From the WKVI Archives:
On this date 108 years ago, Dr. Guy B. Ingwell was born. In his day, Dr. Ingwell delivered thousands of Starke County babies. He once delivered five babies in one day! He was also at one time a successful high school basketball coach.
A special meeting was called by the Starke County Commissioners to discuss possible solutions to problems with some of the county buildings, as well as various options for funding some of their recent projects. Several issues were mentioned in particular, such as the jail being short on space under a leaky roof, the courthouse elevator in need of repair with cramped offices on the second floor, and the prosecutor’s office in need of handicap access to name a few. Because of the expense of these projects, the commissioners met with representatives from H.J. Umbaugh & Associates and RQAW to discuss possible problem solutions and financial strategies.
Students from the three Starke County schools will be attending a Shakespearean play tomorrow afternoon at the North Judson-San Pierre High School Auditorium. Thanks to a grant from the Starke County Community Foundation and the Tri Kappa organization, it is possible for actors who star in Shakespearean plays at Navy Pier in Chicago to come to the County to present a classic play for the kids.
“This year they’re doing Macbeth,” said Knox Middle School Principal Steve Cronk. “All the eighth graders from Oregon-Davis, North Judson-San Pierre and Knox, as well as seventh graders from all three schools, as many as we can put in there, will see this presentation from Noon until 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5th.”
Three vehicles were involved in an accident in front of the Knoll Brothers Truck Stop in Starke County at about 7:23 p.m. CT Friday, April 1st.
According to Starke County police, Charles Peterson, of Dysart, Iowa, was crossing the median into the parking lot pulling an oversized load. His trailer was just short of clearing the westbound lanes when Virginia Doenges, of South Whitley, Indiana, crashed into the middle axle of the trailer. Peterson continued into the parking lot and stopped. Doenges was incapacitated and could not be questioned about the crash; However, a witness told police that she never slowed down and crashed into the axle of the trailer and then spun around, coming to rest with no lights on in the middle of both westbound lanes. A third driver, Jamshid Nazari, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, never saw Doenges’ vehicle and was unable to avoid striking the car in the front right fender. A witness told police that Nazari never slowed to avoid the crash. The Ozeri Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyers brain injury attorney in Brooklyn has been contacted for guidance and to help in the investigation, If you are ever in this position hire a lawyer from Montagna Law .
A White County man was arrested Thursday night after police found alleged stolen property in his car.
According to a police report, officers were dispatched to intercept a vehicle that was being driven by a male subject that was reported to be harassing a Knox woman into selling a vehicle. The officer intercepted the vehicle at U.S. 35 and Toto Road and found the vehicle to have false and fictitious plates. A traffic stop was conducted where the driver, John Grigsby, was found to have a suspended license.
Kimberly Hitchens appeared in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning for a plea hearing. Hitchens was reportedly involved in events surrounding the Bass Lake shooting incident with Starke County police that also involved Michael Drogosz and John Brooke. She has been charged with Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, two counts of Possession/Manufacturing of a Destructive Device (aiding), and Assisting a Criminal.
David Kesvormas, the Starke County Contract Food Inspector, issued a report covering the first few weeks of his job. As of March 17th, Kesvormas had completed 26 inspections.
Infractions found included: Refrigeration doors not closing properly or not sealing due to defective seals, labeling and dating, cross contamination (meaning raw meat stored over items that are ready to eat), missing thermometers, inaccurate chemical sanitizer test equipment, and general cleaning and sanitizing.
It’s official. The new IU Health LaPorte Hospital’s Birthing Suites are open for patients as of March 31st. IU Health LaPorte Physicians offer local maternal care to Starke County area women. OB/GYN physicians Lyjia Strachan, MD, and John Taylor, MD, offer routine office appointments in Knox. They work in conjunction with IU Health Starke Hospital to ensure expectant mothers receive their laboratory and diagnostic imaging needs close to home. Patients of Strachan and Taylor may conveniently deliver their babies at IU Health LaPorte Hospital Family Birthing Suites. Continue reading
Starke County ranked 91st out of 92 counties on a health report. The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the report that uses a formula to measure how healthy people are and how long they live in each county.
Tomorrow is National Doctor’s Day, but the staff at IU Health Starke Hospital is getting a jump on the festivities by celebrating today.
“We take one day, in this case March 29th, to celebrate what the physicians do for us and our relationship and partnership is very important with the medical staff,” said CEO Linda Satkoski. “We may take one day to celebrate but obviously it’s all year long. We work together to build the future of health care here at Starke Hospital and the community.”
Starke County is number 8 out of the 92 Indiana counties in high unemployment. The most recent figures cover the February figures. Starke County was up .1% to 12.2 %. The state rate is 8.8%.
