Sunday, February 11, 2024
CALLING IT FOR THE CHIEFS
Anne Marie Fansler, daughter of Andrew and Carmen Fansler, and Reagan Dillon, daughter of Heath and Amy Dillon, display their pick for tonight’s Super Bowl through their earring selections. The Shelbyville Middle School eighth graders said they found the earrings at Pink Poppy in Shelbyville. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
SHS Show Choir Pulls Off Show Stopper
ABOVE: Shelbyville High School Synergy performs in Breck Auditorium last night. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Fifteen talented show choirs from across Indiana competed at Shelbyville High School yesterday, with the home team closing the evening with a riveting exhibition performance. The SHS Singing Sensation is the choral department’s largest fundraising event and offers an opportunity to show off the SHS show Choir, Synergy.
Despite a long day working the event - Synergy members and several parents arrived hours before the 9 a.m. competition start - they came out on the Breck Auditorium stage at 8 p.m. with characteristic enthusiasm to the opener, “Do You Love Me?”
“That song has so many cool, quick and smooth dance moves,” freshman Ben Cox said. “The fast singing makes it more interesting.”
Ryker DeWitt, a senior, had a hard time settling on a favorite. “It’s either ‘Love Everybody,’ because it’s a rock song, or ‘Give a Little More,’” he said. “I like the choreography a lot this year. It’s very high energy.”
Synergy, directed by Mr. Joel Kenemore, wears blue sequin dresses to start the show, and switches to red during a Chloe Dillman solo.
“That’s my favorite outfit,” sophomore Gillian Slaughter said of the latter wardrobe. “I like dancing the rest of the show in them.”
Performing aside, much of the day for Synergy members is devoted to running the event: setting up risers, supervising rooms and meeting cohorts from other schools. After a one-year hiatus, Singing Sensational’s return was met with anticipation.
“I’m eager to see how our school hosting a competition looks compared to other schools that we have traveled to,” Edith Wainscott, a sophomore, said early in the week.
Arya McNeely, also a sophomore, agreed. “I am looking forward to being able to see the multiple amazing groups perform and being able to socialize with them and get to know them,” she said.
It was a whirlwind.
Sophia Wainscott, a sophomore, said just hanging out with her show choir mates in between tasks was rewarding. “Not necessarily even performing together, but especially in our down time, when we can laugh and joke around.”
Coda Roque, a senior, has experienced the joy of show choir and resulting memories for four years. She recalls befriending show choir performers from other schools, watching movies on the bus ride to shows and even burning her cheek with a curling iron.
“But if I had to choose, I think my favorite Synergy memory so far is competition season,” Roque said. “It is really where we as performers get to see our hard work pay off. The adrenaline of being onstage and hearing cheers from the crowd is exciting. It’s like fuel that drives me to keep performing.”
Synergy performs next in competition in Mooresville at the Spotlighter Invitational, Saturday, Feb. 24.
BELOW: Shelbyville High School senior Chloe Dillman, foreground, and the Synergy show choir team practice last night before taking the stage. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelbyville Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday will hear, among other matters, a petition to locate a Dollar General Market store at the northeast corner of McKay Road and Twin Lakes Boulevard, across from McKay Manor. The investment company is requesting a special exception use to locate a business in excess of 10,000 square feet in a Business Neighborhood district. The BZA meets Tuesday, 7 p.m., at City Hall.
NATIONAL NEWS: A new analysis found that over 40 percent of Super Bowl commercials have more than one celebrity in them, an indication that advertisers are attempting to flood the zone with familiar faces when it comes to ads this cycle. As recently as 2017, the majority of ads airing in the Super Bowl didn't even contain a single celebrity, but today the majority contains at least one well-compensated face and many contain a multitude. As it stands, brands have paid $7 million for 30 seconds of airtime this year. (Wall Street Journal/Numlock)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: Betsy Stephen was awarded the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Community Lifetime Achievement Award. Stephan was Shelbyville’s first, and so far only, female mayor, taking office in 1996. During her administration, the city built a new swimming pool, a new street department garage, new sewage system and she helped with planning the new park and extending the runway at the airport. She was still involved in numerous local activities. “I’m not going to quit until the Lord calls,” she told The Shelbyville News. “As long as I’m able.”
2004: The first Shelby County Reads program kicked off. Mayor Scott Furgeson read a proclamation encouraging all citizens to read “Tuesdays with Morrie.” County Commissioner Doug Warnecke and Shelbyville Middle School principal Denny Ramsey also spoke, followed by WISH-TV’s Dick Wolfsie. Janet Wallace, director of the library, announced an essay contest, and Angela Gill from Blue River Foundation and Nisa Hensley from Cinergy spoke about their organizations’ sponsorship of Shelby County Reads.
