Sunday, February 9, 2025
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MORNING VIEW
The above photo was taken by JACK BOYCE this week from I-65, approximately five miles north of Franklin, of a large warehouse facility.
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NOTEBOOK:
There was plenty of good news for Shelbyville High School’s swim and dive teams at yesterday’s sectionals. Riley Everette, a junior, broke the school 100 Fly record and qualified for State. SHS freshman diver Chloe Claxton qualified for regionals, which will be held on Tuesday. Also, SHS swim/dive coach Coen Weiler was named IHSSCA Coach of the Year, voted on by sectional coaches.
It was also a good day for the SHS wrestling team. Brady Bryant and Reuben Martins-Thomas advanced to Semi-State action, to be held next week at New Castle.
Local home sales went through their annual January slump, with 26 closed residential sales last month in Shelby County, compared to 46 in December 2024. The lowest month for local home sales last year was in January, at 27. Inventory remained steady, with 72 homes on the market, compared to 74 in December, according to the latest MIBOR report.
Leading up to Random Acts of Kindness Day, Blue River Community Foundation is offering Nonprofits / Charitable Organizations who serve Shelby County a chance at a $500 donation. Anyone can nominate an organization between February 8-14 via a simple, anonymous form that is available on serveshelby.com. A winner will be drawn on February 17. Any received testimonials will be appreciated and shared publicly (with permission) to help promote the great work of the organization.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith is hosting a Shelby County Town Hall tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 10, 6 p.m., at Blessings Opera House, 18 Public Square, second floor, Shelbyville. The Town Hall is billed as “an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about the future of our state and share your thoughts on key issues.” State Reps. Jennifer Meltzer, Robb Greene and Cory Criswell will also be in attendance.
HOOSIER NEWS: Indiana’s House of Representatives on Thursday approved a water-based cremation alternative despite religious pushback. Rep. Mark Genda, a retired funeral director, told the chamber that about 60% of Hoosiers are choosing cremation. His Senate Bill 1044 would legalize alkaline hydrolysis — a process that uses water, alkaline chemicals and heat to decompose corpses into bone fragments — by adding it to Indiana’s legal definition of cremation. One of the world’s largest manufacturers of alkaline hydrolysis equipment is located in central Indiana, per Genda. (Indiana Public Media)
NATIONAL NEWS: Today, the Kansas City Chiefs will play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. Dogging the Chiefs is a popular theory online that they are disproportionately favored by NFL referees, catching favorable calls and avoiding penalties in what some construe to be game-altering assistance from the referees. A new analysis found that, at least during the regular season, that isn’t actually the case. Over the five postseasons since 2020, the Chiefs have become remarkably talented at accruing win probability through penalties. Over the course of 15 playoff games, the cumulative win probability added from plays with penalties was 45 percentage points, higher than any team in the entire league over the period. This might be less of a pro-Chiefs bias and more “the league in general and referees, in particular, tend to be more protective and defensive of star quarterbacks that have become the face of their operation” bias. Since 2005, the teams with the most net penalty yards in a five-year playoff stretch include in first Tom Brady’s 2013-17 Patriots (+276 net penalty yardage), in second Ben Roethlisberger’s 2005-09 Steelers (+205 yards), and in fifth place, yes, Patrick Mahomes’ 2020-2024 Kansas City Chiefs (+144 yards). (Sportico/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights
May 19, 1966
Lorena Williams, who had taught at Shelbyville schools for 38 years, including 20 years at SHS, was retiring. Miss Williams had started as supervisor of art, but supervisory positions were eliminated during the Depression, and Williams taught music and art at Charles Major School until succeeding Cora Tindall as SHS art teacher. She planned to return to her family farm in Pulaski County, Ind.
Harry Tucker, head custodian at SHS, was also retiring. He had worked at SHS and SJHS for 26 years. He would stay on part-time helping with lawn care.
Saundra Pyle had been prom queen. Other members of the court and escorts were Pam Beck, Mike McKee, Margaret Haehl, Clark O’Byrne and Jim Meloy.
Graduation plans were set for the 150 senior boys and 116 senior girls. The total was 56 fewer than had been enrolled their sophomore year.
The Courier noted that senior Marilyn Lucas was the great-great-granddaughter of Balser Brent, the boy hero in Charles Major’s story, “The Bears of Blue River”. “Actually, Balser was Balser Fox and his companion Tom Fox was really Tom Brent. Mr. Major exchanged the last names of the two boys to make them Balser Brent and Tom Fox.” Marilyn clarified that Balser did not marry Liney Fox, his girlfriend in the book.
