Stories from Wednesday, February 15, 2012

MONROVIA -- A semi driver, whose rig had become disabled along Interstate 70 in western Hendricks County Tuesday morning, was fatally injured in an accident near the State Road 39 interchange. At approximately 7:36 a.m., Indiana State Police responded to a crash at the 57-mile marker of I-70 eastbound...

A natural gas scare that kept Greencastle firefighters hopping for more than an hour Monday morning turned out to be nothing more than a common problem for thousands of college kids -- a car in need of a tune-up. Greencastle Fire Department crews responded to the first call, to the Putnam County Courthouse, at 9:11 a.m., and the onslaught began. For the next 80 minutes, they responded to calls of a natural gas odor on Washington, Locust, Seminary, Bloomington, Hanna, Indiana and College streets...

BRAZIL -- The Greencastle Tiger Cubs haven't had much success against the Northview Knights' basketball program and that continued on Tuesday night. The Knights topped the Tiger Cubs for at least the 16th consecutive time dating back to before the 1993-94 season...

The Greencastle Nazarene Church will host a meeting of the Putnam County Church Softball League at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20.

Resolutions requesting the United State Department of Transportation to unite all of Indiana in the same time zone by restoring the Eastern Time counties to their original Central Time Zone have been introduced in the Indiana Senate sponsored by Senators Mike Delph and Lindel Hume and in the House by Representatives Jeff Thompson and Dale Grubb...

To the Editor: I've never done this before, but sometimes one has to brag. A week ago, 13 members of Big Walnut Baptist Church made a trip to the funeral home in Westport, Ind., to support me with the passing of my Mom. My appreciation and gratitude exceeds the superlatives in my vocabulary...

To The Editor: The South Putnam Interact Club has received word that the troops overseas have received the care packages we sent them as part of our service project, and they are much appreciated. A special thank you is necessary from the South Putnam Interact Club to Scorpion Protective Coatings, Rotary of Greencastle, Hopkins-Rector Funeral Home, American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary and American Legion SAL, all of which donated items, as well as to Sandra Gardella for the time, donations and support to make this project possible.. ...

To the Editor: Putnam County Hospital would like to thank all of those that helped make the "Hope for a Super 2012" Food and Paper Product Drive a great success. The event was held on Thursday, Jan. 26, a very drizzly day, at the hospital. But despite the weather, we had tremendous support for our event. We collected nearly 1,200 food and paper product items that were then distributed among five organizations within Putnam County...

Seems little wonder to me that Valentine's Day should be forever intertwined with one of the most heinous, underhanded ambushes in criminal history. After all, Valentine's Day is in and of itself a minefield of planning and a holiday of deceit and deception...

A number of people have been booked into the Putnam County Jail recently. At 10:42 p.m. James Lincoln Goddard, 51, Poland, was arrested for operating while intoxicate and public intoxication. At 1:14 a.m. James Dewayne Hilburn Jr., 42, Bainbridge, was booked in for operating while intoxicated with a prior conviction...

The Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce February Business After Hours is set for 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Putnam Inn. Putnam County Purdue Extension and Metronet are the sponsors of the evening of food, drinks and prizes. Chamber members can register to win cable network gift packs, free service from Metronet and other prizes...

CLOVERDALE-- It was a routine meeting for the Cloverdale School Board on Monday evening. The board not only assessed routine matters but also heard updates from the Cloverdale FFA Chapter. The Cloverdale FFA chapter President Cameron Mann and Vice President Katie Arnold made a short presentation to the board discussing the chapter's upcoming events as well as recent achievements...

The Area 30 Career Center Board of Directors met Tuesday morning to discuss several changes that may occur in the upcoming 2012-13 school year. The board heard from Ivy Tech Community College Greencastle Executive Director Sharon Bone to discuss dual-credit opportunities and teacher licensing...

Mary Helen Martin, 99, of Brazil, formerly of Parke County, died Monday, Feb. 13, 2012 at Exceptional Living Center of Brazil. She was born June 21, 1912 in Bridgeton, the daughter of C.L. Reeves and Maud Mitchell Reeves. She married Raymond "Bud" Martin in 1959, and he passed away in 1995...

Herschel "Buck" Jones Jr., 81, Sargent, Texas, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 with his family at his side. Buck was born in Indiana on June 24, 1930 to Herschel and Lima Jones. He served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Buck then went on to work in the construction industry...

Mrs. Joyce A. Custis, 78, of Greencastle, passed from this life to life eternal on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012 at the Putnam County Hospital. Born Feb. 28, 1933 in Putnam County, she was the daughter of John C. and Alpha Mae (Hammond) Boatright. A 1951 graduate of Fillmore High School, she married Norman W. Custis on Sept. 23, 1951, and he preceded her in death Dec. 8, 2003...

The Greencastle Middle School MATHCOUNTS team, sponsored by L. M. Henderson and Co., competed in the regional competition of the MATHCOUNTS Contest on Feb. 11 at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute. Team members are Katie Rose Parsons, Zach Wilkerson, Sam Savage, Lily Spencer and coaches Gayle Hansen and Michele Villinski...

CLOVERDALE -- It was a very busy weekend for Carl and Cindy Harlan, proud new owners of the C Bar C Expo Center in Cloverdale, as thousands of people, mostly Amish, flocked to the newly renovated arena for the third annual Heart of America Dutch Harness Horse Sale...