1994: Despite the decrepit conditions of the old Shelby County Jail, a final inspection before demolition showed there was little asbestos in the building, reducing costs of razing the facility.
1984: Gov. Robert Orr attended a breakfast at the Holiday Inn sponsored by Shelby County Republicans. He spoke about the need for budgetary accountability in education and social services.
Stores were sold out of the board game “Trivial Pursuit.” Local variety stores were taking orders for the game, and some people said they had put in orders at two or three different stores to be assured they would eventually get one.
1974: J. Lee McNeely was among newly elected officers of the newly chartered Carmel Bank & Trust Co. in Carmel. McNeely was partner in the Matchett and McNeely firm in Shelbyville. He had served as city judge of Shelbyville and was a former county Republican chairman.
A Fairland area man was found not guilty of drawing a gun on Sheriff Norman G. Murnan, even though the man had certainly drawn a gun on Murnan, who disarmed him. Judge George Tolen, however, ruled that the defendant was “in such a state of intoxication and drunkenness that he could not form the criminal intent to commit a criminal act.”
1964: Local Girl Scouts made Valentines for Marion Veterans Hospital patients. A newspaper photo showed Girl Scouts Leah Hauk, Lois Mae Corley, Kathy Jo Bottorff and Patricia Ann Munger showing off their homemade creations.
Paal’s Shoes was the first firm to report 100 percent participation in the SCUFFY retail division. Sirkus received a banner for the achievement.
1954: Western Auto Associate Store opened at 48 E. Washington, owned by J. Bryant Starkey.
Kenny Conover, Waldron basketball star, and Marcia Pearce were named king and queen of the annual Sunshine Society Sweetheart Dance at the school.
1944: The third Army-Navy Qualifying tests were administered at Waldron High School. The exams were designed to test the aptitude and general knowledge of candidates.
1934: Morristown eighth grade student John Pendleton, who had been missing for several days, returned to his home near Freeport. “John refused to say where he had been other than that he had been visiting in Shelbyville,” The Republican said. “The family had moved from this city about three months ago and it was thought that the lad had become dissatisfied and wandered from home with the intention of renewing acquaintances with his former friends.”
1924: Samuel Guild, who had stolen a vehicle owned by Edward Comstock of Shelbyville, filed a petition for clemency. Guild had been sentenced to the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City for three to five years.
1914: The evangelist at First M.E. Church was drawing a large crowd each night with his direct sermons. “Devil Arranges Dances for Girls,” The Republican headline read, with the subhead, “Has cigarette for every young man in the city, gambling hell for every father and social card party for every mother, said Rev. H.W. Kerr.”
OBITUARIES
Charles E. Sturgill, 80, of Shelbyville, passed away Saturday, February 10, 2024, at The Willows of Shelbyville. He was born March 24, 1943, in Letcher County, Kentucky, the son of Haskel and Ethel (Blair) Sturgill. On October 15, 1961, he married Edna Mae “Peanut” McDaniel, and she preceded him in death on November 19, 2018. He is survived by his sons, Eddie Sturgill and wife, Rita, of Shelbyville, and Tim Sturgill and wife, Julia, of Florida; brother, Tommie Sturgill and wife, Yong; sister, Wilma Staker of Shelbyville; sister-in-law, Emma Jean Sturgill of Shelbyville; grandchildren, Alisha Sturgill and companion, Sam Jackson, Blake Sturgill and wife, Victoria, Clare Spilman and husband, Brock, and Todd Sturgill; great-grandchildren, Dalyce Sturgill, Jaxon Sturgill, Oaklynn Sturgill, and Warner Spilman; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to Peanut, Charles was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Bobby Sturgill, Doug Sturgill, Frank Sturgill and Donnie Sturgill.
Charles graduated from Shelbyville High School. He retired in September of 1994, as an inspector for Allison Transmission, with 30 years of service. Charles enjoyed going fishing and camping. He loved the time he spent with his family and they created many wonderful memories together.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11 am, Tuesday, February 13, 2024, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Funeral services will follow at 11 am, Tuesday, at the funeral home, with Father Mike Keucher officiating. Interment will be at Miller Cemetery in Shelby County. Charles’ family would like to extend a special thanks to the staff of The Willows of Shelbyville for the wonderful care he received. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shelbyville-Shelby County Animal Shelter, 705 Hale Road, Shelbyville, Indiana 46176. Online condolences may be shared with Charles’ family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.