Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Common Council Organizes, Discusses Priorities
Shelbyville Common Council members Kassy Wilson, Betsy Means Davis, Mike Johnson and Chuck Reed, Mayor Scott Furgeson, and council members Denny Harrold, Linda Sanders and Thurman Adams hold their first meeting of the year last night. Seated in the front is Scott Asher, city clerk-treasurer. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Items discussed under Miscellaneous might have been as interesting as those on the agenda at last night’s Shelbyville Common Council meeting, where Mayor Scott Furgeson offered insights into possible initiatives.
Furgeson said he would like to look at building a new police station, noting that both police and sheriff’s offices are short on office space in the county’s criminal justice center. The mayor said he was open to a variety of solutions and locations.
He would also like the council to review changing the current tax abatement process. Furgeson said the issue came up throughout last year’s campaign, and that he has received input from former city councilman Brad Ridgeway on the subject. The mayor intends to review other cities’ policies, and said local industry would receive plenty of notice throughout the process.
He noted there have been previous discussions of making changes to the granting of tax abatements. “I think (proposed changes) were well received by everybody,” Furgeson said. “It just never happened.”
In official business, the council approved on first reading moving forward with Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) negotiations regarding N. Riley Highway with three companies, an initial step before the board of public works can hold a public hearing and issue a contract. The selected companies are Runnebohm Construction, HIS Constructors and HWC Engineering, all of which had representatives on hand.
Planning for the corridor project, covering 1.2 miles from 200 feet south of the intersection of North Riley Highway and Rampart Road heading south to the intersection at Boggstown Road, had been in the works for a few years in former Mayor Tom DeBaun’s administration. Improvements include creating pedestrian trails along both sides of N. Riley Highway and two roundabouts, one replacing a stop light at the highway’s intersection with Michigan Road and Knauf Drive and one at the entrance to the incoming Isabelle Farms subdivision.
Furgeson said he was in favor of the BOT approach, but wanted more information before proceeding.
“I spoke (in a council meeting last year) about not going forward with the whole project,” he said. “So we are going to look at some value engineering on this project and see where we can actually save money.”
The council’s action will provide necessary due diligence, the mayor said. “Our first step is to get some design done and figure out where we're at, and then we'll make those decisions on how (and) if we can fund it all, or if we're not going to fund it, or how we're going to do it from that point forward.”
During the initial organization part of the meeting, council members elected Mike Johnson as president and Betsy Means Davis, vice president. Kassy Wilson was appointed reader. The following committees and committee members were named: Wilson, Means Davis and Sanders to the finance committee; Reed, Johnson and Means Davis to the fees and salaries committee; Sanders, Harrold and Means Davis to the ordinance committee; and Harrold, Adams and Johnson to the tax abatement committee.
The council named liaisons to each city department, and department heads were all in attendance to be briefly introduced.
The following boards and commission appointments were made: Harrold to the plan commission, Reed and Sanders to the ambulance board, Wilson to the redevelopment commission, Johnson and Reed to Advantage Shelby County, Adams to tourism and Reed to the fiber board, solid waste district and the GIS board.
The council also unanimously approved a multi-hazard mitigation plan, in accordance with federal law, and waived a statutory requirement that the fire chief serve five continuous years with the department before becoming chief. Fire Chief Doug Lutes had retired from the department early last year but was appointed by Furgeson to become chief, which is allowed with council action. The council also amended the city’s salary ordinance to accommodate appointees’ salaries. The council then approved an ordinance increasing the size of the aviation board from four to five members. Furgeson will make the appointment.
In other Miscellaneous business, the mayor said he liked an idea presented by Council member Sanders regarding a possible rebrand of Shelbyville’s “Pride in progress” motto. “It’s a little old. It’s a little tired,” he said. The mayor and Johnson also mentioned creating more cohesive communication lines and possibly creating a social media director position.
There will be no pre-meetings for the council or board of works, Furgeson said. “I’m not a big believer in pre-meetings. I believe we just waste time discussing what we’re going to discuss.” The mayor also added that pre-meetings can add to the perception of a lack of transparency.
City Council meetings will typically be held the first and third Monday of the month at 6 p.m., but the council’s next meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m.
NOTEBOOK:
Shelbyville High School bowlers Samantha Pikowski and Madison Barnes have advanced to regional action, set for Jan. 20 in Bloomington.
