Wednesday, April 16, 2025
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
Gogh-Getters Bring Sunflowers to (Still) Life
Golden Bear Preschool students (top right) Amelia Alejo-Espinoza, (lower left) Maren Clossey and (lower right) Brayden Robinson work on and display their Van Gogh paintings. | submitted
Mrs. Dayla Thurston’s Golden Bear Preschool students are back on display. A year after her three- to five-year-olds hosted an opening at The Gallery on Public Square to show off their solar eclipse-themed work, this year’s cohort spent last Friday’s opening discussing their latest Van Gogh sunflowers, or just playing in the grass on Public Square.
The 19 students studied the artist, shapes and the still life drawing technique before attempting their works. Some children expanded into mixed media art, adding buttons, sunflower seeds or tissue paper to their paintings.
“If you know your basic shapes, you can paint anything, so they’re putting that into action,” Thurston said.
One student drew a whole field of sunflowers, and was sure to include a watering can. “He said he needed three suns for all of his flowers,” Thurston recalled.
The collaboration with The Gallery, operated by the nonprofit Shelby Art Guild Association, was once again a success for the fledgling organization.
“We have more members than we’ve ever had; we have money in the bank, finally,” Candy Miller, Association president, said. “These students’ Van Gogh works were right up our alley. It’s amazingly wonderful to see what they can do.”
Thurston agreed. “They're so proud to be able to show their family and their friends, and they got to invite anybody they wanted.”
The works remain on display at 5 Public Square through the end of the month. The Gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
GOLDEN GRIT
Shelbyville High School tennis player Corinne Aldridge and teammates prepare to play against Columbus East on a blustery evening yesterday. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: FULL CANOPY REAL ESTATE
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelbyville Utility Board approved a new agreement with CSX for an easement under the railroad for a city sewer line. The 25-year deal easement costs the City $500.
The Shelbyville Board of Public Works approved closing W. Washington St. on Saturdays, May 10 to Sept. 27, 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., for the weekly Farmers’ Market, hosted by Mainstreet Shelbyville. The board also approved closures for upcoming Tourism event Taste of Shelby County and Senior Services’ Strawberry Festival on June 6.
A public hearing will be held April 29 regarding 736 S. Noble St. regarding an unsafe building order. The home was destroyed by fire last year, and city officials have not received a response from the out-of-state owner.
The Board of Works approved placing a Stop sign at the intersection of Augusta Court and Wilmington Blvd., creating a three-way Stop at the intersection of Wilmington and Savannah Blvd., and replacing the Yield sign with a Stop sign at Valdosta Court and Wilmington Blvd.
Shelbyville Central Schools has issued an invitation to members of the Shelbyville High School Class of 1975 to take part in this year’s commencement ceremony, set for May 23. To reserve your seat or for more information, contact Lori Creech at lccreech@shelbycs.org or call 317-392-2505, ext. 1200.
HOOSIER NEWS: Gov. Mike Braun is ordering state agencies to identify what he calls “marriage penalties” in state tax and benefit policies. Braun calls marriage a “fundamental cornerstone” and said state government shouldn’t do anything to disincentivize marriage. But policies he said that do include the state’s tax deduction for renters, which is $3,000 for both single and married filers. Another example Braun cited is the maximum credit for 529 plan contributions, which is $1,500 whether single or married. Braun is directing the Indiana Department of Revenue and all other state agencies that oversee benefit or welfare policies to identify marriage disincentives and develop recommendations to change them. Braun can’t address those policies unilaterally — the legislature would have to approve any changes. (Indiana Public Radio)
NATIONAL NEWS: Hims & Hers is the app-based pharmacy that made its initial splash selling treatments for stuff that gets emails sent to spam, but has set its sights considerably higher and now aims to be a dominant force in health care. One somewhat shocking stat about the company is the percentage of revenue that it dumps directly back into marketing every year. In 2024, the company made $1.5 billion in revenue, of which $678.8 million was put right back into podcast ad reads, subway ads and online ads. That year was, incidentally, the first time in 3 years that Hims & Hers hadn’t spent more than half of their revenue back on marketing; in 2023, the $446.4 million spent marketing the pharmacy was more than half of its $872 million revenue, as was also the case in 2022 and 2021. (Sherwood News/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, 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
Nov. 14 & 15, 2013
Construction of the new pool was running behind schedule due to inclement weather. There would be no home meets for the season.
