Shelbyville's Paul Baker was honored by the Indiana State Police as an investigator of the year.

The Indiana State Police held an annual awards ceremony in Indianapolis to recognize ISP personnel for 2021 special awards. The ceremony includes naming a Trooper of the Year, Dispatcher of the Year, Laboratory Technician of the Year and an Investigator of the Year.

27 year Indiana State Police Veteran, Detective Paul Baker of Shelbyville, was named the Investigator of the year. Baker was nominated because of his role in a cold case investigation and the successful prosecution of a man connected to several Shelby County home invasions and rapes between 1982 and 1985. In 2002 Baker was assigned to the case and asked to re-examine evidence from the crimes, with the intention of utilizing current technology to identify a suspect. The analyzation of the evidence revealed DNA from an unknown male subject that was involved in an incident August 17, 1985. That DNA was unable to be matched with any known person.

In 2004 a task force was formed including Detective Baker and officers from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and the Shelbyville Police Department. Unfortunately none of the new leads led to the positive identification of a suspect and the case was classified as a cold case. 

In 2019 the task force reconvened and the Indiana State Police Laboratory, utilizing new technology, was able to identify a suspect. A subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Steve Hessler on several charges. After a jury trial in March 2022, Hessler was convicted of 2 counts of rape, 6 counts of unlawful deviate conduct, seven counts of burglary resulting in bodily injury, three counts of criminal confinement and one count of robbery. He was sentenced to 650 years in prison. 

"Detective Baker was pivotal in preparing the case for trial, where we called 27 witnesses and introduced over 300 pieces of evidence. He did much of the work himself and oversaw assisting officers. I cannot stress enough what an important role several members of the ISP and the ISP Lab played in achieving this outcome. The efforts of Detective Paul Baker and all he did to help bring this case to a successful prosecution, to provide some closure to our several victims, and to ensure that an extremely evil, dangerous man was brought to justice. Various agencies played key roles to bring this case to trial, but Detective Baker and Shelby County Sheriff’s Detective David Tilford were the ones who organized everything that the various departments gathered into a case sufficient to convict a violent serial home-invasion rapist 37-39 years after his various local attacks," said Shelby County Prosecutor Brad Landewerlen.

Shelbyville’s Common Council will make the final decision on whether the annexation of approximately 33 acres on the city’s east side happens for Genesis Property Development.

The Shelbyville-based developer is working with a client to purchase the land, which is mostly farm land, for the creation of an industrial park along East State Road 44, nearly a mile from the Interstate 74 exit.

If the annexation and rezoning is approved, it will go against an unfavorable recommendation from the city’s Plan Commission that happened Monday night at City Hall.

At the center of the discussion is the long-established Woodland Village mobile home park that is part of the property in play.

Several residents of Woodland Village, who cited family members with disabilities and fixed incomes, as well as several surrounding neighbors concerned with drainage and traffic concerns appeared before the Plan Commission Monday to ask what happens to them.

Ron Kelsay, representing Genesis Property Development, did not name the prospective client interested in the property. He did state that the client is interested in more than just one business transaction in Shelbyville.

Kelsay also could not inform the Plan Commission of potential uses for the property as the project is speculative at this point. The land is currently zoned A1 (conservation agriculture). The goal is to change the zoning to IG (general industrial).

“We don’t have a specific project that we are bringing forward at this point,” said Kelsay when asked by Joanne Bowen, a member of the plan commission as well as the city’s Common Council. “At the point we have a specific project we will bring it through the proper channels.

“Generally speaking, we want to create an industrial park which is the purpose for the IG zoning. It is currently in the county and we have an interest in hooking up to sanitary and sewer with the city, so to do that we need to annex the property.”

Genesis Property Development has a contract agreement in place with multiple owners of the 33 acres in question, including Coers Limited Liability Company III that owns the 5-plus acres of land where Woodland Village sits.

“I will say even at this juncture where we are still developing plans and trying to put this whole thing together, there have been significant discussions about the mobile home park and what to do with it,” said Kelsay following the public comment portion of the meeting. “And also looking ahead if something needs to happen to it or, at that point, what do we do? How do we take care of people? How do we help them?

“At this point, I can’t give you all the answers. I can’t lay out a specific plan because it is still a little too early for that, but I will say we are keenly aware of the sensitivities and these are people’s homes.”

The city’s plan staff recommendation was to forward a favorable recommendation on the zoning classification.

The motion for an unfavorable recommendation was made by Gary Nolley and seconded by Bowen.

The next Common Council meeting is July 6 at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 44 W. Washington St.

The proposed mixed-use development project that involves the former Coca-Cola Bottling Plant in Shelbyville has been altered.

Birge & Held, the Indianapolis-based developer of the project, overcame sanitary and sewer issues by splitting the retail and residential project into two structures.

The original design had two structures of retail and apartments connected together. The new design includes a drivable path in between both buildings.

The former Coca-Cola plant, 405 N. Harrison St., is a likely destination point for potential breweries or restaurants with additional retail space located directly behind the plant.

A second building will include additional apartments and a parking area for residential use located near the Porter Center, the former home of Porter Pool.

No apartment units were lost in the redesign. The project will still include 168 apartment units from studio up to 3-bedroom units.

There was no formal presentation made Monday at the city’s Plan Commission meeting at City Hall. That is expected to come at the Plan Commission’s July meeting.

The new design was scheduled to go through the city’s technical review process today. The goal is to start construction in the fall of 2022.

Arbor Homes’ preliminary plat for the Isabelle Farms subdivision was approved Monday by the Plan Commission.

Following a long discussion at May 22 meeting, the plat approval vote was postponed until the June meeting so Arbor Homes could include a 30-foot buffer around the entire development that was originally discussed at a 2021 meeting.

The plat design submitted for the May meeting did not include the buffer.

The new design cost the subdivision five lots lowering the total to 249. A total of approximately 150 trees have been added to the project to fill out the buffer zone, according to Arbor Homes’ representative Lantz McElroy.

While there are still drainage issues being worked on, Arbor Homes would like to break ground on the 83-acre subdivision located at approximately 1350 N. Riley Highway in the spring of 2023.

In other plan commission business Monday:

• Forwarded a favorable recommendation to the city council regarding a rezone of the residence at 118 E. Hendricks St. in Shelbyville from Business General to R1 (single family residential). Evie Bartlett, representing property owners Harold and Loretta Meloy, appeared before the commission asking for the rezone to convert a house that was formerly a lawyer’s office into a residential home to be sold. The house is currently vacant.
• Forwarded a favorable recommendation for a rezone of 1706 McCall Drive from Business General to Light Industrial so the property owner, Sanjivan Bual, can build a mini-storage facility. The property is currently vacant.
• Forwarded a favorable recommendation to the city council to annex the property at 852 Highland Drive at the request of the property owners, Dean and Linda Spurlin.

Maggie Goodin has been lucky enough to travel the world at such a young age. The Southwestern High School valedictorian’s next adventure keeps her closer to home in West Lafayette at Purdue University.

The daughter of engineers, Purdue always seemed like the perfect fit. Only Goodin could not see herself following a similar educational track. Instead, she will major in Pharmacy.

“Both my parents are engineers and I’ve always been a STEM person so originally I was thinking engineering,” said Goodin. “I toured (Purdue) my freshman year (of high school), loved the campus, it’s a great school and I felt at home. By my senior year, I switched to pharmacy and got lucky because (Purdue) has an amazing pharmacy (program).”

As to where a pharmacy degree takes her is still unknown.

“I am seeing what options are available,” she said. “Maybe a clinical pharmacist in a hospital setting, I could go the medical school route or go the psychologist route or OBGYN.”

Goodin wrapped up the valedictorian honor at the semester break though she admitted it was not an ultimate goal of her time at Southwestern.

“I was not striving to be No. 1 or No. 2,” said Goodin. “I was just trying to do my best in classes. Over time, it became more of a goal or expectation. We (Goodin and salutatorian Faith Kelley) always just wanted to do the most with our education.”

Part of Goodin’s education has come from traveling to approximately two dozen foreign countries with her family. She lists Thailand and Morocco as two of her favorite places.

That experience with foreign cultures spurred her to revitalize the Culture Club at Southwestern High School.

“I got to bring a lot of knowledge on diversity and foreign cultures,” said Goodin.

The future Boilermaker is spending her summer working as a camp counselor at the Flat Rock River YMCA camp in St. Paul. She started the day after graduation.

A frequent visitor to the camp growing up, she is honored to now serve as a counselor and mentor younger children.

“I’ve always wanted to be a counselor here but there are limited spots available for female counselors,” said Goodin, who is responsible for up to as many as a dozen campers each week.

Goodin appreciates her time at the camp and her experiences at Southwestern which will carry on with her to Purdue.

“It’s a small school with a graduating class of 36 … insanely small,” she said. “With it being so small, it is awesome how it’s a family-style school. It was especially helpful with the classes. It allowed the teachers more time to work with you 1-on-1.”

(This is the 10th and final feature story highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

Faith Kelley found exactly what she was looking for at the University of Indianapolis.

The Southwestern High School Class of 2022 salutatorian was admitted to UIndy’s occupational therapy early assurance program which puts her on track for a bachelor’s degree in three years followed by three more years in the occupational therapy program.

“UIndy has the only occupational therapy direct admittance program in Indiana,” said Kelley, the daughter of Curtis and Cindy Kelley.

The campus, located on the south side of Indianapolis, allows Kelley to stay at home while she transitions into college life. Being from a small school, Kelley appreciated the learning environment at UIndy.

“I visited a lot of different colleges and when we went to visit UIndy, the person taking us around was very honest and genuine,” said Kelley. “She really told you like it was and she was very supportive and very helpful.”

Kelley believes the educational environment will be similar to what she enjoyed at Southwestern.

“I think the first thing everyone from Southwestern says is it is a pretty small school,” she said. “I think that is very true in a lot of instances. It was one of the most close-knit groups I’ve ever been around. Everyone knows everyone.

