Knox Students Do Well In Poetry Competition

Posted on Author WKVI

Gary Dulin, Jerry Fletcher, Harold Welter, Mary Lynn Ritchie, Kirk Bennett, Nathan Marcum, Mike Yankauskas, Superintendent A.J. Gappa
The Knox Community School Board recently heard from five children during its Spotlight on Education portion of the meeting. Superintendent A.J. Gappa explains more.

“At our recent meeting, our spotlight on success was Charles Ratliff, who’s our writing teacher at the elementary school. I think we’re one of the few area schools, or maybe in this part of the state, that offers as a special in the elementary a writing class, so every student in our elementary gets to visit Mr. Ratliff on a regular basis and get instruction specifically in writing,” said Gappa.

Gappa explained more about a special writing project the students completed.

“Last spring, as a project for the writing classes, Mr. Ratliff submitted 500 poems that our students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade had written to the national schools project which is based out of Boise, Idaho, and what they do is only publish student works from throughout the nation and we had 200 students in our elementary school that had been selected to be published in their annual edition of their poetry work,” Gappa said.

Knox World War II Veteran Remembers Pearl Harbor

Posted on Author WKVI

WWII Veterans Joe Smrt and Perry Lucas salute the flag.
The 70th anniversary off the attack on Pearl Harbor was observed around the country and locally yesterday. The day had been proclaimed as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day by President Barack Obama.

At Knox VFW Post 748, veterans and others observed the anniversary. World War II veteran Joe Smrt, who said he was attending church choir practice when he heard the news, remembered the attack.

“Twenty-one ships of all kinds were attacked, damaged, or sunk in the sneak attack. In addition, there were 2400 or more casualties of military personnel. There were eight ships in battleship role that were badly damaged with the Arizona being sunk,” Smrt said.

Smrt said after the attack, President Roosevelt asked congress to declare war on Japan. In a little-remembered account, Smrt said two of the United States high command were relieved of their duties.

“Admiral Kimmell and General Short, commanders of the naval and army forces respectively, were promptly accused of dereliction of duty, and were relieved of their command. They were falsely accused, as facts later discovered would prove. The truth is that the administration and higher brass in Washington, having had information from intercepted Japanese intelligence reports, had withheld the information for one reason or another from Kimmell and Short,” Smrt explained.

Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941– a day that will live in infamy.

Hensler Nursery Donates Concolor Fir to Statehouse Rotunda

Posted on Author WKVI

Tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT, Hensler Nursery will be cutting the 25-foot Concolor Fir for the Indiana Statehouse Rotunda. The Rotunda tree will be cut with the assistance of the Kankakee Valley REMC crew members from Wanatah.

The Rotunda tree will be loaded and will reside at Hensler Nursery over the weekend. Presentation at the Indiana Statehouse will take place Monday, December 12.

Additionally, besides the Rotunda Concolor Fir, Hensler Nursery will be providing the Lt. Governor’s office with an eight-foot Fraser Fir. Both of these Starke County grown trees will grace the Statehouse during December, bringing fresh, fragrant, Northern-Indiana-grown Christmas trees to Indiana’s capitol.

Starke County Ordinance Review Complete

Posted on Author WKVI

The Starke County Commissioners heard this week that the codification of all county ordinances is about to be completed. The commissioners were notified that of the 180 ordinances reviewed by Municiple Code Corporation of Tallahassee, Florida, 121 were removed.

A review of the Plan Commission ordinances is still being conducted.

In all, the review cost the county approximately $15,000 but the ordinances will soon be listed on a website that will be constructed by MCC. The website, it is promised, will be easy to navigate by both county officials and the public.

Deputy Auditor Suzanne McCarty assisted with the project.

Annual County Building Safety Inspection Completed

Posted on Author WKVI

The annual inspection to identify and correct life safety issues at four Starke County buildings has been completed. The inspection, conducted by Simplex Company of South Bend, found minor fire extinguisher, automatic sprinkler, and emergency lighting problems. Those problems were corrected, bringing the buildings up to code.

The highest cost for any of the corrections was $1016 at the highway department, where all trucks have been outfitted with fire extinguishers.

Other buildings inspected include the jail, courthouse, and annex building.

Pearl Harbor Services to be Held at Knox VFW Today

Posted on Author WKVI

Americans are encouraged to take a moment today to remember the attack of Pearl Harbor that occurred seventy years ago to the day.

The attack by the Imperial forces of Japan targeted the largest naval installation of the U.S.: Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The next day President Franklin D. Roosevelt, addressing a joint session of Congress, said a state of war existed between the United States of America and Japan. He called December 7, 1941, “a day which will live in infamy.”

Special services will be held at Knox V.F.W. Post 748 this afternoon at 2 p.m. The public is cordially invited to attend.

County Employees Working Holidays Will Receive Double Time And a Half

Posted on Author WKVI

Sixteen jail employees attended the Starke County Commissioners meeting yesterday to have the holiday pay schedule clarified. After some discussion, it was decided that for all police, 9-1-1, EMS, and jailers, the holiday pay would be straight time, but if they worked the holiday it would be straight time plus time and a half.

