Winamac Town Council Amends Holiday Schedule for Town Employees

Some changes were made to the holiday schedule for town employees at Monday night’s Winamac Town Council meeting.

Clerk-Treasurer Melanie Berger explained that typically, town employees work half days on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. However, since Christmas falls on a Tuesday this year, Berger asked the council to consider giving employees the whole day off on Monday, December 24th in exchange for working a full day on Monday, December 31st. Continue reading

Helpful Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe This Holiday Season

The holidays are time of social gatherings with lots of decadent foods and elaborate decorations. However, what seems like a winter wonderland to humans can actually cause pets a plethora of problems.

Dr. Sandra Norman, a veterinarian with the Indiana Board of Animal Health has a few helpful tips to keep in mind this holiday season to ensure your four-legged friends stay as safe as possible. Continue reading

This Special Holiday Tracker Allows Hoosiers to Keep Up With Santa’s Travels

If you and your kiddos want to keep any eye on when old St. Nick will be visiting the Hoosier state this holiday, INDOT has the perfect option for you. The organization brought back their annual “Santa Tracker” which can be accessed through certain social media sights.

This Christmas Eve you can witness Santa stop by some Indiana landmarks, visit with INDOT staff and help spread the word about safe driving and travel tips

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There’s Still Time to Sign Up for Some Local Holiday Decoration Contests

One perk to the sun setting sooner around this time of year is having more time to appreciate all the decorations and lights that people put up in their yards and on their houses. A few communities will be hosting decoration contests during the month of December to decipher whose homes best capture the holiday spirit.

In Starke County, the city of Knox is hosting a holiday decorating contest. The judging will take place on Wednesday, December 13th from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Participants should be sure to have their lights turned on during this time. Third prize will be $25, second prize is $50 and the first prize winner will receive $100. Continue reading

Holiday Essay Contest Winners to Participate in Knox Peppermint Parade

Mayor Dennis Estok acknowledged the winners of this year’s “What Christmas Means to Me” essay contest at Tuesday night’s Knox City Council meeting.

He said there were approximately 120 essays submitted from 6th graders and about 280 from 4th and 5th grade students. Ten essays were chosen from each grade, resulting in thirty essays being reviewed to find the contest winners. Out of those essays, 1 grand prize winner and 9 finalists were selected.

All of the essay winners have a chance to play a part in the Peppermint Parade this weekend. Continue reading

First Weekend of December to Feature a Variety of Community Festivities

This weekend, there are few different ways you and your family can kick-off the Christmas season with various local holiday events in Culver, North Judson and Knox.

On Friday, December 1st, the Culver Academies Community Service Club, the Cavs Club and the Culver Youth Community Organization will sponsor a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Train Depot in Culver Park. Light refreshments will be served at 6:15 p.m. ET and the tree lighting will be at 6:30 p.m.

Another part of Culver’s Christmas celebration will be the Holiday Hop which will run from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Citizens can visit participating businesses on Lake Shore Drive and Main Street to get in some early Christmas shopping and for a chance to win a $300 shopping spree. Carolers will sing throughout town during the Holiday Hop and will also be at Millers Merry Manor.

The Town of North Judson will also hold their holiday celebration on Friday, with their event taking place in Norwayne Field. Continue reading

Knox Peppermint Parade Application Deadline Extended

The Knox Peppermint Parade is right around the corner and residents wanting to be a part of it have received a bit more time to sign up.

Originally, the deadline to register was set for Wednesday, November 22nd. However, in a Knox City Council meeting, Mayor Dennis Estok said so far they’ve only received a little over ten entries. He said he wants to provide some additional time for individuals who may be waiting to sign up until they know what the weather will be like the day of the parade. Continue reading

Want to be Part of the 2017 Knox Peppermint Parade? Apply Today!

