Friday, August 30, 2024
SWEAT EQUITY
Shelbyville Middle School physical education teachers Jaycee Kellett (above) and Drew Parsley (below) lead the push-up station during fitness rotations in class yesterday. | photos by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Shelby County Self-Harm Rates Decline Dramatically
The more that local people talk about mental health, the healthier the community gets. That’s the analysis of local professionals after recently released data shows a dramatic decline in suicide ideations over the past two years in Shelby County. The statistics, provided by the Indiana Hospital Association, highlight the impact of the community’s recent focus on the topic and Major Health Partners’ investment in a Behavioral Health Initiative.
“Suicide prevention is not a simple thing. To move that needle takes a lot of different efforts from multiple angles,” Stephen Black, MHP Director of Behavioral Health & Social Determinants of Health, said.
Part of the momentum is regional, and Black credits Sen. Mike Crider’s 2023 Senate bill formalizing the 988 crisis response system, in which those struggling with a mental health crisis can call or text 988 to connect with a crisis specialist, as having “a substantial impact.”
The suicide ideation rate statewide has decreased 1.7 percent over the past two years, but Shelby County’s rate has decreased an astronomical 21.9 percent since 2022. That time period coincides with several local behavioral health initiatives.
“Certainly, MHP has put a lot of effort into improving access, but it’s much bigger than MHP,” Black said.
Keyen Macklin, the City of Shelbyville Director of Behavioral Health and Equity, and Sarah Dudley, local office director of Indiana Department of Child Services, reached out to coalition leaders in other counties last year and subsequently formed a suicide prevention coalition. Regular coalition members include Amy Reel (Shelby County Health Department), Kara Bogemann (County Coroner’s office), Leah Knight (Jane Pauley Community Health Center), Hannah Gunnell (The Shelbyville News), Crystal Neil (financial advisor), Shelby County Sheriff’s Det. Sgt. Rod Mohr and Olivia Piersall.
“Right now, we are mainly an awareness and stigma reduction group,” Macklin said. “However, it is a goal that we can branch off and have a grief support group and a local ATLAS (Assisting Through Loss After Suicide) team.”
Local law enforcement’s Crisis Intervention Team, led by Police Sgt. Jeremy O’Connor, and an extensive QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training program throughout the county and in local schools have also helped address the issue. A Choices Emergency Response team, available at 463-252-3765, now coordinates home visits, if necessary, and follow-up services are available at the MHP Rampart Street location.
All programs and activities by the Shelby County Suicide Prevention Coalition, such as a downtown vigil, advertising the 988 crisis number by painting downtown windows, and handing out freebies at high school football games, emphasize sharing resources and reducing the negative stigma around seeking therapy and assistance for those struggling with a mental health illness.
“I believe the two have to go together, because what good is the service if people are scared to utilize it?” Macklin said.
She also said local groups are more willing than ever to collaborate. “I have not had anyone turn me down when I ask for a helping hand or partnership with mental health initiatives. Working together is what I believe will continue to drive our numbers down.”
The city is also now offering free, one-day Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid trainings to the community. Notice of upcoming sessions will be on the Behavioral Health and Equity's Facebook page.
“You do not need to be a professional working in the field. We encourage anyone who would like to learn how to safely intervene and assist someone in a mental health crisis to get certified,” Macklin said.
Black said he appreciates that broad focus. “It’s been so neat to see this community-wide effort come together, and seeing fewer people showing up at the ER with suicidal ideation.”
Although MHP credits the community, the healthcare organization has stepped up with significant investments over the period of suicide ideation rate declines. MHP has added and trained staff in mental and behavioral health and is focusing more on outpatient and crisis response.
The suicide ideation rate per 10,000 residents remains higher in Shelby County compared to the state, but the recent substantial reduction has helped close the gap. And while rates for those in the 18 to 24-year-old range remained steady statewide, Shelby County saw a 30.7 percent decline since 2020.
Although much work remains, the data validates the continued intense approach, Black said.
