Friday, Feb. 12, 2021
Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
The Shelby County real estate market took its annual January dip but still exceeded last year’s metrics. Twenty-nine single-family homes were sold in the county last month, down from 50 in December but up from the 22 sold in January 2020. The median price, however, rose slightly from December’s $153,000 to $155,000. Available inventory continues to be a challenge. Only 40 homes were active in January, down from 42 in December 2020 and significantly lower than the 68 homes for sale in January 2020.
The Shelbyville City Council Tax Abatement Committee unanimously forwarded a favorable recommendation yesterday to the full council. Toray Resin, 821 W. Mausoleum Road, Shelbyville, a subsidiary of Toray International based in Tokyo, Japan, is requesting a standard ten-year fixed abatement on $2 million of new equipment, to be installed this year in an effort to increase production capacity. Toray Resin general manager Scott Hickman told the committee that business has rebounded since the onset of the pandemic. The local plant mostly produces plastics and chemicals for the automotive industry. The facility will add seven new jobs to the current rolls of 85. City Council will consider the request at next Wednesday’s meeting, which was rescheduled due to President’s Day.
The good news is that the Shelby County Recycling District received substantially more Christmas lights this season than in last year’s collection. Even better news is that Pettit Auto Parts & Recycling on Goodrich Ave. is willing to pay for them. The original plan had been to transport them to the west side of Indianapolis. “You even saved us mileage,” advisory committee president Betsy Stephen told Pettit.
The annual county clean-up and shred event, sponsored by the Shelby County Recycling District, is slated for May 8, 7 a.m. to noon at the fairgrounds.
Betsy Stephen was re-elected president of the Shelby County Recycling District Advisory Committee last night; Pamela Dearinger was elected vice-president.
The Shelby County Recycling District board authorized attorney Jody Butts to proceed on the board’s behalf for an inspection warrant regarding 7966 W. Old State Road 252, near I-65 in Edinburgh, owned by Patrick Black. Recycling District officials had previously agreed with Black’s attorney, Robert Yeager, to arrange a time to assess the violations. The meeting didn’t happen. “The day before we were scheduled to go out there, we got a call from Bob Yeager saying that Patrick Black had hurt his back and that he was not going to allow us onto his property,” Butts said. An administrative warrant, if approved, would allow officials to assess violations and take any action deemed necessary. Shelby County officials have addressed vehicles and debris on the property over a period of several years.
Coulston Elementary recycled the most of any local school in January.
Enrollment numbers by gender were made available at yesterday’s Blue River Career Programs meeting, which included 200 males and 122 females in the current cohort.
The Blue River Career Programs board yesterday accepted the following donations: $2,000 from Good 360; $500 for a fire and rescue scholarship from John and Stacy Cranford in memory of Jakob McDaniel; and $946 in annual distributions from the Blue River Community Foundation from the Walter and Edna Cuskaden Fund and Personnel Management, Inc. fund.
A driver lost control of his vehicle, which ran through a wooden fence behind a home in the 500 block of Fifth Street, Shelbyville. Also, thefts were reported in the 800 block of E. State Road 44 and at 2500 Progress Parkway, Shelbyville.
As of yesterday, the state reported 4,504 positive coronavirus cases in Shelby County, an increase of 12 from the previous day, out of 17,859 tests, an increase of 26 from the day before. The number of deaths for Shelby County remained the same, at 87.
Indiana law enforcement groups are on both sides of a debate over legislation that would no longer require Hoosiers to get a handgun license. The process to get a handgun license typically takes just a few days. Hoosiers must complete an application, get fingerprinted and visit their local police agency. During that, law enforcement completes a thorough background check. They look for, among other things, whether the person has a domestic violence conviction, any record of abusing drugs or alcohol and whether they've been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility. The process has taken much longer during the COVID-19 pandemic, as much as a few months. A House committee took testimony but did not vote on the bill Wednesday. The deadline for it to do so is next Tuesday. (Indiana Public Media)
THIS DAY IN SHELBY COUNTY HISTORY
News around Shelbyville and the surrounding area as reported on or about this date in history. Selections are curated from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.
20 YEARS AGO: 2001
Developers for a proposed Shelby County horse racetrack filed an application for a location near Fairland with the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. Indiana Downs LLC proposed to build near I-74.
