Bass Lake resident, Patti Bush, appeared before the Starke County Commissioners yesterday to defend the owners of the Bass Lake Beach and Campground. At the January meeting, there had been some discussion of year-round parking of campers at the campground. The commissioners discussed whether it should be allowed.
It was on this date in 1928 that it was announced that Bass Lake would be the home of the largest and most beautiful Fish Hatchery in Indiana. The Indiana Department of Conservation purchased five acres of land surrounding the present hatchery. The hatchery would then cover ten acres of land.
Two Knox residents were arrested this weekend as a result of a police investigation into a possible methamphetamine lab.
On Friday, February 3rd, officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Hamlet Police Department served an arrest warrant on Phillip Mullins in the 3000 block of 400 North in Knox, and found him, as well as a female and child, inside the residence. After Mullins was arrested, police also located an inactive methamphetamine lab, a hydrochloric acid generator, and several items associated with manufacturing methamphetamine, in addition to marijuana and other paraphernalia.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security will be taking part in an earthquake drill tomorrow. The drill will be conducted throughout the United States.
You can register online at this website and you will receive information on how to plan a drill and how to tell others about earthquake preparedness.
Lawmakers are looking to end the manufacturing, distributing and use of synthetic drugs.
State Senator Jim Merritt has authored a proposal that would add more than 60 chemical compounds found in synthetic drugs like Spice and bath salts to the state’s list of illegal substances. He says his bill would also ban molecules similar in structure to those illegal compounds to prevent drug manfacturers from slightly changing ingredients and skirting laws in the future.
Shelby Thomas pleaded guilty to two counts of Intimidation as Class C felonies in the Starke Circuit Court Thursday. Thomas, 57, admitted to threatening to kill Officers James Upsall and Dave Combs while armed with a 10-inch knife.
The possible penalties for these charges are two to eight years in the Department of Corrections on each count, and Prosecutor Nick Bourff is hoping for a 16-year sentence for Thomas. No plea agreement has been filed, but Bourff has indicated he will dismiss the remaining charges against Thomas, including four counts of Attempted Murder, if victims in the case feel 16 years is a sufficient penalty.
Alex Bradley was found guilty in a jury trial on a charge of Receiving Stolen Property in Starke Circuit Court this week.
He was found guilty of being in possession of a stolen golf cart. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall revoked his bond and he was taken back to the Starke County Jail. He will stay in the jail until his sentencing hearing on February 29th at 11:00 a.m.
This winter has been a mild one and even though there hasn’t been much snow on the ground, Starke County Highway Superintendent Steve Siddall says he and the employees are keeping busy
“We’ve still got plenty of work to do out here,” said Siddall. “We’re cutting brush and patching potholes. With no snow, the holes are forming with the raining and the warming and thawing. We also have gravel roads that are taking a beating because of so much rain and moisture in the ground. It’s tearing them up and we’re having to fix them. I really wish we had the snow instead of this because it makes mud and causes more trouble for a lot of things.”
Three North Judson residents were arrested on Wednesday, January 28th after an alleged Burglary incident.
Starke County police received a phone call about a truck parked at a house on 300 East that wasn’t supposed to be there. Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Stephen Wood. Wood and his passenger, David Miller, told police that they were on their way to Miller’s house and the police let them go. The officer visited the witness who said that while the officer was conducting the traffic stop, a man, later identified as James Keller, was running southbound on 300 East. The officer got back into his car and found the suspect in the woods by using his thermal imager. A K9 unit was used to find him in the woods and he was taken into custody without further incident. Evidence at the scene suggested that he had stolen some items from a residence nearby.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed the right to work bill into law yesterday afternoon at 1:45 p.m. ET.
The bill was passed after 40 hours of testimony, debate and discussion over House Bill 1001. The law prohibits a business and a union from agreeing to charge fees to nonunion employees for union-provided representation and grievance services. Governor Daniels said the bill will bring jobs and opportunity for the young citizens of the state and for all of those looking for a better life.
A tax levy referendum will appear on the May Primary ballot for voters in the Oregon and Davis Townships in Starke County.
The referendum is asking voters to approve a property tax rate increase to help create more funds to keep the school corporation operating the way it is now. The increase will not exceed $.19 on each $100 of assessed valuation and it will be in addition to all other property tax levies imposed by the School Corporation.
Changes in state funded vaccines has changed operations at the Starke County Health Department.
Health Nurse Frank Lynch says that as of February 1st, the Health Department will no longer be able to provide vaccinations for those who have private insurance that covers vaccines.
Golf Carts Midwest, formerly Windy City Golf Carts, is moving out of Knox after being a viable business for over 30 years. Owner, Ed Arnold, talks about the departure of the business.
You have until Tuesday, February 14th to register your landline or cell phone numbers on Indiana’s Do Not Call list.
If you sign up before the deadline, you should see a reduction in calls or texts on April 1.
If you have already registered, you do not need to re-register. To sign up or to confirm a number is already on the list, visit this website or call (888) 834-9969.
The Right to Work Bill has come down to one last vote to take place today, and the outcome is all but certain. If the bill is passed, Indiana will be the only state in the industrial Midwest with this kind of law.
The bill, House Bill 1001, is almost guaranteed to pass on Wednesday, since an identical bill was approved by the Senate earlier this year, 28-22, and Senate President Pro Tem David Long is confident he has the votes necessary for the bill to pass.
A Knox man was arrested after a search warrant was conducted at his home Monday.
Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department received a call Sunday about a burglary incident in the east 100 block of 400 South. The victim told police that a gun, a television and prescription medication were stolen.
After an investigation, detectives from the Sheriff’s Department applied for a search warrant for Jacob Hanselman’s residence at 309 Ruthie Dr. Apt. A-1 in Knox. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall approved the search warrant. On Monday, officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Knox City Police Department executed the search warrant where they reportedly found items that had been reported stolen.
Facing eleven charges, four of which are Class A felonies, Shelby Thomas appeared in the Starke Circuit Court for a plea hearing. Defense Attorney Richard Ballard and Prosecutor Nick Bourff previously told the court that they plan to resolve the matter without the need of a jury trial, which was set for February 8th.
The deadline to file for the May Spring Primary Election is February 10th. A few races have already developed in Starke and Pulaski Counties.
Democrats Linda Belork and Kasey Clark have filed for Starke County Treasurer. For Starke County Commissioner District 3, a race has developed between Democrats Dan Bridegroom and Joseph Woods.
Democrat State Senator Jim Arnold, of LaPorte, authored three bills that have been approved by the full Senate.
Senate Bill 193 improves local government transparency through public financial disclosures. This will requires any candidate running for a local or school board office to file a statement of economic interest. This will disclose personal or professional ties to businesses.
Senate Bill 11 curtails animal fighting contests by imposing greater penalties on spectators. The bill would raise the penalty for attending an animal fighting contest from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony.
Starke County Prosecuting Attorney Nick Bourff has moved to dismiss the charges against John Clemons due to a lack of evidence. Clemons was previously charged with Theft as a Class D felony after he was arrested on Sept. 10 for attempting to steal various scrap metal items from a residence in Knox.
