Thursday, December 19, 2024
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
Taking the Oath
Several incoming elected officials took their oaths of office yesterday in Shelby Circuit Court, administered by Judges Trent Meltzer and Kent Apsley. Top left, then clockwise, Shelby County Council member Jeremy Ruble, County Commissioner David Lawson, County Council member Charity Mohr, Fairland Town Council member Jeremy Creech, Judge Trent Meltzer (administered by Rep. Jenny Meltzer, his wife), County Commissioner Nathan Runnebohm and Fairland Town Council member Kyle Ratliff (center). County Council member Troy Merrick was present but did not take his oath of office yet since he serves on the Shelbyville Central Schools board until the end of the year, and cannot hold both positions simultaneously. | photos by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
REASON FOR THE SEASON
Approximately 60 children participated in Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church’s Christmas program on Sunday, Dec. 15, attended by 300. The service was followed by refreshments and visits with Santa in the church gymnasium. | submitted
NOTEBOOK:
Since ARPA funds must be under contract by the end of 2024, the County Council approved paying the Sheriff Department’s annual payroll using the federal funds. “That frees up $3 million in the general fund, so that we don't have to return any of the (federal) money,” County Auditor Amy Glackman said. “Then, hopes are that in January or February, the new council will put that $3 million aside for broadband, so that (broadband initiatives are) not so rushed.” Later in the meeting, the council agreed to table the next steps toward broadband access. An Indianapolis attorney from a firm that specializes in public-private agreements advised to hold due to public hearing and notification requirements that must be met.
The County Council unanimously approved spending $219,000 to rewire the former highway garage building that now houses Shelby County Emergency Management, and other updates to the building, which was constructed in 1961, including building out conference and equipment rooms, which will serve as cooling shelters in the summer. The project, which is federally funded through ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021), should be completed within six months, Denis Ratekins, SCEMA Director, said.
Following Shelbyville Board of Works and City Council approval, the Shelby County Council approved an interlocal agreement between the city and county regarding ambulance service. The county will pay a flat $1.1 million to simplify the current accounting process, with a 3 percent annual increase.
The County Council tabled a $268,138 interlocal agreement with the City of Shelbyville regarding animal shelter costs. In similar fashion to the ambulance agreement, the proposed animal shelter agreement intends to simplify the accounting process. Although the amount is lower than the $295,000 the county budgeted for the animal shelter, the draft document was only recently completed, and Councilman Kyle Barlow suggested taking more time to review. In response to a question from Councilman Brett Haacker, Shelbyville Scott Furgeson said there was no need to rush into the agreement.
The County Council also approved, 6-1, a tax abatement for Caldwell’s Inc. to install an anaerobic digester, which will take organic food waste and convert it to natural gas for sale on the interstate pipeline. The $53 million digester project will be located adjacent to the company’s existing organic composting facility, which is used to produce fertilizer for area farmers. Attorney Briane House, representing the company installing the digester, called the project “a good one” due to its positive environmental aspects. “Frequently, these projects come along and (the petitioner says), ‘We need to improve the roads. We need to do this or that.’ There’s none of that here.” Councilman Kyle Barlow was the lone dissenting vote.
A semi-truck attempting to turn right from Broadway St. onto Harrison St. struck a light pole, ripping it out of the ground.
Blue River Community Foundation has received a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through the Community Leadership Implementation Grants component of its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VIII) initiative. With the grant, Blue River Community Foundation will develop a Nonprofit Center to serve Shelby County. “The establishment of this type of facility holds the potential to address a myriad of health initiatives for our residents,” a BRCF media release said. Currently, 28% of Shelby County households are considered Asset Limited Income Constrained but Employed (ALICE). “These households are having to make the difficult choice between food, utilities, transportation, childcare, education, and other necessities for survival. Fortunately, Shelby County is filled with kindhearted people and organizations that want to help. The nonprofit center will allow both collocation and collaboration of our local nonprofit organizations that have made it their mission to improve the well-being of our most vulnerable community members. The center will also provide a space for incubation, a centralized food pantry operation, and navigator services for case management.” Healthy Shelby County will own and operate the new Nonprofit Center. In the upcoming months, Healthy Shelby County will start the construction bid process and site renovation of the future home of the nonprofit center on S. Miller St. near McKay Rd. The building was a donation from the Reed Family: Pamela DePrez, Garry Reed, Jeffrey Reed, and Bobbi Conner.
