Volunteers Needed to Coordinate Salvation Army Holiday Donation Effort in Starke County

Posted on Author WKVI

The Salvation Army is looking for someone to help coordinate the Christmas donation effort in Starke County. Salvation Army Major, Gerald Smelser, encourages anyone who can, to volunteer:

“We need to get someone to coordinate and call the different groups and organizations and set that up for the bell ringing time and hopefully we can find someone who would be interested in helping us,” said Major Smelser. “It’s basically about six weeks. A couple of weeks will be needed to line it up and then having the bell ringing. Volunteers only ring here on Fridays and Saturdays.”

Continue reading →

Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center Receives Operation Roundup Grant Money

Posted on Author WKVI
(L to R) Rhonda Adcock, Dave Bullock, Judy Davis, Tona Miller, Dianna Uphaus, Michelle Barnhart, Susanne Lange and Amanda Steeb

The Kankakee Valley REMC presented an Operation Roundup grant check to Bella Vita Pregnancy Resource Center in Knox yesterday for $3,500.00. Amanda Steeb of Kankakee Valley REMC was on hand to give the check to Susanne Lange, the center’s Executive Director.

“We’re really excited about what they’re going to be able to use the money for and that is baby items to assist individuals as they visit this organization,” said Amanda Steeb.

Continue reading →

Starke County Councilwoman Defends Treasurer in Audit

Posted on Author WKVI
Linda Belork

Starke County Councilwoman, Judy Benninghoff, still believes that the errors reported in the Treasurer’s office by the State Board of Accounts are actually errors in the Auditor’s office. In a release to WKVI, Benninghoff said that is backed up by an official in the State Board of Accounts.

“I called the State Board of Accounts and I spoke to Debbie Gibson, and she told me that the paragraph that was inserted in the Treasurer’s audit had nothing to do with the Treasurer,” said Benninghoff. “That pertained only to the Auditor. So, where it says that ‘beginning in March 2010 and continuing through 2011, there was a failure to post the entries pertaining to the remittance of various payroll withholdings’, that was true. That withholding fund is with the Auditor’s office, not in the Treasurer’s office.”

Continue reading →

Special Events Planned after Trick-or-Treat on Halloween

Posted on Author WKVI

The North Judson Town Board approved a request by the Cross-Town Collision band to host a concert and get-together at the North Judson Community Building after Trick-or-Treat.

The band will provide music to the kids and several door prizes will be awarded throughout the evening. Trick-or-Treat in North Judson is on Monday, October 31st from 5:00-6:30 p.m. CT.

In Knox, the Friends of the park will sponsor costume judging and refreshments at the Knox Community Center after Trick-or-Treat on Monday, October 31st. Trick-or-Treat in Knox is from 5:30-7:00 p.m. CT on Monday.

Continue reading →

Hunters are Gearing up for Hunting Season

Posted on Author WKVI
deer

We’re nearing the end of October and according to Conservation Officer, Keith Wildeman, that means hunters are gearing up for hunting season.

“Right now in mid-October, we’re already in to the deer archery season and it runs through November 27th,” said Wildeman. “Our fall gun season will start November 12th and run until November 27th and then muzzleloader season will pick up December 3rd through the 18th.”

Continue reading →

Shelby Thomas Appears for Initial Hearing in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Shelby Thomas

Shelby Thomas appeared in Starke Circuit Court on Friday where he plead not guilty to three counts of Attempted Murder, four counts of Intimidation with a Deadly Weapon and three counts of Resisting Law Enforcement with a Deadly Weapon.

Thomas, of North Judson, was arrested on Sunday, October 16th after he allegedly threatened to kill a Knox man in the 1400 block of west 400 S. in Knox as he held a knife up against his throat. The man got away and Thomas was later questioned about the incident. When officers from the Knox City Police Department and the Starke County Sheriff’s Department asked Thomas to place his hands behind his back, his demeanor reportedly turned to anger. He then reached behind his back to remove a knife from his pants line and threatened the lives of two of the officers trying to place him into custody. The blade on the knife was 10 to 12 inches in length and Thomas reportedly began swinging the knife at the three officers and telling them, “I’m not going back to prison. You’ll have to kill me first.” Thomas was then tasered and officers were able to free the knife from Thomas’ hands. Thomas was tasered twice before he released the knife that he reportedly swung at the officers.

Continue reading →

Knox Redskin Brigade’s Season Comes to a Close

Posted on Author WKVI

The Knox Redskin Brigade ended its season Saturday after placing 11th in the Semi-State Marching band competition at Decatur High School in Indianapolis. The top 10 bands went on to the State Finals.

Director Craige Phipps said it was tough, but the students did a great job and got a standing ovation for their performance.

