Thursday, February 15, 2024
CURRENT EVENT
Signage was installed yesterday for the incoming City Electric Supply branch store at 202 E. Broadway, Shelbyville. The location previously housed Advance Auto Parts, and the property was once home to Rodefeld’s Carquest store. City Electric Supply, an electrical wholesale distributor, is the seventh-largest electrical wholesale distributor in the U.S. | photo by JACK BOYCE
Johnson Sets SHS Season Rebounding Record
Shelbyville High School senior Ella Johnson prepares to grab yet another rebound. | photo by ISABELLA MATNEY
Golden Bears fans knew to expect it: Ella Johnson would be on the floor at some point any given game.
“She’s a hustler. She’ll go after the ball no matter where it is,” Shelbyville High School girls basketball coach Rebecca Hoefler said.
Johnson, the daughter of Curt and Amy Johnson, set the school’s single season rebounding record on the second to last game of the regular season last month, senior night against Whiteland. Her 233 rebounds eclipsed the previous record of 210 set by 1990 graduate Sharon Knecht.
It was a far different role from her days of bringing the ball up the court for the St. Joe Lions, where she and twin sister Lilly were part of the city elementary championship team and runners-up their fourth and fifth grade years, respectively.
When Johnson reached high school, though, there were multiple older players at her position.
“Hoefler told me, ‘When you do get on the court, you need to get rebounds,’” Johnson recalls. “I realized that being aggressive and going for rebounds would get me minutes.”
The advice was typical from Hoefler, who has turned the Golden Bears around over her five seasons.
“Younger kids like to shoot,” Hoefler said. “But by the time they’re juniors and seniors, I make it very clear what their role is on the team for us to be successful. The best thing about Ella, and the reason she set the record is because she knew her role on the team.
Johnson, who played with prolific scorers Kylee Edwards, who graduated last year, and Ava Wilson, found plenty of success despite starting only one year, in which she set the record.
“This was my favorite year. I finally got to start and we had a really good team and good team chemistry,” Johnson said.
With only three returning players with varsity experience next year, Hoefler said she will miss this group of graduates, which included the Johnsons, Wilson, Ellie Simpson and Lilly Marshall.
“We’re losing the senior mindset, which is going to be tough to fill,” Hoefler said. “We had five seniors who pushed every day in practice, knew the competitive level necessary and knew what they had to do to be successful on top of Ava scoring and Ella rebounding.”
Johnson said she will miss both soccer and basketball when she goes off to college next year.
“It’s really weird not playing, so hopefully I can find a team club on campus.”
She is in the process of narrowing her college options, and considering studying philosophy to enter the field of law.
BELOW: Ella Johnson (top) and Lilly Johnson (lower photo) are recognized on Senior Night, during which Ella Johnson broke the school’s single season rebounding record. | photos by ISABELLA MATNEY
NOTEBOOK:
Shelby County home sales in January 2024 were down from December 2023 but above last January, according to the latest MIBOR report. There were 27 closed home sales in Shelby County in January 2024 compared to 32 in December 2023 and 22 in January 2023. Local new home listings rebounded, from a recent low of 22 in December 2023 to 34 last month.
NATIONAL NEWS: The Super Bowl went into overtime, and thanks to some planning ahead when it came to booking, CBS had sold some insurance units at a slightly cheaper price to air during unexpected bonus breaks. They sold between five and seven contingency spots at a discount from the $6.47 million average 30-second spot, and then when the game went deep into overtime — using 14 minutes and 57 seconds of the quarter to conclude — started working the phones to see who had the stomach to re-up an ad from earlier in the evening. Given that CBS ended up squeezing in another 10 ad spots in overtime, they probably made around $60 million from the Niners and Chiefs running long. (Sportico/Numlock)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: Shelby County Friends of the NRA raised nearly $40,000 at their 14th annual banquet. The funds supported youth organizations.
2004: Sandy Allen - proclaimed the World’s Tallest Woman by the Guinness Book of Records - visited local schools as part of a local animal shelter fundraiser. Allen had recently moved to the Heritage House Convalescent Center.
1994: Jan Amos and Willard Day were named Valentine Queen and King at a Heritage Manor event.
1984: Hazel Stroup and John Randolph were named queen and king at a Heritage House Manor Valentine’s Day event. Other court members were Henry Clark, Dessie Williams, Lawrence Mitchell and Jenny Johnson.
1974: Dick Dovidas, manager of Hooks Drugs store, received the Golden Key Award at the 173-store chain’s annual banquet in Indianapolis. Also in attendance were Mrs. Dovidas; Margaret Haehl, assistant manager; and Pat Montgomery, merchandising manager. Dovidas, Haehl and assistant manager Gene Burns received an extra week’s vacation.
1964: Belaire shopping center officials requested permission to connect the Belaire storm drainage sewer to the city sewer used by the General Electric Co., which dumped into Little Blue River.
Triton Central student Sue Rouse was named Betty Crocker Future Homemaker award winner. The award was presented by home economics teacher Bonnie Lawhead.
1954: The dangerously narrow Winchester Bridge had been weakened by 14 vehicles hitting it over the previous year, one of which was fatal. The bridge was used daily by a school bus to transport children to Flat Rock schools.
A new social club composed of mothers with only one child was formed. Those in attendance at the first meeting were Mrs. Bob Good and David, Mrs. Jack Worland and Robin, Mrs. James Brake and Barbara, Mrs. Donald Lutes and Stephen, Mrs. Robert Glidden and Paige, Mrs. Tom Lettelleir and Peggy, Mrs. George Mellgard and Katherine, Mrs. James Matchett and John, Mrs. Richard Jones and Debbie and Mrs. Jack Bowman and Kevin.
1944: The largest draft contingency in Shelby County history was called to service, with 41 of the 83 draftees being fathers.
1934: A band of gypsies who visited Wettrick’s grocery store on Harrison Ave. were run out of town.
Over 360 local children were vaccinated against diphtheria at local schools. Local doctors donated their time to administer the vaccines.
1924: Four Decatur County children with the last name Carnes were placed in the Gordon Children’s orphanage in Shelbyville due to their “extreme case of poverty,” local newspapers said. The mother, a baby and her oldest son of 16 years of age were provided transportation to Indianapolis where she could find employment.
1914: A Bell Telephone cable wire fell at Pike Street and the Big Four railroad crossing. Twelve phone subscribers along Pike St. were without service.
OBITUARIES
Charles F. Smith, 63, of Fairland, passed away February 7, 2024, at his residence. Born April 10, 1960 in Indianapolis, he was the son of Donald Smith and Deloris (Brown) Smith. No funeral services will be observed. Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.