Local News

Man died after falling into trench Sunday

A man is dead after following into a trench Sunday near the Five Below Warehouse.

 

According to the Indianapolis Fire Department, a 54-year old man lost his life Sunday afternoon after falling into a ditch and becoming trapped underground.

 

HIS Constructors, Inc workers told firefighters that the man, who was also the project supervisor, was standing on the edge of the recently dug trench – when the ground gave way. He fell into the 40 foot long – 6 foot wide hole and additional mud and debris fell on top of him.

 

Several of the other workers jumped into the hole to try and help but the unstable soil was too treacherous and they had to exit and called 911. Several hours after firefighters began operations, the man was located about 19 feet down.

 

Firefighters had difficulty removing the compacted clay soil from around the man as underground water continued to backfill the hole and further compressed the material. The incident took 4 hours and 20 minutes to mitigate.

 

 

Agencies on scene and assisting with incident:

Sugar Creek Fire Department                

Indianapolis Fire Department

Shelbyville Fire Department                              

Moral Township Fire Department

Greenfield Fire Department                               

Fountaintown Fire Department

Shelby County EMA                                         

Shelby County Sheriff’s Dept.

Greenfield Wastewater Utility                             

IFD Chaplain

IFD Fire Buffs Rehab Support Unit

Emergency response teams trying to get to man trapped in hole at Five Below

Several emergency crews have responded to the Five Below warehouse site in Shelby County.  Initial reports involve a man trapped in a hole.

 

Crews on the scene include the Moral Township Volunteer Fire Department, Shelbyville Medics, trench rescue teams from Hancock County, Greenfield and the Indianapolis Fire Department.

 

 

Heavy equipment is also being used from HIS Constructors.

 

Nothing official has been released on what led to the incident or the identity of the man.


Rick Moorhead says it's time to retire from the J. Kenneth Self Shelbyville Boys and Girls Club

You'll find it happens a lot with athletes.  The player becomes synonymous with the team.  Think of one and you can’t help but think of the other.  Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees.  Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

 

It’s also a phenomenon that we can find in our everyday life.  The people and places with which we associate become one.  You can’t have one without the other.

 

The J. Kenneth Self Shelbyville Boys and Girls Club identifies to many in that way.  Longtime director John Hartnett’s 2021 retirement and the naming of Scott Spahr to the position ushered in a new era for the club.  And now, another retirement brings further change to what has been the club’s identity for many years.

 

 

Rick Moorhead has been a fixture at the club as an employee for 32 years.  And even longer than that dating back to 1967.  He understands the reciprocal relationship he has had with the club these many years.

 

 

 

As Moorhead celebrates his 61st birthday he is looking forward to fixing some health issues, coaching and watching his grandson play sports and expanding on his fishing

 

 

Moorhead says the club, along with Garrett Gym, have always been places that brought him happiness.

 

 

The joy of coaching and teaching have been fulfilled for Moorhead with his longtime affiliation at the club.  And, the chance to do it in his hometown.

 

 

GIANT fm News and the Shelby County Post spoke with Moorhead while staff at the club was setting up his Friday retirement party in the office.  Moorhead says many have visited with messages of good luck and thank you.  In a couple of hours, hundreds of kids were scheduled to invade the club for their afternoon transition from school to home.

 

 

 

Greensburg woman struck, killed while lying on highway after truck accident

A Greensburg woman was struck and killed Friday morning on State Road 3 south of Milroy. The Rush County Sheriff’s Department received 911 calls reporting a woman had been struck on SR 3 near the Rush / Decatur County line shortly before 7:00 am.

 

The preliminary crash investigation by Indiana State Police Master Troopers Mike Ooley and Tom Schwendenman revealed Colleen Bray, 21, of Greensburg, was traveling south on SR 3 when her 2007 Chevrolet pickup left the roadway. The vehicle rolled over and came to rest along the west side of the roadway. Bray was able to get out of the vehicle and for an unknown reason wandered from the scene and began to walk north on SR 3. Evidence at the scene indicates she became incapacitated and was laying in the northbound lanes of SR 3.

 

Birdia Carter, 67, also of Greensburg, was traveling north on SR 3 when her 2010 Chevrolet Traverse struck Bray as she lay in the roadway. Bray was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Rush County coroner.

 

Birdia Carter was transported to the Rush County Hospital, where she submitted to a chemical test as required by Indiana state law. There is no indication that drugs nor alcohol were a contributing factor in the crash.

 

Due to the complexity of the crash, Indiana State Police detectives and CSI personnel were called to the scene to assist with the investigation. Once completed, the investigation will be forwarded to the Rush County Prosecutor’s office for review.

 

The Indiana State Police was assisted at the scene by: ISP Versailles Post, Rush and Decatur County Sheriff’s Departments, Anderson Township Fire / EMS, Rush County Coroner, and Davis Towing.


Suspect in custody after scuffle, pursuit by Shelby County Sheriff's Department

A stolen car and its driver were taken into custody by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department in the early morning hours Friday.

 

Sgt. Dewitt with the Shelby County Sheriff's Department came across a stolen vehicle, a 2014 White Dodge Ram.  He made a traffic stop on it in Fairland.

 

The driver of the vehicle was Brandon Lee Anderson, 29, of Plainfield.

 

A scuffle ensued after Anderson was out of the truck.  He was able to get back in the truck and take off from the scene. Anderson went a short distance before leaving the road and becoming stuck in the mud.

 

Anderson fled on foot but was found hiding a short time later by Sgt. Dewitt and Deputy Reuter. He was taken into custody without incident. 

 

He is charged with possession of meth, possession of a handgun, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting law enforcement, driving while suspended, and possession of paraphernalia.

Thursday, February 24 closings, delays

Early morning icy precipitation is prompting schedule changes for area schools:

 

This list will be updated here and announced on-air on 96.5, 106.3 and giant.fm .

 

2-hour delays

Southwestern Consolidated

Flat Rock - Hawcreek

Rush County

Decatur County Community

Greensburg

Edinburgh


Health department announces changes to Covid-19 dashboard

The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) today announced changes to its COVID-19 data dashboard to better reflect the current state of the pandemic and a shift in school reporting requirements.

 

Effective today, the unique individual positivity rate and unique individuals tested fields will be removed from the dashboard at www.coronavirus.in.gov. In addition, a new Indiana youth COVID-19 dashboard, reflecting cases, hospitalizations and vaccinations in Hoosiers ages 0 to 19, will be published.

 

This dashboard will replace the current school dashboard effective Monday, Feb. 28.