“My teachers were very supportive of everyone that went there. They were very kind and very considerate of us when it came to a lot of things and they made us work hard when we needed to.”

Kelley was involved in basketball, tennis, track and field and soccer while at Southwestern and participated in Academic Team, Sunshine Society, Student Council, SADD, and choir.

She will major in Human Biology as part of UIndy’s 3-plus-3 program.

“I will finish my bachelor’s degree in three years then start the occupation therapy program for three more years,” she explained.

The track is daunting but Kelley should find it easier than preparing to give her salutatorian speech at Southwestern’s graduation ceremony.

“I hate talking in front of people,” she said. “It’s probably one of my worst fears. I practiced a lot the day before, and our valedictorian and class president all practiced with each other which helped out a lot.

“As for writing it, I had no idea what to do. I thought of things that really tried to represent us throughout the years and think about what I wanted people to learn from it.”

When it was over, Kelley felt relieved that the speech went well.

“I am glad I didn’t stutter or do anything dumb or say anything dumb,” she said. “It did go a lot better than I thought it would.”

(This is the ninth in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

A law enforcement pursuit in Johnson County ended with crashes and a fatality.

Just before 3:30 am Saturday a Trafalgar police officer was sitting at the intersection of State Road 135 and County Road 300S. The officer witnessed a dark colored pickup truck westbound disregard the stop at the intersection. The officer immediately followed the truck and activated his emergency lights in an attempt to stop the truck. Both the officer and driver of the truck made it to County Road 300S and 600W.  This  is a T-intersection.

Both the  truck and the officer crashed into the embankment.

The officer immediately after the crash radioed for help. Both the officer and the truck driver had to be extricated from their vehicles.  The officer was transported to Eskenazi Hospital via Lifeline Helicopter with back, hip, leg and internal injuries.  He is listed in serious , but stable condition.  The driver truck was pronounced dead at the scene.

The following agencies were on the scene to render assistance and first aid; Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Bargersville Police Department, Trafalgar Fire Department and the Bargersville Fire Department.

The Johnson County Coroner’s Office was on the scene and they are also conducting their investigation to determine the cause of death.

The names are not being released due to notifications being made. The accident is still under investigation the Johnson County Prosecutor was also on the scene. Further information will be released at a later time. 

The Shelbyville community was enjoying a festive day of celebration at the dedication of the reconstructed and renovated Public Square in the summer of 1980. Mayor Dan Theobald, in the first year of his first term, prepared to address the assembly of citizens as the community band played.

Well-known band member Maurice Finkel paused for a quick radio interview and closed his comments by saying, “We have a beautiful new circle, music and Shelbyville people. What more could a person ask for?”

Those words exemplified Maurice Finkel. He held a special affinity for music, Shelbyville and, most of all, people. He enjoyed an extraordinary life filled with an abundance and variety of experience. He was a man who seemed to always radiate a sense of gratitude for life’s blessings.  

Finkel was a successful businessman who came to Shelbyville in the early 1950s. He worked as a salesman and later an entrepreneur in the auto parts industry. However, he was always most recognized for his contribution to the arts and his enduring sense of goodwill which was forever readily on display until his death in 2020 at the age of 97.

Maurice and his wife, Carol (photo above), served as significant promoters for a variety of campaigns to stimulate Shelbyville arts and musical endeavors. They started the community band and were at the forefront of The Shelby Arts Council and The Shelby Orchestral Association.

Their marriage and productive partnership as well as them ultimately making their home in Shelbyville were both ironic and unlikely.

Maurice’s father emigrated with his wife from eastern Europe to London. The elder Finkel’s intuition proved prophetic as problems in the region would eventually increase and result in the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi occupation of Poland in 1939 during World War II. He and his wife had three children in London before moving to Montreal where Maurice was born in 1923.

Music occupied a good deal of Maurice’s time as a youth growing up in Montreal. He played clarinet in the Baron Byng High School band. He became a skilled draftsman and developed an interest in aviation. Following graduation, he began work at Canadian Vickers, a civil and military aircraft manufacturer which would become Canadair.

During World War II, Canadair lent Maurice to Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica, California. He worked on the Beaufort and the Boningbroke Bombers. He designed the overhead cockpit window seal for the PBV-1 Canso aircraft.

After the war, Maurice began selling in the auto industry for Canadian-based Lion Auto Parts. The company would become C. Mills Automotive. Maurice accepted a position as a salesman covering the Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia territory.

Maurice established National Automotive Lines, Inc. in Shelbyville in 1969. The company would be housed at the West Franklin Street location until 2019.

National Automotive, whose ownership would eventually include Maurice and sons Ken and David, sold auto parts to customers throughout the world. Maurice specialized in alternator, starter and transmission rebuilding parts. He was known and respected for his vast knowledge of the automotive parts industry.   

Maurice settled in Shelbyville and met Carol Drevno, a native of Chicago and graduate of the Indiana University School of Music. They would eventually marry and raise their children, Cydney, Sondra, Ken and David, in Shelbyville.

All four offspring would share their parents’ love of music and play multiple instruments. Ken and David would be members of the Indiana University Marching 100 during their college years in Bloomington.

In addition to organizing and developing community music associations, Maurice and Carol organized a music study club.

“These were similar to book clubs, except those in attendance explored and learned about music,” said David. “Mom and dad really enjoyed these meetings because everyone learned something every time they met.”

The couple also organized the “Shelbyville Community Concert Series.” This was a series of concerts held several times per year during the 1960s and 1970s at Shelbyville High School’s Breck Auditorium.  The productions featured a variety of very talented performers and were well attended.

Maurice’s humble demeanor belied his myriad talents and achievements. He was an accomplished pilot who flew 40 types of aircraft. He was designated a Master Pilot by the FAA and recognized for 50 years of safe flying. He spoke fluent English, French and Yiddish.

He purchased his well-known calliope (basically a portable organ) in 1987. He would become a popular musical attraction, especially at downtown Shelbyville events such as the Strawberry Festival.

“Dad really liked playing the calliope because he could see how much the public enjoyed the music,” said David. “It was instant feedback.” Maurice would play the calliope at the Indiana State Fair for 30 consecutive years from 1988 through 2017.

Maurice enjoyed providing musical opportunities to others. He used his connections to find pianos that owners were looking to discard and placed those instruments with interested people at no cost; a practice that David continues.  

His children would grow to adulthood and move on with their lives. Cydney became a doctor of Audiology and settled with her family in California. Sondra would marry and unfortunately die of cancer in 1990. Ken and David would have their own families and join Maurice in developing the family business with Ken living in Indianapolis and David in Shelbyville. Carol passed away in 2005.

Maurice bought the family home on Van Avenue in Shelbyville in 1954 and lived there until his passing less than two years ago. He and Carol expanded the house three times over the years and installed three organs while they lived there. A recent visit to the residence provides a pleasant integration of a musical museum and a warm, familial ambiance; much as it did in the 1960s and 1970s.

The benevolent spirit of the man who lived there for more than six decades continues to resonate. Maurice once said that life on Van Avenue was “A slice of Americana, where neighbors shared lives.”

For many of us, a drive past the Finkel house today resurrects memories of a family that fully invested itself in the Shelbyville community and a patriarch who consistently demonstrated a love of life and a special appreciation for the simple gifts it offered.

Maurice Finkel was a talented man who believed that every day could be a good day. He worked to make all of us believe it too.       

Stefanie Howard does not see herself as a traditional valedictorian.

The top-ranked student from Shelbyville High School’s Class of 2022 did not achieve all A’s in middle school, does not have a family history of attending college, and is very passionate about helping people.

“I was not a very good student. I was the kid that got Bs and Cs in middle school and elementary school,” explained Howard, the daughter of Robert Howard and Scarlem Rodriguez. “I don’t know what happened. Once I got my second semester report card my freshman year that said I was fourth in my class is when it clicked.

“I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I try to be really chill about grades but the valedictorian thing was such an amazing success for my family. It became so much more important to me when I realized I’m a first generation (college) student, neither of my parents went to college. There is only one person in my extended family that went to college and no one has ever been valedictorian. It is an immense honor to do something like this. It became more about my family and inspiring other people that don’t think they are good enough, because you can still do it.”

Howard will follow her own graduation speech advice about embracing vulnerability by attending Pomona College in Claremont, California, to study Neuroscience.

“I cannot wait to go to California and immerse myself in the different culture,” she said. “I am excited to be in a completely different place where I can learn a ton of things.”

A successful cross country and track and field athlete at Shelbyville, she will continue her distance running career at Pomona, competing with the track and field program as a freshman and pursuing a cross country roster spot as a sophomore with Pomona’s nationally-ranked squad.

Through the Questbridge program that pairs high-ability students with colleges and universities across the country, Howard was linked with Pomona College.

“I literally didn’t know anything about Pomona but I heard it was a great school,” she said.

Howard thoroughly researched the college and talked with students before making her decision, turning down numerous other opportunities. The first time she arrives in California will be the first time she has been west of her home state.

“My parents are really hesitant (about me moving to California). I haven’t made any progress on my dad,” she said. “I live with my mom and I have shown her videos and she is excited for me and learning more about the school.”

Leaving home also means leaving behind her sister, who served as the student manager for Shelbyville’s cross country and track and field teams and an 8-month-old half-sister that is “so awesome.”

While Howard has never been west of the mighty Wabash River, she did travel east on a school-approved overseas trip to Italy and Spain in March.

While in Italy, Howard (photo above) was able to take a short run at the former site of the Circus Maximus.

“I ran in the streets of Rome and then I ran at the Circus Maximus in ancient Ostia,” she said. “It was so surreal. I have never had so much fun while running. We were so busy so I could only run for like 20 minutes. I think the most I ran was like 35 minutes in Ostia. Every single moment, I was like this is so crazy.”

