Stories from Monday, August 16, 2021

Having known Mike Harmless for nearly 40 years, seldom -- if ever -- has he appeared rattled. Not during his two terms as mayor of Greencastle. Not during an All-America City White House Rose Garden ceremony at which President George Herbert Walker Bush quoted Harmless. Or even during his unsuccessful campaign for Congress a couple years later...

He might have been talking to the City Council but Greencastle Community School Corporation Superintendent Jeff Gibboney was preaching to the choir. Gibboney joined school board member Russell Harvey in reporting to the Council -- which appoints two of the five members of the school board (Harvey and Brian Cox) -- about current projects and achievements during the Council’s August meeting at City Hall...

In a late afternoon Monday message to parents, Greenastle Community Schools Superintendent Jeff Gibboney announced that Greencastle will again require masks for students and staff. “Effective Aug. 17, 2021 masks will be required indoors for students and staff in grades K-12, regardless of vaccination status,” Gibboney said. ...

Back when COVID-19 was still more commonly known as the “novel coronavirus,” Putnam County was handling the burgeoning pandemic on a day-by-day basis. Sixteen months later, the virus is no longer “novel” and the Putnam County Commissioners are seeking a longer term plan for dealing with the employees who need time off, particularly as the delta variant of COVID-19 causes a new spike of infections...

CLOVERDALE — Five motorists were injured in a rollover on Interstate 70 west of Cloverdale late Friday afternoon. At about 4:40 p.m., first responders were dispatched for an accident with injuries near the State Road 243 turnoff along the westbound route. The driver was entrapped while one was ejected from the vehicle, which came to rest in the embankment...

Jeffrey K. McDonald, 60, of Greencastle, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2021. Arrangements are pending at Hopkins-Rector Funeral Home, Greencastle.

The Greencastle Summer Music Festival concludes its 17th season of free concerts celebrating “friends making music for friends” Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Gobin Church with a performance by blues legend Tad Robinson. The concert has been underwritten by Steve and Linda Raines, “in honor of Dorothy Brown, public school teacher and principal, counselor to young adults and her community, passionate bridge player, mother and friend.” Greencastle resident Robinson will be joined by his longtime collaborators, Kevin Anker on keys, Paul Holdman on guitar and vocals, and Brian Yarde on drums...

Delano June Marsee, 88, of Greencastle, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021 at Asbury Towers. June was born in Middlesboro, Ky., on April 4, 1933, the daughter of Luther and Lydia (Reese) Roberts. Mrs. Marsee worked for Marsh in various positions over the years...

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot partially automated driving system after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles, including one into a Cloverdale fire truck. The investigation covers 765,000 vehicles, almost everything that Tesla has sold in the U.S. ...

A lot has changed in the last 100 years, but one thing that has remained the same has been the presence of the Beta Psi chapter of Tri Kappa in the Greencastle community. The local chapter was installed on March 24, 1921, and the current members celebrated the centennial milestone in July with a gathering at the home of current President Diane Ummel in rural Greencastle...

Mary Allison Children’s Trust Vice President Mike Goss (second from right) presents a $250 check to Greencastle Middle School Principal Scott Weltz and teacher Paige Paquin recently from the Project Grants of second semester 2020-21 for the Birthday Project as students Madilyn Hiatt, Jacey Call and Mya Boston display birthday packets...

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CLOVERDALE — Endeavor Communications’ annual Monster Dash 5K will be on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Cloverdale High School. The event will start at 10 a.m. with on-site registration beginning at 9 a.m. Endeavor will also be offering a virtual race option with an in-person live event to accommodate all participants...

RUSSELLVILLE — A call-out for the Christmas Community Choir is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 29 at the Russellville Community Church. All are welcome, and those interested in being in the choir may contact Cathy Jones at 765-376-1260 or email communitychristmaschoir.inc@gmail.com...

Sixteen people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently. Monday • At 5:55 a.m. Logan J. Pizzo, 30, Greencastle, was lodged at the jail for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and on a Morgan County warrant...

The following cases were filed in Putnam County courts recently. Jeffrey R. Skinner, 63, Spencer, Class C misdemeanor driving without ever receiving a license Wilhlem H. Minartz, 40, Greencastle, Class A misdemeanor driving with a suspended license with a prior conviction...

The Bainbridge Volunteer Fire Department will host its annual Smokin’ Rides ‘n’ Rods car show on Saturday, Sept. 11 at the fire station, 500 W. Pat Rady Way. The show will start at 9 a.m., and proceeds from the event will go toward upgrades at the department...

The Greencastle Arts Council is one of five nonprofit organizations in Indiana’s Region 6 (Greater Terre Haute area) to be awarded an Arts Project Support (APS) grant this fiscal year from the Indiana Arts Commission. It is the local group’s first IAC award. Other APS Region 6 recipients are the DePauw University School of Music, Indiana State University’s Community School of the Arts and Linda Luebke Strings Festival, and the Terre Haute Children’s Choir...

Virgil Burl Taylor Jr., passed away Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, surrounded by his loving wife of 61 years and four devoted children at the time of his death. Virgil is survived by his wife, Marilyn Taylor, and four children, Robert Taylor (wife Maggie), Doreen Phillips (husband Terry), Sherri Parker (husband Tony) and Stacy Robinson (husband Jamie). He was preceded in death by son, Gary Taylor. He had nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren...