Stories from Thursday, July 24, 2014

Jeptha Troy "Jeff" Thomas, 52, of Rockville, passed away on Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Jeff was born on March 27, 1962 in Greenfield, and was a 1980 graduate of Greenfield High School. He was a truck driver for more than 30 years, and had worked at Indiana Youth Center in Plainfield and at the Putnamville Correctional Facility...

Cecil M. "Mick" Lancaster, 79, of Greencastle, passed away on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. He was born on Jan. 12, 1935 in Parke County to Virgil M. Lancaster and Thelma Lucille Spurr Lancaster. Mick was a 1952 graduate of Greencastle High School. He served his state in the Indiana National Guard...

Dance Workshop Performing Arts and Fitness Studio will celebrate National Dance Day on Saturday, July 26. From 10-11:30 a.m., instructors will be teaching a beginner dance routine to the song, "Too Cool To Dance" and an advanced routine to the song, "Get My Name." All ages and dance experience levels are invited to participate...

The winners of the 2014 Bakers' Best Contest are (seated from left) Best First Time Participant and fourth-place bread winner Becki Arnold, Reserve Grand Champion and first-place bread winner Barb Lawhorn, Grand Champion, first-place cake and third-place cookie winner Melanie Mangrum, first-place pie winner and third-place cake winner Stephanie Hurt, (standing from left) second-place cake and third-place bread winner Jennifer Romalia, fourth-place cookies winner Katrina Henderson, third-place pie winner Bonnie Bryan, fourth-place pie winner Bob Zaring, fourth-place cake winner Lisa Clark and first-place cookie winner Rachel Curtis. ...

John R. Condon, 60, Greencastle, Lt. Col. U.S. Air Force (retired) died Monday, July 21, 2014. John was born Dec. 25, 1953 in Indianapolis, oldest son of 10 children born to John R and Rose Ellen (Lowe) Condon, both deceased. In 1972 he married Ronda L Christy, and she survives...

The Greencastle Aquatics Center will host a movie night Monday, July 28 for all community members wishing to attend. The movie will be a DreamWorks animated adventure that depicts our favorite legendary sailor framed by the goddess Eris for the theft of the Book of Peace, and he must travel to her realm at the end of the world to retrieve it and save the life of his childhood friend Prince Proteus...

The public is invited to the Putnam County Public Library on Saturday, July 26 at 1:30 p.m. for a talk on postcards by Harley Sheets. Sheets will discuss the history, value and collectiblity of postcards. Following the presentation, he will offer free postcard appraisals for the public...

American primatologist, anthropologist and conservationist Patricia Chapple Wright -- winner of the 2014 Indianapolis Prize -- is coming to DePauw University to discuss her work in Madagascar. Dr. Wright will address "Saving Lemurs from Extinction: The Challenges" at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28 in the ballroom of the DePauw Memorial Student Union Building (408 S. Locust St.)...

The Putnam County Public Library Board met for its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening during which it discussed several ways to keep improving library operations. In hopes of getting more community involvement, the library will soon be introducing a teacher card program. This program will allow for teachers to check out materials for longer periods in hopes of increasing classroom curriculum with a rotation of materials...

The Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours for July is set for 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 29 at Mill Pond Health Campus. The event will feature tours of campus, networking, chef-prepared appetizers, refreshments, music and giveaways...

Aaron, Mathew, Ernie and Nikki Hacker literally make up the staff of the Amen Affordable Bakery that will open this weekend in Bainbridge. ("Amen" being the sum of the first initial of the family's first names.) Owned by Nikki and Ernie Hacker, the made-from-scratch bakery Amen Affordable Bakery in Danville has been a success and now they will be celbrating the grand opening of their second storefront at 9 a.m. ...

Standing on a makeshift front porch in the Putnam County Fairgrounds Community Building, Mitch Myers, the young entrepreneur who has opened the Greencastle market that bears his family name to resounding success, offered up a few neighborly observations Wednesday...

For all the work it takes to be a truly good singer, for some folks it just seems natural. Cord Watkins is just that kind of talent. Performing for a large audience for the first time this week, the 21-year-old Eminence resident wowed the crowds at the Dixie Chopper Free Stage to become the 2014 Putnam County Star...

Winner of the 2014 Spirit of the Fair award Wednesday afternoon at the Putnam County Fair Family Fun Day, Pam Richards (far right) is called to the Community Building stage as Marilyn Grove (left) and Geneva Dorris, both former winners of the award, make the presentation...

Kayla and Alana Witkowski had some fun playing with Cloverdale Police Department's newest K-9 officer Chewy during the Putnam County Fair on Wednesday afternoon. Sgt. Charlie Hallam and Chewy, Roachdale Police Chief Mike Mahoy and his K-9 Toby along with John Holcomb of the Parke County Sheriff's Department and his K-9 unit Ruckus also held narcotics odor recognition, tracking and criminal apprehension demonstrations throughout the day...