Interstate 65 Reopened After Fatal Morning Crash

 
 

A Monon man was killed in a crash this morning that shut down both northbound lanes of I-65 near the Demotte-Roselawn exit just south of Lowell for several hours and sent two truck drivers to an area hospital. Jim A. Uildriks, 52, of Monon, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 6 a.m. wreck by the Lake County Coroner as a result of blunt force trauma. His 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck was behind a tractor-trailer driven by Richard W. Konrad, 59, of Indianapolis, which had stopped because of construction up ahead, according to the Indiana State Police. A second semi, driven by Paul J. Gottsacker, 51, of Lavelle, Wis., was behind Uildriks’ truck and did not slow down or stop. It hit and ran over the pickup before hitting the trailer of Konrad’s semi. Both truck drivers complained of pain and were taken to Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Crown Point.

Preliminary Autopsy Results Released in Starke County Plane Crash

  
 

The pilot whose single-engine plane crash landed at the Starke County Airport north of Knox Monday afternoon died of massive blunt-force trauma, according to the initial autopsy report. James A.W. Evans III, 68, of Stafford, Va. was en route from Virginia to Oshkosh, Wis. and was apparently stopping for fuel when his plane crashed at the south end of the runway around 3 p.m.. He suffered massive head, neck, chest and internal injuries, according to Starke County Coroner Kris Rannells, who says a final autopsy report will be made after histology and toxicology tests are complete.

U.S. 35 Bridge Project on Schedule

 
 
The old bridge just south of the U.S. 30 and U.S. 35 interchange just west of Hamlet has been removed and crews are now pile driving the area and getting it ready for a new bridge structure.

INDOT spokesperson Matt Deitchley stated that the project is extensive with the approximate completion date in November. The new bridge will be erected over existing railroad tracks which requires extra attention.

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Pools Tested Positive for West Nile Virus in Starke County

 
 
Three pools of mosquitoes recently tested positive for the West Nile virus in Starke County.

Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch told WKVI that the state was doing routine testing of water in April and May that may breed West Nile-type mosquitoes and three of those pools tested positive. He added that no human cases of the West Nile Virus have been reported in Starke County.

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Lt. Governor Visits Officials in Starke County

  
 
Indiana Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann was in Starke County yesterday to speak with elected officials and business and agriculture officials. She met with them at the Nancy J. Dembowski Community Center in Knox.

The Lt. Governor is on a “Listen and Learn” tour. She plans to stop in all 92 counties and speak to these groups of people to gather information on what is and isn’t successful in counties plus issues and priorities so a better partnership can be built between the individual counties and the state. She has already visited 27 counties, including Starke County, since she started this initiative in May.

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Local Schools React to ISTEP+ Review

 
 
No measurable negative impact occurred after computer glitches interrupted students taking the ISTEP+ test last spring. That’s according to an official review of the testing.

The National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment was hired by the Indiana Department of Education to evaluate the validity of the tests.

Oregon-Davis Interim Superintendent Greg Briles argues the point that no measurable impact occurred at his school as 88 students were affected by the interruptions. He explained that O-D is a small school and those numbers are big when compared to larger schools – such as the Knox Community School Corporation. Briles says the impact is not comparing apples to apples.

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North Judson Town Wide Yard Sale on Saturday

 
 
The town of North Judson will hold a town-wide yard sale event on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a discounted yard sale permit fee from $10 to $5 for residents who register for the event. The town council recently passed a resolution decreasing the permit fee for the day and excepting the day from the total number of yard sale days allowed for residents.

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Pulaski County Food Pantry in Need of Items

Jackie Frain
Jackie Frain
Pulaski County Human Services has announced that the organization is need of a number of items in order to continue providing food to the community. Jackie Frain, director of PCHS, said the county-wide food pantry is part of its Helping Other People Everyday service, or HOPE, and is in need of canned fruit, jelly, peanut butter, bottled juice, powdered milk, break, canned vegetables, butter, margarine, eggs and cereal.

In addition, they are also looking for non-food items such as toothpaste, shampoo, laundry soap and diapers – items that are needed by the people they serve throughout the community.

To make a donation, bring your items to 115 W. Pearl St. in Winamac. Frain said she thanks donors and supporters on behalf of those who benefit from the donations.

Deadline for Miss Yellowstone Pageant is Tomorrow

 
 
The deadline to enter the Miss Yellowstone Pageant is tomorrow, so if you or someone you know would like to take a shot at the crown, now is the time to put your name in the competition. Tara Parker will once again be directing the Miss Yellowstone Pageant scheduled to take place during the Yellowstone Trail Festival. The pageant, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17 at 11 a.m. CT, gives girls between the ages of 5 and 22 in Starke and surrounding counties the chance to participate and become Miss Yellowstone.