Pulaski County came in as the lowest surrounding county with an 8.3% for 74th place. Marshall is 10.5% for 31st place, LaPorte County is 11.2% for 22nd place, Fulton County is 10.3% for number 36, St. Joseph County is at 10.1% for number 42, and Porter County is at 8.5% for 71st place.
The Starke County Election Board is gearing up for its first election with the consolidation of four precincts into one this spring. Center one, two, three and four precincts will all vote in the Knox Community Center.
Tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. CT, the public will be able to test the voting machines. The testing will be done on the first floor of the Courthouse.
Following the testing, the Election Board will meet. The Board will discuss the amendment of a resolution regarding the relocation of the precincts and the number of poll workers.
This week is Doctor’s Appreciation week at IU Health Starke Hospital. Today, Dr. Almuhannad Alfran, a Hospitalist at the Starke hospital is in to talk about his area of responsibility.
We asked Dr. Alfran what constitutes the responsibility of a Hospitalist.
“A Hospitalist is a physician who has special training in managing patients who are admitted to the hospital,” said Dr. Alfran. “You can call them specialists in hospital medicine or treating patients in the hospital. A lot of times they are internal medicine and family practice physicians but with more particular experience and training in managing the more critically ill patients. Patients who are admitted to the hospital are usually sicker and need a lot more attention than patients who you see in the office. Sometimes with these patients, you need to go back in ten minutes to take care of them rather than telling them to come back in a week. They need a physician to be available should that moment come.”
After being understaffed for years, the Starke County Treasurer’s office may finally get a full-time clerk. Two treasurers have pleaded for help, but the request was never granted.
Treasurer Linda Belork came before the Starke County Council this week asking for the full-time help. Again, she was denied on a 4-2 vote. Council President, Mark Smith, explains that part of the action.
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department is seeking information on a theft from the San Pierre Auto dealership.
On Tuesday, March 22nd, officers were called to San Pierre Auto in reference to a broken window in the building. The suspect or suspects broke out the front window of the building and it looked like they crawled through the window to enter the business. While inside, the suspect(s) went through the desk drawers and cabinets throughout the building. They took five vehicle titles from a desk drawer, key fobs for four vehicles from a cabinet, one new NAPA battery, a battery jump pack and one expired dealer plate from 2008. It also appeared the suspect(s) went into the garage and went through all the tools. A knife reportedly used to pry open a safe was taken into evidence by police.
A contingent from Indiana University Health Starke Hospital attended the Starke County Council meeting Monday night. Among those in attendance were CEO Linda Satkoski, Vice President of Operations, Dave Hyatt, and the hospital’s attorney, Jim Kaminski, plus several Community Board members.
The purpose of the appearance was to solicit comment to a document sent to the Council concerning the lease of the hospital by IU Health LaPorte Hospital. Five years into a lease that is set to expire in 2016, the hospital hierarchy is interested in forming a government committee to monitor short and long term plans for the health facility.
The Annual Starke United meeting is coming up in April. Newly installed Starke United Executive Director, Julie Dessauer, talks about the upcoming meeting.
“The annual membership meeting will be April 7th, at 5:00 p.m., at the Community Services building,” explained Executive Director, Julie Dessauer. “Our keynote speaker will be Judge Marvin McLaughlin and the event is sponsored by IU Health Starke Hospital.”
Paul Warnke from the Koontz Lake Sewer District has been with us this week talking about the new sewer system being constructed in Koontz Lake.
The clean water plant takes the incoming product and processes it through many stages of purification. Warnke talks about the final product.
“What is discharged is a grade of water that is termed near drinking water quality,” Warnke said. “The final step in the purification is to run it under high intensity ultra violets and essentially, we consider it to be clean and bacteria free.”
The Starke County Community Corrections staff held a Grand Opening Tuesday for their new facility at 1911 South Heaton Street.
After opening remarks by administrator Bob Hinojosa, the Department of Corrections Commissioner, Bruce Lemon, addressed those in attendance. Lemon told Ted Hayes that the new facility was quite impressive.
“It’s a great program and a great new building so we’re excited about Starke County and Community Corrections,” said Lemon. “We fund it to the tune of $188,000 in Starke County and Starke County matches that with user fees which is a very impressive figure.”
The Koontz Lake sewer facilty is being constructed and should be finished in mid-2012. Paul Warnke from the Koontz Lake Sewer District was asked what the residents and business owners will be responsible for once the plant is complete.
“Homeowners and business owners do not have what is often called a connection fee or tap charge; however, they are responsible, physically and financially, for the pumping of their septic tanks, filling the septic tank with fill and then connecting a three or four inch line from their home to the grinder pump,” Warnke explained. “That is their responsibility and their sole responsibility.”
