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202 comments:
1 – 200 of 202 Newer› Newest»I noticed that in the headlines there was a story about LaPorte county checking to make sure that their registered sex offenders are still living and working where they have listed themselves to be....hopefully Starke county will follow suit. Our children deserve to be protected from these predators, and the only way we can keep them safe is to know where these individuals are.
I love Tom Berg. Great choice!
Very impressed with Tom Berg this morning. He's a great addition to the WKVI team.
Thanks for the kind words. I'm excited to see where we go from here.
Email me at tom@wkvi.com
Does anyone know who to contact for use of the Knox Community Building.
The city of Knox clerks office 772-3032, for the community center.
Not bashing but how is it that the jail has so many issues? Is it staffing? Some of that stuff is really easy and should have been taken care of. Why werent they? Maybe the dept. didnt know that these issues all were requirements? Any answers?
I've really been enjoying the new Tom in the morning. Very good choice! Keep it up!
Guess the sheriff didn't feel the need to do anything he was SUPPOSE to do until there was a jail inspection with requirements and time limits. Now he has no choice and must make regular reports as to his progress.
Most of us don't use the jail so we don't know what goes on. It comes down to who's in charge. That's the Sheriff's job. He needs to make sure it's up to code. It's going to cost us a lot now because the state is going to look at everything. Even the light bulbs are wrong! (can we say FIRE). Of course we can't overlook the commissioners or the council. Follow the money. What doesn't get spent on the jail goes into someone's pocket.
Do you think 2 fires at the jail might warrant some changes? Everyone makes mistakes sometime in their life, does that mean you should be jailed with people with contagious diseases, violent people, or filth? Who is responsible? Isn't that what we pay our sheriff to do? I think the community needs some answers from the person responsible.
leave the sheriff alone!!! our troops overseas have it a whole lot worse send them hair nets our brighter lights.I say if you don't like it their don't break the law. p.s It should be called the starke co hilton. not jail
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Anyone who is shocked by the results of the inspection at the board meeting yesterday, or by reading about it today, has to be brain dead...or maybe a member of the "Family" ...... Changes needed to be done long ago..What about the "Exercise Yard" to relieve tension??????
The "Hilton as one poster states, houses not only the "Violent habitual criminal, but mingles them with petty crimes.....if you have a perfect life...good for you.
The bottom line is this system in Starke County is so antiquated there cannot be a solution until we come up with a plan and funds for a "New County Jail"...and a outsider running the system...
Problem being...What person with the "Qualifications" would work on the system the way it is for "Petty Cash"....Plus more jailers are needed to supervise prisoners useing that "Exercise Yard"...or is there a exercise yard???????
The jail is the Starke County Hilton, give me a friggin break! The sherriff is a big part of the problem here in Starke County. The conditions in the jail are horrible and have been for quite some time now. I'm sure you wouldn't like to recieve the treatment some of these inmates(who by the way have not been proven guilty yet) have! It's about time this county started to pay attention to what is really going on!!!!!
A big "thank you" to the members of the Knox High School class of 1965 for your generous donation toward supplies for our elementary school! You have set an example to which I can point when teaching about positive community involvement and citizenship. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated!
I think the problems with the jail started before Sheriff Cowen started his term and now he is getting all the blame.I was wondering how often inspection is done at the jail I would think it should be done every year.As far as the conditions of the cells I think the inmates should keep them clean and if they choose not to let them stay in dirty conditions!Some must like the jail because they keep coming back.You're right lets stop feeling sorry for the inmates and think about our soldiers in Iraq and other places fighting for our country and conditions they are living in.
As far as the jail goes I remember in the early 70's, when I made up some steel struts for the jail and prefabed a few beams that needed redone for the project. That is going back quite a few years ago. The jail I guess served its purpose throughout the years. But that was 40 years ago. I think the only thing that has been added is an excercise yard, if they use it, I am not sure. Encompassed in the jail is also the prosecuters offices, I think evidence warehouse and the detective offices. I have been downstairs where all this is. It is outdated, cramped and I remember 1 detective that didnt have a plug in for his recorder,I actually think that we do need an up to date facility. The laws and the rules of what a jail probably has changed and again they are probably complicated to follow. I for one do think we need a new facility. Afterall the County is responsible for the care, custody and control of those inmates. Just like the Sheriff nhe is to protect the people of the county and at times he made maybe need to lock them up to do that, I am not sure, but I am sure if that is what it takes then me feeling is yes he probably has the right to. The jail at this point has many uses besides a jail.
I have an idea the community center why not use that for a jail, no one ever uses it anyway. No actually I personally think the jail should have been located in the outskirts of the city limits to start with. I said that back in the 70's, and I still think it would be in the best interests of everyone and because of safety issues if it were in the county. Don't blame the sheriff for this, he probably has enough on his plate, besides some of these things should have been corrected years ago. I don't know if the state or feds will help. I do recall one person on tv make the remark that the states should not look for a bailout from them, even though they can bailout the other parties that are robbing us blind, they can't bailout a state. They can ship millions overseas for other countries support but they can't help their own states. But anyway give Sheriff Cowen credit he has kept the jail expenses down by not doing upgrades or repairs until he is ordered to. He will get them done as he is required too. Look at who is suppose to inspect the jail, where were they? That is the questions that need to be answered.
Personally, I would come to the jail and do the work that I have done in the past as a General Contractor, electrician, hvac trades for free if the materials are paid for and I am pretty sure that I can get some other contractors to do the same.
Here is a thought... IF YOu don't like the conditions of jail---- STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!!!
Are you serious? LOL this is laughable! If you know something is not up to code. You dont put it off until you are made to fix it!! You take a proactive approach and get it fixed before there is an issue! This being for the safety of the general public as well as the Sheriffs employees!
People take for granted that we are a small community and that nothing severe will happen here. However, the possibility is real and it can happen!
Bottom line if you know it needs done find a way to get it done! Dont wait to get caught... This goes for every sherrif we have had that has just let these things go without at least trying to get them fixed!
What do the inmates deserve? Well until they are found guilty (If we still do that around here?) they deserve to be treated as citizens of our society.
Lastly I applaud the contracting volunteer!!! I bet if the powers that be tried they could get this done inexpensively! Thank you sir!
Ok - I have to say something about the article posted regarding an accident on 7/27. "Joell Bailey" stated she stopped and proceeded thru the intersection at county road 50. Then it states that "Gary Hinton" traveling on St Rd 23 did not stop and hit her. There is no stop sign on 23! He was just driving along and this person T-boned him. Nearly killed him! It took nearly an hour to extricate him. You can tell what happened by the skid marks. They make it sound like it was his fault and it wasn't. Just saying...
To whomever said we need to stop feeling sorry for the inmates, this is for you. I do feel sorry for the inmates. There have been quite a few false arrests here in Starke County and the lawsuits against the county to back them up. So if a aperson is in the jail and didn't do the crime, then yes I feel sorry for them!!!!
I was thinking the same thing when I read the article about the accident on 23. I didn't think there was a stop sign there.
On the Starke County Sheriffs report for the accident on 7/27. You need to get the facts straight. Gary Hinton was traveling north and did not need to stop. He had the right of way and Mr. Joell Bailey was sited for failure to yield. Please clean this story up asap. Thank you.
Just a statement everyone blames the sheriff for the bad conditions at the jail, lots of inmates do destory the cells, they are the ones that clause a lot of the damage. The sheriff does not have the money to pay for update, that is suppose to come from the county budget, is the budget enough for the upkeep, I doubt it. Our tax dollars are paying for their meals,they have a roof over their heads for free and a bed to sleep in. As far as the inmates, don't do the crime if you think you have it so bad, Some are in the jail more than they are out, yes our service men are in a far worst place than a jail problem.
If our county doesn't have the funds, then how can we update the jail??? Don't blame the sheriff, the jail has been a mess for a long time. I personally think that people in jail don't deserve fine accomadations!!!
I think all people that are in jail should be treated as well as any citizen, well actually better than any citizen until they are proven beyond a reasonable doubt that they are quilty. It is just like their bonds, they are set as the judge sees fit, not for punishment, or retention, they are suppose to be set to make sure that the accussed appears in court.Think about it. There are mistakes made everyday, everyday and a lot of people go to jail that are innocent that is why I think they should be treated with great care.
As far as the sheriff goes in my opinion sheriff Cowen is doing a good job, as well as any sheriff we have had. He probably has his hands full and he may not have been aware of all that was in violation at the jail. Do you keep up with your codes for your house? You probably take care of what you have but do you really know if it meets all the changing codes or not? Well that could be the situation here. Besides I personally think that our county commissioners should give the funds to the sheriff in excess of what he asks for where he bcould do more and maybe that more the public does not need to know about. They really had to publicize night vision to get the funds, then the M14 rifles to get the funds so the guy looking to evade the law is already ahead of the game.
I would say that sheriff Cowen needs to take a better look at his officers and maybe talk to the officers co-workers to find out what kind of demeanor they are showing on the job to people they are talking to or interrogating. That problem right there is what will be sheriffs drawback from getting quite a few votes, because the people look at it as if the sheriff trains them that way. I have known Oscar since I beleive the 7th grade and he is not that way, but afew of his officers have no respect at all.
I do know the county is fixing if they have not already to get a lawsuit placed against them AGAIN.
Its really ashame you give a man the suit, badge and gun and watch him change, not all of them but a few and a few is all it takes to spoil the entire reputation of the department.
Where is the link back to WHVI homepage?
Wondering when Harold's broadcast schedule will be posted. He hasn't posted anything new since May. Thanks!!
The first Saturday Sportsline of the season is coming up THIS Saturday at 8:00am.
Lets see another mess up with the GOP leadership, lets go to a hearing regarding a challenge but lets forget the minutes that would prove what happen, now a special election or the waste of the courts time ,more waste of taxpayers money, I know there has to be a silent majority so speak up lets change the leadership before it is to late. whoops look at the ballot might be to late now!!
Knox School Board has 3 position open in this year election. One for California, Center and Washington Township. It is time to sign-up now for the November election. We need a change.
Unfortunatley I read too many of your articles on this site that leave me with so many questions. Example.. At the end of the story regarding a new police car it was stated that the board wants more ordinances enforced.. Why?? What is going on?? What other ordinances are trouble areas? How old is the oldest car that is in use by the police? These should be questions that the person writing the article should be asking.
I have to comment on the jail situation. I do have a family member in this jail, and I can say it is not up to par at all, the overcrowding (90 people when it is suppose to hold 40)and the inmates sleeping on the floor. It was written in the plymouth newspaper last year that the starke county jail was suppose to get a large grant from Joe Donnally at the beginning of this year, I am just wondering where did this go. The problems that are in this jail has been on going problems since way back in the 90's possibly even before. There have been grants given in previous years but yet no improvements have been made. The fires that were in the jail were not because of faulty wiring it was because the male inmates started it in the shower area. Yet, I do not understand why one of these inmates, (the one who actually started the fire) is out on the streets? Guess it's all in a name. We just need to move the overcrowded inmates to another jail. We also need to find funds to build another jail or even find another building to renovate into a jail. I do have to agree that the sheriff is responsible for the upkeep and staff of this jail, and it has been overlooked for way to long.
Yes, I would have to agree we need a bigger jail.
are you willing to pay 300-400 more now in property tax for a jail for next 20yrs. we should have been paying $50 each for the last 20 years in an account, then now pay cash. now someone needs to say we can't do that, we cant plan ahead.
Before you get on the soap box and say we need a bigger jail.. Find out this
Are there any alternate possibilities. We have Community Corrections
What can both the Judge and Prosecutor do to expedite those awaiting trial? Perhaps they should work weekends?
The Sheriff could certainly expedite sending those Inmates to the DOC
The Sheriff should make a deal with other Sheriffs to house our inmates.