“Nobody cares who gets the credit,” he said. “We want to see fewer people take their lives.”
WORK IS DONE
The Bill Garrett mural on the west exterior of Cagney’s Pizza King is complete, the latest project by mural artist Pamela Bliss. | drone photo by JOHN WALKER
NOTEBOOK:
The City of Shelbyville has been awarded an Indiana Department of National Resources grant to do a comprehensive tree inventory next year and organize engagement and planting days, among other aspects of the project. “Our goal is to create a more sustainable and resilient urban environment by strategically enhancing our tree canopy,” Adam Rude, city planning director, said in a statement.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Farmers in Africa are using space imaging to check in on the status of their crops, tapping into imaging from California satellite provider EOS to monitor the state of fields. Last year the company launched EOS SAT-1, which is solely for agriculture and has fees on the order of $1.90 per hectare per year, which makes it ideal for smaller farms and priced reasonably well for developing countries. Over 242,000 people in Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the U.S. and Europe use the crop monitoring platform, with 53,000 joining the service last year. (MIT Technology Review)
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580 West Taylor St.
Editor’s Note: The following is the next installment in a serialized version of “580 West Taylor Street,” by Joseph E. “Joed” Landwerlen.
by JOSEPH E. LANDWERLEN
Conclusion, Part I
As for me, I always wanted to be a pilot. I took the mental and physical tests for the first year class of the newly formed United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. I passed all of the mental tests but was deemed not able to meet the physical standards that they were looking for. I then entered the Air Force Cadet Program for pilot training and was sent to San Antonio, Texas, for 90 days of pre-flight school. The Air Force then said that instead of pilot training, I would be sent to Bombardier School in Harlingen, Texas, because of my “math skills.” Obviously, that was not what I signed up for. After two months at Harlingen Air Force Base learning how to get from here to there with stars and dead reckoning, I had had enough and I came home to my soon-to-be-wife and a very sick younger brother. I worked around a little bit and ended up starting a welding and machine shop which is still in business today.
My brother, George, since he heard his first siren and saw a fire truck, always wanted to be a fireman. When he got old enough, he spent all of his free time at the fire station getting to know all of the personnel and going to the fires with them. He even talked the city into installing in our back bedroom, about four feet above our heads, an electrically operated bell that clanged. This “Gamewell” system divided the town into 32 sections that were identified with a two-digit code and told the firemen which area of town to go to to help with the fire. You cannot imagine the experience of being in a sound sleep and that bell would go off just over your head. Two clangs and then a pause and then four clangs to be repeated over and over. That series told every off-duty fireman where the fire was located. As soon as he was eligible, George was admitted to the Fire Department and spent his working career as a fireman until he retired.
My brother Jim was almost five years younger than me. He was a little too young to be with George and me, but he still tagged along. He was the best baseball player of all of his brothers. His throwing accuracy was phenomenal. You always wanted him on your team in baseball and snowball fights, etc. Jim grew up with no particular aim in life and floated around with various jobs until he found his home in the automotive industry. He began working at Ford Motors in Indianapolis and worked his way up to being a production line tool maker and one who kept the line going. Both Jim and his wife Ruthie retired from Ford Motor Co.
Our brother Delbert, “Debbie,” was a little more than seven years younger than me. He was a quiet and smarter boy than all of the rest of us. He never met a stranger. In retrospect, he would have fit in being a minister or a lawyer.
He was a deep thinker for his age and could hold his own playing card games and board games. Alas, his life was not to be long. He was always sickly and stayed home a lot to the concern of his parents and family. At 13 years of age, just before I went into the Air Force, he was diagnosed as suffering from Glumeral Nefritus, which meant his kidneys were not functioning properly. Delbert passed away on Friday the 13th of February, 1959.
The girls began the march to higher education for our family. Although our mother never completed high school, she insisted that her children all graduate from high school.