SHS bowlers won the Shelby County Boys’ League and were recognized in a ceremony at St. Joseph School Auditorium. The team was comprised of Tom Turner, Mike Asher, Mark Green, Jim McClain and Wayne Posz.
A new telephone system was installed at SHS to replace the PBX switchboard used for many years. With the new system, only calls coming from outside the building had to be answered in the office. Previously, all outgoing calls had to be placed by the PBX operator. Moving forward, outgoing calls would be placed by direct dialing.
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 crime stats in 2004 had been up significantly. Shelby County Prosecutor Kent Apsley attributed the crime spike to the increasing prevalence of meth in the community. Apsley’s office had handled more than 7,000 cases in 2004, not including child-support cases.
Sanders Jewelry, 16 S. Harrison St., celebrated 50 years of continuous business at the same Shelbyville location. Betty Sanders and Douglas and Nancy Seeman hosted an open house to mark the occasion. Betty and her husband, Charles, had bought the store from John and Lena Sigler in 1955. Charles worked at the store until a year before his death in 1997. The Siglers had built the building and owned Sigler Jewelry Store for 40 years. Buannah Tippin worked at the store for 17 years, and Helen Mullen was an employee for 20 years. Peggy Phares had been at Sanders for 20 years and had no plans to quit.
1995: The Shelbyville Board of Realtors and the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors merged. The Shelbyville board had a one-person staff and no office. The board’s only employee, Marge Ballard, had retired.
1985: A bill sponsored by State Rep. Stephan Moberly to aid downtowns of small Hoosier cities passed out of committee. The measure to establish a state Main Street Program which would encourage the economic development of downtown areas received unanimous support from the committee.
1975: Mayor Jerry Higgins proclaimed it William Garrett Day. Andy Martin, a Boy Scout who was working in the mayor’s office on Civic Day, signed the proclamation. The high school gym was dedicated in Garrett’s honor that evening.
1965: Several neighboring families gathered at the Ray Stucker farm north of Fairland to take part in large-scale butchering. About 1,100 pounds of pork was butchered by Dale Stucker, Tom Woods, Ray Stucker, Gail Spegal and Jackie Spegal and divided among the families. It was the 12th year for the event. Mary Spegal, Phyllis Spegal, Margaret Stucker and Shirley Spegal assisted the men and prepared a feast at the end of the day.
1955: Spencer Cockerham purchased Gephart’s Stop and Shop Grocery, 401 Miller Ave. The store was located at Five Points near the intersection of Miller Ave., Miller St. and Taylor St. Harry Gephart, 370 W. Broadway, had operated the store since 1927, except for four years when it was operated by Earl Kelley. There had been a grocery at the site for over 75 years.
1945: Thirty local Spanish War veterans enjoyed a meal at the American Legion, with a program commemorating the sinking of the battleship Maine. Readings were presented by Mrs. Ward McKenney, Frank Wolfe and Mrs. Mollie Engle.
Seventy-eight attended a dinner marking the local Rotary’s 25th birthday. The club was organized here with Eugene Pulliam as special representative. Composing the original roster of Rotary members were Albert DePrez, D. Wray DePrez, Herbert DePrez, Karl DePrez, Ralph Edwards, Henry Eschmeyer, Leo Fuerst, Ortis Headlee, Luther Hord, Otto Keith, Harry Lawson, Warren Needham, James Palsgrove, H. Wallace Reimann, Bin Smith, Harry Sorden, John Stephan, Thomas Stewart, Louis Todd, L.E. Webb, David Whitcomb, Mendel Wolf, George Walker and J.A. Zeller.
1935: Kaufman’s Fruit Market moved to a building next to the Farmers’ National Bank, formerly occupied by Isley’s Fruit Market. Owner Nate Kaufman used the stock elevator to make use of all three floors. The fruit store had been at 16 S. Harrison for five years.
1925: Two Indianapolis men were arrested near Boggstown after they wrecked their vehicle into a ditch. The men were charged with intoxication and profanity.
1915: Edward Swain of West Mechanic St. put in a newspaper advertisement regarding his lost black cat. Swain spent the entire day welcoming guests with black and gray cats for inspections. Despite receiving numerous guests, none of the presented cats were his.
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OBITUARIES
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