The 4-County Drainage Board has omitted the 2012 general drain maintenance assessment for landowners within the Robbins Watershed.
This will affect landowners in Center, Davis, Oregon and Washington Townships. The change will be reflected on the 2012 tax statement. The Drainage Board will continue to address maintenance on the drain during this year and the Board will review and evaluate the maintenance assessment for 2013.
Many of the visitors to the Commissioners’ Meeting Room in the Starke County Annex have been pleasantly surprised to see the different configuration of the room and new furniture. EMS Director Ted Bombagetti discussed the way the new furniture for the room was secured.
“A year or so ago the commissioners allowed me to use this room as my Emergency Operations Center. Through District Two I was allowed to purchase furniture to support my center. Therefore this is some of the equipment you see in front of you today,” Bombagetti said.
Bombagetti said he would need to use the room as a command center in time of a county-wide emergency.
“I do have the authority to use the room as I see fit. I just have to have the room set up within two hours after I call for an opening. We set the room up just the same as if we had an active emergency,” Bombagetti said.
The commmissioners and council members thanked Bombagetti for the effort to get the new furniture.
Congressman Joe Donnelly has announced that the Board of Commissioners of Starke County received a $503,000 grant to improve access to the Knox Industrial Park, an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). The grant will partially fund the State Road 8 and County Road 300 East intersection project.
A Starke County jury took just one hour to decide verdicts in the case of James Ritenour III.
The one-day trial occurred Wednesday in Starke Circuit Court and a 12 member jury found James Ritenour III not guilty on charges of Battery with a Deadly Weapon, a Class C Felony, and Criminal Recklessness, a Class D Felony. He was found guilty on two counts of Intimidation, as Class D Felonies, and one count of Interference with Reporting a Crime, a Class A Misdemeanor.
Gun sighting begins at 1:00 p.m. CT this afternoon for the Fourth Annual Turkey Tracks Hunt. The sighting of the guns will be at the Washington Township Community Building. Target practice will be allowed until the dinner at 6:00 p.m.
The doors open at 5:00 p.m. for the hog roast and during the dinner, those in attendance can place their bids on the silent auction items.
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the sentence that was handed to John Brooke in Starke Circuit Court by Judge Kim Hall. Brooke had appealed the sentence challenging his conspiracy conviction and his sentence.
Brooke was sentenced to 22 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections after a jury found him guilty on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Intimidation, Possession/Manufacturing of a Destructive Device (a Molotov Cocktail), Possession of a Destructive Device, Resisting Law Enforcement, Unlawful Use of Body Armor and Assisting a Criminal. The charges stemmed from an incident at Bass Lake on February 15th, 2010, where Brooke was convicted of harboring a fugitive, Michael Drogosz, and they developed a plan to kill police officers and rob banks in Starke County. Several other people were also involved in the plan.
Pat Mitchell, representing the Convention and Visitors Commission (formerly known as Starke County Visitors Association), appeared before the Starke County Commissioners last week to report that the membership had met even though they are missing three members.
Only four of the six members were present, but they did make a transfer of funds to the Starke County Tourism Commission.
It’s time to clean out those medicine cabinets. The DEA is sponsoring their Fourth Annual “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative, giving citizens the perfect opportunity to dispose of those unwanted or unused prescription medication. On Saturday, April 28th, citizens that wish to participate in the program may drop off their prescription drugs for disposal at any State Police Post throughout the state, except the Toll Road Post.
The second session in a community-wide forum on health will be held tonight from 5:00-8:00 p.m. CT at the Bass Lake Property Owners Association Building. In the first session, four priority opportunities for improving health and preparing Starke County for a radically different health and jobs economy of the next generation were discussed. They included job readiness initiatives, county-wide healthy adult living initiative, healthy kids initiative, and healthy early childhood initiative.
Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center Executive Director, Susanne Lange, recently announced the organization’s upcoming fundraiser to be held May 17th at the Knox Community Center. This is the second annual event for the organization that was formed to give women valuable information about pregnancy issues. Susanne mentioned in that six young ladies had decided to carry their babies to term in the past year. But, she said, that isn’t the only reason for the center’s existence.
