Stories from Friday, May 12, 2017

Johnathan Thibodeau has his eyes set on a career in the National Football League, and the South Putnam senior thinks Wabash College is the best place to help that dream come true. Thibodeau signed his national letter-of-intent on Friday to play football for the Little Giants, and while he’s excited about the opportunity he’s also realistic...

The Putnam County Council, which normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month, will instead meet on the fourth Tuesday of May. The May meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23 on the first floor of the Putnam County Courthouse.

Danny Gidcumb, 83, Greencastle, passed away Monday, May 8, 2017 at Regional Hospital in Terre Haute. He was born Feb. 3, 1934 in Owensboro, Ky. He was a U.S. Army veteran. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Wanda; two sons, Alan (Gale), Greencastle, and Donald (Neri), Florida; and a daughter, Debora (Brian) Monnett, Greencastle; four grandchildren, Tashia, Joshua, Mandy and Joseph; and five great-grandchildren...

Joyce Kay Scott, 69, of Greencastle, passed away Thursday, May 11, 2017 at her residence. Born Oct. 17, 1947 in Lebanon, Ind., she was the daughter of Lonzo Artman and Elizabeth (Johnson) Artman. Joyce had worked at the Ice Miller Law Firm in Indianapolis for more than 30 years...

Mary E. (Taylor) Allen, 83, of Mooresville, went to be with the Lord on May 11, 2017 with her loving family by her side. She was born to Clarence O. and Violet Zella (Smith) Taylor on Dec. 26, 1933 in Columbus. She graduated from Columbus High School in 1951. She married Roy H. Allen on Oct. 30, 1953...

Robert Lee Dortch, 69, passed away Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at his residence. Robert was born in Madison County, Ill., on July 24, 1947, the son of Orman and Martha (Patterson) Dortch. He attended Granite City High School in Illinois. Mr. Dortch earned his master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Illinois State University. He taught math at Mclean County Schools in Normal, Ill., for 33 years, and was the golf coach there for more than 15 years...

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — DePauw rode a wave of highs and lows in its opening game of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament on Thursday, but nothing could top senior Zack Wade’s two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to send the Tigers to a 5-4 win over Oberlin...

The Greencastle volleyball program will be hosting a camp on June 5-6 for girls entering grades 3-8 in the 2017-18 school year. The camp will be run by high school coaches Maggie Walters and Denise Meyer. The junior varsity and varsity volleyball players will also be assisting and coaching...

PUTNAM COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY May 15-20 Monday, May 15 -- Imagination Portal Unplugged, 9 a.m.-noon. Enjoy the Imagination Portal without monitors, video games or music in the background. -- Community Help Desk, 2-4 p.m. PCPL has a technician available to diagnose and help repair computers and electronics. Most problems can be repaired in 20 minutes but if your computer problem is severe enough, or would take longer than 30 minutes to fix, it is recommended you take it to a professional...

In a ceremony on Thursday, the Area 30 Career Center recognized nearly 150 seniors who had completed at least one year in one or two programs. Seventeen students received scholarships: Derek Ummel (Indiana Blood Center Scholarship, $400); Emma Taylor (Busch-Nunley Scholarship, $1,500); Mary Bousman, Jessica Duell, Taylor Graham, Nashoba Lackey, Harley Manion, Rachael Mboga, Grace Paul, Gabrielle Selvia, Ben Schultz, Emily Scott, Abigail Speas, Lydia Trout, Madison Trout, Grace Willard and Cameron Wunderlich (Area 30 Career Center Scholarship, various).. ...

The following cases were filed in Putnam County courts recently. Criminal Cases Robert J. Speedy, 18, Cloverdale, Level 6 felony battery on a person less than 14 years old Honey Reed, 39, Cloverdale, Class A misdemeanor driving with a BAC of .15 or more, Class C misdemeanor driving while intoxicated...

County Jail One person was booked in the Putnam County Jail on Thursday. • At 11:37 p.m. Quatterain Raheem Plummer, 23, Brazil, was lodged at the jail for driving without ever receiving a license. City Police A 34-year-old Tennessee man, reportedly driven to Greencastle by a friend for a job interview at the Chiyoda plant on State Road 240, was arrested on four charges early Thursday by Greencastle City Police...

There are six weeks left in this year’s United Way of Putnam County 2017 campaign and the organization is making a plea to donors to help better the lives of Putnam County residents. “We don’t want to leave anyone behind and the United Way will continue to be there with our partners – whether they are people facing a crisis in their lives, isolated seniors, or children and youth who benefit from reading help or social activities after school. ...

BAINBRIDGE -- Though proceedings are strictly preliminary at this point, councilmen in Bainbridge are keen on enforcing a stringent ordinance already implemented by many small towns across Indiana, prompting tense discussion Wednesday that lasted for most of the regularly-scheduled town hall meeting...

Street resurfacing, sidewalk replacement and major projects to both Indianapolis Road and U.S. 231 are in the City of Greencastle’s future. And so possibly is a new means of funding roadwork. City residents could be looking at a new $25-per-vehicle excise and wheel tax in the not-too-distant future...

As volunteers of the Greencastle Sustainability Commission, three DePauw University freshmen undertake a project to plant native Indiana flowers in front of the Putnam County Public Library. Working in the area at the corner of College Avenue and Poplar Street Thursday are (from left) Rachel Moore of Avon, Mayra Leon Coss of Chicago and Joevita Weah of Indianapolis. ...

My dad's idea of heaven would have been lounging under the expanse of an old tree as it dabbled the sky above green. He'd surely have wanted the added comfort of a rich, brown beer or jammy red wine. A dog, content and cozying at his side, would have completed the picture. His were simple joys, simply enjoyed...