Iowa Speedway Has a New Owner

You may be familiar with the new owners of Iowa Speedway. NASCAR.

NASCAR’s agreement with Iowa Speedway was finalized Wednesday and is effective immediately.
Officials explained in a release that the purchase of the speedway was a strategic move designed to expand event experiences and fan engagement. Another reason, according to NASCAR, was to solidify the future of one of the premier racing and entertainment facilities in the Midwest.

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Knox Council Considering Increasing Insurance Coverage

Knox City Council
Knox City Council

The Knox City Council this week heard an update from Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston and Mayor Rick Chambers regarding insurance benefits for an injured fireman. Chambers said the fireman, Wayne Noah, was injured while investigating a fire when a change in pressure forced him off of the house floor and onto the ground, twisting an ankle and preventing him from working his full-time job.

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Detectives Investigating Burglary at Marshall County Business

 
 
Marshall County Sheriff’s Department detectives are investigating a burglary at a business in Lapaz.

The suspect(s) reportedly entered Pat’s in Lapaz sometime between 10 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 25 and the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 26. After the suspect(s) forced their way into the business, a Sentry safe was taken. There was some money inside the stolen safe.

If you have any information about this incident, call the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department at (574) 936-3187. You may remain anonymous in relaying any information to police.

Culver School Board Approves Use of Monterey Elementary For Church Services

Monterey Elementary School
Monterey Elementary School
The former Monterey Elementary School will soon be made use of, as the Culver Community School Board this week approved a request from a local church to use the building temporarily while their main house of worship is undergoing renovations.

The church requested permission to use a portion of the building to hold services on the weekends through the month of April, but there was some concern noted that by allowing St. Anne’s Catholic Church to use the facility, the board is opening itself up to other requests of this nature by other organizations.

Board member Marilyn Swanson made a motion to approve the request and it passed unanimously.

Starke County Community Corrections Discusses House Bill

  
 
The Starke County Community Corrections Board met this week, and according to Chief Probation Officer John Thorstad, the meeting was essentially a culmination of ideas and thoughts on how a bill passed in the Indiana House of Representatives will affect Starke County. Thorstad said the meeting was held in two sessions, one with the judge, prosecutor and public defenders, and the second with probation, community corrections and some service providers.

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ISP Troopers Increase Patrols for Thanksgiving Holiday

 
 
Indiana State Police troopers will participate in Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) from now until Dec. 1. This will allow troopers to patrol Hoosier roadways during this upcoming holiday weekend.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, safety belt use is the most effective strategy you can employ to prevent death and minimize injury resulting from accidents.

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Donations are Being Accepted for Shop with a Cop Event in Pulaski County

Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer
Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department Shop with a Cop event is set for Sunday, Dec. 8 and donations are now being accepted to help children have a merrier Christmas this season.

Sheriff Michael Gayer said monetary donations can be made to the Shop with a Cop account at any Alliance Bank so the children less fortunate can choose an item for Christmas this year.

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Snow Could Create Road Hazards Today

 
 
The listening area remains on alert for falling snow today. Northwest winds of 15-25 mph could cause areas of blowing and drifting snow.

Marshall County Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Avery urges you to give yourself some extra time to get to your destination and clear off your car so you can properly see and prevent debris flying off your car while in transit. Clear windows, headlights and taillights of snow and ice.

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Rensselaer Author Releasing Book This Week

  
 

A Rensselaer author is preparing for the nationwide release this week of her new children’s fiction, “I Am Not A Pirate,” the tale of a young girl struggling to build her self esteem.

The story tells more about how certain social issues can easily lower the self-confidence of a child, taken on the account of the author’s daughter. In the book, Maddie is excited to start school until she learns she has to go to the eye doctor. When she finds out she has to wear an eye patch, she thinks things can’t get any worse. The story tells how Maddie will gain the confidence she needs to face her new friends at school.

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To Brine Or Not To Brine The Turkey

Thanksgiving Dinner
 
Thanksgiving is but one day away, which means just about every turkey that will be cooked for the holiday should be thawing, according to representatives with the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. Amy Roska told WKVI’s Tom Berg that one of the most common mistakes is not allowing the bird enough time to thaw.