Students shared thoughts on the trend of wearing leggings as pants. Alex Alvarado said, “You can see too much. It’s too revealing.” Destiny Pike thought they were “comfortable, like pj’s.”
Skittles had recently replaced lime with a green apple flavor. In an SHS survey, one-third of students were unaware of the change. Mrs. Natalie Scott called it “an outrage!”
The fall play would be “12 Angry Jurors.” Mr. Joel Kenemore was the director.
Students were excited for the Andrew Luck era. “Totally Luck; he runs the ball better than Peyton and is not afraid of it,” Tori Caudill said. Ashley Decatur said Luck would “definitely be a better quarterback than Manning ever was.”
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: The Shelbyville News covered a few locals who were webloggers. Although the average blogger was “a teenage girl who posts every two weeks to update her friends on her life,” the paper said, local Shawn Plew, newly elected chairman of the Shelby County Democrats, said he enjoyed sharing his views on global events.
1995: Metal Building Components, 1780 McCall Drive, announced plans to expand the building and hire up to 15 additional employees.
1985: The federal government announced plans to potentially close numerous post offices in small towns, including those in Boggstown, Manilla, Gwynneville, Arlington, Fountaintown, Flat Rock, St. Paul and Homer.
1975: Shelby Steel captured both the league and tourney championship in the Shelbyville Women’s League inaugural volleyball season. The team members were Jeanette Benfield, Anita Landwerlen, Debbie Hileman, Vicki Tippin, Sandy Daulton, Lynn Bass, Joana Herndon, Vicki Williams, Dereva Kuhn and Kathy Waltz.
The following students won top prizes at Loper Elementary’s annual science fair: Pat Norman and Jason Karmire, for their weather project; Jim Fallis and Jamie Linville, for an erosion project; and Keith Waterbury and Brian Pitcock, for a project on prehistoric mammals. Science teachers Christi Dickmann and Cyndy Yoder had organized the event.
1965: After Plymate placed a required legal notice in the paper about changing their organizational structure and combining Plymate, Inc. and Plymate Cleaners, Inc. into one organization, rumors spread that the business was closing. Plymate officials said that wasn’t true; in fact, plans were in the works to expand. The company was also purchasing a new major piece of cleaning equipment.
SCUFFY ended a successful campaign, eclipsing $100,000 for the first time.
1955: The Walker Building, which formerly housed Cahn’s Smith Department Store in the northwest corner of Public Square, was sold to Belk Stores, operators of over 300 department stores in the Southeast. Also, Kessler Homes of Indianapolis announced tentative plans to purchase airport land for a 175-home development. Richard Hobbs had recently taken over management of the airport from Robert Cover, who had operated the airport since the war and had gone into the housing business. More than a dozen private planes operated out of the airport and would need to find an alternative location if the deal went through.
Bill Linville, card-carrying member of the Rec, was the 20,000 youth to pass through the doors since the 1954 opening. He received prizes from Carl McNeely, Bill Yoder and Rec Director Pat Collyer.
1945: “The Woman in the Window” was on at The Strand. A newspaper ad stated, “Warning: So that all may enjoy its terrific surprise climax…NO ONE WILL BE SEATED DURING THE LAST FIVE MINUTES OF THIS PICTURE. Please do not disclose the ending to your friends.”
Pvt. Walter Huesman was a prisoner of war in Germany. His parents received a postcard from him, the first time they had heard from him since he was listed as missing in action in December 1944.
1935: Renovation at the county jail neared completion. The “bull pens” on the first and second floors as well as separate cells on the second floor had been repainted and new locks on both floors installed. Plumbing had also been repaired.
1925: Donald Carmony was the youngest student to ever graduate from Manilla High Schools. He was 15 years old. He had never been absent or tardy since entering school in first grade at four years of age. He had been offered a scholarship to DePauw University.