2017 Peppermint Parade Application

Knox’s annual Peppermint Parade will take place on December 2nd this year but the application deadline to be a part of the parade is coming soon. Applications were  originally due on Wednesday, November 22nd but the deadline has been extended to allow more people to sign-up.

There is no registration fee but applicants are required to share their contact information, the name of their organization, a brief description and they must specify whether they are entering as a church, a non-profit, a business or as an individual. This year, the Peppermint Parade will feature a reviewing station and a winner will be selected from each specific category and one will be chosen for best overall holiday spirit.

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Choir Call-Outs for Community Christmas Cantata This Thursday

Though there are still a few other holidays coming up before Christmastime is officially here, practices for a December performance will start soon. Choir call-outs for this year’s Community Christmas Cantata will be Thursday at 6 p.m. CT in the Knox United Methodist Church. Brian Liechty and Nan Folkers are working together as directors for this year’s production and will hold choir practices at the church every Thursday at 6 p.m. following the initial call-out meeting. Continue reading

Be Safe in Your Holiday Travels

 
 
The Christmas season is a time for holiday cheer and holiday traffic.

Officers from all police departments will be out on patrol to ensure our roadways are safe from impaired drivers. Police will also be watching for unrestrained motorists. Make sure you get plenty of rest before you leave on your travels and pack an emergency kit in your vehicle that includes water, food, blankets, jumper cables, and flashlights.

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Town of Hamlet Decoration Contest Dec. 21

 
 
The town of Hamlet is holding an outdoor Christmas decoration contest on Saturday, Dec. 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. CT.

During that time, residents with outdoor Christmas displays are urged to light those displays to be part of the contest. Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Pitts told WKVI that residents don’t need to register for the contest; you just need to make sure your outdoor display is in working order during the time of the judging.

The officials will give the address to the clerk-treasurer and she will send a check to the residences for the top three displays. The winner will receive $100, second place will get $75 and third place gets $50.

Hensler’s Christmas Fest Parade Held Saturday

Santa made an appearance during the Christmas Fest Parade at Hensler's Nursery!
Hensler’s Tree Nursery in Hamlet was filled with excited children and parents as they continued their Christmas Fest on Saturday. WKVI was on the scene broadcasting live as Santa and Mrs. Claus rolled in with the local fire departments from Center and Oregon Townships and the Davis-Hamlet Fire Department.

Visitors were invited to shop the Christmas Barn and check out the wreath crib and greenhouse, and snacks and drinks were provided at the event as well. As an additional treat, the Knox High School Jazz Band performed for the festival as well.

Kids queued up to have their picture taken with Santa and families from all around picked out trees for the ever-nearing Christmas holiday. A slideshow with highlights from the event is below!

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Jay and Katie Amidei Witness a Miracle as Their Son, Colton, Lives Through Rare Disease

Colton Amidei

It’s said that 80% of Americans believe in miracles. Do you? The Jay and Katie Amidei family, on Anns Ct. in Knox, believe in miracles. Here’s why:

Their son, Colton, was diagnosed with a rare disease after doctors found a large mass behind his eye. The disease, which is difficult to pronounce, was so rare that very few Americans had ever been diagnosed with it.

At this time last year, little Colton had gone through two surgeries to remove the tumor, the first surgery taking 12 1/2 hours. The second was performed after opening his head to remove the mass that had been missed the first “go round.”

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News from the Knox City Council

Knox City Council #2
Back Row: Mayor Rick Chambers, Ed Blue, Clerk-Treasurer Jeff Houston, Greg Matt and Attorney David Matsey. Front Row: Linda Berndt, Jeff Berg and Ron Parker

The Knox City Council learned that the City of Knox received a storm water infrastructure project grant worth $837,095. The Council will be providing a 20% match of $166,000 toward this project.

Clerk-Treasurer, Jeff Houston, announced that new tables and chairs have been ordered for the Knox Community Center. The dance floor was repaired and the carpets cleaned. The Council plans to review procedures for the Community Center in the near future.

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