Starke County Ranks Low in Health Outcomes

 
 
For the second year in a row, Starke County has fallen in the lowest ranking for health outcomes, according to the annual County Health Rankings, released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

The ten counties with the lowest ranking include Delaware, Lawrence, Sullivan, Orange, Jasper, Starke, Crawford, Blackford, Fayette and Scott.

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Applications for Federal Funding for Transportation Projects to be Accepted Soon

 
 
The Indiana Department of Transportation will soon be accepting applications for $86 million in federal transportation funding. Applications from cities, towns and counties will be taken beginning April 14.

INDOT was awarded the money in February for local transportation projects to be bid in July 2016. This round of funding is for projects that would be designed, developed and have purchased land according to federal standards prior to bid during the fiscal year beginning July 2017.

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South Central Schedules Prospective Student Open House

  
 
Parents and students who are thinking about enrolling in South Central Junior/Senior High School during the upcoming school year will have a chance next week to check things out. School officials have scheduled a prospective student open house/pre-registration night on Thursday, April 3 from 6 until 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Information about South Central’s academic programs, activities and new initiatives planned for the coming years will be shared. School tours will also be provided, and current students and staff members will be on hand to answer questions and provide insight into life as a South Central student.

Attendees are asked to park in the west lot and enter through the cafeteria doors. Contact the school office at 219-767-2266 for additional information.

Psi Iota Xi College Scholarship Deadline Approaching

 
 

The Knox Chapter of the Psi Iota Xi sorority has announced that they will soon be awarding scholarships to deserving Starke County seniors. Previous recipients may also reapply; the application is simple, and only asks for a brief written paragraph.

With the upcoming deadline of April 4, the sorority is urging all seniors to not miss the opportunity for free money. Tammy Fletcher, president of the sorority’s Knox chapter, said her sorority has been active in the community for more than 27 years, staying busy all year round.

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Empty Bowls Project Raises More Than $2000 for Food Bank of Northern Indiana

  
 

The inaugural Empty Bowls project at the Center at Donaldson was a resounding success, filled to the brim with eager participants. The project began in early February at MoonTree Studios, when the public was invited in on a Saturday to make clay bowls with their own hands. Participants then returned two weeks later to glaze their bisque-fired bowls with combinations of blue, beige, green, and reddish-brown glazes. These unique bowls numbered over 300 for the Empty Bowls soup supper on Saturday, March 15.

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Operation Pull Over Blitz Successful in LaPorte

 
 
The LaPorte City Police Department recently wrapped up another successful Operation Pull Over Blitz.

Officers worked 52 hours of impaired driving patrols and 122 hours of aggressive driving patrols. Six arrests were made that included a preliminary charge of Operating While Intoxicated and two arrests for other offenses. Officers wrote a total of 267 citations and 225 warnings for other violations; of those, 128 were for speeding, 19 for driving while suspended, 14 for stop sign and traffic signal violations, 61 for seat belt violations, five for texting while driving and several others for various offenses.

Operation Pull Over Blitz #78 ran from Feb. 28 to March 23.

Operation Pull Over is a federally funded enforcement initiative administered by the Traffic Safety Division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Poverty Simulation Program Scheduled for April 12

  
 
Purdue Extension of Pulaski County, in partnership with Community Action Poverty Simulation, will be holding a poverty simulation program on Saturday, April 12. This is geared to place residents in various life-like activities to demonstrate how families living in poverty survive from day to day.

Participants will be assuming the role of a low-income family member living on a limited budget. Four 15-minute sessions will be held and each session will represent one week in which you must provide for your family and maintain your home.

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NASCAR Community Mourns the Death of Lynda Petty

Lynda Petty, 72, one of the first women of NASCAR, passed away at her home in Level Cross, North Carolina on Tuesday.

She was the wife of NASCAR legend, Richard Petty.

“Mrs. Lynda”, as some affectionately called her, battled cancer over the past several years.

She was revered the the NASCAR community as one of the strongest people in the sport. She set the benchmark for being a leader in her local community while raising a family in the fast-growing sport of stock car racing, according to the Petty family.

A private memorial service for family and friends will be held at Reverie Place in Randleman, North Carolina. Memorial donations may be made to: Petty Family Foundation, 311 Branson Mill Road, Randleman, NC 27317.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Drivers Head to Martinsville Speedway

It’s been a long time since the Daytona races, but the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to the track this Saturday for the Kroger 250 at Martinville Speedway.

It’s known as the paperclip which refers to its appearance. Martinsville Speedway is a one-mile track with 12 degrees of banking in the corners. That combined with a pavement combination of asphalt and concrete and two pit roads makes it one of the more fun tracks on the circuit.