While the ancient arena no longer stands in Ostia, the history of the place was not lost on Howard, who took Latin classes in high school.

“Running in Circus Maximus, I was imagining the chariot events,” she said. “They have excavated to the level where the Circus Maximus originally was. So it was like the real thing, it was not like you were running on a grass mound of all the sediment that has washed on top of it from the previous ruins. The spina is still there. It was absolutely crazy. I had so much fun.”

With her valedictorian status, Howard has obtained scholarships to help pay for her Pomona education. In early May, she learned she was one of 12 student-athletes in Indiana to receive the 2022 IHSAA/C. Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarship.

The $2,500 scholarship was presented to “well-rounded, positive role models who have demonstrated excellence in academics, school and community involvement, character, sportsmanship, and citizenship.”

Howard has about eight weeks left until she treks west. The phrase “wasting time” is not in her vocabulary. She can be found working at McDonald’s, doing volunteer work or just running to stay in shape.

“I like working. I need that structure,” said Howard. “Working every day provides me that. I like the routine of it.

“I’m running a lot and trying to contribute to the community. Summer is easy to take a couple of months off and not do anything to help other people. That is not my plan at all. I feel like if I’m not helping other people then I am wasting so many moments.”

(This is the eighth in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

The Shelbyville Police Department is currently conducting an investigation of a missing 17-year-old male, Brayden Mahon.

Brayden was reported missing on February 10, 2022 and last seen in Shelbyville. Brayden lived with his father, Chris Mahon and grandmother, Shirley Michaels in Shelbyville at the time he went missing.

Brayden has not been active on any known social media sites and has not been seen or had any contact with family or friends since February 17, 2022. 

He is 5’11” and weighs 145lbs. 

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Brayden please contact Detective Mark Newman at 317-392-2511.  

The sixth edition of Mainstreet Shelbyville’s Wine Walk returns Friday to downtown Shelbyville.

After a two-year hiatus, the Wine Walk will feature seven wineries and trucks, food, shopping discounts as well as a downtown concert in the newly-redeveloped Public Square.

The Wine Walk starts at 5:30 p.m. Friday and ends at 9 p.m. A “wine down” concert follows from 9 to 11 p.m. with Bourbons and Brews continuing to serve those in attendance.

Wineries and wine trucks featured this year are:

• Mallow Run
• Ertel Winery
• Sip and Share Wines
• Easley Winery
• Madison County
• Let’s Wine Down
• PROSEC.CO Truck

“We are real excited to bring you seven stops and four music acts,” said Brandy Coomes, Executive Director of Mainstreet Shelbyville Inc., during her GIANT fm interview. “And also we have some food and beverage trucks coming in in addition to our downtown restaurants. You puzzle all that together and it’s going to be a great evening.”

The stops on the wine walk are coordinated with local businesses to spur shopping in the downtown area.

“This has been a really popular concept and great for our local businesses, which was our whole intent,” said Coomes. “And it’s a great social thing for Shelbyville and Shelby County.”

The main attraction for the concert is Audiodacity.

Lindsey Flannery, The Duffys, and Sister Sinjin also will be performing Friday in downtown Shelbyville.

Tickets are required to participate in the wine walk. You must be 21 years old.

The after event concert is free to the public.

Last call for Munchies.

The downtown Shelbyville restaurant and bar, located at 39 Public Square, will close its doors one final time Saturday, citing financial difficulties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the downtown redevelopment project.

“We are deeply saddened as we sit here writing this. The damage that we sustained during the pandemic, and PRIMARILY CONSTRUCTION, has left us in a hole that we are unable to dig out of,” said Adam Tindall in a media release Wednesday night to the Shelby County Post. Tindall and Maryssa Huntsman own and operate Munchies.

“To everyone who has supported us, visited us, told your friends about us, laughed with us, listened to our frustrations, and became friends with us, THANK YOU,” the media release continued. “Your friendship and support mean more to us than you could imagine.

“We will be closing permanently at the end of the day on Saturday. Come on by for one last hoorah, one last beer, a tenderloin, a Philly, or you last plate of totchos. We will be selling food until we run out.”

Fifteen months ago, Huntsman vented her frustrations at the March 15, 2021  Shelbyville Common Council meeting at City Hall. While Huntsman and Tindall were in favor of the downtown redevelopment project and its proposed end results, timing issues with the construction at the front and rear of the restaurant (photo) were difficult to understand.

“I don’t think anyone is maliciously doing it,” she said at the meeting. “I think it’s more they are trying to get it done and not thinking about the collateral damage in the mean time.”

The city continuously worked with Genesis Property Development, the project manager, and Beaty Construction, the project contractor, to provide updates to local businesses but Huntsman continually cited a lack of communication with the timeline.

“I can’t get excuses on letterhead and pay my light bills,” said Huntsman at another 2021 council meeting. “I have huge business losses at no fault of my own.”

Cadillac Jack’s, 29 Public Square, also struggled throughout the construction project and was eventually sold to new owners to continue operations now that the redevelopment project is complete.

Gillman Home Center will be open in Shelbyville by the end of the year if no major delays occur.

The Batesville-based company is growing by two locations in 2022, with a current project underway in Muncie and the beginnings of a Shelbyville location already started.

Curtis Gillman (photo, center), Chief Operating Officer of Gillman Home Center, hosted an official ground-breaking ceremony Thursday afternoon at its future Shelbyville location -- a 5.2-acre site at 200 Lee Boulevard.

“Shelbyville is the kind of town we thrive in,” said Gillman after the ceremony. “It’s a win-win for us being here. We feel like we can really compliment the other businesses in town, we are really going to be able to give back to the community.

“It’s the kind of town that supports small businesses that understand the value of a business that gives back, that will always hire local.”

With its two newest locations, the Gillman family will operate 14 locations in Indiana and Ohio, including Connersville, Edinburgh and Batesville.

The Shelbyville site will include a nearly 25,000-square-foot retail store and nearly 20,000-square-foot lumber barn.

“The easiest way I like to tell people is we have everything you need to build and maintain your home and a little more,” said Gillman. “That can be everything from your hard to find nuts and bolts in the hardware section to conventional lumber, shingles, insulation, lawn and garden supplies, drainage supplies, plumbing, electrical, and fun things too like we’ve got a lot of national brands for outdoor cooking.

“It’s a big store that we will fill with a lot of stuff.”

The site is already being prepared for construction which Gillman said will start “soon.”

“It’s a big process but once we get going and everything falls into place, we get moving quickly,” he said.

The first Gillman Home Center was built in 1992 in Batesville, Indiana. A Shelbyville location has long been desired by the company, according to Gillman, the son of the company’s founder, Charlie Gillman.

“More than anything, we see an opportunity here,” said Curtis Gillman. “This side of town needs building materials and hardware and we think we fit a niche that is needed on this side of town.”

Governor Eric J. Holcomb Wednesday signed a proclamation calling a special session for the General Assembly to convene on July 6, 2022, to take action on his plan to return more than $1 billion of state reserves to Hoosier taxpayers.

“This is the fastest, fairest and most efficient way to return taxpayers' hard-earned money during a time of economic strain,” said Gov. Holcomb. “Indiana’s economy is growing and with more than $1 billion of revenue over current projections, Hoosier taxpayers deserve to have their money responsibly returned. I’m happy to be able to take this first step and look forward to signing this plan into law as soon as possible.”

Each taxpayer would collect about $225 in addition to $125 Hoosiers are currently receiving from the state’s automatic taxpayer refund (ATR). All told, each eligible Hoosier would receive about $350; a married couple filing jointly would receive about $700.

Click here to view the proclamation.

Unable to fill a full schedule of classes his junior year, Nolen Chaney had a decision to make for one final class – Classical Literature or Genetics.

“I had a gap in my schedule my junior year … they couldn’t get me into all the classes I signed up for and the only classes available in the spot they couldn’t get me in was Classical Literature or a Genetics class,” explained the Shelbyville High School Class of 2022 salutatorian. “I took the Genetics class and it was really interesting to me. So I figured out that is what I wanted to do.”

Chaney will attend Indiana University in the fall and major in Biology with a Genetics educational track in his future.

“My sophomore year I can start taking areas of specialization,” said Chaney. “I want to go into Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. I want to get into a master’s program in Genetics.”

The decision to forgo Classical Literature was not a difficult decision. Chaney was advanced into a Biology class in seventh grade and quickly found his area of interest.              

“It was my favorite class,” he said. “The Biology class I took in high school just confirmed that.”

Chaney finished ranked No. 2 in his graduating class behind Stefanie Howard and one spot ahead of Braydon Povinelli, who will be his roommate at IU.

With the class ranking finalized, Chaney earned a speaking role at Shelbyville’s graduation ceremony.

“It went better than I thought it was going to go,” he said. “I’m pretty nervous talking in front of a bunch of people. At the podium, I was shaking the whole time. My speech was two pages long and when I went to change the page, my hands were shaking.”

Chaney is much calmer on the golf course where he carded a personal-best round of 39 last month at Blue Bear Golf Club on Senior Night.

“A goal of mine had always been to break 40 in a 9-hole match,” he said. “I had done it in practice a few times this year. On Senior Night, I shot the lowest score of my high school career.”

Chaney will take the golf clubs with him to IU where 2021 SHS valedictorian and former Golden Bear golfer Ethan Apsley is awaiting his arrival. The duo have already discussed introducing Povinelli, the 2021 state chess champion, to the sport.

While at Shelbyville, the son of George and Malia Chaney also was involved in Quiz League, Spanish Club and National Honor Society. Chaney also was named an Academic All-State golfer this past season.

Chaney and Apsley have a summer of golfing at courses they’ve not played planned around Chaney working in the pro shop at Blue Bear Golf Club in Shelbyville.

“Ethan is always calling me up and saying, ‘You want to go play golf here?” said Chaney with a smile.

Chaney narrowed his college choices down to IU and Notre Dame.