 

State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, said the changes reflect the evolution of the pandemic, the availability of home test kits and recent updates to school guidance.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have been committed to providing accurate and timely data to help Hoosiers make the best decisions for themselves and their families,” Box said. “Due to the increased availability and use of home tests that are not reported to the state, the unique individual positivity and unique individuals tested fields no longer provide an accurate reflection of COVID-19 testing in our state.”

 

Box noted that schools are no longer required to report cases to the state health department, making the current school dashboard obsolete. The new youth dashboard will better reflect the impact of COVID-19 on children up to age 19, she said.

 

Hoosiers in need of COVID-19 testing can find a site at www.coronavirus.in.gov. Individuals seeking a COVID-19 vaccine can visit www.ourshot.in.gov or call 211 to find a location.

Republican party identifying candidates to replace resigning councilman

The challenge ahead for the Shelby County Republican Party is to find a fitting candidate for Shelbyville’s Common Council following Tyson Conrady’s announcement that he is resigning his position as Fifth Ward representative.

Conrady has accepted a job in Jasper, Indiana, and will be relocating in late March.

 

Read more about Conrady's decision at: https://shelbycountypost.com/local-news/621033

 

While the process is black and white, finding a replacement candidate is not expected to come easily, according to Shelby County Republican Party Chairman Rob Nolley, also a member of the city’s common council.

“At the effective date of his resignation I have, by statute, 30 days to call a caucus,” said Nolley after Wednesday morning’s common council meeting at City Hall. “And once I call a caucus, I have 10 days to hold it.”

Nolley is working with other members of the Republican Party to generate a list of potential candidates.

“The people that vote on his replacement are the precinct committee people of the Fifth Ward,” said Nolley.

Past political experience is not a requirement to serve, according to Nolley. Ideally, the candidate selected would be willing to run for election when Conrady’s term expires at the end of 2023.

“Anyone is qualified if you pay attention and are involved,” said Nolley. “We want to make sure we get somebody but we have to think about next year with the election of city officials. We will want to find somebody that will be willing to run next year.”

Conrady just started the third year of his first four-year term. He defeated Democratic incumbent Jeff Wright.

“It’s hard to get people to serve,” agreed Nolley, “and the Fifth Ward from a Republican point of view is traditionally the more Democratic ward in Shelby County.”


Horseshoe Indianapolis Racing & Casino celebrates latest expansion

Caesars Entertainment sees growth potential in the central Indiana market and continues to expand its Shelbyville facility.

On Tuesday, the former Indiana Grand Racing & Casino was newly-branded Horseshoe Indianapolis Racing & Casino.

The name change coincided with the completion of a live World Series of Poker Room and an additional 25,000 square feet of new gaming space.

“Combining our gaming product and offering it with the legendary Horseshoe brand is going to mean a more exciting opportunity for all of our guests here in central Indiana,” said Steve Jarmuz, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Jarmuz came to Horseshoe Indianapolis from Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio. The Buffalo, New York-native found a growing market that is responding to a unique gaming experience.

“I think this is such an attractive property,” he said. “It was tough to say no to. It is one of the few properties that are growing and it’s exciting to be part of that growth.”

The latest expansion came on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the Shelbyville-based casino for a period of time. Now it is back to full strength with more exciting entities being built into the facility.

 

 

“This is unique,” said Jarmuz (photo above). “We have racing, poker, sports betting, live tables, electronic tables, slot machines, keno and simulcast betting all in one facility. That is very unique for all our customers.”

Brew Brothers, a food and drink establishment working in conjunction with live racing and the Caesars Sportsbook, is set to open in June.

“It will be a really unique entity that you don’t see too much in casinos, or you don’t yet,” said Jarmuz with a smile.

A high limit gaming area also is under construction and expected to open in April.

Once those projects reach completion, construction will begin to enhance the entrance areas.

“There is nothing set in stone after our entrance (construction project) but I can assure you there are a few exciting conversations that are being had that I am looking forward to being able to announce,” said Jarmuz.

Several city and county representatives were in attendance at the ceremony Tuesday. Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun participated in the event and took part in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“This is again another opportunity to expand the activities that we have available for recreation in our community,” said DeBaun. “But, it’s more than that. It’s another commitment to the community by the Caesars group. We appreciate everything they do for the community.”

City councilman resigning after accepting new job in Jasper

Shelbyville city councilman Tyson Conrady is resigning his position on the common council after accepting a new job in Jasper, Indiana.

Conrady, the Director of Corporate Operations for GIANT fm Real Radio based in Shelbyville, will become the General Manager for Jasper on Air, which owns three stations – WITZ, both AM and FM stations, and WQKZ.

“I’ve been here 10 years and they’re my family,” said Conrady. “They want the best for me and I’m excited to get the chance to take my knowledge, experience and education to Jasper to continue to be able to lead the company.”

Conrady, a Republican serving the city’s fifth ward, is currently in the third year of his first term on the city’s common council.

The northern Indiana native has been involved in broadcasting since 1994, beginning as a 9-year-old at WAWC in Syracuse, Indiana.

 

 

While finishing his college education, Conrady joined the GIANT fm staff in 2011 and eventually became program director before his current position as director of corporate operations overseeing the company’s three Indiana stations in Shelbyville, Rochester and Greencastle.

“It was never about the money. I have a passion and drive,” said Conrady. “When you’re in college, you learn that being a licensed radio station is about the public’s need, interest and necessity, and I think public radio is a good example of what that is.”

While a difficult decision to give up his on-air role as well with GIANT fm, the goal of running his own radio station was more of a priority.

“Getting a chance to be part-time in 2011 and working my way up to the program director role, then we added Rochester, and being able to add director of corporate operations was great, and now it’s an opportunity to take my years of experience on to Jasper to lead that team and do what I’ve always wanted to do and lead radio stations,” said Conrady.


Southwestern school board approved assistant principal to sign legal documents in absence of superintendent

The Southwestern Consolidated Schools board approved Brady Days to have the authority to sign legal documents presented by the school system treasurer in the absence of the school system having a superintendent.

At a special meeting Tuesday afternoon, Days, Southwestern High School’s assistant principal and athletic director, was approved 5-0 and will serve until a new superintendent is hired.

“We have assigned the two principals (John Tindall at the high school and Josh Edwards at the elementary school) to take care of the emergency decisions as far as bus breakdowns or weather-related. They will collaborate together,” said school board president Jim Emerick after the meeting. “We are trying to spread the workload out.

“We asked Mr. Days if he would be interested and he said whatever it took to help.”

Days is not being given the title interim superintendent clarified Emerick.

“He is authorized to sign legal documents,” he said.

With this decision in place, the school board can now start the process of finding a new superintendent.