Commissioner Kathy Norem, who was formerly the hospital CEO at Starke Memorial, explained that it would be similar to what they paid and why they paid the amount.

“Anybody that worked the holiday got paid time and a half, but they also, within the same pay period, got an extra day off with pay. In essence, since these guys are not taking an extra day off, that’s no different, really, than double time and a half. And in some ways its much more beneficial to us to pay them the double time and a half if they work on the holiday rather than pay them time and a half and get them an extra day off paid, because with as skeleton as that crew is, that’s going to cause someone to get overtime,” Norem explained.

Any county employee working a holiday will be paid time and a half, on top of their regular holiday pay.

Knox Man Ejected From Vehicle During Crash

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Police responded to an accident call at 1:00 a.m. Monday morning that occurred at 4570 South and 100 East. Upon arrival, officers found a single vehicle and determined that the driver was 43-year-old Thomas Guy of Knox.

Guy had been ejected from the vehicle during the crash and was transported to I.U. Health-Starke Hospital where his condition was unknown yesterday.

It appeared to the responding officer that Guy was northbound on County Road 100 East when he came over a hill and lost control of his vehicle, leaving the roadway and striking a tree. Assisting the Sheriff’s Department were the Knox Police Department, Bass Lake-California Township Fire Department and Starke County EMS. Alcohol results are pending at this time.

Catastrophic Insurance Approved for Starke County Inmates

Posted on Author WKVI

Bridgett Markin of First Source Insurance and Sheriff Oscar Cowen came before the Starke County Commissioners yesterday to present an inmate catastrophic insurance proposal. By not having such a policy, the county was responsible for all catastrophic expenses incurred by inmates while incarcerated.

The policy selected came with $250,000 maximum coverage and $10,000 deductible. Sheriff Cowen said that many Indiana counties have this type of policy.

In the end, the commissioners voted unanimously to purchase the policy that costs $17,500 annually.

Emergency Services Organizations to Conduct Training Exercise

Posted on Author WKVI

Local emergency services organizations will be conducting a training exercise on December 10th. The exercise will take place at the Knox High School between the hours of 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

The training will consist of various departments including the Knox Police Department, Starke County Sheriff’s Department, Hamlet Police Department, and the Knox Fire Department. Also participating in the training will be Starke County EMS, Starke County Emergency Management and IU Health Starke Hospital.

Again, when you see all of the emergency personnel at the high school Saturday, this is only a training session.

Starke County Signs Contract with Cedarbridge Youth Center

Posted on Author WKVI

Because Starke County does not have a juvenile holding center, a contract is being signed with a Muncie facility to hold our young prisoners. Cedarbridge Youth Center normally charges $150.00 a day for holding such prisoners, but because Starke County officials paid in advance for 2011, they were given a reduced rate of $89.00 per day.

Of the 160 days contracted for, only 89 were used, leaving 71 days to be carried over to 2012.

The county commissioners voted last week to secure 89 days, and use the 71 day carry over to guarantee another 160 days for 2012. The discounted rate for 2012 has increased to $99.00 a day.

Juveniles cannot be co-mingled with adults, so Starke County has to “farm-out” youngsters who are being held for possible criminal causes.

Knox Woman Arrested Following October Dog Attack

Posted on Author WKVI
Candice Simmons

A Knox woman was arrested on an active Starke Circuit Court warrant after a dog attack in October.

Candice Simmons was picked up on the warrant after a traffic stop in Cass County on Wednesday, November 30th, and faces two counts of Criminal Recklessness as a D Felony and as a Class B Misdemeanor and two counts of Harboring a Non-immunized Dog as a Class B Misdemeanor.

The charges stem from a incident on Oct. 6, when Marshall Garlach was attacked by Simmons’ dogs on her property.  Garlach was reportedly walking Simmons’ child to her home after Garlach saw him in his front yard. He reportedly told police that when he got inside the gate to the property and walked the boy up to the door Simmons’ dog started attacking him. He said the male dog knocked him to the ground and then the female dog started to attack him too. Garlach told police that he was able to get away from the dogs and call 9-1-1.

Garlach’s left ear was bitten off in the attack and the bites on his arms went to the bone. While police were talking to the dog’s owner, Candace Simmons, the male dog charged at police and was halted by verbal commands. The final time the dog charged at police, it didn’t stop, even with commands, and the officer had to shoot the dog to stop his aggressive charge. The owner admitted to police that the dog had attempted to attack her at times also.

She was being held in the Starke County Jail on $500 cash bond and she is not to have contact with Garlach.

Temperatures Soar in Starke County Jail Equipment Room

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

The beleaguered Starke County Jail has developed more problems recently: I.T. Director Joe Short said the equipment room temperature soared into the sauna range.

“Basically what happened is, the equipment room air conditioner quit working, and it was exceeding 100 degrees in the equipment room. We got McGrath’s out and put the unit in working condition but still its not maintaining anything below 76, 78 degrees. I’d personally like to see it below 70, preferably around 60-65,” said Short.

The problems began after another problem was corrected.