“Make sure you allow enough time for thawing, because that’s one of the very common first-timer mistakes. They don’t realize that these are really big birds and they’re going to need to allow plenty of time, again, four pounds per day in the refrigerator. The next thing, make sure that first timer gets a good thermometer because that’s going to take all the guesswork away,” Roska said.

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Montoya Performs Well in IndyCar Test

It had been since the year 2000 when he last placed his foot on the gas pedal in an IndyCar, but Juan Pablo Montoya returned to the sport in fast fashion during an IndyCar test Monday at Sebring International Raceway.

The newest addition to Team Penske drove the No. 2 Dallara/Chevrolet for 20 laps and was just less than half-a-second behind teammate Will Power’s top time in the morning session. In the afternoon session, the former NASCAR driver was able to surpass the fast lap time established by Power before the day’s testing ended.

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Son of NASCAR Driver Showing Promise as Race Car Driver

He was two car lengths behind the winner of the Southeast Limited Late Models event on Sunday, but second-place finisher 13-year-old Todd Gilliland showed that he’s got some skills in the seat of a race car. Todd is the son of NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Gilliland and drove in just his third race in a stock car on Sunday at Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina.

Todd Gilliland started the event in the fifth position and slipped back to 13th early. That didn’t phase him as he started climbing through the field. By lap 58, he entered into the top 10 and was battling for the third spot on lap 79. With seven laps to go, he reached the second spot.

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New Executive Director Named at Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau

  
 
A new executive director has been named to the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Cori Holtzwart-Humes has been named as the successor to Mike Woolfington who will be retiring at the end of the year after serving 20 years as director. Holtzwart-Humes is the assistant director at the Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been employed there for the past five years.

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Attempted Thefts From Cars Reported in Hamlet

 
 
Officers from the Hamlet Police Department have taken several reports of a man attempting to get into vehicles in the town limits.

The first report came in on Nov. 21 where a man walking a large dog in the area of Hamlet and Pearl Streets attempted to get into parked vehicles. The man was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Officers were not able to locate the suspect when they arrived at the scene.

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Lake Effect Snow Possible Overnight Into Wednesday Morning

Lake effect snow is expected to develop this evening and intensify late tonight into early Wednesday morning. Accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are possible within the heaviest bands, with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour possible. Northwest winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour will lead to areas of blowing and drifting. Holiday travelers should anticipate hazardous winter driving conditions across portions of U.S. 30 and the Indiana Toll Road on Wednesday. Remember, a lake effect snow watch means there’s a potential for a large amount of snow to develop in only a few hours. Plan accordingly and allow ample travel time to reach your destination.

 

Starke County Commissioners Offer Second Employee Health Insurance Option

 
 
Starke County employees who said they would pay a higher health insurance premium in exchange for greater levels of coverage may have that option if enough people opt to do so. The county commissioners agreed to offer an optional Anthem benefit plan, but it will only be available if at least 10 percent of county employees choose it. Office visit co-payments for primary and specialty care physician office visits are less, but the employee is responsible for 100 percent of the cost difference over the county’s basic offering. That’s an extra $100 per month for an individual with coverage, and more for someone who picks the family plan option. The commissioners note that this may be a better deal if someone sees the doctor frequently and say their hope is to give employees alternatives from which to choose. However, they also note that more providers are in network with Anthem Blue Cross-Blue Shield than were with Cigna, so higher levels of coverage for out-of-network providers may not be an issue.

WKVI Food Drive a Success, Hundreds of Pounds Raised

 
 
The WKVI food drive at Five Star in Knox and Sander’s Foods in Winamac was a success, raising several hundred pounds of food and for both the Pulaski County and Starke County food pantries, as well as a significant amount of monetary donations.

Joan Haugh at Community Services of Starke County said she was pleased with the result of the food drive at Five Star. Donors put forth more than $270 to go toward the food pantry, and Five Star also made a $500 donation. A total of 166 pounds of food were raised at Five Star for the food pantry, and Haugh said it will go a long way.

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