Red Hat Society’s Bling my Bra Campaign Raises Money for Breast Cancer Research

Posted on Author WKVI
These are just a few of the bras decorated for the Bling my Bra campaign

The 2011 Bling my Bra promotion is nearing an end in Starke County. The Red Hat organization in Starke County has spearheaded a promotion where women bling their bras for auction. The bras were on display Sunday at the Washington Township Community Building Open House. Kathy Cooper talks about the promotion for breast cancer research.

Continue reading →

John Hensler Speaks to M.O.P.S. Group

Posted on Author WKVI
John Hensler speaks to the M.O.P.S. group

The Mothers of Pre-Schoolers, known as M.O.P.S., was honored to have John Hensler from Hensler’s Nursery as their guest speaker this month. John Hensler told the M.O.P.S. group about each of the Christmas tree varieties and what it takes to grow a Christmas tree from seed to harvest. John also talked about the upcoming events, including the Pumpkin Drop, Fall Festival, and Christmas activities.

Continue reading →

Starke County Council Approves Money for Special Legislation in Funding Jail Project

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

The Starke County Council approved a $25,000 request from the Commissioners that would be used to secure the assistance of Umbaugh and Associates and Ice Miller, LLC in pursuing special legislation that would help in the funding of a jail project once the scope of that project is determined.

The committee selected to study how to correct problems at the jail was brought up to date this week on what would happen if a Federal Court judge was to mandate that a new jail be built. Starke County already has a class action suit against it, and with the condition of the jail it is not out of the realm of possibility that other law suits could be forthcoming in the future.

Continue reading →

Starke County Commissioners to Decide on Snow Emergency Policy for County Employees

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Commissioners: Kathy Norem, Dan Bridegroom and Jennifer Davis

The Starke County Commissioners are trying to decide on a snow emergency policy involving employee pay if the county is under a no travel order due to snowy conditions. The Courthouse had to close once in December of 2010 and again in January of this year because the county roads were closed due to snow. A funding mechanism was in place through the state and federal governments where the county could get funding to make the roads passable if an emergency is declared in the county.

Continue reading →

Starke County Treasurer’s Books almost Balanced

Posted on Author WKVI
Linda Belork

The discrepancies in the Treasurer’s office have almost been solved. It was reported at this week’s Starke County Commissioners meeting that the Treasurer’s balance, and bank balance were in sync within pennies. The figures came from the monthly 47TR report given to the commissioners.

“The 47TR form is basically the form that compares our Treasurer’s balance to the bank balance to the Auditor’s balance,” explained Commission President, Dan Bridegroom. “The Auditor’s balance will be somewhat different than the Treasurer’s because of how the funds are received. In the bottom line, that form out of the Treasurer’s Office should balance with our bank. That is where we had the huge discrepancy of almost $900,000 and that’s what led us to where we are today. As of Tuesday of last week, the Auditor, Kay Chaffins, and Casey in the Treasurer’s Office have got that down to somewhere around $.33 and they will find that portion of that also.”

Continue reading →

Starke County Council Approves IU Health Starke Hospital’s Capital Spending Request

Posted on Author WKVI
IU Health Starke Hospital

A capital spending request presented by officials from IU Health Starke Hospital to the Starke County Council was approved Monday night, but it didn’t exactly turn out the way the hospital administrators present wanted it to. The administrators wanted a straight approval on the $2,001,776 request, but the council put a restriction on the $250,000 contingency part of the petition.

Continue reading →

Starke County EMA Recognized for Improvement

Posted on Author WKVI
Ted Bombagetti

Starke County has been recognized as showing the greatest improvement in the EMA Office in the state. EMA Director, Ted Bombagetti, received the award in Indianapolis recently.

“All of the Directors of the EMAs throughout the state work off the state’s rating system where we do specific projects for our county, classroom participation and a host of other items,” said Bombagetti. “We get a report card on it at the end of the year and fortunately, my department was able to score enough points and we received an award from the state for the most improved county.”

Continue reading →

North Judson Sports Official Passes Away

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County has lost a sports icon. Gene Marks, of North Judson, passed away Monday at the age of 80. Marks was an official of several sports but the one he is most famous for is basketball.

WKVI’s Harold Welter was an admirer of Gene Marks. He was asked yesterday what he remembered most about the famous official.

“Gene Marks was one of the greatest promoters of high school sports, ever,” said Welter. “He loved to work with kids and he loved to support kids. It was just a big part of his life.”

Continue reading →

Washington Township Community Center Open House this Sunday

Posted on Author WKVI

An Open House is scheduled for Sunday, October 23rd from 2:00-5:00 p.m. CT at the Washington Township Community Building. Township Trustee, Shelly Kemble said the Open House is an opportunity for you to see all of the improvements.

“We want to show the public what’s been going on,” said Kemble. “If anyone has any old pictures of the Washington Township building when it was being built, the firehouse, or the old Washington Township Elementary School, we would like to make copies of those, enlarge those, and put those as a permanent fixture in the building. We would like to have a new area in ‘new’ building and a new atmosphere.”

Continue reading →