Stories from Tuesday, December 8, 2009

CLOVERDALE -- All five passengers on a Cloverdale Community Schools bus that crashed into a telephone pole Tuesday afternoon escaped injury. Cloverdale Police Department Sgt. Charlie Hallam said the crash was called in at about 2:20 p.m. The accident happened at C.R. 925S, just before the entrance to the Stardust Hills subdivision...

GREENCASTLE -- Greencastle fourth-grader Mia Muckey will portray a Munchkin in the Indianapolis Civic Theatre's upcoming production of the "The Wizard of Oz." Featuring large children's chorus, stunning scenery and all of the songs made popular by the movie, the Indianapolis Civic Theatre's production of "The Wizard of Oz" -- its signature holiday outing -- opens Friday and will run through Jan. 3...

GREENCASTLE -- A trial for a Coatesville man accused of child molesting was set to take place in Putnam County Superior Court on Tuesday, but was continued until March 2. Robbie G. Stanton, 35, has been in the Putnam County Jail Judge Charles Bridges originally set Stanton's bond at $25,000 cash only after Stanton's arrest in early August. In September, Bridges modified Stanton's bond to $20,000 with 10 percent allowed or $15,000 surety...

INDIANAPOLIS -- State Rep. Nancy Michael (D-Greencastle) will bring her Statehouse office to the 44th House District on Dec. 18 to meet with area residents, answer their questions about the 2010 session of the Indiana General Assembly and help them respond to any problems they might be having with state government agencies...

GREENCASTLE -- Clerk of the Putnam County Circuit Court Marty Watts updated Putnam County Commissioners on Monday on changes being made to the voting precincts for the 2010 election. The changes will be in effect for the May 2010 primary. "Because of the overwhelming voter growth in some of our precincts, the Indiana Election Division has requested that we do precinct splits and changes to help balance voter population growth," Watts explained...

CLOVERDALE -- Due to recent litigation over an unpaid water and sewer bill, the town of Cloverdale modified its ordinances to include legal costs and attorney fees. The town council approved Ordinances 2009-12 and 2009-13, sewer and water respectively, during its regular meeting Tuesday...

Karen Joan Thomas, 54, of Greencastle passed away Monday, Dec. 7, 2009 at her home after a long battle with melanoma. Karen was born May 25, 1955 in Logansport, the daughter of Jimmie R. and Carolyn (Kelley) Thomas. Karen was a graduate of Greencastle High School class of 1973, where she was a member of the National Honor Society...

GREENCASTLE -- Because urban and community forests can make a difference in our lives and replenishing the tree cover within the municipal parks system is a high priority for the City of Greencastle, is what led the City of Greencastle Tree Board, Board of Park Commissioners and the Greencastle Parks and Recreation Department to apply for the ALCOA/DNR Community and Urban Forestry Tree Planting Partnership Grant...

GREENCASTLE -- Not even half of the 744 properties up for sale at Nov. 3's Putnam County Tax Sale were sold. This situation has left the Putnam County Commissioners looking for other avenues to divest themselves of the delinquent properties. At their meeting on Monday, the commissioners heard a proposal by Joseph G. Edwards, vice president of Indianapolis-based SRI Inc., about ways to go about selling the properties...

GREENCASTLE -- With the end of 2009 rapidly approaching, the Greencastle Common Council's main order of business was to take care of some financial housekeeping before Jan. 1. Council members unanimously approved a resolution to transfer funds within three different departments to balance the funds for year's end. ...