“Now that we have this behind us and we have the schools safe, and we know the kids will get here and get home the way they are supposed to and we have somebody to sign papers, we can move on to the other stuff,” said Emerick.

Superintendent Curt Chase’s resignation was approved at this month’s school board meeting. Chase was the high school and junior high school principal for a decade before becoming superintendent prior to the 2020-2021 school year.

Chase has accepted the position of Director of Operations in charge of transportation, building grounds, safety and technology for the Rushville school system in his hometown.

Shelbyville Central Schools board ends mask mandate in city schools

For the past 19 months, Shelbyville Central Schools students have worn masks in the classroom setting.

That ended just after noon today when the SCS board voted to end the mask mandate and contact tracing upon advisement from the Indiana Department of Health.

As soon as the motion was approved, the board members and staff at the meeting took off their masks for what they believe will be the final time.

The no mask mandate went into effect immediately for all six Shelbyville school buildings.

Students will still need to wear masks on school buses per a federal mask mandate that is set to expire next month.

Students or staff that test positive for COVID-19 will still follow current quarantine procedures. Attendance in the buildings will be monitored with any unusual spikes in absences reported to the Shelby County Health Department.

Triton Central's Robotics program received $25,000 donation toward operating budget

The Northwestern Consolidated Schools board recognized three significant donations to the school system Monday night at its monthly meeting.

Triton Central Elementary’s Parent Teacher Organization presented $17,000 to the board that will be used toward playground shelter construction at the elementary school.

The board also received a $15,000 donation from Runnebohm Construction and a $10,000 donation from HIS Constructors, Inc. earmarked for the school system’s Robotics program (photo).

The sum total of $25,000 will cover approximately half of the Robotics Club’s operating budget.

 

 

“Those are three of the largest donations we’ve had in my short time here,” said Superintendent Chris Hoke.

The board also approved spending nearly $33,000 to upgrade the science materials for the elementary school.

Principal Heather Gant discussed the need to update teaching materials within the science curriculum and brought four elementary school teachers to discuss the best option with the board.

The teachers tested two viable options and selected the Discovery Education Science Curriculum for its interactive materials, ease of access to online material and the ability to teach in multiple languages.

“The financial standpoint is easily done and this makes our kids better,” said Hoke.

In a personnel move, high school football coach Tim Able was approved as the new high school track and field coach with Frank Miller and Ronda Able approved as assistant coaches.

Southwestern school board to address open superintendent position at Tuesday meeting

The Southwestern Consolidated Board of School Trustees is scheduled to meet in special session Tuesday.

 

The board's agenda calls for a recommendation for the "approval for the person responsible to sign documents on behalf of the school corporation in absence of a superintendent."

 

Curt Chase is leaving the superintendent's position to accept a job with the Rush County school system.

 

The special session is scheduled for 1:30 pm Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 

Shelbyville woman charged with dropping off 5-year-old boy along road near Cincinnati

A Shelbyville woman has been charged in Hamilton County, Ohio, with abandoning her autistic child along a roadway.
 
Heather Nicole Adkins, 32, was arrested in Georgetown, KY.  She was taken to the Scott County Jail.  An extradition hearing is set for Tuesday for Adkins to face charges of child endangerment and cruelty to a child.
 
The five-year-old boy was spotted by a driver about 9:00 pm Thursday night on a rainy, freezing stretch of road near White Oaks, Ohio.  The driver stopped, helped the boy and called police.  The child is described as autistic and non-verbal.
 
Anyone with information on the case was asked to contact the Colerain Police Department at 513-321-2677.

 

Health department announces changes in Covid-19 school guidance

The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Thursday announced changes in COVID-19 guidance for K-12 schools and childcare programs to reflect declining cases across the state.

 

The department also will begin to reduce its COVID-19 response operations because there is less demand for testing and substantial availability of COVID-19 vaccines and treatment at health provider locations.

 

“These changes reflect the rapid decline in COVID-19 cases as we emerge from the omicron surge and the fact that all school-age children have been eligible to be vaccinated since November,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “While they do not remove the need for continued vigilance, they will ease the reporting burden on schools and help ensure that children can stay in school.”

 

Beginning Feb. 23:

  • Schools no longer will be required to conduct contact tracing or report positive cases to IDOH.
  • Schools no longer will need to quarantine students who are exposed to a positive COVID-19 case, regardless of vaccination status or whether the school requires masks.
  • Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate for five days and may return on Day 6 if they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication so long as symptoms are improving, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Individuals should wear a mask through Day 10 any time they are around others inside their homes or in public.

Schools are expected to continue assisting local health departments with notification in the event of an outbreak or cluster and are encouraged to continue to share information with families when a case is identified so parents can monitor their children for symptoms.

 

Similarly, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning is lifting quarantine requirements for children exposed at their childcare program. Children who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for five days regardless of symptoms. It’s recommended that children who can correctly and consistently mask return on Day 6; for those who cannot do so, it is recommended they return on Day 8. Full guidance will be posted here.

 

Indiana’s positivity rate has fallen from 33.6 percent on Jan. 19 to 13.1 percent on Wednesday. Demand for testing also has fallen significantly.

 

As a result:

  • The IDOH testing and vaccination clinic across from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will end operations on Saturday, Feb. 26.
  • IDOH will suspend its testing and vaccination strike teams that had been deployed across the state but will continue to make mobile vaccination and testing units available upon request.
  • Indiana National Guard support for long-term care facilities and hospitals will end March 14, and no new requests will be accepted after Feb. 26.

Unified Champions team presented with black and gold uniforms

Shelbyville High School’s Unified Champions basketball team will have black and gold uniforms for its next game Tuesday.

Mike Bunton, a fifth-grade teacher at Coulston Elementary School in Shelbyville and basketball coach, spearheaded an effort to get the Unified Champions proper uniforms.

On Wednesday at the Shelbyville Central Schools board meeting, Bunton officially presented the uniforms which were paid for by the Shelbyville Central Education Foundation (photo: check presentation earlier this month).

The school board honored Bunton, Unified Champions coach Renee Gardner and Matt Haehl, president of the Shelbyville Central Education Foundation, at Wednesday’s meeting.

 

 

Bunton started the process last season.

“I had a son who graduated last year and was on the basketball team and when I was at the games, a lot of my former students and players played in the unified games but our team never had uniforms,” said Bunton as he addressed the school board and those in attendance. “We always came up with shorts and T-shirts.

“It bothered me then and this year I was watching on Twitter when we played Franklin Central (Jan. 19). Not only did Franklin Central have uniforms, but they had Pink Out uniforms. I thought surely we can get uniforms.”

