Stories from Thursday, November 12, 2009

With the end of the decade approaching, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the music of the last 10 years. What music will define the '00s? To organize my thinking, I've decided to look at it by year. Starting with 2000, I will be naming my favorite album of each year, or at least the most interesting one...

Otis Redding didn't have the best voice in soul music. He really couldn't dance. In fact, his career as a soul singer lasted less than five years. Why, then, is Redding commonly listed among the top soul singers of all time? Otis knew the name of the game -- he had soul...

How genius is Pixar? Never in my wildest dreams would I think a film about an elderly man attempting to fulfill his and his deceased wife's dream could capture the imagination of a young audience, but UP has done just that. The animated tale of 78-year-old curmudgeon Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) is a delight for audiences and shows once again that Pixar is the undisputed king of animation...

John M. Newgent, 73, of Greencastle, died Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 at St. Vincent Heart Center in Carmel. He was born May 16, 1936 at home in Portland Mills, the son of William and Dorothy Knauer Newgent. Mr. Newgent was the assistant manager for the Montgomery Ward store in Greencastle for many years prior to his retirement. ...

Rachel Leath's essay about Christina Menke's work with youth and horses at Hope Haven Horse Farm is the Grand Prize winner of the Putnam County Community Foundation's National Philanthropy Week Essay Contest. In recognition of her accomplishment, Leach's school, Cloverdale Middle School, will receive a grant of $500, and Hope Haven Horse Farm will receive a grant of $150...

GREENCASTLE -- A man-eating plant threatens Parker Auditorium on the Greencastle High School campus this weekend as the GHS theatre students present Menken and Ashman's rock musical Little Shop of Horrors. Show times are 7:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday...

GREENCASTLE -- The Putnam County Museum has a new display in their gift shop area, thanks to former local artist Lynette Reed. Assistant Director Tanis Monday received a very eclectic grouping of artwork from Reed that includes oils, watercolor, polymer jewelry and fiber art...

GREENCASTLE -- With bad news continually coming down from the state level about school funding around the state, the Greencastle Community School Corporation recently passed a savings milestone it can be proud of. GHS teacher Mike Schimpf, who is spearheading the corporation's energy savings efforts, told the school board at its Wednesday night meeting that the corporation has saved $500,000 in energy costs since the program started in July 2006...