Putnam Scanner for March 10, 2023

County Jail

Eleven people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently.

Thursday

• At 3:38 a.m. David W. Thompson, 36, Greencastle, was lodged at the jail on a local warrant.

• At 2:56 a.m. Jessica A. Bushong Kenworthy, 38, Terre Haute, was taken into custody on a local warrant.

Wednesday

• At 3:05 p.m., Quinton B. Taylor, 27, Martinsville, was booked in for driving with a suspended license with a prior conviction.

• At 11:51 a.m. Robert N. Diggs, 34, Damascus, Va., was lodged at the jail on a warrant.

• At 3:24 a.m. Jason L. Keener, 37, Richmond, was taken into custody on a local warrant.

Tuesday

• At 4:49 p.m. Mary C. Dorney, 50, Fishers, was housed at the jail on a local warrant.

• At 4:44 p.m. Matthew F. Buis, 52, Greencastle, was booked in on a local warrant.

• At 1:57 p.m. Amber L. Bennett, 36, Fillmore, was lodged at the jail on a local warrant.

• At 11:24 a.m. Ryan S. Davis, 42, Cloverdale, was taken into custody on a local warrant.

Monday

• At 4:24 p.m. Josef E. Minartz, 37, Bowling Green, was housed at the jail on a local warrant.

• At 2:04 p.m. Jeremiah W. Bills, 43, Fillmore, was lodged at the jail on a local warrant.

City Police

One recent arrest was reported by Greencastle City Police officers:

• At 12:25 a.m. Thursday, Ashley L. Eicks, 35, Greencastle, was arrested by Officer Billy DeWitt.

Taken into custody after a stop on Manhattan Road, Eicks was lodged in the Putnam County Jail for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.

Sheriff’s Office

Putnam County sheriff’s deputies investigated three recent crashes.

• At 4:38 p.m. on Saturday, Deputy Todd Hopkins responded to a crash on County Road 175 East, south of Bainbridge. He arrived to find a 2008 Dodge Caravan that had apparently left the road at a 90-degree turn, colliding with the support wire for a power pole, with the wire embedded in the front of the vehicle.

As Hopkins was investigating, a passerby stopped and said he had seen the driver walking northbound into Bainbridge. Hopkins proceeded into Bainbridge and spotted the man who matched the description. The man changed direction twice before Hopkins was able to intercept him, learning that he was the driver and that he was Jose M. Hernandez Chavez, 35, Indianapolis.

Hernandez Chavez told Hopkins he did not have a license and his ID card was expired. He was given a summons for driving without receiving a license and leaving the scene of a property-damage accident.

The support wire had to be cut in order to remove the vehicle from the ditch. When the cable was cut, the pole across the road broke and fell into a field. The power lines sparked and caused a small grass fire. Both the Bainbridge Volunteer Fire Department and Parke County REMC responded to the incident.

Hopkins estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000.

• At 7:07 p.m. on Friday, March 2, Keith A. Hatke, 60, Stockwell, was westbound on State Road 243 in a 2011 Cadillac SRX when he collided with a tree that had fallen in the road.

Hatke told Deputy Hopkins he could not see the tree in time due to weather and road conditions. The vehicle traveled over the top of the tree and came to rest in the ditch north of the road.

The vehicle was towed. Hopkins estimated damage at $2,500-$5,000.

• At 5:40 p.m. on Friday, March 2, Lexie Sullens, 38, Greenwood, was southbound on State Road 243 in a 2013 Ford Taurus.

Sullens told Deputy Hopkins she approached a curve going “a little too fast,” as she did not know the road and it was wet from rain at the time. The car left the road and hit a few small trees.

The car was towed. Hopkins estimated damage at $2,500-$5,000.

City Fire

The Greencastle Fire Department responded to two incidents since Tuesday morning:

• At 11:47 p.m. on Tuesday, GFD was dispatched to Pi Beta Phi at DePauw University for a fire alarm. Firefighters arrived soon after and did not determine a cause for the alarm. The alarm system was reset. GFD went back into service at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning.

• At 11:11 a.m. on Thursday, GFD was dispatched to 400 S. Locust St. for a fire alarm. Firefighters arrived at 11:15 and determined the alarm was unintentional. The alarm system was reset. GFD went back into service at 11:26 a.m.

Additionally, GFD responded to six medical assists and found no incidents on two runs during this timeframe.

Information included in the Putnam Scanner is taken from reports provided to the Banner Graphic by the Greencastle Police, the Greencastle Fire and the Putnam County Sheriff’s departments.

Individuals listed in the blotter have been arrested on probable cause and have not been formally charged. Charging information may change after an initial arrest.

Questions about listed charging information should be directed to the arresting agency.