The Jail houses the prosecutor's office. She has a budget and makes money from the fines and costs. She could lease an office out of her budget. Maybe the old glove factory?
That recovered space would allow for habitable conditions and create more space.
Then..ask yourself this-
How long would it take to build a jail? They dont build those in Elkhart, and drive them down here on a trailer. There are many steps to take when building a jail. Just ask Marshall and Pulaski Counties how long and how much they cost.
In reguaeds to the condition of the county jail..... Since the jail, and all the staff within, are supported by county funds, grants and tax dollars full disclosure of where the funds are spent should be public record. A monthly report of opperating cost as well as how the monies are are spent should be available for the public to view. This would insure that the monies are PROPERLY dispersed as well as keep the community well informed of the condition of the jail without all the "he said/she said" speculations.
Judges working weekends sounds pretty good However many jails are overcrowded I remember WKVI reporting sometime in the last few years that the DOC was too full to take the inmates at that time. Now that doesnt mean that the same situation exhists now but it very well could. Maybe privatizing the jail system isnt a bad idea? However, the fact remains that there are unfortunatley more criminals out there than space to house them. New Jail Yes a good Idea but what are you willing to pay?
I'm hearing a lot of complaints in the community about the much-advertised dress code at NJ-SP high school this year. Personally, I don't think it's such a bad code. I'm tired of seeing so much cleavage and underwear hanging out.
yes you can get modular jail components hauled in on a trailer, i dont think they are built in elkhart you are right about that part.
Have you all heard the horrilbe story of that dog that was boiled alive???? I was wondering how bad that was for the wildlife that lives in and uses that ditch. If you want to read the story you can find it at http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/Man-says-dog-boiled-alive-in-drainage-from-Starke-County-mint-still-100568089.html
That is ridiculous The Mint stihl should be shut down until it can regulate the temp of the water going into the ditch!!!! Total disregard for everything but their profits!!!
To the residents of Starke Co . With all the highly motovated suggestion as to how the jail should be run I think we should first stop and ask ourselves how has it been ran in the past. The jail was built in 70s. What has been done to update it and when and how much was spent. As I think we shoud as ourself the question who is responsible for the upkeep of the jail. I think you will find the elected official is responsible for the day to day runing of their office. They are to bring before the commissioners any problems and concerns of the physciall structures of maintaince of the building rather it be the jail or the courthouse. With that said yes things could have been done different but that could be said at our own homes. The bottom line is that the past and present commissioners are responsible for the upkeep of all county owned buildings and properties.I believe it would be very interesting to see the previous sheriffs\jail inspection audits and see what the commissioners for that time period did about the concerns . The audits are all available as they are public record . So for all those who think the whole problem is the present elected sheriff please do a little research and I think you will find it's been there for years just nothing done or reported till now. We have a sheriff even though it is an election year and it will be used against him, felt the public should now what is going on and what is going to be done to correct the problem. Yes I understand it was done in a commissioner meeting but never the less at least the public now knows the real problem.
I wouldnt say that the blame doesn't fall on any one person. What I would like to see is a sensable action plan to get the issues fixed. It would be good campaigning material! Also more productive than trying to figure out whose fault it is.
THE JAIL>>> I remember when Starke County had the old jail and there was Sheriff Wyland at that time. I do remember doing 2 weekends there, he would send me down to Wunders Grocery to get peanuts for the prisoners. A long time ago.
Shortly after that in the early seventies the new jail was built. That also was a long time ago.
I talked to a few insurance people and they told me the life expectancy of a brand new home was only 40 years.
Now we all know that if Oscar Cowen put money in the jail it would have to come from his own pocket because our elected commissioners are not going to give him any. Would you put your money into the jail..NO YOU WOULDN'T, so why should Sheriff Cowen.
I am quite sure that if Sheriff Cowen knew of these problems that he would of took care of them someway or other. Do you think he liked it when the jail was set on fire and the prisoners had to be moved with security and safety in mind. No he more than likely didn't,and I bet the commissioners were all over him to keep the costs down.
It is like the State in the past few years they have spent millions of dollars on technology to upgrade the in.gov and put several people out of work with the upgrades and so has the commissioners here. It is funny but not really, any of the courthouse people can ask for a raise and get it. Actually for doing a lot less work than they had to do 10 years ago, but then you look at social security no one gets a raise this year, they didnt last year and probably won't for the next few years.
Then you got people wanting to know where the child predators are. The Sheriffs dept has that burden. Who really cares where they are, they did what they did, they were found guilty, they were sentenced, they did their time, so really what does it matter. I am not a child molester and never will be, but I feel they paid the price, now leave them alone don't punish them more, try to help them and even other ex convicts get with society and be a civil community. I of all people know that when you or your loved ones has been wronged, but really does a person that has that low of a mental capability belong punished the rest of their life, or do they need to be helped or at least given a chance.
We have a lot of police officers that have past away and we have some on the force that will probably being retired soon. I look up to those guys, some, other ones I trust but not with my life the way I do some. These newer ones they need a lot of training and experience. The people here will give them that. Come on people give them a chance too.
Yeah.... I like this long comment you wrote except for the whole child molester thing. Part of the price they pay is to have to stay away from the kids! Personally I think Molesting a child should carry a punishment of death. Molest my child and I think I will probably lose my mind and find a weapon!!!!! Done.....Gone.....Punishment fulfilled
There are a couple of road # errors in the detour directions for the bridge closing on Hwy.8
To the person replying about the molesters, in my opinion you are right, I wrote the long article, but think about it and when you do. I think oh yes you would be very very upset, not really in your right mind, and would want to do something to them. I agree I would probably feel the same way. But what I was trying to get across is that no matter how much we watch out for our children, at times there will be situations that we can't control. mI have 6 children so I know where you are coming from, to me as a parent, I feel my main purpose is to teach them right from wrong, provide for them what they want and try my upmost to protect them to the fullest extent that I can. But as I said things happen before you know it and that family cycle gets disrupted if you know what I mean. Personally I would like to see these sort of people get puntshed yes, harsher than they do, do. At the same time I can't help but think thaqt there is a problem with their way of thinking and they really need mental help. Then if they got that help they should have, I said should have a different way of thinking, you would think. Now if they give their location, which I think is a good idea in a way. If you and your family live 20 miles from a molester does that make you any safer, I don't think so, really do you? So in essence what difference does it make where they live, you watch your children anyway and if something happens they will get caught and punished, I don't know about death but the judge will decide and yes I am afraid I feel the same as you do.
But my response was to the person that said the only way to protect your children was to know where they are. Do you really think that is true. No, I don't. What is going to happen is going to happen, no matter what you or I do or say. I hope nothing happens to any child or person for that matter but no one controls that. Its like your feelings of done gone do you think at that point in time someone could control you, probably not. Well maybe these people get into a stage of mind where they can not be controlled either. see what I mean, these people need some sort of help or medication or something, keeping track of them is nothing they are free to go anywhere they wish I guess except for like parks or schools, I am really not sure.
I really like the "child molester" punishment that the person wrote about earlier. I know vigilantism is against the law, but I think if more people had that attitude there would be less child molesters in the world. Touch one of my babies, and I will freakin' lose it and shoot you myself. Why wait for all this mumbo jumbo trial stuff. This world needs cleaned up and the courts are not doing the job.
As for the Starke County jail...Who cares if the inmates have the best of accommodations!?! Yes I realize innocent until proven guilty, but they got there for one reason or another. Life isn't easy, just ask the men and women that sweat their tails off working in factories or road construction. Inmates aren't doing anything but laying around and getting fed 3x a day. Give me a break Starke County residents. If inmates family members are so worried about their loved ones not being taken care of then donate money to a "save the inmates" fund. My tax dollars are paying to house these people...if that's not good enough then too bad. I say do what other states have done and put up big tents and let them live in those. If that is good enough for the military then that is good enough for them...at least they don't have enemies shooting and bombing them! Starke County along with the rest of the country needs to get their priorities in order!
Life should carry a certain degree of compassion. I agree with that in your rebuttal. However, that being said if you are a man you are naturally programmed to attract to a woman and vise versa however If you are attracted to the same sex something somewhere went wrong. If you are attracted to children..... That is just sick
You can have repeat offenders for robbery, drugs, and assult. But do you really want to chance a repeat offender for child molestation? A lifetime of messed up. May they pay their price....Yes... But what price is the child paying? They get Life with the memory of what has happened if they get that far! Am I wrong for wanting to take away rights for them? Most likely yes. Do I think that we should know where they live in our communities? YES this way I can educate my children to stay away and let them know what kind of person lives nearby! I cannot be with my children at all hours of the day but I can inform them of as many hazards as possible to try to influence decent moral choices in life. Thank you for this debate really getting deep in thought about this!
To comment about the molesters:
Yes they did the crime and hopefully paid some time,(which I am sure, was not long enough), but as parents it is important that we not only know where these predators are, but that we continue to REMEMBER that these individuals are a danger to our children. 98% of these offenders, re-offend, and usually when they do get caught, it is not the first time the predator abused a child. You say we should teach our children right from wrong, and that things happen that we can't avoid, but what about the child that is too young to defend themselves? Or the child that is so traumatized and threatened that they would never tell? How are we to protect these children, if we don't know where these types of individuals live? Wouldn't you want to know if your neighbor has a conviction from molesting a child? Wouldn't you take extra caution with regards to having a predator living next door to where you raise your children? With so many parents in the work force, we working parents need this extra tool, to protect our children from the predator that surrounds themselves with children, like babysitters, or that neighbor that shows that extra interest in our children, etc. I know the Sheriff's office is busy, but keeping track of our child predators, should be a huge priority. I personally don't care if these molesters did their time. I am not giving any molester a second chance to hurt any child, let alone my own!!!! We must have a tracking system in place!!!!
Actually getting deep in thought is great, our lawmakers need to do that. I am in no way defending the child molesters and I certainly feel that it is probably one of the sickest anyone can do. Yes you can educate your children and that too is great, I am all for it. All's I am saying is that the molester could love on A street and you could live on M street but that does not mean that the molester has to stay on A street, his or her best friend may live next door to you and they are free so they can be there. Where they live doesn't matter, see my point now. I think if anything they should be tracked for a number of years with something as to where they actually go so then the Law can retrace their steps.
As far as the person saying to do away with them totally, yes you probably feel the way you stated, no doubt, but the child may suffer from the molestation, but what about you, the mother or father, now you go to prison or whatever and your child that needs you and your help and advice doesn't have that anymore, so what good did it do except to satisfy your revenge... heck stick with the kids and watch them get prosecuted. Plus the fact is that when they get in jail there are moms and dads in there that don't care for that type of people and from what I was told they dearly pay for it too.
I hope you have a reader that can help me. I am looking for a friend that I have not seen in a few years. He went by the name Smity, he lived in Park View. (He does tattooing) they can give him my e-mail address,dragonflymom1961@yahoo.com Thank You; Bonnie O.
I would think that a temporary insanity plea should be effective in that case. Normally I wouldnt go about killing someone I would rather give the shirt off my back but if my child were molested I would most likely lose control. I cant believe that a jury would convict someone for killing the molester by insanity. they have kids, nieces, nephews, and grandkids too!
Public humiliation is quite the perfect sentence, don't you agree? I say tattoo their foreheads with "MOLESTER" on it and a micro chip implanted in their body for constant tracking. That would be the perfect punishment, same goes for rapist, domestic abusers, etc...
Madam Q
I agree completely!!!!! Good idea.
In regards to the articles on child molesters, no I don't "get it now" I don't care if they live on A st. and I live on Z street! Free to roam wherever or not, atleast I can keep tabs on the sick s.o.b's(know where they live and what they look like and their exact charges)and educate my kids to help keep them safe. i'm glad these perverts are posted everywhere, I believe if they offended once 9 times out of 10 they will offend again. Do you not watch these tv shows itcould be years later, but they do offend again. i personally think a child molester if not punishable by death should remain in prison for life! There should be no second chances to redeem yourself does the child get a second chance, do their parents get a second chance? NO! Just expressing my opinion....
Just expressing your opinion and I respect that as well, I started this hoping that someone or somebody had an alternative to being jailed and it looks like the alternatives are life or death which if it were one of my kids I can't honestly say that I would not feel the same. And like 1 remark I am not sure that I would not go insane either.
I actually gave a lot of thought to the 1 remark about the tracking device but without the tatoo part.
I picked out the crime to see if I could get a response and I did, I was really hoping that someone could come up with different ways of punishment for crimes, so it would maybe roleive some of the loads on our jails and prisons and maybe save on those costs eo the taxpayer. I don't want you people to think that I put money before our children because I definetly don't. But if you look at the crime rate now with the laws we have what do you think it is going to be in 10-20 byears from now.
In my opinion prison does not work. According to our constitution a person is confined in prison as a punishment, not for punishment.I was hoping like I said for a different pursuasive idea or alternative. Maybe helping these sort of people get on the right track or something I really don;t know.
i have spent a night or two in the county hilton and yes it does need some things but then again i do agree that it is punishment and not a reward . Honestly what they do in is it Arizona ? with the tents would be pretty good around here especially with all the farmland . Im no economic wizard but im pretty sure buying or leasing a few acres and running the razor wire stuff around it and manning it with some guards sounds like a good plan. it would get rid of the need of rebuilding in another 30-40years and the capacity would definately be alot larger. AND for the inmates that complain about no sun and all that jazz i for one wouldnt have minded doing a work detail instead of basically laying in a bunk bed 24 hours a day and maybe it might be a reminder for those that have never done a day one of labor in thier lives (and we all know that the county could seriously use some much needed cleaning up) and what better way than to have the county be paid by the state to do it(for those that dont know........they get paid for housing prisoners and rather well for DOC inmates which is why in my and most others opinions is why they stay here for so long before going down state). Leave a more secure barraks for the escape threats and put everyone else in tent dorms. Im sure for some that would still be a step up than what they have now. Im pretty c ertain that if our troops can do it for alot longer stretches than what most inmates serve in jail it should be plenty well for anyone sentanced to a jail term. now as for innocent until proven ? thats what bail is for and if no one is willing to post it or help you post it im pretty sure youre guilty and basically are the only ones that sit til thier court dates so go ahead all of you that can find the negative in unicorns ponys and rainbows and bash the hell out of this !
If you want a solution to the problems plaguing the Starke County Jail, why not release and instead fine, all those non-violent offenders. Keep that space free for the child-molesters, rapists, and murderers. As for the thieves and dope smokers, make them pay stiff fines, and use that money to fix the Starke Co Jail.
They dont want to get on the right track. They like their track. The like to get drunk do drugs and steal from people. They don't like to work cause its hard. They dont care about you or your stuff. They dont care if they go to jail. I have a cousin in jail and she is just like the rest of them. Steal, do drugs get caugth, so what?
There is no right track for them. Where have you been?? Once a molester, always a molester. There is no punishment that is suitable for them aside from dismemberment. Since this is not legal, we need to know EVERY move they make for the rest of their lives. The victim's life will never be the same, so the molester has no right to any normal life either. I could not believe your reasoning of "leave them alone". You say you are a parent so that is very surprising and disturbing to me.
As for the sheriff not knowing about SOME of the problems at the jail? What does it take for him to know that the EXIT sign needs lights, or people working with food need a hairnet, or to be sanitary there needs to be soap in the building and the acceptable reading material is not pornography, just to name a few. There were several citations that sheriff cowen could have taken care of if he had taken the time to stop by once in a while. But I'm glad he didn't get a new jail because he doesn't deserve one. He already bought a couple of "NEW" trucks which the county didn't need, but I quess he did. Some of that money could have been used to buy some light bulbs.
LOL What do you do with them if they choose not to pay your fines?LOL put them in jail?
This is to the person that posted about spending couple days at the "county Hilton" thank you for posting this.I'm glad we can see someones point of view from having spent time in the jail.You're right being in jail is for punishment not to be rewarded for breaking the law!I totally agree about putting inmates to work for the county I've said this for a long time and who knows if they know they have to do some manual labor they might not want to keep coming back to the "Hilton".To everyone that says they should be treated as citizens you are right they should be but when they were committing crimes against their victims were they being treated as citizens? Bottom line three meals a day--roof over their head-- living better than some people on the outside!!
To follow up with the fines solution - if the offenders won't pay their fines, seize their assests or garnish their state tax returns. If they don't own anything that can be seized or garnished then put them to work for the county...like a chain gang. If all else fails, then incarcerate them. At least you tried something different.
Im surprised the jail has made it this long. Its like 40 years old. Imagin buiding a new jail now and having it still in use in 2050. We are all to blame. We want something bigger and nicer but dont want to pay for it. A lot of people in Starke county think that we deserve to get something for free. It dont work that way. So point your finger at yourself unless you were protesting for higher taxes to pay for a jail ten years ago. Nobody was.
I ask....if the jail is paid a reasonably high amount to house all these inmates, then WHY has not a small percentage of this been invested over the last 20 years, since problems started to occur, to have the FORESIGHT of investing in a new jail? We can get grants for everything under the sun, but the Sheriffs' & powers that be squeezed every dime as it came in? There undoubtably should be an escrow. I know they make $ on the "Meal Perdium", & I know they make at least 200% profit on the Commissary, I know we pay far enough taxes to sustain the jail, so after all this time, we have NO $ to apply for any matching grants???? We need leadership that recognizes present & future problems, with plans & goals installed to meet these goals. I am still shocked at how Winimac/Pulaski Co., who has a smaller tax-base, but has the honest leadership to build a nice jail, & bring in a YMCA. Just a definite mismanagement of funds on Starke Co.'s part.
We do have a jail problem. we do have road problems, we do have people comitting crimes all the time, we do have less funds from the state for our county, we do have a high unemplyment rate, our food pantry struggles to keep food on the shelfs for people that need it. Our county is great with group and clubs that help provide food to the food pantry, the churches are great for helping with these things, but they all can help only so much. We are not the only county hurting. People compain about their loved one in jail needing things, then you take them shampoo, soap, toothpaste and help with the cost, the taxpayers didn't send them to jail, they broke the law. Yes they may be innocent, but they did something to get there.
What is with the construction on SR 10? Yes they are repaving the road and from the looks of it they are doing a good job. But do they have to have the worker stopping traffic at the intersection of SR 39? All they are doing is blocking those who want to turn west (away from the construction). If they moved their worker about 100 yds east of the intersection they wouldnt be holding up so much traffic on 39. Geniuses I tell ya!!
It is my understanding that any profits made on commissary goes to the sheriff as part of his pay also any money that he saves on food costs goes in his pocket.
As far as funds go for a new jail I think that the county could have gotten a grant a few years back for a new jail and the commissioners turned it down.
Just be glad the county is not charging you to use the detour.
So... we are in this boat of needing a new jail because of mismanagement & corruption. We STILL have not seen any proof of where the Major Moves $ went, with the only excuse from Mark Smith is that it went for "meaningful purposes". We want receipts, statements & proof that we have responsible people handling OUR $. We've also wasted $ on the over-elaborate library, the waste of a Community building, etc. Honestly, occassional mistakes are understandable when the majority of decisions are good, but honestly, the bad FAR outweigh the good, and we've had more than enough income to conquer all these tasks. Thus we need to minimize our budget, so start with cancelling the health insurance for all the worthless, elected folks who work "far-less-than-part-time". Then find a professional computer tech for the county instead of all the problems that we keep having to purchase & pay more for. Also, I think we have PLENTY of nice POLICE VEHICLES(which why all the new vehicles if a new jail is so needed?), which they drive on tax-payer gas. And I'm sure with a good Audit, we can delve into many more areas of cost cutting. It just seems that everyone wants to whine & hope that the squeky wheel gets the grease, but why should the corruption, greed & mismanagement continue? This all needs stopped before moving forward in any direction.
Here we go again the bass lake story. It wasnt long ago that WKVI reported that the comissioners said that eerything would work out. Now all of a sudden they evict these people? What happened? Why the sudden change? Dont you think that is part of the story? Please dont leave your internet friends left with puzzlement!!! find out the whole story before putting it on as news!
WE DON'T EXPECT FREE, Aug.19, 9;50pm. We pay more than enough in Property Taxes. We waste MORE than enough on over-rated commissioners whom voted themselves Insurance & Raises. We've had MORE than enough Major Moves & Far More OTHER $ that has been squandered & "lost". And IF there's a profit being made on feeding inmates, that should NEVER be something for the sheriff to say "Oh...cool...$, I'll just keep that.". Fact is, if people new how to be Conservative, Responsible, Accountable & Honest, we wouldn't be having this discussion. We actually talk positive about all the great strides we've taken. I've lived here life-long, & love Knox,Starke Co., but am fed-up with the Negetive Cloud(or curse) that has always seem to linger here. I'm tired of other Co.'s saying "Well yeah, but that's Starke Co. for ya". Yes, per-capita, we have been sub-par on occupation, education & standards for decades, but we just seem so close to making it a place where people WANT to come raise their kids & work. And I LONG for a State Title here, to not only hang that sign coming into town, but to prove to future kids, Yes We Can. I just want leadership that isn't "ME ME ME" 1st. So get your minds out of the same old rut, think with a new mentality, get the corruption out & trim costs(used car salesmen syphoning insurance,Alaskan trips, junk backhoes...the list goes on) & elect those who'll serve the people & not themselves, because I want this to be a place where MY kids are proud to live.
Go KNOX REDSKIN FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!! We always start with a tough schedule, & seem happy to come trough the 1st 4 games with a .500 record, but you'll only go as far as you believe you can. So dig deep, believe more than ever, lift each other up & trust each other, and you will do great things. MAKE IT HAPPEN. "WILL" IT TO HAPPEN. Be proud to be a Knox Redskin, for we are very proud of all of you.
We already pay for the Detour it is called gas tax, being conservative that is the best idea that I have heard yet, As far as the jail the county needs to get its priorities straight the only way to do that is to steer to the far right!!!! if you go left what happens CRASH!!!!
Knox and NJSP football,
Good Luck this year and I will be excited to watch you two go at it next week!! Me I will have the best seat in the house!! So Hit hard, play hard, and leave it all out on the field!
Once you designate yourself as "left" or "right" You prove to everyone that your for the party and not the people!
this message is to Bonnie who is looking for a guy named "smitty". He has a facebook if you want to contact him. I'm dating his son and we just recently had a baby. so Smitty is my son's grandfather. the URL for his Facebook is facebook.com/invadersMC.
How can Starke County be sub-par?
The Commissioners and the Council get this insurance. And yes, its a Luxury policy. They pay almost as much in a year as the outlay for payroll. People were getting tummy tucks and gastro bypass procedures.
What is astounding, Take the time to take a look in last weeks leader at the budgets of all three school districts. Take a look at how much they spend.
My last thing is this. What happened to ethics? All three Commissioners have made comments at some point they were going to push this. One Commissioner mentioned several times he was going to push this forward very hard. I have not seen much yet. If ethics and transparency and efficiency was a priority... then.... How come a lot the guys at the garage are wearing Central Paving hats?
If I were, lets say working for Central Pavings competitor, how could I feel as if any opportunity arising to bid with Starke County? Would it be fair?
i predict,
knox vs judson football
oscar vs wireman sheriff
if knox wins then wireman wins
if judson wins the oscars wins
if its a tie then gordon wins
is tom berg really from starke county?
ok these are the steps to become an official starke county boy.
