After fleeing the Starke County Jail on May 23 and turning himself in just five days later, Joshua Hunnicutt will appear for his initial hearing today for additional charges of Escape and Conspiracy to Commit Escape.
Hunnicutt had been on the run since climbing a razor-wire wall in the recreation area of the jail and fleeing from police. He said he turned himself back in because he realized he had made a poor decision in escaping, and said he doesn’t have any recollection of what took place prior to his escape.
There is one element of the Mint Festival that makes it completely unique: mint! The agricultural aspect of mint is celebrated during this time and many farmers in the North Judson area and in Starke County produce mint that is used in every day items such as toothpaste, gum and candies.
Mint Festival President, Terry Thompson, says the oil that is distilled from the mint plants will be available for purchase during the festival.
“We do have the mint oil that everybody loves,” said Thompson. “We have mint plants and hopefully we’ll have some mint candy.”
Brooke Webb, charged with multiple counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana and Visiting a Common Nuisance after she was arrested at a residence in Knox on Nov. 23, 2011, appeared in the Starke Circuit Court Monday morning for her plea and sentencing hearing.
Webb was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections for Possession of a Controlled Substance as both a Class D felony and a Class C felony. One year of that sentence has been stayed, and one year will be served on probation. In addition, the court will allow her to serve the one remaining year on home detention. The rest of the charges against her were dismissed as part of the agreement.
Accused of battering his girlfriend in March, David Zachary was to appear for his plea and sentencing hearing in the Starke Circuit Court this week as well. However, due to an incomplete questionnaire, the pre-sentence investigation was not complete. A status hearing has been scheduled for Zachary on June 14 at 8 a.m., when they will learn if the pre-sentence investigation has been completed.
Starke County Sheriff Oscar Cowen has informed the county commissioners that he is in need of three new cars.
Commission President Kathy Norem asked Cowen to come back with actual quotes, a listing of the current fleet with years in service, and their current mileage.
She also asked Cowen to look at trucks, stating they “have better resale value.”
Oregon-Davis School Superintendent Dr. Steve Disney
“He could and did fill almost every position in the school system. We’re losing a great employee.” Oregon-Davis School Superintendent Steve Disney said these kind words about Rex Miller as he announced his retirement from the system.
During his tenure, Miller has been, among other things, the athletic director, media specialist, assistant principal, and even subbed as a bus driver occasionally. He retired as the dean-administrative assistant.
“He was an Oregon-Davis Bobcat through and through. He and his wife Brenda moved to this school system, and they never left. Rex was a strong community member who was willing to do whatever he could for the O.D. kids,” said Disney.
Do you ever remember diving off the diving board at Bass Lake? What year was it? Well, you might never dive off of it again, but because of the low water at Bass Lake the old diving board and platform have been discovered. A boat struck the items in about four feet of water, and although at first no one knew what it was, it was soon discovered that the platform had four polls on each corner and a rug on top of the deck.
On another note, Starke County’s most famous bridge – the one that went over Eagle Creek – has been removed. The wooden bridge was the site of a near-tragic event that occurred in April 1996 when a runaway school bus went over the bridge before a student, John Waldron, stopped it in a field.
The bridge has recently been taken out and a culvert installed. Highway workers brought the old wooden bridge to the highway garage property. It’s not known if it will be sold, scrapped, or used for parts.
Starke County Prosecutor Nicolas Bourff has confirmed that he has received a State Board of Accounts special report for the town of North Judson. The report covers the period of time between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2011.
In the summary of the report, the field examiners who worked on the audit identified financial discrepancies totaling $74,408.67.
The largest discrepancy was in the cemetery lot sales category. Based on the information posted in the cemetery book, and the confirmations that were returned with receipts, the examiners determined that $40,350 was collected for cemetery lots sales but that amount was not receipted to the records. Former Clerk-Treasurer Connie Miller was requested to reimburse the town for this amount, and it was also noted that Miller required cash payments for the cemetery lot sales.
The 35th Annual Mint Festival begins Friday, June 15 and runs through Sunday, June 17. The event is held every year during the Father’s Day weekend and a Father and Grandfather of the Year are selected annually. Mint Festival President Terry Thompson has a few other items that will be featured during the event.
