Friday, April 19, 2024
Candidates, Party Members Highlighted at GOP Lincoln Day
ABOVE: Former Shelby County Republican Party Chair Rob Nolley accepts the Circle of Corydon Award from State Rep. Jenny Meltzer at last night’s Lincoln Day Dinner. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
If the chairman’s goal is to bring the party together, Chris King must have been pleased with last night’s big tent Lincoln Day Dinner, which drew over 300 Republicans, including state office candidates and their entourages, to Horseshoe Casino. The local party, which swept last year’s city races, projected positivity as early primary election voting is underway.
“We have contested races. We’ve got good people running in those contested races. We’ve got choices for our constituents, and I don’t think we can ask for anything more than that,” King, who took over the chairman role earlier this year, said.
The evening included recognition of several locals. Shelbyville High School senior Olivia Bowman received the Shelby County Republican Women’s Club $1,000 scholarship for her essay on how cell phones and social media are detrimental to mental health and possible solutions. Bowman, who plans to attend Purdue University majoring in Animal Science on a pre-veterinary track, read her winning essay.
King recognized five elected county officials who are not running for re-election: Commissioners Kevin Nigh and Don Parker, County Council President Tony Titus and County Councilmen Ryan Claxton and Terry Smith.
“These are people who have served Shelby County really well for many years and have done a lot to improve our community,” King said.
Former Shelby County GOP Chair and city councilman Rob Nolley received the Circle of Corydon Award from State Rep. Jenny Meltzer. The award, established by Governor Holcomb in 2017, recognizes “Hoosiers who have made remarkable contributions to the betterment of Indiana and its people, demonstrating through life and service qualities exemplified by the state’s greatest citizens.” It is the only award issued and signed jointly by members of both the executive and legislative branches.
Nolley, who called the award “very unexpected,” thanked his fellow Republicans and gave a specific call-out to former City-Clerk Rod Meyerholtz for his mentorship.
Also recognized in attendance were Jean Ann Harcourt, former vice chair of the state Republican party, former Congressman Luke Messer and Indiana Statehouse Speaker Todd Huston.
The slate of local candidates was recognized, and candidates for U.S. Congress and Indiana Governor’s office were given time to speak. From local to nationwide, King promised those on the ballot that local Republicans would support them “in the fall all the way.”
BELOW: Olivia Bowman, Shelbyville High School senior, reads her essay at last night’s Lincoln Day Dinner that won a scholarship contest sponsored by the Shelby County Republican Women’s Club. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
NOTEBOOK:
A Car Show & Swap meet is set for Saturday, May 4, 8 - 11 a.m. with awards at 3 p.m. at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. Craft vendors, food and more will be available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by Crafty Creators Home Extension Club and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Rupert’s Kids.
NATIONAL NEWS: NASA will send an eight-rotor drone to Titan, the moon of Saturn, with a target of a 2028 launch and a 2034 arrival. Titan’s days are 16 Earth days in length, and while the planet has a dense atmosphere — four times that of Earth — the hope is that the drone will cover 108 miles over the course of 32 months, at a cost of $3.35 billion. (The Verge/Numlock)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: A suspicious-acting man was asked to leave the casino. He did, and went into the parking garage where he proceeded to bust out vehicle windows and steal several items. Police apprehended him in the garage.
2004: Heritage House resident Edna Parker celebrated her 111th birthday with dignitaries from her alma mater Franklin College, where she graduated from with a teaching license in 1910. She had taught in Atwood and Marietta schools and married Earl Parker, who died in 1939. Edna had walked without assistance until she was 109, when she fell and broke a hip.
1994: Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy Jim Lacy was promoted to sergeant.
1984: The ShutterBug Shoppe, 2 Public Square, began same-day film processing, which included a free extra set of color prints.
Distribution of surplus government cheese and butter was available at various Shelby County locations.
Thurston’s Midway service station/convenience store on W. State Road 44 closed. Wayne Thurston, owner, had auctioned off his hat collection for charity before retiring.
A photograph taken by amateur photographer and Standard Register employee Tim Meltzer had been selected in 1983 as the Christmas card cover for Standard Register Communicolor Marketing. The winter scene was of a Shelby County countryside. But the story didn’t end there. One of the cards went to a customer contact at Reader’s Digest. The folks there were so impressed with the card that they purchased exclusive rights to the photo, for use in the magazine’s 1984 Christmas gift subscription promotion.
1974: The first group of the year opened the canoeing season with a trip down Big Blue River to Edinburg. The canoeists were Randy Hildebrand, Bob Johnson, Larry Racster, Tony Augsburger and Larry Buchanan.
1964: A banquet was held for Shelbyville schools’ retirees, which included Margaret Chambers, attendance officer; H.B. Kysar, Hendricks principal; and Eliza Scott, Pearson teacher.
Heavy rains flooded Montgomery Street near the intersection of Miller Ave. and Colescott St. The four-block square around the intersection of Pike and Howard St. was also flooded, with basements flooding throughout the area. Mayor Ralph VanNatta praised local National Guardsmen who had “saved the Kennedy Park foot bridge from possible destruction.” Little Blue had been just inches away from the footbridge when Guardsmen pulled logs, trees, limbs and debris away from the bridge to help the water move.
1954: City Sanitarian Malcolm Beck asked that the city install flood lights at the city dog pound because people had been tampering with the property and freeing dogs held there.
1944: The “Smiths” were beating the “Joneses” and “Johnsons” in the U.S. Navy, The Shelbyville Republican reported. Every 115th man or woman in the Navy was a Smith. There were 21,475 Smiths in the Navy, 15,045 Johnsons and 11,035 Jones. There were only three with the last name Bluejacket on the rolls.
1934: Seventeen of the 23 students at McCarty school in VanBuren Township had earned perfect attendance all year: Marvin and Lloyd Boring, Mary Jean Smith, Charles, Maxine and Agnes Settles; Mary, Charles, Maxine and Lester Whittington; Melvin, Leon and Wayne Cecil; Ross, Alice and June Musmann and Harold Smith. Ellen Hennis was the school instructor.
Shelbyville school administrators reappointed all teachers for the next school year. “Decision as to whether or not the physical education department of the high school, discontinued for this year in an economy move, will be restored next fall was deferred,” The Republican reported.
1924: In 1923, Edmund VanCleve, 11, 472 West Mechanic Street, had written his name and address on a slip of paper, placed it in a bottle, sealed it and tossed it into Blue River. A year later, he received a letter from the crew of a U.S. States freighter stationed off the west coast of Ireland. The shipmen had found the bottle floating and had mailed VanCleve back. VanCleve immediately prepared another bottle for voyage.
There were several reports in local newspapers of destroyed and stolen flowers. Margaret Carter on West Franklin St. reported a vandal had cut all of her blooms off. A “fine lot of hyscinths” were cut and broken in the DePrez yard on West Mechanic Street. The DePrez’s had spent $20 ($361 in today’s money) on flowers for their yard, the paper said.
1914: St. Paul High School students divided into two cars to drive the area and promote their senior class play. The two cars collided in Waldron in front of the Walter Richey store on Main Street.
OBITUARIES
Melinda Sue Sosbe, 69, of New Castle, passed away Wednesday, April 17, 2024, at the Willows of New Castle, after a lengthy illness. She was born May 22, 1954, in Shelby County, the son of Herbert “Gene” and Eleanor J. (Gardner) Fritz. Melinda is survived by her daughter, Rachael Elizabeth Green and husband, Jeff, and her grandson, Leeroy Green, all of New Castle; son, Michael Wayne Kincaid and wife, Amanda, of New Castle; brother, David Fritz and wife, Jan, of Shelbyville; and several nieces, nephews and cousins She was preceded in death by her parents; and brother, William D. Fritz.
In 1972, Melinda graduated from Waldron High School. She was a member of the Dunreith Christian Church. Melinda was a CNA in private health care. She loved animals.
A gathering of family and friends will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, April, 24, 2024, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. A memorial service will follow at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, at the funeral home. Inurnment will be at Forest Hill Cemetery in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. PO Box 37920, Boone, IA 50037-0920. Online condolences may be shared with Melinda’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.