1. must attend 2 church hillbilly breakfasts in 1 month.
2. openly pick a team, knox or judson and stay with it for life.
3. drive an american car
4. crash someones family reunion and look for a date.
5. call everyone cousin.
complete these steps and i will knight thee "cousin tom" welcome to the county
To all you people out there talking about child molestation and abuse and things of that nature, I can tell you this for a fact you people may say things but when you are put on a jury and come back with a not quilty verdict for such an act that is insane.
I honestly beleive we need a new prosecuter for absolutely sure. When a man tells me, myself on the phone that he shot at someone to scare them into doing what he wanted, should I have not been called as a witness?
When this girls husband openly admits that he beat the ---- out of her to me should I not be called as a witness.
When he tells you he is going to cut up a baby should that not be presented to the court?
The bruises and marks on this girl were 3 to 4 days old should nthey not had a doctor or forensics expert there to testify to that, so the husband can't say it just happened that day?
This is the year 2010 without any forensic evidence they will never get a good conviction.But I forgot that this is Starke county.
So any of you with the lets give them life for such crimes I hope you were not on that jury. That verdict was the most sickeningest words I ever heard. I hope they can sleep at night. That may be the problem with the prosecuters.
It is a good thing for the prosecuters in the bank robbery, Bass Lake shootout that they excepted the plea agreement because surely they couldn't get a conviction.
I love the Cousin tom post!!!! the Knox Judson thing can get complicated however since they are in different classes now come tourney time you can pick both!!!
6. Listen to WKVI AM for one hour, straight up, three times a week.
7. Take the muffler off your pickup and see how loud your 4 X 4 can get.
Arielle Anderson is also competing in the Indiana State Fair Queen contest this weekend!! Yet, there is no interview for a teenage girl that is representing Starke County!!!! GOOD LUCK Arielle!!!!!!!!!!
Congrats and Kudos to Sheriff Oscar Cowen and the Starke County Jail for getting all those violations up to code.
8. Forget your pickup truck. Ride your horse to work and let him graze on WKVI's front lawn.
no the 5 steps, was to become a starke county resident,
the extra steps someone added thats to be a redneck,
cant learn to be a redneck, it has to be in your blood, already have a good supply anyway.
whos darrell gunn, his name was mentioned about getting the jail in shape, if he can clean it up in a few weeks, maybe he should think about running for sheriff after oscars next term and clean up the county not just the jail.
still dont understand mr henryot's (sorry i have no idea how to spell his name sorry) statements on the radio, i think he said gordon's paper work was not right and not on time, but let him run anyway so he dont take us to court. if he did his paper work right and on time he should run, if it was wrong then cant run. clerk skronski voted no, and is a democrat, i have a lot of respect for skronski, voting on the facts, not voting yes or no just because she wants a democrat or repulican or independent to win. i am voting for skronski for sheriff, mayor and clerk.
The only problem I have with Tom Berg, (and I don't care WHERE he comes from,) is the fact that in his video he thought the coolest car at the carshow was the 'kit' he drove around in...uh...you are sadly mistaken, my friend. There were cars there from the 60's and 70's that have had thousands of dollars put in them for restoration (I am partial to the MOPAR, myself, as the majority there was) and you really did not do them justice, but for 1 or 2. You didn't even SHOW them on the video, and that was really not right. You needed to hear the 'guns' and 'shakers' on some of those 'badboys' and let the people decide what was best, not what YOU thought was best...sorry...just sayin' you really missed the boat.
Well my REAL problem was that I got there right at the end of the night as everyone was leaving.
I know there were a lot of cool cars there, and it's not that I thought this car was the coolest, even though it was pretty cool, I got there late and the pickins were slim.
I tried to get video of some of the cars peeling out of the park, but missed that too.
Next time I'll get there on time, and when I do, come up and introduce yourself so I can do the MOPARs justice, and you will no longer be anonymous.
Sidney Marks was a classmate and friend of mine from Knox High School, until he entered the Culver Academy. He was always friendly and willing to help others. He will be missed not only by his family, but by many friends who knew him. Knox and Starke County Indiana have lost a very good and decient person. Connie Marsh
Darrell Gunn is the former chief of police in South Bend who was fired after blowing a .106 and wrecking his police car while drunk and injuring two people, leaving the scene of an accident and getting off all of it after his officers messed up the case. Does this sound familar to anyone in Starke County?
Harold and Nathan Great job announcing the game!! However could you limit the beeping that sounds like someone dialing while already on the phone? That was pretty annoying everytime some excitement happened the beep showed up!
Still kinda shocking, and yep, Sid Marks was a GREAT FELLA. I actually started missing interacting with him when the stores he owned/operated closed up in Toto. I guess, since we all know we're going to go sometime, to treasure everyday & spread as much love & generosity as we can, and most important, to be saved by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior.
Yeah, those BEEPS were aggravating. But, I feel our young Redskin team gained some great experience, as that was a game they could've won. A score after the safety(3 trips into the Red Zone in the 1st 1/2 w/ no points), and just a couple plays that go our way and it's a "W". But I'm proud of the fight the showed, for this team has heart & desire. Within the next 5 years, Redskin Football will become the best around. For we've been almost over the hump for quite a few years & the younger kids see that, and we have some great, athletic & deep classes coming. But I'm really excited to watch these young men progress this year, for they have some great potential. Learn from it fellas, & take that chip on your shoulder into the Judson game next week. Go Skins!
Darrell Gunn might be a good police officer(most of the time), but why is Starke Co. hiring someone else's cast-offs where crimes were committed? This epitomizes Starke Co.'s reputation as having sub-par standards. But then, we've had officers w/ DUI's, corrupt police officers & politicians, and far more gov't scandals & cover-ups that we even know, so I guess he'll fit in just fine. I can't wait for the day we have people running this county with the highest integrity, morales & standards in which to live by. Maybe then we'll establish a positive reputation.
IF WE WERE SMART THE JAIL WOULD COST US LITTLE OR NOTHING, THERE ARE GRANTS. ALSO LOOK AT PULSKI COUNTY THAT IS A SELF SUPPORTING JAIL FROM WHAT IT MAKES HOUSING STATE PRISONERS. LETS FACE THE FACT BUILDING A NEW JAIL RIGHT AND MAKING IT A LOT LARGER WOULD NOT ONLY MAKE THE COUNTY MONEY BUT WOULD BRING JOBS AS JAILERS. TALK TO PULSKI COUNTY SHERIFF THEY ARE MAKING MONEY. IF OUR COMMISIONERS WERE SMART INSTEAD OF BEING SCARED BY ACTING ON THIS AFRAID THEY WILL NOT GET RE-ELECTED NEED TO DO WHAT IS BEST EVEN IF IT MAKES SOME MAD IN THE LONG RUN IT WILL BE GREAT AFTER IT IS BUILT. ALSO I THINK WHEN AND IF THEY BUILD A NEW JAIL THEY SHOULD THINK ABOUT ADDING A JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER WITH IT TO EVEN CREATE MORE REVUNUE FROM OTHER COUNTIES NEEDING PLACES TO TAKE THESE KIDS. OR WE CAN DO LIKE THIS COUNTY IS KNOWN FOR LIVING IN THE PAST LETS PUT A BAND AID ON IT AND SPEND MONEY THAT WILL PUT A TEMP FIX ON IT JUST PUTTING OFF THE PROBLEM FOR ANOTHER 4 TO 5 YEARS LETS JUST SOLVE THIS PROBLEM NOW. WITH GRANTS AND THE MONEY THE JAIL WILL BRING IN FROM HOUSING STATE PRISONERS IT WILL SUPPORT ITSELF.
EVERYBODY GOES AFTER THE SHERRIFS BUDGET BECAUSE IT IS THE LARGEST SO LETS CUT OFFICERS THAT WE NEED WE ARE SHORT ENOUGH ALREADY. THE COUNTY SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER 3 OFFICERS ON ITS PAYROLL. SO COMMISSIONERS LETS CUT THERE BUDGET AND IF I WERE THE SHERIFF I WOULD PUBLISH ALL OF YOUR HOME PHONE NUMBERS AND GIVE IT TO PEOPLE WHO CALL AND COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW LONG THE POLICE TAKE TO GET TO YOUR HOUSE, OR IF YOUR CASE GETS NO ATTENTION, OR HOW MANY TIMES YOUR PLACE GETS BROKEN INTO OR THERE IS A THEFT. LOOK AROUND THIS COUNTY HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE IT CAN DO WITHOUT TO SAVE MONEY. SOME IDEAS, DO WE REALLY NEED A STARKE COUNTY TOURISM PERSON NO, ITS NOT LIKE WE HAVE ANY MAJOR VACATION PLACE HERE OR THEME PARK PEOPLE MAY SAY THE LAKE BUT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME REGARDLESS IF WE HAVE A TOURISM DIRECTOR THERE IS ONE PLACE WE CAN SAVE. HOW ABOUT STARKE COUNTY WASTE MANAGEMENT, YOU HAVE THIS OFFICE STAFF WHERE YOU GO PAY YOUR BILL, CHANGE THAT GET RID OF THAT STAFF AND RENT PAYMENT IN KNOX QAND MAKE THE PAYMENT SPOT WHERE YOU PAY YOUR TAXES. THIS IS WHERE YOU PAY YOUR BILL AT THEY ALREADY HAVE STAFF THERE AND I HAVE BEEN IN THEE MANY TIMES THEY HAVE A LOT OF DOWN TIME THEY COULD DO THIS, THERES ANOTHER SAVINGS. LETS LOOK AT OUR COURTHOUSE WHY DO WE NEED 2 JANITORS, ANY HEAVY DUTY WORK OR LIFTING THEY GET INMATES TO DO THIS, WE NEED TO CUT ONE POSITION THERE. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS ALL WE HAVE A LOT OF WASTED POSITION WHERE IF WE ELIMINATED THESE POSITIONS IT WOULD SAVE THE COUNTY A LOT OF MONEY AND IF WE ALL SIT BACK AND LOOK IT WOULD NOT EFFECT US AT ALL NOR WOULD WE MISS THOSE JOBS. BUT WHEN EVER THERE IS MONEY PROBLEMS LETS CUT THE SHERRIFS BUDGET ITS THE LARGEST, BUT YOU ARE CUTTING ARE MOST NEEDED SERVICE.WE ALL MAY THINK THIS IS CRAZY BUT THE FIRST TIME YOU GET IN A ACCIDENT OR NEED HELP WITH A CRIME AND IT TAKES A WHILE LETS ALL BLAME THE POLICE AND TALK BAD ABOUT THEM. CANT OUR COMMISIONERS LOOK AT ALL OF THIS, NO ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS GETTING RE-ELECTED EVEN IF IT MEANS NOT DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE HEAVEN FOR BID YOU MIGHT MAKE PEOPLE MAD. DO THE RIGHT THING. WE WASTE SO MUCH MONEY IN THIS COUNTY WE ALL REGULAR PEOPLE HAVE TO TIGHTEN OUR BUDGETS DUE TO THE TIMES GOVERMENT SHOULD TIGHTEN THERES LEAVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS ALONE.
I totally agree with the person talking about the vote being changed for Gordon Richie.Mr.Henriott stated that the filing was in error but didn't want this to go to court because of the dollars that would cost the taxpayers in doing so.I respect Mr.Henriott for that but you are right if it was in error Mr.Richie should not be allowed to run on a ballot.I think Mr.Richie should have felt the same way about costing the taxpayers dollars by taking this to court!Personally I do not know Mr.Richie but right is right and wrong is wrong!
