Stories from Friday, March 13, 2020

All Putnam County Schools will move to e-learning during the week of March 16-20 as local authorities attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 into the Putnam County community. North Putnam, Cloverdale, South Putnam and Greencastle made independent announcements Friday afternoon that school buildings will be closed for the coming week and beyond. The week of e-learning gives students a minimum of a two weeks out of school, as all four corporations are on spring break for the week of March 23-27...

Here, as simply as possible, is where high school sports stand in the midst of one of the most bizarre periods in the history of the competition: The regional tournaments scheduled for Saturday at 16 sites around the state have been postponed indefinitely...

Fourteen players have been selected for the 2020 IndyStar Indiana Girls All-Stars, which was announced Thursday. Highlighting the list for Putnam County fans is Ella Collier of Danville. The school’s first-ever girls’ All-Star, Collier is the career scoring leader for all players in Hendricks County history...

The annual Greencastle Easter Egg Hunt at Robe-Ann Park has been canceled because of the COVID-19 virus. The egg hunt, which annually draws several hundred people to the park each spring, was slated for Saturday, April 4. Park Director Rod Weinschenk announced the decision that the egg hunt had been canceled Thursday night at the Greencastle City Council meeting...

INDIANAPOLIS — A Fillmore man was sentenced this week to 10 years in federal prison after he was found with a large amount of methamphetamine during a 2017 traffic stop. Anthony W. Burnett, 29, was sentenced after entering a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine...

The Putnam County Public Library (PCPL) has canceled all programming and meeting room use through the end of March. “It is with regret that I announce that PCPL has made the difficult decision to cancel all library programming and meeting room usage through the end of March,” Library Director Matt McClelland announced Friday. “At that time, we will reassess the situation...

As it became apparent the NCAA basketball tournaments could not be held over three weeks because of concerns about the coronavirus, organizers scrambled to devise a plan for a 16-team event to salvage the postseason in one long weekend. NCAA vice president of men’s basketball Dan Gavitt told AP he started to consider ways of condensing the tournament Wednesday night after the NBA announced one of its players tested positive for the virus and the league suspended its season...

Putnam County Extension Director Mark Evans receives a $600 check from Putnam County Extension Homemakers Secretary/Treasurer Kelly Robertson (center) and President Cindy Carter.

CLOVERDALE -- With a full audience initially in attendance, robots were given the spotlight during the Cloverdale School Board’s regular meeting Monday evening. The bulk of the session was dedicated to a presentation by the robotics team at Cloverdale Middle School. Under the guidance of teacher Susan Smith, both the regular team, as well as a “girl-powered” team, shared their experiences from recent competitions and what they hope to achieve in the future...

The following cases were filed in Putnam County courts recently. Criminal Cases Gary W. Hill, 30, Greencastle, Level 6 felony battery against a public safety official, Class A misdemeanor resisting law enforcement Joshua W. Turner, 38, Indianapolis, Level 6 felony possession of methamphetamine...

County Jail Four people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently. Friday • At 1:44 a.m. Michael A. Taylor, 53, Naples, Fla., was booked in for driving while intoxicated with a prior conviction and driving while intoxicated-refusal. Thursday...

The message has been sent loud and clear, and received as such: No more concession stand losses will be tolerated. That was the message delivered Thursday night by Greencastle City Council members who questioned Park Director Rod Weinschenk at length on how renewal of a contract with Putnam County Comprehensive Services (PCCS) to operate the concession stand at Robe-Ann Park for 2020 fell by the wayside...

For the 17th year, Dr. John Hennette (left photo) and his staff donated dental services Friday as part of the national Give Kids a Smile Program.

BAINBRIDGE -- Thursday saw a whirlwind of action on the part of community leaders, educators and organizers in relation to the developing spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. Not only was it announced that the annual Ag Day festivities were being canceled, DePauw University and Ivy Tech also announced that classes were being transitioned to online learning...