The girls, starting with Sally Jo, born in 1948, began that yearning for education beyond high school. She was the first to attend Ball State University in Muncie to pursue a degree in elementary education. She was the first college graduate in our family. And while marrying and raising three children, she continued to teach in the Greenfield School system until her retirement.
Mary Ruth came to us in 1951, and then we had two sisters that took over the newly added room that was built where the front porch used to be. Mary Ruth continued the path that her sister had begun and also attended Ball State University to pursue a degree in elementary education. Mary Ruth taught her whole teaching career in the Shelbyville School system while also marrying and raising a family of three boys.
Our youngest sister was born in 1961. When our little brother died in 1959, our mother took it so hard and was inconsolable. Dr. Paul Tindall advised Dad that if they could have another child to help her concentrate on that child, that it would help her to get through her grieving. And so they did; at 39, my mother gave birth to our youngest sister, Teresa Mae. Teresa always wanted to be a nurse. She, like her sisters, pursued higher education after high school and went to nursing school at Vincennes University. She was a nurse in the W. S. Major Hospital and spent most of her career there. She stayed home and took care of our parents in their final years. Teresa found her match and married later in life.
SHS Courier Archive Highlights:
April 25, 2003, Part I (Lunch table price: 50 cents)
The 80th annual May Festival would be under the direction of Jill Evans. The girls on May Court were Michelle Blackburn, escorted by Cody Fair; Bess Browning, escorted by Erik Simons; Samantha Coffey, escorted by Ted Harper; Katie Douglas, escorted by Wyatt Ash; Amanda Good, escorted by Noah Wethington; Samantha Himes, escorted by Zac Laird; and Kala Jackson, escorted by Derek Hart. Tyler Babbitt and Danielle Blain were Lord and Lady Mayor, the top guy and girl in the senior class academically. Junior Arch Dancers were Rachel Bohall, Ashley Coffin, Lauren Colson, Brittany Conway, Allison Guidi, Jessie Jones, Angelz Metz, Stephanie Poener, Amanda Siebert, Megan Taggart, Christina Wallace and Tiffany Winiecki. Sophomore Maypole Dancers were Natalie Babbitt, Rachel Carlisle, Tasha Drysdale, Jamie Gleason, Nikki Hall, Krista Huffer, Vanessa Hutton, Krista Kelsay, Sydney McKeown, Monica Pierce, Sally Posz, Megan Seeman, Sara Shaban, Reba Thurston, Erince Torres and Erika Yarling. Freshmen Candle Girl dancers were Haley Andrews, Sarah Borders, Kaitlin Condron, Lindsay Conner, Michele Delp, Kylie Dickmann, Kristen Hanson, Chrissy Kramer, Emily Lux, Brittany Moorhead, Jennifer Plymate, Lori Veerkamp, Stephanie Wallace and Krissy Winslow.
An article on “Cruising” in Shelbyville noted the lack of options for teenagers in town. “For those students who would rather not hang out in the McDonald’s parking lot or play football in the Walmart toy section, Shelbyville does not offer much more to do,” Sophia Denney wrote. Paul Evans said he wanted a Meijer to compete with Walmart. Ryan Beckley suggested a local Steak ‘n Shake. Junior Ciara Sell, though, said she was happy Shoe Sensation had recently come to town.
A survey of 100 SHS students, done by Rachel Huber, showed rap to be the favorite music type, more than doubling pop, in second place. “When asked who his or her favorite artist was, 54 out of the 100 random SHS students said that they related with Eminem the most.” Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte were also popular choices. The article also noted that CD burners were becoming more popular.
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.
2014: The Strand Theatre loaned its organ to Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis for its Gospel Choir fall show. The Strand had a mid-1950s Hammond C2 organ.
2004: Don and Judy Hein returned to lead the Bears of Blue River Festival’s 25th “Parade of Silver” festival parade. Mr. Hein, a WTHR Channel 13 sportscaster, had been grand marshal in the first festival parade, in 1980.
