In case you missed it: Feb. 14

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Here’s what made headlines this week in Hancock County:

Facility bringing 260 jobs to county

MT. COMFORT — More jobs and higher wages are promised for a site of a new meat freezer storage facility in Mt. Comfort.

John Morrell Food Group plans to open the facility in the first quarter of 2016, bringing 260 jobs at an annual payroll of $10 million. The freezer warehouse, the largest distribution center for the company, will ship about 700 million pounds of meat a year.

The figures are higher than in an original plan for the site, announced last fall. The project is switching hands from Tippmann Construction, which had promised 200 jobs at a $6.3 million payroll.

Crawfordsville man convicted in molestation case

GREENFIELD — A Crawfordsville man faces 170 years in prison after a Hancock County jury found him guilty late Tuesday of child molestation.

Michael Youngblood, 34, had an attorney representing him but did not attend the one-day trial in Hancock Circuit Court.

A warrant was issued for his arrest after the jury delivered its verdict following a two-hour deliberation. Youngblood was arrested Wednesday morning at a home, where prosecutors say a 9-year-old girl also was living.

Youngblood’s case stems from allegations dating back as far as 2009.

Volunteers offer free dental care to needy kids

INDIANAPOLIS — The scene at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday afternoon looked more like a child’s birthday bash than a trip to the dentist.

Elementary school students ran and danced around the venue. There was pizza, music, even an inflatable zebra mascot making merry.

About 200 underprivileged children from Indianapolis-area schools received dental services, ranging from teeth cleaning to cavity fillings, during the Team Smile event Wednesday thanks to a pack of volunteers, including a small army from Greenfield.

Dean of students is rocker by night

NEW PALESTINE — By day, Craig Moore is the dean of students and athletic director at Doe Creek Middle School. But once school is out, it’s time to rock ‘n’ roll.

Moore, 38, of Greenfield, boasts a hobby that connects him in a unique way to his young charges; he’s the lead singer of a rock band, Craig B. Moore & The Invaders. The band just released its first album.

Mt. Vernon defeats rival Cougars

FORTVILLE — Part of the winning team in two of the previous three contests vs. Greenfield-Central prior to Wednesday, Sydney Shelton didn’t have much room to complain.

But the Mt. Vernon Division I commit couldn’t help but think she could have done a little more to help her squad, after totaling 21 points in three games against the Cougars the last two seasons.

In Wednesday’s Class 4A Sectional 9 quarterfinal, Shelton vowed to lead the way. The junior guard scored a game-high 26 points in Mt. Vernon’s 45-43 victory against rival Greenfield-Central.