Bunton started the fundraising process by talking with Haehl and the foundation agreed it could purchase uniforms that will be worn for the first time Tuesday at William L. Garrett Gymnasium when Shelbyville hosts Seymour.

In other school board business, the board approved a notice of request for proposals to supply weight lifting equipment for the new weight room currently under construction at Shelbyville High School.

Sealed proposals from prospective suppliers will be opened on March 4.

The approximately 8,000-square-foot weight room is expected to be operational before the start of the 2022-2023 school year.

MHP Incident Command Covid 19 update - February 16

Shelby County’s current positivity rate decreased significantly to 16.5% and Indiana’s positivity rate decreased significantly to 14.2%. 

 

According to Tuesday’s report from the Indiana Department of Health, hospitalizations related to Covid-19 have plummeted 55% since hitting a pandemic high of 3,519 on January 13.  

 

Inpatient unit: 25 of our 40 beds are full on our 3rd-floor inpatient unit. 

 

  • We currently have four critical care patients on the 3rd floor, and one (25%) of those patients is due to Covid. Our lone Covid-related critical care patient is vaccinated and boosted.   
  • We have one patient on a ventilator and that that patient is non-Covid.  We have two additional patients who are on Vapotherm or BiPap, and neither is related to Covid.
  • Five (20%) of our inpatients are Covid positive, and three (60%) of them are unvaccinated.
  • One patient has died due to Covid since our last update. 

 

Hospital visitation policy:  Based on the above data, we plan to slowly relax our visitation restrictions and will be announcing those changes soon with an effective date. 

 

Urgent Care and walk-in volumes:  MHP Priority Care is averaging 40-45 walk-in patients per day.  MHP Family & Internal Medicine and MHP Pediatrics are both averaging 30-35 walk-in patients per day.  All offices are experiencing lower than normal walk-in volumes for this time of year.  The patient wait times at all locations are back to our pre-Covid norms.  

 

Emergency DepartmentThe Emergency Department saw 68 patients yesterday, which is a normal volume for this time of year.  We only have three scheduled Covid infusions today and our Covid infusions and referrals have dropped significantly.  

Decatur County Memorial Hospital Designated a 2022 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital 

Decatur County Memorial Hospital has been recognized as a 2022 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital, the only critical access hospital in the state of Indiana to do so. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX™.

 

“Being recognized as one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation is a testament to the dedication of our entire team,” said Rex McKinney, President and CEO of Decatur County Memorial Hospital. “Our team is committed to providing exceptional quality care and serving our community. Being recognized nationally is an honor our entire team is proud of.”

 

The Top 100 Critical Access Hospital list is compiled using the Chartis Group’s Performance INDEX to objectively evaluate 36 rural-relevant indicators from publicly available datasets across eight pillars of performance including quality, outcomes, inpatient/outpatient market share, financials and patient perspectives. The top performers on this list, including DCMH, are proven to be excelling in managing risk, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost than their peers.

 

“Despite unprecedented adversity, rural providers continue to display resiliency and a steadfast commitment to their communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “Honoring the Top 100 is one of the highpoints of our year. We are delighted to recognize the exceptional performance and innovation of this year’s recipients, particularly in light of the extraordinary challenges facing America’s rural health safety net.”

 

“These recognitions were from the results achieved through what has been the most challenging few years for our employees, patients and community,” said Suki Wright, DCMH Executive Director of Quality and Compliance. “I am so incredibly proud of our team who continues to strive each day to improve the care we provide to all we serve.”

 

Over the course of the last 12 years, the INDEX has established itself as the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. The INDEX is trusted by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

Shelby Co. highway garage, recycling, transfer station step closer to renovation, construction

Shelby County Commissioners took a step toward a hoped for April groundbreaking of a project to reform the property to house the county's highway garage, recycling and transfer station.

 

Commissioner Kevin Nigh says they are ready to hear from contractors interested in the project.

 

 

Nigh says the project may include the current county highway garage for a future use.

 

 

Proposals must be received by 2:00 pm, on March 14.

 

 

 

252 remains point of concern for residents during winter weather

During a heavy snow event like the one several days ago there will always be complaints about snow and ice removal from the roadways with debate involving could / should more be done.

 

252 in southern Shelby County is at the top of the list in that category.

 

The stretch of roadway was once handled by the state but in recent years was turned over to Shelby County for maintenance.  Since then, complaints have risen during times of weather-related impact to the roads.

 

Shelby County Commissioner Chris Ross.

 

 

Ross says concerns go well beyond moving snow.  He’s worried about costs of repairs and bridges down the road.

 

 

Investigators seek public's help in I-70 shooting

Two people were found on Interstate 70 injured by gunfire.

 

About 7:30 Sunday evening,  the Indiana State Police, along with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to reports of a person shot inside a vehicle on I-70 westbound near Shadeland Avenue. Upon arrival an adult male was located with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound, that person was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Another adult also suffered injuries in the incident however it is not believed that person was hit by gunfire. 

 

Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police Detectives determined an adult male was in the back seat of a passenger car on I-70 when they were allegedly shot at by someone in another vehicle. The driver of the car suffered minor injuries when they were hit by shrapnel from the gunfire. Investigators believe a third person was in the car that was hit by gunfire however that person fled the scene on foot before police arrived. 

 

At this time investigators do not have a description of the suspect or the suspect vehicle. Anyone traveling in the area of I-70 near Shadeland Avenue around 7:30 pm who may have witnessed this incident is asked to contact the Indiana State Police. 

 

Southwestern Superintendent Curt Chase resigns to go home to Rushville

Shelby County gained a Rush County administrator when Dr. Matt Vance accepted the Shelbyville superintendent position.

 

Rush County got a Shelby County administrator as Curt Chase has accepted a position in Rushville.

 

The Southwestern superintendent had his resignation approved by the Southwestern School Board.  He’s going to Rushville.

 

 

Chase served a decade as the Southwestern Jr. / Sr. HS principal until he replaced Superintendent Dr. Paula Maurer to start the 2020-21 school year.

 

He says there’s something exciting about going home.

 

 

At the same time, it’s bittersweet leaving Southwestern.

 

 

Triton Central's 'Pink Out' game raises more than $25,000

Bryan Graham knew Triton Central’s annual “Pink Out” game would surpass the $200,000 mark in its 14th year.

The compassion of the night continues to grow, though, despite the novelty of it long gone.

The 2022 Pink Out game on Jan. 21 collected an event record $25,732.75 that will be donated to the Indiana Women In Need (IWIN) foundation to be dispersed locally to families battling breast cancer.

