Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Feb 7

BEAR IN MIND

Cheerleader Liliana Zelaya has an up-close chat with the Golden Bear mascot (Joy Rivera) while Rylie Taylor looks on at Shelbyville Middle School Riley Night last night, which featured basketball, games and raffles benefitting Riley Children’s Hospital. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

A GOLDEN BEAR WELCOME

Shelbyville High School student organizations welcomed rising ninth graders to “Eighth Grade Night” last night at Garrett Gymnasium. The annual event includes multiple stations highlighting academic and social opportunities at SHS. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS

Editor’s note: With the election candidate filing deadline passed, the following primary ballots are set for the May 2, 2023 election.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT

Mayor of Shelbyville: David M. Finkel, Scott A. Furgeson, Brad Ridgeway

Shelbyville Clerk-Treasurer: Scott M. Asher, Amy L. Glackman

Shelbyville Common Council - At Large: Dennis E. (Denny) Harrold, Chuck Reed

Shelbyville Common Council - 1st Ward: Kassy Wilson

Shelbyville Common Council - 2nd Ward: Betsy Means-Davis

Shelbyville Common Council - 3rd Ward: Mike S. Johnson

Shelbyville Common Council - 4th Ward: Kim Gobel, Linda J. Sanders

Shelbyville Common Council - 5th Ward: Thurman R. Adams

Morristown Clerk-Treasurer: Morgan M. Stratton

Morristown Town Council: David Benefiel, Tamera “Tammy” Davis

Edinburgh Clerk-Treasurer: No Candidate Filed

Edinburgh Town Council - At Large: Miriam Rooks, Jeff Simpson, Sherri Sweet

DEMOCRAT PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT

Mayor of Shelbyville: No Candidate Filed

Shelbyville Clerk-Treasurer: No Candidate Filed

Shelbyville Common Council - At Large: Joanne Bowen

Shelbyville Common Council - 1st Ward: Susan (Susie) Pouder

Shelbyville Common Council - 2nd Ward: No Candidate Filed

Shelbyville Common Council - 3rd Ward: Patrick Addis

Shelbyville Common Council - 4th Ward: Cristi Brant

Shelbyville Common Council - 5th Ward: Linda West

Morristown Clerk-Treasurer: No Candidate Filed

Morristown Town Council: No Candidate Filed

Edinburgh Clerk-Treasurer: No Candidate Filed

Edinburgh Town Council - At Large: No Candidate Filed

NOTEBOOK:

The Shelbyville Common Council last night put the brakes on an ordinance that had been approved on first reading regarding the regulation of golf carts and off-road vehicles. After receiving insights from Police Chief Mark Weidner, the council decided to continue the matter for further investigation and review. MHP officials had initially asked for the ability to use golf carts for transportation between facilities within the Intelliplex, Mayor Tom DeBaun said. The conversation then moved to establishing a citywide ordinance. Although a motion was made last night to amend the original ordinance, Police Chief Mark Weidner expressed concerns about safety and recommended better defining the inspection and registration processes. “I don’t think it’s the best interest of anyone to put these on the streets. I oppose it in the interest of public safety,” Weidner said. He cited a statewide increase of crashes involving golf carts - two in 2019 when that category was first tracked to 50 last year. “What this tells me is as municipalities add these golf carts to their streets, these numbers grow exponentially,” Weidner said. “What I’m saying here is we don’t have this problem, and I don’t know why we would create it for ourselves.” Council President Rob Nolley said he had reservations as well, but noted the ordinance restricted the type of golf carts allowed, meaning permitted carts would be extremely expensive and not likely to be used by the general public. The council and Weidner then discussed the current use of golf carts in some local neighborhoods, which the Chief reiterated was not legal. After further conversation, the council decided to discuss the matter further to see if the ordinance could be adjusted to address concerns.
In other business, City Council approved on first reading rezoning 1501 South Harrison Street, previously Granny’s Attic near McKinley Street, from single family to business general classification. Petitioner Tom Davis with Genesis Property Development said they hoped to give the building “a facelift” for use as an office for four or five people. The matter will now go to the Plan Commission for a public hearing and recommendation before returning to the council for a second and final reading.
The Council also unanimously appointed Michelle Nolley to the Shelby County Economic Development Council. Councilwoman Joanne Bowen raised a question about the appointment process. Councilman Scott Furgeson, who made the motion to approve, agreed with the suggestion to establish a committee in the future to ensure applicants were considered before appointments are made.
Plans for a roundabout near McGregor Road, Walnut Street and Frontage Road in northwest Shelby County continue to move forward. A recent traffic study, recommended by the Indiana Department of Transportation, showed the roundabout would be “significantly better” than a traffic signal, Chris King, executive vice president at Runnebohm Construction, told Shelby County Commissioners yesterday. continued
HOOSIER NEWS: Against the backdrop of legislation that aims to curb health care costs, Indiana’s hospitals report that a combination of pandemic-related factors have strained their finances to the point where some are considering cutting services and others fear that they may have to close altogether. The state’s hospitals faced record-high expenses last year largely because of a steep increase in labor costs at the same time as they weathered losses in operating income, according to an analysis by the consulting firm Kaufman Hall for the Indiana Hospital Association. Overall, Indiana’s hospitals didn't bring in as much money as they spent in 2022. Advocates for cutting Indiana’s health care costs cite numerous studies that have found that hospital prices in this state are among the highest in the nation. This data has prompted a movement to bring down the price of care. Hospital leaders say the legislature should consider increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates, static for more than three decades. Typically Medicaid pays a little over half of the cost of care and about 2 million Hoosiers now rely on the program for insurance. (IndyStar)
NATIONAL NEWS: Many people are trying to get their hands on chickens of their own as a hedge on inflation, simply buying up egg-laying hens rather than deal with high egg prices caused by an avian flu and consolidated egg industry. Prices are down slightly in the egg department, with an average price of a carton of eggs at $3.40, down from $5.00, signaling that a hasty decision to obtain a farm animal may or may not be the most decisive long-term choice. That said, hatcheries are now having trouble to meet the demand for chicks, as difficulty getting labor to work in chicken hatcheries at a time of low unemployment means that the cost of retail chicks will go up 15 percent to 18 percent this year. (New York Times/Numlock)

Shelbyville’s Joanne Bowen Announces Campaign for City Council At-Large

Editor’s note: The following press release was submitted on behalf of Democrat Shelbyville Common Council At- Large candidate Joanne Bowen. Dennis (Denny) Harrold and Chuck Reed are running on the Republican side for the at large seats.

PRESS RELEASE

Today, Joanne Bowen is announcing her candidacy for Shelbyville City Council At-Large. The primary for the City Council At-Large seat will be held in May 2023.

Bowen stated, "As I look back on the last eight years serving on City Council, I realize how much has been accomplished. A revitalized downtown, millions of dollars of economic investment being invested in our city, the creation of thousands of jobs and educational programs implemented to address our workforce needs, as well as invaluable collaboration between the city and county on a multitude of issues.” Bowen asked herself, "What more can I do for our community?

Bowen began researching what she believes is the No. 1 issue facing the citizens of Shelbyville.

Attainable Housing is not just a city problem, but a state and national problem.

According to Prosperity Indiana, "To relieve the pressures being caused by the state's high housing costs and limited availability, Indiana policy makers must tackle this issue through both increased resources and better public policy. We need to see greater investment in the production of Affordable Housing for the Hoosiers who need it most, as well as strong habitability standards and tenant protections to improve housing stability and affordability throughout the state." Joanne is looking forward to working with legislators and policymakers to help find a solution for our citizens and help make Shelbyville a more affordable place to live.

Bowen is actively engaged in the Shelby County community and invests her time and energy in helping make Shelbyville a great place to live, work and raise a family. She has served on several boards and commissions, including the Planning Commission and is currently Vice Chair of the Shelby Co. Democratic Party. Joanne was awarded the 2022 "Woman of the Year" award with Indiana Federation of Business & Professional Women, where she also serves as secretary.

This Week in Shelby County" works by George L. Stubbs Sr. are owned by the Shelby County Historical Society (Grover Center) and used with permission.

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 from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.

20 YEARS AGO: 2003
Mayor Frank Zerr proposed a plan to finance the Southeast Corridor project connecting State Road 9 to State Road 44 and I-74.

