Friday, May 31, 2024
Dam Near Geneva Topic of Discussion
A public meeting on Wednesday to discuss possible removal of two Flatrock River dams was well attended and contentious. | photo by ANNA TUNGATE
Jack Yeend is tired of the annual $200 fine he receives from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources for not repairing the Flatrock River dam adjacent to his property on East Vandalia Road.
“I have been dealing with this dam situation for 20-plus years,” Yeend said. “I have never paid a nickel, and won’t.”
The Indiana DNR told him to purchase $1 million liability insurance, which he didn’t, and says he won’t. Although the government is using a survey to claim Yeend owns 50 percent of the lower dam, one of two dams that were the topics of a heated discussion at Wednesday’s information meeting held at Flat Rock Christian Church, Yeend disputes the claim.
“I produced a 1990 survey from my bank when I purchased this property that clearly shows my property line goes up to the (river) bank and stops,” Yeend said.
The state’s answer to the problem is to remove the dams.
Yeend said he’s neither for nor against that approach. “I just want this resolved,” he said.
At the meeting, Jerry Sweeten, PhD., with Ecosystems Connection Institute, said many low-head dams across the state, such as the two in question, are “very old and in degraded conditions.” More than 1,950 dams have been eliminated in the U.S. since 1912, including 15 in Indiana, Greater Muncie reported in 2022. “Yet an estimated two million remain, providing water for drinking and other purposes, such as crop irrigation, livestock, recreation, industry and power production.”
Last year’s dam collapse in nearby Edinburgh illustrates Dr. Sweeten’s point, but some of the approximately 200 members of the public at the meeting were frustrated with a lack of notification about the project and potential of losing popular swimming and fishing spots, shouting questions and comments over the presenters. When Dr. Sweeten paused at one point to threaten to end the meeting early if decorum couldn’t be restored, someone called out, “You could talk for five hours and nobody here would believe a word you say.”
Dr. Sweeten forged ahead, citing safety and ecological concerns with low-head dams.
“Removing these are the best things you can do for a stream,” he said.
In Indiana, Dr. Sweeten explained, depending on the classification of the waterway, it is possible for private ownership of a dam and bottom of a stream. If the stream is considered navigable, as Flatrock River is, the owner must carry a $1 million liability insurance policy and install safety precautions.
The meeting also featured Brandon Routier from the Shelby County Swift Water Rescue Team, which does not have a stated position on removal of the dams, but he did cite the numerous safety issues at play. There has not, however, been a known fatality at the dams in question. The dam removals have been funded with a $265,000 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish Passage Program grant.
However, federal dollars will not go toward demolishing a structure with historic significance, James Heimlich ECI Archaeologist, said, so he has been contracted to determine significance.
Officials also addressed the notification issue, saying that only adjoining property owners within a quarter of a mile must be notified.
“A lot of people are saying they didn’t know about this,” one official said, “but we got a lot of phone calls.”
NOTEBOOK:
Blue River Communication Foundation recently awarded $124,325 through the Community Grant process. Recipients included: The Arc of Shelby County, $15,000 to update and replace SENSES gym equipment, which serves children age 1 to 6 of all abilities; Cancer Association of Shelby County, $7,000 to provide nutritious food resources for cancer patients by offering Shelby County Farmers Market Bucks and gift certificates for Spegal Prime Cuts; Firefly Children & Family Alliance, $12,500 to support a Family Resource Center program launch; Girls Inc. of Shelbyville/Shelby County, $17,500 to establish a dedicated STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) space within their facility, including a MakerSpace featuring customizable STEAM carts, magnetic table bundles, a web-based 3D printer, a building-brick wall, and a padcaster with a green screen studio; Grover Center, $12,300 for artifact preservation; Ivy Tech Foundation, $13,275 for manufacturing equipment; Morristown Community Development Partnership, $17,750 for Morristown Park improvements; Shelby Senior Services, $6,500 to launch Healthy Crockpot Cooking for Less classes; Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, $5,000 to help secure and maintain safe living conditions for survivors of domestic violence; and The Villages of Indiana, Inc., $17,500 to promote and advertise the Healthy Families program.
