Tuesday, April 15, 2025
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
‘A World of Pure Imagination’
Khloe Branham, Tonny Mejia-Caballero, Leah Haehl and Alexander Timura portray lucky Golden Ticket winners in last week’s “Willy Wonka” musical, directed by Mrs. Michele Epple and Mr. Jonathan Baldwin at Coulston Elementary. Below is a photo of the full cast. | photos by COFFEE CREEK STUDIO used with permission
TOWERING TRIBUTE
Pamela Bliss, artist who designed and painted the Bill Garrett mural and numerous Indianapolis murals, works yesterday evening on a life-size, 7-foot, 7-inch painting of Shelbyville native Sandy Allen near Public Square. Bliss said she expects to be completed with the work, which is funded by the Blue River Community Foundation, within three days. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: FULL CANOPY REAL ESTATE
NOTEBOOK:
Shelby Eastern Schools is a finalist for a grant of up to $500,000 from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and READI to restore the former Union Township School, built in 1936 and closed in 1974, and used as administration offices since, Superintendent Dr. Todd Hitchcock told County Commissioners yesterday. The plan focuses on renovating a 3,000-square-foot gym space currently used for storage into an ADA-compliant event center that could host up to 125 guests at tables or 200 in rows. This space would also serve as a new location for school board meetings and be available free of charge to nonprofits. The renovation, which also includes kitchen updates and a 500-square-foot stage, is estimated to cost just over $1 million and could involve both public and private matching funds. A final decision on the grant is expected by June.
In response to a request from Mainstreet Shelbyville officials for Facade Grant funding for commercial buildings, Commissioners said they needed more budget information from state legislators before determining how to spend Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) funds, which have been used in the past for the grants. Mainstreet Executive Director Brandy Coomes discussed the overall success of helping and saving small local businesses, including the recent private acquisition and renovation of several buildings on or near Public Square.
The Indianapolis Star reported that, though Shelbyville Central Schools’ student population has declined in recent years, the high school’s track program has grown. Two years ago, there were 65 athletes. Now there are 85 — more than 7% of Shelbyville's student population of 1,097. The article highlights the influence of 11-year coach Nick Blakey, who is both a program promoter and intense data tracker. Blakey has also traveled as far as New York and California for his own national master’s meets, mostly running the 400 and hurdles.
Shelby County home sales made their annual spring return, with 41 homes sold last month compared to 26 in February. That number also outperformed last March, when 35 homes were sold.
The (sometimes) warming weather also helped business at Horseshoe Indianapolis Casino, where Adjusted Gross Revenue in March was $27.5 million, up from February’s $22.9 million. However, that fell a little short of the $28.5 million AGR collected in March 2024.
The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency, 1310 N. Michigan Road, Shelbyville, is offering “flood buckets” to any Shelby County resident who suffered damage to their homes during the recent flooding. The buckets contain an assortment of cleaning supplies and materials to assist with clean-up. The buckets will be available for pickup on a first-come-first-served basis between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Contact the EMA, 317-392-6308, with questions.
HOOSIER NEWS: School corporations could partner with religiously affiliated nonprofit preschools under a new law signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Braun. HB 1102 passed both chambers unanimously and will take effect this summer. Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) is one of the legislation’s sponsors. He said the goal is to expand Hoosiers’ access to preschool programs by creating more partnerships between school corporations and preschools. “It’s open ended,” he said. “It could be anything from transportation from a rural area or it could be a subsidized seat, or even an exchange of curriculum.” The State of Preschool 2023 Yearbook ranks Indiana among the bottom six states for preschool accessibility. The report says the state doesn’t do enough to make preschool widely available, as 85 percent of Indiana’s four-year-olds and 91 percent of three-year-olds lack access to quality pre-K services. (Indiana Public Radio)
NATIONAL NEWS: The transition to LED bulbs alone cut American energy bills by $3 billion a year and obviated the need for 30 large power plants. A scrubbed report from the Department of Energy found that Americans save $576 per year on utility bills thanks to the changes and have cut the nation’s water consumption by 12 percent. (ProPublica/Numlock)
Thank you to every donor for your continued support of The Addison Times. Donors of $100 or more receive the quarterly print publications in the mail. 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, Ph.D., Editor
The Addison Times is pleased to offer free milestone announcements. Forms are available here: Engagement Announcement, Wedding Announcement and Anniversary Announcement.
