Monday, April 21, 2025
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Police Bicycle Unit Rolls Into Action
Shelbyville Police Officer Dallas Phillips tries out a new patrol bicycle on Thursday. Thanks to grants from the Shelby County Prosecutor’s Office and the Central Indiana Police Foundation, the Shelbyville Police Department has added two new bicycles—one traditional and one electronic—to its bicycle patrol unit. Eight SPD officers - Phillips, Corp. Alex Miller, Officer Adam Stafford, Officer Jesse Greene, Corp. Charles Shriver, Officer Joshua Kieffer, Det. Fred McConnaughey and Det. Kyra Peoples - are certified to use the bikes, which require training in police-specific tactics and operations. The bicycle unit, used in amenable weather, will be active through about November, with officers performing similar duties to those in patrol vehicles. “When you think of community policing, your bicycle unit usually is your number one go-to for that engagement, because you’re exposed to the environment, and it’s really approachable,” Phillips said. | photo by ANNA TUNGATE
1965 SCURRIER RESURFACES
For decades, April brought the arrival of the Shelbyville High School “Scurrier”, an April Fools version of The Courier. Of course, none of the news is accurate. Below are excerpts and photos from the April 1965 edition.
A Miss Jesse Bodem-coached boys cooking team had won a major competition. The contestants were Denny “Pie Crust” Fox, Cris “Flour Fingers” Rehme and Dan “Dirty Hands” Karnowsky.
Five faculty members and a custodian had won a race at the Bunker Hill Drag Strip. Winners were John “Kentucky” Coomer, Dennis “Cigar” Wisker, William “Swifty Bill” McKinley, Joan “the Ram Lady” Kelley, James “Don Gay” McKeand and Lou “Speedy” Kuhn.
Dan Karnowsky had been named “King of the Cafeteria” after an eating contest, taking down Don Wilson.
Teachers Revamp School Policies: Many suggestions have been made by students about how to improve S.H.S., but, of course few, if any, have been carried through. Now suggestions from faculty members are on Principal J. M. McKeand’s desk, and it looks as though he may take action on many of them. Some of the donors and their suggestions are as follows: Mr. Beck: Paint all windows with black paint so pupils can't stare out of them.; Miss Stillabower: Allow female teachers to wear shorts or slacks to school.; Mr. Coyner: Allow male teachers to wear shorts to school.’ Mr. Blind: Purchase an uncrashable car for my drivers' education classes.; Mr. Brown: Forbid boys to wear tight-legged pants.; Mrs. Ramsey: Replace my present homeroom students with smarter; quieter ones, please!; Mrs. Pinero: Equip me with a handbook of American slang.; Mrs. Kelly: Revive Latin, and make it the official language of S.H.S.; Mr. Coomer: Make Kentuckian the official language of S.H.S.; Miss Chenoweth: Make English the official language of S.H.S.; Mr. Kocher: Hide Mr. Kuhn's record player.; Mr. McFerran: Hide my physics students. Unfortunately for the students, Mr. McKeand has vetoed a suggestion submitted by Mr. Hinshaw to get rid of the student body.
One more photo:
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NOTEBOOK:
This Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. to noon, is Healthy Kids Day at the Shelby County YMCA, featuring 30-plus booths, a bounce house, obstacle course, touch-a-truck, instrument petting zoo, face painting, balloon twister, games and a free fire safety show by Kasey the Fire Dog. Participate in the first annual Healthy Kids Day Dash and receive a free t-shirt and medal. Additional details here…
HOOSIER NEWS: There will be a series of overnight lane and ramp closures impacting Interstates 74 and 65 in Indianapolis next week. The closures are for overhead sign structure work. The following closures are scheduled to begin next week, weather permitting: Monday through Thursday from midnight to 3 a.m. each night the I-74 westbound ramp to I-465 will be closed. The official detour is Southeastern Avenue to Arlington Avenue to Brookville Road; From 9 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m Tuesday, the left lane of I-74 eastbound and westbound will be closed between Post Road and I-465; From 9 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m Tuesday, the right lane of I-65 southbound will be closed between Hanna Avenue and I-465. The on and off ramps will remain open.; From Tuesday 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, the right lane of I-74 westbound will be closed between Post Road and I-465. (Daily Journal of Johnson County)
NATIONAL NEWS: Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer wanted to juice home-court advantage, so when he built the Intuit Dome, the developers designed a seating section known as “The Wall.” This was an unusually steep section behind the basket and adjacent to the away team bench, a section with no suites and only certified fans filling its 51 rows, which are cheaper too. It has had its intended effect: when opposing players shoot free throws at the basket in the vicinity of The Wall, they make those shots just 73.4 percent of the time, which is lower than the 76.1 percent made on the other end of the floor and below the roughly 78.1 percent average visitor free throw percentage in the NBA, a 4.7 percent difference between the average and The Wall. (Sportico/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights
Jan. 13, 1954, Part I
A man who had been in a work camp in Germany engaged in rehabilitation work until 1949 spoke to SHS students. Senior Class President Bill Hart introduced the speaker, who talked about the geography of post-war Germany. He stressed the importance of maintaining democracy, quoting Goethe, “What you have inherited from your fathers, you must earn to possess.”
“The students of SHS have become careless about getting to classes on time,” The Courier reported. “This situation is entirely unnecessary, and bad not only for the school record, but also for the interruptions caused by a late student.”
The Courier offered advice to boys for life after possible military service. “To borrow a phrase from a well-known automobile manufacturer - ‘There’s a uniform in your future.’” The Courier encouraged boys to look at the positive aspects of military service, such as learning, experience and travel.