“IU has a great science program so it was a pretty easy choice to go to IU,” he said.

And while only about 90 minutes away from home, Chaney knows he will miss his hometown.

“My favorite thing about Shelbyville is the people,” he said. “I really enjoyed my time here. I think that is what I will miss the most … the people.”

(This is the seventh in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

Carrie Cooper-Randolph revels in the idea of following in her mother’s footsteps in attending Ball State University.

The Morristown High School Class of 2022 salutatorian was accepted into the Honors College at Ball State and will study Biology with a future working goal of working in the genetics field.

“I have always been super interested in science,” said Cooper-Randolph. “I definitely am a science and math kind of person. I think genetic counseling is pretty interesting.”

Genetic counselors review testing results that search for genetic predispositions to certain diseases and cancers, according to Cooper-Randolph, and then talk about the next steps.

To enter that field, Cooper-Randolph will need more than a bachelor’s degree but there is no plan in place just yet for additional postgraduate work.

Cooper-Randolph arrived at Morristown High School prior to the start of her sophomore year. A top-10 student at Shelbyville, she immediately moved into the top two of Morristown’s 2022 graduating class.

“It was a little surprising, but it’s also a lot smaller class (size),” she said. “It was a little surprising and kind of cool.”

Cooper-Randolph went from a graduating class of approximately 250 down to less than 60 and found the learning environment refreshing.

“It’s a much smaller community. It’s a lot closer, more familial than Shelbyville was … Shelbyville is not super big but it makes a big difference,” she said. “Morristown is a small, close-knit community. It was nice to get to know everyone. You know everyone in your class, you know everyone in your school.”

Cooper-Randolph started playing clarinet in the school band in sixth grade and switched to tenor saxophone when she reached Shelbyville High School to join the marching band.

She continued playing at Morristown, performing in the marching band, pep band and jazz band.

“I’m a band kid,” she said with a smile.

Ball State offered her the right environment when she visited the Muncie campus. While comfortable in a bigger school environment like Shelbyville, she continued to thrive in the smaller settings at Morristown.

“As far as state colleges go, it’s not huge,” said Cooper-Randolph. “It is not nearly as big as IU. It’s a nice campus and it’s a little over an hour from home.”

Cooper-Randolph does not yet have her college roommate selected but is required to live with another Honors College student. While she works through that decision this summer, she will continue to work at The Pizza Shop in Morristown where she has been employed since September of 2020.

A fellow employee will attend Ball State as well so Cooper-Randolph knows she will have a friend on campus to make the transition to being a freshman again a little bit easier.

“Being a freshman again, that’s strange,” she said. “At the very least, I have friend, someone I work with, going to Ball State.”

The Morristown salutatorian is the daughter of Angie Cooper and Richard Randolph.

(This is the sixth in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

Delaney Cornn had her hands in a little bit of everything at Morristown High School.

That worked so well, the Morristown High School valedictorian for the Class of 2022 will take a similar approach to her collegiate experience at Franklin College.

Cornn is leaning toward a career as a physical therapist or athletic trainer.

“I want to go through the (Franklin College) program and see everything,” she said. “They offer a ton of internships there. I can go to different places and experience different jobs.”

Cornn was actively involved in golf, basketball, softball and track and field during her time at Morristown and served as the president of the Student Council and National Honor Society.

Becoming valedictorian was not the primary goal of the daughter of Dande Ward and Omer Corrn, but she finds it pretty satisfying now that the process is over.

“Carrie (Cooper-Randolph) and I were the top two for a long time,” she said. “I was in my counselor’s office getting a copy of my transcript to apply for scholarships and when she printed it, it said No. 1 out of how many were in our class at the time.

“I looked at her and said, ‘Did I actually pass her?’ and she was like, ‘Yeah.’”

The title of valedictorian became official, according to Cornn, on the Tuesday after the school year was complete with Cooper-Randolph earning the salutatorian title.

“It’s kind of cool to brag about but it wasn’t really at the top of my goals,” she said. “I was gunning for scholarships, but I got a cool plaque with my name on it.”

With the valedictorian title came the responsibility of addressing the large crowd at the graduation ceremony.

“It was really (intimidating). You want to talk about yourself up there but I’m not the kind of person to talk about myself,” she said. “I kind of name picked a lot and said a lot of thank yous.”

Cornn plans to work throughout the summer before her Aug. 25 move-in date arrives and she officially becomes a freshman once again.

“All the times that I have gone to Franklin College for student days and schedule planning, everybody was super nice and super open about the student life there,” said Cornn. “They are very welcoming. I am excited for that portion of it. I’m not excited about trying to find my way around campus. Room numbers stress me out.”

Cornn will room with another small-town girl who graduated from Argos High School in northern Indiana, which will bring a sense of comfort while on campus.

“I will miss everybody, I will say that,” she said. “I am excited to see what adulthood has for me, what my career could be.

“And I am excited to explore everything.”

(This is the fifth in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

An Indiana man pleaded guilty to carrying a loaded gun on Capitol grounds and assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Mark Andrew Mazza, 57, of Shelbyville, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license.

According to court documents, Mazza brought a Taurus revolver, loaded with three shotgun shells and two hollow point bullets, into Washington, D.C., to the Ellipse, and then to the Capitol. Sometime on U.S. Capitol grounds before 2:45 p.m., Mazza lost possession of the revolver. Mazza illegally made his way to the Lower West Terrace and a tunnel area with doors leading into the Capitol Building. He joined in a collective effort of rioters to push through at least 20 officers who were defending the tunnel entrance. At approximately 3:13 p.m., Mazza moved to the front of the tunnel line, next to the first set of doors. He held open one of the doors, and, as he did so, he allowed other rioters to attack officers with flag poles, batons, sticks and stolen law enforcement shields, and try force their way through the line of officers.  Thereafter, he took control of a baton from an officer’s hand and swung it overhead and downward to strike at officers in the tunnel entrance, hitting one officer in the arm. After striking at the officers with the baton, he continued his efforts to get past law enforcement officers and yelled, “This is our f---- house! We own this house!”

After moving back from the front line, he then participated in “heave-ho” efforts to apply significant physical force and pressure on the officers to remove them from the doorway. Mazza was pushed out of the tunnel by law enforcement officers, but he remained on the Capitol grounds until flash bang grenades were deployed by law enforcement officers later that afternoon. On Jan. 8, 2021, according to the documents, Mazza filed a false police report in Indiana in which he claimed to have lost his gun at an Ohio casino. 

Mazza was arrested on Nov. 17, 2021, at his home in Shelbyville. He is to be sentenced on Sept. 30, 2022. He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison on the charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon and up to five years in prison in prison on the firearms charge. Both charges also carry potential financial penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.

The U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the FBI’s Louisville and Washington Field Offices, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Shelbyville, Indiana Police Department.

In the 17 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 840 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.  

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

State health officials announced that the first probable case of monkeypox in Indiana in 2022 has been identified. No further information about the patient will be released due to privacy concerns.

Initial testing was completed at the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) Laboratories today. Confirmatory testing is pending at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Based on the initial positive test and preliminary case investigation, state health officials consider this a probable monkeypox infection. The patient remains isolated, and health officials are working to identify anyone the patient may have had close contact with while infectious.

“The risk of monkeypox among the general public continues to be extremely low,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “Monkeypox is rare and does not easily spread through brief casual contact. Please continue to take the same steps you do to protect against any infection, including washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, and check with a healthcare provider if you have any new signs or symptoms.”

Person-to-person transmission is possible either through skin-to-skin contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores or contaminated items, such as bedding or clothing, or through exposure to respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact.

Monkeypox typically begins with fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and exhaustion about 5 to 21 days after exposure. Within 1 to 3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. Some people may only develop the rash. The illness typically lasts for 2 to 4 weeks. People are considered infectious until all scabs from the rash have fallen off.

The CDC reports that 113 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in 21 U.S. states and territories in 2022. Visit the CDC’s website for more information on the monkeypox outbreak.

As part of Caesars Foundation’s $3.3 million donation to organizations across the U.S., Horseshoe Indianapolis has donated a total of $70,000 to Shelby County United Fund for You (SCUFFY) with $55,000 of that sum coming directly from Caesars Foundation.

SCUFFY holds an annual drive which recently completed by surpassing the goal of $875,000 with more than $912,000 collected. All proceeds from the drive benefit 13 local agencies in Shelby County.

“It’s important to us that Horseshoe Indianapolis continues its goal of being a good corporate partner in Shelby County,” said Steve Jarmuz, Senior Vice President and General Manager. “Allotting our funds coming directly from Caesars Foundation to SCUFFY plus an additional $15,000 from our local program only strengthens our commitment to the immediate community and ensures the organizations under the SCUFFY umbrella have the resources they need to provide much needed services.”

SCUFFY currently provides support to 13 different agencies, including Boys and Girls Club of America, Girls, Inc, The Salvation Army, Project Clothes for Kids, Cancer Association of Shelby County, Turning Point, United Service Organization (USO) Indiana, Shelby Senior Services, National Head Start Association, Meals on Wheels, The Arc of Shelby County, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. The 2022 drive was completed with a total of $912,907.65.

“This donation is so important to our organization,” said Alecia Gross, Executive Director of SCUFFY. “Without donations such as this, we would not be able to assist in our community. Horseshoe Indianapolis was the largest donor in this category, so we appreciate this so much.”

The Caesars Foundation is a private foundation funded by resorts owned or operated by Caesars Entertainment and is the entity through which Caesars funds non-profit programs. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting the communities in which Caesars Entertainment operates with an ongoing commitment to economic development while improving the quality of life of Team Members and their families, the community, and society at large.

To learn more about Caesars Entertainment's corporate social responsibility, please visit www.caesars.com/corporate.  

