American Red Cross officials are pleased with the results of last month’s WKVI blood drive. The station hosted a bloodmobile in the parking lot of the studio at 400 West Culver Road on Monday, Aug. 3. A total of 19 donors registered, one was deferred, and 18 units of blood were collected. Of the donors, three registered to give blood for the first time. Continue reading
WKVI’s Tom Berg Leaves for Bucket List Trip
WKVI morning show host Tom Berg is Las Vegas bound, thanks to the generosity of the community. He was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic colon cancer. WKVI General Manager Lenny Dessauer set up a GoFundMe page to help Tom check items off his bucket list. Continue reading
North Judson Takes Steps to Demolish Fire Station and Remove Trees
The town of North Judson is moving ahead with the demolition of the old fire station and community center. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Recommend Additional Jail Hires
Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin has the blessing of the Starke County Commissioners to hire two additional full-time jail officers. First the county council must appropriate the money to do so. Indications are it will come from the tax money collected to pay for the jail project. Continue reading
IU Health VNA Offers Flu Shots
Flu shots are now available at IU Health VNA in Hamlet. The vaccinations will be offered to people age nine and older, and pneumonia vaccines will also be available. Continue reading
Starke County Election Board Approves Paving Project
The Starke County Election Board should be able to close out a federal grant for polling site improvements soon. Help America Vote Act funds were used to make the Bass Lake Lions Club building used in North Bend Township handicap accessible. Continue reading
Leadership Starke County Moves Opening Retreat
Starke County Commissioners Defer Drainage Decision
The Starke County Commissioners have agreed to wait until after next week’s park board meeting to make a decision about drainage issues in the Starke County Forest. Continued beaver dam activity along the Anderson Ditch is causing drainage problems for neighboring landowners. Several sent a petition to Starke County Surveyor Dennis Estok and to the DNR requesting a solution to the problem. Continue reading
IU Health Officials Schedule Next Hospital Mock-Up
Members of the public will have a chance to walk through a life-size mockup of the next phase of the new IU Health Starke Hospital next week. The scale model has been dubbed “cardboard city.” Construction workers last month built the first phase at the former Freeman Products Building at the corner of 300 East and Culver Road in Knox. Continue reading
SCEDF Claims Businesses Notice Civility in Communities
A local economic development official says community disruptions can harm job creation.
Charlie Weaver, Executive Director of the Starke County Economic Development Foundation, says companies often target a community’s workforce quality, infrastructure, and access to major markets prior to locating. He also says a second set of criteria must be met that includes how a community works through its problems.
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North Judson Switches Credit Card Processor
People doing business with the town of North Judson will soon be able to pay online with a credit card. Continue reading
Knox City Council Approves Fund Transfers
The Knox City Council has approved the transfer of money in both its General Fund and its Park and Recreation Fund. Continue reading
Hamlet Town Board Outlines Budget Schedule
A public hearing is scheduled September 23rd. on the 2016 budget for the Town of Hamlet. Action to adopt the budget is expected to be taken October 21st.
The Town Attorney, Martin Bedrock, discussed with the board action that can be taken to remove abandoned, fire damaged and unsafe structures. Notices have been mailed to the owners of several such properties, who have 10 days to request a hearing on the matter. Continue reading
Knox Students Prepare for Homecoming
“Homecoming” activities were the focus of reports from the principals of the Knox Community School Board earlier this week. The Homecoming Parade will begin in the Knox downtown area about 1:10 Friday afternoon, ending at the Weinberg Gymnasium for a pep session. The football game, Knox vs. North Judson, begins at 7 p.m. Continue reading
Knox City Council Gives Green Light to TCS Expansion
Traffic Control Specialists can now move ahead with plans to build a new facility in the Knox Industrial Park after the Knox City Council approved several measures enabling its construction at its meeting Tuesday. Continue reading
MPI Official Discusses Contract Negotiations
Contract talks are continuing between MPI Products and its employees. A petition was filed with the National Labor Relations Board in 2014 allowing the employees to join the United Steelworkers. Contract talks have been taking place since that time. Officials with MPI say they are meeting with union officials as often as possible to help finalize a first contract. Continue reading
Starke County Dems Move Coroner Caucus in Face of 10-Day Requirement
The Starke County Democrats will have to wait a bit longer to find a candidate to fill the role of Coroner.
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Starke County Election Board Finalizes Ballots
The ballots are set for the Nov. 3 General Elections in Starke County. Voters in the towns of North Judson and Hamlet will elect clerk-treasurers. In North Judson, Republican incumbent Donna Henry has drawn a challenge from Democrat Alicia (Amidei) Collins. North Judson voters will also choose between incumbent Republican Wendy Hoppe and Democrat Joan Haugh for the Ward 2 town council seat. Democrat Ward 1 incumbent Jane Ellen Felchuk and Republican Ward 3 candidate Nathan Bradley are both unopposed. Continue reading
Knox Schools Budget Shrinks
The proposed 2016 budget for the Knox Community School System, according Superintendent A.J. Gappa at last night’s board meeting, is $12,805,868. That’s significantly less than the approved budget of $13,219,575 last year. The Board reviewed the 2016 budget in detail. A public hearing is scheduled for September 21st; adoption is expected on October 19th.Nominations Still Open for Leadership Starke County
There are still a few openings left in the fourth Leadership Starke County class. Continue reading
