Thursday, September 18, 2025
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Caterpillar Chronicles at SHS
A monarch caterpillar snacks on milkweed in the Shelbyville High School ecology lab’s outdoor area. While monarch populations have dropped in Mexico due to widespread loss of milkweed, as reported in Tuesday’s edition, the plant still thrives locally, providing vital habitat for the butterflies’ life cycle. | photo by CHRIS LUX
Cemetery Board Shares Progress, History, Looks to Future
After years of hard work from the staff and board, Forest Hill Cemetery boasts freshly paved roads, trimmed trees and a stream of volunteers who take pride in the grounds. Board members and donors point to the new asphalt, upgraded equipment and revived Community Day as signs of improvement. Over the last two years the board has invested more than $200,000 into upkeep, and that investment shows.
Forest Hill’s roots stretch back nearly 150 years. In 1877, it became apparent that City Cemetery was quickly running out of space, and plans for a new cemetery began. In 1884, Forest Hill became what local historian Marian McFadden called Shelby County’s first nonprofit organization, with 29 residents purchasing stock for $500 each and two others splitting the cost at $250 apiece. Their contributions purchased 35 acres from David Walker, and Forest Hill was formally established. The first burial took place on Nov. 7, 1884, for stockholder George Albert. By May 1885, cemetery lots were available for $8 each.
The turnaround follows a turbulent period in 2022, when a Facebook “Watch Group” spotlighted overgrown grass and unpaved roads, and a lawsuit over cemetery management left the volunteer board with legal bills. Since then, board member Brent Sandman said, volunteers and donors have rallied to restore Forest Hill.
“Community Day people are coming out, picking up, cleaning, power-washing and edging, every year for the last three years or more,” he said. Sandman added that the cemetery now has new equipment and, despite a smaller staff, is “getting twice the amount of work done.”
Board treasurer Carrie Ridgeway has overseen a five-phase road-paving plan. Phase 3 was just completed; the next phase will pave the gravel lanes that have never been paved.
“Everyone deserves a clean, safe road so they can get back to visit their loved ones,” she said. She noted that donors can contribute to the Forest Hill Safe Trails Fund, a tax-deductible initiative managed by the Blue River Community Foundation. In December 2023, the foundation awarded funds to Forest Hill for tree trimming and paving.
The cemetery also includes St. Joseph’s Catholic section. Sandman said the boards now collaborate, and the Catholic section has repaved roads, repaired fencing, cleaned stones and installed a statue of St. Joseph.
To finish paving, Forest Hill will host a Sept. 26 golf outing at Blue Bear Golf Club, and the Dep Ewing Memorial Golf Outing in August donated proceeds to the road-paving project. The Shelby County Public Library will continue its September cemetery tours, introducing visitors to the “famous and infamous” buried there.
“If you haven’t been out here in a while, you need to come,” Sandman said, noting that volunteers, donors and board members are determined to make Forest Hill both a respectful resting place and a source of community pride.
For information about donating or volunteering, contact Forest Hill Cemetery at 317-398-7244 or visit the Blue River Community Foundation’s Forest Hill Safe Trails Fund.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
ABOVE: Construction continues at the Knauf roundabout on N. Harrison Street, where crews are paving new lanes and shaping the center island. BELOW: Work also progresses on nearby the Isabelle Farms roundabout, with grading and utility installation underway near the neighborhood entrance.
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NOTEBOOK:
As noted in yesterday’s edition, the Shelbyville Common Council’s special meeting set for next Monday was canceled. The agenda was to include a second reading of a proposed 1% food and beverage tax tied to a children’s play center in the long-vacant Methodist Building. Mayor Scott Furgeson said the measure currently lacks sufficient support from the Common Council, so the second reading will be postponed. Further discussion is expected at the council’s October meeting.
The Shelbyville High School boys tennis teams swept Beech Grove last night. Junior varsity winners were Grant Tackett, Owen Shively and Henry Rife. Varsity winners were Reece Prickett, Kashton Laycock and Bram Kolkmeier, and the doubles teams of Aiden Smith and Wyatt Armstrong and Aiden Alton and Jack Van Wye.
As a follow-up to yesterday’s national news item regarding the Sphere, Zack Fox, son of Shelbyville native Cydney Finkel Fox, played a role in bringing the Las Vegas production to life. He served as an associate producer of visual special effects for “The Wizard of Oz” at the Sphere.
