Groves Arrested for Stealing Vehicle and Narcotics Possession

 Marshall County police arrested a man Saturday after finding drugs in a vehicle the suspect had stolen.

A vehicle being operated by John Groves was stopped by police at the intersection of Michigan Street and Jackson Street after a Marshall County Deputy found Groves had committed several traffic violations. During a search of the vehicle, the officer found narcotics and a loaded handgun. The officer then found that the vehicle was stolen.

Groves was arrested on preliminary felony charges of Criminal Conversion, Auto Theft, Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance and Receiving Stolen Property, and a misdemeanor count of Carrying a Handgun without a permit. He is being held in the Marshall County Jail with no bond.

Judge Hall Finds Jennie Carter Guilty of Theft of Tourism Funds

Jennie Carter
Jennie Carter
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall heard the final arguments in the case against Jennie Carter this afternoon and rendered his verdict in the bench trial against the woman accused of taking $7,000 in Starke County Tourism Commission funds for her own use.

Carter faced a count of Theft as a Class D felony in the bench trial which began last Wednesday. Three witnesses testified throughout the course of the bench trial, including the lead investigator in the case with the Indiana State Police, Debbie Mix of the Starke County Tourism Commission and Chamber of Commerce, and the defendant.

Final arguments began Wednesday afternoon and continued today, when the elements of the theft charge were explained and other legal issues were discussed.

The verdict was left to Judge Hall to decide, who entered a verdict of guilty of Theft as a Class D felony. Carter will receive her sentence on March 25 at 10 a.m. in the Starke Circuit Court.

Head Start students treated and released following crash

The 15 Marshall-Starke Head Start students whose bus got hit by a truck this morning on the way to school have been released to their

Head Start students were checked out at IU Health Starke Hospital following a bus v. truck crash.
Head Start students were checked out at IU Health Starke Hospital following a bus v. truck crash.

parents. They were all taken to IU Health Starke Hospital to be checked out after bus 37 was hit by a truck as it was crossing Heaton Street at Lake Street by One Stop just before 8 a.m. Continue reading

Knox Police Investigating Crash Involving Head Start Bus and Truck

These two vehicles were involved in the crash at Heaton and Lake Streets.
These two vehicles were involved in the crash at Heaton and Lake Streets.

Passengers on Marshall-Starke Head Start Bus 37 are getting checked out at IU Health Starke Memorial Hospital after their bus was struck by a truck this morning at the intersection of Heaton and Lake Streets in downtown Knox. There’s no word yet on the extent of their injuries, and the crash remains under investigation. The bus was crossing Lake Street and was struck by the truck, which is registered to Standard Pallet, Inc. of Knox. A witness told investigators the bus had the right-of-way.

Jennie Carter Bench Trial to Continue Today

Jennie Carter
Jennie Carter

Final arguments will continue today in Starke Circuit Court in the case of Jennie Carter.

Carter is facing a count of Theft as a Class D Felony in a bench trial began last Wednesday. Three witnesses testified including the lead Indiana State Police investigator in the case, Debbie Mix of the Starke County Tourism Commission and Starke County Chamber of Commerce and Jennie Carter herself.

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Knox Man Sentenced on Federal Child Pornography Charge

 A federal judge sentenced a Knox man to seven years in prison and 10 years of supervised release on a child pornography charge.

Jeffrey Farmer, 42, previously pleaded guilty to the felony offense of accessing with intent to view child pornography. Starke County Detectives obtained a state search warrant to search Farmer’s residence and seize computers and digital storage devices following an investigation by members of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

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Active Shooter Training Conducted at Monterey Elementary School

Police attempt to find an "active shooter"
Police attempt to find an “active shooter”

Multiple law enforcement and emergency personnel agencies participated in an active shooter training at the Monterey Elementary School Saturday.

It was an enlightening experience to witness the emergency personnel work in a potential deadly situation. Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer noted that he thought the overall turnout was a success.

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Indiana House to Review Overhaul of Criminal Sentencing Code

 Beginning today, the Indiana House will be taking a look at rewriting the decades-old criminal sentencing code.

