Saturday, December 14, 2024
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
HOOSIER HOSPITALITY
Andi Thompson, left, with Linne’s Bakery, and Rachael Ackley, Executive Director of Shelby County Tourism & Visitors Bureau, show off thumbprint cookies, which Ackley delivered to local hotels housing youth cross country runners this weekend. Today’s meet at the Blue River Cross Country course is hosted by USA Track and Field, the national governing body for the sport, and is open to qualifiers from all over the country, ages 6 to 18. There are over 3,000 runners in the event, and local officials expect some 8,000-plus visitors in Shelbyville over the weekend. | photo by JACK BOYCE
SHELBY COUNTY SUNSET
Friday sunset, two miles west of Shelbyville. | photo by JACK BOYCE
Meeting in Moral Reviews Possible Comp Plan Changes
A community meeting in Moral Township gave area residents a chance to see proposed changes to the Shelby County Comprehensive Plan. Philip Roth, Senior Planner at American Structurepoint, walked through findings and answered questions at the fire department on Thursday. The plan includes the unincorporated areas of the county, but much of the meeting focused on the northwest part of the county, given its proximity to Marion County. Included below are highlights and quotes from Roth.
The existing comprehensive plan was created in 2019 in conjunction with the City of Shelbyville, and had “a goal of attracting new residents and industries. And this is where some of the controversy seems to live with the prior plan: how many residents, how much industry to attract.”
A review, “with some generous assumptions,” of expected investment in the county over the next 25 years projected approximately 1,000 acres would be needed throughout the county, with nearly half in Moral Township. The existing plan calls for approximately 2,000 acres in Moral Township alone. The review concluded it is appropriate to scale back industrial development. This will not affect developments already in progress. “Part of the dilemma with the project is that the horse has already escaped the barn a little bit.” This leads to a two-fold challenge of minimizing future development and managing existing conflicts, Roth said.
The consultants also considered truck traffic, and how to get trucks off smaller, local roads.
Cited a need to look further at water and wastewater services. “Without those kinds of utilities, the industrial uses that would (work) in the township are largely restricted to warehousing, and that is not really in the highest and best use (of the land).”
Suggested looking at buffer areas, and including not only sight considerations, but also sound.
Suggested working with surrounding counties on transportation/roadway issues. “We know that Johnson County has been working for some time on extending the Worthsville Road corridor.” A timeframe and details of that project are not yet determined.
In response to a question about potential plans from the incoming Braun administration, Roth said most of the conversation with the new administration had been in regards to Boone County. “To my knowledge, no one in the incoming administration has expressed many opinions about development in this corridor.”
Hancock County is looking to potentially build an I-70 interchange between Mt. Comfort Road and State Road 9, but details have yet to be determined. “They've already upgraded the thoroughfare designation of the road that would connect into that new interchange, even though it's not been built yet.” Roth said Hancock County cannot control Shelby County, but a possible four-lane road to the county line would impact Shelby County.
The proposed map changes will be made available in the coming days, Roth said. Any approved changes would need to go through the Plan Commission and County Commissioners.
NOTEBOOK:
An informational meeting will be held in January for students interested in traveling to Shelbyville’s Sister City, Shizuoka City/Kambara, Japan next summer. The Sister City partnership is over 35 years strong and is an opportunity for students in grades 7-12 in Shelby County who would like to participate in a cultural exchange. The 2025 student trip is planned for mid-June and will include approximately five to seven days in Shizuoka City/Kambara as a homestay experience as well as a few days in Tokyo. Applications are available on the Shelbyville city website. They must be submitted by January 27, 2025. Students and parents can learn more about the Sister City program and the 2025 summer trip by attending the information meeting on Monday, January 13, at Shelbyville City Hall in the Council Chambers (2nd floor) at 4 p.m.
A blue Chevrolet Impala driving at a high rate of speed on Rolling Ridge Road hit a Jeep Patriot, driven by a woman who had a child in the vehicle, near Fountain Lake Dr. The impact severely damaged the front of the Patriot. The driver of the Impala then exited his vehicle, checked to ensure the driver and passenger of the Patriot were “okay,” then fled the scene on foot. When police arrived, the Impala was unoccupied, but locked and running. A witness reported attempting to get the attention of the driver of the Impala to notify him to slow down prior to the accident.
Shelbyville High School juniors Aiden Alton, Bailee Frazier, Emma Claxton and Mylez Clark were recognized this week by the Indiana Association of School Principals for outstanding academic achievements.
Shelbyville High School basketball teams outlasted New Castle in a varsity double-header last night. The girls (5-4, 2-0 HHC) won, 47-38, with three players in double digits: Maddy Jones with 16, Jayla Ash at 12, and Hannah Baker, 10. The girls open the conference with two wins for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The boys (4-0, 1-0) won, 70-61, and are 4-0 for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Mar Nicholson scored 32, Damon Badgley added 12 and Caden Claxton, 9.
