Firefighters with the Koontz Lake Volunteer Fire Department recently received a generous donation of supplies.
Continue readingWashington Township Fire Results in Countywide Cooperative Effort
The Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call about a structure fire in the 8,000 block of 50 South shortly after 11 a.m. on Friday.
Washington Township Fire Chief Dave Pearman reported that all seven of the county’s volunteer departments assisted with the incident. Knox-Center Township, Hamlet, Bass Lake and Koontz Lake departments helped on the scene while North Judson Wayne-Township and Rail-Road Township departments helped cover neighboring districts to ensure that no areas were without assistance.
Chief Pearman said that crews utilized positive pressure ventilation to blow smoke out of the house and reported it took approximately one hour to take control of the fire. Continue reading
Emergency Radio Problems Continue in Starke County
Problems persist with Starke County’s emergency radio system. Several months ago, the Koontz Lake Volunteer Fire Department was having trouble communicating with dispatchers. On Monday, it was the Knox Volunteer Fire Department that was having problems, according to County Commissioner Donnie Binkley. Continue reading
Starke Commissioners Reject Communications Invoice, Suggest Committee to Address Radio Woes
The Starke County Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to reject an invoice for repairs to the county’s radio system. They agreed vendor J&K Communications did not adequately fix the system as promised and contend they used existing equipment without authorization. J&K has since told the commissioners they need to spend an additional $4,000 on a new VHF antenna to ensure adequate county-wide coverage. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Seek Answers to Radio Woes
The Starke County Commissioners want another vendor to evaluate their radio system and determine what needs to be fixed to make it operational county-wide. Continue reading
Starke EMA Finds Solution to Koontz Lake Emergency Radio Woes
The Starke County Emergency Management Agency has found a solution to emergency communication issues in the northwest corner of the county. Interference from other antennas on top of the grain elevator at the Starke County Co-Op in Hamlet has been creating problems for the Koontz Lake Volunteer Fire Department for the past couple of years. Continue reading
Motorist Taken to Hospital After Striking House
The driver of a car that hit a house in Koontz Lake late last night was taken to IU Health Starke Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash. It happened at 11:10 p.m. in the 7000 block of State Road 23, according to a news release from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department. Continue reading
Four Departments Respond to House Fire
Firefighters from four local departments responded to a house fire on 175 North just east of U.S. 35 Sunday afternoon. Dispatchers were notified of the fire at 2:15 p.m. The Knox, Hamlet, Koontz Lake and Washington Township departments spent three hours getting the blaze under control. No injuries were reported. As soon as we have more information, we’ll update the story on the air and on WKVI.com.
Area Firefighters Suit Up for Riley Gear Run
“We’re going to do a 15k run during the Blueberry Stomp Sept. 2. All of our funds go to Riley Children’s Hospital Magic Cart and Palliative Care. The magic cart goes around to each kid at Riley’s once a week, and they get to pick out gifts. Palliative Care is for families of children at Riley’s who unfortunately won’t get to leave Riley. They provide counseling and food and housing for those families,” said Sharp.