“I want to start by saying a heartfelt ‘Thank You’ for all the help and support that the Triton Central school district and community provides for this wonderful event,” said Graham, TC’s athletic director and girls basketball coach, in an email announcement. “We have people showing up at school first thing in the morning on game day to help make this activity happen. This event shows just how caring and giving our community really is and how we embrace tough situations and turn them into positive experiences.”

 

For coverage of the 2022 event, go to https://shelbycountypost.com/local-news/615704

 

What started as a goal to raise $1,000 nearly a decade-and-a-half ago now is a much-anticipated late-January event in Fairland. In 14 years, Triton Central has now donated over $205,000 to help fight breast cancer.

“The LTB players, staff and family members are both very grateful and thankful to all of you for making this annual evening such an exciting experience both on, and even more importantly, off the court,” said Graham. “The work we accomplish with this event truly does affect the ladies we recognize (hundreds of survivors throughout the years) in ways that most of us will never understand.”

Dr. Matt Vance chosen to become Shelbyville Central Schools superintendent

Shelbyville Central Schools Board of Trustees has chosen Dr. Matt Vance as the district’s new superintendent.  Vance will assume the position effective July 1, 2022, upon the retirement of current superintendent Mary Harper.

 

Vance is currently serving in his eighth year as the superintendent in nearby Rush County Schools, with 27 years of overall educational experience. He started his career at Greensburg High School as a teacher and coach, continuing on to Greenfield-Central High School where he taught, coached and later served as athletic director and assistant principal. He was next principal at Tri Jr./Sr. High School and then assumed that same position at his alma mater Rushville High School, becoming superintendent of Rush County Schools in 2014.

 

As a side note, Vance actually started his coaching career in 1992 at Shelbyville High School while attending college, coaching football under Scott Olinger.

 

 

Vance says Shelbyville, school and town, is a good place.

 

 

He notes being hired in February offers a good transition period for both Shelbyville and Rushville.

 

 

He says part of the homework in getting ready for Shelbyville is learning the ongoing construction projects.

 

 

A graduate of Franklin College, Vance went on to earn a master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University before earning his Education Specialist and Ph.D. degrees from Indiana State University.

 

“This is the second time since I have been on the Board that we have undergone a superintendent search and we hit it out of the park both times,” said School Board President Curt Johnson. “Mary Harper has been a great steward of our schools and we are going to miss her. However, with Matt coming on board, we will not miss a beat. Matt is a great leader, full of energy and ideas that will drive our organization to continued excellence.”


Vance and his wife, Jaime, have two sons. Jake is a freshman at Olivet Nazarene University and Austin is a junior in high school at Rushville.  

 

Austin's role on the Rushville Lions football team could put some pressure on the new superintendent in just his second month on the job.  Shelbyville will play at Rushville in Week 2 of the season.  It's the first meeting of the programs since 2012 and it happens as Vance makes the move from Rushville to Shelbyville.

 

 

 

 

 

Indianapolis man sentenced for role in 2020 crash that killed Shelby County woman

A man charged with driving under the influence and the wrong-direction on the interstate into a crash that killed a Shelby County woman has been sentenced.

 

Robert Antonio Lesure II, 39, of Indianapolis, was sentenced by Superior Court No. 1 Judge Kent Apsley to 25 years in prison on charges of Operating A Vehicle While Intoxicated Resulting In Death (Level 4 Felony) and being an Habitual Felony Offender.  The charges stem from an incident on October 30, 2020, where a Shelby County Sheriff's deputy saw a vehicle driven by Lesure going the wrong way on I-74 from the 400 North ramp (westbound in the eastbound lane). The deputy tried to get the vehicle to stop, using his red and blue lights and spotlight, while paralleling the vehicle, but was unable to cross the median due to the cables installed between the lanes.

 

The deputy witnessed Lesure pass several vehicles before striking a vehicle driven by Kassandra Jenkins, 23 of Shelbyville, head-on. Jenkins, who was on her way home from work, died in the crash despite officers pulling her from the car as it started to catch fire and performing CPR.

 

Lesure told medics that he had been drinking at the then-Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. He  was transported to Methodist Hospital, where authorities obtained a blood sample that was sent to the Department of Toxicology for testing. A few weeks later authorities0 received the results, which indicated that Lesure had a blood-alcohol content of .15%.

 

After a substantial manhunt, the U.S. Marshals located Lesure hiding out in Kentucky and arrested him on our warrant.

 

During the sentencing hearing,  Shelby County Prosecutor Brad Landwerlen placed two photos in front of the defendant. One was a picture of the victim that he killed. The other was a photo of the victim with her three children, aged 10 months to 6 years old.

 

Landwerlen says he argued that Lesure's criminal record, which included various arrests and convictions for auto theft, resisting police, burglary, and even robbery, was an aggravating factor, as well as his history of violating probation, violating community corrections, and violating work release.

 

Landwerlen says Lesure claimed that he was remorseful, but the prosecutor argued that he did not feel remorseful when he snuck out of the hospital in Indianapolis, when he fled within five hours to Kentucky, when he changed his phone number to avoid detection, or when he lied during his pre-sentence investigation interview (for instance - he claimed that he had never used any drugs except alcohol and marijuana, though in a previous pre-sentence interview for a case in Marion County, he admitted to using about an 8-ball of crack cocaine per day).

 

Landwerlen also noted that Lesure was wrong when he called the incident a "freak accident" - pointing out that when you drive a vehicle drunk the wrong direction into oncoming traffic it is not a freak accident, but a foreseeable outcome to his latest crime.

 

The prosecutor commended Deputy Abernathy for all that he did the evening of the accident - setting up for another officer to intervene (though they did not make it that far), and dealing with both the defendant and the victim, including dragging her from the car and performing CPR for an extended period of time in an attempt to save her life.  Landwerlen said Abernathy performed flawlessly in an impossible situation.

 

He also commended Detective Rod Mohr, whose investigation with the help of the U.S. Marshals finally brought Lesure into custody.

 

"These cases are incredibly sad, and nothing we can do will bring the victim back or ease the suffering of the family (particularly the children, who were told that their mommy was an angel, and never even got to kiss her goodbye), but I hope Lesure's sentence brings some closure to this painful episode of the family's lives. I also hope it serves as a warning to others that criminal decisions have criminal consequences."

 

Landwerlen was assisted in the prosecution of the case by Deputy Prosecutor Ed Zych.

Pit bull that attacked police officer returning to animal shelter

Chaos is headed back to the Shelbyville/Shelby County Animal Shelter.

The approximately 8-year-old pit bull bit a Shelbyville police officer on Aug. 8 at Sunset Park. Owner Jennifer Mays appeared before the City of Shelbyville’s Board of Works nearly two months later to plea for the return of her dog.

