Tuesday, January 6, 2026
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
Common Council Advances Voluntary Annexation Tied to Proposed Data Center Site
by ANNA TUNGATE & KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
The Shelbyville Common Council voted 5-1, with one abstention, last night to approve on first reading a voluntary annexation of more than 400 acres east of the Interstate 74–State Road 44 interchange, advancing a request tied to a potential multiphase data center development.
Both Mayor Scott Furgeson and attorney Eric Glasco, who represented the landowners seeking annexation, noted that the action before the council was limited to annexation and zoning, not approval of a data center project. Furgeson also reminded participants that a “preliminary design” published Saturday in The Addison Times was not the final layout.
“That is not a guarantee of what that site will look like,” Furgeson said. “It’s a preliminary site. They have not spent the money in due diligence to lay it out perfectly yet.”
Glasco noted the petition was for a super voluntary annexation, meaning that 100 percent of the affected property owners consented to the request. He added that the landowners were not initially aware of the end user when the purchase agreement was signed.
Since then, Prologis, the prospective purchaser, has come forward with potential plans for the acreage. Company representatives gave a presentation outlining what a data center is and how the company estimates jobs and infrastructure impacts. JC Witt told council members Prologis currently owns about 30 data centers worldwide, with roughly 600 megawatts under construction.
“We like to describe ourselves as the greatest company you’ve never heard of,” Witt said. “We’ve been in the Indianapolis area for the better part of 30 years. We have an office here that houses about 40 employees.”
Witt said Prologis owns approximately 26.5 million square feet of industrial space in the greater Indianapolis region and has about 143 businesses occupying its buildings, representing roughly 26,000 workers.
Trey Westermoreland, also representing the company, described a data center as “a large building with a computer,” adding that data centers support everyday digital activity.
“When you get on your phone and you’re looking something up, that information is going through a data center,” Westermoreland said. “It’s data in, data out.”
Westermoreland said the campus under consideration could reach approximately 500 megawatts and be built over as many as 10 years, starting closer to existing industrial property and expanding eastward. He said each building would employ about 30 workers per shift, with preliminary plans indicating roughly 450 full-time positions at full buildout.
Based on average wages in the sector, Westermoreland said that equates to an estimated $45 million annual payroll once the campus is fully operational.
Infrastructure concerns were a central theme of the presentation. Westermoreland said the facilities would use a closed-loop cooling system that reuses water rather than consuming it continuously.
“It will actually use less water than an average office building on a daily basis,” he said. “There will be no wells drilled on this property.”
Company officials also said Prologis would fund necessary electrical upgrades.
“On the power side, we’ve spoken to RushShelby Energy, and we have agreed that we will make and pay for all infrastructure improvements for any electrical service to the site,” Westermoreland said.
He also addressed questions about noise and lighting, saying the primary sound would come from air-handling units similar to large HVAC systems. “We will meet Shelbyville’s noise ordinances and dark sky standards.”
Generators, Westermoreland said, would be used only for outages and periodic testing. “This is not something that runs continuously,” he said.
Public comment followed the presentation and extended for more than two hours, with a standing room only crowd overflowing into the hallway, down the stairs and out the door. Residents raised concerns about farmland loss, water and electric impacts, drainage, property values, transparency and the lack of binding guarantees tied to company projections. Several speakers urged the council to slow the process or impose a moratorium, which has been done in some parts of the country.
Westermoreland acknowledged the early stage of the proposal for both the city and the company.
“This is the first step in the process,” he said. “We’re not making guarantees tonight. We still have to go through environmental studies and site planning to determine whether this ultimately works.”
The annexation request will now move to the Shelbyville Plan Commission, which will hold a public hearing, with public comments permitted, on the zoning component at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Shelbyville High School’s Breck Auditorium. The commission will make a recommendation back to the council, which would then consider the matter on second reading later this month.