“We really exist to inform men and women of their options,” said Lange. “Of course, it’s your choice to make informed decisions. We are there as a resource to them. Also we have a baby bucks program. If a client enrolls in our program, she and her boyfriend or husband can go through these classes and earn baby bucks. With these baby bucks, they can purchase various supporting items such as baby clothes, cribs, car seats…things like that.”
Three people were injured in a two vehicle accident around 8:30 p.m. last night on U.S. 30 just east of the Grovertown Truck Stop.
Starke County police say that a passenger car was northbound on 1100 East, crossed the median, hesitated in the median, and began to proceed into the path of an oncoming semi. The driver of the semi tried to stop and swerved to the right to attempt to avoid a collision, however the driver could not stop. The semi was loaded at the time of the accident.
We had three great guests this morning in the WKVI Studios.
Jodie Schlatter and E. Anne Ketchen, two members of the Pulaski County Extension Chords, were in the studio to talk about the group and their performance this Saturday. The Pulaski County Extension Chords will present “Life is a Highway” on Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Winamac High School Socialtorium. Ticket price is $6.00 and can be purchased from the members of the Pulaski County Extension Chords or they can be purchased at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET. If you would like to get your tickets ahead of time, call Jodie Schlatter at (219) 204-0966 or Pam Rausch at (574) 946-3858. Continue reading
James Ritenour III is scheduled to go to trial for charges stemming from an incident in which he allegedly attacked his mother. Ritenour was being held in the Starke County Jail under $100,000 bond after his mother told police that he put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her after she questioned him regarding a malfunctioning microwave.
Jayne Ritenour told police that she was thrown to the floor and stomped on, but she stayed in the home because she was too scared to attempt to leave, thinking her son would attack her again. In the morning, she snuck out of the home and went to Kerby’s Corner Gas Station where she was able to contact police.
Starke County will have a tax sale today at 10:00 a.m. CT in the Commissioner’s Room in the County Annex building. According to Interim Treasurer Kasey Clark, there will be 265 properties on the spring sale. Properties that are not sold will go on a later certificate sale.
The Turkey Tracks event is upon us. Turkey Tracks is in its fourth year and is sponsored by the Eric Corey Foundation.
This will be the first year for the event since the death of the person who established the event. Eric Corey, who had ALS, was a young hunter who wanted others with disabilities to be able to enjoy the sport that he loved so much. His mother and father, Carol and Doug, plus numerous guides, and others, will be gathering at the Washington Township Community Building Friday for the opening of the weekend wild turkey hunt.
The Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center will be hosting its second annual fundraising event in May. Susanne Lange, the Executive Director, tells us about the scheduled event.
“On May 17th, Bella Vita will be hosting its second annual Chocolate Fountain Fondue Fund Raising Event,” announced Lange. “Vincey from WFRN will be the emcee. We will have some client testimony. I will be speaking, giving a yearly update. And of course we’ll have the chocolate fondue treat, and a lyrical dance number.”
One year ago Claude Slisher was announced as The Older Hoosier of the Year and Joan Chesak was selected as Senior Volunteer of the Year.
Also one year ago, the Executive Director of Marshall-Starke Development Center, Mike Lintner, was reporting a shocking statistic. 70% of people with disabilities are unemployed. Marshall-Starke Development Center has been working for many years to help those with disabilities to become employable.
Jonathan and Nathan Hummel pleaded guilty yesterday in Starke Circuit Court to several charges against them. The pair were involved in an armed robbery incident at the Knox CVS pharmacy on December 20th.
Several Bass Lake residents got the answer they were seeking at the recent Starke County Commissioners meeting. The residents, who have placed a pier into the water at the end of Shewski Road in the past, petitioned the commissioners to allow them to do so again this year.
One of the sticking points was that the pier would be three feet over the access point in the lake. After several of the residents made points to the commissioners, a motion was made by Commissioner Jennifer Davis to allow the pier to be put in this year, and it will be studied and evaluated before the next season. That motion was approved unanimously as the room rang with applause.
The news that IU Health Starke Hospital will have an Interim President will have no impact on plans of IU Health LaPorte Hospital pursuing the purchase of the Starke facility. Thor Thordarson, CEO/President of LaPorte Regional Health System said the commitment is still there.
