Friday, June 28, 2024
Ground Breaking
Taking advantage of the summer break period, crews re-construct the concrete drive in front of Shelbyville Middle School yesterday. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Five-year Parks Plan Process Kicks Off
An initiative to create a vision for the future of local parks kicked off Wednesday with a public input session and launch of an online survey. The resulting five-year Shelbyville Parks Master Plan will serve as a framework to guide future parks development and help find funding, Catherine Puckett, landscape architect with HWC Engineering, said.
“One thing that stays consistent is, if you have a project identified in a plan, you’re much more likely to get funded,” she said.
The first phase involves gathering data and insights from the public and parks staff members.
“It takes of lot of energy for parks departments just to keep the grass mowed and the programs going,” Puckett said. “So this is a good opportunity for them to stop for a second and take a look at the future.”
Wednesday night’s session at the Parks Department’s offices on S. Tompkins St. included opportunities for the public to provide initial feedback on poster boards with sticky-notes, indicating strengths of local parks’ offerings and ideas for change. It also served as an opportunity to promote the survey, which will gather a wider community view. The five-minute survey closes July 31. Following will be a second public meeting summarizing results from the input.
NOTEBOOK:
The City of Shelbyville announced Val Phares is stepping down from the Board of Works due to schedule conflicts. Mayor Scott Furgeson has appointed Rodney Meyerholtz to fill the vacancy. Meyerholtz worked at Shelby County Savings Bank from 1976 to 1998, serving as President and CEO from 1986 to 1998. He served as Shelbyville Clerk-Treasurer from 2000 to 2011, and as Office Administrator for the law firm of McNeely, Stephenson, Thopy & Harrold from 2012 to 2020.
Former State Rep. Sean Eberhart was mentioned yesterday in The Munster Times of Northwest Indiana in reference to this week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Republican former Portage Mayor James Snyder, which will likely impact public corruption cases and be cited as precedent in courtrooms across the country for decades to come. But, “In Indiana, the ruling is unlikely to derail the July 10 sentencing of former state Rep. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, who pleaded guilty last year to a different federal crime — conspiracy to commit honest services fraud — for trading his vote in favor of gaming legislation in 2019 in exchange for the promise of highly paid future job with the parent company of the Majestic Star casinos in Gary,” the paper reported.
Waldron Freedom Fest is next weekend, with fireworks at 10:15 p.m., Saturday, July 6. A full schedule is here.
The Shelby County Public Library is hosting a free create-your-own-art event, “Mocktails & Beach Scene Painting,” Tuesday, July 9, 6 p.m., in the main library, Room D. The event is for adults; teens welcome. On Monday, July 15, the library is hosting the Shelby County Animal Shelter for Cat Adoption and Play Time, 4 to 6 p.m.
HOOSIER NEWS: More than $60 million in state tuition funding went to Indiana’s virtual schools during the 2022-23 academic year, according to a new report. In all, those dollars covered roughly 8,500 students — a majority of those attending a handful of virtual charter schools operating in the state. Indiana Connections Academy — the state’s largest virtual charter, with 5,784 students enrolled — reported 774 total classes with an average class size of 82 students. Hoosier College and Career and Career Academy had 740 enrolled students in 2022-23, according to IDOE. The school reported 62 students on average across its 144 classes. Indiana virtual charter school attendance has nearly halved since 2019, when about 13,000 students were enrolled, according to IDOE data. The dip is largely due to a 2019 move by Indiana lawmakers to slash funding for virtual schools due to low performance. Since the change, virtual school funding starts at 85% of what it normally provides districts for each student — a decrease from the previous 90%. (Indiana Public Media)
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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 average sales price of homes in Shelby County in the second quarter increased 28.2 percent, to $135,584, when compared to the same period in 2013.
2004: Knauf announced plans to build a new plant, but it was unclear if Shelbyville would be the preferred location. Local officials had encouraged the state to help with incentives. The Shelbyville Knauf facility, which employed 800, was outdated, and updates were needed to keep it profitable, factory president Bob Britton said.
1994: Plymate Inc. donated $50,000 to the Boys Club and Girls Inc. capital campaign. Campaign organizers were trying to raise $2.5 million to build a new girls club building next to the Boys Club on S. Miller St. Some of the money would be used for a Boys Club addition.
1984: Roadway Trucking, the nation’s largest shipper, opened a branch in Shelbyville on Elston Dr. The office would employ five at opening.
1974: With the prices of necessities rising 10.7 percent over the previous year and food costs up 15.8 percent, local police and firefighters sought pay increases of $800 and $1,000, respectively. The city’s 24 patrolmen and 22 firemen received a base pay of $7,600 (approximately $51,225 in today’s money).
1964: International Packings Co. announced it would build a plant in Shelbyville, providing employment initially for 20, then expanding to 200. The company designed and manufactured rubber and leather oil seals used in various machinery, from cars to power mowers. A site had not yet been named.
1954: Debra Ann Thoman, 2, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Thoman, 317 N. Tompkins St., who was having convulsions, was rushed from the Inlow Clinic to Riley Hospital by Police Det. Garrell Ritchey, who averaged 105 miles per hour during the trip. Debra’s condition was “satisfactory” by the next day.
1944: Approximately 300 attended the 21st annual reunion of the “Little Town of Tailholt,” made famous by James Whitcomb Riley in his poem of the same name. (The unincorporated town was later known as Carrollton.) The poem was recited by Bernice Jonas, and L.J. Trees, 83-year-old veteran blacksmith of Tailholt, read other poems.
1934: A representative from the Department of Financial Institutions was named to be in charge of liquidation at Farmers State Bank in St. Paul.
1924: Local Knights Templar voted to furnish a double-bed room at Major Hospital. All rooms at the hospital, except two, had been furnished thanks to the generosity of local service groups and businesses.
1914: After Frank Rembusch, owner of manager of the Alhambra Theater, had his bicycle stolen from in front of the building, he purchased a new one on the same day. The next day, the new bike was stolen.
A local woman whose reputation in Shelbyville was “not the best,” was arrested for loitering, The Shelbyville Republican reported. She joined her sister, “Blondie,” who had been arrested on similar charges, in the county jail. They had been “in the company of a number of men during the evening,” the paper said.
OBITUARIES
Mary Elizabeth Denton, 85, of Shelbyville, passed away Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at her home. She was born October 19, 1938, in Indianapolis, the daughter of Frederick H. And Emma Laura (Dodge) Branning. In January of 1986, she married J.B. Denton, and he preceded her in death on June 20, 2016. Mary is survived by her daughters, Shelley (Wisehart) Johnson of Shelbyville, and Laura Wisehart-Riester and husband, John of Union, Kentucky; step-daughters, Rhonda (Denton) Foley and husband, Phil, of Frankfort, Cynthia (Denton) Honeycutt and husband, Jim, of Indianapolis, and Jeanette (Pryor) Costabile and husband, Nick, of Lake Arrowhead, California; sister, Margaret (Branning) Gann of Indianapolis; and many beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. In addition to J.B., Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Glenn Pryor, whom she married in 1980; brothers, George Branning and Tom Branning Sr.; sister, Carolyn Trowbridge; grandson, Aaron Evilsizer; and son-in-law, Dr. Lynn Johnson.
Mary graduated from Broad Ripple High School. She attended Frankfort Pilgrim College and IUPUI. She was the executive secretary at Curtis Dyna-Fog for over 40 years and the treasurer for Innerlight Ministries and Frankfort Camp Ministries.
Mary attended Grace, Evanston and Southview Wesleyan Churches. She helped to furnish 100 refugee apartments and spent many hours volunteering at Frankfort Camp.
She was a wonderful seamstress and enjoyed making dresses for her nieces and pajamas for her grandchildren. Mary also enjoyed reading mysteries.
Gathering of Friends and Family will be from 2:30 to 4 pm, Friday, July 5, 2024, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. The Celebration of Mary’s life will follow at 4 pm, Friday, at the funeral home, with Pastor Jim Weinmann officiating. Private inurnment will be at Crown View Cemetery in Sheridan, at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to Innerlight Ministries, PO Box 708, Frankfort, Indiana 46041or Shelbyville-Shelby County Animal Shelter, 705 Hale Road, Shelbyville, Indiana 46176. Online condolences may be shared with Mary’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.