Stories from Friday, March 18, 2011

Two and a half pounds, one hundred eighty pages, 1,607 entries. No, it's not the Congressional budget; it's my genealogy report, compliments of Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the National Hurricane Service. Never heard of him? Neither had I, nor the vast majority of the other 1,606 people who managed to worm their way into my DNA...

EVANSVILLE -- Through collaboration with the Japan-America Society for Indiana (JASI), Vectren Corp. has committed to provide $50,000 for recovery assistance in connection with the recent, devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Vectren's donation to JASI's Japan Earthquake Relief Fund is in addition to an employee contribution program that Vectren is implementing, matching up to $25,000 from its 3,900 employees...

The Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Greencastle Sustainability Commission, recently announced a new Buy Local Bucks Program. The Buy Local Bucks Program for energy efficiency encourages the purchase of energy-efficiency home upgrades from local businesses by offering a "rebate" which can be used at any participating local business...

Sheriff's Department Brown was transported to Putnam County Hospital County Jail Ryan Joseph Scobee, 33, Fillmore: Operating while intoxicated, public intoxication, driving while suspended, March 17, 1:10 a.m. City Police One speeding citation was issued early Thursday by Greencastle City Police...

Pamela Ann Canellas, 62, Butlerville, formerly of Indianapolis, passed away on March 16, 2011 at her residence. She was born on Nov. 15, 1948 in Indianapolis and was the daughter of Richard and Betty Lou (Moran) Medcalf. She was a member of the Emmaus Lutheran Church, Indianapolis, graduate of Manual High School, Indianapolis, former Assistant Auditor for Jennings County and was a Life Member of the Muzzle Loaders Association...

A Legislative Update session, sponsored by the Putnam County Farm Bureau and Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, is set for 8 a.m. Saturday, March 19. The session, open to the public, will be staged at the Farm Bureau Boardroom, 1001 N. Jackson St., Greencastle...

BAINBRIDGE -- The North Putnam School Corporation voted 4-2 with Debbie Sillery absent to purchase new switches for the computer network at the Thursday monthly meeting. The $41,546 purchase will be one part of a larger upgrade to the corporation's computer system, which has been running slowly over the past few years, said Supt. Mary Sugg Lovejoy...

When Putnam County Hospital marketing coordinator Jennifer Bedwell sent out a call to local elementary schools for student-produced art, it fit right into teacher Jenny Riggle's plans for the grading period. Her Deer Meadow second grade class was working on a poetry unit, as well as their publishing skills...

Greencastle City Planner Shannon Norman was recognized Tuesday as a Friend of Conservation. The award was presented at the Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District office in Greencastle. Norman received the award for her dedication to the Big Walnut Watershed Alliance, of which she has been an integral part since its inception in 2006...

GREENCASTLE -- The Putnam County girls' seventh grade basketball season came to its zenith on Thursday night when Cloverdale took on Greencastle for the Putnam County Championship at South Putnam High School. Though the game seemed to go on for much longer than four six-minute periods would suggest, the Tiger Cubs built a small lead after three quarters of play and held on to beat the Clovers 27-21...

GREENCASTLE -- The luck of the Irish was with the Greencastle eighth grade girls' basketball team Thursday. The Tiger Cubs took the court with an added pressure beyond just winning the county championship. After watching their seventh grade counterparts win the game before, the eighth grade squad knew it was up to them to complete a county sweep in basketball championships. They did just that, defeating South Putnam 35-14 and to complete the sweep...

Nellie Elizabeth Morlan Chavis, 96, Rockville, died at 4 a.m. Friday, March 18, 2011 at the Rockville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born Aug. 12, 1914 in Parke County to the late Issac W. Morlan and Katheryn Miller Morlan. She was a homemaker and had been employed at the curtain factory in Greencastle. She was a member of Otterbein United Methodist Church in Bellmore. She was a 1933 graduate of Bridgeton High School...

Mr. James Lee Frost, 56, passed away unexpectedly at his residence. He was born on Aug. 26, 1954 in Greencastle, the son of Norman Albert and Thyra Fay (Lucart) Frost. James was a 1972 graduate of Greencastle High School. He had been employed as a tool and die maker at Lobdell-Emory (aka Oxford Automotive and Greencastle Manufacturing) for 33 years. ...

Jean Ratcliff, 95, Brownsburg, and formerly of Waveland, died Thursday, March 17, 2011 at Brownsburg Meadows. She was born Aug. 23, 1915 in Russellville to Clell and Ruth Perkins Bain at Russellville. She married John G. Ratcliff on May 7, 1937 in Russellville. He died in 1996...