Mowing Season in North Judson: No Taller Than Four Inches

Mowing season is finally here, and that means grass needs to be kept under four inches in the town of North Judson. If property is left unattended and the grass gets out of hand, the property owner will be notified to get the lawn mowed. If that notice goes unheeded, a fee can be imposed and, if necessary, a lien made on the property. This ordinance has been in place in the town of North Judson for several years.

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Relay for Life to begin in Culver Today

Culver participants get ready for this year's event

More than 50 teams and 400 participants will be involved this evening in the fifth annual Relay For Life of Culver. The overnight event begins at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Multipurpose Building on the campus of Culver Academies.

Student organizers have set a $130,000 goal for this year’s event, which will be held indoors and outdoors. Many of the events will be staged in the Multipurpose Building on the corner of Indiana 10 and Academy Road, but activities and vendors will also be located in the grassy area along Indiana 10. Relay walkers will be able to turn their laps inside, outside, or a little of each.

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13th Annual Peace Officer Memorial Scheduled for May 9th in LaPorte

LaPorte County Sheriff's Department
LaPorte County Sheriff's Department

The LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting the 13th Annual Peace Officer Memorial on Wednesday, May 9th.

The ceremony is held each year in remembrance of fallen officers in LaPorte County, as well as the United States, and also recognizes those that are injured in the line of duty. Orland Park, Illinois Police Chief Tim McCarthy will be this year’s keynote speaker. Chief McCarthy, who retired from the United States Secret Service, is best known for his heroic effort to save President Ronald Reagan during an attempt on the President’s life on March 30th, 1981. McCarthy used his body to shield President Reagan and as a result, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.

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Starke County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner Set for Saturday

New Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson is slated as a speaker Saturday night at the Starke County Republican Lincoln Day Dinner. The event, to be held at the newly remodeled Bass Lake Community Center, will begin with a social hour at 6:00 p.m. and the dinner at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Other local and state candidates are expected to be in attendance as well as Second District Congressional candidate, Jackie Walorski.

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From the WKVI Archives

It was 20 years ago in 1992 that a 1970 North Judson graduate, Dr. Richard Radke, and a 1965 grad, Robert “Leo” Schreiber, were inducted into the 5th Annual North Judson-San Pierre Academic Hall of Fame.

Back in 1945, the Chicago Cubs played in the World Series. They didn’t win the series, but at least they played.

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Initial Hearings Held in Starke Circuit Court

Accused of firing a gun in the Wythogan Park in Knox, Dustin Spencer was present for his initial hearing in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday. Spencer pleaded not guilty to the charges against him: Criminal Recklessness as both Class C and Class D felonies.

Spencer requested a court-appointed attorney and was granted Attorney Timothy Lemon. These charges stem from an incident on April 10th in which police say Spencer fired a gun in the park with several bystanders, including juveniles playing on a baseball diamond, and he also allegedly fired the gun toward an occupied dwelling.

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North Judson Town Board Discusses Highland Cemetery

North Judson Town Board

The Highland Cemetery was discussed once again at the recent meeting of the North Judson Town Board. The board discussed the possibility of adding an additional entrance to the cemetery, but it was mentioned that a second entrance already exists on County Road 300. That entrance has not been used in a very long time, and it has become overgrown and is in a state of disrepair. The board is looking into what expenses they can expect to get the entrance re-opened and cleaned up.

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North Judson-San Pierre School Board Learns IREAD Results

North Judson-San Pierre High School

The North Judson-San Pierre School Board got an update on how the third grade students performed on the state mandated IREAD test. This is a new test and if the students do not pass the test the first time, they will have a second chance in the summer. If the student cannot pass the test the second time, the child will be held back to retake the third grade reading class.

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Knox Mayor Names New Water Superintendent

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers has announced the employment of a new Water Superintendent for the city. Todd Gardner has been chosen and he has been the maintenance man for the LaVille School for the past five years and before that he was employed in the Maintenance Department at Ancilla College. He replaces Gordon Burger who has retired from the position. He has all of the proper licenses.

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Starke United Annual Meeting Scheduled for Tonight

Starke United

The Starke United Annual Meeting will be held this evening at the Community Services of Starke County building. The event is being sponsored by IU Health Starke Hospital.

Executive Director Julie Dessauer will give a review of 2011, including a report of the campaign total. Testimonials will be given by Rhonda Adcock of CASA and Barbara Miller of Community Services. An announcement of distribution will also be made.

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Starke County Students to See Shakespeare Play

Seventh and eighth grade students from Knox, North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis will be attending professional Shakespeare play today at the North Judson-San Pierre High School Auditorium.

