Week in Review for March 28th-April 1st, 2011

Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:

IU Health Starke Hospital celebrated National Doctor’s Day on Tuesday.

Representatives from JW Hicks proposed a plant expansion to the Knox City Council at the Council’s recent meeting. A 110,000 square foot addition is planned.

Dr. Steve Disney

Dr. Disney was named as the new Superintendent at the Mishawaka Community School System this week. Dr. Disney has been the Superintendent at Oregon-Davis Schools since 2007.

The West Central School Superintendent Charles Mellon said the school could lose up to $1.3 million in budget cuts in the next three years which could mean deep cuts within the Corporation.

Lisa Owens

Lisa Owens, who was convicted of killing her husband, Jeff, in their Knox home in 2001, did not get any reconciliation from her dead husband’s stepmother, Gail, when they both appeared on the Breaking Down the Bars program on the Oprah Winfrey Network Tuesday night. Lisa will be released from the Rockville Correctional facility in May after only serving 10 years of her 40 year sentence. She will be placed in a Community Transitional program in Carroll County where she will reside with her sister.

The Knox-Center Township Fire Department was called to the St. Thomas Acquinas School Tuesday morning. One of the ballasts had gone bad in the fluorescent lighting system in one of the classrooms. The students were safety evacuated and sent home for the remainder of the day.

The Indiana Democrats returned to the Statehouse this week. State Representative Nancy Dembowski said that there is no outpouring of animosity between the Democrats and Republicans since the Democrats’ return but there will be many debates in the next few weeks on the floor.

Kimberly Hitchens

Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall rejected a plea agreement yesterday where Kimberly Hitchens would plead guilty to a charge of Assisting a Criminal and dismissing two counts of Possession/Manufacturing a Destructive Device (aiding) and Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery. She is expected to go to trial on April 8th.

A White County man was arrested Thursday after police found the driver with a suspended license and property that was allegedly stolen from the Vulcan Materials Company in Monon in his vehicle. John Grigsby, of Monon, has preliminary charges of Driving While Suspended-Prior, Burglary and Possession of Stolen Property.

Brandon King

Brandon King was arrested this week after he allegedly stole Rolland McVey’s vehicle Thursday, March 24th. Police also found items to manufacture methamphetamine in the vehicle. He was arrested on charges of Auto Theft, Burglary, Possession of Precursors and Theft.

Charles Warren, of Idaville, Indiana, was arrested in Pulaski County Tuesday after a two-day manhunt that involved several police agencies. He fled on foot after police conducted a traffic stop. He was wanted in Pulaski and White Counties for numerous felony charges, mostly involving drug activity. The driver of the car, Jacqueline Mayhill, of Monticello, was arrested and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine.

33 individuals were sentenced in Knox City Court, Thursday, after they plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of Attending an Animal Fighting Contest. They were fined $200 apiece, plus $180 in restitution to the Starke County Humane Society and $164 in court costs. They were each given a 12 month suspended sentence.

And that is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week.