Putnam Scanner for Aug. 31, 2021

Monday, August 30, 2021

County Jail

Eight people were booked in the Putnam County Jail recently.

Sunday

• At 1:45 a.m. Alex W. Beach, 26, Fillmore, was taken into custody for battery.

Saturday

• At 12:56 p.m. Michael W. Kennedy, 38, Indianapolis, was booked in on a Marion County warrant.

• At 9:59 a.m. Kenneth R. Baird, 57, Cloverdale, was lodged at the jail for driving while intoxicated.

Friday

• At 7:05 p.m. Teresa L. Tippin, 46, Greencastle, was taken into custody for domestic battery.

• At 2:26 a.m. Colby F. Strasburger, 51, Russellville, was housed at the jail on a warrant for criminal recklessness with a firearm and pointing a firearm.

Thursday

• At 3:47 a.m. Alma L. Bryant-Romine, 56, Indianapolis, was booked in on a pair of warrants for probation violation.

•At 2:11 p.m. Dakota W. Martin, 31, Reelsville, was lodged at the jail on a warrant for unlawful possession of a syringe and driving with a suspended license.

• At 11:32 a.m. Kevin M. Bippus, 34, Indianapolis, was taken into custody on a local warrant.

City Police

Two weekend arrests were reported by Greencastle City Police officers.

• At 10:26 p.m. Sunday, Dustin Strube, 43, Greencastle, was arrested by Officer Luke Brown.

Taken into custody at Washington and Arlington streets, Strube was arrested for invasion of privacy (allegedly violating a protective order). He was lodged in the Putnam County Jail.

• At 10:09 p.m. Saturday, Austin Majors, 23, Greencastle, was arrested by Sgt. Brad Hiatt.

Stopped at Sycamore and Illinois streets, Majors was lodged in the Putnam County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and public intoxication.

Under portable breathalyzer testing, Majors registered a blood-alcohol concentration of .278 percent, more than three times the legal limit of .08 percent.

Sheriff’s Office

A rural Greencastle man was recently involved in two different property-damage accidents, both of them investigated by Deputy Daniel Birt.

• At 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 24, Kenneth G. Pingleton, 43, was backing his 1999 Dodge Ram.

Pingleton told Deputy Birt he was distracted by his children in the vehicle, at which time he backed into the front passenger side of the parked 2009 Toyota Camry owned by Jamie M. Long, Roachdale.

The impact caused little damage to the pickup, but the Toyota sustained a large amount of damage.

Birt estimated total damage at $2,500-$5,000.

• At 8:40 p.m. on Friday, Pingleton was southbound on County Road 700 East in the same 1999 Dodge Ram.

Deputy Birt said it appeared as if Pingleton was unaware of the 90-degree turn at County Road 300 North, as the pickup went straight off the road and into a tree.

Upon Birt’s arrival, Pingleton was not on the scene. However, the property owner said she had come outside after the crash and an older male driver ran toward her stating he was fine and did not need anything.

The property owner then retreated inside and called law enforcement.

Pingleton was charged with misdemeanor leaving the scene of a property-damage accident.

Birt estimated damage at $5,000-$10,000. The pickup was towed.

City Fire

The Greencastle Fire Department responded to five recent incidents:

• At 11:37 a.m. on Thursday, GFD was dispatched to 703 Crown St. for an unauthorized burn. Firefighters arrived at 11:42, advised the homeowner of the city burn ordinance and extinguished the fire. GFD went back into service at 11:56 a.m.

• At 11:58 a.m. on Friday, GFD was dispatched to 109 W. Hanna St. for a fire alarm. Firefighters arrived at 12:02 p.m. and determined that an exterminator had accidentally set of a detector. The alarm was reset. GFD went back into service at 12:17 p.m.

• At 11:16 p.m. on Friday, GFD was dispatched to Delta Upsilon on the DePauw University campus for a smoke alarm. Firefighters arrived at 11:22 and determined the alarm was due to smoking. The alarm was reset. GFD went back into service at 11:38 p.m.

• At 7:46 p.m. on Saturday, GFD was dispatched to the apartments at 330 Greenwood Ave. for persons stuck in an elevator. Firefighters arrived at 7:53 and freed three people from the elevator. GFD went back into service at 8:02 p.m.

• At 12:10 p.m. on Sunday, GFD was dispatched to Mill Pond Health Campus for a fire alarm. Firefighters arrived at 12:13 and determined that a pull station had been activated accidentally. The alarm was reset. GFD went back into service at 12:27 p.m.

Additionally, GFD recently performed 13 medical assists.

Information included in the Putnam Scanner is taken from reports provided to the Banner Graphic by the Greencastle Police, the Greencastle Fire and the Putnam County Sheriff’s departments.

Individuals listed in the blotter have been arrested on probable cause and have not been formally charged. Charging information may change after an initial arrest.

Questions about listed charging information should be directed to the arresting agency.