Tri Kappa gave the schools a grant for $4,105 in order to have the Navy Pier traveling Shakespeare group perform “Taming of the Shrew” at the North Judson-San Pierre Auditorium. 465 students will be able to see how the Shakespeare plays are presented and learn more about Shakespeare and the era while attending this event.

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Sheriff’s Picnic

This photo from 1912 shows the former residence of Starke County’s Sheriff. The attached jail was just out of view to the right. Gabriel Doyle was the sheriff at that time.

The facility had been built in 1887 and was located at the southeast corner of Mound and Pearl Streets in Knox, the same location as the jail today. This view is looking north.  The two story brick residence of the sheriff was one of the finest homes in Knox when it was built. It was an honor to be invited to the annual sheriff’s picnic, which was held on the south lawn. This was a formal affair attended by such folks as the Koffels, Peters, Vanderweeles, Bortz’s, Moormans, Longs, Whitsons and Hartzlers.

Jail picnic

The second photo shows the Jail, which was attached to the east side of the house and had a separate entrance on the south side. In the early days, there was also a stable located in the southeast corner of the lot, where the sheriff’s horses and buggies were kept. Starke County’s first sheriff was Jacob S. Wampler, who was appointed in 1850 instead of being elected like all later sheriffs. In 1914, the sheriff’s salary was $1,100 and the jail’s annual operating expenses were $700. In 1971, the Indiana Department of Corrections found the facility inadequate and recommended that the 84 year old facility be closed.

Jim Shilling
Starke County Historical Society

http://www.starkehistory.com
http://www.scpl.lib.in.us/historical/

Starke County Officials Discuss the Money Value of IU Health Starke Hospital

How much is IU Health Starke Hospital really worth?

Starke County officials have agreed to hold a hearing on May 14th to consider adding an addendum to the Save the Hospital document to help answer that question. By adding an addendum to the ordinance, the officials would be able to dip into the fund to finance the hiring of a consultant firm that would place a value figure on the hospital, equipment and more.

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Vast Majority of O-D Elementary Students Pass IREAD 3 Test

The IREAD 3 results are in, and Oregon-Davis Elementary Principal William Bennett has announced some good news: 97.5 percent of Oregon-Davis Elementary students passed the test. The 2.5 percent of students that did not pass the test will be given extra instruction, and will have one chance to retake the test this summer. If they fail the test a second time, they will be required to receive reading instruction at the third-grade level for the 2012-2013 school year.

Bennett says he is extremely proud of all the third-grade students, parents, and staff, for “making sure students have the essential skills to become lifelong readers.” He credits early Title 1 reading interventions, full-day kindergarten, parental support, and the school’s dedication to the 90-minute reading block as key factors that led to this great success on the IREAD 3 test.

Knox City Police Arrest Man for Alleged Theft, Another Involved Hit by Vehicle

Casan Bogan

A Valparaiso man was arrested after a theft incident at Sabre Manufacturing in Knox on April 9th.

Knox City Police responded to Sabre Manufacturing after a call came in about a suspicious vehicle. When police arrived on scene, two forklifts were parked next to the vehicle. According to police, the vehicle’s back glass window was open and wire was hanging out of the back. The employees said they blocked the vehicle in so it couldn’t leave. The employees reportedly told police that they saw a man, later identified as Michael Bundy, Jr., and Bundy reportedly said to the employees that he was intoxicated and he did something bad. He then left he area on State Road 8. After an investigation, it was learned that the wire in the vehicle was stolen from the factory. The vehicle that had the wire in it returned to a relative of Bundy Jr.’s. The employees said that Casan Bogan, Bundy, Jr.’s cousin and a janitor at Sabre, was also seen in the area where the wire was taken. Both had reportedly been drinking earlier in the evening.

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Plymouth Police Arrest Man Twice in One Day

The Marshall County Jail staff booked in the same person twice in one day.

On Monday, Plymouth police were called to Dollar Tree after a caller reported seeing a man, later identified as 39-year-old Seth Enders, of Plymouth, going through a car and removing items. The officer found Enders and after a pat-down search, found drug and paraphernalia in his possession. He was booked into the Marshall County Jail on preliminary charges of Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of Controlled Substances and Possession of Marijuana. His bond was set at $3,000.

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North Judson Police Investigate Scam

The North Judson Police Department recently investigated another scam going around the area.

Police say a resident on Lincoln Avenue received what appeared to be a legitimate check in the mail for around $3,800 from a nationally-known insurance company. The person was asked to deposit the check and wire $1,900 back to the company to receive the remainder of the money. This is a scam. If you deposit the check and wire the money, the check will bounce and your money will already be claimed by the scammer.

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