Council members Kassy Wilson, Betsy Means Davis, Mike Johnson, Chuck Reed and Linda Sanders voted in favor of the annexation. Councilman Thurman Adams voted against the ordinance, and Councilman Denny Harrell abstained, citing a conflict of interest because Glasco, who represented the property owners in the annexation, is part of his law firm, Stephenson Rife.
Following the meeting, the City of Shelbyville acknowledged in a Facebook post the crowded conditions and published an FAQ page that includes a timeline of next steps.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: FULL CANOPY REAL ESTATE
NOTEBOOK:
The following building permits were filed in Shelbyville last month: construction of a gas station shell at 425 Progress Road, next to Fire Station No. 2; add a front deck to 1116 St. Joseph St.; construct a new shed at 511 Wellington Blvd.; new outdoor seating at Just Peachy Cafe, 52 E. Washington St.; remodel a wing at Shelbyville Middle School, 1200 W. McKay Rd.; remodel offices and north bathroom at Shelbyville High School, 2003 S. Miller St.; permit for addition to PK USA, 600 Northridge Dr.; remodel 858 Miller Ave.; and construction of 14 new homes.
Shelby County Commissioners yesterday re-elected Jason Abel as president and Nathan Runnebohm as vice president in their annual reorganizational meeting. Commissioners made a number of reappointments and appointed Jenna Martin to the county plan commission, succeeding Mike McCain, and Brian Lewis to the county tourism board, succeeding Leigh Langkabel.
Crews working on the Speedway Solar Project are expected to be onsite today beginning around 8:30 a.m. to place shoulder stone along County Road 700 North. If work is completed there, crews will continue placing stone on County Road 500 East and County Road 600 North. Roads will be closed during shoulder stone placement due to the width of the equipment. Flaggers will be present to assist motorists. The schedule is weather dependent.
Triton Central Tigers earned statewide attention this weekend after a 52–43 road win over Class 3A No. 3 Roncalli, highlighted in a Jan. 5 column by Indianapolis Star writer Kyle Neddenriep. Neddenriep called it “one of the most impressive performances I have watched this season,” noting the Tigers finished the game without leading scorer Eli Sego, who was benched after a third-quarter technical foul. Despite having no other double-digit scorer, Triton Central limited Roncalli to just 15 points over the final 12-plus minutes. The Tigers, whose only losses this season have come against larger-class opponents Shelbyville and Greenwood, appear positioned for a potential postseason run, Neddenriep wrote.
According to a Shelbyville Police Department media release, officers responded Jan. 3 to the area of Enterprise Drive and Col. W.T. Conner Way regarding a man experiencing a medical emergency. Officers arrived and located a man and a woman at the scene. Lt. Bart Smith performed CPR on the man, but he did not respond to medical intervention and was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident remains an ongoing death investigation. An autopsy has been performed, and authorities are awaiting the results of additional medical tests.
Editor’s Note: Thank you so much to each donor who has generously contributed to our campaign to expand countywide reporting. The following are among campaign donors: Pamela Dearinger, Patricia Jane Huber, Betty Thomas, Gene & Teresa Young, Sheila Palmer, Michael & Paula Cochran, and Bob & Becky Williams. Reaching our fundraising goal for 2026 will allow us to expand high-quality coverage countywide. Donors of $100 or more receive a commemorative January print edition and donors of $500 or more will be recognized in that edition. Contributions can be made online through our donation form or by mailing a check to The Addison Times, 54 W. Broadway, Ste. 13, Shelbyville, IN, 46176. Again, thank you so much for your loyal support of this endeavor. - Kristiaan Rawlings, Ph.D.