HOOSIER NEWS: Listen to Dolly Parton’s greatest hits, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” reimagined by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The show is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20, at Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle. Student tickets start at $15. (Mirror Indy)
NATIONAL NEWS: One of the hottest types of real estate these days is “industrial outdoor storage” or IOS, which you may know more conventionally as “parking lots where you can leave stuff for a while.” Previously, the field was full of smaller investors leasing to trucking companies for long-term vehicle storage. Since 2021, large institutional investors have shoved $4.7 billion into the space. This is largely due to demand from construction companies that need storage space for under-construction data centers and power plants. Since 2020, rents for IOS properties have increased 123 percent, well outstripping rents for industrial warehouses (which grew 58 percent over the period). (The New York Times/Numlock)
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COURIER ARCHIVES
October 2022
Miranda Wethington was the new school nurse. In an interview with The Courier, she said her biggest inspiration in life was her mom.
Kate Linville had been golf medalist three consecutive matches. Linville, Madison Monroe and Livanet Rosales were the seniors on the team. Coaches were Ben Sprinkle and Nate Stonebraker.
The girls soccer team finished 13-4 on the season. Evelyn Kiefer had scored seven goals in one game, setting the all-time school record. Kiefer, Brooke Byers, Emma Sandman and Hailey Pogue were seniors on the team.
The boys soccer team finished the year 8-8-1. Seniors on the team were Jalen Hounshell, Brayden Jones, Dylan Walton, Jack Johnson, Drew Hassebroek, Benny Cazares, Al Hernandez, Zavier Leon, Christian Haas, Tony Harbert, Alex Mariscal, Carlos Torres, Diego Rosales, Kevin Macias and Diego Nicolas.
Bears Best Students of the Month were Nicholas Ni, Keagan Turner, Abigal McDonald, Abigayl Neill, Gage Whitten, Jesse Hamlin, Kolbie Kehm-Welty, Dameona Williams, Crystal Gil, Olivia Stephens, Karlie Lawson and Montegomery Chaddon.
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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: Southwestern schools dedicated the athletic complex in honor of Jeremy Wright, a 1992 graduate of the school who had died while fighting with the Army Special Forces in Afghanistan. Wright ran both cross country and track in school, capturing a state title in track in 1992. He was a Shelby County record holder in the 1600 and 3200 races, and had received the Robert S. Hinshaw State Mental Attitude Award for Track.
1995: An IUPUI study said 2,600 Shelby County workers lived in other counties.
1985: A final inspection was held at the new Charles Major Manor senior citizens’ apartment complex. The first residents were expected to move in soon. The complex, built on the corner of Franklin and Pike streets where the Charles Major School stood for many decades, featured 50 apartments, 38 of them one-bedroom units and the other 12 efficiency apartments.
1975: County officials announced plans to renovate the courthouse basement to provide courtroom and office space for the newly-created County Court. Plans called for the actual superior courtroom to undergo little change, but the judge’s chambers and jury room would be expanded. Probation offices would also be relocated from the second floor of the courthouse to the basement.
1965: The Kandells played the opening dance of the year at the Shelby County Youth Center. Ray Harris was in charge of The Rec.
1955: More than 900 customers on the Waldron, Cave and St. Paul telephone exchange faced rate increases. The new rate schedule set a $3.50 monthly fee for residential customers and $5 monthly fee for businesses. The additional funds would be used to improve service and rehabilitate lines between the exchanges.
1945: Shelby County’s Boy Scout camping site at Flat Rock Cave was approved as a year-round center for Scouting activities by the national organization. Roy Singer, Glenn Plymate and Don Wickizer had prepared the site for the upgraded status.
1935: The Shelby County Women’s Democratic Club hosted a state meeting at the Golden Glow. More than 200 people attended the breakfast. A state official presented the local club with a gavel made of wood taken from the tallest flagpole ever erected in Indiana. Mildred Moberly and Katie Bassett provided music.
1925: The showing of “The Ten Commandments” at The Strand attracted a crowd that filled the house to capacity. The manager decided to make the performance continuous during the afternoons and evenings for a few days.
1915: A school library opened at School Building No. 5 for the public. The station was equipped with 150 volumes of books.
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OBITUARIES
None today.
Love the butterfly story.