Stories from Friday, January 5, 2018

I-70 traffic stop yields large marijuana seizure near Little Point exit LITTLE POINT -- Interstate 70 in west-central Indiana yielded another significant drug seizure Thursday when an Indiana State Police trooper turned a routine traffic stop into a major marijuana bust...

Alfred E. Havens, 98, of Danville, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. Born Dec. 31, 1919 in Terre Haute, he was the son of Albert Elwood and Olive Rose Mae Myers Havens. He married Billie Lou Clark on Nov. 13, 1948, and she survives. Mr. Havens began his 54-year career with the railroad at New York Central, continued with Penn Central and retired as an engineer from Conrail in 1991...

Cletus "Shawn" Weaver, 55, Quincy, a longtime Morgan County resident, passed from this life on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018 at St. Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital in Indianapolis. He was born Thursday, Sept. 6, 1962 in Martinsville, Ind., to Cletus D. and Wilma J. (Hatton) Weaver...

Charlie VanScoyk accepts the Seniour’s Towing Outstanding Citizen award from Amanda Seniour recently. Seniour told the Banner Graphic that the top two competitors were neck-and-neck for the last week of voting before VanScoyk pulled through for the win. After losing his wife a few years back, the 88-year-old continues to visit the nursing home where she had been staying to deliver McDonald’s pies to the nurses. He is just trying to make their days better like they would his wife’s. After word got out Van Scoyk was nominated, organizers found out he delivers pies to a lot of people. He is likely to spend the $100 he received for the award on pies to make someone else smile.

PLAINFIELD --- Four persons were injured, including one who was airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital, in a serious two-vehicle accident Friday afternoon on Interstate 70 near Plainfield. At approximately 1:30 p.m. troopers from the Indianapolis State Police Post and area emergency personnel responded to the accident in the westbound lanes of I-70 near the State Road 267 exit. Troopers arrived to find parts of Honda Accord and Saturn passenger cars scattered across the interstate...

4-H Youth Educator Indiana online 4-H enrollment has been open in Putnam County since Oct. 1 and remains open through Jan. 15 for all projects to be available. A premier source of enjoyable, educational programs, 4-H is designed to help youth reach their full potential. Enrollment is easier than ever with the 4-H online system, https://in.4honline.com as one may also use a hand held or tablet device...

Apparently criminal activity isn’t immune to the arctic temperatures that have gripped the Greencastle area the past two weeks. And we’re not talking about breaking-and-entering crime to save one’s self from the ravage of nature crime. We’re talking about senseless, wanton destruction of public property crime...

If it seems pretty difficult to recall a colder start to a new year than this has been, it darn well ought to be. Because according to the National Weather Service, the first week of 2018 has been the coldest start to a new year on record in Indiana (or at least for the 146 years the NWS has been keeping track)...

Assistant Editor Putnam County has a new tool at its disposal to monitored unsafe buildings in the county. On Tuesday, the Putnam County Commissioners passed an ordinance adopting the State of Indiana Unsafe Building Law. Although already defined in Indiana Code Chapter 36-7-9, the Unsafe Building Law is only effective in localities that choose to adopt it and appoint a department to administer the ordinance...

The following cases were filed in Putnam County courts recently. Criminal Cases Philip M. Reed, 38, Brazil, Level 6 felony driving as a habitual traffic violator, Level 6 felony unlawful possession of a syringe, Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement, Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana...

County Jail Three people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently. Friday • At 2:17 a.m. Frank Adam Roche, 27, Fillmore, was lodged at the jail on a local warrant. Thursday • At 5:28 p.m. William Aton Grogan, 41, Greencastle, was taken into custody on an out-of-county warrant...