Tuesday, April 30, 2024
LET’S GO FLY A KITE
The Saylor family tries out their kites, an Easter gift from parents Eddie and Allicia, on a blustery Sunday at Blue River Memorial Park. They first went to Southeastway Park in Marion County, but too many trees were waiting for the first kites of spring. Shelbyville’s east side park was perfect. | photo by JACK BOYCE
SMS ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: ETHAN GRIFFIN
Shelbyville Middle School eighth grader Ethan Griffin practices discus yesterday. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Ethan Griffin had a reason for developing a sudden interest in track and field this spring.
“I got cut from the baseball team,” the Shelbyville Middle School eighth grade student said yesterday.
He’s made the most of his few weeks learning to throw shot put and discus.
“When I started, I threw them like a football. I didn’t know how to do it,” he said.
With guidance from Coach Chris Lux and high school throwers, Griffin threw the discus over 120 feet in a recent meet and over 130 feet in practice. He’s now working on spinning the discus, a technique he will need to master quickly. Only three meets remain, and Griffin wants to challenge the 150’6” school record set in 2014.
While new to the sport, Griffin has experienced plenty of athletic success at SMS. He was named Most Valuable Player for the defense the past two football seasons, in which he played defensive end and right guard. He also wrestled this season, earning the school sport’s Top Achieving Bear (TAB) Award for his athletic prowess, mental toughness and positive attitude.
As he chases one record, Griffin already has his sights set on the next four years.
“I definitely plan to do (track and field) again at SHS,” he said.
Blue River Career Programs Hires New Director
Jeremy Powers, left, and Blue River Career Programs Board President David Finkel sign an agreement following BRCP’s hiring of Powers as its next director. | submitted
Blue River Career Programs yesterday announced the hiring of Jeremy Powers as its next director. Powers currently serves as principal at Benjamin Rush Middle School in Rush County and previously was principal of Morristown Jr.-Sr. High School.
“He brings a love for kids, respect for faculty and staff, and an infectious desire to help grow and expand BRCP in the ever-changing K-12 career and technical education (CTE) landscape,” the BRCP board said in a statement.
Powers succeeds Steve Shaw, who retires in June.
Blue River Career Programs provides CTE education to the four Shelby County public school corporations and operates under an interlocal agreement, one of only five career centers in Indiana to do so. Powers takes over a program that thrived under Shaw’s leadership, including the following recent designations:
Shaw was named CTE Director of the Year, June 2023
BRCP has record enrollment slate for the fall, 2024-2025, up 20 percent
BRCP is second out of 48 CTE districts for data performance
BRCP recently finished a five-year State Board of Accounts Audit with no comments
NOTEBOOK:
Shelby County Commissioners yesterday recognized the upcoming Peace Officers’ Memorial Day. Flags will be flown half-staff on May 5. Commissioners remembered the seven Shelby County officers killed in the line of duty: Sheriff Albert W. McCorkle, Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, October 10, 1880; Trooper Herbert W. Smith, Indiana State Police, Dec. 5, 1946; Deputy Stacia S. Alyea, Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, April 18, 1996; Trooper Andrew Winzenread, Indiana State Police, April 25, 1997; First Sgt. Karl Kelley, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, April 17, 1998; Trooper Jason Beal, Indiana State Police, Jan. 15, 2000; and Sgt. Gary Henderson, Shelbyville Police Department, Oct. 10, 2007. Also recognized was Shelby County Sheriff’s Department K-9, Bruno, who died in the line of duty, Nov. 26, 2014.
Commissioners yesterday also approved Speedway Solar to add a commercial driveway at 6475 East 600 N, Shelbyville.
NATIONAL NEWS: Grocery prices are up 21 percent in three years, and one thing that’s changed is that people make more runs than they used to, go to more stores pursuing different sales, and buy less on each given run. Overall shoppers are making 8 percent more trips than they did last year, and traditional grocers have shed a bit of market share, accounting for 66 percent of total consumer spending on food at home, down from 69 percent in 2017. Fueling that is people going to more and often specialized stores for their food: Americans bought food and beverages from an average of 20.7 retailers in 2023-24, compared to 16.8 retailers in 2019-20. (Wall Street Journal/Numlock)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: Five Republicans had filed to run for Shelby County Sheriff: Roger Clark, Dennis Parks, David Tilford, Perry Hewitt and Robert Jones. They were running to replace Sheriff Mike Bowby, who had been sheriff for eight years.
2004: The Shelbyville Police Department had a new officer: Mike, a German shepard who was partnered with Officer Chuck Curry.
Members of the Shelbyville High School prom court were Nick O’Connor, Erica Cole, Stuart Jones, Kendra Kaiser, Tyler Orem, Nikki Hall, Molly Harper, Kevin Zimny, Molly Nash and Adam Blackburn.
Local law enforcement responded to a call from Major Hospital regarding a man with a sling on his arm who walked into the emergency room, leaving his van outside where it was blocking the emergency entrance. The man said he only wanted a “Mr. Yuck” sticker and a biohazard bag. He also wanted to take a photo that he could take back to his ex-wife. When that request was refused, he began cursing and making offensive remarks about health care. He was eventually arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
1994: A bridge at CR 700 S, east of CR 250 E, was damaged when a large farm tractor and plow struck it. The 8-inch-thick wall on the north side of the bridge was broken loose, with about half of it falling into the south fork of Lewis Creek. The one-lane bridge could still be driven on, but a guardrail would first need to be installed.
