Stories from Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Convenience, it appears, can also be a curse. That cell phone on your hip, in your hand or buried in your pocket or purse can be a lifeline in an emergency or just a means of staying in contact with friends and family (now there's plan). But it can also keep you far too connected than you need to be. After all, anyone with your number in his or her phone can get ahold of you any time day or night, weekends or holidays...

The Putnam County Sheriff's Department is hosting the seventh annual Haunted Trail on Saturday, Oct. 27 and Sunday, Oct. 28. The trail will be from 7-11 p.m. on both nights. The trail is located on the south side of the jail in the woods and the cost will be $1 to enter and children 10 and under are free...

The Team Riggle Foundation will be hosting two events to benefit early-onset Parkinson's disease research on Saturday, Nov. 10. The event will be split into two parts. The first part will be a tennis mixer from 1-5 p.m. at the indoor tennis center on DePauw University's campus. The second part will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Inn at DePauw's conference room and will consist of a buffet dinner. Internationally renowned blues and soul singer Tad Robinson will perform starting at 8 p.m...

On Tuesday, October 16 at 2 p.m. Brad W. Smythe, 43, New Carlisle, was driving a 2007 Ryder rental truck southbound on U.S. 231 North near County Road 1400 N. Smythe said an oncoming vehicle was driving left of the centerline so he swerved to avoid a collision...

October is a beautiful month when autumn comes upon us in many ways -- farmers harvesting their crops, fall festivals, bleachers full of people watching football games and leaves of red and gold blanketing the ground. Purple is another color representative of October because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month...

The third annual Halloween Festival is scheduled for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday Oct. 27 at the Putnam County Fairgrounds Community Building. Starting at 11 a.m. visitors can enjoy a variety of games and activities, including a cupcake walk. Those who bring a used book for the book exchange will receive one in return...

Ken Owen, executive director of media relations at DePauw University, will return to his television news roots this week to moderate the third and final debate between the three candidates for Indiana governor. The debate will take place this Thursday evening at the studios of Fort Wayne PBS affiliate WFWA-TV, beginning at 7 p.m. It will air statewide...

The North Putnam Youth Football League Cougars ran the tables this season en route to capturing the Super Bowl. Even more impressvie, the team didn't allow a single point scored against them. Members of the Cougars are (front, from left) Lucas Spencer, Nick Huff, Jake Nevitt, Jarrek Montgomery, Zane Mason, James Duncan, (middle) Peyton Myers, Kolton Thorson, Zac Collins, Evan Davies, Ethan Lasley, Chris Murray, (back) coach Mike Collins and coach Kevin Thorson...

Getting ready for the first rounds of the Greencastle Public Works Department leaf vacuum, Willard Bumgardner puts his leaf blower to work Monday afternoon, sending leaves flying curbside at his 207 N. Madison St. residence. City workers will officially begin leaf-collection efforts on Monday, Oct. 29, running the leaf vacuums along the city trash route schedule through Nov. 30. (Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE)

The South Putnam School Board held a special school board meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss several issues relating to maintenance. Representatives from Schmidt Associates came before the board with information regarding the exterior brick of the high school, in particular the brick around the gym walls...

Talk about a poor, misunderstood piece of real estate ... The half-acre property along the north side of Shadowlawn Avenue, just east of the vegetable stand on the corner of U.S. 231, has been operated as a commercial site for easily more than 50 years...

Inspired by stories read in class about Lou Gehrig, Amelia Earhart, and Eleanor Roosevelt, students at Cloverdale Elementary School in Mrs. Bookwalter and Mrs. Kemp's fourth-grade reading classes decided to delve deeper into these heroic individuals' lives as well as other famous people...

Martha A. Beam Woods, 65, of Greencastle, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012 in her residence due to complications from cancer. She was born on Nov. 28, 1946 in Lebanon, Ind., to the late Delmar and Doris Tillet Hicks. She was a 1971 graduate of Indiana University...

James William Perkins Jr., 54, of Crawfordsville, died Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012 at Hendricks Regional Health in Danville. Born November 1, 1957 in Greencastle to James William and Jean Baker Perkins, he graduated from North Putnam High School in 1977 and worked 20 Years at Fleetwood Travel Trailers in Crawfordsville...