Stories from Wednesday, January 5, 2011

January is national Cervical Cancer Awareness month. How much do you know about cervical cancer? What are your risks for developing cervical cancer? Do you know what symptoms to look for? Cervical cancer is a slow-growing cancer that is caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that can be carried by either partner...

My father used to hold his hand up next to his face and flap his thumb and four fingers together to mimic my mom's incessant yakking on the phone. My wife is very different from my mother. Mary Ellen does not talk much on the phone. Not that she doesn't try...

It's a new year ... and that means a new beginning. Time was, I'd make all kinds of totally unrealistic resolutions. You know, just set myself up for failure. By February, I was always mired in self-loathing because of my total lack of willpower or commitment...

GREENCASTLE -- With the New Year in swing, the Putnam County Public Library (PCPL) has a number of new and returning programs set to start up. In January the library is offering a way for people with library fines to both lower those fines and contribute to a good cause. ...

Mrs. Tommie Jean Swilling, 85, Greencastle, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011 at Autumn Glen Assisted living center. Born Oct. 4, 1925 in Elbert, Tex., she was the daughter of Joseph C. & Ina (Mitchell) Hargrove. She married William Ward Swilling on Aug. 12, 1944 and he preceded her in death on May 7, 1981...

Norma Dueece Spencer Newsom Young, 84, died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010 at Laurel Regional Hospital in Laurel, Md. of complications from pneumonia. She was born to Clyde and Cecil Stewart Spencer on Dec. 20, 1926, in Fort Wayne. She graduated from Greencastle High School in 1945 and attended Indiana University...

GREENCASTLE -- County Planner Kim Hyten brought attention to some repairs and upgrades needed at the Putnam County Courthouse. The county will be addressing these issues in the coming months. Hyten first reported that the freezing and thawing during the winter is damaging stones on top of the south wall of the structure. He said a small problem arose late last winter when one of the stones fell to the sidewalk below...

GREENCASTLE -- Kristen Fry and Kyle Alcorn were recently announced as the winners of the District Farm Bureau, Inc. Foundation Scholarship. Fry and Alcorn are both students at Purdue University. Fry is the daughter of Phil and Janice Fry of Roachdale. Alcorn is the son of Ron and Jane Alcorn of Greencastle. Local winners received $300 and the district winners receive $500. This makes five consecutive years that a Putnam County student has won one of the Indiana Farm Bureau District Scholarships...

GREENCASTLE -- Last month, Faiza Iddrisu and Samad Mahama took a leap of faith and brought their 2-year-old daughter Kalila from Ghana, Africa to Indiana to undergo heart surgery. On Tuesday, a vibrant Kalila was in Greencastle to celebrate her recovery from the procedure with a group of people who helped make it happen...

CLAY CITY -- Just a week removed from a meeting at the Toby Yoho Classic tourney held at Eastern Greene High School, Clay City and Cloverdale tangled in round two on Monday evening. However, the Eels returned leading scorer Carmela Roeschlein to the lineup after she missed the first meeting, a 47-23 Eels' win. ...

GREENCASTLE -- The Greencastle Tiger Cubs opened the 2011 portion of their schedule with a 41-point blowout against Northview Tuesday. Four players scoring in double figures helped propel the Tiger Cubs to victory as they move to 10-3 on the season...

GREENCASTLE -- The Putnam County Commissioners approved the filling of three part-time positions in three county offices at Monday's meeting. Kathy VanArsdale of the microfilm department, Sheriff Steve Fenwick and Recorder Opal Sutherlin all approached the commission about new hires to fill vacant positions...