After nearly two hours of discussion over a two-day period, the Board of Works voted 2-1 to return Chaos to Mays with the stipulation that animal shelter officials could monitor the living environment to insure public safety.

On Jan. 27, police officers were called to Mays’ residence at 305 Wellington Boulevard because of a domestic dispute between Mays and Charles Robinson.

Mays’ mother, whose name is on the rental lease for the property, made the phone call.

While a discussion was being had in the front doorway, Chaos ran out of the house prompting concerns from the officers who were familiar with Chaos’ aggressive history.

Chaos did not bite anyone and was successfully returned inside the residence as Mays talked with police officer Alex Miller.

A report was filed regarding Mays’ appearance and the overall lack of cleanliness inside the residence. The police report noted Mays had feces on her feet and there was dog feces inside the residence.

Mayor Tom DeBaun, one of three members of the Board of Works, noted during Tuesday’s hearing that there was also a nuisance complaint on the residence due to excessive trash and debris.

Keith Barrett of the local animal shelter then informed the board that Mays had been difficult to contact with regard to monitoring Chaos as the stipulation stated for the dog’s return to its owner.

Mays took no responsibility for the living conditions, both inside and outside the residence, and left the Board of Works with no other option than to remove Chaos from the home.

“I don’t feel like the dog needs to be destroyed but I don’t believe he needs to be in the environment he is in now,” said Barrett, who has developed a good relationship with a pit bull that is not fond of strangers.

In other board business Tuesday, police officer Josh Southworth was granted permanent appointment to the police force and officer Travis Conway’s resignation, effective Feb. 21, was accepted.

Driver killed in car-semi crash on I-70

One driver was killed, another with minor injuries in a Hancock County I-70 crash Saturday.

 

Just after 8:30 pm Saturday emergency responders were called to the scene of a serious crash involving a car and a semi on I-70 westbound near the 109 mile marker in Hancock County.

 

Upon arrival first responders found a semi-tractor trailer in the ditch along with a heavily damaged passenger car. An adult male had been ejected from the wreckage and was unconscious and unresponsive. Despite life saving efforts that man was pronounced deceased at the scene.

 

The driver of the semi was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. 

 

Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police Crash reconstructionists determined the driver of the westbound passenger car left the roadway to the left into the median, then came back across the westbound lanes in front of the semi. The semi collided with the passenger car and both vehicles went into the right ditch. 

 

The driver of the passenger car was preliminarily identified at the scene and an acquaintance to that person arrived on scene and was notified, however confirmation of identification is pending by the Hancock County Coroner's Office therefore the victim's name is being withheld at this time.

 

The right lane of I-70 reminded closed for the duration of the investigation and was reopened at approximately 3:00 a.m. 

 

The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Greenfield Fire Department, Greenfield Police Department, the Hancock County Sheriff's Office and the Hancock County Coroner's Office. 

 

MHP Incident Command Covid Update - February 4

General update:  Shelby County’s current positivity rate decreased to 28.8% and Indiana’s positivity rate decreased to 26.2%. 

 

Statewide hospitalization rates continue to decline daily.   

 

Inpatient unit: Thirty-two of our 40 beds are full on our 3rd-floor inpatient unit. 

 

  • We currently have 11 critical care patients on the 3rd floor, and 6 (55%) of those patients are due to Covid. Of the 6 Covid-related critical care patients, two are vaccinated.   
  • We have three patients on a ventilator and one of those patients is Covid positive and that patient is unvaccinated.  We have eight additional patients who are on Vapotherm or BiPap, and six of those patients are Covid positive and three of those patients are vaccinated. 
  • Twenty-one (66%) of our inpatients are Covid positive, and fourteen (67%) of them are unvaccinated.

 

Urgent Care and walk-in volumes:   

Due to the weather on Thursday and Friday, we have had extremely low volumes of walk-in visits across all locations.      

 

Emergency Department:  The Emergency Department saw 36 patients Thursday and 51 on Wednesday.  The low volumes are attributed to the weather.    

 

Beginning next Monday, February 7, MHP plans to revise the Main Entrance (#2) door schedule.  Sliding doors will be unlocked at the following times (italics indicates a change):

  1. Monday thru Friday - 5:30am - 7 pm
  2. Saturday 7am - 12pm

 

The MHP Lab Drop-Off program will also resume on Monday, Feb 7.  This program allows patients to come through the circle drive of the Main Entrance, call a number posted outside the entrance, and drop off their lab specimen with a courier (valet or navigator), who will then take it inside for processing.  (Please note that while most specimens can be accepted through the drop-off program, 24-urine collections and semen specimens cannot.)

Shelby Co. candidate filing period extended to Monday

The Shelby County Courthouse was closed Friday due to weather for a second straight day.  Because of that the deadline for filing for the upcoming primary election has been extended.

 

Per Indiana Code, the candidate filing deadline will now be moved to 12:00 pm on Monday, February 7.

Shelbyville Central Schools has tentative deal with new superintendent

Shelbyville Central Schools board has a tentative agreement in place for the next superintendent of Shelby County's largest school system.

The board held a public hearing at noon Thursday at the administrative office to allow the public to comment on the proposed contract being offered to the as-yet-named administrator.

Only two representatives of local media attended the meeting on a day when SCS is not in session due to a winter snow storm blanketing the state.

New school board president Curt Johnson confirmed there will be a Feb. 10 meeting at the administative building at 7 p.m. to introduce the new superintendent.

"We feel good about where we are at. We have a good candidate and hope to make a public announcement on Feb. 10 and move forward," said Johnson after the meeting Thursday.

A new superintendent search was started in late 2021 after current superintendent Mary Harper announced her plan to retire at the end of the current school year.

The candidate pool of applicants was around a dozen and Johnson believes there were several strong candidates identified and interviewed.

"The difference in my mind between this superintendent search and the last one was we had fewer applicants this year but significantly more qualified," said Johnson. "I don't know what to attribute that to, frankly I think the consultants we used, which is a consortium of the universities of Indiana that offer PhDs in education, did a great job for us. I can attribute the higher caliber to them."

The school system did not have to pay to use the consultation service.

"It's free. It didn't cost us anything," said Johnson. "And they gave us a good jump start on the process. 

"In all honesty, I think the board has done a good job. We have been on top of this from word one. It's been a pretty substantial time commitment from everybody."

The proposed contract is for three years, beginning July 1, 2022, with an annual salary of $163,000.

The superintendent is allowed 20 vacation days per year in addition to national holidays, three personal days each year, a $5,000 moving expense if the superintendent moves to Shelbyville in the first three years of his or her contract, and the same benefits provided to teachers of Shelbyville Central Schools.

