
Here and There ... and Back Again
A Greencastle native and a 2017 graduate of Wabash College, Brand Selvia is passionate about history, conversation and classic cars. Nicknamed "Brando" by family and friends, Selvia loves chatting over a cup of coffee, as well as joyriding in his 1974 Volkswagen Beetle.
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A little shot in the arm
Posted Friday, April 16, 2021, at 1:38 PMA week ago now, I got my second and final shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Fortunately, this time around was much easier side effects-wise than the first dose. Being done with the shots feels liberating in a way. I think it is because we are on the cusp of summer. School is winding down now, and the weather surely is warming up. Maybe we're all used to the "new normal,", but things are continuing to get better... -
What goes into an 'iconic' photo?
Posted Friday, April 9, 2021, at 9:48 AM1Whether it is a town council meeting or an emergency, I think taking good photos is one of the best parts of reporting. I like to get as close as I can and be in the moment. It is often about being at the right place at the right time. The camera I use can also be finicky. ... -
Local bourbon not hard to find here
Posted Friday, April 2, 2021, at 2:27 PMA week ago, myself and a couple of buddies from my whiskey group went up north to the town of Newtown. It has fewer than 300 residents in the middle of scenic nowhere. It is also home to a pretty remarkable operation: a distillery with top-notch whiskey... -
They can have their titles ... right?
Posted Friday, March 26, 2021, at 1:52 PM4In my coverage of the most recent Community Conversation, I was able to get away with a tenable sin when it comes to using the Associated Press' (AP) writing style. That sin was an instance in which I referred to Christina Wagner, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at DePauw, as "Doctor." However, it was then absolved because Wagner is also a licensed clinical psychologist, though I didn't make this clear... -
Side effects a primer for a busy week
Posted Friday, March 19, 2021, at 4:46 PMA week ago (March 12), I received my first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Putnam County Health Department. It has been an interesting week since then. I was able to schedule it because my Spina bifida is a special consideration under the state's vaccine guidelines. I am at even greater risk because of the Type 1 diabetes... -
Are 'fireside chats' possible anymore?
Posted Friday, March 12, 2021, at 3:49 PM1After trying to find inspiration, I found out that today (March 12) marks 88 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt began sharing his "fireside chats" through the radio. The president began his first such address to the nation thus: "My friends, I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking." The aim was to be self-assuring and to help listeners understand why banks had been closed... -
A good citizen comes through
Posted Friday, March 5, 2021, at 3:04 PM1I have been notorious within my family unit for inexplicably losing my things. Well, oftentimes it's just been me sitting something down and then forgetting about them. I have been missing both my pledge pin and fraternity pin from the Delts since the last time I remember the tornado sirens going off here in Greencastle. They were lost in transport between my apartment on the courthouse square and the Selvia household... -
Get out some (while we still can)
Posted Friday, February 26, 2021, at 3:23 PM1To say I have enjoyed the 40-degree temps this week is pretty well an understatement. It is a far cry from the 10 inches or so of snow that we had dumped on us last week. A little bit of rain has washed some of the road salt away, which is all I can really ask for... -
When you've got nothing, double down
Posted Friday, February 19, 2021, at 1:30 PMWell, we made it. We survived the (first?) "snowmageddon" of Winter 2021. I would say we did so pretty well unscathed, despite the single-digit temps and 10 inches or so. However, this made for an uninteresting week for me in terms of getting out. Both the Russellville Town Council and North Putnam School Board canceled their regular meetings, though the latter was rescheduled. These two were my only commitments... -
Not that crazy about the salt
Posted Friday, February 12, 2021, at 2:07 PM1As I was coming back home from covering the South Putnam School Board's regular meeting Wednesday evening, it was my luck that I got caught behind a salt spreader. From Plessinger’s Hill until it finally turned into the Casey's on Greencastle's South Side, I wondered how long I would have to wait before I could run it through the car wash. ... -
Leadership 'reunion' more than a get-together
Posted Friday, February 5, 2021, at 11:40 AMWhen we wrapped up the 2020 Putnam County Leadership Academy in December, I thought maybe the last column in my series would be the last real mention of it here. However, this was as fellow PCLA 2020 graduate Melissa Ensor became serious about establishing an alumni group on Facebook. During "detention" after our last class, we also decided on a plan where we could meet once a month to check up on each other... -
Am I just a storyteller?