Thank you to Gary & Michelle Nolley for your $500+ donation, and 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: Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are looking into two promising new methods to convert coal, which the U.S. has a whole lot of but is less and less needed for energy consumption, into graphite, which is scarce in the U.S. and desperately needed to produce large numbers of batteries. While lithium and cobalt get a lot of the attention in terms of necessary minerals to make batteries, by weight, most of an EV battery is graphite, and the higher quality graphite you have, the better battery you’ve got. The new processes explored at Oak Ridge include an electrochemical approach that can make graphite from coal byproducts at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, well under the 4,000 degrees needed to make conventional synthetic graphite and with way less waste. The economic analysis around that strategy found that it would end up costing 13 percent less than the Acheson process, too, when scaled up to 10,000 tonnes per year. (Mining/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights:
May 17, 1968
SHS had its best SCC track meet since 1955, finishing a close second to Bloomington. Kent Lockman, Rich Brown and Tim Johnson won blue ribbons for the Bears. In another meet, the Bears defeated Greenwood, 75-43. Johnson, Lockman, Dan Hayes, Bob Haas and Jim Ranochak all earned first-place finishes. Bob Zerr and Don Franklin won events in the freshmen meet.
The SHS tennis team defeated Columbus. Single match winners for SHS were Bruce Williams, Mike Thomas and Marion Rutherford. Thomas and George Young and John Guidi and Francis Applegate won doubles matches.
SHS baseball teams defeated Greensburg, with varsity winning 5-3 and the reserves winning 22-5. Mike Wagner was the winning varsity pitcher, receiving help from Tim Ash. Dave Tower hit a home run. Bill Horner pitched the entire reserve game. He and Bob Eagner, Larry Browning, Bruce Rodgers, Dwight Overman and Jim Krebs all had big hits.
Jr. High School students had gone on a Southern Indiana History Tour, conducted by Dr. I. George Blake of Franklin College. Mr. Day, Mrs. Patterson and Mr. Stine were chaperones.
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: The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department spent the weekend on the scene of a property in the southwestern part of the county after human remains were discovered in a field at 9056 South and 900 West, near the county line. The remains had apparently been there for some time, and were sent to a lab to be examined by an anthropologist.
2004: Experienced divers had been practicing at Blue Springs in Waldron, even with a sheet of ice over their heads. A former stone quarry, Blue Springs had been purchased three years prior by Rick Sandefur and an Indianapolis investor. Divers from all over the world had been using the facility, with as many as 500 per week during the summer. Log-in sheets showed more than 7,500 divers had used the 12-acre lake in the previous year. When Sandefur had bought the surrounding 100 acres at auction, he didn’t realize the area contained a recreation area. He received a call from the live-in caretaker of the previous 16 years, Ray Dickerson, who teased that he was part of the deal. The investors kept Dickerson on for a year, but then decided to close the facility to the hundreds of casual fishermen, swimmers and campers and move toward the diving service.
1994: Indiana Gas Co. locked out the seven employees at its Shelbyville service office during a contract dispute with their union. Non-union employees had been transferred to the Shelbyville office. Union member Dale Schofner recalled a similar lockout in 1978, saying it lasted about two weeks. Schofner had 34 years with Indiana Gas, Rick Briddle had 26 years, Floyd Conover had 25 years and Jerry Smith had 18. Indiana Gas had 6,200 customers in Shelby County.
1984: A century-old covered bridge in Rush County re-opened to traffic following about $70,000 of restoration, The Shelbyville News reported. The re-opening of the historic Forsythe covered bridge followed a two-year closure. The bridge spanned the Big Flatrock River near Gowdy. Petitioners had claimed the closed bridge hindered travel on both sides of the river, causing farmers and motorists to detour at least three miles. It had also hampered travel to the Big Flat Rock Christian Church. The bridge had been built by E.L. Kennedy, and was one of at least 58 covered bridges constructed in Indiana and Ohio by three generations of Kennedys. At 173 feet, eight inches long, Forsythe was believed to be the longest covered bridge built with a burr arch. Rush County officials said they would paint the bridge, which had been the target of graffiti-writers over the years.