“We have a lot of vendors this year,” stated Thompson. “There are a lot of craft vendors and food vendors. We also have a lot of music. Mike McBride has a lot of live bands this year which include a lot of new bands for your entertainment.”
Don’t forget the parade on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., and Thompson will discuss another unique aspect of the Mint Festival tomorrow.
Starke County EMS Director Paul Mathewson informed the Starke County Commissioners last week that he is looking into more modern equipment that might cut down on Workers Compensation Claims. He specifically said that he is pricing power-lifting cots and stair chairs.
One of the real dangers for EMS personnel is bringing patients from their home to the ambulance. Many back injury claims have been submitted in the past, and Mathewson said it would pay off in the long run to cut down on these injuries.
Starke County Conservation Officer Keith Wildeman, Jeremiah Patrick, Harold Smith, James Upsall, Rob Olejniczack, Rich Gast, Caitlyn Hinshaw, Melissa Osburn, Sandy Binkley, Hugo Reese, Chris Kisela, and Bob Leffert participated in last year's Shop with a Cop event.
Nearly $3,200 was raised Saturday in a fundraiser held by the members of the Kankakee Valley Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #129.
The proceeds will be used to fund the “Shop with a Cop” program in Starke County. The money will be used to purchase much-needed school clothes and school supplies for the 2012-2013 school year, and children in grades kindergarten through fifth grade will get to shop for these items with the help of members of the FOP.
Last year, the FOP was able to help 33 children, spending between $100 to $150 per child. Several businesses helped with donations for raffle items and more.
Knox City Police Department Officer and FOP President Chris Kisela will announce plans for the Shop with a Cop program as we get closer to the start of the school year.
Wendy Hoppe, North Judson Town Council President and SCEDF Director receiving her award.
Starke County Economic Development Foundation Board Member Wendy Hoppe has been named the recipient of a Northwest Indiana Most Influential Woman Award, presented at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville on May 31.
This was the second year for such awards, with Hoppe being named as the Most Influential Woman in the category of construction.
This is the second year a SCEDF Board member has won an award. Diane Thalman, vice president, was the inaugural winner in the 2011 category of Most Influential Woman in Economic Development.
Wendy Hoppe is currently the North Judson Town Council president for 2012. She was the first licensed female plumbing contractor in Indiana. Wendy is well known at the state level and is sometimes the subject of referrals when other females inquire about the possibility of obtaining a plumbing license.
Her next goal is to hold classes for females in the community to learn the basics of plumbing so that they might feel comfortable in performing some of the more routine tasks that they might face. Hoppe is in her eighth year on the Starke-Pulaski Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors.
Before they were “Redskins,” they were “Blue Streaks.” That was the what the Center Township sports teams were called before the school burned to the ground in 1942. After the fire, the students from Center Township came into Knox.
Legend has it that the blue in the uniforms of Knox sports teams is in honor of the Center Township School – after all, one of the most famous of all Knox High School graduates, Harold Weinberg, attended the school until it burned.
On Sunday, several of the students who attended the school gathered at the Community Services building to enjoy a meal, look at pictures, and reminisce about their school days at Center.
There is now a Literacy Council in Starke County. Through the efforts of Sheila Urwiler, director of the Starke County Library System and Jerry Gurrado of the SCILL Center, a council has been established and volunteers trained.
“We’ve had five people go through the training and are now certified. We’re looking for more volunteers because the more people we have do this, the better. Training only takes about one to two hours. It’s not hard to do. You don’t have to be a teacher; you can just be a person who has a few hours of time a week who would like to help out,” Urwiler said.
Tutoring has already started for students in the program.
Erica Taylor Joseph, Jaxon Joseph, and Macie Keppler were members of the Hawg Wild DJs team.
The Starke County Relay for Life held over the weekend was a success! Relay for Life Coordinator Megan Hamand gave the results figure at the end of the event Saturday morning.
“We raised $58,445 this year, which is amazing. I couldn’t believe it when we hit $52,000 last year, but our 44 teams were determined to beat last year’s total and we did,” Hamand said.