Want the daily edition read to you? Struggling with your email provider filtering out your local news? The Addison Times Substack app will solve those challenges!
SHS Courier Archive Highlights
May 17, 1940, Part II
Seniors would be taking off the last week of school. Individual plans ranged from planning graduation and “painting the town red” to working the pits at Speedway.
In dating gossip, The Courier wondered “whose coat will Betty Compton wear when Dick Breeding is gone?”
Among items in the “We Wonder Why…” section was “Out-of-town girls can get our boys’ pins. What have they got that we haven’t? (Those pins!)”
Anna Worland and Esther Soshnick won top placements in the Commercial competitions held at Ball State.
After Don Meloy said “I saw an airplane flyin’,” Mr. Trible instructed him, “Don’t drop your g’s, Don.” Meloy responded, “Gee! I saw an airplane flyin’!”
Paul Gutting and Tom Sadler had made state in track and field. Among Bears who set school records during the season were Gutting, Sadler and Wally Page. “Many other boys were out on the squad who never even came close to a record; but we salute them for their effort,” The Courier said.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: MAJOR HEALTH PARTNERS
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: Three fire engines and 13 firefighters were used to extinguish an early morning blaze on an exterior wall of Pizza Hut. Firefighters had been in the area and responded within two minutes. The quick response time limited the damage.
1995: A sheriff’s auction of some 150 confiscated items was a success, with some of the participants getting caught up in the excitement. The Shelbyville News reported that some of the 50 guns for sale went for higher than they would have cost new in a gun store.
1985: The Shelbyville Board of Public works granted a license to Marilyn Harris to operate a Mom and Pop’s Ice Cream truck throughout the city.
1975: A year after a tornado destroyed the Fountaintown Community Volunteer Fire Dept. building on U.S. 52, the department dedicated their new and larger building on the same site. Insurance and federal funds paid for the majority of the costs.
Doug Dayhoff, 5, was named official “mascot” of the Shelbyville Police Department for a year. The plan was to have Doug present trophies at pistol shoots and to participate in other activities. Doug already had his own police uniform.
After operating in Shelbyville for more than half a century, the A&P Food Store closed its doors at the Belaire Shopping Center. James Donovan was the last manager at the store.
CORRECTION: (Yesterday’s edition had a misspelling on Jon Higgins’ name.) The public library observed National Library Week with free coffee and a performance by the woodwind ensemble of the Community Band. Mayor Jerry Higgins brought his children - Jay, 12, Dawn, 13, Beth, 11, Lynn, 10, Jon, 1, and Anne, 4, to the library on the occasion, where he read them a book.
1965: The Indiana University seniors took on F&M Oil Company (a state AAU championship team) at Paul Cross Gym in a fundraiser for the Optimist Club.
Boy Scouts met at city hall and left for Kokomo, where they assisted in cleaning up a tornado disaster area.
1955: May Festival Queen candidates and escorts were Caryl Mullen, Carl Cawood, Nadine Nading, Bob Gallagher, Roberta Davis, Buddy Carr, Willa Jo Barricklow, Jim Spindler, Kay Mohler, Stanley Bogue, Mary Louise Rahe, Don Schiesz, Kay Ferleman and Dan Hammond.
The Shelby County Music Festival, attended by over 1,500, included approximately 600 singers and 100 instrumentalists. The annual festival was arranged by the music instructors of the rural school system and held at Paul Cross Gym.
1945: Several locals went to Camp Atterbury for memorial services held in honor of the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Shelby County farmers had used 3,853 tons of limestone under the federal government’s conservation program.
1935: Blue River County Club and Tri-County golf course north of Waldron opened for the year.
