Stories from Friday, June 19, 2015

After almost 15 hours of police negotiating with a 33-year-old Cloverdale man, the barricaded situation has been defused. Indiana State Police hostage negotiators spent much of the second half of Thursday and the early morning hours of Friday trying to talk James Kirby out of his Market Street apartment...

The Cloverdale FFA Alumni Track, Tractor and Car show has been postponed until Aug. 1 due to the impending approach of Tropical Storm Bill that is expected to drop major rainfall amounts in the area over the next few days. Organizers hope the move to Aug. 1 will allow everyone to plan a great day at the Putnam Park Road Course with fun times, classic cars, and fast rides around the track...

Learn all about composting with Master Gardener Karen Staub in the next My Garden Series Brown Bag program on Tuesday, June 23 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Putnam County Public Library. Staub is a gold member Master Gardener and a master naturalist in Putnam and Parke counties, and a speaker on invasive as well as edible and medicinal native plant species...

As the county continues to work through funding an upgrade to 911 software, the Putnam County Council likely needs to pass a new County Adjusted Gross Income Tax (CAGIT) for public safety. The first ordinance, passed in May, did not address how the money would be divided between the county and municipalities...

Even after a methamphetamine lab is shut down, the dangers of contaminants inside the structure remain unless cleaned and inspected by qualified professionals. While this is no secret, the Putnam County Health Department has in the past had no avenue of recourse to notify the public of a contaminated property or to force the owners to clean it up...

INDIANAPOLIS -- William Goins, Old Dominion Freight Line Inc., was awarded Grand Champion at the 2015 Indiana Truck Driving Championships June 13 at Lincoln College of Technology. This year over 170 drivers competed for the title of grand champion. Goins, of Cloverdale, will be competing in the American Trucking Association's National Truck Driving Championships Aug. 11-15 in St. Louis, , along with more than 415 top professional drivers from across the United States...

Several people were booked into the Putnam County Jail recently. At 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Randy Lee Dearing, 35, Danville, was arrested for theft. At 5:08 p.m. Joshua Allen Sebastian, 24, Greencastle, was charged with battery with bodily injury, invasion of privacy, disorderly conduct and probation violation...

Honoring the recent efforts of the Rotary Club of Greencastle to clean up in the Greencastle community, Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tammy Johnson (center) presents the Community Clean-Up Day traveling plaque to Bob West, who organized the club's clean-up effort along a stretch of Bloomington Street. Also receiving the award on behalf of the club are Bill Dory, David Greenburg and President Jennifer Soster.

The Greencastle Police Department is asking the community for help locating Tom Brock. The GPD said about an hour ago he fled south from the area of the Greencastle WalMart on foot. He is being sought for leaving the scene of a property damage accident...

"All I want, is all you got", was a common cry heard this week at Deer Meadow Primary School as the boys varsity team from Greencastle High School hosted it summer skills camp for rising kindergartners through eighth graders. The camp was an hour-long session with three different groups: kids going into kindergarten through second grade, kids going into third grade through fifth grade and kids going into sixth grade through eighth grade...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla -- The Hurricane Junior Golf Tour (HJGT) has announced it will be making three tour stops in the remarkable state of Indiana. They will also be hosting numerous events in the surrounding states of Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky. The full schedule is available at hjgt.org. ...

New Life Baptist Church is hosting a Back Yard Bible Club 2015 on June 20 and 21. The Saturday session will feature a free swim from 6-8 p.m. at Robe-Ann Park. Then on Sunday, everyone is invited to the church at 51 Ridgeway St. for a free meal and more splash activities...

PUTNAMVILLE -- The Gospel Servants Quartet will provide music at Abundant Life Baptist Church during the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, June 28. Abundant Life Baptist is located at the corner of State Road 243 and U.S. 40 in Putnamville. Everyone is invited...

WALTER FRANCIS PETER CHIARELLA graduated from the University of the South during 2015 commencement ceremonies held in All Saints' Chapel on the Sewanee campus on May 10. Chiarella, of Greencastle, was awarded a BA in environmental studies: natural resources and the Environment...

Noble Fry will be celebrating his 95th birthday on Saturday, June 20. Born in Putnam County, he is a longtime farmer in the Roachdale area and has been involved for many years with 4-H, Farm Bureau and the Putnam County Commissioners. He has three children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren and has been married to his wife Edith for 74 years...

Danny and Carolyn Fritzinger were married at Jordan Village Presbyterian Church on June 6, 1965. The couple resides in Coatesville. They have two children, Damon (Deanna) Fritzinger of Greencastle and Mitzi (Dave) Nauert of Fillmore. They also have five grandchildren, Megan, Bridget and Zoe Fritzinger and Jordan and Taylor Nauert...

After several months of discussion, the North Putnam Community School Corporation board voted against implementing a solar farm at the middle/high school. Andy Cooper with Johnson-Melloh first presented the idea for the roughly $4 million solar farm in February to create a solar farm in order to become the first "net-zero" school in Indiana through the use of solar panels in a five-acre area. The topic had been vaguely discussed for months before...

In most of our lives, 30 constitutes a milestone year, and the Putnam County Community Foundation is no exception. Looking back on the 30 years since the Foundation's inception locally, the annual meeting of the organization Wednesday night shined the spotlight on the group's origins and originators...

County Jail Eight people were booked into the Putnam County Jail recently. At 10 a.m. Thursday Chad Ray Bryson, 41, Greencastle, was arrested for nonsupport of a dependent. At 11:30 a.m., Tre Martel Spencer, 21, Indianapolis, was charged with driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana...

County Jail Eight people were booked into the Putnam County Jail recently. At 10 a.m. Thursday Chad Ray Bryson, 41, Greencastle, was arrested for nonsupport of a dependent. At 11:30 a.m., Tre Martel Spencer, 21, Indianapolis, was charged with driving with a suspended license and possession of marijuana...

The following cases were filed in Putnam County courts recently. Criminal Cases Marcus Williams, 20, Greencastle, Class C felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury, Class D felony battery resulting in bodily injury Joshua A. Sebastian, 24, Greencastle, Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement...

The Putnam County Airport Authority will conduct a special meeting on Monday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the airport office. The board is scheduled to discuss pending property acquisition and a grant application. The meeting is open to the public.

Learn all about Composting with Master Gardener Karen Staub in the next My Garden series Noon Brown Bag program on Tuesday, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Putnam County Public Library. Staub is a Gold Member Master Gardener and a Master Naturalist in Putnam and Parke counties, and a speaker on invasive as well as edible and medicinal native plant species...

Bob Ford, a member of the Indiana High School and Purdue University basketball Halls of Fame will highlight the guests attending the Purdue Club of Putnam County 17th annual Purdue Open Golf Scramble on Wednesday, June 24 at Windy Hill Country Club...

Carrying on an annual tradition, the Putnamville United Methodist Church is slated for noon-3 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 at the historic church building in Putnamville. All are invited to enjoy ice cream, homemade cake and pie, ham sandwiches, hot dogs, coneys, chips, lemonade, iced tea and soft drinks for a freewill offering...