NATIONAL NEWS: The U.S. military saw a jump in service members seeking vasectomies after the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion in June 2022. Between June and December of 2022, vasectomy rates among service members increased by 22.1 percent compared to average rates from 2018 to 2021, per a new study from the International Journal of Impotence Research. The study found that younger, unmarried and more junior-ranking service members, as well as dependents, were more likely to undergo the procedure. (Military.com/Numlock)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: Bob Evans was named superintendent of Shelby Eastern Schools.
2004: The Shelby Arts Council announced plans to sponsor a three-day Stratford Festival of Canada trip in August, featuring three plays and a tour of Stratford, Ontario.
1994: Construction on Circle Centre mall downtown Indianapolis was nearly finished. The project had used about $187 million of taxpayer funds, leading to some criticism, but Mayor Stephen Goldsmith said the mall would become a destination for residents of surrounding counties.
1984: Hook’s Drug Store, 736 S. Harrison St., received a Gold Key trophy for excellence from the corporation headquarters. Steve Ifert was store manager. Assistant managers were Larry Tucker and Liz Wheeler.
In Shelby County, 36.6 percent of adults did not have a high school diploma, the U.S. Department of Education reported. There were about 790 county residents between the ages of 16 and 19 who were not in school and did not have diplomas. Approximately 160 kids throughout the county had dropped out over the previous year.
1974: Shelby County school districts reported 195 kids had dropped out over the prior year.
Construction was nearly complete on Town and Country Christian Church on W. State Road 44. The congregation had been organized about a year prior and was meeting at the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The sanctuary sat 220 and the facility had 20 classrooms.
1964: Six Boy Scouts and their Scoutmaster from Troop 220 of Waldron left by canoe from Sunset Park for a week-long adventure on Hoosier waterways as they headed to Bedford. Food and camping equipment were carried in the canoes. Lyle Asher was Scoutmaster. Also on the trip were Kenny Jacobs, Charles Hadley, Norman Jones, Reggie Ross, Mike Asher and Vic Nasby.
1954: A free public dance, for teenagers and adults, was held at the Shelbyville “Rec” on S. Harrison St. “Rec” Manager William Southworth organized the event. Donald Cuzzort and his orchestra played.
Winds up to 65 miles per hour, rain and lightning caused damage to communication lines, trees, crops and other property. Indiana Bell Telephone Co. reported between 200 and 250 telephones were out of commission.
1944: The following local men were called up by Selective Service and given physicals: Melbern Liles, Millard Zeigler, Ralph Graham, Sherman Foster, Robert Nugent, William Pruitt, Samuel Harker, William Nichols, Leo Tarplee, Robert Paxton, Carl Smothers, Calvin Smith, Leonard Turner, Bob Myer, Ervin Keppel, Eugene Smith, Everett Davis, Delmar Walton, Carl Eads, Ralph Lawson, Neal Thomas and Roy Singer.
1934: Charles Major teachers Miss Eliza Becker and Miss Pearl Ray led a group program featuring students from their sixth grade classes. Student participants were Dalphine Laurence, Mary Jane Magee, Dorothy McCalip, Goldie McColley, Kathleen Brooks, Gloria Deupress, Maurice Cole, Mae Ellen Buchanan, Ruth Ann Spiegel, Morris Smith and Garnet Terhune.
1924: The Republican noted continual issues with roaming dogs. “Formerly, when less sanitary conditions existed, the animals secured their food from the garbage pails or cans, but under present arrangements, they are unable to procure food. Homeless, hungry and kicked about, the dogs wander around until they become maddened with the treatment which they receive, when they snap and bite passing pedestrians and are finally killed by the police,” the paper said. Police Chief Thompson said “hunting and killing of these poor dogs” was “one of the most unpleasant tasks that falls under the duties of the police.” The police had killed 99 dogs so far in 1924. The record had been 176 killed in 1919. The dog killing program began in 1918 when the War Department encouraged food conservation plans. Thompson said police carried rifles then to take care such duties. He said some women would cry before dogs were shot, others, whose gardens had been uprooted, were happy to see police on dog duty in the neighborhoods.
1914: The Furnas Ice Cream shop opened at 14 East Locust Street, owned by Curtis Gunn.
