Hotel rooms at a premium for eclipse

If hotel prices are any indication, it could be quite the economic windfall for Putnam County with the solar eclipse.

While the Greencastle Inn was sold out there were a handful of rooms left at other Putnam County hotels but for a premium price.

The Inn at DePauw was asking $400, while the Econo Lodge in Cloverdale was $395 and the Super 8 in Cloverdale was $382. The Holiday Inn in Cloverdale was charging $284. However, those rooms aren’t close to the most expensive, which was the Days Inn in Cloverdale at $680 after taxes. The cheapest was the College Inn at $90.

Greencastle mayor Lynda Dunbar said the impact will be big as long as people come to Greencastle. 

Greencastle Mainstreet executive director Russel Harvey said he is excited to see visitors come to Greencastle and experience not only the eclipse, but also the local businesses and restaurants downtown. 

"I would urge people to use patience and kindness during the event. We are going to have a lot of visitors to our city, and it is a great opportunity to showcase what we have in Greencastle and what Greencastle is all about. The economic impact could be huge," Harvey told The Putnam County Post. 

Greencastle Police Chief Christopher Jones said his department will be out in full force on April 8 for the event, as well as helping with potential congestion on city roads as citizens and visitors make their way to various events at the Big Walnut Sports Park and the Putnam County Regional Airport, as well as just around town.