The Criminal Code Evaluation Committee has agreed that the main overhaul of the code focuses on consistency, proportionality, like-sentences for like-crimes, new criminal penalties and sentencing schemes designed to keep dangerous offenders in prison, but avoid using prison space for non-violent offenders.

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Starke County Jury Convicts Man of OVWI

  A Starke County jury of six found Jerome Uskert guilty on a charge of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated in a trial conducted on Thursday.

During a break after the verdict was read, Uskert pleaded guilty to another charge of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated-Prior and those two charges were merged. He was arrested in February 2012 on the OVWI-prior charge and then arrested after failing to appear in October.

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Marshall County Commissioners Discuss Highway Purchase

  Marshall County Highway Superintendent Neal Haeck presented the commissioners with a request to purchase two trucks.

Instead of requesting sealed bids, Haeck told commissioners that a representative from the State Board of Accounts said he could request quotes and gather prices rather than go through the bidding process, with the stipulation that the three quotes needed include specs of what the highway department is requesting. He will then bring that information to the commissioners who will then approve a purchase.

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Oregon-Davis Graduate Hospitalized After Single-Vehicle Crash

An Oregon-Davis High School graduate who is widely known for her musical talent is hospitalized in Fort Wayne following a single-vehicle crash last night in Miami County. Lorrin Awald, 20, is in critical condition at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne after the truck she was driving reportedly hit a patch of black ice on State Road 16 near Denver and rolled over. The crash occurred about 10 minutes after 10 last night, according to the Indiana State Police. Three other passengers were taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Plymouth. There’s no word on their conditions. Awald is a 2011 graduate of Oregon-Davis High School. She wrote a song in memory of her cousin, Knox High School drum major Drew Shearin, who was killed in a single-vehicle accident in October of 2011 east of Knox on State Road 8 when his car struck a telephone pole.

“Online Casanova” Tells Judge He’s Unemployed

Raymond Holycross
Raymond Holycross

A Marshall County native police say wooed and stole from women from Oregon to Indiana claims he’s just unemployed. Raymond Holycross told a judge in South Bend he last worked three months ago. He faces theft charges in St. Joseph County after a woman he met online last summer reportedly discovered he had stolen and pawned her camera and called the police. That prompted her to do some checking into Holycross’s background. That’s when authorities say she learned he also uses the names Ray Paris and Ray Cross to meet women, earn their trust and charm them out of their money. Holycross is also wanted on a Howard County warrant for theft of a firearm.

Police Arrest Man in Alleged Stabbing Incident

 A LaPorte man was arrested Friday in an alleged stabbing incident.

Michael Bullington, 31 of LaPorte, is suspected of stabbing a man after an altercation. The victim told police that when he arrived home Thursday evening, Bullington was coming out of the home with a bag. Bullington ran from the scene and the victim chased after him. Bullington slipped on the sidewalk and a physical altercation took place in which Bullington allegedly stabbed the man. Stab wounds were inflicted to the man’s face and chest. He was later transported to IU Health LaPorte Hospital where he was treated and released.

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Kokomo Man Sentenced in Pulaski Superior Court

 A 21-year-old Kokomo man was sentenced in Pulaski Superior Court Friday afternoon.

Tyler Reed had pleaded guilty to two counts of Theft as a Class D Felony. Judge Patrick Blankenship sentenced Reed to 15 months on each count to be served consecutively. 12 months of that sentence was suspended and he will serve 90 days in the Pulaski County Jail. 12 months of his sentence will be served on probation.

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Active Shooter Training Set for Today at Monterey Elementary School

  Active shooter training will be taking place throughout the day at the Monterey Elementary School.

This training is to help coordinate emergency personnel in the case of a shooting at a school or business. Those responders participating in today’s event will be using a special radio for communications, but if you have a scanner and you hear of a mass casualty event, personnel are training for such an event and it’s not the real thing. You will see several emergency vehicles on the roads as well.

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