Thursday, October 16, 2025
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Bears in Sectional Action Tonight
ABOVE: Shelbyville High School volleyball players practice mid-season. The Golden Bears (11-20) enter sectional action tonight at home, 7:30 p.m., against Greenwood. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
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NOTEBOOK:
Shelby County Commissioners on Tuesday held a public hearing and approved letters of support for the Waldron Conservancy District’s $2.2 million water system rehabilitation project. The district is applying for a $750,000 state Community Development Block Grant and $1.48 million through the State Revolving Loan Fund to replace tanks, meters and hydrants, and overhaul its aging treatment plant. Current water bills average $34.92 for 4,000 gallons, but rates are expected to rise to $66 to $77 if the grant is approved, or as high as $94 without it. Public comments are being accepted through next Monday.
Commissioners also approved several right-of-way permits for fiber installation and cleanup work, heard bridge progress updates from County Highway Superintendent Ben Taylor, and received notice that Speedway LLC will begin required road repairs next week under a memorandum of understanding with the county.
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The following couples applied for marriage licenses last week: Luke Summerlot, 25, and Shelby Bizik, 24; Corey Piercefield, 38, and Autumn Davis, 33; Anna Bailey, 23, and Braxton VanDyke, 21; Ethan Watkins, 21, and Jane Bassett, 21; Levi McKinney, 26, and Jesi Hall, 23; Noah Smock, 26, and Savannah Chance, 25; Adam Fettinger, 39, and Kathryn England, 35; Brandi Rady, 41, and Justin Bishop, 40; Jacob Mays, 28, and Georgia Hudec, 22; Gabriel Wilson, 25, and Moriah Moore, 33; Nathan Stewart, 41, and Amanda Stewart, 39; Andrew Klosterkemper, 36, and Gabriella Burton, 26; Isaac Flynn, 23, and Rachel Peterson, 21; Tyler Linville, 31, and Emily Goolsby, 31.
A driver struck a cement pole in a parking area Saturday on East Michigan Road near Saraina Road after being distracted by a fallen vase inside the vehicle. The silver Ford F-250 was traveling straight when the driver looked down to clean up spilled water and was unable to stop in time. Airbags deployed and the windshield cracked, but the driver was not injured. The driver told police she was in a hurry to attend a wedding and would have the vehicle towed afterward.
The Shelby County Drainage Board on Tuesday took no formal action, but discussed the following matters:
Materials for the replacement of four drain structures in the Country Club Heights neighborhood have arrived, County Surveyor Jeff Powell said. One structure has already been replaced, two more will be replaced within the next week to 10 days, and the final structure is still being manufactured in Iowa, causing a delay.
The Zell Patterson ditch near 850 N remains a problem area due to willow brush and a 1950s gas line crossing the drain. The gas company will not relocate the line, forcing the county to find a workaround. Powell proposed replacing damaged sections upstream and installing drop structures to improve water flow between varying elevations, though he noted the project will be costly.
The state wants to replace a 42-inch culvert under Interstate 74 with a 48-inch pipe, but a privately installed 42-inch culvert on a neighboring property could block the improved flow. Powell said that structure was built without county approval and should either be removed at the landowner’s expense or supplemented with swales to ease minor drainage issues. Because the area is part of the Swamp Creek legal drain, which isn’t currently assessed, board chair David Lawson suggested reinstating maintenance fees to fund needed improvements.
Work began in 2020 to replace tile along the Clendenning Ditch near State Road 44, with an initial cost estimate of $156,000. Landowner David Brown has paid $90,000 toward the project, but pandemic-related cost increases have pushed expenses to $166,000, leaving the account about $47,000 short. The final phase will cross SR 44 to the north, but the board must reassess costs and potentially hold another public hearing before moving forward.
Shelbyville High School senior Donavon Martin has been nominated for IndyStar’s Player of the Week following his standout performance in the Golden Bears’ 49-21 victory over Mt. Vernon. Martin rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries, caught two passes, and added two solo tackles. Fans can support him by casting their votes online through the IndyStar Player of the Week poll.
