Stories from Monday, February 21, 2011

Dorothy Lucille Smith, 81, of Greencastle passed away Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 at the Hickory Creek at Sunset. Born Aug. 31, 1929 in Greencastle Township of Putnam County, she was the daughter of Charles Ora and Maude Sarah (Gibbs) Slavens and a graduate of Greencastle High School's Class of 1947...

The IHSAA released its 2011 boys' basketball sectional draws Sunday night, and 15 teams from around the region will be right here in Putnam County for sectional play. At South Putnam, eight teams will vie for the Class 2A Sectional 46 Crown. County foes North Putnam and Cloverdale will open the tournament with a 6 p.m. ...

Youth grades three through 12 are welcomed to join 4-H and are reminded that the deadline to enroll is April 1. Some projects have earlier deadlines; so get signed up now if you are interested in joining 4-H this year. The 4-H program is more than the important lessons learned from showing livestock or farm activities that come to mind with most individuals. ...

Bed bugs, quarter-inch and smaller insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals, have become a growing concern across the country. Darrell Brackney, an environmental health specialist with the Putnam County health department, said the bugs have been found in respectable hotels, and they can be transferred in luggage and clothing after a stay. He also said that the bugs have experienced a recent resurgence...

GREENCASTLE -- Putnam County high school students are invited to take part in Rotary's annual speech contest. The topic this year is Rotary International's "Four-Way Test." The Four-Way Test was devised by Herbert Taylor in the 1930s when he took over a struggling company. He tried to come up with ethical guidelines for the company. He eventually settled on four questions:...

Melted snow and ice has caused quite the muddy mess across Putnam County. This South Putnam school bus got stuck in the mud southwest of Reelsville at the intersection of CR 775W and 1050S Friday morning.

GREENCASTLE -- The Putnam County Farm Bureau, Inc. held its second Legislative Update Session in 2011 with nearly 50 local patrons crowding into the Farm Bureau boardroom. The hot topic of the day was filled with emotion as area teachers and administrators discussed their displeasure with current bills that are progressing through the legislature that will provide state funds to pay tuition to private schools, changing the funding formula to cut General funds by over $200,000 to our local schools, along with several other education related bills that would change education throughout the state.. ...

GREENCASTLE -- Newsweek has called Lee Hamilton "Mr. Integrity," while USA Today recently noted that the veteran statesman "is one of the last of the Washington 'wise men,' figures who ruled Congress, led Cabinet agencies and shaped foreign policy during a less partisan era."...

GREENCASTLE -- As the county continues to look for options to raise the level of the railings on the third and fourth floor of the courthouse, the commissioners heard two new options Monday evening. Eric Ratts of DLZ presented the commissioners with three options, one of which he presented at a previous meeting...

BAINBRIDGE -- Kim Johnston of Bainbridge will often go months at a time without hearing from her younger half-brother David Buranich, who lives in California. But whether she hears from him or not, Johnston knows there is a piece of her that is always with her brother -- quite literally. On March 23, 2003, Johnston traveled to California to donate a kidney to her brother, who was diagnosed in 1992 at the age of 14 with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type II (also knows as dense deposit disease).