Lavonne Fisher was elected president of the SHS Singing Stars. Other officers were Virginia Hites and Carolyn Rigsbee.
Marge Clay was named the winner of the DAR Good Citizenship Contest for Shelby County. Judges for the contest were Mrs. Garnet Perry, W.F. Loper and Rev. John Faust.
Lawrence Reece had been appointed to serve on the school board. He was the father of John Reece, a junior, and Evelyn Reece, a junior high school student.
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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 by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2005: Local Girl Scout troops delivered 344 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to Camp Atterbury and The Salvation Army for soldiers preparing to ship out overseas. The Scouts were Rileigh McIntosh, Madison Brady, Robyn Wendel, Alyia Rosado, Haley McCormick, Mackenzie Wendel, Cierra Hacker, Samantha Hacker, Ashley Knartzer, Allison Knartzer and Nicole Bloom.
1995: A onetime St. Paul filling station lot that had been the target of a petroleum contamination cleanup was sold. The Shelby County Savings Bank sold the lot north of the branch to Paul Pavey.
Nine Shelby County seniors won Hoosier Scholar Awards. They were Katherine Carrico, William Longstreet, Collin Hassebroek, Katherine McDaniel, Amy Butcher, Joseph Fox, Lori Orban, Cressa Tresslar and Amie Williams.
1985: Plans were announced for Shelbyville to have its first condominiums. The 28 two-bedroom condos were to be built on 14 lots at the corner of Cypress and Sycamore drives in Berwick Manor.
1975: Traffic around the southwest side of Public Square was slowed after a flat-bed truck jumped the inner curb and damaged a light standard. The truck was carrying a load of state surplus vehicles to the local vocational center. A forklift and other equipment was brought from BRVTC to unload and remove the damaged truck.
1965: The Shelby County Shrine Club announced plans to transport 950 sixth grade students to the annual Shrine Circus at the Indiana Fairgrounds Coliseum. The Club also held a program featuring a display of samples of marble found in the Waldron area by Kenneth Sever.
Fred Goudy, 58, 739 Teal Street., math teacher at Southwestern Junior High School, died at Major Hospital from pneumonia. Goudy had previously been a professor before moving here. During World War II, he served with the FBI.
1955: City officials announced plans to join more than 100 Indiana cities and towns, including Indianapolis, in the change-over from standard to daylight saving time.
Three Shelbyville men - Harry Hiatt, Ed VanCleve and Stanley Frank - were fishing in Tennessee when they looked up and saw Hiatt’s new car rolling down a steep bank and into the deep lake. The car had been parked on a road by the Hurricane Boat Dock near Silver Point, Tenn., and the accident was caused when the ground caved from under the car. The car was raised out of the lake about 12 hours later.
1945: Boy Scouts made a city-wide collection of waste paper. The Army provided eight soldiers to drive collection vehicles. Those in the county were asked to bring their paper to the armory.
1935: Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Howe of near Waldron bought “two gallons’ worth of furniture” at the Long Brothers furniture store on North Harrison. The gallons, filled pennies and nickels, were used to purchase a complete furniture suite. “Suspicions that the Long brothers (Floyd and Kenneth) are now accepting liquor of ancient vintage in trade are unfounded, it should be explained,” The Republican said.
1925: A state “motor” policeman was in town to enforce the new tail-light law.
Dr. Samuel Kennedy treated two factory injuries. He amputated a finger of a Davis-Birely Table Co. employee injured in a machine and treated torn leg ligaments of a J.B. Hamilton furniture factory employee who had fallen from a ladder.
1915: Ministers in Decatur County had agreed to “taboo” funerals on Sundays, The Republican reported. “The same plan was adopted in (Shelbyville) a few years ago, but it failed to hold together.”
LeRoy Jones was awarded the contract for hauling the city’s garbage one-half mile from the city. The garbage would be used as feed for stock and fertilizer.
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OBITUARIES
Jerry Ray Kuhn, 83, of New Palestine, passed away on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Hancock Regional Hospital in Greenfield. He was born June 12, 1941, in Rochester, the son of George and Wilma (Swick) Kuhn. On July 1, 1962, he married his wife of 62 years, Jean Ann Smith, and she survives. In addition to Jean, Jerry is survived by his son, Gregory Kuhn of Harlan; daughter, Janna Rennier and husband, Steve, of New Palestine; grandchildren, Emily Kuhn and Brandon Rennier; sister-in-law, Juanita Kuhn of Mentone; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Kimberly Kuhn; twin brother, Larry Kuhn; and nephew, Neiel Kuhn.
In 1959, Jerry graduated from Akron High School. Following high school, he attended Fort Wayne Business School and received his degree in accounting. He was a member of the Amboy United Methodist Church and a current member of Amity Community Church. Jerry retired in 1998, as an accountant for General Motors, with over 35 years of service. He formerly served his community as the Amboy Town Marshall for 25 years and was a trustee for Miami County. He was a member of the Converse Masonic Lodge No. 601 F&AM. Jerry enjoyed going fishing, hunting, walking and biking.
A gathering of friends and family will be from 2 to 4 p.m., Monday, April 28, 2025 at Amity Community Church, 6042 W 100 N, Greenfield, Indiana 46140. A Celebration of Life will follow at 4 p.m., at the church. Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 124 E. North St. in Morristown. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 8604 Allisonville Rd., Suite 140, Indianapolis, Indiana 46250 or the American Cancer Association, 5635 W. 96th St., Suite 100, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46278. Online condolences may be shared with Jerry’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com