HOOSIER NEWS: One of the most visible education debates of the coming session is already underway: whether Indiana should expand restrictions on student cellphone use to cover the entire school day. Under current law—approved by lawmakers in 2024—schools must prohibit cellphone use during instructional time unless a teacher permits it for academic purposes. Senate Bill 78 would go further, requiring public schools to ban cellphone use “from bell to bell,” including during lunch and passing periods, with limited exceptions. The bill already received public testimony in the Senate Education Committee in December and was authored by committee chairman Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond. Raatz said the committee is likely to vote on the measure early this month. Supporters argue the change would reduce distractions and improve student focus and mental health. Opponents—including some parents and students — have raised concerns about safety, emergencies and local control. (IBJ)
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This Week in Shelby County Archive
by GEORGE L. STUBBS
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: MAJOR HEALTH PARTNERS
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.
2006: Tom Loughlin was appointed Emergency Medical Technician Chief for the Shelbyville Fire Department, succeeding Steve Schoentrup, who would remain the department’s public information officer.
The county’s new MicroVote Infinity voting machines were demonstrated at Nugent Hall, 125 W. Washington St. Shelby County Democratic Party chair Laura Furiak, Shelby County Clerk Carol Stohry and Election Deputy John Williams demonstrated how to use the machines.
1996: Phelps Wrecker Service pulled about 60 cars out of drifts on State Road 44 within a 12-hour period and did not charge the auto owners. “What did Allen Phelps get in return?” The Shelbyville News asked. “One truck caught on fire, and another one had the rear-end drive messed up. Phelps said it will probably cost about $2,000 to repair the two trucks.”
1986: The Shelbyville Common Council voted to embark on a two-phase construction project that would renovate the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
1976: Final plans were in the works for the new Shelby County Meals on Wheels program. Organizers included Mrs. George Hobbs, Mrs. Vic Stickford, Mrs. John LeMasters, Jack Warble, Rep. Stephen Moberly, Henrietta Rohde, Mrs. Warren Carmony and Mrs. Bueford Robbins.
1966: The Shelbyville News retracted its claim that Holly Renea Walter had been the first baby of the year in Shelby County. Instead, Michael Wayne Mayse, son of Donald and Mary Mayse, was named the first baby of the year. Michael had been born in Rush County, however, his parents lived on German Road in Shelby County, and the newspaper contest rules only said that the parents must live in the county.
1956: Blue River Abstract Co. was formed by Vitula Mitchell and Wanda Clark. The company’s office was at 508 Methodist Building.
Mayor John Anderson ordered a crackdown on jaywalkers. Police Chief Gene Junken was ordered to issue citations, which could lead to a $1 fine if convicted.
1946: Local efforts were underway for a fundraising campaign for infantile paralysis. Henry Handly was appointed director of the Shelby County drive, with help from Fred Gravely and C.T. Roll.
1936: Nearly $10,000 in federal funds were appropriated for remodeling the Shelby County Fairgrounds grandstand and improvments to buildings. This also included construction of a brick office buildling beside the grandstand, demolishing and rebuilding 24 horse stables and drilling three new water wells.
1926: The Chambers Manufacturing Company hosted a meeting for 30 of their salespeople, who came in from across the country. John Chambers and Karl DePrez organized and led the session.
1916: City Council members discussed building a firehouse on the city-owned lot on West Broadway. Mayor Henry Schoelch said he believed taxpayers would favor the matter.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Anthony Coots, 38, of Shelbyville, passed away Jan. 3, 2026, in Shelbyville, Indiana. He was born Dec. 30, 1987, in Franklin, Indiana, to Carlos Coots and Lorene (Lori) Meadows.
Coots graduated from Waldron Jr./Sr. High School. He loved anything to do with magic, especially his magic cards. He also enjoyed watching the Indiana Pacers and the Indianapolis Colts.
He is survived by his mother, Lori Meadows; his father, Carlos (wife, Stephanie) Coots; his sisters, Jasmine Coots and Alexus Coots; his brother, Caleb Nolley; his nephews, Gavin Powers and Eli Walton; his paternal grandparents, Carlos and Linda Coots; his aunts, Alice (husband, Todd) Smith and Dotti Meadows; and his uncle, Andy (wife, Angie) Coots. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Clifford and Charlotte Meadows.
Funeral directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Coots’ family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.