Posted Friday, January 29, 2021, at 5:03 PMPerhaps an odd way to describe my job is that I tell stories for a living. I will come in, write up a narrative and go to a town council meeting, then do it all again the next day. I myself have been guilty of saying this, though. Maybe I have said it sort of jokingly or out of some fear of going down a rabbit hole of detail. While I can be the quiet one in the group, I do love talking about what I've seen and done as a small-town journalist... -
Perhaps Gobin's bell tolled for us, too
Posted Friday, January 22, 2021, at 9:13 AM1This week's blog was published in the Friday, Jan. 22 edition of the Banner Graphic. _ When I went Tuesday evening to cover Gobin Memorial UMC's honoring the Putnam County residents we've lost to COVID-19, I didn't expect it to inspire this week's blog... -
We'll be there -- even if we're not
Posted Friday, January 15, 2021, at 11:55 AM2It has been a packed week for me here at the Banner Graphic. Five meetings later, I finally have time to jot down a few thoughts which have cropped up in the meantime. The second week of the month has generally been my "busy week," with the Cloverdale School Board, Cloverdale Town Council, Area 30 Board and South Putnam School Board all having their monthly meetings. ... -
New coat has me thinking about 2021
Posted Friday, January 8, 2021, at 9:17 AMIt might seem a little too sentimental to consider a new coat as anything other than that. It is just going to keep me warm during the winter and into the spring months. What perhaps came with it, though, was a sort-of sense of empowerment. Or maybe it is a sense of professionalism, a feeling of slimness, I might have been lacking before... -
Still going out with a bang
Posted Wednesday, December 30, 2020, at 1:58 PMVery much like the rest of you, I am ready for 2020 to finally end. Saying that this has been one for the books might not get to the heart of what we've each experienced. Overhanging it all has been COVID-19, which I think has upended a lot of what we might take for granted. It has also been a traumatic year of socio-political frustration. It has been a year synonymous with social distancing, masks and the Zoom meeting... -
Going from 'meh' to meaning
Posted Wednesday, December 23, 2020, at 11:08 AM3Each December, the religion and music departments at Wabash College sponsor a program which is an important event for me -- one which I always look forward to. Called the Christmas Festival of Music & Readings, it is modeled after a century-old program at Cambridge University in England. Verses from the Bible telling of the birth of Jesus Christ are mixed throughout with carols, hymns and other seasonal songs... -
With the cold came the mice
Posted Friday, December 18, 2020, at 2:02 PMOn the heels of the first measurable snowfall we've had in the Putnam County area, the cold temperatures have prompted some uninvited guests into my apartment recently. I came back from covering the North Putnam School Board Thursday evening to a mouse scurrying in my bedroom. I scared him into my closet, where he hid behind a stand-up mirror and junk stacked against the wall. He was obviously not coming out... -
What's with the rush?
Posted Friday, December 11, 2020, at 1:53 PMAt the risk of sounding a little crazy here, it seems like Monday or Tuesday was just yesterday. I did have two regular meetings for this week -- but wait! there's more. Indeed, last Tuesday turned into one of the most hectic days I've had in a good while... -
The ties that bind will move us forward
Posted Friday, December 4, 2020, at 9:05 AMThe end of my series on participating in the Putnam County Leadership Academy. Last Wednesday, our group had its final session. It was also our wrap-up as we were recognized as graduates of the newly revived Putnam County Leadership Academy...
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