Stories from Friday, March 29, 2013

PUTNAMVILLE -- The Putnamville Correctional Facility recently hosted a Cupcake War to raise money for the American Heart Association. The event was sponsored by the Promoting Positive Correctional Culture (PPCC) committee and featured 15 varieties of cupcakes...

County Jail Several people were booked into the Putnam County Jail recently. At 10:54 p.m. on Wednesday, Randy Lee Weddle, 43, Fillmore, was arrested for operating while intoxicated with a prior conviction, driving with a suspended license, public intoxication, neglect of a dependent, criminal recklessness and two counts of resisting law enforcement...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Rather than trying to craft a preview of a pair of games into a coherent story, I'm instead going to try to describe what it was like to watch practice at Lucas Oil Field on Thursday, the site of Friday's NCAA regional semifinals. Oregon kicked things off, followed by Michigan State, Louisville and Duke. Louisville and Oregon tip off at 7:15 p.m. tomorrow, followed by Duke and MSU at about 9:45 p.m...

ROACHDALE -- There may be no single sport that requires as much precision and expertise as track and field. Each event is vastly different and requires an entirely unique set of fundamentals and skills. North Putnam girls' coach Kevin Lutes knows that, and he knows that trying to guide a team of so many, across such large space of land, is a difficult task...

The South Putnam baseball team struggled last season, and they're not hiding that. But the team, led by new coach Zach Love, is ready to take a significant leap forward. "We're optimistic," Love said. "We're hopeful that things will start to turn around. We've got a good group of seniors that should provide some good leadership."...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Legislation sponsored by State Sen. Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) giving Hoosier community members more of a say in their local government's structure passed the Senate Committee on Local Government Wednesday afternoon by a 7-0 vote. Sen. Bray is sponsoring House Bill 1186 in the Senate to make sure residents and landowners are closely involved in the process to determine whether or not a community becomes a town. That decision currently lies mostly with county executives...

The Putnam County Non-Food Pantry, hosted by St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, will be distributing items from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 30, in the parish hall at 520 E. Seminary St., Greencastle. In order to be eligible for these items, persons must bring proof of Putnam County residence...

The people of Lifespring Church would like to invite and encourage anyone who is looking for a church to worship at, either permanently or during the Easter season, to come and join them for their anointed and powerful services. Their schedule for the Easter weekend begins tonight with a Good Friday worship and healing service at 7 p.m...

The subject of child abuse garners an almost universal reaction among Americans. In a recent poll, 89 percent of Americans called child abuse a "very important" moral issue to them. Yet it is something that continues to be a problem across the country...

A blizzard of demolition activity at Putnam Plaza is just the appetizer for what's coming to town later this spring -- a Dairy Queen Grill & Chill store. City Building Inspector Dave Varvel confirmed Thursday what has been rumored for several weeks, that Dairy Queen has indeed purchased the old Sonic property on Greencastle's East Side and will be making its return to Greencastle...

The Putnam County Airport finds itself in need of new management following the resignation of Dixie Chopper Air, effective April 1. Art Evans, founder of Dixie Chopper and president of Dixie Chopper Air, terminated the contract as airport fixed base operator (FBO), detailing in a letter to the board that "the current management fee is insufficient to offset the cost to operate the airport and provide the required services."...

Joe Baird, 88, of Russellville, died Thursday, March 28, 2013 at Hendricks Regional Hospital. He was the oldest son of Clifford and Olive Everman Baird. He married Ida May Burk Clodfelter on Feb. 16, 1952. She preceded him in death on Oct. 7, 2009. A graduate of Roachdale High School, he was a World War II Navy air crewman...

Vivian Madden, 97, Cloverdale, passed away on Friday, March 29, 2013 at the Mill Pond Health Campus, Greencastle. She was born Jan. 28, 1916 in Putnam County and was the daughter of the late Charles Preston and Emma Florence (Lawrence) Scott. She married Richard Clovis Madden on March 13, 1937, and he preceded her in death on July 3, 1988...

Dancing with the Putnam County Stars is set for Saturday, April 6 at the DePauw University Indoor Tennis and Track Center. Local celebrities will go toe to toe and raise money for Putnam County Youth Development. This is the first of three sets of biographies of the 2013 stars...

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale softball team is coming off an extremely successful 18-9 season and, since last year ended, the squad has been looking forward to the 2013 team. The Clovers have a difficult road ahead of them with defending state champion South Putnam as their opponent on Monday and Tuesday, but the veteran group is ready to make a name for itself...