Sid Marks was a Starke County native who we should all be proud of. A local boy with his roots in Toto, he excelled at Culver Military Academy and I.U. A very intelligent man, he could easily converse on a wide variety of subjects. He was equally comfortable appreciating world-class art in Chicago and bowling at Bowl-a-Way Lanes in Knox, quite well I might add. An astute businessman, he employed many Starke County residents at New Toto Stores, giving us all bargains that we could get nowhere else. Imagine how many Starke County men, women, and children, over the years, were able to wear shoes, boots, etc. that they were otherwise unable to afford. He had a great sense of humor, with an infectious belly laugh which we will never forget. More recently, he converted his business from buildings in Toto, to a very successful internet business, providing Toto deals on fabric to the world. For some time now, he battled his illness without complaining, amazing the doctors with his attitude and fortitude. He greatly loved his family, including wife Joan and son Elliot. Joan, who has taught countless Starke County children over the years, was the perfect compliment to Sid, with her gently spirit and compassion. Elliot followed his father's legacy at CMA, and then went to college at Harvard, no less, making his parents quite proud. Truely a unique Starke County individual with a sincere love for this county and its residents, who helped many of us along the way, he lived life to its fullest. For those of you who knew Sid, you know that I have barely scratched the surface with this description. Thank you Sidney Marks, you will be greatly missed.
Oak Park Cemetery is horrible looking. I agree. My mother is buried there and my father uses a push mower around where she is to make it looks nicer. The last place I know that was taking care of it was Ledbetters' Nursery which yes is still around. They lost it because Gay Walton wouldn't have anyone do it at Ledbetters do it except Mike himself. And Mike is in a nursing home. He never mowed anything himself anyway.So she took it away from his son. I think they should give it back to them. This is our loved ones final resting place and we should not allow it to look like this. It is a Disgrace.
I spend alot of time on my front porch in the evenings. The smell of mint is everywhere.
Thank you Starke County Mint farmers for enjoyable evenings...
I do occasionally read the WKVI blog and noticed some comments that I can respond to. The present group of Commissioners does want to hear your concerns, thoughts, and ideas. All three of us have our phone numbers listed in the phone book and our complete addresses and phone numbers are also listed on the Starke County web site. The County web site address is http://www.co.starke.in.us If you click on the Commissioners link, not only will you find complete sets of minutes to the Commissioner meetings, but you will also find a link to the 2010 Commissioners and Council directory. That gives you a directory with the names, addresses, and phone numbers for all 3 Commissioners and all 7 Council members. Here is a direct link to that directory http://www.co.starke.in.us/commissioners/ccdirectory.pdf
My home telephone number is 574-772-3910 and my email address is knorem.starke@gmail.com
In addition, the Commissioners office number (574-772-9106) is also in the phone book. You have the option of choosing which Commissioner you wish to leave a message for. Recently, our IT manager set up a way to immediately email those voice mail messages to the respective Commissioner’s computer. If you leave a message for me, I get your phone calls promptly on my home computer and can call you back.
While the Council is actually the one that approves or disapproves the budgets, the Commissioners can, and often do, give their recommendations to the Council. The all day budget hearings, where the 2011 budgets will be reviewed and approved, are on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 beginning at 8:00 am. If you can’t attend, you should feel free to give your comments to any member of the Council.
I agree with the anonymous poster that said problems have had a temporary fix in the past. But could you please contact me and provide the information on where the grants for repairing, remodeling, expanding, or building new jails can be found? Thank you in advance.
Commissioner Kathy Norem
The county officals always seem to catch plenty of complaints but I would like to thank all of them for the striping of Toto Road. I believe that they have probably saved some young indecisive driver from passing to near an intersection or one of the iffy small hills on that road, which make that stretch of roadway so dangerous. Thanks to all of you! Job well done.
Thanks for the comment about Sid Marks. I couldn't agree with you more.
I didnt know Sidney However I do remember Elliot. Great person he was when I knew him! Reflects highly on Sidney.
I agree that the mint smells really good! However, when they cut the mint it leaves the fields looking black and barren. Too bad they can't fine a way to make the fields look as good as they smell!
This is to Commissioner Norem. You say you listen to the people, then why was nothing done when it was brought to your attention about inmates being beaten in the Starke County jail so badly that upon making bail one had to be taken to the emergency room for treatment? Yes, some of the inmates are guilty and deserve to be there, but, I always thought it was innocent until proven guilty. Is that every where except Starke County?
Are you SERIOUS?
I got a message that Rick Chambers office sent a letter to Wireman to complain and warn him that his signs are "NOT IN COMPLIANCE". I live in Knox and know for a fact that many signs are not in compliance and I am wondering if Oscar and the clan are that afraid of Greg that they are now going after his signs and our right to support whomever we want. This place is the same old thing all the time, lets strong arm people into doing what we want them to do.
I HOPE YOU ALL GET VOTED OUT.
Richie can run even though the board says he didn't file right and were sending threatening letters because signs are not traffic hazards but are too close to the road..UNBELIEVEABLE
On Saturday I left my home for 1 hour & returned 2 find that a Starke county officer had shot & killed my dog. She had managed 2 escape her kennel & was running freely for a short period of time & a neighbor called in 2 complain.
I was informed that my dog was not bothering anyone nor was she posing a threat to anyone. The officer tried to ketch her for several minutes & she got scared & went & hid from him by 1 of my parked vehicles. I am told that my dog never once growled or tried 2 bite but because he was unable 2 succeed in ketching her he shot her.
After returning home 2 find my lifeless dog laying in my yard, I contacted the officer. I asked y wasn't animal control called out first & I got told because starke county is a poor county that doesnt have animal control. I then got told that I was done a favor by him killing my dog because he believed in the long run it would save me a civil suit & that he was being nice by not issuing me a salutation because it is my obligation as my dogs owner 2 make sure she doesnt get loose.
Understanding my obligation, as any pet owner I believe would agree accidents do happen & sometimes they do manage 2 get loose but I do not agree that it was a logical reason seeing as she was not posing any threats, 2 kill my dog who is part of our family
I havent had past complaints on my dog. She had her shots & yet I wasnt issued a warning or given the chance 2 take care of her escaping her kennel myself.
I feel sad, cheated & unlawfully treated. For all of the starke county residents that are pet owners I feel that you need 2 be aware of how your animals could be treated when you leave your home...
Well there is alot of good blogs on here since the last time I checked. Well went to bass lake on the bike for a nice cruise sat sfternoon I saw approx 20 golf carts all over including driving down SR 10 some with kids I would say under 13 yrs old, I know the police have better things to do this is just an observation. Since the weather wasnt the greatest sat I only had to dodge 4 cars with over the border plates pulling out in front of me.. And as far as Sid he was a great guy!!!
I WAS JUST READING THE ARTICLE ABOUT THE STARKE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WANTING TO FILL THE FOOD INSPECTOR AND COUNTY HEALTH NURSE POSITIONS.
YES,FRANK LYNCH IS SICK,HE HAD A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO,FINISH THE JOB !!!!
GIVE HIM THE CHANCE TO GET BACK TO WORK, INSTEAD OF KICKING HIM WHILE HE'S DOWN.
Whoever that officer was should be ashamed of himself!!! Isnt there a rule about discharging their fireams in town? Only if necessary? That was not necessary! I do believe you were nicer than I I would have posted the officers name and contacted whoever I could to make this as difficult as possible for him! We do have an ordinance officer and he should have handled it! I dont believe any animal is even in the same ballpark as a human life and that some people go way overboard when it comes to the attachment. ( I say this for those who would defend a dog that was to bite a child) I have shed many a tear for the dogs I have had in my life I loved each one of my dogs as a friend. This animal it sounds, was no harm to anyone and you seem as though it was a loved part of the family. You deserve some sort of justice. I think I would take it up with Mr Chambers and see what kind of diciplinary actiopn can be taken!
lady with dead dog, you in town or country, what is the name of officer and was he city or county.
well, I must say the rules have changed a lot in the past year or two regarding animals. My neighbor called twice about a pit bull that had escaped his chain. This dog was in my neighbor's yard, growling and showing teeth and wouldn't allow him to get out of his truck. All that was done was give the owner of the pit bull a warning and told if it happened again, he would face a fine. There was no shooting. I don't think there should be shooting. A warning and a stiff fine should do the job!!!!!
Hey, about Marsh Manor. I thought it was to be boarded up last week. What happened????
that is sad about the dog, but I do remember a time in hamlet when an officer emptied his gun on a skunk at 11 pm at night running down the alley the skunk got away!!! and as far as if you are right or left you designate a party that is not really true if there was a TEA PARTY canidate I would vote for them but the gop is closer to those beliefs than the dems. So if I have designated then so be it!!!!
Right/Left,
You obviously didnt understand the words as they were written. What I said was "Once YOU DESIGNATE YOURSELF Right or left you prove your for the party not the people." After reading your statement. You do not fall into this catagory. The people you vote for might though. It is fully acceptable to be part of any political party. But once you put your values aside and vote "along party lines" Instead of "along your beliefs" You have sold the people out!
Party politics Ruins our system!!!
To the lady with the dog...you forgot to mention that your dog was a pit bull and it got loose pretty often and was seen many times running around the neighborhood dragging a chain behind her, and also running around uptown. There HAVE been complaints about your dog, because I've complained about it before. I have dogs too, and I'm sorry about what happened to yours, but I have been scared by it in the past, so just wanted everyone to know there's 2 sides to every story. We rarely hear of dogs being shot, so I have no doubt it was probably done as a last resort. Sorry.
Political parties are what is killing this country now. Choice of a candidate should be based on their individual ability to preform for the peoples needs and wants not for the political party or the benefits of being reelected.
Kathy Norem, it was nice of you to provide your number, I really can not beleive you got elected for a commissioner, I base this on your background, for how many years did you take care of the hospital and it went downhill and so did the peoples care. Now you are caring for another building and the people in it called a jail and then here you ask where to get grqants for a new one, that is part of your job to find out. There is always the internet. You have access to the government people and you ask the readers, unbeleivable!!!!
That cop should be charged with ANIMAL CRUELTY and suspended WITHOUT PAY pending the investigation. There is NO REASON to shoot a dog that is posing no risk or harm to anyone. I would find an attorney immediately & sue the officer & the town. That's about the most cowardly thing I've heard in a long time, & I hope the neighbor feels partly responsible for this as well. I certainly hope the officers serving my community have more common sense that this guy.
I have not fully decided on whom I'll vote for Sheriff, but I do feel strongly that Mr. Wireman does not have the necessary experience to become Sheriff. I'm not certain if he's running on his popularity as an Amatuer Armory Fake Wrestler or what, but Mr. Dulin was far more qualified, & will make a great Sheriff in the future. I believe the rule of the signs is being enforced due to many people complaining of codes not being followed, so I don't think it's a fear factor on another candidates part.
I have never had to be incarcerated in it,but push has come to shove.. I know it'll cost everyone $30-40 each more on taxes, but there are standards that need to be met. I'm all for a new county jail. One thats functional and meets acceptable standards.Guilty or not, inmates are human beings..they need to be able to go to the bathroom and sleep. And YES they can clean their OWN cells!! They need to be able to separate inmates with special problems and diseases from the rest, and have a drunk tank with a toilet.( Thats a scary thought a drunk tank with no toilet !) They don't have enough parking. If they dont want to build a new one, then upgrade that one and add an upper level.. That would be a lot less expensive..
