ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
STEPPING IN SYNC
Members of Elevate, Shelbyville Middle School show choir, practice in the school’s black box theatre yesterday after school. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
County Council Discusses, Approves Agreement on Animal Shelter, Makes Appointments
At the end of the year’s first Shelby County Council meeting on Tuesday, new council member Charity Mohr expressed a desire for longer meetings with more questions. That approach had already been on display before the council approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Shelbyville regarding the animal shelter.
Historically, city and county officials have reviewed every invoice to ensure an accurate split for the facility that serves the entire county. The interlocal agreement establishes a set amount - $268,128 annually - for the county to pay the city, allowing for a more streamlined process.
But new council member Jeremy Ruble said he had received complaints about the shelter and asked, “How much of the service is generated to the county versus (Shelbyville)?” Mohr also said the agreement was “missing some transparency” and said she would like to see the percentage of calls from Shelbyville residents compared to the rest of the county.
During the exchange, new council member Troy Merrick noted that animal control personnel often respond to different types of issues in the county, such as calls regarding horses and cattle, which can take significantly longer to resolve. “I think it all just about washes itself out,” he said.
After explaining the numbers, Shelbyville Mayor Scott Furgeson reminded council members that City of Shelbyville residents are also Shelby County residents.
“Thirty-seven percent of the assessed value in (Shelby County) is in the city, so anytime that (the City) does anything with the county - and you pay half - the city residents are actually paying another 37 percent of that half,” Furgeson said. “So, the county’s not really paying the whole 50 percent.”
The interlocal agreements, including a similar set-up approved last month regarding ambulance service, establish committees with representatives from both governments, designed to help resolve issues moving forward.
But the mayor teased that he was happy to consider alternative solutions. “If you guys want to take the full thing over, you’re more than welcome to it, and we’ll pay you the half. It’s a hard one to run.”
Several county council members laughed, but no one took him up on the offer.
Furgeson later added, “My thought process is, we’re providing the service that you don’t provide. Here’s the (budget) number. You don’t like it? Don’t take the service.”
During public comment, Sheriff Louie Koch vouched for the shelter. “(The animal shelter) is a very utilized service by our agency. It very much simplifies our job, or we would be out there chasing those animals, which takes time away from the citizens of our community. That we can’t do. The animals don’t pay our taxes. Citizens do.”
The council unanimously approved the agreement.
The council also had a couple of split votes regarding officer appointments. Brett Haacker was elected council president after both he and Kyle Barlow were nominated. Troy Merrick, Nick O’Connor, Leigh Langkabel and Haacker voted for Haacker. Charity Mohr, Jeremy Ruble and Barlow voted for Barlow. Langkabel was elected vice-president on a 7-0 vote. Troy Merrick was appointed to the Shelby County Plan Commission on a 4-3 vote over Charity Mohr, with the same split as before.
In other matters, after receiving notice that council attorney Jason Clark will be stepping aside, the council briefly discussed the possibility of hiring in-house counsel in the future. In the near-term, they will follow up with an Indianapolis attorney recommended by Clark.
The hour-and-a-half meeting ended with a discussion about what should be discussed at the meeting versus what research should be done between monthly meeting times.
In other business, the council made several appointments, including: Martin Zinser to the Alcoholic Beverage Board; Deedee Freeman, Jenny Whipple and Mary Ann Wethington to the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals; and Greg Gerline and Kyle Baker to the Shelby County Redevelopment Commission.
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelbyville High School girls basketball team (11-9) defeated Whiteland (5-14) on the road, 43-30, last night. The top five Golden Bears scorers were Maddy Jones, 15; Jayla Ash, 9; Hannah Baker, 8; and Sophia Asher, 5.
