Wednesday, July 17, 2024
ANY PRESS IS GOOD PRESS
“Hometown Hero’s” performs at last night’s PopUp series on Public Square. The profanity-laced set was thoroughly reviewed on Facebook’s Let It Out Shelbyville. | photo by JACK BOYCE
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelbyville Common Council on Monday approved on first reading rezoning 428 E. Washington St., at the corner of Vine St., back to residential. The property owners had received approval for business zoning in 2020 with plans for a business office on the first floor and residential on the second. The owners are now moving and have a potential buyer who wants to use the structure solely as residential, attorney Eric Glasco, representing the owners, said. The matter now advances to the plan commission.
A citizen raised concerns at yesterday’s Board of Public Works meeting regarding unmown grass at the Dollar General on E. Broadway. Mayor Scott Furgeson said the city had sent a letter earlier this year to the property owners giving them 10 days to remediate a similar situation, and would check in on the current complaint. (It appeared, as of yesterday afternoon, the grass was at a reasonable length, although the crew’s weed-eater appears to be on hiatus.)
Mayor Scott Furgeson on Monday reiterated that although READI funding originally designated for an indoor sports complex had been reallocated for the park amphitheater and Shelby County Players theatre, the sports complex is not off the table. “We had to do that just due to the timing…” Furgeson said. “We’ve not given up on the sports complex. We still have ongoing communications with them.” The other two projects, however, are invoice-ready, and the City needed to reach a 65 percent spend threshold with state READI 1.0 funds.
In other comments, Mayor Furgeson said the Shelbyville Redevelopment Commission and city officials are working to extend Tom Hession Drive. Land for the next phase has been purchased and the design is complete. A subsequent phase will take the road to Mausoleum Road. The extension is important for future development, the mayor said. “If we ever want to get serious about developing that property out there and get somebody out there, then we need to build the road,” Furgeson said. He added that he was recently asked about the city’s original goal of extending Tom Hession Drive to State Road 44. Furgeson said that goal was “not unattainable,” but would need significant investment due to issues such as a potential $30 million bridge project to cross Blue River and related items.
The Shelby County Public Library’s Cat Adoption and Play Time event on Monday was attended by 54, and three of those attendees gave some lucky featured kittens a new home, library staff reported.
HOOSIER NEWS: This week’s home run derby was a welcome exception to the new normal in baseball, where batting averages are at the lowest levels in a half-century. The major league batting average was .239 in May, the lowest since the .237 notched in 1968, which went down as the “year of the pitcher.” It’s also low in the minor leagues, where the batting average is .243. One reason for that is that the pitches are fast these days: The average four-seam fastball’s velocity was 94.2 miles per hour this year, on par with the rate in 2023. In last year’s season, there were 3,880 pitches over 100 miles per hour; in 2008, there were just 214. Still, the games are way shorter, with the average time of a nine-inning game dropping from 3 hours, 4 minutes in 2022 to 2 hours, 36 minutes so far this year. (AP/Numlock)
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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 from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.
2014: Local cyclist enthusiast Jim Garlits led a Critical Mass ride from Public Square. The hope was to make the ride a monthly event to show support for advocating for better biking conditions.
2004: A Shelbyville Central Schools board meeting designed to get community input on a proposed update to Shelbyville High School drew no attendees. Board member Judith Montgomery attributed the lack of attendance to the general agreement that the project had to be done. “Anyone who walks through this building knows that it needs to be renovated,” Montgomery said.
1994: Joe Landwerlen, co-owner of J & L Tool & Machine Inc., told local media that the city should rename a portion of southwest Shelbyville “Expansion Alley.” J & L, on Miller Ave., was one of three businesses expanding on that end of town. Construction work was also underway at Freudenberg-BOK and Plastic Moldings Corp.
Robert Morgan purchased Walt’s Bar and Grill, 49 E. Washington St., from Walt Huseman, who had owned the bar 42 years. The bar was open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. Kellie Morgan and Sally Roberts were bartenders at the bar, which had a pool table and a dart machine.
1984: New Life Christian Bookstore moved from the Junction Shopping Center to 46 E. Washington St. The store was owned by Greenfield resident Chloe Lopez and managed by Bernice Logan.