OBITUARIES
Julie Ann Jones, 66, of Shelbyville, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at her home surrounded by her husband and three children. Julie was born August 17, 1957, in New Albany, the daughter of William R. and Marilyn (Condra) Smith. On February 24, 1979, she married her husband of 45 years, Gregory D. Jones, and he survives.
Together, Greg and Julie were the parents of three children: sons, Ben Jones and wife, Cortney, of Muncie, and Matt Jones and wife, Jennifer, of Shelbyville; daughter, Abbi Gaines and husband, Charlie, of Greenfield. She was affectionately known as Ma Jones to their grandchildren Blake, Caleb, Maggie, Sam, Max, Cole, Annie and Murphy. Julie is also survived by her sisters, Diana Frank and husband, Art, of Floyds Knobs, and Shelley Smallwood of Fishers; brother, Jeff Smith and wife, Anne, of Indianapolis and numerous nieces and nephews.
Julie was preceded in death by her parents; and brothers, Bill Smith and Barry Smith; her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Dale and Joyce Jones; a niece Natalie Jones, and a nephew, Brent Warnecke.
In 1975, Julie graduated from Ben Davis High School.
Julie was the heart of her home and family. She spent her early years raising her three children and later caring for her ailing parents. In the next stage of her life, Julie played the role of grandma spending her days babysitting, attending school and sporting events, and hosting sleepovers for her eight grandchildren. The hard work that Julie put in was not at an office, rather it was the labor of love that she put into her home. Over the years, she hosted many gatherings for family and friends to celebrate holidays, wedding and baby showers, birthdays, and an annual Fourth of July celebration. She made sure each guest felt loved and welcome and that they never left hungry.
In her free time, Julie enjoyed going shopping, especially with her daughter, visiting with her family and friends, and trying different restaurants. She loved spending time laughing and reminiscing with her two sisters. When at home, she took pleasure in simply sitting in her cozy chair with her dog, Marley, and watching reruns of classic television shows. She had a wonderful sense of humor and a contagious laugh that we already miss hearing.
Julie loved her family and she cherished the time they spent together creating lasting memories. She and Greg were blessed to spend many vacations on Florida beaches with their children, grandchildren and extended family.
Julie taught her family how to care for each other by the life that she led and this is how we will survive the void that she has left in our lives. As we face hardships and challenges in life, we will be reminded of how hard Julie fought cancer for 5 years, never giving up for the sake of more time to be with her loved ones. She will always be an inspiration to us all.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Funeral services at 1 p.m., Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the funeral home, with Rev. Dr. Robb Barlow officiating. Inurnment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to the Joyce and Dale Jones Family Fund, in care of the Blue River Community Foundation, 54 W. Broadway St., Shelbyville, Indiana 46176. Online condolences may be shared with Julie’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Michael Dewayne Rupert, 70, of Indianapolis, passed away Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at Franciscan Health Indianapolis. Born April 18, 1954 in Anderson, he was the son of John Edward Rupert and Patricia Areta (Argabright) Rupert. He married Karen Sue (Moore) Rupert on February 1, 1975 and she preceded him in death in 2013.
Survivors include three children, Jamie Dawn Rupert-Arnold of Bargersville; Brittany Michele (Todd) Rupert-Bertram of Bargersville; Brandon (Erin Nicole) Riddle of Franklin; 5 siblings; Jack Rupert of Indianapolis, Terrie Rupert of Shelbyville, Kevin Rupert of Shelbyville, Areta Purdue of Marietta, Sharon (John) Bascovsky of Whiteland; three grandchildren, Jayden Morphew, Kody Arnold, and Journey Bertram. He was preceded in death by his wife, parents and sister Cathy Huffman.
Michael grew up in Shelby County before moving to Bargersville. He graduated from Morristown High School in 1972, attended Shelbyville Community Church and was a member of the Masonic Lodge. Michael was an Electrical Salesman for Peerless Electric. Michael enjoyed going to the race track with his family, boating, scuba diving, watching IU Basketball, coaching kids in baseball and football, but most of all loved spending time with his family.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m., Monday, June 3, 2024 at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road, with Pastor Daniel Stahl officiating. Burial will be in Boggstown Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday morning from 11 a.m. until the time of service, at the funeral home. Memorial donations can be made to Shelby County Cancer Association, 31 Public Square, Shelbyville, IN 46176. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.