HOOSIER NEWS: Indiana is in the midst of a five-year reduction of its individual income tax rate. A bill unanimously approved by a Senate committee Tuesday would continue to cut the rate after that — but only if state revenues grow. Indiana’s individual income tax rate will go down to 2.9 percent in 2027, the third lowest rate in the country for states with an income tax. Sen. Travis Holdman’s (R-Markle) bill would automatically lower the tax rate further by 0.05 percent every even-numbered year, beginning in 2030 — but only if state revenues grow by at least 3 percent in the previous even-numbered year. For a household earning $100,000, that would be a savings of $50 a year. It would cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars per year in revenue. (Indiana Public Media)
NATIONAL NEWS: A new survey of Americans found that 20 percent of American adults were responsible for 75 percent of the books read in 2024, with 38 percent saying they read zero books, 28 percent saying they read one to four books, and 14 percent saying they read five to nine books. Then you have another 10 percent of the country reading 10 to 19 books, a solid 7 percent reading 20 to 49 books, and 4 percent really carrying the team and reading 50 or more books. In general, the percentage of Americans who read at least one book increased from 54 percent in 2023 to 63 percent in 2024. (Washington Post/YouGov/Numlock)
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SHS Courier Archive Highlights
March 7, 1956, Part II
Seven girls had been elected by the senior class to be on the May Court. They were Suzanne Stine, Zoe Cooper, Sandra Kleinschmidt, Jean Anne Ash, Annette Dellekamp, Anne Breck and Marilyn Ray. “Jean Anne’s friendly smile is a familiar sight in the SHS office, where she works fourth hour, as well as in the JHS office during convocation periods,” The Courier said. Her escort was Lord Mayor Paul Meltzer. Anne Breck’s “voice has been heard both as soloist and in duets (on the Singing Stars) with her partner in the court, Jim McKeand. Zoe Cooper, escorted by Larry Phares, had been ill at home when news reached her that she was on the court. Zoe worked at Haag’s, swam, enjoyed horseback riding and was involved at church. Annette Dellekamp had been queen at the junior prom. She was “well-known around SHS for her quick smile and friendliness.” Tom Toll was her escort. Sandra Kleinschmidt was president of the Band and Booster Club and enjoyed riding horses, bowling, swimming, talking and laughing. Her escort was Bob Bishop, senior class president. Marilyn Ray was taking five subjects so she could graduate after just three and a half years. She loved to sew and dance. Mike Silbert was her escort. Suzanne Stine had been a member of 4-H for seven years. “SHS students see her carrying the bulletin and running errands from the office during second period each day.” Her escort was Larry Sandman.
Ray Lackey, 1934 SHS winner of the Paul Cross Award, had been the umpire in the Illinois-Michigan State classic telecast as Big Ten game of the week in February.
Richard “Dick” Kendall, 1944 Paul Cross Award winner, was a basketball coach in Florida. His team was enjoying a record of 47 straight wins.
Mrs. Ramey had barred boys from watching the girls’ basketball tourney. “The girls decided they were boy shy,” The Courier said.
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: Students arriving at Shelbyville High School were greeted by police cars, searches and a lock-down of the facility. School authorities had discovered a threatening message against the school written in pencil on the wall in a boys’ bathroom. “We just searched every single kid on the way in,” Principal David Adams said.
1995: Shelby County was the slowest growing of all the counties bordering Marion County. It was the only county surrounding Indianapolis that did not grow at least 1.5 percent from 1993 to 1994, according to an Indiana University study of U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
Rev. Steve Brackney delivered his sermon to the congregation of the West Street United Methodist Church from a ladder. He had been challenged to speak from the ladder if the church met its financial goals for 1994.
1985: A planned 24-unit senior citizen’s housing project on the outskirts of Waldron was denied rezoning approval by the Shelby County Plan Commission. Two Wabash businessmen had planned to construct four buildings containing six dwelling units each, but several Waldron residents had expressed concerns about traffic congestion and drainage.
1975: Seven senior girls were named to the Shelbyville High School May Court: Cyndi Bramwell, Robin Gibson, Jill Green, Ann Lawrence, Nan Lawrence, Christi Linne and Ann Smith.
Two new model homes were on display at Berwick Manor.
1965: Local men Glenn Montgomery, Russell Theobald, Ray Hartman, Carl Mohr and Norman Theobald had attended the Inauguration of President Lyndon Johnson. The group had seats for the Inaugural Parade directly across from the White House and following the ceremonies were received by Indiana Senators Birch Bayh and Vance Hartke in their offices. They attended receptions for Vice President-elect and Mrs. Hubert Humphrey at the Shoreham Hotel. They also joined the Indiana Inaugural celebration.
1955: A corner of the Cossairt greenhouse “caved in” and about 25 to 30 windows were smashed by a skidding car on the icy Boggstown Road just before midnight. The car went out of control and struck a wooden wall, then bounced off an eight-inch concrete wall in the building. The driver was not hurt as the vehicle came to rest on the Boggstown Road again. John Cossairt said the car had narrowly missed the heating pipes, and that normal business hours would resume.
1945: A Department of Commerce report said Shelby County would need to maintain 16,100 jobs following the war, compared to 13,247 recorded in 1935, when over 10,000 of those were in the farming industry, 1,572 in manufacturing and 690 in retail.
The War Department notified Louise Huffman, 609 Montgomery St., that her husband, Sgt. John “Rudy” Huffman, 25, had been killed in action on Leyte Island in the South Pacific.
