Saturday, July 6, 2024
IN THE GROOVE
Siblings Adam O’Connor (above) and Amanda Hasecuster (below) were featured in recent, separate PopUp events on Public Square. | photos by JACK BOYCE
ALL SET IN WALDRON
Community volunteers (L to R) Elizabeth Peterson, Lukas Riggins, Jameson Anderson, Madison Rhodes, Greg Peterson, Kaylee Payne, John Kapfhammer and Spencer Armstrong pause after setting up Freedom Fest KidZone at Waldron Freedom Festival early yesterday afternoon. The Waldron Junior-Senior High School Performing Arts department is offering concessions at an adjacent stand. A full range of Festival activities are slated for today, including the parade at 2 p.m. and fireworks just after 10 p.m. KidZone is open 2:30 to 9 p.m. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Fairland BZA, Plan Commission Table Request Regarding Gas Station, Convenience Store
The newly installed Fairland Board of Zoning Appeals and Plan Commission tabled petitions on Tuesday regarding a 24-hour gas station and convenience store proposed for property just west of town on E 400 N, just west of South Jefferson Street. The two-hour-plus evening featured substantial public comment regarding the special exception and rezone requests, with the boards meeting separately.
The developer hopes to use 1.8 acres of the 11-acre parcel owned by Bowman Rentals LLC, currently zoned agricultural, for a gas station and convenience store. The development fits the recently approved comprehensive plan, which identifies the property as part of “Fast Fairland,” an effort to keep commercial development along the Country Road 400 North corridor, attorney Ray Basile said.
“(Fast Fairland) is, as we understand it, the desire to see development for commercial and retail purposes to the west of Fairland so that it doesn’t end up downtown,” Basile said.
The area currently includes a Dollar General and food options, but development will be limited until public sewers can be installed in the future, board members said. The developers have agreed to initially install a septic system. Once sewers are made available, the developers will pay to have the septic removed and hook up to the available service, Basile said.
But several area residents had concerns, which covered drainage, the station’s proposed 24-hour service, safety, changing the rural character of the town, light pollution, property values and the possible need for speed-change lanes. Lack of available emergency services was also discussed.
“We don’t have police. We have a speed trap that goes through Fairland,” area resident Nancy Sanders said to laughs.
Basile responded to the numerous concerns. He said development “cannot make existing drainage worse.” He also said some law enforcement have reported that crime rates go down with 24-hour stations because they are constantly monitored. The developer has also ceded possible diesel sales, only offering regular fuel.
“That would have been a good income source for this property because of the farm equipment and other trucks and vehicles that use diesel, and (that income) is not being replaced,” Basile said. “But he’s willing to give up that income because he’s trying to accommodate the concerns of residents.
Given it was the first meeting of the BZA, the members ultimately opted to table the requests to the Aug. 6 meeting to allow time for further research. The current process does not yet include consideration of a site plan, and approval of the requests will eventually go through the Fairland Town Board.
NOTEBOOK:
Fireworks were the source of two fires in Shelbyville on July 4, the Shelbyville Fire Department reported. In one incident, discarded fireworks had been placed into a dumpster. The second call involved discarded fireworks into the bed of a truck. No injuries were reported.
NATIONAL NEWS: Firework sales have fallen sharply after a surge — a boom — in the pandemic era. In 2019, 0.78 pounds of fireworks per capita were imported to the United States. By 2021, that jumped to 1.25 pounds per capita, and then 1.35 per capita in 2022. This year, that’s down to 0.65 pounds per capita. One reason for the reduced sales is inflation; in 2021, the average import price was $1.13 per pound of fireworks, which is up to $1.61 per pound in the first four months of the year, up 42 percent, and double the overall pace of inflation over that period. (The Conversation/Numlock)
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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 new Triton Central Fieldhouse opened. It was one of several central Indiana host sites for a U.S. Junior Nationals youth girls basketball tournament.
2004: The Bear’s Den held a weekend sale to mark its 50th anniversary. Donn and Vera Burke had opened the A&W restaurant at 1837 E. Michigan Road on the Fourth of July, 1954. Paul and Bev Means, who added the canopy and speakers, renamed it The Bear’s Den in 1979. Robert and Anita Lewis purchased the restaurant in 2000. People still asked for the hurriburger recipe, Steve Talbert reported for The Shelbyville News. A few years’ prior, a woman tried to wrangle the ingredients out of the owners by saying her child was allergic to something in the sandwich. “She just wanted to know what was in it,” Anita Lewis told Talbert.
1994: A residential development proposal outlined plans for 64 condominiums and 72 lots for single-family housing on property annexed by the city on the north side of I-74. Sharon Siebert, the developer, was purchasing the 47-acre tract on the south side of County Road 250 N, south of Country Club Heights, from Luke Williams, president of Williams Industries.
1984: An open house was held for Gerald and Helen Carmony at the Bluebird Restaurant in Morristown. The event honored Mr. Carmony upon his retirement as school superintendent and Mrs. Carmony, who was retiring after 30 years as a teacher.
1974: A lone gunman robbed Kroger supermarket cashiers Meredith Brokering and Janet Baker at gun-point. The robber got approximately $100.
1964: The Shelbyville Common Council passed an ordinance authorizing fluoride treatment to Shelbyville’s public water supply. A petition for the action had been presented by Dr. Louis Disser on behalf of other dentists. Shelbyville was one of the last communities in the state to include fluoride in water, with communities such as Franklin and Greensburg approving the measure in the early 1950s.
