Starke County Emergency Personnel Responds to Three Vehicle Accident

Starke County emergency personnel were called to a three vehicle accident at the intersection of State Road 8 and U.S. 35 Saturday.

Marilyn Stellingwerf, 83, of Demotte, was at the intersection when she pulled onto U.S. 35 and into the path of a vehicle driven by Vaid Robinson, 74, of Hamlet. Robinson hit the passenger side of Stellingwerf’s vehicle, causing it to spin into the southbound lane of U.S. 35. Robinson’s vehicle was struck by a southbound vehicle driven by Brandon Brammer, 27, of Knox.

Continue reading

Starke County Jail Commitee Meets

Starke County Jail

The Starke County Jail Committee met Friday afternoon at the Starke County Courthouse. The committee has been assembled to look at options for building a new, or renovate, the troubled Starke County Jail.

The committee concentrated on the Needs Assessment Study on Friday and were left with assignments to complete before the next meeting on November 14th.

Continue reading

Meet the Candidates for North Judson Town Board in Ward 3

North Judson Town Board President Dan Anderson, a Democrat, is running against Republican Tim Cummins for a seat on the Board in the November 8th election.

Anderson lives in North Judson, where he is also the Town Superintendent. He has been involved with waste water utilities for 23 years and law enforcement for 10 years. He is a father of four, and grandfather of three.

Continue reading

Parents Vote to Continue with Music Programs at West Central

The results of the West Central Elementary School parent surveys regarding music programs are in.

Elementary School Principal, Tony Brose, told the School Board that the surveys show that the parents are in favor keeping the music programs. A Kindergarten through fifth grade Christmas program will be held on December 20th, the third grade students will hold a March concert with recorders and the second graders will do a vocal concert in March. The fourth and fifth grade students will perform a recorder program in the spring.

Continue reading

Starke County Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner Held Saturday

Starke County Democrats gathered at the Knox Community Center Saturday night for the annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner.

Those present heard from Congressman Joe Donnelly, Senator Jim Arnold and State Representative Nancy Dembowski. They also heard from Brendon Mullen for the first time who is the party’s 2nd District Congressional candidate scheduled to take on Republican Jackie Walorski in the 2012 election.

Continue reading

Giant Pumpkin Drop at Hensler’s!

These are two of the pumpkins that will be featured during today's pumpkin drop!

The WKVI Giant Pumpkin Drop is today from Noon-2:00 p.m. CT at Hensler Nursery in Hamlet.

Two giant pumpkins will be dropped from a crane. One pumpkin weighs 700 pounds and a 1,100 pound pumpkin will be dropped onto a panel van! Smaller pumpkins will be launched out of a cannon by the Fahrfunflinger group out of Illinois. There could be a 1,200 pound watermelon dropped as well.

Continue reading

Week in Review for October 24th-28th, 2011

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

Shelby Thomas

Shelby Thomas plead not guilty in Starke Circuit court on Friday 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. He was arrested October 16th after an incident in Knox where he allegedly threatened a Knox man and three police officers.

IU Health Starke Hospital CEO Linda Satkoski said that the $2 million that will be used in a capital spending request approved by the Starke County Council will consist of making immediate needs of the hospital. Those needs include improving the overall look of the facility. Continue reading

Donald Humphrey Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Donald Humphrey

Donald Humphrey was sentenced Wednesday in the Starke Circuit Court for Harassment as a Class D misdemeanor, Intimidation as a Class D felony, and two charges of Intimidation as a Class C felony.

During the sentencing hearing, the victim, David Palm, gave a brief statement to the court requesting the maximum sentence for Humphrey, saying he’ll “never change.” He also requested three days of pay that he had lost to come to court, for a total of $250.

Continue reading

Meet the Candidates for Knox City Council District 1

Knox City Council President Ed Blue will be stepping down from his council seat at the end of the year. Republican Thom Morin and Democrat Donald Kring are vying for the District 1 seat in the November 8th election.

Republican Morin was asked why he decided to run for the position.

“When you love a city and you see the things that you don’t feel are right, you want to do something,” said Morin. “We have a growing drug problem in the City of Knox and there are so many other areas of the city that need to be fixed and need attention. We have a growing senior citizen population in this city so we need to be able to address those issues. That’s why I’m running for City Council because I feel that’s where I can help and be a value to my community.”

Continue reading

Wanatah Woman Jailed on 20 Counts of Child Molestation

A Wanatah woman was arrested Thursday on 20 Class B Felony counts of Child Molestation.

An ongoing criminal investigation by the Indiana State Police found that Tara Tryon, 21, allegedly molested a three-year-old child.  The Indiana State Department of Child Services and the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department reportedly received this information which initiated the investigation.

Continue reading

Indiana Court of Appeals Upholds Conviction of Gerald Broude

Gerald Broude
Gerald Broude

The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Gerald Broude. Broude was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court in December of 2010 to 50 years on each of the three Class A Felony counts of Child Molestation, and eight years on one count of Child Molestation, a Class C Felony. The sentences were ordered to be run concurrently to total 50 years.

A jury found him guilty on four counts of Child Molestation after deliberating less than 30 minutes on December 1st.

Continue reading

Sentences Given in Starke Circuit Court

Facing two separate criminal cases in the Starke Circuit Court, 41-year-old Mark Wilson of Grovertown was present for his plea and sentencing hearing before Judge Kim Hall.

In his first case, Wilson was charged with Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Class B Felony. As part of a plea agreement, other charges against him, Possession of Precursors and Possession of Marijuana, were dismissed.

Continue reading

Knox Man Arrested after Barging into Ex-Girlfriend’s Residence

Anthony Rose II

A Knox man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly barged into his ex-girlfriend’s home and threatened to take items from the residence.

Police were called to a home on Ruthie Drive after a woman called to report that her ex-boyfriend, Anthony Rose II, barged into her apartment after he she opened the door to him. The victim told police that he wasn’t supposed to be there and while inside, he told her he was going to take the couch. When she told him he couldn’t have the couch, he threatened to take a video recorder. She told Rose that nothing was leaving the apartment and she called police. After the police were called, Rose allegedly starting hitting himself in the face and told her that he would tell police that she hit him.

Continue reading