1984: “In this era of Ayatollahs building nuclear bombs, there are a few comforting things still around. Like, for instance, women going bonkers when Ricky Nelson wipes sweat from his brow and throws the yucky towel into the crowd,” The Shelbyville News reported regarding Nelson’s recent concert at Garrett Gymnasium. “Nelson, whose swinging hips cover somewhat wider girth than they did 20 years ago, charmed the blue suede shoes right off the feet of over 3,000 people who attended the concert.” He performed several oldies hits, including “Hello, Mary Lou.” Shelbyville band booster Ronald Barrett had helped organize logistics for Nelson. The News also reported on the Kandell's’ warm-up performance, which gave high marks for the mayor’s drumming skills in the band. “Why, those of us who are in our 30s could have closed our eyes and been transported back to 60s Kandells concerts at The Rec and the parking lot in front of Nankivell Chevrolet,” reporter Jim Hall wrote. The Kandells ended with a surprise number: Van Halen’s “Jump.” The band members brought their children on stage for the hard-driving finale.
1974: Trackman Dan Hayes of Shelbyville was awarded an Indiana University top athletic honor: the Big Ten Medal. Hayes, a distance running star, was a senior who had maintained a 3.7 GPA as a pre-medicine student. He had been accepted by the I.U. School of Medicine for the fall.
1964: County Deputy Sheriff Jim Bogeman was asked at 1:20 a.m. to respond to a steer who almost rammed a car on S. State Road 9. Bogeman found the steer by a roadside table, but the steer began running. Bogeman pursued the steer in a patrol car and chased him for over a mile, leading the steer into an open field. “His mission accomplished - that of getting the ‘maverick’ off the road - Bogeman returned to jail and to bed,” The Shelbyville News said.
A tree dedicated to the memory of Shelby County men who had died in service was planted at Forest Hill Cemetery. The tree was sponsored by the local chapter of the American War Mothers. Members on hand for the dedication were Ida Fox, Frances DeBaun, Virgie Beagle, Norma Clark, Audrey Bridges, Rosa Holmes and Mrs. Wilmer McNeely.
1954: Dean’s Food Market team won the Ladies League at Shelby Recreation Bowling Alley. Members of the team were Beverly Glidden, Jean Thomas, Shirley Dean, Helen Conrad and Betty Dickman.
WSRK, Shelbyville’s radio station, ceased operations at 9:05 p.m. The station had been off the air due to mechanical difficulties but was brought back on for the its final day in business.
An actress portraying Aunt Jemima appeared at a pancake fundraiser hosted by the Shelbyville Kiwanis Club. All-you-could-eat pancakes were $1.
1944: “Lassie Come Home” in technicolor was on at The Ritz.
1934: The Shelbyville Republican complained about “extra festoons of red tape” required for the first time in the upcoming primary election. The main objection was a new requirement for voter identification. Voters would need to write their names and addresses on a sheet and sign it, with the signature then compared to the voter registration card. “This, besides requiring a great amount of time, seems like an unnecessary precaution against voting frauds, especially in a county such as Shelby, where election boards are familiar with the names and identity of voters of their particular precinct,” the paper said.
Shelbyville High School won the state championship in beginning typing, in a competition hosted at Ball State Teachers’ College. Members of the title-winning typing team were Edward Werner, Merrylin Greenlee and Mary Ray. Mr. George Joyce was coach. Individually, Norman McKenney won third highest individual ranking in beginning bookkeeping at the contest.
1924: Bert Stafford, of Howard Street, Shelbyville, purchased the National Poland China Journal, which had been published in Winchester, Ind., for the previous decade. Stafford would move the office of the publication to Shelbyville immediately after the May edition was printed. The magazine circulated throughout several states.
Numerous gardens and flower beds had been destroyed in recent days by roaming dogs. Police warned dog owners to keep their animals on leashes.
George C. Stubbs, cashier of the Shelby National Bank, was appointed president of the Shelbyville Better Business Club. Stubbs succeeded Frank Schoelch in the position.
1914: D.A. Williams, a veterinarian who had previously practiced in Shelbyville, passed back through the community. He showed off a 379-year-old watch, made in Dublin, Ireland, that had been given to him by his grandmother. It continued to keep accurate time.
OBITUARIES
Samantha M. Moore, 49, of Shelbyville, passed away Sunday, April 28, 2024, at Franciscan Health in Indianapolis. She was born January 13, 1975, in Largo, Florida, the daughter of Jimmy Smith and Debra (Gill) Lautz. Samantha is survived by her children, Amber Raines-Douglas and husband, Jay, and William Raines and wife, Sarah, both of Georgia, and Jay Bakman and husband, Jerry, of New Jersey, and Nicole Sanacroce; sister, Linda Spurlin and husband, Dean, of Shelbyville; partner, Lisa Barr of Shelbyville; grandchildren, Kimberly, Myia and Luka; and nephews, Shawn Smith, Toby Spurlin, Cody Spurlin and Shawn Spurlin. She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Sabrina Smith.
Samantha graduated from Largo High School in 1993. She also leaves behind her dogs, Smoochie and Brownie.
Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Online condolences may be shared with Samantha’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.