Stories from Thursday, February 24, 2011

For Hoosier schoolkids who hope to reach fourth grade, reading is now even more fundamental to success. Starting with the next school year, Indiana third graders must pass a new statewide reading test. Otherwise, absent four possible exemptions, they'll potentially be retained until they make the grade...

Greene County Sheriff Terry Pierce knows the battle well. He's been fighting it for more than two decades as a law enforcement officer. The stubborn, pesky culprit is methamphetamine or meth. Meth has been around the state for more than 20 years, wrecking lives and families, destroying physical bodies and unnecessarily costing local taxpayers money...

CARLISLE -- It's official. Linton resident Richard Brown has been named superintendent of the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility (WVCF). The announcement was made Tuesday by Commissioner Bruce Lemmon. Brown has been acting superintendent of the over 2,100 bed maximum-security facility since Feb. 6...

There will be an organizational meeting for Lyons Better Baseball and Softball. It will be conducted Monday, Feb. 28 at the Lyons Community Building at 6:30 p.m. All-session tickets for the IHSAA Class 2A Sectional 45 at Eastern Greene High School are now on sale Eastern Greene and Bloomfield High Schools...

GREENE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT JAIL LOG --- LINTON POLICE DEPARTMENT ACTIVITY LOG The Linton Police Department's activity log for Wednesday included one follow-up investigation, one structure fire, one lost and found, two suicides or attempted suicides, two medical/illness, one alarm, four animal complaints, one suspicious vehicle and/or person, four traffic control details, one disabled or stranded vehicle, one ordinance violation and seven traffic stops...

Friday, Feb. 25 Saturday, Feb. 26 Monday, Feb. 28 The Greene Education Services will meet for an executive session board retreat at the Gasthof Convention Center. The purpose of this meeting is to review and update the organizational strategic plan...

GREENE CIRCUIT COURT CIVIL CASES Huntington National Bank v. Jerr D. Cassidy, Caleb D. Cassidy, civil plenary Natasha S. Nalley v. Pomps Tire Service, civil torte Risa Renee Dyar v. Larry J. Dyar, dissolution Tina M. Chandler v. James L. Chandler, dissolution...

Greene County officials and the county health board have entered into a cash settlement agreement with an employee. The employee alleged last July that she was the victim of violations of the county policy handbook and the Family Medical Leave Act. On Monday, the Greene County Commissioners approved the agreement and release with health department vital records clerk Kimberly Rifner, of rural Bloomfield...

If you have unused or expired prescription meds and aren't sure how to get rid of them properly, then be sure to mark your calendar for March 16-23. Linton Family Pharmacy and the Linton Police Department are teaming up during those dates to make the "Take Back Prescription" event possible...

Greene County Sheriff Terry Pierce says action by state lawmakers has helped the overall methamphetamine problem, but more needs to be done. Pierce said legislation, like moving the pseudoephedrine products off the regular shelves and having buyers actually register at the pharmacy and stores when they buy them, has helped...

An investigation continues into an accident involving one vehicle south of Linton early Sunday. The driver of a 2006 Chevrolet pickup truck left the roadway and first struck mailboxes, then a fire hydrant before the truck came to rest inside of a fenced-in area...

A man who was wanted in Hawaii for an alleged sexual assault was apprehended in Greene County early Thursday. Richard W. Rita, 57, has been booked into the Greene County Jail where he is being held without bond. The Linton Police Department was conducting a criminal investigation when officers became aware of Rita...

Due to the uncertainty of future funding, the Bloomfield Board of School Trustees on Thursday night agreed to send "Reduction in Force" notices to three staff members whose salaries are paid from grant money. The deadline for notification of a possible Reduction on Force (RIF) is April 15, according to the district's master teaching contract with the Bloomfield Teacher's Association...

White River Valley concluded the regular season with 44-32 victory over host Owen Valley in a high school boys basketball game Thursday night. The Wolverines (11-10) led by as many as 16 points twice in the final two minutes, including 42-26 after a tip in by John Ashcraft and at 44-28 after a basket in the paint by Jan Juhas...