NATIONAL NEWS: Worldwide, the instant noodle market finished at $50 billion in 2023, up 52 percent compared to just five years ago. The United States market is actually considered to be relatively untapped, and poised for significant growth as ramen sheds a reputation as a cheap snack. (Wall Street Journal / Numlock)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: Mark Daulton and John Wall competed the Fishers of Men Championship Bass Tournament in Wisconsin. They performed well enough to be invited to national competition in April in Tennessee.
Dennis “Chipper” Parks and David Tilford filed paperwork to kick off campaigns to be Shelby County Sheriff. Parks, a 1972 Shelbyville High School graduate, had 37 years’ experience with the department. Tilford, also an SHS graduate, had been with the department 18 years.
2004: Triton Central High School vice principal Larry “Doc” Pringle retired after 26 years as a guidance counselor and administrator at the school. The nickname “Doc” was due to him holding a doctoral degree. Pringle would remain girls basketball coach. In 21 years, he had chalked up 304 wins and only one losing season.
1994: About 300 people attended a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial event at Second Baptist Church. Among those who spoke at the service in addition to an Indianapolis minister were Mayor Bob Williams, city council member Nancy McNeely and lawyer Jonathon Palmer.
1984: After many years in business, Major T. Jester Fashions, 36 E. Washington St., closed its doors. The firm used to be at 29 E. Washington St. before moving in the early 1970s. Dick Jester was the store owner. Evelyn Wicker, who began working at the firm in the mid-1950s, oversaw a closing out sale.
1974: County Council established the Shelby County Economic Development Commission. Similar commissions in Shelbyville and Morristown had already been formed. The County Councilmen nominated Jack Knoll of Waldron, an employee of the Home Telephone Co. and active in the Waldron volunteer fire department, as their representative.
Shelbyville Central Schools announced the purchase 20 acres adjacent to Shelbyville High School from Burton F. Swain Jr. The acreage comprised the last of six parcels of Swain property to be obtained by the district. In other business, the board accepted the retirement of SHS English teacher Marian Chenoweth, effective at the end of the school year.
BELOW: These photos, taken by Asenath Theobald, show a barn located on the current SHS property that was moved in the early 1970s along with a house over to the church at 1500 Miller Ave. The barn, which had become an antique shop owned by Glenn George, was refurbished and used as a Christian school before being demolished in recent years. The house remains. Garrett Gymnasium is visible in the lower picture of the barn being moved across the field.
1964: George Stubbs, 85, of 502 Shelby St., died. Stubbs had worked in the banking industry for 52 years, 48 of them with Shelby National Bank, before retiring in 1957. He had served as president of the bank until 1945, when he became chairman of the board.
U.S. 52 downtown Morristown was ankle-deep in water following heavy rains. “The crown in the middle of U.S. 52 plus the fact there is a long hill east of the post office and a small rise to the west causes this continuing water problem,” The Shelbyville News said.
1954: A Bishopp Hardware ad featured cookie jars for 98 cents. “Holds enough for a whole gang of hungry school boys,” the ad said.
1944: The Armory would be open for Saturday night dancing, 8 p.m. to midnight, Company C officials announced. Proceeds would go to the military. “No intoxicating liquor or disorderly conducted will be permitted,” a flyer said.
1934: J.C. Penney visited the Shelbyville store while en route to speak at Cadle Tabernacle in Indianapolis. Those visiting with Mr. Penney here were A.M. Burt, Claude Breeden, Nelson Jean and Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Hupp.
Mayor L.E. Webb attended the grand opening of Crawfordsville’s new city building. The new structure’s blueprint had been modeled after the Shelbyville City Hall, and most of the office furniture in the building was manufactured and supplied by the Shelbyville Desk Company, which also equipped the local city building with desks and chairs.
1924: An Indianapolis man announced he was reviving a proposed dam construction project across Flat Rock River near St. Paul for power purposes. The drawings called for a 45-foot tall concrete dam built where the river was about 50 feet deep and 225 feet across.
Shelbyville boxer Dick Osborne upset Maxie Epstein of Indianapolis.
The clock on the city hall tower had been frozen for a week. City officials said repairs would have to wait until ice had melted from the clock hands.
1914: A woman filed for divorce, stating that while she was pregnant, she and her husband had been walking on South Harrison St. when, upon reaching Locust Street, he told her to go to her parents’ home and he could come back for her. “She went to her parents’ house and waited until a late hour, and kept waiting until the days and weeks had passed into months, but the husband failed to appear,” The Republican said. She claimed he had never visited their child and asked for $4 weekly for support.