TO COMMISIONER NOREM, REPLYING TO YOUR RESPONSE ABOUT THE JAIL I WILL CONTACT YOU TO TALK ABOUT HIS PUTTING A BAND AID ON THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER AND WILL COST TAX PAYERS MORE IN THE LONG RUN. I KNOW ABOUT THIS BUILDING A NEW JAIL IS WHAT WE NEED IF WE DO NOT DO THIS I HAVE A FEELING THAT SOMEDAY THE COUNTY WILL BE HIT WITH A LAWSUIT FROM SOMEBODY GETTING KILLED IN THE JAIL AND THE MONEY THAT WILL BE PAID OUT WILL BE WHAT A NEW JAIL WOULD OF COSTED. YES A JAIL IS A LOT OF MONEY BUT IF DONE RIGHT THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT COULD BE SELF SUPPORTING WITH WHAT IT COULD MAKE FOR HOUSING STATE PRISONERS. WE WOULD CREATE JOBS WITH COSTING THE TAX PAYERS LITTLE MONEY OR NONE. THERE ARE GRANTS OUT THERE IF WE JUST TAKE THE TIME TO DO THEM. BUT IF WE BUILD A NEW JAIL DO IT RIGHT WE NEED TO HAVE A JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER ADDED TO THIS. LOOK INTO HOW MUCH MONEY HAS THIS COUNTY SPENT ON JUVENILES WHEN THEY ARE SENT OFF A LOT I BET. WHY NOT HAVE OUR OWN THEN OTHER COUNTIES COULD SEND US THERE JUVENILES WHICH THEY WILL BE CHARGED FOR WE WOULD MAKE MONEY OR SELF SUPPORT IT. I WILL CONTACT YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE ON THIS. WE ALL KNOW THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE SOME TIMES YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO SAVE. WE COULD BUILD THIS SOUTH OF TOWN LIKE ON THE CORNER OF 35& TOTO RD OR OUT BY THE AIRPORT. JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
To the 1 who commented on my dog being a pit...I have not recieved any complaints of her being loose & as long as I have lived here she had gotten loose a total of 3 times counting this 1 where she ended up dead..u must b the ones that calld...& had 10 people sitting out n your yard gloating wen I arrived home Saturday..Shame on u...maybe your the one's I should b talking 2 my attorney about because that is now 2 incidents I have had with u. By looking I don't imagine u can afford 2 compensate me for wut I paid for her (u 4got 2 mention she was a RARE BLUE pit bull), o well 3rd times bound 2 be a charm...& since u mentioned she was a pit that leads me 2 believe u must be afraid of the word pit..I have the right 2 own whatever kind of dog regardless of their breed & I have more coming-i obviously need them to 2help protect my family from people like u..instead of keeping them in a kennel though I will now base them all on my porches..
Now, go find sum1 else to make enemies with cuz i'll not b bothered by u n e more
I live in town & the officer is a city based in Judson
I must say that Oscar is a very nice man & everyone keeps "dumping" on him...For those that have perhaps you should have ran for his title then. I don't think you fully understand how stressful his job is. For the church "go ers" that have posted horibble things...have you forgotten Gods words...DO NOT PASS JUDGEMENT ON ONE ANOTHER FOR THAT IS HIS JOB AND HIS JOB ONLY....opinions on how to run things are not the same as bad mouthing someone...
I have recently had to go into the Starke County jail to see about picking up a copy of a police report. I can not emphasize enough how rude the people behind the glass are from the minute you push the button to speak to them. They speak to you as if your a stupid criminal....maybe they should start by firing those people first...you are better than no one just because your sitting behind some tinted glass and your salary is not much more than some one who makes an honest living working at mcdonalds so get off of your high horse. If I were you i'd make sure my job had me working behind tinted glass to, just for the fear that my sorry attitude would cause me problems.
Pit or not if it wasnt aggressive to the officer or anyone else then it shouldnt have been shot! You say there are two sides to the story.... Go ahead and tell us the other side! from what you said that doesnt warrant the killing of the animal rather than the issuing of fines. By the way.... whos property was the dog shot on??
I take all my comments back if that is the dog that has been uncontrolled and barks all night long. The one that is put close to the sidewalk in town (North Judson)? Then you should have taken better care of it! Shut it up at night and make sure it couldnt get out. Maybe the officer shouldnt have shot it but I would have if it was in my yard! LOL I felt sorry for you but if your the one who's dog is barking all hours of the night. Then why should I show any compassion for your cause when you didnt take care of the barking at night? I do feel bad for the dog It wasnt the dogs fault more so the owner! For not keeping up with the maintenance of the equipment holding the dog in the yard and for not shutting it up at night! If it is you Your lucky I didnt shoot it myself! Go ahead get more dogs and if they are chained up outside and bark all through the night I might come for a quiet 22 caliber visit! Be considerate of other people before you expect anyone to back you up! Posts on August 23 7:18 and August 24 7:08 If that is you On or near Vine street. Forget I even said this!
Why would you report 8 prisoners were moved to pulaski jail because of a flood as news but not include why it was flooded? This is what I mean about not telling the whole story. You may not have any real reporters but that is a basic question!!!! Please do better! I love the site and want to get my news from it but it aggrivates me so!
I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the recent incidence with the dog being shot by the police in North Judson: It is unfortunate that it happened-the police officer was wrong to do what he did-animal control should have been called out. I will say that seeing a pit bull run loose is a bit on the scary side but knowing that these same police officers in the past have gone to tell the owners that it was loose so they could go and retrieve it makes me wonder if there might be some kind of conspiracy going on now towards these owners. My understanding is that in the past the dog did not try to hurt anyone it was just loose and needed to be taken back home. What was the difference this time I wonder that they(the police) didn't feel the need to let the owners know about it when they were 2 blocks away. What bothers me more now is the warnings going around the town of North Judson that the owners have angered the police because of these "comments" and are being targeted as trouble makers. Is this for real? Does this town still have citizens who believe that they can just run people out of town because they may not like the color of skin one might have? Or a different ethnic background than their own? Does the KKK still run the area? Starke county has always had a stigma attached to it, how sad that it may still be going on! I also wish that the neighbor to the poor dog owner would stop using her little stupid childish threats to start shooting all the animals in the neighborhood! Do you really think that your Annie Oakley or something? I wish people could really hear themselves.
As far as a new jail is concerned, I would say that it is in the future anyway, there are a lot of contractors that need the work and would probably give a good fair and honest price. The only thing that I would ask of the people that decide this is to be sure that it is adequate and will meet the needs of this county 50 years from today. I have a friend that is an engineer and he told me that if the county decides on a building for a jail or whatever he would be happy to draw the design up free of charge. The other way was that if he knew the statistics, such as how many cells, holding areas, offices, etc. he could take it from there but he wishes to remain anonymous because of his ties elsewhere. He has helped a few architects in the past with their jail designs, he knows the security systems codes.
Did you know that pit bulls are intelligent and loyal? The Little Rascals dog Petey was a pit. Did you hear on the news about the pit who pulled a baby to the door and woke up everyone in the burning trailer? People hear the word pit bull and automatically assume they are bad. There are no bad dogs only bad owners. The dog that was killed Saturday belonged to two little kids. They loved her very much. I do not like ignorant people and the neighbor who said they would use a 22 and shoot anymore dogs that were gotten is definitly ignorant. You think it's funny that the officer shot the dog, well news flash pal it was very cruel. The dog was on it's own property,it was scared. Why didn't the officer wait for someone to get there. He was told someone would be there in a few minutes. And then he threw the dog in the back yard like trash. I hope he loses his job. Cops are supposed to prtect and serve,not kill children's pets. The dog was not aggressive. And so she barked alot big deal that's what dogs do. Try living in the country,dogs bark here all the time. The cop was wrong, the neighbor who thinks it was funny is wrong and very cruel.It makes me so mad,if a dog is not hurting anyone leave it alone. So to the neighbor on or around vine street you are not a very nice person. It is not funny when an animal is killed for no reason.
I would like to tell you a dog story. A lot of people really love their dogs, me it doesn't matter if I have one or not. But this is about dogs, the police and people.
I worked at a factory in town known by M.P.I. for awhile and I heard a person talking about their future. There is a street not to far from there that a used to be fellow employee lives. There are about 6 to 8 houses on this street that he lives on. he was talking about someday the town buying up his property for a large sum of money and that he would loke to get his neighbor to have to move out so he had a chance to get this property cheap, so as the story goes, but I am trying to make it short. This guy has a neighbor with a dog that used to bark half the night. He never called the police or complained because they were friends. But the new neighbor he said he used to go out back of his house and throw gravel non the new neighbors shed to make his dogs bark, or actually sometimes he said he could make the dogs go off by even throwing something in his own yard. Well he did get the police to come out a few times and they tild the new neighbor to keep the dogs quiet. I think he said they were there 2 to 3 times, but it was not the dogs doing badly it was the mpi employee by aggravating them. Well the new neighbor he would keep his dogs quiet, then 1 night a police car pulled up in the front of the house and sat for about 5 minutes and the dogs did not bark, but then they started barking and the policeman came to the new neighbor and gave him a ticket, he went and paid it for 50.00. What the policeman didn't realize is that the dogs were barking because the mpi worker was aggravating them by opening and closing his back door and throwing gravel on the new neighbors shed where the police can't see him and besides it was suppose to be at night. So this young man which is still unemployed but does do odd things for people to make money to pay his bills and try to keep up with child support is out 50.00 and the mpi worker must be happy because he has the law on his side. But really to me if I had a dog for a pet my job is to feed him, be friends with him, and see that he is of well being, in return I would hope that if he heard any strange sounds around here that he would definetly let me know and that would probably be done by barking. But it just goes to show you that the police, no matter where you go usually take up for the caller complaining and the person who is really innocent has to pay the consequences. I think they should reimburse this young man 20 or 21 years old for his fine, but he doesn't know about this as of just yet. I would love to return to mpi and actually hear some more things that he has done and then turn him in which will probably do no good. The reason I am writing this is to get it out in the open about a lot of times it is not the dogs fight and I also met a man that used to live there and he told me the mpi worker actually handed him a paper to sign to get the city to tell this young man to move and I hope the police or someone reads this that can maybe provide some sort of help. Any replies would be appreciated because in the future sometime the young man needs to be aware of this and so do the police.
People, This jail thing set it aside for a minute and lets all think....All's this society is doing is incarcerating ourselves out of crime, and guess what it is not working, besides the fact that everyone says crime is going down, then how come our jails are getting fuller? There has to be some sort of remedy and I personally don't think jail is it.I don't know what it is but surely to god if we can put a man into outer space we can come up with a better system than we have. There are some real smart people here in the county surely everyone can come up with some ideas. Start a jail person factory and let them make something the county can sell for the expenses of arresting them something.
Lets be a seperate entity from the rest of the counties and do it different, what they have now is just not working at all. Every year it gets worse not just the amount of people locked up but the costs to keep them and they are not going to stop coming. But sooner more than later there won't be enough money to pay the policemen then what. It's like I sat at the truckstop listening to 5 individuals that had been around here somewhere visiting and 1 of them said if he don't get to work soon then he was going to nhave to visit here again to take some lawnmowers to pay his rent. So as the economy gets worse so will the crimes.
Aceually if we would admit it, at one time or other in our own lives we all have done something or other that was against the law and should have been punished for. So imagine if we all got caught the jails would really be full. Some of the very people that put on uniforms to protect us belong locked up for what they have done too, they are not as innocent as we are led to beleive.
Lets find an alternative to jails.
To the person that said he wishes the people could hear themselves...
Why do you think they have to shoot off their guns.,,..I can tell you why, it is louder than them and sounds a whole lot better than what they have to say........THANK YOU, THANK YOU
To the person that put up the first post concerning child molesters in LaPorte county.....
It is the law for every county to keep up with the people and I know for a fact that Starke county keeps on top of this to the maximum.
One of my friends was convicted for that in Marshall county and he forgot to register and Starke county locked him up.
The weird part in his case He pled quilty to the charge and was sentenced to 1 year, because if they took him to trial the prosecuter was going to try to give him 20, that was in Marshall county.
