Stories from Monday, May 21, 2018

OK, so maybe the commencement advice wasn't age-old as much as it was octogenarian-oriented Sunday at DePauw University. Not only did the Class of 2018 and its friends and family hear from featured speaker Vernon E. Jordan Jr., the 82-year-old civil rights activist and presidential confidant, but also received some ageless wisdom from a trio of octogentarians awarded honorary degrees during the ceremony...

The timing of his third appearance as a DePauw University commencement speaker was not lost Sunday on Vernon E. Jordan Jr. After a spring punctuated by a series of racially biased incidents, it was Jordan who spoke the only words about the situation, providing the only overt message Sunday as 473 members of the Class of 2018 received bachelor's degrees at DePauw's 179th annual commencement...

The city of Greencastle itself helped sell the new Greencastle High School principal on his new position, while two new assistant principals in the district really needed no introduction to the community. On Monday, the Greencastle School Board approved Chad Rodgers as the new principal at GHS, while Yolanda Goodpaster was named the new assistant principal at the high school. Additionally, sixth-grade special services teacher Alicia Cupp was elevated the assistant principal at Greencastle Middle School.

A 75-year mystery of World War II will be laid to rest this holiday weekend along with a Greencastle native killed in action almost two years before the Japanese surrender ended the war. It's a mystery that even the surviving family of Thomas Jesse "Tommy" Murphy didn't know was a mystery until his remains turned up on a distant island when a homeowner was attempting to dig footers for a carport and dug up rusty dogtags of another American serviceman...

As multiple local agencies were searching for him Monday morning and afternoon, apparently Arthur Sauer was enjoying quality meal. The 79-year-old dementia patient from southern Madison Township went missing around 10:45 a.m. and was located by Greencastle Police on the north side of the Putnam County Courthouse Square at approximately 1 p.m...

Mary M. Burk, 87, of Greencastle, passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at her residence. She was born March 31, 1931 in Douglas County, the daughter of Claude Douglas and Lillian (Davis) Kellams. She was a graduate of Newman High School, Newman, Ill...

Lilburn (Roy) Hall Jr., 81 of Greencastle, went to be with the Lord Sunday, May 20, 2018. Born May 2, 1937 he was the son of the late Lilburn and Fay (Hatfield) Hall. Roy married Linda Lawson on Aug. 14, 1975, and she survives. Roy was a member of Wellspring Christian Church, an Air Force veteran and loved playing and listening to bluegrass music...

Robert Preston Hershberger, Bob to all who knew him, died on Sunday, May 20 at his home in Greencastle. He was 54. Born in Denver, Colo., Bob loved the outdoors, fishing, traveling, teaching Spanish at DePauw University and leading a myriad of student trips abroad...

Every year, when the school year ends, children who rely on school meals served at Greencastle Schools through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs are at serious risk of going hungry. This is where the Federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) comes in and helps bridge the hunger gap...

County Jail Five people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently. Saturday • At 4:48 a.m. Joseph Daniel Gardner, 25, Greencastle, lodged at the jail for resisting law enforcement, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. Friday...

PUTNAMVILLE — The rains held off over the weekend for Lincoln Park Speedway to host 113 cars and drivers for Saturday evening’s show. Emotions were high in victory lane for several drivers who hadn’t taken the checkered flag for quite some time. There were some tears of joy from youngster Jordan Wever, who captured his first feature win in two years...

Putnam County high school baseball teams will need to make a habit of beating teams with superior records as sectional play begins on Wednesday. Cloverdale and South Putnam meet in the opener at North Putnam, with the host Cougars playing Thursday’s second semifinal game...

BLOOMINGTON — A large contingent of athletes will represent Putnam County today in the IHSAA Girls’ Track Regional at Bloomington North. Leading the pack, as expected, is Greencastle junior Emma Wilson — the defending state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200. Wilson set regional records in both events last year...

Greencastle and South Putnam met for the second time in less than a week on Tuesday night in high school softball, with much more on the line this time around — a berth in the sectional semifinals. South Putnam jumped out to a 3-0 lead after four innings, but held off a late Greencastle rally and escaped with a 3-2 victory...

The Greencastle Summer Music Festival, dedicated to bringing the community together with free Wednesday evening concerts of "friends making music for friends," begins Wednesday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary of Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church...