A Columbus man was arrested on charges of possession of child pornography following a four-month investigation by the Indiana State Police and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

The investigation began in February 2022 after the Indiana State Police received six cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  The tips were initiated after three internet service providers submitted reports to the NCMEC.  The NCMEC is a private, non-profit organization that assists law enforcement in the prevention of child abduction and sexual exploitation. 

The investigation, led by Indiana State Police Detective Kevin Getz, resulted in the ICAC Task Force executing a search warrant at 4815 Timbercrest Drive, Columbus, Indiana yesterday morning.  Task force officers assisting in the investigation were from the Indiana State Police ICAC and Cyber Crimes Units, the FBI, and the Bloomington Police Department.

During a search of the residence, additional evidence related to the possession of child pornography was located.

As a result of the investigation, Mark A. Scolley, 38, was arrested on seven counts of Possession of Child Pornography.  He was transported to the Bartholomew County Jail where he was incarcerated. 

For someone known for hitting 3s, Megan Bogemann was very comfortable being ranked No. 3 in her graduating class at Waldron High School.

Bogemann made it to the final day of school believing she could enjoy graduation day without having to give a speech. That is when she learned twin sisters Hadlie and Hallie Ross were named co-valedictorians and Bogemann was now the salutatorian.

“At the end of the last school day I found out I have to give a speech,” recalled Bogemann. “I had to think of something really fast and hope it was good.”

More comfortable playing in front of thousands of fans, Bogemann found the experience of talking in front of so many friends and families daunting.

“It was definitely nerve-wracking because I don’t want to talk in front of people,” she said.

That notion comes with some irony considering she plans to major in Speech, Language and Hearing at Purdue University. Her life will literally be built around speech.

“I went from a lot of physical therapy to occupational therapy, so I knew I wanted to do some sort of therapy,” she said. “I knew I wanted to go into the medical field but not go particularly into the medical field because I don’t have the stomach for it.

“I want to work in a hospital setting with speech pathology so I can help little kids.”

In reality, Bogemann has been helping little kids in the Waldron school system for the last two years. She, as are many members of the Class of 2022 at Waldron, is a role model because of her volleyball, basketball and tennis success.

Bogemann was part of a sectional championship winning volleyball team in 2021, a 3-point marksman for a basketball team that was ranked No. 1 in the state and won sectional and regional championships in February, and teamed with Mackenzie Shaw to become the first tennis doubles sectional champions in school history.

“I definitely think our sports has put a legacy on the school, and FFA (Future Farmers of America) too,” she said. “The senior class has helped do a lot of things for our community and I think that is what our senior class is based off of, helping our community and leaving a mark on Waldron.”

That mark is what made Bogemann sentimental during her final couple days in school.

“It was a little sad knowing it would be the last time walking in this class with these people, last time seeing these teachers, or the last time walking through the elementary (school),” she said. “It was cool walking through the elementary school and how excited they are to see you and know the impact you’ve made on all of them.”

Bogemann found Purdue to be the right fit, wanting a larger school experience without being overwhelmed by the setting.

“I wanted to have a place with a lot of people in it but still felt small,” she said. “I didn’t want to go to a big college and feel overwhelmed. “Purdue is still so many people but the campus makes it feel small and close knit and that’s what I liked about it. It felt like home to me.”

By choosing Purdue, though, Bogemann made the difficult decision to close out her athletic career.

“I already miss volleyball and basketball and I know I will miss tennis,” said Bogemann. “It’s bittersweet knowing what we did as seniors and walking out of this school with our faces being on the walls forever.”

(This is the fourth in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

All Ellie Gosser focused on were her perceived mistakes.

The six judges saw something else.

Gosser, a rising junior at Southwestern High School, was crowned the 2022 Shelby County Royal champion Wednesday night at the Shelby County Fair.

“It was a surprise,” she said with a big smile. “I tally my mistakes and I wasn’t expecting it. I messed up too much.”

Gosser was one of six competitors for the coveted Shelby County Royal title. She is the third representative in a row of the Southwestern Shamrocks 4-H group to capture the award following wins by Dane Kissell and Camille Thopy.

Also competing Wednesday were Avery Everhart, Ella Koch, Sarah Fitzgerald, Krista Brown (photo below) and Tyler Harker.

Each a champion showman in their particular breed of animal, the challenge in the Shelby County Royal is to show six different breeds of animal – swine, horses and pony, goats, sheep, dairy cattle and beef cattle – and express knowledge to the various judges of each breed of animal.

“This is extremely difficult,” said Scott Gabbard, county extension director of Purdue Extension Shelby County and the emcee for the Shelby County Royal. “These are animals that are not in their barn. They don’t work with them on a daily basis.”

Shelby County Fair livestock superintendents secure the animals to be shown and the competitors are randomly assigned to those animals. The pairings don’t always work well.

Sarah Fitzgerald drew a sheep that wanted no part of the event Wednesday and eluded as many as seven people before being corralled and removed. Fitzgerald was given another sheep to show.

Gosser was most concerned about showing a horse in the second round of the competition.

“It’s the least familiar to me,” she said.

The competitors got through the first four rounds which left the dairy cattle and beef cattle, which is what Gosser shows at the fair.

“It gave me an end of time comfort because I knew that was what I was going to end with so I felt better,” she said.

With the award in hand, Gosser could not even guess how many hours she has spent at the fairgrounds over the fair’s first three days.

“I don’t know. I really don’t … I can’t even give you an estimate,” she said.

The 4-H livestock auction is tonight at the Shelby County Fair, which has continued on despite triple-digit heat indexes Tuesday and Wednesday.

“It’s gone really well,” said Gabbard. “The kids and the families all worked well together. Yes, it’s hot and, at times, very miserable but that being said, we’ve worked well together and so far, so good.”

A person was killed in a Greenwood hit-and-run on Wednesday.

About 11:45 am, the Greenwood Police Department responded to the 500 block of N. State Road 135 on a reported personal injury accident. Officers arrived and located a Greenwood man, Andrew Bankert, 23, dead at the scene.

Greenwood Police say that it appears Bankert was the victim of a hit-and-run accident.

Greenwood Detectives are actively investigating the incident.  Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Greenwood Police Department Tip Line at 317-865-0300 or they can anonymously make a report on the department’s web page at www.greenwood.in.gov/police.

Shelbyville Central Schools will start the 2022-2023 school year with a new superintendent and three new principals in its six buildings.

Superintendent Mary Harper participated in her final school board meeting Wednesday ahead of her retirement. She will be taking a vacation before returning to finish up her last duties serving the Shelbyville school system.

“I’m going to really miss the people and the interactions you have every day,” said Harper after the meeting. “I’m not going to slow down. I’m going go to get more involved in my church. I’m helping out at Echo (Effect) and so I will find other ways to serve this community – just not in this capacity.”

Harper (photo, seated right) quipped at the end of the meeting you will probably see her at the Golden Bear Preschool reading books to children. She is nearing the completion of a three-year run as SCS superintendent following roles as a teacher, high ability coordinator, principal at Hendricks Elementary School and assistant superintendent over her 37-year career.

Harper was presented with a rocking chair at the end of the meeting and a dinner followed in the administration building’s meeting room.

Dr. Matt Vance, who will succeed Harper, was in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting. He was previously the superintendent of Rush County Schools.

“I am super excited about Matt Vance coming in here,” she said. “He is great and he will hit the ground running.”

For more on the hiring of Dr. Matt Vance go to https://shelbycountypost.com/local-news/619107

During the meeting, the resignation of Coulston Elementary School principal Patrick Guilfoy was accepted. He has taken an administrative position in the Franklin Township school system.

“I will be elementary principal at South Creek Elementary School,” said Guilfoy, who was in attendance at Wednesday’s board meeting. “This was determining next steps in my career and opportunities for advancement and seeing what they have to offer as a larger school corporation.”

Guilfoy just finished his third school year as Coulston’s principal.

“The people (at Coulston) make it tough to leave,” he said.

While not addressed in the meeting’s personnel report, the school system’s website is advertising for a new Shelbyville High School principal, meaning Brent Baker will not be returning to that role for a fourth year.

Board president Curt Johnson (photo, standing) did not have a definitive answer whether Baker will remain in the school system.

There are 48 days until the first day for students of the 2022-2023 school year.

“We are in the middle of June and every day counts, so we are in the transition right now,” said Johnson, citing only having a few days notice of Guilfoy’s resignation. “It’s all brand new. At this point, every day matters.”

There also will be another administrative opening at Shelbyville Middle School after assistant principal Rachel Blumke turned in her resignation, which will be official June 21, according to the personnel report.

The middle school already is in transition with principal Ryan Mikus moving into an administrative role with the school corporation and assistant principal Wes Hall becoming the new principal. In addition, SMS athletic director/dean of students Rex Olds is replacing Hall as an assistant principal.

For more on Ryan Mikus leaving SMS go to https://shelbycountypost.com/local-news/635934

Major renovation projects are about to begin at Loper Elementary School, Coulston Elementary and Shelbyville Middle School. All three schools will see improvements in roofing, flooring, painting, acoustical treatments and ceilings, plumbing, electrical and technology.

Bid recommendations were approved Wednesday totaling $7,325,219 for Loper and $12,937,662 for Coulston and SMS.

“It’s go time,” said Johnson. “It’s exciting. It’s great we are able to upgrade these facilities. The bids, by all accounts, came in well under budget – so far, so good.”

The school board also accepted a $10,000 grant from Pilot Company that will be used to expand the robotics program at the elementary schools, middle school and high school. The grant also will help the school system host at least two robotics competitions at the middle school featuring teams from around the state.

Two girls were recovered from a Greenwood body of water Wednesday night.

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating the incident involving two juveniles.

Just before 8 p.m., emergency crews were dispatched to the area of the 1200 block of Edgewater Drive in the Clear Brook Subdivision after two juveniles were separated from a group playing in the water and did not resurface.

Greenwood Fire Department and Greenwood Police Department were first on scene and were able to recover the female victims at 8:05 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., respectively, in approximately 15 feet of water.

