Stories from Wednesday, January 20, 2010

To the Editor: Putnam County Public Library would like to congratulate the authors featured in the 2009 Literary Magazine: Dean Finley, Lori Crosby, Theresa Hendrixson, Tom Smith, Mary S. Smith, Ted Yahraus, Addison Hughes, Evaline Clark, Adam Addison, Nancy McFarland, Dianna Huff, Cynthia Dewes, Ted Callender, Anne Phipps and Larry Reeves...

To the Editor: I am writing in regards to the Angela C. Weeks who has recently been in the Putnam Scanner for various charges and arrests. My name is Angela Gayle Weeks. I teach first grade at Deer Meadow with the Greencastle Community School district. I have lived here for nine years...

To the Editor: You hear the phrase "times are tough" a lot lately. Loss of employment, foreclosures, cost of medications and high gas prices are only a few of the troubles facing people everywhere, and that list goes on and on. Thanks to some very giving residents in Putnam County, 58 families hopefully had it a bit easier when they had food baskets delivered before the Christmas holiday...

I'm remotely uneasy about lots of things ... the dark, driving in bad weather, spiders. But the thing that has always paralyzed me with fear is needles. Shots, blood draws, IVs, whatever ... anything involving a needle makes me break out into a sweat and start to hyperventilate. I have terrible veins, and sometimes I have to be poked several times...

Putnam County Jail Dax A. Bunch, 37, Cloverdale, was booked at 1:03 p.m. Friday for intimidation and battery. Billy L. Jones, 33, Greencastle, was booked at 8:26 p.m. Friday for a warrant and violation of probation. Michelle Capps, 25, Greencastle, was booked at 11:10 p.m. Friday for theft...

Doris M. Keller, 87, of Greencastle died on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 at Clarian Health/ Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. She was born June 17, 1922 in Putnam County and was the daughter of the late James Quinton and Anna Grace McAninch Smedley. She was married to Howard B. Keller on April 1, 1958, and he preceded her in death on Nov. 1, 2003...

Thomas I. Bixler Jr., 51, of Spencer died on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010 at his residence. He was born Jan. 26, 1958 in Putnam County, the son of the late Thomas I. and Reba Ann Orr Bixler. Mr. Bixler was a contractor and owned and operated B & C Construction. He enjoyed racing his modified race cars...

CLOVERDALE -- It has taken almost one year to the date, but it is finally happening. Three vacant and unsafe structures will be razed. During the January town council meeting, sealed bids for demolition of the structures were opened and read. Spiker Excavating, Greencastle, was the lowest bidder for all three properties -- bidding $3,200 for 203 S. Lafayette St.; $6,400 for 4 S. Lafayette St.; and $2,300 for 270 Downboy Way...

GREENCASTLE -- The homicide on Jan. 13 caused South Putnam School Corporation to place its schools on lockdown. Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt said the staff performed excellent in the difficult situation. "I want to give a big thank you to the staff at Reelsville (Elementary) for the way they performed," he said during the school board meeting Tuesday...

GREENCASTLE -- Tuesday night's Putnam County Council meeting began with a changing of the guard. Mitch Proctor, who has been the council's president since he served at his first meeting in 1985, told his fellow council members that in addition to not wanting to be considered for the council presidency for 2010, he also would not seek re-election in November for his council seat...

GREENCASTLE -- The South Putnam swim teams took on Cascade Tuesday, with the boys' tying the Cadets with a score of 89-all and the girls' falling 120-64. "Overall, very pleased with our meet," head coach Emily Coers said. Picking up wins for the girls' were the 200 medley relay team of Sarah New, Jessica York, Kate Sherwood and Amanda Lund and the 200 freestyle team of Josie Farmer, Lyndsie Beasley, Samantha Tomasino and Lund...

GREENCASTLE -- Coming off its West Central Conference team title Saturday, Greencastle entered Tuesday meet with Speedway with one wrestler having some unfinished business. Kody Collins came in second to Speedway's Jesse McIntosh Saturday, but on Tuesday it was a different story. Collins came out aggressive, and as the old adage states, saved the best for last...

When U.S. Army Spec. Glen Fenwick left with his unit Charlie Company, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade for Afghanistan last July, there were 14 men in his unit. Within six months, only four were alive. Glen is one of those survivors. Altogether, 21 soldiers died...

GREENCASTLE -- It wasn't until a group of nine from Cornerstone Baptist Church saw a television report that they realized what they had narrowly missed by only hours -- a devastating earthquake that rocked the island they just left. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the island nation of Haiti Jan. 12, nearly destroying its capitol Port-au-Prince and affecting a third of its entire population...