1954: Scofield Furniture Co., 224 S. Harrison St., celebrated its 16th anniversary. Ralph Scofield had been in the furniture business in Shelbyville for 26 years. He came here from Columbus in 1924 and operated a shoe store for a short time. He then started working in retail furniture and eventually founded his own shop. His son, Gerald, had been with the company for two years. Harold Douthitt had worked for the business eight years.
1944: Dr. R.A. Major, optometrist, who had maintained an office on Public Square for six years, opened a new office at 310 Methodist Building. Dr. Major had practiced optometry in Shelbyville for 13 years.
Mrs. Fred Dixon, 15 John St., gave birth to a boy in the ambulance while stopped in Mt. Auburn en route to Camp Atterbury, where she had planned to have the baby. Ray Murphy, driver of the ambulance, had to stop to help deliver the child.
1934: Rev. Arville Owens began his fourth year as pastor of Vine Street Methodist Protestant Church. Officers of the church were Charles Coulston, Ralph Owens, Clarence Hamilton, Claude Stanley, Paul Hall, Matt Talbert, Samuel Nugent, Lillie Hamilton, Chase Smith, Pearl Smith, Mac Campbell, Rex Phares, Darrell Smith and Pearl Smith.
1924: Twelve delegates from the local lodge of the Modern Woodmen attended the state log rolling contest in Rushville. The local delegates were Mort Kendall, Thomas Munson, William Henry, Charles Booher, Elmore Bailey, John Keller, Mahlin LeClere, Jasper Calloway, John Duffy, W.A. Heustis, Manford Handley and Stanley Steffey.
1914: A Columbus doctor, his wife, a nurse and a chauffeur, blew a tire on the Columbus pike near Fenns en route to Anderson. With no spares on hand, they drove at an extremely slow speed toward Shelbyville. However, a nut came off the steering gear, causing the machine to “run wild,” the Republican reported. The car plunged down a steep ditch, through a wire fence and into a field. No one was hurt. A local mechanic fixed the steering gear but a matching tire could not be found in Shelbyville. The family decided to have dinner with Thomas McLane and family in Shelbyville and take the interurban to Anderson.
OBITUARIES
Richard Scott Bable, 59, of Shelbyville, passed away Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at MHP Medical Center. Born May 23, 1965, in Franklin, he was the son of Richard Wayne Bable and Linda Charlene (Peavler). Survivors include two daughters, Jessica Catelyn Lasley of Beech Grove and Elizabeth Jean Able of Arlington; a son, Emerson Scott Bable of Arlington; and two sisters, Mandy Peavler of Shelbyville and Angela Alexander of North Carolina. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews, including Mackenzie Medsker and Jazmine Medsker, and several great-nieces and great-nephews, including Tristan Williams and Phoenix Medsker, and one grandson, Keegan Michael Lee Deppe of Beech Grove. He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, Michael Bable.
Mr. Bable was a lifelong resident of this area and graduated from Triton Central High School in 1983. He was self-employed in construction for several years and was an entrepreneur. He was a US Army veteran, serving in the 101st Airborne. Richard enjoyed fishing, woodworking, tinkering, automobile drives through the country, and loved spending time with his family.
No funeral services will be observed. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.
Larry Lee Jones, 77, of Shelbyville, passed away Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Indianapolis.
He was born June 21, 1947, in Hammond, the son of Lawrence and Ann (Vandermae) Jones. On February 16, 1985, he married his wife of 39 years, Angela Banister, and she survives. In addition to Angela, Larry is survived by his son, Brian Jones of Shelbyville; daughter, Jessie Hyde and husband, Mike, of Greenwood; grandchildren, Molly, Bennett and Annie; and several nieces and nephews. Larry was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Char Blade; and brother, John Jones.
In 1965, Larry graduated from High School and continued his education obtaining a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Purdue. He retired as the plant manager at NTN Driveshaft in Columbus, with over 25 years of service. Larry enjoyed photography, watching sunsets and was a member of two photography clubs. He also enjoyed traveling and spending time with his family.
A Gathering of Friends will be from 3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville, with a Memorial service at 5 pm. Online condolences may be shared with Larry’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Kevin Smith, 61, of Cloverdale, formerly of Shelbyville passed away Thursday July 4, 2024 at Franciscan Hospice House. He was born July 20, 1962 in Shelbyville, IN, to Jerry D. Smith and Nancy (Aulby) Thurman.
He attended Shelbyville High School. Kevin loved being outdoors. He enjoyed the times he spent camping and fishing. He also enjoyed throwing horseshoes and splitting wood.
He is survived by his mother, Nancy Thurman (Bob Huesman); son, Devin Smith; brothers, Tim Smith (Sheila Ashbrook), Ricky Smith, Sr. (Stephanie Elliott); sister, Tammy Smith; brother, Jerry Smith, Jr. and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father; his sister, Angela Wickliff; his nephew, Timothy Smith; his aunt, Kay Hawkins and cousin, Scott Aulby.
Visitation will be Thursday, July 11, 2024 from 10 a.m. to noon at Murphy-Parks Funeral Service, 703 S. Harrison Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176. Funeral services will follow at noon at the funeral home with Pastor James Thurman officiating. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, Stuart Parks, and Darin Schutt are honored to serve Kevin’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.