The young lady that the charge was for 4 years later told me that he was drunk and rolled over up against her and her father was the 1 to make a big deal out of it and told her the so called victim that if she did not testify against him for some act of sex she was not going to get her drivers license. To beat it all this associate of mine was in the bed in a camper as drunk as a quart of 151 rum could get you and she is the 1 that laid down beside him.
So now you tell me if that is fair?
I have tried to get him to do something about it and he says that the lawyers want a lot of money to set things right and they will reopen the case and see him at trial, the young lady has left here as of about 2 years ago and no one seems to know where they moved. To beat it all I also know the girls dad and he admits it. So in realoty this guy is now a sex offender and has to register.
It is just hard for me to believe that a police officer would just walk up to a dog and shoot the animal!I would like to hear the police officers story about this incident.A pit bull can be very aggressive if they feel threatened even if they were a good dog.Before we "tar and feather" this officer lets hear his side of the story!
Wow didnt see or hear anything about race on the dog issue till you brought it up? why is that the card that gets used when someone feels like they were wronged? "someone keyed my car" "well that is because I am white and they dont like us around here." You made that division and only you.
Furthermore I am no female. You assume too much and there was no threat intended with my words earlier. (even though it sounds that way I wanted to make sure my point got across) there was an attempt to make the owners understand that though they own the property they need to keep the dogs quiet at night or keep them in the house if they are going to bark all night. The rest of the world doesnt want to hear the dogs. That is what ticked me off and I will not continue to put up with it. The dogs also need to be kept away from the public. Not everyone wants to see you have a pit. If you want one great but it is your dog and your responsability. If it came in my yard You would get 1 warning to keep it out of my yard then if it happens again it would disappear! I will not have my child get bitten by that dog if it is running loose! Unfortunatley the breed of dog speaks for itself! It isnt the dogs fault but the owners.
No this has nothing to do with hate or wanting someone out of town as you say. It has everything to do with if you are going to own an animal then be responsible for it. Keep it locked up and keep it quiet at night! if you cant gaurantee that then dont own it! Be considerate of other people around you.
Honestly my best hope is that the owner gets another dog and that the dog is good and stays where it should. As well as quiet at night. then everyone can be happy. I am saddened that the dog was shot and killed. it wasnt the dogs fault. Dont make it to be a conspiracy, keep it in context.
4 the 1 who thinks I should of kept my pit inside so not to be seen...I as u no have 3lap dogs also & a Rot who is very aggressive & overly protective..he is very strong & did get off of his chain a few times...I am not as inconsiderate as u tried 2make me sound..if i wer i wuldnt have taken him to another property instead of leaving him at my property in town(he is the 1I worried wuld hurt sum1)...I wuld like u 2no something...I had my pit & Rot shown 4a reason, As U no I have 2small children...almost a year ago I had a man in the service calling me from over seas threating my childrens life & mine-said he wuld b at my house in the nite...etc...now let me tell u, as of a few months ago that man now lives approx 3/4mile from us..yes charges were pressed but by the State not by me thats how bad the situation was...So yes Im sorry that u didnt like seeing them but I have 2protect my children & my pit was there baby & there watcher who made them feel safe at nite...
I want 2update...As far as maintenance on my dog..I had her chained up & I mean chained up inside an 8ft tall dog kennel...her chain was broken wen I arrived home Saturday but how she got out of the kennel I have been unable 2figure out...she didnt dig out &she can't jump 8ft so I dont no...she was shot on my property...
i did recieve 2 tickets from the officer in the mail yesterday pertaining to the dog...thats fine ill pay them..I hope he gets satisfaction from writting them...I wasnt surprised to recieve them considering I was tipped off about sum of the officers here in town letting it be known that there mad that I opened my mouth & now are out to get me....
I guess call me a big mouth because I didnt keep my mouth shut about it...but maybe the problem now is that they know that I know it was illegal what they did to my dog...
DOG INCIDENT:
I HAVE A ROTT WHO HAS GOTTEN LOOSE SEVERAL TIMES. IF I WOKE UP AND SAW A ROTT IN MY YARD IT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS. SO YEAH I WOULD CALL THE POLICE TO HELP GET THE DOG HOME SAFELY.
IN FACT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED WHENEVER HE DID GET LOOSE.....HE WAS BROUGHT HOME BY THE POLICE. THANK YOU STARKE COUNTY OFFICERS FOR BEING SO GOOD TO OUR BABY. AND TO MY NEIGHBORS FOR BEING TOLERANT. WE TOO DID EVERYTHING TO KEEP HIM FROM GETTING LOOSE. THEY ARE SMARTER THAN WE KNOW.
SO......I AM WONDERING IF THIS SITUATION COULDN'T HAVE BEEN HANDLED DIFFERENTLY.
FOR INSTANCE:
NEIGHBORS PLEASE GO INSIDE WHILE I ESTABLISH A RAPPORT WITH THIS DOG.
OR I AM A LITTLE NERVOUS SO I AM GOING TO GET A LITTLE HELP
AND I DON'T KNOW BUT I AM PRETTY SURE COPS HAVE CELL PHONES
PICK UP YOUR PHONE ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN REACH THE OWNERS
OH WOW THEY WORK DOWN THE STREET
GREAT CAN SOMEONE LET THEM KNOW I AM AT THEIR HOUSE WITH THEIR DOG WHO IS SAFE UNDER THE VEHICLE AND ASK IF SOMEONE COULD RUN DOWN AND TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORS ARE A LITTLE NERVOUS OF THIS DOG.
GUESS WHAT OFFICER.....YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN A HERO IN MANY MORE EYES THAN JUST THOSE LAUGHING AND THINKING IT COOL THAT YOU CAN SHOOT A GUN.
YOU COULD HAVE GONE TO THE SCHOOLS ON CAREER DAY AND TOLD THE STORY OF HOW A POLICE OFFICER'S JOB IS NOT ONLY TO PULL PEOPLE OVER AND ARREST PEOPLE, BUT THAT IT INVOLVES MUCH MUCH MORE. IT TAKES KINDNESS CONSIDERATION AND ALWAYS HAVING THE ABILITY TO THINK BEFORE ACTING.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY....IF AND WHEN YOU DO MAKE A MISTAKE BECAUSE WE ARE ALL HUMAN BE A BIG ENOUGH PERSON TO STAND UP AND SAY IT WITH A GREAT BIG APOLOGY.
NOW THAT IS A TRUE HERO
How many dogs is one family allowed to have in the town of North Judson and not need a kennel license??? A pit, a rottie and three lap dogs?? Five dogs in a house in town? That seems like a lot of dogs to me. I have nothing against pit bulls or rotts since I have had great experiences with both breeds. I'm just questioning why so many dogs in such a small area? A yard in town is not usually a very big area.
wow this dog story is huge.....did I miss the story on the radio? Or was it not reported on? Hmmm unusual
I am the poster regarding the loud dogs at night.
After thinking rationally and taking my head out of my hind quarters. I have this to say....
I hope the person whos dog was shot would accept my apology.
When I heard a few things about the dog and realized it could be (Not was, but could be) one of the dogs barking in the area keeping my family up at night. I was upset and thought I was right in changing my point of veiw. However, I failed to realize that not only was the dog (that I am lead to believe wasnt aggressive) killed without any provocation (sp?). Not only was the dog killed but a member of your family was killed. A protector, A friend, and A playmate. I feel really bad about what has happened and wish there was a different outcome. I shouldnt be making heartless and insensitive remarks. Especially when I am requesting you to be more considerate while people try to sleep. I was sarcastic and mean and it isnt my normal personality. I really hope you can accept this apology.
After reading your last post I believe you still think I am someone I am not. Seriously I am not the person you are addressing. I do not know about your children. or any other animals you have had.
I hope the creep threatening you gets what he deserves. I completely understand the need for protection you described.
For Sue,
For the record the LOL in that post ws alot easier to write than sarcastic giggle which is what I meant at the time. I didnt then nor do I now think the killing of any animal is a laughing matter!
I admit I was wrong by posting the last few posts I got worked up on the issue for the fact that the dogs in that part of town keep us up at least 6 nights a month. Barking back and forth. I have NEVER called the police on the issue. I have dealt with it as I can. But I am no cruel person I have said things here that I would never do. I cant even go squirrel or deer hunting cause I dont like to kill the animals! I would only shoot someones dog if I thought my children were in some kind of danger. I was venting out words that really I had no business saying. heck I cant even shoot the raccoons and cats tearing my trash all over the yard.
Anyway I just want the record straight I realize that I was wrong in most of my statements. Even if the barking all night is an issue it is better to deal with that than to have a child lose their pet. :(
If everything can work out for The family that lost its dog I truly hope it does!
I am the one posting on the loud dogs at night. I just wrote a nice long post regarding the issue. However I think the site had a hiccup and it might have been lost. Here is the gist of it.
I sincerely hope the family of the dog that was killed would accept my apology. I was wrong and insensitive to what has happened. No matter how much they bark at night I would never want to see a child lose their pet.
I do not think this is funny in any way. when I wrote LOL i meant it as a sarcastic giggle more than a laughter.
I was saying things out of my own anger for being kept up all night it happens about 5 times a month with all the dogs in the area. I should not have vented those things on you as there is no gaurantee that the problem dogs were yours.
I think you are assuming I am someone else I do not know of your other dogs or your children.
I am very sorry for your loss though You not only lost a pet but a friend, playmate, and a protector.
The hurtful things I said about killing the dogs... I cant even hunt because I dont like killing the animals. I cant even shoot the Raccoons and cats tearing my trash in the yard. So I was just full of it and shouldnt have been mouthing off. I really do hope you accept my apology because it is sincere!
I really do hope that everything can work out for you and your family. God bless you
Anyone out there know what the officer has to say? Just curious after reading the post about a true hero. Any regrets? Any thinking things could or should have been different?
Also, Does the officer have a pet? Or children?
Anyone witness this? Was this dog really just hiding under a car?
And did this family really come home to find the dog dead....If so did the officer get some help? I mean that really makes me nervous that we have someone with a gun out there that would really leave the dog lay for the little children to see??
Gosh I really have a hard time with that. Counseling? something? anything?
Of course I am quite sure those little ones will need it for quite some time.
Anyone that owns dog knows it is completely part of your family.
Did I hear right? Is WSBT coming down to cover this story?
Was this dog story made up to take the heat off the starke county government. Because I haven't heard about it on the news?
The North Judson chief of police is a pretty good hearted person.....cannot imagine he is ok with what happened in his town. Weapon fired on a dog hiding under a vehicle in it's own yard.
First thought this family will have to move after all this.....
My thought now is. this officer will have to move after all this.
Nice I put 5 times a month in the first post and 6 in the next... LOL I guess I will hear about that one!
To the owner of the dog.....
I have heard from witnesses that the officer was there and put the dog in your back yard. I was also told that he laughed at you and said well that is the end to some of my troubles?
Is that true?
I am so sorry to hear that.
I also heard that the officer was Manning...
Ilove the new guy, Tom Berg, I love the way he tells not only the
song title, but who sings it!
It's Great!
Wake up people! This is Starke County, the police officers here, city and county, do not think they have to live by the law. This is a do as I say county, not as I do! That officer had no right to shoot and kill an animal cowering next to a car!
STARKE COUNTY TO MEET TO DISCUSS BUDGET ISSUES. What is the use you just gave the county employees a 3% pay increase. you are trying to get health care for the environmental people. What budget issues you have already taken care of that. It is funny that the federal government has taken a lot of cuts and so have the State people, social security did not give a raise as stated by social security there is no actual cost of living because it has receeded and here in Starke county they get a raise. There are 92 counties and we are 1 of 8 that you people gave yourself a raise when all the rest either took cuts in some form or other or remained the same. Are you people really that much more special than the rest of us.?