1974: Frank Coffin, 59, 449 Tom VanArden Dr., president of KCL, died. Coffin became associated with KCL in 1947 and had been named president in 1971. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. He was an outstanding golfer and a former Elks champion. He was survived by his wife, Anna Marie (Zerr), and four children, Patricia Hearn, Richard Coffin, Mary Elaine Eads and John Coffin.
Someone broke into the Omer Lollar home on CR 425 W and stole Christmas presents. To top it off, the thief also stolen the watchdog, a German Shepherd.
1964: Sheriff deputies helped round up 20 stray cattle who had congregated on Knightstown Road.
The worst disaster in Shelby County’s history (to that point) occurred when at least 20 people died in a Fountaintown fire that destroyed the Maples Convalescent Home. It was the greatest toll of human life in a single Indiana tragedy since the Coliseum explosion on Halloween night, 1963. Nineteen died in the fire, and one died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. The remaining 14 of 34 patients were moved to Major Hospital. Identification of some of the victims was extremely difficult, since several were welfare cases without known local relatives. Myrtle Donohue, the full-time nurse, was admitted to the hospital. On-duty nurse’s aides Fanny Wicker and Frances Miles were accounted for.
1954: The G.C. Murphy store held a Christmas party for employees and their families at the Eagles Lodge. Door prizes were distributed and there was a gift exchange.
Hundreds of kids gathered at the National Guard Armory on E. Washington St. to take part in the annual Christmas party, sponsored by the American Legion, FOP, The Ritz and The Strand. A parade led by Santa Claus and a fire truck left the Armory at 9:30 a.m. and proceeded to the Ritz, where the kids saw a Roy Rogers movie. The kids received apples, oranges and candy.
A Christmas dance for teens was held at The Rec. Don “Zeke” Cuzzort and his band played. On New Year’s Eve, the local Coca-Cola bottling company was sponsoring a “Coke Party”, Director Pat Collyer announced. Guests would be able to have all the Coke they desired between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m.
1944: Shelbyville High School upset Muncie Central, 37-36, in basketball.
1934: Postmaster George Young announced the post office would remain open until 8 p.m. daily and on Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m., until Christmas.
Stanley Jones purchased the Farmers Realty Company Insurance Agency from Farmers National Bank. Jones had been in the insurance business here for 21 years.
1924: A large hay shed, containing 50 tons of hay and straw, had caught on fire at the Nading Grain elevator in Greensburg. Wallace Reimann, of Shelbyville, was manager of the company.
1914: Curtis Cowan, five months old, died after his four-year-old sister had given him “headache powder” at their home, two miles south of Bengal.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Jeffery Lynn Samsil, 67, of Shelbyville, passed away Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at AMG Specialty Hospital in Greenfield. He was born May 30, 1957, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the son of Barney and Virginia (Hancock) Samsil.
On November 11, 1978, he married his wife of 46 years, Joyce Morton, and she survives. Jeff was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Pamela Vaughn. In 1976, Jeff graduated from New Palestine High School. He was a semi-truck drive. Jeff also leaves behind his cat, Sammy.
Private graveside services will be conducted by Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville at a later date. Online condolences may be shared with Jeff’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Warren Scott Alvis, 74, of Shelbyville, passed away Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at his home. He was born June 19, 1950, in Columbus, the son of Warren “Ted” and Mary Louise (Stephens) Alvis. Scott is survived by his sons, Craig Alvis and wife, Sheri, of Waldron, Patrick Alvis and wife, Nicole, of Shelbyville, and Kelly Alvis and wife, Jessica, of Arkansas City, Kansas; sister, Carolyn Oakley and husband, Harold, of Shelbyville; and brother, Kevin Alvis of Indianapolis. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, William “Bill” Alvis.
In 1970, Scott graduated from Shelbyville High School. He was a United States Army veteran and served in Vietnam. Scott worked as a Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy for 31 years, retiring as a Sergeant in 2003. After his retirement, he worked for the Shelbyville Parks Department and Hubler.
He was an active member of the V.F.W. Post No. 2695, the American Legion Post No. 70, and the F.O.P. Lodge No. 84. Scott was an avid outdoorsman.
Funeral services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. A private family service will be conducted with a Celebration of Life held at a later date. Inurnment will be at Garland Brook Cemetery in Columbus. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Association, 5635 W. 95th St., Suite 100, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46278. Online condolences may be shared with Scott’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.