Stories from Wednesday, June 22, 2011

As we Twitter our way through life these days, the more we are left to our new devices, the more we lose some small portion of our ability to communicate on a human level. We can text and instant message without worrying the least about spelling and punctuation. Damn the grammar and full speed ahead. The faster we deliver the message, the more we lose a little of the personal communicative touches that used to accompany it...

Sheriff's Department Dustin A. Phipps, 18, Indianapolis, was eastbound in a 2004 Ford Taurus and was trying to remove a bee from his vehicle. Phipps went left of center and hit the left rear of Arthur's truck. Phipps was cited for operating without financial responsibility...

PUTNAMVILLE -- Greenprison.org, a division of Correctional Security Network, hosted a Corrections National Sustainability Symposium in Indianapolis, where the Putnamville Correctional Facility was cited as the Indiana prison leading the way in sustainability...

Former Indianapolis Colts players Larry Triplett, left, and Tarik Glenn sign autographs for many fans at the Indianapolis Colts' Fan Fest on Tuesday night. Mark Nichols brought his sons, Halen, Abram and Stuart to meet the players and while he enjoyed meeting Triplett and Glenn, he knew his sons did more.

With a decision still pending on how to refurbish the chair the Putnam County Superior Courtroom, Judge Denny Bridges was in front of the county commissioners Monday evening with another problem to the décor of the room. Problems with a leaky roof over the years caused water damage to some internal walls, including damage to the mural on the wall of the courtroom...

The Putnam County Community Foundation has announced the creation of a new endowment supporting maintenance and capital improvement projects of the Putnam County Fairgrounds. The Fair Board Endowment Committee has set an initial goal of reaching $100,000 by the end of the year...

Despite the ingenuity of a couple of theft suspects, three recent incidents again proved crime doesn't pay -- particularly at the Greencastle Walmart store. Those three incidents resulted in the arrest of four suspects, all of whom ended up lodged in the Putnam County Jail...

The South Putnam School Board Monday night recognized several successful students and administrators for their recent accomplishments. First, the board congratulated the South Putnam High School varsity girls' softball team on winning the IHSAA 2A state championship earlier this month. Board members spent several minutes congratulating the girls for their victory...

PUTNAMVILLE -- Probationary troopers from the 70th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy class were issued their police cruisers this week at the ISP garage located at the Indianapolis District. New probationary officers assigned to the Putnamville Post are Troopers Michael C. Organ, Brian S. Thomas and Marcus R. Tow...

Several kids, including Jonathan Poynter (right) and Noah Poynter play a jousting game where they try to knock their opponents off the inflatable islands in the play area.

CLOVERDALE -- A two-alarm fire in Warren Township kept 13 area fire departments busy throughout Tuesday morning. At 5:47 a.m., the Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at 6821 South CR 250 East, a gunsmith shop owned by Jim Wiegand. It was quickly apparent they would need backup...

Children of the Round Barn Day Care at the Greencastle Presbyterian Church display some of the door prizes for their upcoming chili supper fundraiser. Everyone is welcome to the Thursday night dinner.

On Oct. 1, the city of Greencastle and DePauw University will host the Be Great Today 5K Run at 8 a.m., a race for suicide prevention. This race follows the May 15 suicide of Marshall Mathew, 19, a first year student at DePauw. It will be run on Family Weekend, and is founded and planned by junior Jimmy Kirkpatrick and sophomore Stephanie Sharlow...