The SHS boys basketball team defeated Seymour, 42-41. The Owls were ahead 41-36 when Cody Fair stole the ball and was fouled. He hit both shots. Brooks Gardner then picked off an inbound pass. He missed the shot but teammate Phil Stout scored on the rebound. After Seymour failed to convert, Gardner hit the game-winning shot with two-and-a-half seconds to play.
30 YEARS AGO: 1991
Members of the Shelby County jail task force recommended that a new jail be built near the courthouse.
Tom and Ruth Hood of Milroy won the $2 million Lotto Cash drawing. The ticket had been purchased in Rushville.
40 YEARS AGO: 1981
County Councilman Dan Ivie, the new owner of the Todd-Bennett men’s clothing store on Public Square, said the business would be called Ivie’s Todd-Bennett for the next year and then would become Ivie’s Gentlemen’s Clothing. Ivie thanked previous owner Robert Bennett and his late father, Allen C. Bennett, for years of training. Ivie had started working at the store in 1957 as a high school student. After graduating from SHS and active duty in the Air Force, he returned to Todd-Bennett in 1962. Ivie and his wife, Barbara, had three children: Robin, 18, Dannette, 15, and Brady, 12.
Dr. William DePrez Inlow, 90, co-founder of the Inlow Clinic 58 years prior, died. In June 1979, the Shelbyville Rotary Club had presented its annual Arts and Humanities Award to Dr. Inlow for making his “dream” come true. His dream: Providing Shelby County with “specialized medical treatment comparable to that available in Chicago, Rochester, or anywhere.” Dr. Inlow, a surgeon, and his two brothers, Herb and Fred, opened the Inlow Clinic in 1923. Born in Manilla in 1890, he was the son of Cyrus and Allie (Haehl) Inlow. He married Harriet Norma in 1925 and they had three sons: William D. Inlow, Dr. Robert Inlow, and James Inlow.
50 YEARS AGO: 1971
The County Plan Commission appointed J. Lee McNeely as attorney and legal adviser for the commission. McNeely, who was also Shelbyville City Judge, succeeded Fred V. Cramer, who had resigned to become chief deputy prosecuting attorney.
60 YEARS AGO: 1961
Congressman Richard Roudebush of Noblesville was slated to be the featured speaker at the upcoming Shelby County Republicans’ Lincoln Day Dinner. Ralph VanNatta was banquet chairman.
The Optimist Club presented The Freedom Shrine to Shelbyville High School, which included replicas of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. (Below: The Freedom Shrine display is now housed at Shelbyville Middle School.)
70 YEARS AGO: 1951
Harold Valentine continued calling square dances at Taylor Roller Rink. The weekly event was in its third year at the rink and averaged 700 attendees. The big dance, which owner Ed Taylor said had been highly successful, attracted scores of servicemen from nearby posts. It was advertised as “the biggest barn dance in Hoosierdom.”
80 YEARS AGO: 1941
SHS student Carmen Moody won the Shelby County Good Citizen Contest sponsored by the state organization of the DAR.
The Comstock Hardware Company, on S. Harrison Street, purchased its third Plymouth station wagon in a month for delivery service. J.F. Chumbley, of Jess Smith Auto Sales, made the sale.
90 YEARS AGO: 1931
Twenty flat cars loaded with Farmall Tractors were brought into Shelbyville over the Pennsylvania lines, and were on display in the yards of the railroad company near the site of the old passenger station on S. Harrison Street. A large crowd turned out to see the machines.
Enos Porter, George Rafferty, and M.D. Guild were informed that their company had struck oil in Kentucky. Shelby County farmer J. Harvey Snider had been in charge of the drilling. The flow was estimated between 600 to 700 barrels every 24 hours.
100 YEARS AGO: 1921
About 400 tickets had been sold for the “Water and Crackers” banquet to be given at the Armory. Money derived from ticket sales would be turned over to Mayor Hoop and County Nurse Mrs. Drake to assist with services for the needy.
Charles Ewing and Ortis Headlee played musical instruments for the girls at the Y.W.C.A. meeting in a room on Public Square. The girls participated in several old-fashioned dances, such as the Virginia Reel.
OBITUARIES
Carolyn Smith, 87, of Fairland, passed away February 11, 2021 at her residence. Services will be announced by Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home.