Weather-related announcements for Thursday, Feb 3

A growing list of closures and cancelations beyond the schools on this Thursday, February 3:

 

Shelbyville Central schools will be closed Friday with E-Learning


Shelby County Public Library

 

Share, Inc. Shelby Co. Plants 1 & 2 and facilities in Hancock and Rush counties

 

Shelbyville Knights of Columbus bingo for Thursday evening

 

Waldron Sectional 60 girls quarterfinals with Hauser - JCD and Southwestern - Morristown have been postponed to Friday.  A decision on Friday's efforts to play will be made by early Friday afternoon.

 

 

The following note from the Shelbyville Street Department was posted to the city's Facebook page:

Streets – Our crews will be coming soon and working around the clock. Please stay off the streets if you can. The less vehicles on the road, the quicker we can get them cleared.

If at all possible, we ask those residents with off-street parking to remove their cars from the streets so that the drivers can clear the street as best as possible. It is very hard for them to maneuver and completely clear streets when cars are parked on both sides leaving them very little room.

Driveways – Please wait to plow your driveway until you are for sure we have been down your street. When clearing your driveway, place the snow to the right side of your drive when looking at the street. This will prevent the plow from pushing all the snow you have already shoveled back into your drive.

Sidewalks – Reminder that it is the resident’s responsibility to clear their sidewalk within 24hrs of any snow/ice event.

Please be patient with us, I promise we will be by! With any heavy snow event, it can take several hours just to keep the main thoroughfares open. If you live on a residential/secondary street, you will not see a snowplow for several hours after a snowstorm has started...but we will get there!

Shelbyville Central Schools extends mask mandate until April 11

Shelbyville Central Schools students will continue to wear masks during school hours until April 11.

The previous mask mandate was slated to end today with students having the option to not wear a mask beginning Thursday.

Inclement weather has forced Thursday to be an eLearning day for all Shelbyville students. Masks will still be required by all personnel in the system's six school buildings on Friday, if school is in session, and running through April 8.

Superintendent Mary Harper cited the high positivity rate in Shelby County and the desire to keep students in the classroom for asking the Shelbyville Central Schools board to extend the mandate into April.

"I wish more than anything we could do away with the mask mandate but the Indiana State Health Department almost has you tied by saying if you don't want to send kids home, then you have to be mask mandatory," said Harper after the special board meeting Wednesday night. "We are required by law. This school board cannot vote and override what the Indiana State Health Department is requiring in control measures. I know some districts do that and it's real confusing but as far as Shelbyville Central, we are going to comply with that to the best of our ability."

As long as students are in masks during normal school hours, those deemed close contacts to someone with a positive COVID-19 test do not have to be sent home for quarantine as long as they remain healthy. That has helped the school system limit the number of students not in attendance daily.

Since the holiday break, the school system has reported more than 425 COVID-19 cases within the school district.

The motion to continue the mask mandate was approved 6-1.

Dr. James Rees voted against extending the mandate citing the previously released policy that was set to go into effect Thursday that would allow buildings to be mask optional as long as less than 2% of staff and students in each respective building were not in attendance.

If a building had more than 2% absent, a mask mandate would kick in for a short period until the absentee rate declined back under 2%.

"If we have a measuring device that is flexible enough that can adapt a week at a time, why are we picking an arbitrary date in April?," asked Rees. "Why can't we just go with the measuring device and allow some flexibility to respond to the situation as it really is rather than some dreamt up timeframe?"

Harper stated all six buildings have had absentee rates at 2% or higher since the holiday break.

"Everybody talks about doing the science, well April 8 is an arbitrary line in the sand and has nothing to do with what may actually happen," said Reed. "This may precipitously drop off. And we still have the right to change it no matter what, but it seems to me we can quit having these discussions monthly by saying this is the standard we are going to go by.

"Let's go with something that is actually measuring what is happening and responding to that rather than just picking a date. It seems to me we have a measuring stick, let's use the measuring stick."

Also on Wednesday, the school board enacted a new mask mandate policy to give directors of extracurricular activities such as coaches, music teachers and drama instructors the right to require masks at practices and rehearsals.

The sponsor of an elementary drama program asked if masks could be required at rehearsals, according to Harper. The school system currently does not require masks at extracurricular activities, so an instructor/coach could not require masks be worn.

After some discussion, the board unanimously approved the motion to allow enforcement of masks at extracurricular events by instructors. If a student does not comply with the requirement, he or she will not be allowed to participate.

"What this does is give discretion to someone in an extracurricular activity to mandate masks at practices and rehearsals, not at performances, competitions, nothing involving the public, but then they have to communicate that to their students and parents, and they need to enforce it," said Harper. "We have so many clubs and athletic events, it would be impossible for administrators to determine which (events) are optional masks and which are mandatory masks."

The next school board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 16.

 

 

Shelby County government buildings closed Thursday

All non-essential Shelby County government offices will be closed to the public Thursday, February 3. 

 

The includes the Shelby County Courthouse, Annex I, Annex II, Community Corrections, and the Professional Building.

 

A decision will be made about Friday – as things progress.  

MHP Covid Incident Command Report - February 2

Major Health Partners released the following information regarding Covid in this Incident Command Report for Wednesday, February 2.

 

General update:  Shelby County’s current positivity rate remained the same at 29.5% and Indiana’s positivity rate decreased to 28.4%. 

 

FREE Covid testing and FREE vaccination clinic:  A free mobile testing and vaccination clinic will be open February 2nd through February 5th from 12 P.M. to 8 P.M. at 1600 E. SR 44, Suite C (former Purdue Extension Building next to Shelby County Health Department).  Register online at ourshot.in.gov  or call 211 (866) 211-9966.  Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are accepted.   

 

Inpatient unit: Thirty-six of our 40 beds are full on our 3rd-floor inpatient unit. 

 

  • We currently have 9 critical care patients on the 3rd floor, and 5 (56%) of those patients are due to Covid. Of the 5 Covid-related critical care patients, three are vaccinated.   
  • We have two patients on a ventilator and one of those patients is Covid positive and one is vaccinated.  We have six additional patients who are on Vapotherm or BiPap, and five of those patients are Covid positive and four of those patients are vaccinated. 
  • Twenty-one (58%) of our inpatients are Covid positive, and fourteen (67%) of them are unvaccinated.

 

Urgent Care and walk-in volumes:   

Priority Care and MHP Family and Internal Medicine saw approximately 40 walk-in patients at each location yesterday, which is a substantial decrease compared to the last several weeks.  MHP Pediatrics has also been slower than normal today in terms of walk-in volumes.    

