.

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Some Starke County Townships Not In Compliance With Nepotism Law

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

The Starke County Commissioners this week heard an update on the county’s compliance with the new statewide nepotism guidelines, and Auditor Kay Chaffins says that they have received letters of compliance from several townships. Unfortunately, the county has not received them from North Bend, Washington, Jackson, and Center townships.

Chaffins says that although the state did not given the county much time to comply, the Department of Local Government Finance can still penalize the county for not being in full compliance. The DLGF can choose not to approve the county’s budget for next year, which can cause a myriad of financial problems.

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Bass Lake Summer Splash Kicks Off Next Friday

Posted on Author WKVI

The Bass Lake Summer Splash begins Friday, July 27 for a three-day run.

The Miss Teen Bass Lake and the Little Miss and Mr. Bass Lake contests are tomorrow, July 21, at the Bass Lake Property Owners Association Building.

The Little Miss and Mr. Bass Lake contest begins at 4 p.m., followed by the Miss Teen Bass Lake at 6 p.m. There is a $2 admission charge.

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Knox High School Principal Named To ISSMA Board

Posted on Author WKVI

Knox High School Principal Dr. Elizabeth Ratliff was recently named to the Indiana State School Music Association Board.

“This group does support marching band competitions, solo and ensemble, jazz band, orchestra – all of those different competitive events that our kids in Knox flourish at,” said Ratliff. “This is the board that helps to organize those events and manage them.”

Ratliff explains how she was chosen for the position on the board.

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Knox Schools Prepare For Vacation’s End

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

Preparations are being done for the start of the school year at the Knox Community School Corporation. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the school year begins Aug. 14.

“Schools are getting in condition,” said Gappa. “The maintenance people are refinishing floors and we have a couple of parking lots that are going to be resealed before school starts and then lines lines repainted on those.”

He says that while the maintenance crew is hard at work, the administration is looking into filling all available staff positions.

“All of the staffing positions have not been filled so the administrators in each of the buildings are working on that and planning to have staff members in place by the time school starts,” said Gappa.

Knox Mayor Urges Water Conservation

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers is asking residents to take measures to conserve water in light of worsening drought conditions that have placed the entire state under a water shortage warning.

Chambers said the average daily water use for the city is about 350,000 gallons, but for the past several weeks, over 550,000 gallons of water per day have been used. The aquifer from which three deep pumps draw water is about two feet lower than average. Chambers urges citizens to do what they can to conserve water. Residents are encouraged to restrain from watering lawns or flowers as often, and to change shower or bath habits to reduce water usage.

If adequate rainfall does not occur within the next couple of weeks, the mayor may need to restrict water usage.

Starke County Commissioners Accept Bid For Bridge 51 Replacement

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

The Starke County Commissioners this week accepted a bid from LaPorte Construction to perform the replacement of Bridge 51.

The highest bid received was from Yates Construction, Inc., for $325,445.33, while the lowest bid presented was from LaPorte Construction Company, Inc. for $224,328.25.

Five other bids were presented from companies throughout Indiana and Michigan, which the commissioners took under advisement to give Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall time to review the bids and decide which bid he would recommend.

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North Judson-San Pierre Schools To Endure Hefty Budget Cuts

Posted on Author WKVI
North Judson-San Pierre Superintendent Lynn Johnson

The North Judson-San Pierre School Board discussed the budget outlook for the next two years and Superintendent Lynn Johnson said the school will take a major budget hit in 2012 and 2013.

“Close to one million dollars,” said Johnson. “One of the things we lost was the restoration grant and the small schools grant. Those two losses did come up to about a million dollars. Of course, it depends on enrollment. If we have an increase in enrollment, of course that will help us. There’s a lot of variables we have to look at, but right now we are looking at decreased revenue and I’m sure we’re not the only school corporation.”

On top of the budget cut, Johnson says they are also suffering from a decrease in enrollment.

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Starke County Vehicle Search Turns Up Methamphetamine – Four Arrested

Posted on Author WKVI

Four people were arrested Tuesday after a traffic stop in Starke County.

A deputy from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop on State Road 23 near 950 East and the officer was granted permission to search the vehicle. Several items used to manufacture and package methamphetamine as well as the finished product were found in the vehicle.

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Knox Community Schools ISTEP Scores Lower Than Expected

Posted on Author WKVI
Knox Community School Superintendent A.J. Gappa

The Knox Community School Board discussed ISTEP results Monday night. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said the scores have declined.

“Our administrators are looking into possible reasons why they think they might have declined,” said Gappa. “We have given other tests in both buildings, like the NWEA test, that does show growth in some areas, but the administrators are looking into that and plan to come back with an action plan for the upcoming school year.”

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Extreme Temperatures Prompt Communities To Establish Cooling Centers

Posted on Author WKVI

With record-breaking highs yesterday, many communities in the area established cooling centers to provide citizens with a place to cool off. Visitors to the Starke County 4-H Fair had to tolerate high 90-degree temperatures that felt hotter than 101 degrees with the humidity.

Fortunately, IU Health Starke Hospital put its Health Mobile to good use providing visitors with a place to go to get out of the sweltering heat and take a break. Hospital Interim President David Hyatt said the Health Mobile will help stave off heat exhaustion for fair-goers.

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North Judson Household Causes Sewer Clog Over The Weekend

Posted on Author WKVI
North Judson Town Board

One North Judson resident had to deal with a smelly situation Sunday night after a lift station pump plugged up, causing sewage to seep up into their home. North Judson Town Council President Wendy Hoppe commended Town Superintendent Marshall Horstmann and his three-man crew for their quick response and diligent effort in rectifying the situation, which was reportedly caused by a North Judson resident who had flushed an item down the toilet that had clogged up the sewer system.

The lift station pump was permanently damaged from the clog, and Clerk-Treasurer Donna Henry emphasized the fact that nothing should be flushed down the toilet except for human waste and toilet paper. She says that while an item may be labeled as “flushable,” that’s not always the case. The item may flush down the toilet, but it’s not unlikely that it will get stuck in the sewer system and cause further problems down the line.

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