1994: Vivian Choate was the first person in Shelbyville ticketed under a law requiring city residents to register snakes. She received the ticket after her 7-foot-long boa constrictor bit Choate’s 16-year-old daughter. The cut from the non-poisonous snake was deemed superficial. Choate said she knew about the law, and that her husband frequently reminded her of it because he didn’t like the snake.
1984: Bears of Blue River Festival-goers were treated to Maurice Finkel playing a 1928 Wurlitzer Caliola, owned by George Lux. The instrument contained 44 wood pipes and could be played manually or mechanically.
1974: Shelbyville Baptist Temple purchased the former Shelby Township school building, with plans to open a church school there for the 1975-76 school year. A private bid was made on the Fountaintown school building, but there were questions about the process. VanBuren Township Trustee Albert Bruning and township advisory board members Roger Reid, Leroy Slaughter and Harry Clark said the district didn’t have the right to sell the building because the deed for the property called for it to be returned to the township once it was no longer used as a school. An addition had been built on in 1953 using civil township funds and donations, and the condition was then applied. Shelby Eastern District officials, though, said it paid off the building when it assumed ownership in 1964 and had the right to sell it.
1964: The new Roselyn Drive-in Bakery was under construction at the northwest corner of Colescott and Harrison. The site had previously been the location of a service station.
1954: Sheriff Robert Meltzer halted sales of alcohol at the fairgrounds track as a “safety measure,” he said. Some locals called The Shelbyville News saying there was more to the story. “One such person asked whether the sale Saturday night had been stopped because ‘the brands of beer were not those handled by a local wholesaler who is a member of the Fair Association’s board of directors,’” the paper said. Meltzer and Fair President Earl Goodwin said the only reason the sale was halted was that beer was being sold in the grandstand. Typically, alcohol was only sold in one concession area, and those drinking had to remain within a fenced area.
1944: Helen Miley, 110 East Taylor St., received word from the War Department that her husband, First Lt. Harold Miley, was a German prisoner of war.
A prisoner-of-war labor camp would be established in Morristown to provide emergency help for some 17 canning plants and for farmers in the area, government officials announced. Plans were for 400 German war prisoners to be housed in tents.
First Lt. Adrian Carew, 22, had died in France, his mother, Bernita Collins, 476 W. Hendricks St., was informed. Carew had been a member of the Shelbyville High School class of 1941.
1934: A 19-year-old man making a cross country bicycle trip passed through Shelbyville. He planned to conclude the trip in California.
1924: The local Big Four station began offering “steamship” tickets for those who wanted to use the rails to reach a ship and sail overseas. Previously, travelers had to make arrangements with different companies.
1914: A new two-year degree would be offered at Shelbyville High School, Superintendent Holton and Principal Edwards announced. The courses included mechanical drawing, stenography, typewriting, arithmetic and English. The degree would be of “big benefit to the 90 percent of students who never go to college and the 60 percent who never finish high school,” The Republican said.
OBITUARIES
Kimberly E. Haggard, 65, of Shelbyville, passed away Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at her residence. She was born September 2, 1958 in Pontiac, Mich., to Benard Wilder and Ruth (Fuller) Wilder.
Kim was a member and secretary of West Side Wesleyan Church. She enjoyed being active in the church, as well as being active with her church family. Kim had a passion for crafts, crocheting and being outdoors. She also enjoyed selling Paparazzi jewelry and accessories. She was a loving and caring person and would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need.
She married William Haggard on December 7, 1985, and he survives. She is also survived by her daughter, Allison Meier; her son, Christopher Meier; her grandchildren, Dakota Meier, Cheyenne Hudson and Halee Meier. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Visitation will be Tuesday, September 3, 2024 from 10 a.m. to noon at West Side Wesleyan Church, 535 Dunn Ave., Shelbyville, IN 46176. Funeral services will follow at noon at the church with Pastor Lisa Graden officiating. Burial will be in Whispering Hope Memorial Gardens & Crematory at a later date. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Kim’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.