 

Emergency Department:  The Emergency Department saw 61 patients yesterday, which is lower than our typical volume this time of year.

 

Beginning next Monday, February 7, MHP plans to revise the Main Entrance (#2) door schedule.  Sliding doors will be unlocked at the following times (italics indicates a change):

    1. Monday thru Friday - 5:30am - 7 pm
    2. Saturday 7am - 12pm

 

The MHP Lab Drop-Off program will also resume on Monday, Feb 7.  This program allows patients to come through the circle drive of the Main Entrance, call a number posted outside the entrance, and drop off their lab specimen with a courier (valet or navigator), who will then take it inside for processing.  (Please note that while most specimens can be accepted through the drop-off program, 24-urine collections and semen specimens cannot.)

SCS cancels extracurricular Wed; E-Learning Thurs; School board mtg ON for tonight

Shelbyville Central has announced that all extra curricular activities are canceled for Wednesday, February 2.

 

Thursday, February 3, will be an E-Learning day for Shelbyville Central.

 

As of this report (9:20 am), the special business meeting of the Shelbyville Central Schools Board of Trustees is still scheduled for 6:00 pm.  The meeting agenda includes the topic of the mask mandate.

 

A public input is available at that meeting to be held at the Administrative Offices.

Mobile Covid clinic in Shelby Co. to close Thursday due to winter storm

An approaching winter storm is leading to changes in operations this week for COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics run by the Indiana Department of Health and many local health departments.

 

All state-run mobile clinics will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The clinic across from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway also will be closed Thursday. In addition, state-run mobile clinics in Porter, La Porte, St. Joseph, Pulaski, Huntington, DeKalb, Cass, Fountain / Warren, Shelby, Madison, Howard, Vigo and Vermillion counties will be closed Thursday.

 

Additional schedules for sites south of Johnson County will be assessed based on weather conditions. Updates to state-operated sites will be reflected at www.coronavirus.in.gov and www.ourshot.in.gov.

 

Individuals with appointments at a state-run vaccination or testing site will be notified if the site closes with instructions to reschedule. Because sites run by local health departments and other entities also could be affected, anyone who plans a walk-in visit to a COVID-19 testing or vaccination site should contact the site to ensure it is open before going.

 

Visit the Indiana Department of Health at www.health.in.gov for important health and safety information, or follow us on Twitter at @StateHealthIN and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StateHealthIN.

Board of Works sign letter of intent to purchase three new ambulances, new fire truck

City of Shelbyville Fire Chief Tony Logan brought purchase letters of intent to the Board of Works and Public Safety meeting Tuesday morning to secure three new ambulances and a new ladder truck to replace aging emergency vehicles in the city’s fleet.

By signing letters of intent to purchase today, the city secures the price of all four vehicles. Financing will be determined at a later date. The letter of intent just gets the city in line to receive new emergency vehicles in the next 12-16 months.

Each ambulance is currently priced at $249,000 apiece with the costs expected to rise later this year. The same vehicles cost the city $190,000 when purchased 3-4 years ago.

The ladder truck that will reside at Fire Station No. 2 on the city’s southeast side has a production cost of $1,007,000. Logan was informed by the Florida manufacturer that the price would be rising again, quite possibly as soon as today.

The city currently has five ambulances in its fleet – three that are in service and two as reserves. The frontline ambulances are typically rotated out of service every 3-4 years.

Logan informed the board Tuesday that the fire department will soon have three ambulances in service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The three ambulances in service are reaching 100,000 miles, according to Logan. Once the new ambulances arrive in approximately 12 months, Logan intends to keep the best two of the three in service and put them in reserve. The third ambulance and the two currently in reserve will be sold.

By signing the letter of intent today, Logan estimated the city was saving at least $75,000 in purchase costs and financing of the new vehicles.

“I don’t see the city saving money waiting,” he said. “It seems more prudent to do it now.”

Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun, who is one of three members of the Board of Works, agreed.

“I think this is the best option for us,” he said.

The city’s current ladder truck is 14 years old and at 105,000 miles. It had a tandem rear axle and a 105-foot steel ladder mounted on top.

The new truck would have a single rear axle, which will allow for the truck to turn without causing as much damage to the tires. With the tandem axle, the tires tend to skid around turns and wear down quicker.

The ladder will be aluminum on the new truck which lessens the overall weight load of the vehicle.

Once the new ladder truck arrives, the old ladder truck will be put in reserve status and the fleet’s ladder truck with the aerial bucket will be taken out of service.

In other board business:

  • The resignation of firefighter/paramedic Craig Morningstar was accepted. A member of the department since 1989, his retirement will be official in March.
  • Logan asked the board to approve the hiring of Connersville firefighter/emergency medical technician Zach Ernstes, who lives in Arlington, Indiana, to replace Morningstar. Ernstes’ hiring was approved contingent on completing the department’s hiring process.
  • An order to appear was issued for the owner of 102 N. Vine St. The nuisance property was addressed in 2021, according to Plan Commission director Adam Rude, but has been neglected once again.
  • City attorney Jennifer Meltzer asked the board to approve the purchase of .194 acres the city owns to Jesse Eads, an abutting property owner. Eads was the only person to bid on the property located near Jefferson Avenue and Third St.

Shelbyville FD to hire civillian ambulance employees

Civilian employees manning an ambulance in Shelbyville / Shelby County was approved Monday by the Shelbyville Common Council.

 

Through a contract with St. Francis Hospital, an ambulance is staffed by the hospital with a paramedic, an emergency medical technician and, at times, a student in training. There have been several times where the ambulance is not staffed which puts additional stress on Shelbyville’s fire department resources.

 

Logan's proposal was to hire three civilian paramedics to help staff that ambulance on a full-time basis.

 

The firefighter’s union voted to support the project.

 

Councilman Scott Furgeson feels there is addressed an ongoing concern regarding ambulance service - taxes.  He feels those who live within the city are paying more than their fair share.

 

 

Mayor Tom DeBaun says he thinks further future talks on the subject will come up.

 

 

All Shelbyville firefighters are also paramedics or EMT-certified which gives them versatility on emergency runs. That will not be the case with civilian paramedics who are not firefighters, and would alter assisting with volunteer department emergency calls around the county.

 

Councilman Tyson Conrady asked about the civilian employees being paid the same as those who are available as both firemen and ambulance staff.

 

Fire Chief Tony Logan.

 

 

Mayor Tom DeBaun also noted paying higher to be competitive with other communities and hoping to find staff to hire that’s already trained.

 

The Shelbyville Fire Department had 5,665 runs last year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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