“The rooftop units quit working in the jail for heating, so there was no heat going into the equipment room. Well, now they have the new rooftop units in there and all the duct-work for heating that building goes through the ceiling above that equipment room. In conjunction with that, and air conditioning was running all summer, now that air conditioner is not able to keep up,” Short said.

So what problems are created when the room temperature goes into the stratosphere?

“When we started cracking that 100-degree mark, all the radio equipment for 911, servers, everything is in there. We’re down to 76, 78 but I’d like to see it get a little bit better than that,” said Short.

The plan now is to move another air conditioner to the room to give more capacity for lowering the temperature into the 60-65 degree range. But Short concedes if the main air conditioner dies “we’re in trouble.”

Commissioner Kathy Norem said, “If it dies that would be an emergency, and we would have to address it then.” If you’re experiencing this too, have your air conditioner checked and maintained by Minneapolis air duct cleaning company.

Henry F. Shricker Library Bond Sale Completed

Posted on Author WKVI

Henry F. Schricker Library
The bond sale has been completed for the $1,785,000 addition/remodeling program at the Henry F. Schricker Library.

Conducted by Ice Miller and Umbaugh and Associates, the bond sale attracted 5 bidders. Librarian Sheila Urwiler explained that the bond sale is only one of the first steps among many.

“The bond sales were complete on Nov. 8, and we’ve got our bond money now, we’re ready to start the next phase which is getting our cost estimates approved by our board and having the construction documents drawn up so we can start the bidding process in probably late January or sometime in February,” said Urwiler.

The bonds were sold to the De Motte State Bank for 3.65% interest. The issue is for 20 years, meaning the payoff will be in 2031, and the money will be put to good use in remodeling the library, Urwiler explained.

“You’ll see a new children’s area that is at what is now the back of the building, closest to the elementary school. The children and the Y/A area will be separate, there will be a little walkway under what is currently the mezzanine, and then those areas will have a little bit of separation which should help with some of the noise from the programs and just from kids running around and they just have a hard time being quiet,” Urwiler said.

Leedy Architectural of Elkhart who did the original work on the library will be the architecture firm doing design work for the project.

According to Urwiler, the groundbreaking ceremony is expected to take place in late March or early April.

SCILL Center to Offer GED Courses

Posted on Author WKVI
SCILL Center

There’s some exciting news from the SCILL Center in Starke County. SCILL Center Director Jerry Gurrado is announcing plans to help provide GED courses, and make the center a testing site.

Part of the mission of the SCILL Center is to provide training for Starke County’s work force, and many times if prospective workers don’t have a high school diploma or GED certificate they can’t qualify for employment. Gurrado explained that a nearby GED test site would greatly benefit Starke County residents.

“We’re working very closely with the two GED centers here in Starke County to expand that program. We’ll very definitely market it better so more people know when it is and where it is and help make it available, and then most importantly from the SCILL Center point of view, we’re going to be a test site. So it saves Starke County residents from having to go to Valparaiso to take their test or, in some cases, you may complete your GED training and it’s maybe three weeks before you can get a test time in order to be able to take it, so we’re going to be able to offer that service,” said Gurrado.

Starke United Radio Auction Held Friday

Posted on Author WKVI

M.J. Zembala and Dorothy Osinski hurriedly handled auction bids.
Starke United raised several thousand dollars at it’s annual radio auction Friday afternoon. Broadcast over WKVI Radio and aired online, the event auctioned hundreds of items to support its annual fundraising campaign.

Executive Director Julie Dessauer reminds those who bid that you may pay and pick up your items at the Starke United office at 52 West Lake Street after 10:00 a.m. today. Dessauer will release the final results of the auction later this week.

Interim Starke County Treasurer Selected

Posted on Author WKVI
Kasey Clark is sworn in by Starke County Clerk Evelyn Skronski

Kasey Clark was sworn in last night as the Interim Starke County Treasurer. Clark, who has been running the office since Linda Belork was removed in August, was selected by the Starke County Precinct Committeemen in a caucus last night at the Knox Community Center. Clark won the caucus over Connie Miller of North Judson.

Before the vote each of the women gave a speech listing their reasons for running for the office. Clark repeated part of her address following the vote.

Continue reading →

IU Health Starke Hospital to Wait to Contract with Private Ambulance Service

Posted on Author WKVI
IU Health Starke Hospital

IU Health Starke Hospital officials have agreed to wait at least until the second quarter of 2012 to sign a contract with a private ambulance service to provide emergency transfers from Starke to other acute care hospitals.

At issue was a plan that would have cost the local EMS $100,000 if it lost the Basic Life Support patients that it has been transferring in the past.

Continue reading →

Winamac Man Arrested on Rape, Domestic Battery Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Christopher Stonebraker

A Winamac man was arrested on Monday and charged with Rape and Domestic Battery.

It is alleged that Christopher Stonebraker raped his ex-wife and pushed her head into a wall causing her tooth to chip. The Probable Cause Affidavit also states that he reportedly scratched her back in the presence of two children. Stonebraker was arrested by an officer from the Indiana State Police and taken to the Starke County Jail on a Class B Felony Rape charge and a Class D Felony Domestic Battery charge.

Continue reading →