The victims were transported to Franciscan Health Hospital and Community South in critical condition.  The investigation is ongoing.

Agencies assisting include Bargersville Fire Department, Indianapolis Fire Department, Johnson Co. Sheriff’s Department, and Southport Police Department.

Gillman Home Center will be breaking ground on their new Shelbyville location with a formal ceremony on June 23, at 1pm.

Based in Batesville, Gillman Home Center is excited to begin construction on their 16th location right here in Shelbyville. With the current supply chain lead times and construction timelines, they are hopeful for a Winter 2022 / 2023 soft opening of the new store.

The addition of a Shelbyville store has long been envisioned for this Indiana based company that cannot wait to open its doors to begin servicing the Shelbyville community.

Curtis Gillman, Chief Operating Officer for Gillman Home Center, is particularly excited for this location.

"Shelbyville has always been a goal of ours. We believe what we bring to the community will both complement the existing Shelbyville businesses, as well as put Gillman Home Center in a position to help boost the local economy. We can't wait to become part of the neighborhood!" says Curtis.

Gillman Home Center is a family owned home center. Gillman stores are not just hardware stores or lumber yards, but a full service, one stop shop for everything from full home lumber packages, to that "hard-to-find" screw, to complete design services for home projects.

The new Gillman Home Center will be located at 200 Lee Blvd. (between Walmart and I-74) in Shelbyville. This will be their 16th location across Indiana and Ohio.

For more information, visit mygillman.com.

Not even Calculus could separate Hadlie and Hallie Ross.

Well, it almost did.

Hallie Ross getting a better grade in Calculus created the slightest separation in the twin sisters’ grade point averages -- .006 to be exact -- at Waldron High School.

That bothered Hadlie Ross enough to bear down for one final semester of stellar grades to get back even with her younger sister.

The plan worked. By the time the school year ended, Hadlie Ross (photo, left) and Hallie Ross were crowned co-valedictorians for the Class of 2022.

Their final act as Mohawks came at graduation when they delivered the valedictorian address together.

“I liked our speech. I liked that we got to give it together,” said Hadlie. “I felt like it made it more special.”

And it allowed the quieter Hallie to share the moment rather than step into the spotlight.

“I don’t do well talking on my own,” she said with a smile.

With their first quiet summer schedule in years, the Ross sisters will enjoy two vacations before heading off to college.

“We don’t usually take vacations in the summer because of (basketball) practice,” said Hadlie. The sisters were part of the Waldron basketball team that won sectional and regional titles this past season.

Once August rolls around, the sisters will prepare for separate journeys. Hadlie is headed south to Bloomington to study Human Biology at Indiana University while Hallie goes north to Indianapolis to study Psychology and Biology at Butler University.

Each decision shows the difference in their personalities.

“I think it’s more of a college experience when there are more people,” explained Hadlie, who mentioned she probably would have attended Purdue if not IU. “I visited our sister at Hanover (College) and I thought it felt more like high school than when I visited IU and Purdue. I just like the bigger environment. It felt like being part of a huge community plus I like the D1 sports.”

Hallie was not a fan of the larger campuses and the thought of being in a class with hundreds of other students.

“I think a big lecture hall like they have at IU would be too overwhelming for me,” said Hallie. “At college, there are way more students than are in (one large class). I think that is a big enough step up for me.”

The pair admit they will be challenged by living apart, although they admit they rarely studied with each other despite taking several classes together at Waldron. Each will have to find a new competitive element to push them to success.

Hadlie plans to use her time at IU to prepare for dental school, also in Bloomington. Hallie sees her time at Butler as the way to become a psychiatrist.

“I think people are interesting and a lot of people need a psychiatrist,” said Hallie. “Plus, I volunteer at a hospital and I really like that environment.”

Technology will keep them close but both seem ready for a new challenge.

“It will be weird. I am with her almost every second of every day,” said Hadlie. “It will be weird but we can Facetime. I think we will get more comfortable with it as we get more into college.”

That is if they can survive being freshmen all over again.

“That’s so weird to say that. I’m not (ready),” said Hadlie. “I feel like I won’t be as prepared. Like being a senior, you know what you need to do. You know all the tricks. As a freshman, you don’t know anything.”

The co-valedictorians are the daughters of Jonathon Ross and Heather and Anthony Thomas.

(This is the third in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

Tonight's scheduled hot air balloon rides hosted by Shelby County Tourism at the Shelby County Fair has been canceled due to the heat.

Midwest Hot Air Balloons says the balloon cannot get lift in the heat.

Shelby County Tourism invites the public to come to the fair and stop by the Bicentennial Tent for scavenger hunt cards and great prizes.

For Logan Prickett to secure a TQ midgets feature win on his home track Thursday, he will have to outmaneuver a veteran field that also will include former NASCAR great Tony Stewart.

Stewart, who owns the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midget series, will make a special guest appearance at the Shelby County Fair Thursday and take to the dirt track that has ties all the way back to former Indianapolis 500 winner Wilbur Shaw.

The TQ midget series has struggled to finish events in 2022 due to inclement weather but the forecast is hot and dry Thursday which should make for exciting dirt-track racing.

“It really is exciting. You have nose-to-tail racing and sliding into each other,” said Mike Prickett, father of Logan Prickett (photo), a rising Shelbyville High School senior. “With 24 cars out there, there is a lot going on.”

The dirt track at the Shelby County Fairgrounds has long been a traditional stop of racing enthusiasts. The TQ midget series was forced to cancel the May 21 event in Shelbyville due to a wet track.

There are two more local stops scheduled for the series on July 30 and Aug. 27.

Stewart has expressed a desire for Shelbyville to grow in stature which is why he is coming to compete Thursday at the Shelby County Fair.

“He wants to come out and support the series,” said Prickett. “He thinks the Shelby County Fairgrounds is a great staple to run three, four or five times a year. This will allow Shelby County to embrace the series much like Bartholomew County and Rush County.”

Prickett anticipates at least 25 cars show up Thursday with hot laps and qualifying happening before the 7 p.m. green flag for heat races which lead to the “B main” and the “featured” main event.

Stewart and Logan Prickett will be joined on the track by veterans Joey Paxson – the defending series champion, Tate Martz and Matt Lux who have spent countless hours racing at the local fairgrounds.

“(Logan) will be nervous on some levels but he’s excited for the race,” said Mike Prickett.

Grandstand admission for the event is $10. Pit passes are $20.

The Strand Theatre reported a theft to the Shelbyville Police Department on
Friday. The theater has struggled with failures of their air conditioning units. This equipment was installed in 2015 and is in excellent condition.

The theater personnel spent several weeks eliminating every cause for the
failure. Diagnosis was unsuccessful and Scott Cook HVAC was called to
investigate.  Cook informed the theater’s staff the refrigerant from all seven units was gone. There was evidence of equipment used to remove the gas.

Earlier this spring the Strand volunteers discovered someone tried to pry open the access cover between the roof and attic.  They were unsuccessful in gaining entry to the Strand, but did damage to the latch mechanism.

Scott Cook recharged all units and tested each.  There were no leaks present. All units were operational with the addition of the refrigerant.

The cost to replace the refrigerant was just under $4,000.

The Strand Theatre in Shelbyville is a not-for-profit, all volunteering performing arts center.  There have been over 1,450 events there since opening in 2008.

A Shelbyville man was killed in a Monday truck  - pedestrian accident.

Just before 2:00 pm, Shelbyville Police responded to the scene in the 1600 block of East State Road 44.  David Elliott, 75, was crossing East SR 44 on foot from the south side to the north.  A westbound pickup driven by Glenn Hanna, 75, of Shirley, struck Elliott.  Elliott died of the injuries sustained the crash.

Shelbyville Police report that Hanna remained at the scene and cooperated with police. He submitted to a blood draw which is procedure for a driver involved in a serious bodily injury or fatal crash. At this time police have no reason to believe drugs or alcohol was a factor.

The investigation is on-going.

RushShelby Energy has been informed by Midcontinent Independent System Operator, MISO, an independent nonprofit organization that operates the electrical grid in the middle of the United States, that there is a possibility of rolling blackouts in our region this week with Wednesday having the greatest potential for this to happen.

Several domestic and international economic challenges impact us as an industry. These challenges follow the national trend over several years of retiring coal generation and transitioning to more intermittent, renewable resources.

So far, the pace of generation additions hasn't kept pace with the retirements of dispatchable resources they will replace. As a result, we want everyone to be increasingly more aware of possible requests to reduce electricity.

RushShelby Energy asks that you consume less energy when demand is high and supply is constrained to help alleviate stress on the power grid.  Peak load times in the summer is usually mid afternoon to early evening hours.  Ways you can reduce energy consumption is to take showers early mornings or late evenings; avoid doing laundry or do so in the early morning or late evening hours; cook outside or make a meal that doesn’t require heating to avoid using the oven; run dishwashers late at night or early morning hours; set you’re A/C at 76 or higher; close curtains in to help keep the home cooler; shut off lights and all electronic equipment not needed.

Please be prepared for the possibility of outages. Should the situation dictate, power could be intentionally disconnected for short periods to preserve the integrity of the entire grid.

Kelsey McGuire tailored her Triton Central graduation day speech to the ideal of “living in the moment.”

The Triton Central High School Class of 2022 salutatorian stayed very much in the moment as her educational track stiffened year by year.

“I will say I am not naturally smart,” said McGuire. “I have to work at it.

“I’m the kid that will study two hours the night before a test. I never not get a homework assignment done. I stay after school all the time to get extra help.”

Realizing what it took for her to succeed helped McGuire move up two spots in her graduating class from her initial freshman ranking of No. 4.

In other words, she stayed in the moment despite being involved in numerous club and service activities at Triton Central as well as athletics (four years of tennis, two years of basketball).

