Stories from Friday, February 11, 2011

To the Editor: Just as our mothers taught us to write thank you notes when we were children, Parke County REMC believes businesses should say thank you as well. After Mother Nature's visit to the hilly, wooded and rural areas of Parke County last week, more than 7,500 REMC members were dealy with snow, ice and cold temperatures, but were doing so without electricity. The storm affected the co-op's entire service territory...

To the Editor: As an individual who has some cows calving this time of year, I am relieved to hear that there are two less bobcats in the area. I have lived in this area for 59 years and never heard much about bobcats. Where have they come from? Have they been turned loose by some governmental agency as was reportedly done in southern Illinois in recent years?...

Sometimes the most important lessons learned at school don't come from a classroom. They come from how a school reacts to ugly incidents of bias and prejudice. When a principal learns that nasty slurs are being used in the school or that students are being bullied because of their race or ethnicity, it can be tempting to deny it...

With an unexpectedly productive lame-duck session behind it and a new majority taking charge of the U.S. House, Capitol Hill is an energetic place at the moment. The question on everyone's mind -- and not just in Washington -- is whether this energy will amount to anything...

Putnam County Sheriff's Department Damage $2,501-$5,000. Damage $1,001-$2,500. Parker complained of head pain, and her mother transported her to the hospital. Towed by Seniour's. Damage $2,501-$5,000. Hogue was temporarily trapped until another driver assisted in opening the passenger side door...

GREENCASTLE -- A Greencastle woman who served prison time for reckless homicide has been convicted of violating her probation and sent back to prison. Putnam County Circuit Court Judge Matthew Headley ordered Tonya M. Benassi, 37, back to the Indiana Department of Correction for one year. She will receive credit for 65 days...

GREENCASTLE -- This week DePauw University hosted their Focus The Nation event, a yearly event designed to focus dialogue, resources and knowledge about particular issues affecting the world. This year the theme was Green Jobs -- Green Economy, an idea very dear to Mayor Sue Murray and the Putnam RISE program developed this year...

GREENCASTLE -- It's the second round of Recruitment at DePauw University on Friday night, and ice and snow have covered the sidewalk leading up to Phi Gamma Delta, known more by their nickname of Fiji. The fraternity has an open fire pit just out the doorway of their house and members have lined up in their Sunday best along the sidewalk to welcome a second group of possible future members...

GREENCASTLE -- Two-time Kentucky state champion. Four hundred forty eight wins as varsity basketball coach. Forty seven years as an educator. Kentucky Colonel. Sagamore of the Wabash. Looking back on the life of "Coach" Jim Huter, who passed away on Jan. 30, the list of accomplishments goes on and on...

BRAZIL -- Weather forced both the Northview and South Putnam boy's basketball teams to miss nearly two weeks of game action and the rust was readily apparent during Thursday's match-up between the squads. Neither team could find their shooting stroke early on, but the Knights were able to get 22 points from their bench to keep the Eagles winless on the season with a 58-42 victory...

ROACHDALE --After a highly productive first half, North Putnam's ability to score collapsed in the second in a 60-47 loss to Eminence in a nonconference boys basketball game Thursday on the Cougars' court. The Cougars led 35-32 at the half. They were 3-of-19 shooting from the field and 6-of-13 at the free throw line in the second, scoring only six points in each of the final two quarters. ...

GREENCASTLE -- The eighth grade boys' county basketball championship game featured the Eagles of South Putnam and the Tiger Cubs of Greencastle. Both teams won their previous games of the night, as the Eagles defeated the Cougars of North Putnam and the Tiger Cubs ousted the Clovers of Cloverdale...

GREENCASTLE -- With only have one practice in the last week, the Greencastle seventh grade boys team shook off the rust and defeated South Putnam 45-29 to capture the 2011 Putnam County championship. "Every victory is a good win," GMS head coach Mark Lewis said with a laugh. "We had such a layoff with the snow days and missed some practice. I think we've had one hour practice in the last eight days, so it looked like it out there playing...

GREENCASTLE -- After a week off and only a couple days of practice, Greencastle's boys' swim team notched another Putnam County swimming title Thursday night over second place South Putnam and third place North Putnam. The hosts took nine of the twelve events on the evening, with South Putnam winning the other three events...

Dr. John Lloyd Stamper passed away peacefully at home on his 80th birthday on Feb. 10, 2011. He was born Feb. 10, 1931, in Muncie, to Dr. Joseph Herbert Stamper and Gladys Livezey Stamper. He grew up in Middletown. Dr. Stamper received his doctor of dental surgery degree with honors from the Indiana University School of Dentistry in 1957. ...