Then man look at Kathy Norem go. She is going to hand out flyers asking the rest of the county for suggestions to cut down on expenses, I thought that in itself was part of being employed by the county but I forgot that I am here. Forget cutting down on expenses now we have flyers to pay for. And can we get some work out of these people. NO.
So let me get this right....THE COP SHOT & KILLED YOUR DOG IN YOUR OWN YARD....AND NOW THEY SENT YOU 2 TICKETS???? That is as Red-Necked Back-Stabbing of a police force as I've ever seen. That police officer needs to be FIRED. How can someone kill an animal that's posing no risk of danger? Remind me again why I do not invest, spend $, or go to North Judson as little as possible? There's lots of great people & tradition there, but it's the same "control" mentality that they had back in the early 1970's when Ford was going to build a plant there, but the Gumps's ran it off in order to keep it an agricultural town & to keep control. How much would that Ford plant have blessed Starke Co.?
I have lived in this county all of my life I agree I will not spend any money in north judson or go near there for the reasons just stated. I worked for a fortune 500 company and no raises for 4 years so the county needs to live within their means, Plymouth just rescinded the raise because of the outrage, the same should be done here. DON'TREAD ON ME !!!!!
I am wondering where you find the video from the cruise night? My husband and I actually talked to Tom and he took video of our car but can not find the video on the website. By the way, we have a Chevy Camaro, not everyone at the car show was there in Mopars. There was a good variety of cars to enjoy.
I watched the video of the car show on WKVI's profile on FaceBook
Nobody else around here gets raises and the county is financially strapped as it is NO COUNTY RAISES!!!!!! Everyone take action or those in office will keep doing whatever they want! We all have the responsibilty to speak up!
Where are you people getting your information? Who says County Officials are getting a raise? Budget meetings are not until September, do you know something we don't?
Yup, the car show video is on our facebook page. You gotta scroll down a bit, but it's there.
If you will look at the newshawk for the past few weeks and I think here you will find that they voted themselves for a 3% pay increase. And I think the policemen got more to cover the cost of their uniforms, that part I am not sure about, but the 3% I am positive about.
Evidentially the jailer is not doing his/her job that a prisoner or prisoners could plug the shower drain. While I'm posting comments it is now after the 4th of July where is the Sysco Plant ground breaking??
Are you talking County or City voted themselves a raise. There is a big difference between the two. I don't believe county employees can vote themselves a raise.
Anyone out there who believes that Oregon Davis School Corp is better because of "New Tech", needs to think again. Nothing has changed at OD there is still a High School Math teacher who is teaching his classes with a general elementary license. His emergency permit expired again in June and was only issued last march because a fuss was raised over the fact that he was teaching without one for almost two years. Anyone who wants to check can go the Indiana Educator look up at the IDOE and type in Matthew Gantz.The best part is that they have a teacher who was willing to teach the high school classes but they kept her as a Jr High teacher and the guy licensed to teach Jr High as the High School teacher. I see a problem with that logic. They are pushing this New Tech but what they have done in essence is combine classes into one and have two teachers teaching. Now they have American Studies which used to be English and American History, they are working in groups and from what I have seen so far not getting anywhere fast. This is just my opinion but I guess it counts because I do have a child in school at the High School.
I am not sure which 1 voted the raise to be honest.
money saving ideas, post your ideas too.
do away with knox, nj, and hamlet police depts, operate as 1 starke county police dept, save on duplication of jobs.
city and county employees under 1 health insurance group plan, maybe with the schools too
THIS IS REDICULOUS! Raises should NOT even be an issue on the table. Anyone even mentioning this should be impeached, for if we can have a Pres. impeached, I am CERTAIN there's a way to impeach Comm.'s that are SUPPOSED to be serving the people WHOLE HEARTEDLY. Yes, officer's uniforms should be city/county cost, but, they make good $, drive taxpayer's cars to/from work(w/ many used for personal trips). We appreciate, pray for & need our officers, but we also need them to be more caring, & try to make everyone you encounter a better person than before, especially our youth. But w/ our Comm.'s, you do not deserve health benefits. You are serving a less-than-part-time PRIVILEDGE that was bestowed upon you by the voters to better the community. IT'S NOT A MEAL TICKET. It's a self-less sacrifice that would be awarded honor & respect, if you treated it as such. I would gratefully/humbly accept the position with NO PAYMENT or Ins., & the people would be my ONLY priority. Such should be the way w/ Congress. If we would put priorities, morales & people 1st, instead of $, blessings would pour in. We need to start again at re-instilling a firm, morale foundation & build up. I sincerely hope some of our leaders will hear this message & have the courage to act on it. We're all in this together, w/ no difference from David Watts walking the streets, to Mayor Chambers behind his desk. Take a stand with unseen courage, for it has to change now, or we'll just keep spiralling downward. 1 person has made huge changes many X's in history...who's our "1"? And Ted, we're very sorry at the loss of your's, Pat's & all those who were truely close to Sid(including his family). He was a great person, & your all in our prayers.
Could you add the local weather forcast on your site and any local weather warnings?
Do you want WKVI to assist you turning on and off your television too? You have to be on a computer to post this site, why don't you download the weather channel and set it up the way you want to?
Just been reading through all the comments from the jail to the murdered dog to the commissioners...I just do not know what to think about all this drama in little ole Starke County. I have a few solutions to your problems:
1. Prisoners don't need comfort, nor do they need to lay around all day. Again, back to the tent theory and manual labor...like grow some vegetables, maintain a farm for the love of God! Make them do something!
2. No one should own a pit bull or any other aggressive animal unless they can completely and positively have that pet under their control at all times. Too much responsibility for me so I'll just pass on Cujo, thanks!
3. Why do we have sooooo many govt systems!?! You've got the fed govt telling the state govt telling the county govt telling the local govt...this is totally insane. We are supposed to be a nation of democracy right!?! I say let's put it ALL to a vote and majority rules.
Madam Q
Wow! I don't think it could have been said better Madam Q. In a nutshell this person has some wise solutions. I read Madam Q's previous posts in regards to the "child molester" punishment with the tattoo and micro chip. Totally love this idea. Wouldn't you think twice about committing a crime if you knew public humiliation was your punishment? Keep the advice coming Madam Q!!!
Well...uhh, anonymous. We DO have the weather posted on the bottom of our main page, just below the news. I also got around to posting the HS football video from the Knox/Winamac game last Friday.
That link is on our facebook page.
See you at Harvest Fest!!
hmmm....i work in starke county and I get a raise every year, sounds like everyone needs to settle down a bit and just do their job and mind your own business, and if you don't like it than you should leave the area! and as for the dog and the cop, the cop was just doing his job and protecting the people that don't have dogs and don't want dogs!!! Keep your dog on a leash or in a fenced in area and it wouldn't have been a problem!!!
The Harvest Fest is really nice, & obviously alot of work went into it. Nice parade, I like all the extra booths, & there seems to be an small upgrade on the rides. Good job to all those involved. I also saw the most "hand-shakin politicians" I've ever seen, so mwith the importance of these elctions, please, everyone, go & utilize this precious priviledge that so much blood was shed for...AND VOTE! And PLEASE just don't vote party lines. Listen to these candidates, see which have websites, see who's willing to sacrifice to serve the people, and vote for the best person. 1 thing I know, I'd sure vote for the person who'd be willing to take a pay decrease because I'm tired orf crooks getting elected & giving themselves raises & benefits.
i think it would be great if we could go to our festival and not have to worry about a bycle running over us or a dog sniffing our food!!!!!!!!1 lets keep the dogs & bycles HOME!!!!! make it a rule
hmmmmm....I work in startke county,
how can you tell people to mind their own busines and then go into giving your opinion? Just curious about the hipocracy (sp) of it all?
hmmmmm...I live in Starve County, if you think other people should mind their own business what are you even doing in this forum? You better be going to bed before anyone notices that you are up and on the computer.
Hey Anon 6:07, do you work on TAXPAYER DIME? If so, why don't you have the guts to expose yourself, so we can send YOU down the road. My property taxes got a 2% increase FROM MY COUNTY, and am curious if everyone in Starke Co. has gotten the same increase. So don't tell me to mind my own business when the politicians business is raising my mortgage payment.
There you have the other side....But all caps really? isnt that annoying enough in blogs?
Mind your own business, well anyone that lives here pays taxes it is their business. that is part of the problem just dont talk about then everyone will forget then all is good. PLEASE!! Also I have been thinking about the Ritchie situation looks like to me this will assure a win by splitting the vote 3 ways instead of 2, regardless Oscar does and has done a good job, so he does deserve to elected again.
Was there a meth Lab bust in hamlet this weekend where is the news on it???
Wow 2% you got off easy my taxes are over the place lived in the same house for over 20 years never the same 2007 and 2008 payable were really close then 2009 out of the roof again no improvements only forclosed houses nearby that sell for half of what they were 5 years ago so it is my bussiness and the tax payers of this county!
Well just an FYI, you can thank your man Mitch for the tax increase... However, I am pretty sure County employees pay their taxes too! Everyone wants a free handout... But, where in the world do you think that money comes from? Obama care don't come free for those of us who work and pay our dues!! So back off the employees, they are going to work to support you people who have all day to sit and complain online! Get a job and get involved, come to your county meetings! They are public and advertised, that way you could understand where you should direct your frustration and that it is at the wrong level!
Loved Glenn Beck's "Regaining Honor" gathering in Wash DC. Disgusted that our Pres didn't think it was worth the time. Really makes me wonder WHAT he stands for. But GREAT JOB Mr. Beck, and I agree 100%!
The fires at the jail were SET by the inmates. The grant that Joe Donnelly was trying to get for the jail was denied by Congress and the county did not get the funds. County funds are decreasing rapidly due to state cuts. If you notice the county budget, it does not go up even the allowable 4% by the state as the funds are not there. The state cut out the PTRC and the homestead which brought quite a bit of money into the county and now we don't get it. The Dept. of Corrections at the state level is also overcrowded and they make the county keep a lot of the CONVICTED criminals there that should have gone to the state causing some of the overcrowding. ALL three of the commissioners have been there LESS than 2 years and are working very hard to bring the jail up to code. Money spent and brought in at the county IS public record to anyone who wants to come in and look! ALSO if you check MOST county offices they are working harder than over due to more state mandates with no state money to cover them. I know some elected officials who work day and night AND weekends--and for less money than county officials make in other counties! Also, you can check the state web site and read the audits of the county or come into any of the offices and SEE for yourself how the money is spent!
Congratulations to Melissa Houston Fairchild for completely that 60 mile walk for the 3rd year in a row! That is a lot of walking in a 3 day time period! Thank you for your dedication!!! You are a very special person!
concerning taxes. You may want to contact you wonderfull govenour Mitch about the taxes. The state sets the taxation not the county. The only thing the county does is follow the states directives and send out the bills. The state keeps what ever the govenour wants and the rest is returned to the county. The only reason they ever went down was for the present adminstration at the state level to get elected . Go to the internet look up house bill 1001 and read there you will find the answer. good luck because it very long. The state is not going to help a little co like Starke its up to us to take care of our county . Lets take ownership do what ever is needed to make this a better place for all. If it means cutting services or raising some sor of tax then we need to tell our local goverment to do it . Setting still doing nothing is the same as going backwards
My taxes are still less than they use to be THANK YOU MITCH, MY MAN MITCH that statement is so true thank goodness for him and Yes Glenn Beck there is a real American, we need to restore honor!!!!!!
I was only making a suggestion to add the local weather to the website to enhance it.
I didn't think it was fair that you reponded the way you did. I won't be posting anymore comments after this because I don't think it is fair how people put each other down on this site. It hurts.
Ok another county park so to speak we have one that has been established for years how is that working out for us, now lets take some more property off of the taxrolls, then we get to pay to maintain it what about insurance, whats next a county park board we cant take care of what we have. no more goverment interference!!!
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