The “Hawg Wild DJs” team was unofficially named the top fundraiser, and team member Ericka Taylor Joseph explained some of her team’s fund raising methods.
“We usually have several fund raisers. We had a Purses for a Purpose fundraiser and a pork fundraiser. Our team is large, and everyone pitches in and raises its $100 personal goal,” Joseph explained.
Joseph explained that there is one thing in particular that all the team members have in common.
“Actually, everyone on the team has lost someone to cancer. I lost my father Tommy D. Taylor to cancer ten years ago,” Joseph observed.
Hamand thanked everyone who made the event a huge success, and she says planning is already underway for the 2013 relay.
The 35th Annual North Judson Mint Festival is this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and Mint Festival President Terry Thompson says plenty of activities are planned.
“We have more carnival rides this year and some are new and we have karaoke, which is a big event this year for us,” said Thompson. “It will be in the middle of town on Saturday from 1 – 4 p.m. The Mint Idol Contest will be Friday night at 6 p.m., and there will be town-wide yard sales Saturday and Sunday.”
Those are just a few of the events scheduled, and Thompson will talk about more Mint Festival events through the week as the event nears.
The Oregon-Davis School Corporation is searching for two replacements for the school board. Candidates are being sought for a District III position and an At-Large member.
If you are interested in serving on the Oregon-Davis School Board, submit a letter of interest with background information and reasons why you want to be a school board member. Included in the letter should be an explanation of how you could contribute to the success of the Oregon-Davis School Corporation.
Consideration for candidates will be held at the June 18 school board meeting.
Send candidacy letters to Julie McLiver, administrative assistant at the Oregon-Davis School Corporation at 5998 N. 750 E., Hamlet, IN, 46532. Oregon-Davis has a policy of providing equal opportunity.
Ladies over 40, have you had your yearly mammogram? According to Josephine Klicek at IU Health Starke Hospital, there is no more important decision you can make today than to schedule your mammogram.
Klicek is so passionate that women over 40 should have a yearly mammogram that she set up a table at the recent Health Fair, sponsored in part by IU Health Starke Hospital.
“When the patients would come up, one of the things we would ask them is, ‘Do you have insurance? Have you had your yearly mammogram?’” she said.
Four people were arrested in Knox on Monday after police reportedly found drugs in a vehicle.
Knox City Police officers and officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Community Corrections were near the Super Value Inn when they saw a suspicious vehicle pull into the hotel parking lot. A woman got out of the car and, once she saw police, quickly got back in. Police stopped the vehicle and talked to the occupants.
One officer reported smelling burnt marijuana in the car and asked everyone to exit the vehicle. After the driver granted police permission to search the vehicle, police reportedly found methamphetamine and marijuana in the car, which were field tested with a positive result on both tests.
Effort at all three Knox Community School buildings was highlighted during Monday night’s Knox Community School Board meeting. Superintendent A.J. Gappa said that because of the effort, the corporation is now known as a Riley Corporation.
“We highlighted all three buildings, the elementary school, middle school and the high school, for contributions made to the Riley’s Children Hospital in Indianapolis,” said Gappa. “This is a great benefit to kids throughout the State of Indiana. I know many Knox kids in the past have used the facilities at Riley and many Starke County kids also,” said Gappa.
Vernon Chessor appeared for his sentencing hearing in the Starke Circuit Court on Friday, where he faced charges of Possession of Methamphetamine as Class D felonies as well as a probation violation charge in a separate case. A charge of Possession of a Syringe was dismissed.
Judge Kim Hall sentenced Chessor to 18 months in the Department of Corrections with no time suspended for the charge of Possession of Methamphetamine, and two years in the Department of Corrections with none suspended for the probation violation. The sentences will run consecutively for a total of two and a half years in the DOC. The court also recommended that he be placed into the CLIFF program.
Austin Bailey was also sentenced Friday to three years and nine months in the Department of Corrections. He will serve three years for a Class D felony charge of Theft, and nine months for violating his probation. He will also serve six months in the Starke County Jail.
