Stories from Thursday, February 17, 2011

The story of Jackie Bristow's music career is one of a girl and her guitar. The native of New Zealand spent a decade and a half in Australia before traveling halfway around the world to Austin, Texas with just her guitar. If only "Freedom," her U.S. debut album were so simple -- a girl and her guitar...

BY CAINE GARDNER Film Critic I anxiously awaited my full review copy of "Never Let Me Go", the film I dubbed as my personal favorite of the year. I watched it twice right from the get go when I received my awards season copy and haven't returned to it...

The 23rd annual West Central Indiana Quail Unlimited banquet and fundraiser is scheduled for Feb. 26 at the Dixie Chopper Business Center at the Putnam County Airport, located off S.R. 240 at Ballard Lane in Greencastle. Dixie Chopper is the corporate sponsor for the event...

INDIANAPOLIS -- State Sen. Connie Lawson on Monday joined Women in Government in hosting a legislators briefing on lupus in hopes of establishing a better understanding and awareness of this chronic autoimmune disease. "It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans are living with lupus in our country and lupus annually costs Indiana an estimated $628 million," Lawson said. ...

From Feb. 21-23, student volunteers from Ivy Tech Community College, Wabash Valley will join student volunteers from hundreds of other universities and colleges across the country in collecting a shirt or other items of clothing for the oneSHIRT National Collegiate Clothing Drive...

TERRE HAUTE -- The Greencastle Middle School team placed second at the regional MATHCOUNTS competition, held Feb. 12 at Rose-Hulman University. The GMS team finished just behind Honey Creek Middle School of Terre Haute. Individually, Zach Wilkerson placed 12th, Beth Ann Hansen placed 13th, Sedrick Weinschenk placed 15th and Katie Rose Parsons placed 19th...

Putnam County Sheriff's Department Damage $2,501-$5,000. Damage $1,001-$2,500. Putnam County Jail Errol Dean Baker II, 43, Greencastle: Check deception, Feb. 12, 1:30 p.m. Jose Manuel Vargas Contreras, 26, Indianapolis: Possession of methamphetamine, sale of methamphetamine, Feb. 14, 6:15 p.m...

GREENCASTLE -- The Putnam County population grew by 5.4 percent in the last 10 years, falling slightly below the state's percent change of 6.63 percent. The State of Indiana recently released an extract of its United States Census 2010 redistricting data, which reveals the county has seen a population increase of 1,944 since the 2000 Census...

GREENCASTLE -- Opera is seen as a dated, incomprehensible art form to some, but the DePauw University opera event this week was crystal clear in its approach and its voice. This past weekend, from Thursday to Sunday, the School of Music held their yearly opera event at the Moore Theater in the Green Center for Performing Arts. This time, director Keith Tonne, along with conductor Orcenith Smith, decided to perform two one-act operas as opposed to one larger one...

GREENCASTLE -- A Greencastle woman who injured four people with a knife during a September 2009 fight at a local tavern has been given a six-year sentence. Treva J. Jackson, 37, was convicted of two counts of Class D felony criminal recklessness. Judge Matthew Headley sentenced her to concurrent three-year sentences (the maximum sentence for a Class D felony). ...

With the recent warm spell, the ice and snow from the bad weather that shut Putnam County down a few weeks ago has disappeared, but one reminder remains -- the scattered tree remnants. Susan Lorimer with D & S Tree Service Inc. said it took her company a while to be able to approach some of the tree issues left over from the big storm...

CUNOT -- The father of a Cunot boy who died in a hit and run accident said that he hopes more witnesses are able to come forward in the death of his son. Terry Bottoms, the father of Billy Bottoms, 12, who died after a hit and run accident Jan. 22 as he was walking home from an event at the Cunot Community Center, said he is still hoping to learn more about what happened the night his son was struck...

Mary K. Quinnette, 83, Greencastle, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011 at the Mill Pond Health campus. Arrangements are pending at the Hopkins-Rector Funeral Home If you have any questions, please phone 653-6262

GREENCASTLE -- A Greencastle man convicted of attempted murder was sentenced Thursday to 44 years in prison. On Jan. 20 a jury found Justin L. Hargrove, 25, guilty of Class A felony attempted murder and Class D felonies resisting law enforcement and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon...