Friday, April 12, 2024
THE WHEEL TURNS
New apartments under construction and a sculpture along the trail are visible from North Tompkins St. and River Road. | photo by JACK BOYCE
Forum Hosts Primary Candidates, Part I
Editor’s note: The following is the first in a series outlining the views of candidates, or their representatives, who spoke at the recent Northwest Shelby County Concerned Citizens’ Coalition forum.
U.S. House of Representatives 6th District
Three of the seven Republican candidates running for U.S. House of Representatives attended Tuesday’s forum. Although their pitches were different, their answers to the questions posed were along the same lines.
“My answers aren’t too dissimilar,” State Rep. Mike Speedy said as the last of the three to speak.
Jamison Carrier, John Jacob and Speedy all said they generally approve of legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes but not for recreational use. Carrier has concerns about marijuana being a “gateway drug,” and said regulation must be given consideration. The Greenwood businessman is running for public office for the first time.
Jacob, a former state representative, called himself an “ultra conservative” and anti-establishment. “I was rated the most conservative legislator in the statehouse during my term in office,” he said. Jacob, along with his opponents, expressed concerns about border security and the direction of the US.
“We are drifting and we're being sucked down into a black hole in this country,” Jacob said. “It's the Democrats that are doing that. However, I will say this, it is the Republican establishment in Indiana and in D.C. that refuses to push back against the left. That's the problem.”
Speedy, a current state representative who works in real estate development, also brandished his conservative credentials. He said cartels run the border rather than the U.S. and Mexican governments. “All types of evil things are happening there,” he said. “It's awful, and it’s not just drugs, but we got human trafficking.” Speedy said he has been endorsed by and invited to join the House Freedom Caucus, and also voiced concerns about federal spending.
Republican Congressman Greg Pence (IN-6) is not seeking re-election, and Cinde Worth is running unopposed on the Democrat ballot. The 6th District is composed of all of Fayette, Hancock, Henry, Johnson, Rush, Shelby, Union and Wayne counties, along with portions of Bartholomew, Marion and Randolph counties.
Governor
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch was the only gubernatorial candidate represented, and she had two to speak on her behalf. “We're running on the platform to eliminate the state income tax, put money back into your pockets and also to prevent China from buying our critical Indiana farmland,” one representative said. The other representative said Crouch was leading a study to “see how much farmland has been lost to major developments, solar fields…” Crouch is not in favor of legalizing marijuana. “That is something we are going to listen to the legislature (on), but we are not for it,” the representative said. Crouch has been endorsed by several local politicians, including Sheriff Louie Koch, Mayor Scott Furgeson, City Councilman Dennis Harrold and Rep. Greg Pence.
NOTEBOOK:
Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI), a coalition of communities along the Interstate-74 southeastern corridor, received $30 million of Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0 funds from the state. Based on input from over 3,000 residents and stakeholders, the ARI proposal, which received $20 million in READI 1.0 funding, the highest per capita READI award in the state, submitted for the second round early this year. It was one of only four regions to increase its award amount from the previous disbursement. "While we had hoped for full funding, the partial support for READI 2.0 grants is still a significant step forward for Shelby County," Brian Asher, executive director of Shelby County Development Corporation, said in a statement. READI 2.0 funds will essentially be a continuation of the plan submitted for READI 1.0, the group’s proposal said. Local projects included in ARI’s READI application include $2.5 million of a $21 million indoor sports complex to be located in Blue River Park, $3 million of an $8 million Early Learning Center currently under construction at the Intelliplex, $1.6 million of a $24.3 million Blue River Trails housing expansion, $3.75 million of a $53.75 million Northwest housing project, $250,000 of $350,000 for fairgrounds lighting project, $500,000 of $1 million for the Chase building, $2 million of a $114 million Pleasant View Commerce Park project, $7 million of a $364 million Tom Hession Drive extension and $250,000 of a $31.5 million apartment complex under construction behind the Porter Center, and funding for infrastructure in St. Paul and various initiatives region-wide. ARI will begin meeting next week to discuss the next round of allocations.
Waldron Elementary principal Lisa Speidel has been named Director of Student Services for Shelby Eastern Schools, effective after this school year.
NATIONAL NEWS: A long national nightmare comes to a close, as Jeopardy! is back airing normal episodes following weeks of filler tournaments that were intended to plug the show’s gaps spurred by the writers’ strike. When the writers went on strike last year, Jeopardy! filmed by reusing old questions; thinking that was not appropriate for full-fledged competition, they then resorted to an exhaustive series of tournaments. The last actual episode of Jeopardy! aired July 28, 2023, and it’s been followed by seven weeks of Second Chance competition, 17 weeks of Champions Wildcard, three weeks of a Tournament of Champions, and then a three-week Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament, all of which combined to make the flagship quiz program in the U.S. sound like some kind of poker circuit. That streak of 152 consecutive tournament games is a record — the previous longest stretch of filler was 86 episodes in 2005 — and now it’s back. That does mean it’s harder than ever to get on the show, as in a given year the 230 episodes of Jeopardy! mean hypothetically 460 new spots for contenders, and this season the 78 fresh episodes mean just 156 spots. (The Ringer/Numlock)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: The Fairland Town Hall, 105 S. Walnut St., turned one year old. Securing a location was a challenge, but Fairland Town Board President Rick Daily and Clerk-Treasurer Chris Brinson had worked to ensure costs would be covered.
2004: Shelbyville High School senior Angela Metz became the first girl in school history to compete in the pole vault in a three-way meet with New Palestine and Mount Vernon. The IHSAA was in the second year of allowing girls’ pole vaulting in the state tournament, although it would not count for points toward team standings until the following season. Metz had been to the State Finals each of the previous three years as part of the Golden Bears’ 400-meter relay team.
1994: The Shelbyville Police Department moved from revolvers to semiautomatic handguns. “The criminals had us out-gunned,” Police Chief Kehrt Etherton said. The new guns held more bullets than revolvers and were easier to fire and reload. The department also purchased the recently-invented Stop Sticks, which could be put out to deflate the tires of a car during a chase.
1984: The new Indianapolis Colts franchise announced ticket plans. Season tickets ranged from $153 to $189 and individual tickets ranged from $10 to $21. “We’re going to cut out the big corporations so that they don’t dominate ticket sales and shut ordinary fans out of a chance to attend a game,” Colts owner Robert Irsay said at a news conference.
1974: The town of Morristown disannexed two new industries, Nabisco and Detroit Steel, both on CR 500 E just north of U.S. 52. Although the companies and the town needed the annexation to occur, REMC had filed suit against the town regarding what it called “an illegal, lasso method of annexation.” Morristown officials said REMC’s fight should be with Public Service, not the town.
1964: Rumors of an epidemic of infectious hepatitis among children at Coulston school were not true, Dr. Wilson Dalton said. He said there were three cases among children at the school, and a few other scattered throughout the county.
Funeral services were held for Virgil Kroening and George Otis Surber, Shelby County’s fourth and fifth traffic victims of the year. They had been killed when the James Whitcomb Riley passenger train crashed into their truck on a gravel road just off the Triton School Road. Kroening, 54, was survived by his wife, Florence (Kehrt) and seven children. Surber was survived by four sisters.
1954: Several Elks Club men painted the Blue River Country Club. They were John Grigsby, Paul Ballard, Carl Kremer, Paul Sirkus, Kenneth Graham, Frank Kolkmeier and A.H. Burgman.
1944: Pvt. William Wilson, who had lived on South Noble St., was part of an infantry unit in England awaiting “D” day to “put their training into practice and fight their way to Berlin,” The Shelbyville News reported. “Soldiers of the unit, along with thousands of others, are now engaged in intensive field exercises designed to make them even more ready to smash Hitler’s West Wall.”
1934: Ray Lackey was named recipient of the 1934 Paul Cross basketball medal. Rev. S.J. Cross made the presentation, and Coach H.T. McCullough presented sweaters, chevrons and numerals to the 17 boys who were part of the varsity and reserve Shelbyville High School squads.
1924: The first official seal used in Shelby County was presented to the Shelby County Historical Society. The seal was placed in a trophy case in the community room at the Farmers National Bank. The old seal, which weighed 30 pounds, was donated after the matter had been mentioned to Robert W. Harrison, local attorney and president of the society, by Judge Harry Morrison. The original seal was made in 1822 and had been sitting at the courthouse unused for numerous years. For several years, court reporter Sumner Terry had used the seal in his office as a door stop.
1914: George Kuhn, a county farmer, suffered two broken bones as the result of a kick delivered by a mule he was hitching up. “The mule, joyous at the thought of spring, or rebellious because he had some work to do, let fly with both feet when Mr. Kuhn was standing behind the business end,” The Republican reported.
OBITUARIES
Richard “Rick” N. Eubanks, 61, of Shelbyville, IN. passed away Monday April 8, 2024 at his residence. He was born December 31, 1962 in Frankfort, KY. to Norman R. Eubanks and Joan (McGinnis) Eubanks and she survives.
Rick was a member of the Eagle Riders 766, where he served as Chaplain. He was also a member of the F.O.E. Lodge 766 and served as a Chaplain there as well. He was very active in the community by doing charity rides for various causes. Rick had a great reputation for his small business, Pirate Dawgz. He enjoyed every opportunity that he was able to serve his community.
Rick is also survived by his sons, Richard Steven (wife, Allison) Eubanks, Joshua Ryan Eubanks, Dale (wife, Cassie) Eubanks and Blake (wife, Jennie) Tait; his daughter, Chelsea (husband, Justin) Davis; 15 grandchildren; his sister, Cindy (husband, Evan) Weatherby; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father and both maternal and paternal grandparents.
A Celebration of Life will be at a later date. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, Stuart Parks, and Darin Schutt are honored to serve Rick’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.
Joan Larrison-Good, former Shelbyville resident, passed away March 12, 2024 in Kingman, Arizona. Born July 12, 1928, she was the daughter of James J. Smith and Bertha May Smith, of St. Paul.
Joan grew up with her parents in the St. Paul area and graduated from St. Paul High School in 1946. She was a home maker and a legal secretary in Shelby County. She obtained a Real Estate Brokers license and worked in the real estate business in the 1970s. Joan also had an Indiana license to write bail bonds, and was active in this business in the 1970s and 1980s.
Joan married Max Larrison on March 26, 1949. She and Max had one son, Gregg R. Larrison, and he and Max both preceded her in death. Joan later married Bob Good of Shelbyville.
Survivors include her son Warren Good (wife Kelley Baldwin) of Shelbyville; five grandchildren, Isaac Larrison (wife Elissa), Katie (Larrison) Rush, Amanda (Good) Hill (husband Matt), Alex Baldwin and Nicholas R. Good; eight great-grandchildren, Isabella Larrison, Josephine Larrison, William Larrison, Claire Larrison, Fiona Hill and Charlie Hill (Good), Nicholas Rush (Larrison), and Kylia Brenamen (Larrison). She was preceded in death by her parents, spouses Max Larrison and Bob Good, and son Gregg R. Larrison.
A Celebration Of Life will be noon on Tuesday, April 16 at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road, with Pastor Andy Lee officiating. Burial will be in Union Chapel Cemetery. Friends may call on Tuesday morning from 11 a.m. until the time of the service, at the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.
Tracy L. Olinger, 64, of Shelbyville, passed away, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at MHP Medical Center in Shelbyville. He was born December 4, 1959, in Greenfield, the son of Richard L. “Dick” and Josephine A. (Moore) “Jody” Olinger. Tracy is survived by his sons, Tyler Olinger of Flat Rock, and Travis Olinger of Shelbyville; sister, Terri L. Meal and husband, John, of Fairland; brother, Robert L. Olinger and wife, Debbie, of Shelbyville; grandchildren, Madison, Caroline, Colton and Brayleigh; and several nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Karen Kremer.
Tracy graduated from Triton Central High School in 1978. He retired as the shipping and receiving supervisor at Williamson Plating and Polishing, with 32 years of service, in 2016. Tracy was a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA).He enjoyed going hunting and fishing. Tracy also enjoyed hanging out with his friends.
Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. A Celebration of Tracy’s life will be held at a later date. Online condolences may be shared with Tracy’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.