Wednesday, April 24, 2024
SPRING CHICKENS
Baby chickens, provided through Purdue Extension-Shelby County’s Chick Embryology Program, are currently residents in several classes at Coulston Elementary. Above, the chickens eat after student dismissal. A document camera allows the entire class to see the chicks while student groups rotate for observations. The chicks arrived two days prior to hatching and will spend their infancy in the classroom before university officials collect them. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Columbus Christian School to Expand to Shelbyville
The inter-denominational school movement is coming to Shelbyville. The local site, to be housed at First Baptist Church, will offer Kindergarten through fifth grades this fall.
“We do not teach the doctrines of various denominations and we don’t denounce them either,” Kendall Wildey, superintendent of Columbus Christian School (CCS), which will oversee the satellite location, said. “We simply teach the Bible.”
CCS opened in 1976 and is accredited by the Indiana Department of Education and is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International. The private school launched a satellite location in North Vernon in 2022 with 45 students, and enrollment has already more than doubled. Wildey is hoping for a similar trajectory in Shelbyville, which came on his radar after he was contacted by Jim Bramlett.
“(Bramlett) hooked me up with a couple of churches that had some interest, and God has opened doors to allow it to happen at the First Baptist Church,” Wildey said.
It helped to already know the community.
“I actually lived in Shelbyville for four years when I coached boys’ basketball at Waldron and Rushville in the late 80s,” Wildey said. “I love the town and the community.”
Informational meetings for the school are scheduled for Sunday, April 28, 4 p.m., and Monday, April 29, 6 p.m., at First Baptist Church.
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelbyville Board of Public Works and Safety approved easements regarding construction of the Southwest Connector Trail. One easement is for land that goes through the fields behind Shelbyville Middle School and Shelbyville High School. Although the appraisal for that section of property came back at $53,700, SCS is accepting $11,695 and donating the remainder, City Engineer John Kuntz said.
The Board of Works also approved permit application forms related to food truck operations. City Attorney Jenny Meltzer said food trucks on public property would operate within the timeframe approved by the board, while trucks on private property will operate at the discretion of the landowner. There is no established timeline for trucks on private property. “We may have to revisit this sometime,” Mayor Scott Furgeson said.
The Board of Works also approved residents at 821 Blanchard St. to place a moving pod in front of their property between May 7 - 11 in preparation for a move.
The Shelby County Plan Commission last night approved a rezone and simple subdivision of five acres from 75 acres to allow for construction of a home on the north side of County Road 300 S, 1,000 feet west of CR 600 E, in Liberty Township. Petitioner Christopher Stephens said he intends to build a home and use the back two or three acres for hay. If livestock will be on the property, the property owner would need to visit with the Board of Zoning Appeals since the subdivided lot is fewer than six acres.
NATIONAL NEWS: Your new favorite athlete is Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, a 24-year-old Olympic pole vault athlete who was born in Louisiana and competes for Sweden. Mondo is the best at what he does, and on Saturday broke the men’s pole vault record at a meet in China. This is in fact the eighth time that Mondo has broken the record, and he has done so in back-to-back meets. Rather than just move the bar up to where he thinks he can hit it, Mondo has been imitating Ukrainian Sergey Bubka, who in the 1980s and 1990s moved the bar up by the minimum one centimeter every time. This way, the vaulter doesn’t just break the record, but he gets to break the record many, many times in a row — Bubka broke the outdoor record 17 times — which contractually means they get a monetary bonus for breaking the record each little time rather than just the big one. (NBC Sports)
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: Macy Reed, who had recently turned eight, had asked for donations to the animal shelter in lieu of presents, resulting in a fair amount of donated items. Macy’s mother, Deidra Reed, said the idea came about after a conversation about her upcoming party. Macy was a second-grade student at Coulston, where she had recently donated a box of books to her school library, along with clothes and toys to hospice. Chris Browder, with the animal shelter, said she usually asked children to pass out their toys to the dogs and cats, as well as pass out treats.
2004: Coulston Elementary kindergarten teacher Sheila Palmer announced her upcoming retirement after 38 years in the classroom. She had been with Shelbyville Central Schools since 1980. She spent her first three years teaching kindergarten at the centralized location on East Franklin Street. The school became Major Kindergarten when it moved to the Coulston building. When the district closed Major Kindergarten and had classes at each elementary school, Palmer moved to Loper for several years. As a believer in hands-on learning, she had grown accustomed to picking up things for her students to count and group together. “My poor grandkids will have so many pine cones,” she told The Shelbyville News. “My husband will be glad he doesn’t have to keep the toilet paper rolls anymore.”
1994: Southwestern Elementary had implemented a school hot line that would help parents know homework assignments and events. When parents dialed 729-5370, they were greeted by children’s voices asking them to dial the three-digit extension of the teacher they wanted. Each of the school’s teachers left a three-minute message on the system weekly. Principal Kevin Lester said on one day about 360 parents called the hot line.
1984: Dr. Stephan Van Cleve was named Optometrist of the Year by the Indiana Optometric Association. Dr. Van Cleve was active in the Lions Club vision care program and took part in vision screenings for all Shelby County kindergarten students. The professional organization also held elections, and Dr. Donald Robbins was elected as secretary-treasurer and Molly Robbins to a term as president of the auxiliary.