County Commissioners approved hiring a company to take aerial photos to be entered into GIS. The new photos would replace those shot in 1999 and would be four times clearer. “What we hope is you’ll be able to see the manholes in the street,” GIS administrator Jim Brown said. The first photos had been shot on film. The new ones would be taken with a digital camera.

30 YEARS AGO: 1993
Darrell Adcock, Shelby County Jail commander, fell into a storm sewer while walking near the construction site for the new jail. “I’m okay,” Adcock told The Shelbyville News. “But I felt like a ninja turtle.”

40 YEARS AGO: 1983
Students at the Apostolic Christian School celebrated pioneer days by dressing up in pioneer clothes. The day started off with a pioneer breakfast of biscuits and gravy and fried mush. Later candlemaking, butter churning and corn grinding were just a few of the crafts the students tried before performing skits. A newspaper photo showed Brad Savage, 8, with a sling-shot, and Mike Loveless, 11, Darla Holt, 10, Tammy McCracken, 11, and Tonya Reed, 5, in a skit. Principal Bob Haas said the special day was used to teach the children about their heritage.

50 YEARS AGO: 1973
A newspaper photo showed Mike Hauk, employee of Cord Bros., installing one of two large 1973 SCUFFY drive signs at the north and south entrances of the Public Square, which would indicate the portion of the $125,255 goal raised or pledged.

60 YEARS AGO: 1963
Two 1963 Plymouth police cars were ordered from Shelco Motors by the board of public works. In other action, the board voted to name the new street in the Industrial Park Elston Street and to name the first lane west of Harrison St. between Grisson Lane and McKinley St., McNay Lane.

70 YEARS AGO: 1953
A newspaper photo showed Russell Willsey, president of the Shelbyville Exchange Club, presenting a fountain pen to Richard Wells, Fairland, one of four local men who left in the morning for service. Others in the photo also leaving for service were Kenneth Strahl, Shelbyville; Jack Chappelow, St. Paul; and Richard Marshall, Manilla.

80 YEARS AGO: 1943
The Shelbyville Central Labor Union mailed 10,000 cigarettes to American artillery units serving in North Africa.

Members of the Waldron Community Club decided to keep the town lights on all night. The town had installed its own lighting system a few years prior and had previously turned off the street lights each night after most traffic was halted.

90 YEARS AGO: 1933
A 32-year-old local man was charged with using a revolver to attempt to force a 16-year-old girl into his car. The girl had been returning to her sister’s home on Boggstown Road after attending a motion picture at The Strand. He had struck her on the head with the gun when she refused. After she was struck, she knocked the gun out of the man’s hand and ran to a filling station at the south end of the bridge for help.

100 YEARS AGO: 1923
A car driven by Dr. Emerson Barnum, doctor in Manilla, was struck by an eastbound Pennsylvania passenger train. Dr. Barnum was severely injured and his car demolished.

INCIDENTS

Thefts were reported in the 300 block of E. Broadway and 900 block of S. Miller St., Shelbyville.
JAIL BOOK-INS: Robert J. Larson, failure to appear; Girard P. Weathers Jr., OVWI-prior; John W. Bond, failure to appear, hold for another jurisdiction; Gary A. Brown III, possession of marijuana, meth, controlled substance; Kenneth J. Dabney, theft; Jill Glaser, resisting law enforcement, OVWI; Michael T. Green, unknown hearing, hold for another jurisdiction; Joshua D. Huesman, possession syringe or needle, meth, cocaine, narcotic drug; Lucas R. Kennedy, unauthorized absence from home detention; Shenadoah J. Seyer, possession meth; Darron L. Smiley, invasion of privacy; Kiesha R. Stallworth, theft, probation hold.

OBITUARIES

Kylie Marie Sebastian, 31, of Indianapolis, passed away Friday, February 3, 2023, in Indianapolis. She was born February 14, 1991, in Greensburg, the daughter of Evelyn (Hudnall) White. Kylie is survived by her mother and step-father, David White, of Hamilton, Ohio; sons, Landon Addison and Braden “Brady” Addison, both of Avon; brother, Ryan Sebastian of Oxford, Ohio; sister, Stephanie Sebastian of Fairfield, Ohio; grandmother, Betty Hudnall of Shelbyville; niece, Phoebe Sebastian; and nephew, Avery Sebastian.

