Jasper County Circuit Court Judge John Potter has not yet made a decision in the matter between former Starke County Treasurer Linda Belork and the Starke County Commissioners.
The Commissioners removed Belork from the office of Treasurer on August 13th after a state audit found financial discrepancies. The money has been accounted for, but a Temporary Restraining Order placed against Belork by the Commissioners is still in effect and prohibits Belork from returning to office.
A new ordinance is in effect for Starke County which adopts the state standard for disaster emergency declaration. EMA Director Ted Bombagetti explained that the ordinance was adopted in order to alleviate confusion between counties when dealing with disaster emergencies.
Five Starke County Republican candidates successful in the November Municipal Election were sworn into office last night. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall swore in City Court Judge Charles Hasnerl and he said his office will be busy in 2012.
“One of the primary issues that we’re dealing with, along with the City in working with the Council and the Mayor, is the financial issue and trying to come up with resources to cover the costs,” said Hasnerl. “It’s a needed service and we handle a number of cases for the entire county so that’s going to be our primary focus – not just this year, but throughout this term.”
Indiana State Police and officers from local police departments will be out in full force this weekend to seek impaired drivers. Make sure you find a safe, sober driver to take you to your destination after your New Year’s Eve party.
Pulaski County Sheriff, Michael Gayer, said officers from his Department will be stepping up patrols this weekend.
With plenty of sniffles, sneezes, and coughs abound, Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch wants to remind everyone that the flu vaccine is still available for adults and kids. The peak of the flu season in February and March is still on its way, but so far, cases of the flu have been down since the last flu season. The H1N1 virus isn’t any worse than last season as well, but we’re not out of the woods yet.
Lynch explains that getting the flu vaccine isn’t the only step to avoiding getting sick this season– as always, keeping those hands clean is vital.
This week we have been reviewing the Top Stories of 2011. Today we reveal the top story of the Year.
It was a story that captivated all who heard it. Chief Warrant Officer Andy Howes returned home after being lost in the Vietnam War on January 10th, 1970. Although his remains had been in storage in Hawaii since the ’80’s, only improved testing allowed an Armed Forces Forensic Team to match DNA samples to those that had earlier been taken from relatives.
Nathan Hummel made his initial appearance in Starke Circuit Court yesterday afternoon. Hummel is accused of robbing the Knox CVS with his brother, Jonathan Hummel, on December 20th.
Hummel is charged with Dealing in Narcotic Drugs as a Class A felony; Robbery as a Class B felony; Aiding, Inducing, or Causing a Robbery as a Class B felony; Resisting Law Enforcement as a Class D felony; Criminal Mischief as a Class D felony; and Attempting to Disarm a Police Officer as a Class C felony.
Robert Reed made his initial appearance in court yesterday, where he pleaded not guilty to Robbery as a Class B felony, Receiving Stolen Property as a Class D felony, Resisting Law Enforcement as both a Class D felony and a Class A misdemeanor, and Habitual Traffic Violator.
Good news for the beginning of 2012—gas prices aren’t expected to spike come the New Year. Don Good of Good Oil in Winamac said that current oil prices are, as of now, driven heavily by the world economy, and with the possibility of an economic slowdown in China, Good expects prices to stabilize or even come down early 2012.
Myrtle Beem was recently sentenced in Starke Circuit Court.
She was sentenced to serve six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections on one count of Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B Felony. Four years of that sentence was suspended. Upon completion of her sentence, Beem will be placed on probation for four years and she shall complete a drug evaluation program and follow any recommended treatment as approved by the probation department.
Fred Sumpter from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the fire at 2915 S. and 800 E. in Washington Township Friday morning as accidental. A wood burner was the cause of the fire.
Washington Township Assistant Fire Chief, Dave Pearman, said that if you use a wood burning stove, keep it clean and make sure that it is cleaned before the heating season.
Pearman has another piece of fire safety advice.
With the holiday rush behind them, the shelves at the Community Services of Starke County Food Pantry are still fairly stocked. Joan Haugh, Director of Community Services of Starke County, told WKVI that their abundance of food is due in part to people with the holiday spirit.