“I feel like a lot of people focus on social media and having to post everything and feeling like they have to put on a façade,” said McGuire. “I want people to live in the moment. You don’t have to post everything … have memories for you.”

McGuire’s hard work and love for children is taking her to Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana, to study Nursing with the goal of being a pediatric or NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) nurse.

“It’s a great campus and I love the people,” she said. “I really wanted smaller classes and I’m a person that likes to engage with teachers.

“I knew I wanted to be somewhat close to home so I wanted to be in state. And they start (nursing) clinicals their sophomore year so I get a lot more experience. I felt like I was home.”

The daughter of Darrin and Shannon McGuire, Kelsey has already completed a hospital internship program, working in a maternity ward.

“I loved it,” she said of the experience.

McGuire will be rooming at Indiana Wesleyan with a Shelbyville graduate who is a sophomore in the Nursing program. That will leave her in good hands as her best friends move on from Triton Central, including class valedictorian Julia Sanders, who won’t be so far away at IU Kokomo.

“I am nervous I won’t have Jules. We were inseparable during high school,” said McGuire. “You can ask the teachers, if you saw one of us, you saw both of us. We were always partners in everything. It will be different doing school without her to lean on.”

(This is the second in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

Cooling stations that are available in Shelby County during this week's excessive hot and humid forecast include:

Shelbyville VFW Post 2695

1622 East State Road 44 (behins Studio 10)

American Legion Post 70

1125 Miller Avenue

Shelby Senior Services

2120 Intelliplex Dr. Ste 101

Salvation Army

136 E Washington

Shelby County Library

57 W Broadway St

Shelby County Library - Morristown (12 - 8p)

127 E Main St

If you or someone you know needs additional assistance or you would like your location added to the list of cooling centers, call Emily Larrison 317-392-5119, extension 411 or email elarrison@cityofshelbyvillein.com

A new level of comfort for Julia Sanders will take time and patience.

While recently driving to Kokomo for an open gym with her new collegiate volleyball teammates, the Triton Central High School Class of 2022 valedictorian recognized how much her life is changing.

“I was driving up there and I realized I was so far from my friends,” said Sanders. “Once I got out of practice and looked at my phone I was thinking about all my friends back home. It’s weird to think about it but change has to happen and I am excited for it.”

Sanders will attend Indiana University Kokomo to study Health Sciences and continue her volleyball career. She is Triton Central volleyball’s career leader in digs and service aces and will join a college program that finished 28-8 in 2021 and made its seventh-straight NAIA tournament appearance.

“It was so fun,” said Sanders of her first college volleyball experience. “I was so nervous but excited to play with everyone … but so nervous. I’m just a little freshman and didn’t know how it was going to go.

“The girls run the practices and the coach is just there to talk to. The seniors pretty much run the practice. It was a lot of scrimmaging. It was really hard play. It was a different level than playing in high school. And it’s a different level than playing club volleyball.”

Sanders was informed she was ranked No. 1 in her graduating class as a freshman. She found that surprising considering she did not give it much thought while in middle school.

Then came Biology.

“I was really tested my freshman year in Biology because everyone has a hard time in that class because it’s really rigorous,” she explained. “I ended up with an ‘A’ and I figured if I can do this, everyone said freshman year Biology was really hard, and if I can get through it with a ‘A’ I should be fine.”

That made maintaining her top ranking a realistic goal.

 “My junior year, I knew there would be a lot more difficult classes,” she said. “That was a lot more studying every night and I was busier as an athlete. That year taught me how to time manage.”

By March of her senior year, she was informed she would indeed be the valedictorian. With that honor came the responsibility of speaking at TC’s graduation ceremony.

Sanders, the daughter of Vince and Jill Sanders, did not find the public speaking overwhelming after years of playing sports. However, she found sitting on the stage throughout the ceremony daunting.

“I wasn’t as nervous giving the speech,” she said. “I was nervous sitting on the stage the whole ceremony. I didn’t want to look bored up there.”

Officially a high school graduate now, Sanders realizes life is changing after so many days traveling back and forth to Triton Central.

For more on Sanders' signing with IU Kokomo: https://shelbycountypost.com/sports/609183

“It’s weird that I am not coming (to Triton Central) for practice,” she said. “When club volleyball was over, that was really hard too. I’ve traveled so many places and met so many cool people.

“Now I get to do that again in college and I am grateful for that.”

Sanders’ ultimate goal is to get her degree in Health Sciences and then continue school to become a physician’s assistant.

(This is the first in a 10-part series highlighting the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians from the five Shelby County high schools.)

The first Culver’s in Shelbyville is officially open.

Owner Ashley Mitchell and several staff members attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning as the fast food restaurant was prepared for its first hours of operation.

“The demographic … the people … the town … it’s a small town and we are excited to be a part of a small town,” said Mitchell, who also owns and operates a franchise in Franklin, Indiana.

The Shelbyville location at 1930 N. Morristown Road is the 867^th Culver’s franchise to open its doors since the first one on July 18, 1984.

Mitchell (photo) first started working for the franchise in 2005 as a senior in high school. She worked her way up the management ladder from shift manager to assistant manager to general manager and finally owner in 2020.

She is the third woman in the Culver’s franchise group to operate multiple restaurants.

Mitchell realizes there is a great challenge ahead of her owning two restaurants in two different communities.

“I’ve heard this is the hardest transition,” she said. “If you can do two, you can do 20.”

The opening of the restaurant from its original timeline was delayed as the effects of the pandemic still made it difficult to get supplies.

“It’s a lot harder to get supplies during COVID,” she said. “It took a longer building process because we were trying to find lumber and the asphalt place was still shut down, they just opened. That’s why we were delayed a few weeks.”

Mitchell is excited to have a dedicated staff ready to work.

“We are very blessed,” she said. “We fortunately found 75 team members who are ready and willing to do whatever it takes.”

Through her two decades of experience with Culver’s, Mitchell knows this first week of operation will be time-consuming for her while also rewarding.

“I expect insane business,” she said. “We can’t wait to see what Shelbyville is going to do with us.”

The Purdue Board of Trustees announced today (June 10) its unanimous election of Dr. Mung Chiang, currently the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, as the university’s next president. Dr. Chiang will replace current president Mitch Daniels effective Jan. 1, 2023. Daniels has served since January 2013.

During Chiang’s five years at Purdue, he has led his college to its highest rankings ever, even as it has grown dramatically at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Purdue is currently ranked No. 4 among graduate programs, No. 3 for online programs, and No. 8 for undergraduate education, and is the largest school in the nation’s top 10. Both government and industry-sponsored research funding have set new records, as do the 12 national research centers now housed at the university. 

Meanwhile, Chiang has played a central role in establishing new relationships with federal agencies in the national security and economic development sectors, and in recruiting new companies to invest and create jobs in Purdue’s Discovery Park District. He spent 2020 as scientific and technology advisor to the U.S. secretary of state on a prestigious Intergovernmental Personnel Act appointment.

Mung Chiang

Chiang earned a B.S. (Hons.) in electrical engineering and mathematics, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. He came to Purdue from Princeton University, where in his role as the Arthur LeGrand Professor of Electrical Engineering, he was recognized for a number of innovations in teaching and was the first chairman of Princeton’s Entrepreneurial Council. The holder of 25 patents, he founded three companies and was named New Jersey’s CEO of the Year in 2014. Among many other academic honors, Chiang received the Alan T. Waterman Award in 2013 as the nation’s top scientist under the age of 40 for his excellence in edge computing, internet congestion, cloud and video optimization, and other research areas.  Chiang’s research publications have received over 30,000 citations with an H-index of 81. He has graduated more than 50 Ph.D. students and postdocs, including 24 who have become faculty in research universities. His full biography is attached.

Chiang will lead a transition of his duties as dean, while continuing his strategic initiatives assignment.

Board of Trustees Chairman Michael Berghoff said, “Mung is the ideal choice to lead Purdue into its next ‘giant leap.’ The board could not be more confident in this selection, as we have had the opportunity to observe his performance across a broad range of duties for five years. 

“He has displayed not only academic excellence but also administrative acumen, effective relationship-building with academic, governmental, and business partners, and the skills of public communications. He brings the entire package of talents and experience necessary to take our university further forward. It is no surprise that Mung has been offered the presidency of several other schools, and the board is grateful that his loyalty to Purdue kept him here and available as this time of transition arrived.”

Berghoff thanked President Daniels for his service, saying, “The last decade has seen Purdue attain unprecedented levels of national recognition, reflected in record enrollments, academic rankings, and overall reputation.

Statement from Dr. Mung Chiang

“It is the highest and most humbling honor to be selected by the Board of Trustees as the next president of Purdue University: the unique and most remarkable land-grant university in the land of the free. Throughout the past 153 years, and spanning from the Wabash River to the moon, generations of Boilermakers contributed to our state, to our country, and to humanity in immeasurable ways. There is no other place like Purdue.

“And there is no other university leader like ours. President Daniels built Purdue into the most consequential public university in the United States. Under Mitch's leadership, our university attained the strongest academic reputation, from record-breaking enrollment to all-time-high research excellence, from the Ever True campaign to the transformed campus. Purdue led the country in safely reopening during the pandemic, while its financial foundation is fortified stronger than ever before. But there's even more. Mitch is also the most innovative president in America: affordability through tuition freeze, 21st century land grant through Purdue Global, and economic growth in Indiana through entrepreneurship and the Discovery Park District in West Lafayette.

“The amazing success of the Daniels' Decade must continue. While my family and I are blessed with the pride of gold and black, I'm also humbled by a daunting task: ensure the continuity of today's momentum into the next giant leaps. I've had the privilege to be a part of the Purdue team in the past five years, and there's much more that I need to keep learning, like a student, from each of you. In the next seven months and beyond, my responsibilities start with listening, to students, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors, and state, national and global partners, friends and families of Purdue.

