Stories from Thursday, December 1, 2016

Houston Lee Sering, 78, Crawfordsville, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. Born Jan. 20, 1938 in Paris, Ill., he was the son of Herman H. Sering and Anna Mae Pointer Sering. He graduated from Crawfordsville High School in 1956...

Ralph H. Jordan, 85, of Fillmore, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Born Sept. 1, 1931 in Delaware, Ohio, he was the son of Ralph Harry and Marie (Clark) Jordan. He was a veteran having served in the United States Air Force. Ralph had worked at IBM for 35 years, as a tool and die maker, retiring in 1987...

CLOVERDALE —Endeavor Communications deepened its support of the local communities it serves by making a donation of $3,434.44 to the area chapter of the American Cancer Society. The funding includes donations collected as part of Endeavor’s second annual Monster Dash Family 5K Walk/Run on Oct. 8 as part of the Cloverween event at Cloverdale High School...

A DePauw University professor is a longlist nominee for the International Dublin Literary Award. Assistant professor of English Robert Stevens, who writes under the name Robert Yune, was honored for his debut novel, “Eighty Days of Sunlight.” The international literary award is presented each year for a novel written in English or translated into English...

A food drive at Putnam County Hospital in which departments competed against each other to collect the most items resulted in 735 products being collected and donated to the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry recently. Hannah Cline (second from right), hospital dietitian, and Dave Hurst (third from right), PCH kitchen supervisor, present the food items to Food Pantry volunteers (from left) John Jackman, Dale Jessup, Patricia Hoopengarner and (right) Tim Wait...

To the Editor: Due to nationwide protests, Ringling Brothers has retired the use of elephants in their circus, however, Indiana Animal Rights Alliance, Animal Protection Advocates and concerned citizens who know animal-free circuses can be just as fun will protest the continued use of other wild animals such as lions, tigers and bears in the Ringling Brothers Circus Dec. 1-4 at the Bankers Life Field House in Indianapolis...

To the Editor: On behalf of the Putnam County Board of Realtors, I would like to thank everyone that attended our bingo event on Saturday, Nov. 12. This was our 15th bingo since we began holding this fundraiser back in 2009 and we had 156 bingo players on hand...

“Donald Trump’s election and his divisive messaging to Americans created an atmosphere of hate in Indiana.” This is a statement that has been conveyed to me by many Hoosiers since the November elections. Communities across the state are reporting incidences of hate speech directed at racial and religious minorities. Places like Bloomington and Earlham College, thought to be bastions of inclusivity and learning, are under attack by those seeking to strike fear in others...

As hard as the campaign might have been and the transition is proving to be, Donald Trump’s challenges are really just beginning. Governing after a toxic election in which the results awarded him an ambiguous national mandate — his opponent, after all, got more votes — will require finesse, a clear-eyed view of his role in the world, and no small amount of luck...

A frightening scene unfolded at one of the city’s busiest intersections a week ago. An ambulance T-boned the passenger side of a police SUV, totalling both vehicles and sending both drivers to the hospital. In the aftermath of the incident it became clear that neither driver was facing life-threatening injuries. However, some frightening realizations also emerged...

Administrators and faculty from the four Putnam County high schools are again working with the Washburn Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) to select one member from each senior class to represent his or her school in the annual Putnam County DAR Good Citizen competition...

As of Sunday, Nov. 27, Shoe Sensation’s Socks for Troops program has collected 3,996 pairs of socks and 585 shoe laces for local veterans and active duty military overseas. The program is receiving tremendous community participation, Shoe Sensation officials said, thanking all who have donated so far on behalf of our troops and veterans...

The South Putnam School Board recognized the Central Elementary Spell Bowl team for its achievements in recent competitions. The team -- consisting of Trenton Craddock, Lilly Emmerich, Madison Gardner, Dylan Gilley, Caroline Hodge, Elly Holland, Alexa Newby, Madison Stahl and Naomi Sunderman -- placed 13th in the state out of 134 elementary schools...

The following cases were filed in Putnam County courts recently. Criminal Cases Zachary Smith, 24, Putnamville Correctional Facility, Level 4 felony prisoner possessing a deadly weapon, Level 5 felony battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer, Class A misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance...

County Jail Six people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently. Wednesday • At 9:19 p.m. Richard E. Mullis, 37, Indianapolis, was housed at the jail on a probation violation. • At 5:36 p.m. Derrick Wilson Johnson, 28, Lincoln, Ill., was booked in for probation violation...

The Greencastle High School basketball teams will host an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 in the high school cafeteria. The menu includes spaghetti, bread, salad and a drink. Tickets for the event ar $8, while children under 6 eat free...

In commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the servicemen who gave their lives on Dec. 7, 1941, Greencastle VFW 1550 will host a dinner for veterans on Wednesday, Dec. 7. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. at the post, 819 S. Jackson St. Turkey with all the fixings will be served...

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, all around the town and everywhere around the county as well. As the month of December has arrived, a huge number of weekend activities are planned in celebration of the holiday. They include: -- First Friday arrival of Santa Claus Friday (tonight) at the Putnam County Courthouse. He will meet with children in the rotunda 6-8 p.m...

Kroger Central Division leaders are preparing to celebrate a multi-million-dollar investment in its Greencastle store. Months of work will end Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony inside the store at 821 Indianapolis Rd. The celebration begins at 8 a.m. Friday...

During a noon luncheon meeting of the Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Tuesday, Bruce Clute, DePauw University director of collaborative community initiatives and auxiliary services, points out some of the amenities of the new 48,000-square-foot Hoover Hall dining center which opened recently at DePauw. ...

In recognition of local veterans, the Putnam County Public Library is participating in the Our Heroes’ Tree program. A tree will be put up in the library lobby on Monday, Dec. 5 and decorated with remembrance ornaments that honor the legacies of American service people...

Plans for the replacement of three aging buses, classroom lights and auditorium seats were all advanced during the Greencastle Community School Corporation’s monthly public meeting. Transportation representative Dan Green was granted permission by the board Monday to begin accepting bids for two of the three potential vehicles. At the board’s October public meeting, a total of $650,000 was appropriated from various funds to pay for the new full-sized buses...

Finally completed -- as wished, hoped and prayed for -- within a single construction season, the South Street project on Greencastle’s South Side is all but finished and now open to traffic. Mayor Bill Dory made that announcement to the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission Wednesday evening after its members unanimously approved the final right-of-way acquisition parcel for $4,002...