1935: Additional public parking was made possible by the donations of two vacant lots. Conrad Schroeder donated a lot on East Franklin St. near the Eagles home, and the DePrez estate offered a lot on East Washington St. that formerly had been occupied by the old Indiana House. The city was working to clean and grade the lots before gravel was installed.
1925: A Red Men’s event featured a game in which the winner won a “real live baby.” Many women attending the event refused to participate, uncertain as to the actual prize. Mrs. Keith Ensminger of Flat Rock won the contest, and was surprised to receive a “perfectly healthy 16-pound pig.” Fred Young, 454 West Mechanic St., won a kitchen cabinet.
1915: Editor’s note: There are no archives for either local Republican or Democrat newspapers for this week. Once the archive returns, reporting for this year will resume.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Aleta Jennings, 78, of Shelbyville, passed away Thursday January 9, 2025 at MHP Medical Center. She was born June 13, 1946 in Shelbyville, Ind., to Terry L. Wooten and Lova (Ward) Wooten.
She worked for GE Wellmans for 37 years. She enjoyed bowling; otherwise, you could always catch her at all the crafts shows. Her greatest happiness came when she had her family around her enjoying family activities.
Aleta married Stephen D. Jennings, and he preceded her in death. She is survived by her daughter, Terrie Rains; her son, Tracy Lightner; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; her brothers, William E. Wooten and James L. Wooten and her sister, Sheila Hewitt. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Aleta’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.
Elizabeth Ann Sample, 47, of Shelbyville, passed away Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis. She was born November 15, 1977, in Columbus, the daughter of Martin and Margaret (Quinton) Eberhart of Shelbyville.
Elizabeth graduated from Southwestern High School in 1996. While there, she met her future husband, Gary Sample. They have been married for 28 years. They have three children, Blaine Sample and wife, Brianna, of Shelbyville, Aidan Sample of St. Paul, and Camryn Sample, of Shelbyville; a wonderfully loved grandchild, Laker Sample. After her children left home, along came her “favorite child”, her loving dog, Linus. Also surviving are her brother, Duane Eberhart and husband, Thomas, of Edinburgh; sisters, Jennifer Clark and husband, Christopher, of Edinburgh, and Sarah Eberhart and wife, Amanda, of Shelbyville; nieces, Morgan and Maislyn; and nephews, Elias and Quinton.
Living the theory of work is better, Elizabeth helped on the family farm throughout her life in various roles. The farm played a huge role in shaping the values that Elizabeth believed in. Elizabeth began working at Loper Elementary, where she supported students as an instructional assistant, gym teacher, librarian and a school secretary. She was always available to help parents, staff, and students in the 24 years she worked at Loper. Elizabeth was a member of Mount Gilead Baptist Church her entire life and held numerous positions throughout the years. She had many hobbies but spending time with family was at the top of her list. Elizabeth also enjoyed reading, Zumba, music, baking and cooking.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, January 24, 2025, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the funeral home, with Pastor Bryan Trotter officiating. Inurnment will be at Miller Cemetery in Shelby County at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Shelbyville-Shelby County Animal Shelter, 705 Hale Road, Shelbyville, Indiana, 46176. Online condolences may be shared with Elizabeth’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Robert L. “Bob” Neuman, a former resident of Shelbyville, Indiana, passed December 30, 2024. Born in a house on Noble St. to parents Ruth (James) Neuman and Lewis A. Neuman, Bob attended St. Joseph Catholic Church and school as altar boy and student, respectively. He was a 1950 graduate of Shelbyville High School and went on to pursue a teaching degree and master’s degree from Ball State University. He was also a member of Sigma Epsilon fraternity and ROTC.
Bob met wife, Ann (Cain) Neuman, at Ball State, and they married in 1954. Stationed in Japan, Bob went on to serve during the Korean War as a Captain in the United States Air Force as a combat aircraft controller. Afterwards, Bob began to teach countless students English, grammar, social studies, civics as well as guidance counseling, coaching football and softball in New Castle, Ind., Scottsdale, Ariz. and Lawrence, Ind., schools.
In 1980 he entered a successful second career as a real estate broker with Tucker Realty in Indianapolis retiring in 1999. Upon retirement, he and Ann moved back to beloved Arizona, residing at Sunbird Retirement Community in Chandler, Ariz., to pursue golf, tennis, horseshoes, writing articles for the Sunbird and Shelbyville newspapers and performing deacon church duties until 2021.
A life well lived, Bob leaves behind two surviving daughters, one son-in-law, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren with one on the way. His wife, parents, a brother, and a daughter preceded him in death. A memorial mass will be said at Saint Agnes church in Nashville, Ind., come early spring.