Stories from Monday, December 14, 2009

CRAWFORDSVILLE -- The South Putnam boys' basketball slipped to 0-6 on the season after a 59-41 loss to Southmont Saturday. Brayden Freeman and Derek Dean led the Eagles with 10 points each, with Cameron Chestnut adding seven and Dean Varvel chipping in five points. Nathan Welty and Adam Masters contributed four points each...

JASPER -- The Greencastle wrestling team went 1-3 against teams in the Top 10 in the state. Greencastle's win came over Forest Park 40-15. However, they lost to No. 5 Mater Dei 70-3, No. 9 Bloomington South 67-12 and Jasper 54-22. Trevor Teal went 2-0 on the day, with Nick Pingleton, Kodi Collins, Jesse Vermillion and Jesse Ford posted records of 2-2. Dustin Law was 1-2, with Tyler Hudson, Hunter Smith and Nikko Hayden going 1-3...

SULLIVAN -- The Greencastle boys' basketball team felt the sting of an overtime loss for the second straight night on Saturday, as they fell to Sullivan 70-67. The Tiger Cubs drop to 1-4 on the season. Nick Hutcheson led the Tiger Cubs with 30 points, followed by Jordan Hickam with 20 and Tyler Lewis with 13. Keith Carr and Spencer Moore chipped in two points each in the loss...

CRAWFORDSVILLE -- Crawfordsville shot a sizzling 61.1 percent from the field and also had a substantial advantage rebounding to defeat North Putnam, 76-55, in a nonconference boys basketball game Saturday on the Athenians' court. The Cougars (1-4) played respectably on offense, making 45 percent (23-of-51) of their field goal attempts and committing only seven turnovers, but it was no match for the Athenians (4-1). ...

Greencastle was the second stop on a state tour by the ambulance above and its crew, which is calling for health care reform in the country. Crew members who stopped in Greencastle as part of the "Code Blue! We need reform -- stat!" ambulance tour were, from left, Eighth District Organizer Brad Riley, Field Director Sam Gilchrist and Communications Director Reesa Kossoff. The tour, organized by Indiana Change That Works, is calling for "elected officials to vote 'yes' to a plan that will ensure affordable coverage for nearly every American." While in Greencastle, the crew met with Kay Sligh, the owner of a local child care business who is currently uninsured. The premiums are simply unoffordable for someone who is self-employed. As they travel around the state, the "Code Blue" crew is trying to tell stories like these as well as meeting with elected officials. Ultimately, they hope to collect what they've found on the tour and present the information to Senators Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar in hopes of getting them to vote for health care reform. Other stops on the tour have included Gary, Terre Haute, Washington, Princeton, Evansville, New Harmony, New Albany, Charlestown, Madison, Seymour, North Vernon, Kokomo, Logansport, Plymouth, Michigan City and Elkhart.

If you or a family member has been successful at hunting deer recently, you may also be hunting some new ideas for ways to prepare venison that will appeal to your family. The Extension Office website may be just the resource you need. For recipes on cooking all kinds of venison, go to the Putnam County Extension Office website at www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam then click on CFS Homepage and then on either Venison Recipe booklet for recipes using ground venison or click on Venison Cookbook for even more ways to cook all types of venison.. ...

GREENCASTLE -- Rhonda Stonebraker, owner of the Mona Lisa's Spa and Salon, has been going to a few of her client's homes to cut and style their hair for a long time. She decided now was a good time to reach out and offer her services to other homebound people who might want hair care...

GREENCASTLE -- Geneva Dorris of Cloverdale was the recognized at the 2009 Friend of Extension at the Putnam County Extension Service Annual meeting Dec. 3. Extension Board member Rodger Winger and Extension Educator Jackie Baumann presented the award and plaques to Dorris,...

Jamie Lee Spears, 33, of Cloverdale, died on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 in northern Owen County, due to injuries received in an automobile accident. He was born on Feb. 3, 1976 in Indianapolis. He was married to Jeanine Ford Spears, and she survives. Mr. Spears was a forklift driver for Wal-Mart Distribution in Greencastle...

Paul Leroy Allen, 71, Tonganoxie, Kan., formerly of Greencastle, died on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. He was born on Jan. 19, 1938 in Putnam County and was the son of the late Paul M. and Mary Alice Cline Allen. He married Shirley A. Burnham on September 17, 1960, and she survives...

GREENCASTLE -- As the United Way of Putnam County campaign heads into the end of the year, funds are still needed to help support the 15 local agencies that count on receiving funds from United Way. "Individual donations are coming in much slower than they did last year. We have had some great support from local companies," said Executive Director David English...

GREENCASTLE -- With the winds blowing and the temperature outside dropping, most Putnam County residents were tucked warmly in their homes last Tuesday night. But a group of paranormal investigators were indifferent to the weather outside as they explored Old Toppers Restaurant...

Four-year-old Alyssa Goebel gets a Christmas tree painted on her nose during lunch with Santa Saturday. Families enjoyed pizza, cookies and other goodies, games and a drawing for several items. Table Talk Ministries, based in Greencastle and founded by Bill Hutson, sponsored the event.

Carolyn Wren Larkin, 85, of Plainfield died peacefully Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 in Plainfield Healthcare Center surrounded by her family. She was born Sept. 20, 1924 in New Ross to George S. and Ozella Miller Wren. She graduated from Greencastle High School in 1942 and attended Indiana University in Bloomington. She married Robert "Bob" Larkin on Sept. 23, 1945 in the First Christian Church, Greencastle...

GREENCASTLE -- Larry Shinn has been working in bike shops for 12 years. He knows everything there is to know about bicycles and how to fix them. "Larry is the best bike mechanic I know," said Dave Fink, Shinn's business partner at Covered Bridge Cyclery...