We continue to count down the top ten stories of 2011.
Starke County moved into the national spotlight when the new Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN, featured a series on “Women Behind Bars.” One of the women featured was Lisa Owens, who, a decade earlier, had taken the life of her husband in Knox. Owens told of life behind bars and her hope for early release from prison for the shooting. That wish was granted when Owens received an early release. She was paroled into the custody of a sister, who did not live in the county. The story evoked many emotional comments on the WKVI Discussion Board arguing the pros and cons of her early release.
The fire at at 2915 S. 800 E. in Washington Township has been ruled accidental.
“The fire started on the west side of the house around a wood burner and that’s what caused the fire,” said Fred Sumpter from the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office. “The burner was positioned around the center portion of the house.”
Sumpter said his investigation into the incident is now complete.
We continue with the top stories of 2011 in the Kankakee Valley.
The year had its share of tragic stories during the year. Two of the most memorable were the death of a three-year-old toddler, and the shooting of an 81-year-old woman.
Starke County Community Corrections Director, Robert Hinojosa, appeared before the County Commissioners recently to request a letter approving a grant application for 2012. The grant is administered by the Department of Corrections and is for almost $188,000 of a $346,000 Community Corrections budget. The shortfall is made up from user fees. The letter was signed as requested.
One of the goals of the local Community Corrections organization is to become a level one program.
“There’s three levels,” explains Hinojosa. “If you are a level one program, that means that you have done a great job in adopting a lot of the practices, doing good case management work and identifying which service providers are effective, etc. If you are a level two, you are doing a good job but not exceptional and if you are a level three you’ve got some major problems in the way you run your program. The first year they instituted the level status was last year and we came in at a high level two and I was proud of that. We had really limited resources to do some of the things that we were asked to do. I believe that this application we’re submitting will get us to level one.”
The Henry F. Schricker Award is being announced today by Starke County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Debbie Mix.
“The winner is Dorene Matzat from North Judson,” said Mix. “We’re so excited and she’s so deserving. She has just done so much and so quietly. I’m just so happy that her efforts have been recognized and she’s been doing them for a lifetime.”
Dorene Matzat was born in North Judson, is an identical twin, and has been a lifelong resident of the town. In December of 1996, she received the “Just Say Thanks” award from Thrivent for her work with taking veterans back and forth to Hines VA Hospital in Chicago. She continues her service work today. She feeds the hungry and when she becomes aware of the need, she clothes the needy, visits the shut-ins and the lonely, and always brings comfort to all in a time of despair. In her 80’s she continues to mow the grass at her church. She is one of only a handful of people alive today in North Judson who actually knew Henry Schricker before he was governor.
The Starke County Republican Party will host swearing in ceremonies on Thursday, December 29th at 6:00 p.m. CT at the Knox City Court.
Five candidates who were successful in the Municipal Election will be sworn into office and they include: Charles Hasnerl, Knox City Court Judge; Donna Henry, North Judson Town Clerk-Treasurer; Tim Cummins, North Judson Town Board; Wendy Hoppe, North Judson Town Board; and Dave Kesvormas, Hamlet Town Board.
A fire ripped through a home at 2915 S. and 800 E. in Starke County on Friday, December 23rd.
“The occupants awoke to an extra warm home, but there were no smoke alarms going off,” said Washington Township Assistant Fire Chief, Dave Pearman. “The man entered the living room and saw flames showing in the house and immediately tried to get their dogs out and that took a little bit of time. By the time they had most of the dogs, all but one, out of the house, the house was fully engulfed. Unfortunately, their smoke detector wasn’t working.”
Jasper County Circuit Court Judge John Potter heard arguments yesterday in a hearing where is was requested that a Temporary Restraining Order be removed to allow Linda Belork to resume her duties as the Starke County Treasurer.
That request was being opposed by the Starke County Commissioners.
In the hearing yesterday, Belork’s attorney, Ethan Lowe, argued that only the State’s Attorney General could remove an elected official from office. He said, “The county commissioners can only “piggy back” on actions brought by the Attorney General’s office. The Attorney General’s office has to initiate civil proceedings with the county prosecutor.”
