Evans restarts political career with rare Democrat win

Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Reaching across the aisle and across the road, new Greencastle Township Advisory Board member Russ Evans, a Democrat, celebrates with neighbor Danny Wallace, a Republican who won a seat on the Putnam County Council.
Banner Graphic/Jared Jernagan

Former Greencastle City Councilman Russ Evans restarted his political career Tuesday. On Wednesday he’ll restart his heart.

Evans, a 68-year-old Democrat who last served as elected official on the 2004-07 City Council, captured one of three seats on the Greencastle Township Advisory Board Tuesday, joining longtime Republican incumbents Karen Ambler and Marilyn Clearwaters on the panel.

Outpolling Republican Ashley Bieniek 1,562-1,498, Evans emerged as the only Putnam County Democrat to defeat a Republican and claim a contested race in 2018.

But more important than his political career staying alive, however, is his health.

At 6 a.m. Wednesday, Evans was headed to St. Vincent Hospital at Indianapolis to have doctors restart his heart, something they expect will put his heart back in sync.

“I’m in A-fib,” Evans said matter of factly as courthouse well-wishers offered congratulations on his political triumph Tuesday night. “The top and bottom half of my heart are not in sync.”

Evans said he had his annual check-up Monday and his doctor seemed very detailed in the examination, listening intently to his heart and firing follow-up questions at the patient.

“He said, ‘Are you dizzy? Do you fall down?’” Evans related, noting that he responded by telling the physician not only does none of that happen but he walks about five miles a day and works out for an hour daily at Anytime Fitness.

“Don’t ignore your health,” Evans offered as words of advice. “This is why people need to go to the doctor and get a prostate exam or a heart check-up.”

Back working part-time at Goody’s after retiring from Walmart Distribution, Evans said he didn’t tell anyone about his heart concern until after the votes were counted.

The people Evans told were then quick to tell him, “We need you around.”

Putnam County Democrat Chairman Kim Fidler was among those happy for Evans.

“I’m really glad Russ got in,” she said, congratulating him as the only Democrat to survive one of 16 contested races on the Putnam ballot.

Public service is nothing new for Evans. He has now served as an elected official for the Bainbridge Town Council, Greencastle City Council and as a newly elected member of the Greencastle Township Advisory Board.

Residing in Greencastle since 1995, Evans has been a City Park Board member and has also served as a member of the Putnam County 911 Advisory Committee, Putnam County Convention and Tourism Board, Operation Life Board of Directors, Putnam County Red Cross and Putnam County Firefighters Association.

He also has contributed to the community as deputy director of the Putnam County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Evans temporarily retired from public service in 2011 after a run of health concerns, including a two-year bout with cancer and complications that included three surgeries and a few trips to the ER in 2009.

But he obviously couldn’t stay away from being involved in the community. You might say his heart just wasn’t in it.