1974: An open house was held at the remodeled Inlow Clinic. The clinic had opened in Shelbyville in 1923 in a home owned by Dr. Luther Hord, which later became a city parking lot. It was formed by three brothers, Drs. Herbert, Fred and W. DePrez Inlow. In 1924, the clinic was moved to the Methodist Building. In 1940, the Inlow Clinic moved to its long-time location at the southwest corner of W. Washington and Tompkins St. In 1942, a residence was purchased and moved to the rear of the new clinic building. Brick veneer was added and it became part of the building. In 1970 two residences facing W. Jackson St. were purchased and homes on the property were razed to make way for a new parking lot. In 1972, the home owned by Dr. R.W. Gehres on S. Tompkins St. was purchased and used as a storage building.
1964: Paul’s “66” Service, 704 S. Harrison St., held a one-year anniversary. Lollipops were handed out to kids.
A dedication service was held at the newly re-built Pilgrim Holiness Church building at the corner of Franklin and Pike Streets. The church was on the site of the former Evangelical United Church of Christ building that had been destroyed by fire in 1962. That church had rebuilt on Columbus Road. The Pilgrim Holiness Church was constructed of Appalachian yellow pine laminated arches with decking to match with a natural finish. Indiana rubble stone was used behind the choir rooms.
1954: A rail car became loose, turned sideways and five Pennsylvania Railroad freight cars derailed just southwest of where the tracks crossed S. Harrison St. on State Road 9. Luckily, none of the cars, two tankers, two box cars and a coal car, overturned, and none of the derailed equipment blocked the crossing.
1944: Col. Roscoe Turner, head of Turner Aircraft Corp., spoke at a Shelby County Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Strand Alcazar. He envisioned a future dominated by air travel and freight movements. “You’re going to be spending weekends in London and California when this war is over,” he said, “and you’re going to be doing it at a nominal cost. Many who wanted to travel before will have their opportunity after this war is over.” He believed that all towns of 2,000 or more should have an airport to handle the coming frequent air traffic.
1934: A dispute over the number of skilled labor versus unskilled labor to be hired halted the planned widening of State Road 9. Local officials wanted more unskilled workers hired, but federal supervisors didn’t want to train new men for skilled tasks.
1924: The efforts of a local gas station to fill a tank resulted in “much excitement,” The Republican said. A gas pump had been installed at the McKenney Brothers store, which was owned by Harry VanWay, some time back. VanWay then decided to put in his own pump just 10 feet away and compete with his tenants. VanWay and his son, Morris, started digging near the gas pump. “Dirt, which they were throwing out of the hole was piled against the McKenney pump and tank opening,” the paper said. When an agent arrived to fill up the McKenney pump, the VanWays started throwing dirt at the truck “in a lively manner.” Finally, attorney Wilbur Pell was called. He took a position in front of the tap for the gas and “acted as a buffer for the dirt which was being freely tossed in his direction.” Pell later filed an injunction so the court could review the matter.
1914: Waldron High School held commencement exercises in the Methodist church. Judge W.W. Summitville delivered the address and Mrs. Washburn’s class of girls served refreshments in the basement of the church, where motion pictures were shown to celebrate.
OBITUARIES
Donald Gene Hughes, 89, of Shelbyville, passed away Monday, April 22, 2024 at Ashford Place. Born May 20, 1934 in Flat Rock, he was the son of Fred "Brigg" Hughes and Alma (Ropp) Hughes. He married M. Margaret (Rumple) Hughes on February 9, 1957 and she preceded him on January 12, 2021.
Survivors include two daughters, Diana Powell of Shelbyville, and Sherri Buchli (husband Bernie) of Bruce, Wisconsin; a brother, Wayne Hughes (wife Bertha) of Shelbyville; sister, Peggy Forrest of Shelbyville; three grandchildren, Alanna Dolinski, Zachery Powell, and Nicole Pavlatos; six great-grandchildren, Cora Altic, Kelby Altic, Clara Altic, Kennedy Altic, Everett Dolinski, and Oliver Dolinski. He was preceded in death by his parents, his spouse, a daughter Susie Hughes, and grandson Anthony Pavlatos.
Mr. Hughes had lived in this area since 1998, after moving from Illinois. He was employed as a pipeline meter technician with Michigan Wisconsin Pipeline/ANR Pipeline, retiring after many years of service.
He graduated from Flat Rock High School and was a member of Flat Rock Christian Church, Norristown Farmer's Masonic Lodge, where he served as past master, was a Boy Scout Troop Leader, and was past Chief of Flat Rock Volunteer Fire Dept.
Don was an avid fisherman and hunter, he enjoyed working in his yard, gardening, and loved spending time with his family and grandchildren.
Funeral services will be 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27,2024 at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road, with Dale Whitis officiating. Burial will be in Flat Rock Cemetery. Friends may call on Saturday afternoon from 1 p.m. until the time of the service. Masonic rites will be held at 3 p.m., directly before the funeral service.
Memorial contributions can be made to Norristown Farmers Masonic Lodge, in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.