Putnam County P.I.E. Coalition awards 2013 grants

The Putnam County Prevention, Intervention, Education (P.I.E.) Coalition Against Substance Abuse conducted its annual meeting at Autumn Glen on Monday night.

The 2012 P.I.E. grant recipients gave a brief project description and outcome report for which they were awarded and the 2013 P.I.E. grant recipients were announced.

Close to $90,000 in grant request were received for 2013. The coalition was only able to fund half the amount. Funds for these P.I.E. grants are generated through a fee, which is assessed in criminal cases that are alcohol- and drug-related as established by the Governor's Commission for a Drug Free Indiana and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Each year, the Putnam County P.I.E. Coalition uses these fees to fund community-based programs. These programs are designed to reduce the abuse and illegal use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs through prevention, intervention, education and treatment efforts.

In October, during Red Ribbon Week, the P.I.E. Coalition sponsors an essay contest among Putnam County's fourth- and fifth-grade classes. The 2012 essay contest winners were awarded at the annual meeting.

The fourth-grade winners are: 3rd Place -- Paige Heagy -- Fillmore Elementary, 2nd Place -- Megan Earley -- Roachdale Elementary, 1st Place -- Brady Mann -- Cloverdale Elementary.

The fifth-grade winners are: 3rd Place -- Adam Bonebrake -- Roachdale Elementary, 2nd Place -- Haylee Cox -- Roachdale Elementary, 1st Place Aaron Fritz -- Roachdale Elementary.

Also during the meeting, Greencastle City Police Chief Tom Sutherlin was awarded the 2012 Community Advocate of the Year by President Renee Marsteller for his outstanding service and leadership to the Putnam County P.I.E. Coalition Against Substance Abuse over the last six years.

The Putnam County P.I.E. Coalition Against Substance Abuse meets at 4 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at the Greencastle Police Department.