She formerly worked in food service.

Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, February 10, 2023, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St., in Shelbyville. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Friday, at the funeral home. Interment will be at Whispering Hope in Shelby County. Online condolences may be shared with Kylie’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.

Robert Palmer Metz, 81 years of age, passed away at home, Dec. 13, 2022 in San Manuel, AZ.

Born in Shelbyville September 25, 1941, he attended Shelbyville schools for eleven years, but graduated from Catalina High in Tucson. He served in the helicopter division at the Lakehurst NJ Naval Base. After which he returned home to Shelbyville and became an auto-body repairman. The remainder of his life was spent in San Manuel, maintaining heavy equipment for the Copper Mine.

Bob was predeceased by his father, Robert E. Metz, mother, Maxine Palmer Metz and his wife, Erma. Others surviving are sisters: Lyndel (Harry) Floyd of Shelbyville, Jean (JR) Shorter of Chesapeake, Virginia; brother, Dennis (Julie) Metz of Franklin, TN. Also son, Robert Jr. and daughter, Teresa Ann; step-children, Lori Valesko, Michael Stephans, Andy Stephans, three grandchildren; three step-grandchildren, one great-grandchild; three step-great-grandchildren; also, nephew Troy Floyd of Shelbyville; and niece, Angela (Brett) Claxton of Franklin, TN.

A veteran’s ceremony will be held at the San Manuel Ray Blair Airport.

David Leon Thacker, 75, of Shelbyville, passed away, Friday, February 3, 2023, at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana. He was born February 4, 1947, in Indianapolis, the son of Ralph and Norma Henrietta (Gainey) Thacker. David is survived by his wife and caregiver, Karol Evans of Shelbyville; sons, Sean Scott Thacker and significant other, Allison Kurtz, of Noblesville, and Jesse Aaron Thacker of Beech Grove; daughter, Savannah Marie Dzelme of Beech Grove; brother, Jack J. Thacker and wife, Kathie, of Venice, Florida; and grandchildren, Eddy Eugene Dzelme, Jameson Scott Dzelme and Lottie Jean Dzelme. He was preceded in death by his parents.

David graduated in 1965 from Southport High School. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. David retired from Eli Lilly & Co. in environmental monitoring, with 30 years of service. He enjoyed researching different topics on his computer.

Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Online condolences may be shared with David’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.

Richard E. Guffey of Shelbyville, passed away at IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Services are pending at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home.

Donald Charles (Robby) Frank, DA/PhD, was born on March 17, 1937, in Salina, Kansas. Robby was preceded in death by his parents, Cyrus Frank and Maybelle Allen, wife Gloria Frank, son Donald Jr., brother Ed Frank, and son-in-law Terry. He is survived and remembered by his daughter Robin Le Ann, wife to Frank Welty, parents of the craziest bunch of kids to ever be seen, and nine great-grandchildren. His brother-in-law Jim Bauer, nieces, Jill and Holly and their families.

In 1954, at the young age of 17, he joined the United States Air Force in Barksdale, LA. In 1974, he retired as M/Sgt. He married Gloria, his “bear,” on June 1, 1968, and they would enjoy 53 years together.

Robby was a dedicated sports fan and avidly supported his favorite teams in St. Louis and Las Vegas. He was also a lover of the fine arts. He and Gloria would frequent The Muny, The Fox Theater, and Queenie Pops. He had a love for bartending that was showcased in each of his homes.

In retirement, Doc Robby could be seen zipping through the crowded streets of Las Vegas on his electric scooter with his American Flag flapping behind him. He could always be found playing the poker slots with his wife close by, “spending their daughter’s inheritance by the penny.” Together, they would attend hockey games at UNLV and they looked forward to welcoming the Raiders to their city.

He was loved and will be missed.

Services will be Friday February 10, 2023 at Valhalla Funeral Chapel, St. Louis, MO. Visitation will be 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. with military honors ceremony to follow at 11:30 a.m. Murphy-Parks Funeral Services are honored to assist Donald’s family.

The Addison Times