1925: Charles Curson, manager of the Alhambra, announced he had a “fine German police dog” to give away at an upcoming show. Over the previous few months, F.J. Rembusch had purchased four police dogs to be given away at his theatres.
Local police said they would be enforcing the new tail light law, which stipulated that vehicles on the streets after dark, including those parked and unoccupied, must have tail lights.
1915: More than 1,500 school children and 50 automobiles took part in the Arbor Day Parade, which formed at the courthouse and circled the city. Rev. S.J. Cross delivered the invocation.
Local pastors announced Rev. Bob Jones would hold a “Tabernacle meeting” in Shelbyville in 1916. Plans were to erect a tent to seat 5,000. “Mr. Jones stated that he had many more invitations than he could accept and from larger cities than Shelbyville,” The Republican said. “He was impressed with the fact that Shelbyville was the center of a large contiguous population that would be sure to attend such meetings, and especially with the fact that the city had a large factory population.”
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Joe Edd Harlan, 87, of Liberty Township, Ohio, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on April 12, 2025. Joe was born in Greensburg, Ind., on October 12, 1937, to Jewett Curtis Harlan and Adelaide (Lowe) Harlan. Joe, the eldest of five children, had four sisters: Patricia Ann Gilland (deceased), Barbara Decker (deceased), Carrie Ruth Noble and Jackie Kruthaupt (partner Roy Coyle).
Shortly after his birth, Joe's family moved to Shelbyville, Ind., where he lived the first half of his life. Joe graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1955 and subsequently graduated from Franklin College in 1960. On April 6, 1958, Joe married Jeanette Kay (Craig) Harlan (deceased 1987). Joe and Jeanette had two children: Joe Ernest Harlan (spouse Theresa) and Joanne Harlan Stock (spouse Bill). In 1985, Joe transferred with the General Electric Company to the Cincinnati area, where he spent the last half of his life.
On October 18, 1997, Joe married his wife of 27 years, Augusta Smith, and she survives. Augusta Harlan has two children, Michael Smith (spouse Jackie) and Stephen Smith (partner Amy Taylor). In addition, Joe and Augusta have two devoted grandchildren, Madison Marie Smith (fiancé, Zach Cobb) and Andrew James Smith.
Joe enjoyed golf, tennis and running. Also, Joe enjoyed a variety of spectator sports. He was a major fan of the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears. Joe and Augusta were active members of the Liberty Heights Church. Joe taught Sunday school and both were actively involved with activities in the Church. Joe served and volunteered with several community organizations over his lifetime, both in Shelbyville and Liberty Township, Ohio.
Visitation will be held at Liberty Heights Church, 7904 Princeton Rd., Liberty Twp., Ohio, 45044, on Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 10 a.m. until time of funeral service at 11 a.m. Graveside service will be at Boggstown Cemetery, 3287 N. London Road, Boggstown, Shelby County, Ind., 46126, on Friday, April 18, 2025 at 11 a.m.
Brinda Lee Watkins, 76, of Shelbyville, passed away on Monday, April 14, 2025, at her home. She was born January 10, 1949, in Shelbyville, the daughter of Herbert H. and Elizabeth Ann (Harmon) Andis. On June 4, 1967, she married her husband of 57 years, David Watkins, and he survives. In addition to David, Brinda is survived by her son, Michael S. Watkins and wife, Anita, of Franklin; grandson, Alexander Watkins; and numerous nieces and nephews. Brinda was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Herbert Andis Jr., George Andis, Glen Andis and Steve Andis; and sisters, Linda Pike and Janet Richardson.
In 1967, Brinda graduated from Shelbyville High School. She formerly owned and operated Brinda’s Hair Salon. Brinda was a doll collector and had a large collection of American Girl dolls. She enjoyed painting and dancing. In the past, she had been very active in the Shelby County Players, both as an actor and director.
Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 8604 Allisonville Rd., Suite 140, Indianapolis, IN 46250.
Online condolences may be shared with Brinda’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.