The Shelbyville baseball team won its first game of the season, 12-6, over Hopewell. Bill Neu, noted by the Republican as “one of the smallest players on the team,” hit the first home run of the season.
1915: City librarian Ida Lewis and her assistants, Bertha Bowlby and Hazel Newton, devised a plan to acquire books and magazines that would interest factory workers. Lewis said that “the number of men from the factories who patronize the place is woefully low.”
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Joshua Scott Smothers, 36, of Shelbyville, passed away Thursday April 10, 2025 at IU Health Methodist. He was born April 18, 1988, in Shelbyville, Ind., to Scott B. Smothers and Christina (Clouse) Adams.
Josh graduated from Shelbyville High School with the class of 2006. He attended Burney Baptist Church and Hope’s Point Baptist Church. He had a passion for riding motorcycles and being out on the road listening to music. He enjoyed being outdoors, spending time in nature and camping. Being a Dad was his favorite job, and he was also known for teasing and spoiling his nieces and nephews. Josh helped save numerous lives through his selfless gift of life through the Indiana Donor Network.
He married Kitty M. (Williamson) Smothers and she survives. He is also survived by his mother, Christina (husband, Daniel) Adams; his father, Scott (wife, Kimberly) Smothers; his son, Joshua S. Smothers, Jr.; his daughter, Haylee “Elise” Smothers; his brother, Justin (wife, Amy) Smothers; his sister, Tasha Smothers (Wade Hook); five nieces and three nephews; and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents and several aunts and uncles.
Visitation will be Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Murphy-Parks Funeral Service, 703 S. Harrison Street, Shelbyville, Ind., 46176. Funeral services will follow at 6 p.m. at the funeral home with Pastor Greg Albert officiating. Funeral Directors, Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Joshua’s family. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.
Donavon L. Hunnicutt, 19, of Shelbyville, passed away Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Shelby County. Born November 20, 2005, in Indianapolis, he was the son of Christian Hunnicutt and Stacy (Dodson) Hunnicutt. Survivors include his father of Shelbyville; his mother of Indianapolis; five siblings, Nicole Hunnicutt, Petal Stinson, Delila Hunnicutt, Corrie Hunnicutt and Emma Hunnicutt, all of Shelbyville; grandparents Robb and Lisa MacDonald of Fairland; grandmother Tina Vanortwick of Indianapolis; and great grandparents Ronnie & Betty Kelley of Florida and Delores Dodson of Mooresville.
Donavon had lived in Shelbyville for five years, after moving from Indianapolis. He attended Shelbyville High School. Donavon was a car enthusiast and enjoyed hanging out with friends. He loved his girlfriend, Hailey Fuchsen, and was a fantastic brother to his siblings.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. on Friday, April 18, 2025, at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road, with Pastor Daniel McDonald officiating. Burial will be in Fairland Cemetery. Friends may call on Friday morning from 11 a.m. until the time of the service. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.
James Edward “Jim” Pence, 55, of Indianapolis, passed away on Monday, April 14, 2025, at his home. He was born November 15, 1969, in Franklin, the son of the late Allen W. Pence and Alice Ann (Griffith) Wisker. Jim is survived by his father, Dan Wisker of Shelbyville; siblings, Gregory Pence and wife, Laura, of Shelbyville, Kelly Hughett and husband, Steven, of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jim Wisker and wife, Amy, and Tammy Etter and husband, Rob, both of Shelbyville, and Scott Wisker and wife, Tori, of McCordsville; 14 nieces and nephews; and five great-nieces and nephews.
In 1988, Jim graduated from Shelbyville High School. He attended Rose Hulman Institute of Technology for three years, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi.
He worked in the site engineering field for over 30 years, and was currently a Senior Project Manager at Weihe Engineers Inc. in Indianapolis. Jim enjoyed playing golf, baking and spending time with family.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Funeral services will follow. Inurnment will be at Forest Hill Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 8604 Allisonville Road, Suite 140, Indianapolis, Ind., 46250.
Online condolences may be shared with Jim’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.