Stories from Sunday, December 16, 2007

A Putnam County New Year's Eve tradition: Teenagers plot house parties and parents scramble to lock down scarce babysitters. This year it could be different. A new local company, Invent Your Event, founded by local educators, coaches and parents will sponsor what they are calling "the ultimate New Years Eve party," at the Putnam County Fairgrounds. They are doing it to address an eternal complaint issued by Putnam County youth and their parents: "There is nothing to do on New Year's Eve."...

Update -- Area 30 Career Center will also operate on a two hour delay Monday. As of 8 p.m. Sunday, three Putnam County School districts had announced delays or closings for Monday, Dec. 17 due to weather. Cloverdale and South Putnam schools were operating on a two-hour delay. North Putnam schools are closed Monday. Also, the Learning Castle Preschool at First Christian Church in Greencastle will be closed...

BAINBRIDGE -- North Putnam hosted Greencastle in a coed swim meet Thursday night. Greencastle came out on top in both meets. The Lady Tiger Sharks defeated the Lady Cougars 138-38. In a closer affair, the Greencastle boys beat the Cougars 99-83. At North Putnam...

MONROVIA -- Cloverdale kept plodding along with Monrovia, trailing the Bulldogs for three and a half quarters Friday, never appearing to have the edge needed to make a serious run at the WCC foe. An incredible fourth quarter run, however, gave the Clovers just enough to defeat the Dogs, 48-47, thanks to Elizabeth Cheatham's game-winning bucket with six-tenths of a second remaining...

Hundreds of miniature homes, churches and ceramic winter scenes, twinkling and motorized, fill the front room of Bainbridge Video. Every year, Naomi Barker, the store's owner, takes the meaning of "Christmas spirit" to a whole new level. Barker has been collecting the figurines for nearly two decades. It began 18 years ago when Barker's late husband gave her the first piece in her collection, a three-story musical dollhouse. Now the collection seems to have a life of its own...

The death of a Greencastle High School senior on Saturday morning is under investigation by Indiana State Police. An autopsy is scheduled Monday for Dietrich Jerjuan Jackson, 17, who was found unresponsive at his grandmother's residence at 1290 E. CR 225 South, Greencastle...

Fifth-grade students at Tzouanakis Intermediate (from left) Tanner Fenwick, Tera Amis and Jerrod Brieges personalize their holiday candles on Friday with Christmas ornaments, beads and other festive decorations. Decorating of the candles is an annual event for fifth graders at the school...

Putnam County Jail Five people were booked into the Putnam County Jail recently. Reelsville Fire Dept. The Reelsville Fire Department responded to a fire that leveled an abandoned farmhouse Friday morning. Firefighters arrived on scene at 7:32 a.m. at 5800 S. CR 900 West near Reelsville and found the house almost demolished, Fire chief John McPherson told the BannerGraphic...

School administrators will work out a plan to address students who want to opt out of subjects that conflict with their religious beliefs. The Greencastle School Board has been studying the issue since a request concerning a high school biology class. A student wanted to opt out of the part in the class where evolution is taught due to religious beliefs...

The Washburn Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) recognized four Putnam County high school seniors as outstanding citizens Tuesday. At the recognition were (from left) Washburn Chapter Regent Jinsie Bingham, Kate Chambers of Cloverdale High School, Renee Foltz of North Putnam High School, Janelle Huber of Greencastle High School, Shannon Egold of South Putnam High School and Indiana DAR State Regent Cynthia Stout. ...