HOOSIER NEWS: Amazon plans to hire about 8,500 seasonal, part-time and full-time workers in Indiana as part of its nationwide push to add 250,000 employees ahead of the holidays. Roughly 4,000 of those jobs will be in the Indianapolis metro area, with others spread across the company’s 13 fulfillment and sortation centers and 11 delivery stations statewide. Amazon says seasonal jobs pay an average of more than $19 per hour, while regular full- and part-time employees average $23 per hour with benefits. The surge comes as retailers prepare for a slower holiday season than last year, with U.S. retail sales projected to rise about 3.7% between November and December. (IBJ)
NATIONAL NEWS: OpenAI and Walmart announced a new partnership that will let shoppers make purchases directly within ChatGPT, allowing users to “chat and buy” everything from groceries to household items through instant checkout. The feature, launching soon, marks OpenAI’s biggest move yet into e-commerce following integrations with Shopify and Etsy. Walmart said the collaboration reflects its broader push to use AI across its business, including its digital assistant Sparky and other automation tools. Shares of Walmart rose nearly 5% following the announcement. (IBJ)
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YELLOW BOOK LOOK-BACK
1973
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This Day in Shelby County History
Local headlines reported on or around this date in Shelby County history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2005: Duran Chiropractic, formerly Chiropractic Health Center, opened at 1728 E. State Road 44 in the former Rax building. A ribbon cutting and grand opening event was held.
1995: A century after Thomas A. Hendricks’ statue was placed on the Indiana Statehouse lawn, state and local leaders gathered to give the former vice president and Shelbyville native recognition. The statue, erected in the 1890s with only the inscription “Hendricks,” had long lacked identification until efforts led by Jerry Handfield of the Indiana State Archives and Kermit N. Money of the Shelby County Historical Society resulted in a new plaque honoring Hendricks’ legacy. Hendricks served as Indiana governor from 1873 to 1877 and as vice president under Grover Cleveland in 1885. A rededication ceremony featured Gov. Frank O’Bannon and other officials, with historical materials and artifacts on display.
1985: Filming of “Hoosiers” was underway throughout the region. Brad Long, son of Gary Long, a Golden Bear guard during the mid-1950s who later started on the IU team coached by Branch McCracken, was selected to play on the fictional Hickory High School team. Brad Long, 21, had played basketball at Center Grove High School.
1975: Dean Wolfe and the Second Chapter performed at Willie Farkle’s, 629 South Noble Street.
Sammy Terry appeared at the Belaire Center Halloween event. A costume parade and Straw Stack Caper event were the other highlights.
1965: After new drive-up mailboxes were installed on East Washington Street near the Shelbyville Post Office, some drivers began crossing traffic lanes to reach them, prompting a warning from local police. Officers noted the practice was both dangerous and illegal, urging motorists to use the proper eastbound lane when dropping off mail.
1955: Indiana expanded its Salk polio vaccination program to include all children ages 1 through 10, widening the previous limit of 5 to 9 years old. The Governor’s Advisory Committee also approved vaccination for pregnant women. State Health Director Dr. Bertram E. Groesbeck said the change added roughly 550,000 children and 75,000 expectant mothers to the eligibility list. The move followed federal authorization for states to extend vaccination efforts as more serum became available.
Major Hospital announced plans to begin routine chest X-rays for all incoming patients to detect tuberculosis and other conditions. The $5,000 photo-fluoroscope X-ray attachment, financed by proceeds from the Shelby County Tuberculosis Association’s annual Seal Sale, was formally presented to the hospital’s board of trustees. Doctors said the screenings would help identify tuberculosis, lung and heart issues, and other abnormalities early.
1945: Shelbyville police reminded residents that Halloween fun should stay harmless after early reports of pranks across town. Officers said the department had begun its “annual merry-go-round” with pranksters and urged parents to remind children that Halloween fell on October 31, and not before. While supporting lighthearted celebration, police cautioned that many so-called pranks amounted to vandalism and wouldn’t be tolerated.
1935: State officials took charge of the St. Paul Building and Loan Association to handle the forthcoming liquidation.
“A burglar with a taste for candy and cigarettes entered Henry Weber’s grocery, 8 East Locust St., some time during the night,” The Republican reported. The thief took three cartons of cigarettes, three boxes of candy bars, four pounds of chocolate and a small emery wheel Mr. Weber used for sharpening butcher knives.
1925: Polo players from Fairland who were touring the East Coast had been stopped by a blizzard in Pennsylvania.
The Morrison-DePrez Drug Co. brought in a woman who was a specialist in using items in the Toilet Goods section. “Mrs. Hall, an accepted authority on the subject, will gladly advise our patrons on the correct use of all approved accessories of the toilette…,” a newspaper ad read.
1915: A local cab driver was taken back to the “insane hospital,” The Republican reported. “He walked away from the hospital grounds last week. Going to the traction station in Indianapolis, he boarded a car for Greenfield. Discovering his mistake, he walked from that place to this city,” the paper said. Once the sheriff was notified the man was in town, they had him transported back to the hospital.
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OBITUARIES
Jana L. Favors, 68, of Shelbyville, passed away Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Indiana University Health. She married David Favors on Feb. 8, 1987, and he survives. A celebration of life will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Bruner Event Center, 100 N. Webster St., St. Paul, Indiana. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.
Regarding the water system project, appreciate the clear breakdown of funding. Such infrastructure updates are vital for a modern commmunity's sustainability.