A “Sing-A-Long Christmas: Barbershop Style” is on at The Strand Theatre tomorrow, Sunday, 3 p.m. The concert features Circle City Sound, a four-part harmony men’s ensemble, who will be joined by Shelbyville Middle School’s Elevate Show Choir. Tickets are available, $20 general admission, $5 youth (16 and under) are available online or at the door.
Thank you to every donor for your continued support as The Addison Times forges ahead to fund 2025 and beyond. We will once again provide a quarterly publication with extra news and photos in 2025 as a gift for your support of $100 or more. This past year, we’ve covered city and county meetings, our students, local business, primary and general elections, commercial and residential development, and, of course, daily local history. Please consider a one-time or monthly donation to The Addison Times, either online or via a check to The Addison Times, 54 W. Broadway, #13, Shelbyville, Ind., 46176. Thank you for your continued support of daily local news and history. I appreciate each of you. - Kristiaan Rawlings, Editor
NATIONAL NEWS: Students who apply to college are sending out more applications (6.22 in 2021-22, up from 4.63 in 2013-14) than before. Overall, 17 percent of students applied to 10 or more colleges in the most recent year of data, up from 8 percent a decade ago. (Vox/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights:
Nov. 6, 1963, Part II
Tom Trueb would head the Show Group for the year. Other officers were Carolyn Meiks, Marilyn Landwerlen and Rick Coffin. Mr. Martin Schulz was the director.
Fourteen SHS girls had served as Junior Red Cross Volunteer Nurse’s Aides at Major Hospital over the summer. Volunteers were Sandy Brenault, Janet Brown, Alfreda Franklin, Jane Junken, Sandra Kennedy, Linda LeBrun, Nancy Montgomery, Debbie Nelson, Manarda Payne, Vickie Scheffler, Linda Steinbarger, Marsha Thomas, Libby Tingle and Judy Trees.
Sophomore Jenny Jo McNeely was named queen of the local Beth of Job’s Daughters coronation ball, held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis. She was escorted by Greg Long.
Seniors decided the boys would wear black robes and girls would wear white at graduation. Members of the Cap and Gown Committee were Martha Adkins, Jean O’Mara, Anita Junken, Barbara Hey, Sheila Rice, Fred Bohman, Ken Garlitch, Joe Meloy, Tim Shuppert and Don McDaniel.
Janet Grigsby and Steve Carwein had generated the most Squib sales for the first semester. Squib staff members Alice Griffith, Diane McLoughlin and Denis Harris all attended the Indiana High School Press Conference, held at Franklin College.
Mrs. Yolande Pinerio, SHS Spanish teacher, spoke at the Future Teachers Organization meeting. “Boys are easier to teach than girls,” she said, but then confessed, “That was in Cuba.”
John Kincade was named president of Future Farmers of America. Officers were John Jordan, Max Clouse, George Meltzer and Rich Brown. Mr. Garnet Winchester, agriculture teacher, was the sponsor.
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.
2014: Hospitals throughout the state were enacting restrictions due to the flu, and schools had stepped up custodial duties to ensure sanitization of student areas. Shelbyville Central Schools was offering all students the flu vaccine free of charge. So far, student absences were normal for the time of year.
2004: A long-standing holiday tradition - enchanted boxes, filled with animated figures, from Santa Claus to a moose that hunted red birds, from Mickey Mouse to Winnie the Pooh - was on hold. The display was usually housed at the home of Valerie and Terry Coen off North State Road 9 near East Timberbrook Estates. But Terry was recovering from surgery and unable to assist with set-up. They promised to bring the displays back in 2005.
1994: Shelby County Commissioners banned weapons in the courthouse despite criticism from opponents concerned about their constitutional right to bear arms. There was no plan to install metal detectors, but police would regularly patrol the halls. The ban had been proposed by the three judges and Sheriff Mike Herndon. County attorney John C. DePrez IV noted that the Indiana General Assembly had passed legislation allowing counties to regulate firearms on county property.
1984: Bill Garrett, the Mr. Basketball who led SHS to the 1947 state championship and then broke the Big Ten color barrier, was posthumously inducted into the Indiana University Athletic Hall of Fame. Bill Garrett Jr., 19, a sophomore at Illinois State, gave a speech he and his sisters Laurie Garrett and Judy (Garrett) Shelton had written. Their mother, Betty, said Bill Jr. was chosen to read the speech “because they knew he’d get through it. And he did.” The speech focused on “the man who created a gentle and loving family environment… committed to our positive growth and happiness… (and) gave us a permanent gift of his heart.” Only once did young Garrett need to pause, when he quoted the inscription on a card Garrett gave his wife on their 21st wedding anniversary, Aug. 2, 1974, one day before he died of a heart attack. “One day the sky glowed with morning… the world awoke… and before sunset, the day had become ‘our day’… to remember always… I remember… and I love you. Love, Bill.”