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Kiwanis Club to Ride for Rileys on Aug. 17

Riley Children's Hospital logoThe North Judson Kiwanis Club is once again undertaking a selfless endeavor as members will ride bikes for hours along the trails in North Judson, beginning at the old rest park off of State Road 10 at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17. Dave Altman, chairman of the event, told WKVI that the participants will be rallying up donations from members of the community, either a flat donation or donations per hour or per mile with all proceeds going toward Riley Children’s Hospital.

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O-D School Corporation to Hold Community Hog Roast

Greg Briles
Greg Briles

The Oregon-Davis School Corporation is holding a community hog roast on Monday, Aug. 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the campus.

Interim Superintendent Greg Briles stated that this is free event for the community and several tents will be set up in the parking lot so parents or any resident can learn more about the school and activities. A DJ will feature entertainment.

The school buildings will be open for all students so they can leave their school supplies in the classrooms for the start of the school year on Aug. 14. Briles commented that this will lessen the load for students on the first day of school. Briles added that it will relieve a little stress on the school bus ride on the first day without the extra load of school supplies.

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Head Start Suffering From Federal Sequester

  
 
The federal sequester has caused nearly 5.3 percent in cuts to Indiana’s Head Start programs, and most of them are dealing with the reduction in funding by cutting enrollment. According to Cheryl Miller, executive director of the Indiana Head Start Association, that means hundreds of Hoosier children will miss out on preschool education and services come fall. A year down the road, kindergarten teachers will notice the impact.

“We’re going to have elementary schools that are going to be impacted by this too, because those children probably are going to come to kindergarten not having had any kind of high-quality preschool experience,” said Miller.

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Starke County Coroner Releases Plane Crash Victim’s Name

 
 

The pilot of the single-engine plane that crash landed at the Starke County Airport Monday afternoon has been identified. James A.W. Evans III, 68, of Stafford, Va. appeared to die instantly, according to Starke County Coroner Kris Rannells. An autopsy is scheduled later today to confirm his cause of death. Evans was en route from Virginia to Oshkosh, Wis., stopped in Knox for fuel and crashed at the south end of the runway around 3 p.m.. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

 

Kayakers Rescued on Tippecanoe River

 
 
Four stranded kayakers were rescued on the Tippecanoe River late Saturday night.

One kayaker called 911 after they could not continue down the river due to the lack of daylight. They were not injured.

Veteran Indiana Conservation Officer Jeff Richwine found the kayakers after following the description of their location. The four were located approximately a half-mile upstream from the state park canoe camp.

Ryan Helt of Rochester, Caleb Giddens of Indianapolis, Vance Feutz of Bloomington and Corey Wilson of Ellettsville were returned safely to shore.

Casting Call for “Little Savages” Turns Out Quite the Crowd

  
 
The casting call for the soon-to-be-filmed movie “Little Savages” turned out an overwhelming amount of aspiring actors to the town of Culver. James Simmons, producer for the film, said people came out from Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit and all over the local area. On top of the local turnout, Simmons said they’ve already signed a number of actors of Disney fame to the film as well.

Simmons said they hadn’t been expected such an amazing turnout.

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Starke Council Approves Cumulative Capital Rates

  
 
The Starke County Council after a public hearing last night established the Cumulative Capital Development Fund and the Cumulative Capital Bridge Fund. New requirements from the Department of Local Government Finance requires that cities, towns and counties publicize and establish these funds on an annual basis. If these entities do not establish these funds, their share of the money gets split up among other counties in the state.

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Walking Trail at Winamac Park Closed Today

Entrance to the Winamac Town Park
Entrance to the Winamac Town Park
The walking trail at the Winamac Town Park will be closed today.

Park Superintendent Rick Dilts stated that crews will be resealing the asphalt for preventative maintenance measures.

He added that the sealant will take approximately 24 hours to adhere properly and foot traffic may resume activity on Wednesday. If that deadline changes, he will notify us to help spread the word.

Public Hearing Scheduled for EPSC Proposed Superintendent Contact

 
 

A public hearing will be held on Monday, Aug. 12 at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation to discuss the pending superintendent’s contract.

By law, the school board members must hold a public hearing disclosing details of the superintendent’s proposed contract.

According to the school’s legal notice, the superintendent’s contract term will be from Aug. 13, 2013 to June 30, 2016. The base annual salary for the incoming superintendent will be $100,000 with a work year of 260 days with 15 allowable vacation days, three personal days and 10 sick days during the 2013-2014 school year. The superintendent will receive a proposed seven sick days during the 2015-2016 school year.

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WKVI Sponsoring Red Cross Blood Drive Today

 
 
The American Red Cross is still in need of blood and platelet donations, as blood products are being distributed to area hospitals almost as quickly as donations are coming in. The Red Cross issued an emergency call for blood donations on July 9 after seeing about 50,000 fewer blood and platelet donations than expected in June. Donations have increased by about 15 percent since the emergency call for donors was issued, but the middle and end of July mark only the halfway point to the challenging summer months.

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