While you’re there, don’t forget to stop and pick up the famed Martinsville hot dog.

More importantly, what are the drivers saying about the track?

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Nationwide Team Penalized after Auto Club Speedway Race

Ryan Sieg
Ryan Sieg

A post-race inspection after Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California found that the No. 39 team committed a rules violation.

NASCAR officials found that Ryan Sieg’s car exceeded the maximum rear body height requirement during post-race inspection (Section 20A-12.8.1C). The team was also found to have violated Section 12-1: actions detrimental to stock car racing.

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Tip Sends Two Culver Women to Jail

 
 

A pair of Culver women face multiple felony charges in Marshall County after police officers from three departments followed up on a tip about a stolen car and a woman with an outstanding warrant. On Friday officers from the Indiana State Police, Culver Police and Marshall County Sheriff’s Department checked 624 Forest Place, Apartment 3A in Culver and found the stolen 2002 Chevrolet Malibu in the parking lot. They spoke to a resident of the apartment, Courtney M. Owens, 25. She gave them permission to search the apartment for the fugitive. Officers found Kayla J. Belue, 24, hiding under a bed, according to information provided by the Indiana State Police. Continue reading

Kankakee River Expected to Drop Below Flood Stage Today

 
 

The flood warning for the Kankakee River at Davis Route 30 continues until tomorrow morning. Minor flooding of low-lying agriculture areas is occurring, but the river was holding steady at 10.1 feet at 8 o’clock last night, according to the National Weather Service. Flood stage is 10 feet. The river is still expected to drop below that level around 7 this morning. More rain is in the extended forecast for Thursday and Friday.

C&C Salvage Fire Investigation Continues

 
 
The Starke County Sheriff’s Department is working with the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office in an investigation into the Thursday evening fire at the C&C Salvage.

Bass Lake Fire Chief Les Jensen told WKVI News that the investigation into the cause and origin continues. Some preliminary information may be available this week. As of now, he said, there is nothing new to report.

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New K9 Units at the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department

Deputy Travis Clark with K-9 "Gil" (L) and  K-9 Deputy Ryan Austin with K-9 "Terror"
Deputy Travis Clark with K-9 “Gil” (L) and K-9 Deputy Ryan Austin with K-9 “Terror”
The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department has two new K9 units.

Sheriff’s deputies Travis Clark and Ryan Austin began K9 patrols on Friday, March 21 with their K9 partners and they will begin six weeks of intensive training next week.

The dogs and handlers will engage in apprehension and drug detection training. When certified the dogs will be instrumental in helping to detect drugs inside vehicles and on one’s person. The K9s will also be able to chase after a suspect who eludes police on foot.

Fundraising efforts led to the acquisition of the K9 units. K9 “Gil” will be working with deputy Clark and K9 “Terror” will be working with deputy Austin.

St. Joe Medical Center in Plymouth Announces Expansion

A rendering of the proposed expansion to SJRMC in Plymouth.
A rendering of the proposed expansion to SJRMC in Plymouth.
The St. Joseph Regional Medical Center has announced a future expansion at its Plymouth campus featuring a new, state-of-the-art Emergency Department. The hospital is expected to break ground for the expansion project at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, March 28, beginning the work of constructing the new 12,000 square-foot Emergency Department located adjacent to the Plymouth hospital’s current Emergency Department.

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Cold Spring, Wet Winter Could Hurt Upcoming Crops

  
 
With the wet winter behind us and a seemingly cold spring ahead of us, farmers are beginning to grow a little concerned of the possible negative effects these weather patterns could have on this year’s crops. Chad Rushing with Purdue Extension told WKVI that the main issue is soil temperatures; the cold winter and cool spring has lowered soil temperatures and farmers are still waiting for those to warm back up.

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Health Insurance Deadline Looms, Some Hoosiers Have Other Options

 
 
Time is short for uninsured Hoosiers to meet an important health insurance deadline. The open enrollment period to apply for coverage for this year through the Health Insurance Marketplace ends March 31. Executive Director of Covering Kids and Families of Indiana Davis Roos says while there is a deadline under the Affordable Care Act, some families have other options.

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Starke County Youth Club Receives Grant

  
 
The Starke County Youth Club was one of 53 organizations that were awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant.

The grant is designed to provide academic enrichment opportunities for students at after-school sites.

21st Century Community Learning Centers provide a range of high-quality services to support student learning and development, including academic enrichment, tutoring and mentoring, and homework help, as well as music, arts, sports and cultural activities.

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