Wednesday, February 21, 2024
FORTUITIOUSLY TIMED
Loyal Addison Times reader Tammy Jones was pleasantly surprised yesterday to see the above photo from the 1972 Sesquicentennial parade on the cover of the Addison Times magazine. She immediately spotted Rusty Kettler and turned the magazine over (left side of the above image) to see her mother, Nona Paul (orange and white top), in the Kettler’s Bar doorway standing next to Mrs. Collins. Nancy Kettler is in the crowd. Coincidentally, yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of Paul’s viewing and today the anniversary of her funeral. | photo by ASENATH THEOBALD
TEACHABLE MOMENT
Shelbyville Middle School technology teacher Scott Harper circulates the room yesterday during class. Harper is in the final semester of a 40-year career at Shelbyville Central Schools. He plans to retire this summer.
NOTEBOOK:
There has been a significant decrease in the number of juveniles in the Shelby County court system, Melissa O’Connor, Shelby County Youth Assistance Program executive director told the Shelby County Council last night. There were 234 Shelby County juveniles involved in formal court proceedings in 2016, which dropped to 77 by 2021. County Council President Tony Titus recalled the early days of the YAP program, and praised O’Connor’s work. “It’s really starting to make a difference. We’re starting to see it now,” he said.
The Shelbyville Board of Public Works yesterday approved a one-year contract for the Shelbyville Fire Department to provide services to Marion Township. Mayor Scott Furgeson said he would like to create a Fire Territory for the township in lieu of annual agreements, but the city will need more time to investigate the matter. The deadline to establish a fire territory pursuant to Indiana Law is March 31 of a given year to levy property taxes in the following year, according to Baker Tilly. “We decided not to rush into that,” Furgeson said.
In other business, the board of works approved reinstating a police Standard Operating Procedure allowing the lateral vascular neck restraint (LVNR) technique, which is “a less lethal method to get combatants under control,” Police Chief Dr. Bill Dwenger said. Dr. Dwenger said LVNR had been previously taken out of the SOPs due to “the misconception it’s a chokehold, and it’s not.” He said the reinstated policy was more restrictive, and the technique could help prevent more dangerous situations. All officers are annually trained in LVNR, Dr. Dwenger said.
Shelby County Commissioners yesterday approved $100,000 in EDIT (Economic Development Income Tax) funds for Mainstreet Shelbyville’s Facade Grant program. “Every penny goes to facade projects: no other projects, no salary, no events. It’s purely dedicated funds,” Mainstreet Shelbyville executive director Brandy Coomes said. The facade matching grant was $10,000 in 2015, and Coomes plans to increase the amount to $15,000 given rising costs. She said demand for the program has been high.
The Shelby County Council last night approved making a temporary part-time election assistant position a permanent position. The election year and public records requests add to the workload, County Clerk Jill Taylor said. She added she would also like to have someone in the wings in the event election deputy Jeff Sponsel retires within the next couple of years. Sponsel said his office is currently registering about 100 new voters a week.
An exotic pet expo will be held at the Shelby County Fairgrounds, March 2, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Shelby County Coroner’s Office responded to a single motor vehicle accident on I-74 at 7:17 a.m. yesterday. An Elkhart, Ind. man was pronounced dead. The cause and manner of death are pending autopsy scheduled later this week.
NATIONAL NEWS: Winds were fast over the mid-Atlantic last week, with the jet stream reaching record speeds of 265 miles per hour over Washington, D.C. That’s the second-highest measurement on record since the ‘50s when recordkeeping began, bested only by a 267-miles-per-hour wind speed in 2002. This meant that a number of commercial flights approached record speeds, with American Airlines Flight 120 from Philadelphia to Doha, Qatar, hitting ground speeds of 840 miles per hour, which is among the highest ever recorded. The planes were flying at their normal cruising speeds, but the air they were cruising in was at unusually fast speeds. (Morning Brew/Washington Post)
The Addison Times publishes essential news and historical content to build our Shelby County community, and is free thanks to the generosity of supporters. Those who donate a minimum of $5 a month (or $60 one-time) receive an exclusive quarterly Addison Times magazine as an appreciation gift.
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!
This Day in Shelby County History
2014: The Shelby County Election Board proposed consolidating voting locations, saving the county $8,910 per election.
Second Baptist Church held its annual Black History Month Celebration after the 10 a.m. service, featuring students depicting famous Black Americans and a trivia challenge. The idea to honor Martin Luther King Jr. with a program in January and acknowledge Black History Month in February at the local level came from Jessie Hord in the 1980s.