Ora Phares, Marion Township, won the corn shelling contest. Rounding out the top five were John Schaf, Claude Talbert, Hannigan Wagaoner and N.C. Compton.
OBITUARIES
Roger A. New, of Shelbyville, passed away January 5, 2024, at St. Francis Hospital. He was born in Shelbyville on February 13, 1950, to Homer and Amey (Loveless) New.
He graduated from Shelbyville High School and attended Franklin College. He married Terri (Weaver) New, and they were married for 48 years when she passed. Roger was a very successful business owner for 47 years. He enjoyed playing softball, and as a team owner, his was the only team to win the ASA in three different decades. He enjoyed drag racing with his son and many of his friends. He enjoyed being "The Boss" and taking care of his many workers. He would help people in any way he could.
Roger was preceded in death by his wife Terri in December 2023, by his son Roger Jr. in December 2019, his father in 1971, and his mother in 1991. He is survived by his son, Travis New of Fishers; four grandchildren, Jonathon, Justice, Aleah and Jameson; sisters Betty (John) Nedderman, Norma (Creed) Wells and Shelly New, all of Shelbyville; brother, Donald New of Indianapolis; extended family Joyce Jeffries and her daughter, Stacy, and their families; and many nieces and nephews who loved him. He is also survived by his faithful companion, Yogi Blue New. He will be loved and missed by all who knew him.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road, with David Benefiel officiating. Burial will be in Lewis Creek Baptist Cemetery. Friends may call on Wednesday from noon until the time of the service at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Shelbyville Boys and Girls Club, in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.
Rosemary Teresa “Rosie” Grove, 76, of Shelbyville, passed away Sunday, January 7, 2024, at her home, surrounded by her loved ones.
Family and friends may gather from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, 125 E. Broadway St., in Shelbyville, Indiana. The rosary will be recited at 9:30 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, at the church. Private graveside services will be at Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Shelbyville. Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Memorial contributions may be made to Saint Joseph Catholic Church. Online condolences may be shared with Rosie’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Kimberly D. (Tucker) Brown, 61, formerly of Shelbyville, passed away Saturday January 6, 2024 at Norton Audubon Hospital of Louisville, KY. She was born September 4, 1962 in Wofford, KY. to James L. Tindle and Beulah F. (Tindle) Lawson.
Kim graduated from High School in 1980 and then went to Tennessee College and got her nurses license. Kim worked at Especially Kidz as the Administration Director of Nursing until November 2023. Kim was a very loving and caring person. She would always give and put everyone before herself.
She married William Todd Brown on November 24, 2023, and he survives. Kim is also survived by her daughter, Laura Faye Tucker; her son, James “Jimmy” Coyt; her grandson, Cooper Tucker; her sisters, Wanda (husband, Gary) Foster, Patty Jo (husband, Shawn) Key, Beverly Tindle-Baker; her brothers, Scott Tindle and Robert Lee (wife, Linda) Tindle. She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Corey Tucker; brother, James Tindle; her sister-in-law, Ruth Tindle; brother-in-law, Harvey Baker.
Visitation will be Friday, January 12, 2024 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Murphy-Parks Funeral Service, 703 S. Harrison Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176. Funeral services will follow at 6 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, Stuart Parks, and Darin Schutt are honored to serve Kim’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.
Scott Allen Whiteman, 55, of Fairland, passed away Wednesday January 3, 2024 at his residence. He was born April 1, 1968 in Indianapolis, IN. to Albert “Bill” W. Whiteman and Thelma (Scruggs) Stanfield. Scott grew up in Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home. He attended Washington High School in Indianapolis and graduated from Lincoln Tech.
He enjoyed riding motorcycles, fishing and shooting guns in his free time. Scott’s real passion was working on cars and doing mechanical work. His greatest joy came from spending time with his children and grandchildren. He strived to ensure his grandchildren knew his love for them.
Scott is survived by his daughters, Carrie Davis, Danielle Winters-Whiteman, Faith Whiteman and Sarah Whiteman; his son, Scott Joest; his step-son, Ian Robling; seven grandchildren; his brother, William “Billy” Whiteman, and Kelly Whiteman, and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Michael Whiteman; and step-son, Brian Robling.
Funeral Directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, Stuart Parks, and Darin Schutt are honored to serve Scott’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.