Stories from Wednesday, September 21, 2011

To the Editor: Each year the week of Sept. 17-23 is set aside to pay homage to the Constitution of the United States of America. Washburn Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, urges all Americans to review this document, which provides the framework of our government...

To the Editor: I would like to thank Tzouanakis Intermediate School Principal John Strube for orchestrating the 9/11 Commemorative Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 9 at the school. The program included distinguished guests of local firefighters, police officers, EMTs, VFW members, National Guard and Boy Scouts...

With patina etched by oxidation, and fueled by 40 years of days and nights of central Indiana weather, the so-called "Cowboy and Chinaman" playground structure at Greencastle's Robe-Ann Park had seen its better days. Rusty in places, politically incorrect in others and just plain unsafe the way kids' activities are monitored today, the metal structure came tumbling down Tuesday morning on the southeast side of the park...

Horizons of Putnam County is beginning its 14th year of "community education taught by the community" with a rich and varied list of fall courses. Founded as a non-profit in 1996 to offer "an adventure in lifelong education," Horizons provides a variety of courses offered in a non-traditional format. Instructors come from all areas of the county and bring unique knowledge, perspective, and enthusiasm to the classroom...

Sheriff's Department Keller's car hit Thrasher's in the left front. Damage $2,501-$5,000. Martinez said the truck brakes were locked but the truck suddenly started rolling down he incline of the parking lot toward the south. The truck hit the office and storage portion of the Cloverdale Truck Repair building with the cab coming to a stop inside the building...

Cecil Dewayne Scott, 75, of Yorktown, Texas, died Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011 at Citizens Hospital in Victoria, Texas. He was born Dec. 7, 1935 in Cloverdale to Cecil and Clema (Rubeck) Scott. He was raised in Owen and Putnam counties and was a 1954 graduate of Cloverdale High School...

Brooklyn "Brookie" Corinne Basham, 7, left this Earth to walk with God on Sept. 18, 2011. Brooklyn was born July 15, 2004 to Christina McClure and Brandon Basham. Brooklyn was a special education student in Miss Hunter's class at South Putnam Central Elementary. She loved music and her family and friends...

Voting for the Oscar Mayer "Good Mood" contest is under way through Sept. 25. The contest, which promotes doing good deeds each day, has been narrowed down to five contestants from across the country. The winner will receive $100,000, donated to the contestant's charity of choice...

The 2011 Greencastle High School homecoming queen nominees are seniors Kimberlyn Fenwick, Kara Birt, Paige Pickens and Hannah Wainman, while GHS homecoming king hopefuls are Nathan Eubank, Codi Duncan, Nate Secrest and Trevor Huber. In the homecoming football game, the Tiger Cubs will play host to unbeaten North Putnam Friday night at Robert L. Harbison Stadium. The game begins at 7 p.m. with the GHS queen, king and their courts crowned at halftime.

The old climbing structure, locally known as "The Cowboy and The Chinaman," in Robe-Ann Park is taken down Tuesday as David Wells (left) and Chris Sage dig around the base of the equipment. The play structure, located near shelterhouse No. 2, was no longer considered safe under current safety standards, Park Maintenance Director Ed Neumann said. He noted that with the monkey bars portion removed from between the characters, the two figures possibly will be moved elsewhere in the park and repositioned as a sculpture.

The Tzouanakis cross country team had its first ever meet Saturday at South Knox. The runners in grades third through fifth battled 21 teams in the middle school division. For the girls, Emma Wilson was the top finisher, placing second with a time of 12:24. Seeley Stoffregen was third overall with at time of 13:04,with Sydney Lewis was eighth with a time of 13:52...

Soccer is all about goals. The ones you score on the field and the goals you set and achieve. The Greencastle girls soccer team achieved both Monday night at Dee Monnett field with their 1-0 win over the Monrovia Bulldogs. After watching the rain all day and wondering whether they would get to play, the Greencastle girls came out strong and hard from the first whistle...

North Putnam is hosting a Breast Cancer match against Cloverdale on Thursday at 6 p.m. The team asks for fans to come and join North Putnam and Cloverdale in the fight against Breast Cancer. T-shirts, games and prizes will be available during the matches...

ROACHDALE -- The North Putnam volleyball team fell to Bethesda in four sets Tuesday 25-20, 18-25, 25-18 and 25-16. Bethany Wiatt had four aces to led the Cougars, with Morgan Robinson adding 10 kills and Kallie Brattain adding eight kills. Robinson also had eight blocks on the night...

On Tuesday at Dee Monnett Field, the Greencastle boys' soccer team notched its 11 win of the season by defeating Edgewood 6-2. For seniors Sonney Basham, Mitchell Ball, Jon Good and Brandon Query, the victory was much more than that. With the win, the quad of players officially became the all-time winningest senior class in GHS boys' soccer history with 54 wins...

George Michael York, 60, of Coatesville passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 after a long illness. Mike was born on Oct. 20, 1950 in Greencastle to George Evan and Ruby Anne Parker York. He was a 1969 graduate of Greencastle High School and was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...

The writing was already on the wall, but the Putnam County Commissioners made it official Monday evening. The Putnam County Courthouse Annex will close by Nov. 15. President Gene Beck opened the discussion of the annex with the motion, which passed 3-0...

Longtime Greencastle resident Jim Hetser turned 102 on Wednesday, Sept. 21. He celebrated his birthday at Millpond Health Campus with his family and friends.

Several changes are on the horizon for the South Putnam schools. Monday's school board meeting included such things as approval of a lengthy personnel report, a presentation by the Area 30 Career Center, and the possibility of budget cuts. South Putnam Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt presented a list of resignations, maternity leave, and new hires to the board for approval...

As an air traffic controller, Charles Pritchett excels at creating order out of chaos and ensuring safety in the skies overhead. Thursday evening he'll see how well his organizational skills play out on the ground as well. Charles is executor of the will of his late brother David Carl Pritchett, the ill-fated 48-year-old Reelsville kayaker who drowned in Big Walnut Creek back in late April. ...

Nearby residents voiced their concerns over a plan to replace Dunbar Bridge and the Putnam County Commissioners listened. No bypass for the bridge will be built at this time. The commissioners discussed the issue at their Sept. 6 meeting, expressing some misgivings about a plan that would build a new bridge a quarter-mile upstream from Dunbar. The historic covered bridge has spanned Big Walnut Creek northwest of Greencastle since 1880...