2004: A committee of elected city and county officials re-appointed Phil Gorrell and Dr. Doug Carter to the Major Hospital board. County Commissioner Kevin Nigh, County Council member Kermit Paris and Mayor Scott Furgeson were on the appointing committee. Other members of the Major board of directors were Phil Haehl, Dr. Nancy Dayhoff, Dick Bishopp, Jeff Beaty and Curtis Eugene Jones.
State Troopers recovered $100,000 of cocaine while working traffic duty on I-74 in Shelby County.
1994: Shelbyville residents had until 4 p.m. to oppose a petition to change the Shelbyville Central Schools board from an appointed to an elected body. If no opposition was submitted, a petition signed by 2,800 registered voters who supported the change would be sent to the Indiana Board of Education. The original petition had been submitted by local teacher Roland Stine with help from attorney Mark McNeely.
1984: A Fountaintown man, Samuel Satterfield, sued a Massachusetts tampon manufacturer and Marsh Supermarkets for $3 million in damages, claiming the tampons caused his wife to die from Toxic Shock Syndrome. Officials at the CDC in Atlanta had said tampons were identified as a contributing factor in Toxic Shock cases among women. Teresa Satterfield, 24, had died in 1982. She was the mother of two young daughters, Jennifer and Christina.
City officials discussed ending payment service for sewage bills at banks when banks indicated they would start charging the city 15 percent to collect payments on their behalf. Mayor Dan Theobald said the budget was “just too tight,” to afford additional fees.
1974: Fred Miller, acting director of the Shelby County Department of Public Welfare, announced the department’s Food Stamp office would be located at 154 E. Washington St. The program would work with needy people buying food stamps. Food stamps worth $42 would cost the person $18.
Mary Bailey, county assistant probation officer, was recognized for outstanding service to the community and Bendit, Inc. was honored for “aid without fanfare to many local causes” at the annual Shelby County Chamber of Commerce meeting. Judge Wilbur F. Pell, a Shelbyville native and federal judge in Chicago, was the guest speaker. His wife, “Chasey”, had been the first woman to the receive the Chamber’s individual award for outstanding community service.
1964: The new Montgomery Ward Catalog Store officially opened on the northeast segment of Public Square. Sandra Haskett was the store manager.
Betty Asher was named Triton Central Sweetheart Dance queen. She was crowned by previous year’s winner Judy Patterson. Other members of the court and escorts included Eddie Bryant, Carol Ollis, Phil West, Chris Rickard, Steve Howard, Sara Woodall and Rick Tandy.
1954: A proposed $600 million north-south toll road would extend through all or part of Shelby County, state officials said. The toll road would split south of Indianapolis to connect to both Cincinnati and Louisville.
1944: An editorial in The Shelbyville Republican complained that political leaders were not acknowledging the accomplishments of private industry in the war because “more than a few of our public servants are too busy using the war emergency as an excuse for socializing private enterprise to notice that it has wrought an armament production miracle which has saved the world from disaster.” The paper worried that the oil industry would become government-owned. “And the electric power industry is living in the shadow of a tax subsidized government ownership and competition,” it said.
1934: The Shelbyville basketball team lost to New Castle at home, shooting only 4-of-42 in field goals. It was an even worse performance than Shelbyville’s 5-of-40 shooting night earlier in the year against Indianapolis Technical.
The Morrison DePrez Drug Store sold “whole cherries in liquid cream” for 39 cents in honor of Washington’s birthday.
1924: City elementary schools were closed due to inclement weather. A.C. Kibby, acting superintendent, said that “should any of the boys or girls fall on their way to school, they would be forced to sit in the school room in wet or damp clothing, which would be detrimental to their health,” The Republican reported. Junior high and high school students attended classes as usual.
The Loyal Order of the Moose purchased the old Pugh property at Worth and Hendricks streets from Stacey Zell, with plans to convert it into a modern lodge home. William Tucker was “dictator” of the lodgem which had approximately 300 members.
1914: The Post Office announced that since Feb. 22, George Washington’s birthday, fell on a Sunday, there would be only one mail delivery in the city and none in the county on Monday. The post office would close at 9 a.m.
OBITUARIES
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Steven Ray Gommel of Brownstown, Indiana, born in Columbus, Indiana, who passed away on February 17, 2024, at the age of 76, leaving to mourn family and friends. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family.
He was predeceased by his parents, Warren Gilbert Gommel and Mary Frances Woodruff Gommel. He is survived by his wife Becky Jean Swinford; his children, Erin Gommel of Brownstown and Micah Gommel (Stephanie) of Seymour; his grandsons, Micah and Luka Gommel; and his brother, Michael W. Gommel.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 22, 2024 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Friday, February 23, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Driftwood Christian Church, (5564 IN-135, Vallonia, IN, 47281). A funeral service will be held on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 11 a.m. at the same location.