1974: Mayor Jerry Higgins accepted the keys to the city’s new Vactor-Jet sewer rodding machine. The machine, which carried 1,500 gallons of water, a 400-foot length high-pressure hose and a large vacuum line, would be used to blast out debris blocking many city sanitary and storm sewers. The vacuum also could be used for street leaf removal.
1964: Twenty-seven stores would be participating in the upcoming Sidewalk Days sales. Gene Young was chairman of the organizing committee. A new feature would be a Wheel of Fortune set up in the center of Public Square. Prizes ranged from a carton of Coke to $100. If the winner had a receipt from one of the participating stores, the person would have their money refunded by the merchant.
1954: Louie Neu, 59, 271 E. Mechanic St., was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as permanent postmaster of Shelbyville. Neu’s nomination had been sent by President Eisenhower.
1944: Mr. and Mrs. James Smith, 523 Montgomery St., were notified that their son, First Lt. Frederick B. Smith, 27, had been killed in action on a bombing mission over Austria in June. The Smiths received notification from their daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, who lived in San Diego. First Lt. Smith had been the pilot of a B-24 Liberator bombing plane. He had been listed as missing in action. He was the 25th Shelby County man to lose his life in World War II. He had graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1935 and entered the Army Air Force in 1941.
1934: The Big Four railroad offered round trip to the Chicago World’s Fair, departing Shelbyville at 11:09 p.m. Saturday and returning Sunday night.
1924: The Wesleyan Methodist Church dedicated their new facility. In 1917, a visiting minister decided Shelbyville needed a Holiness church. An empty storefront was soon rented at Second and Tompkins St. An adjoining lot was purchased in 1918 and a bungalow building constructed. A new church and parsonage were constructed a few years later.
1914: Mary Woods, eight-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Woods, who lived on Knightstown Road, suffered a fractured skull while playing with friends in Forest Hill cemetery when she tripped and fell into a tombstone.
OBITUARIES
Darren Sean DePrez, 60, of Shelbyville, passed away on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at I.U. Methodist hospital. Born August 19, 1963, in Shelbyville to loving parents Floyd “Dep” and Jacqueline (Griffith) DePrez. Darren was a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend to all, but he was also his daddy’s “Big Boy” and his mom’s “Baby Angel.”
He is survived by his two sisters, Tonya “ToTo” (Rod) Brokering of Shelbyville and Rhonda, his “Cuddle” (Dave) Parker of Waldron, as well as one brother, Dana DePrez of Franklin. Other survivors, whom he loved dearly, include: his nieces and nephews Jackie (Adam) Moore, Baylee Lee, Riley Turner, Kenzi Turner, Quincie Dayle Brokering, Rodney Brokering, Amanda (Luchiano Salvatore) Procell, Melissa (Eric) Jones, Cora Nicole Parker, Andy DePrez, and Alaina Green; 13 great nieces and nephews; his honorary niece, Stephanie Gonzalez and Aunt Donna Wells, along with all of his cousins he dearly loved. He is also survived by his very special friend, Cathy “Lightfoot” Carroll. He is preceded in death by his parents, infant brother Floyd Clinton DePrez Jr., and sister-in-law Shirley DePrez.
Darren was born and raised in Shelbyville. Early in life, he attended the Triangle School and loved to learn. He spent two years playing basketball in Indianapolis for the Special Olympics of Indiana.
Darren also had the chance to live in Florida for several years, where he enjoyed his time at the beach and swimming. Darren found joy in everything, everyone and every moment, and had endless passions in life. If he wasn’t listening to his favorite rock ‘n’ roll bands, he would be watching his favorite genre of movies, classic Halloween. His love for Frankenstein knew no bounds, and he could often be found giving his best monster impersonations and attempting to sneak off to 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Darren was a special brother who was blessed to live the latter part of his life with his sister Tonya.
Darren’s passing has left a void that can never be filled, but his love and kindness will never leave this earth and all the people he touched during his lifetime. Without a doubt, he is looking over his family from his new laboratory in the sky. Darren’s love and memory will continue to live on in the hearts of his family, forever living his life motto, “I love everyone.”
A showing will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 19, 2024, at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road. The burial will take place immediately following at Forest Hill Cemetery. A celebration of life party will be held after the burial at the F.O.P. Lodge in Shelbyville from 6 to 10 p.m. In honor of Darren's memory, please consider donating to the Special Olympics of Indiana. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.