1974: The local KCL Corp. started producing lami-zip bags through a partnership with a Japanese company that had patented the invention. The plastic bag allowed the purchaser to open and close the package repeatedly. Local butchers and deli owners were using the bags with great success. The company, Takashi Nogushi, sent representatives to help get the product off the ground. They brought their favorite Japanese meat and fish with them, but the items were confiscated in customs. The men had been seen regularly in local grocery stores, The Shelbyville News reported. The men said mass media had convinced them they would be “mugged or robbed” in the U.S., but their perspectives had changed after staying in Shelbyville.
1964: Over 2,000 people gathered at Paul Cross Gym for the annual Community Christmas Sing, sponsored by the local Zonta Club. Decorations included greenery around the organ and lights and tall red tapers, as well as a Nativity scene. Local youth groups served as ushers.
1954: The G & J Hotel opened in two former private residences, with the office at 31 E. Franklin St. The business was owned and operated by the Goodman-Jester Realty Co., headed by Bertha Goodman and Major T. Jester. The 16-room hotel, decorated by Jack Ivie, was located a short distance east of Harrison St. on the south side of Franklin. Each room had hot and cold water and several had private baths. The brick residences were known as the Metzger and Deitzer homes, and the lobby was located in the west wing, which was the old residence building originally constructed by Silas Metzger. Marie Hardy was manager. A home that was once the residence of Thomas A. Hendricks was demolished to make a parking lot for the hotel. The Hendricks home had originally stood on Washington St. but was moved many years prior to its destruction.
1944: Pfc. James Chandler, a former St. Paul resident who had moved to Decatur County, was reported missing in action in France. Pfc. Forest Rutherford, Waldron, had been killed in action in Germany. Cpl. Harold Stohry, of near Waldron, was listed as missing in action.
1934: The 200 block of South Harrison St. was resurfaced with an experimental rock asphalt method. Officials from Indianapolis came to check out the product.
The Republican announced plans for a children’s Christmas party, to be held at The Strand. Only children were admitted. Parents could only come as far as the theater doors. The children would first march from the newspaper office to The Strand for the event. “They will be permitted to shout and whoop it up as much as they please while marching, for there will be no teachers or other superiors to tell them to hush up,” the paper said.
1924: Christmas trees, both cedar and pine, arrived on Public Square for the annual sale.
St. Joseph Catholic High School formed its first basketball team. Each player received a suit. Their first game was supposed to be against Rushville, but Rushville had to forfeit when two members of their team moved away from the city. St. Joe rescheduled with St. Mary for their first game.
1914: The Shelby Lumber Co., which had taken over the old McLaren planing mill factory a few years earlier, was undergoing major renovations. The old wooden floor was being replaced with concrete. A steam power plant was under construction to replace a large lumber shed used as a power plant for the machines and to heat the office. The biggest change involved installing electric motors for all machines. The company employed 50.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Etheleen Swango, 76, of Shelbyville, passed away Friday, December 13, 2024, at Franciscan St. Francis Hospital in Indianapolis. She was born December 18, 1947, in Cookeville, Tenn., the daughter of Gerald R. and Ruby J. (Lee) Gurley. On June 26, 1992, she married William “Pete” Swango, and he preceded her in death on January 9, 2024. Etheleen is survived by her daughters, Serena A. Baker and significant other, Tommy Dobbins, of Fountaintown, Angela Hadley and husband, Edward, of Shelbyville, and Crystal Dettmering and husband, Philip, of Greenwood; sisters, Geraldine Brown of Greensburg, and Carolyn Austin of Shelbyville; brother, Richard Gurley of Cookeville, Tennessee; six grandchildren, Brandy Moore and husband, Paul, Ryan Hadley and wife, Julianne, Taylor Cameron and husband, Kiefer, Alex Hadley and wife, Abby, Ethan Dettmering and Noah Dettmering; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to Pete, Etheleen was preceded in death by her parents; and a brother, Barry Gurley.
Etheleen was a member of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church. She formerly worked at K-Mart for over 10 years. Etheleen was a member of the auxiliary at the Eagles Aerie Lodge No. 927, American Legion Post No. 70 and Moose Lodge No. 2118. She was also a member of the Indiana Federation of Business and Professional Women (INFBPW) and the Clearview Home Economics Club. She enjoyed working jigsaw puzzles and playing cards with her sister, Carolyn.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to Noon, Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, 3718 E. Blue Ridge Road, Shelbyville, Indiana 46176. Funeral services will follow with Rev. Dr. Robb Barlow officiating. Interment will be Mount Pisgah Cemetery Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 90, Memphis, Tennessee 38101-9929. Online condolences may be shared with Etheleen’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.