“Neil Armstrong said, ‘Knowledge is fundamental to all human achievement and progress.’ A university gifts a time when lives are lifted by student access and success. My own life was lifted out of scarcity because of education. A university preserves a place for all minds in pursuit of open inquiry. And I'm ever grateful for the honor to serve the talents at our university. As an immigrant living the American dream and as a citizen of the greatest nation in human history, I'm also proud to serve, in higher education as I did in the U.S. State Department, the best hope for freedom and opportunity in the ‘shining city on the hill.’

“Opportunities and challenges are intensifying for American higher education, from modality and value of learning to R&D investment by government and the private sector. We believe the entire Purdue system, across all campuses and all units, will innovate together and excel together: one brick at a time, toward boundless potential in the Boilermaker future.

“Hail Our Purdue!”

Selected significant accomplishments of the Mitch Daniels presidency

Mitch Daniels

• Frozen tuition for unprecedented 11 years through 2022-23.
  • March 2013: Just seven weeks into his presidency, President Daniels announces a two-year tuition freeze to address rising college costs and concerns over affordability. This marks the first time tuition will not go up since 1976.
• Launch of bold initiatives and university priorities: Purdue Moves in 2013 and Purdue’s Next Moves in 2021.
• Acquisition, launch and growth of Purdue University Global.
• Creation of Purdue Polytechnic High Schools, now three schools strong in Indianapolis and South Bend.
• Commitment to Freedom of Expression, with Purdue becoming the first public institution of higher education to adopt a free speech policy called the “Chicago principles.”
• Conception and championship of the growth and expansion of the Discovery Park District at Purdue.
• New vital partnerships and corporate locations, including Rolls-Royce, Saab, Schweitzer Engineering Labs.
• Record innovation and commercialization activity, including growth in patents and startups based on Purdue faculty and student research and discovery.
• Transformation of the State Street corridor.
• Record growth of fundraising, including incredibly successful Ever True fundraising campaign, raising more than $2.5 billion, and the launch of the Purdue Day of Giving, an annual celebration that has grown and achieved record donors and donations each year since 2014.
• Yearlong celebration of Purdue’s 150th anniversary.
• Increased rankings across the board for the university, its colleges and programs.
• Unprecedented growth of the faculty and the undergraduate student body.
• Transformative education initiatives, including Degree in Three programs across campus, a Civics Literacy requirement, and assessment of the growth in critical thinking for all students.
• Expansion of the physical plant, including:
  • Chaney-Hale Hall of Science.
  • Agricultural and Biological Engineering Building.
  • David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex.
  • Wilmeth Active Learning Center.
  • College of Engineering and Purdue Polytechnic Gateway Complex: Dudley Hall and Lambertus Hall.
  • Marc and Sharon Hagle Hall.
  • The Life Sciences Ranges Phenotyping Greenhouse Building.
  • Animal Sciences complex: Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences, the Land O’Lakes Center for Experiential Learning and Purina Pavilion.
  • Zucrow High-Speed Propulsion Lab.
  • Hypersonics and Applied Research Facility.
  • Schleman Hall of Student Services and Stewart Center renovations for student services.
• Creation of Presidential Lecture Series, bringing to campus prominent guest speakers on policy, leadership, culture and society.

Taste of Shelby County brings food and entertainment to the new-look Shelbyville downtown Friday evening.

Rachael Ackley with Shelby County Tourism appeared on Chamber Chat on GIANT fm to preview the event.

The 2022 Shelby County Fair will be hot.

With temperatures expected to reach near 100 degrees mid-week next week, fairgoers and 4H members must be cautious with the soaring temperatures while enjoying one of the oldest fairs in the state.

The 173^rd edition of the Shelby County Fair opens Monday and runs through Saturday night at the Shelby County Fairgrounds, 500 Frank St., with a full 4H showing schedule, plenty of grandstand events and a midway.

“It sounds like it is going to be rather toasty,” admitted Shelby County Fair board president Jennifer Thopy.

The first 4H event Monday is the Dairy Cattle Show at 9 a.m. The 4H Mini Show with goats, sheep and swine follows at 3 p.m. and the Beef Cattle Show starts at 5:30 p.m.

Exhibit halls open daily at 5 p.m. A children’s mini-farm and petting zoo is open from 2 to 10 p.m. daily. Parking on the fairgrounds is $5 and starts at 3 p.m. daily.

Midway wristbands are $20 person Monday from 6 to 10 p.m.

The featured event at the grandstand is Autocross racing. Admission is $10 and a pit pass is $20. Racing starts at 7 p.m.

Emma Deaton crowned Shelby County Fair queen: https://shelbycountypost.com/local-news/637694

Tuesday’s 4H schedule features the Swine Show (8 a.m.), Poultry Show (1 p.m.) and Sheep Show (5 p.m.).

The midway, which opens at 5 p.m., features a special “Buddie Night” price where two wristbands can be purchased for $30.

Monster trucks are the featured attraction at the grandstand. Ticket prices and pit passes are $20. The event starts at 7 p.m.

The 4H schedule Wednesday features the Dairy Goat Show (8 a.m.), Pygmy and Meat Goat Show (1 p.m.) and the Shelby County Royal at 7:30 p.m. (photo)

Wednesday is Kiddie Day at the midway with wristbands costing $10 from 1 to 5 p.m. Wristbands are $20 from 6 to 10 p.m.

Hot air balloon rides in conjunction with Bicentennial Day at the fair will be available at the grandstand for $10. The balloon rides start at 7 p.m.

Thursday’s 4H highlight is the Livestock Auction at 5 p.m. There is a Rabbit Show at 9 a.m. and the 4H hot dog feed starts at 4 p.m. The 4A awards program is at 4:30 p.m.

“It takes every single one of us to make this thing happen in the front and in the back of the property,” said Thopy as she thanked her fellow board members and the livestock superintendents.

Midway wristbands are $20 per person.

TQ midget race cars are the featured attraction at the grandstand. Tickets are $10 at the gate with pit passes going for $20. Dirt-track racing starts at 7 p.m.

Friday midway wristbands are $25 with the midway open from 6 to 11 p.m.

There will be a tractor pull at the grandstand Friday. Tickets and pit passes are $20 per person. The event starts at 7 p.m.

A demolition derby closes out the fair week Saturday at 7 p.m. Admission is $15 per person. Pit passes are $20.

Midway wristbands are $25 with the midway open from 6 to 11 p.m.

Governor Eric Holcomb today announced a plan to return $1 billion of state reserves to Hoosier taxpayers, following higher than expected revenue performance this fiscal year.

Each taxpayer would collect about $225 in addition to $125 Hoosiers are currently receiving from the state’s automatic taxpayer refund (ATR). All told, each eligible Hoosier would receive about $350; a married couple filing jointly would receive about $700.

“Hoosiers have real needs right now during this period of high inflation, from the gas pump to buying groceries, and everyone should benefit from the state’s success,” said Holcomb.

The governor has outlined his plan with legislative leaders.

“I’ve met with Speaker Huston and Senator Bray and have asked them to discuss getting a billion dollars back into Hoosier hands with their colleagues,” said Holcomb. “I’ve committed to work with them to call a special session before the end of June to take action to align this second round of returns with our current ATR.”

The state’s reported revenues for May, released today, were $209 million over forecast. For 11 months of the fiscal year, revenues are $1.075 billion over forecast. 

If approved, an additional deposit would be made to the bank accounts of eligible Hoosiers, just like the current ATR. For those who will receive paper checks beginning in August, one check for $350 for individual taxpayers, or $700 for those filing jointly, would be issued.

The Shelby Eastern Schools board is interested in purchasing a 5.5 acre parcel of land adjacent to Morristown High School’s baseball field.

At Wednesday’s monthly school board meeting, the board gave superintendent Dr. Todd Hitchcock permission to work with legal assistance to negotiate the purchase of the land.

“The land we are inquiring about purchasing would be east of the current baseball facility at Morristown,” explained Hitchcock after the meeting. “There are a row of trees behind the baseball diamond, on the other side of that on what is Washington St. in town, there is a five-and-a-half acre parcel of land that is currently farmed. There is no existing structure on it.”

There are no immediate plans for the land should the school system negotiation the purchase, according to Hitchcock.

School board president Ben Kuhn was in favor of the purchase to have control of the land for future use.

“It is in an area where if someone else bought it they would probably consider building houses on it. That could be good to bring students but it could be bad if we need (the land) later and we can’t get it back,” said Kuhn in the meeting. “And we always have the option to sell it again later. We only have the chance to buy it once.”

The land could continue to be farmed while under the school system’s ownership.

In other board business Wednesday:

• Approved a food service agreement to keep Chartwells in the school system’s lunchrooms.
• Tabled a decision on the addition of a football club as an extracurricular activity to obtain more information. “That item was placed on the agenda because the board was in discussion and considering what it would look like if Waldron football, 8-man as a club sport, and what does a club sport mean versus what does it mean to be sponsored by the athletic department?” said Hitchcock. “What does it mean for our liability? What does it mean for their liability? The board wanted some more information so we are going to get some more information and come back to that in July.”

Efforts will soon be underway to expand much needed parking at the Shelby County Courthouse  campus.

Some would argue parking was needed even before the newest addition was made to the property.  With the recent opening of Annex 2, adding parking has become mandatory according to Shelby County Commissioner Kevin Nigh.

Some items inside the Culligan building will need to be relocated before demolition can begin.

In other news, commissioners gave approval to a convenience store, gas station for Pleasant View.

And, commissioners have approved a new stop sign for a county intersection.

The Interstate 74 corridor between Shelbyville and Fairland has long been identified as an attractive area for expansion. Tom Hession Drive was built to facilitate traffic through what could become another industrial park.

Phase II of Tom Hession Drive has been on hold but the City of Shelbyville wants to be prepared when the time is right for expansion.

On Tuesday at the city’s Board of Works meeting at City Hall, a contract was approved to begin the design of phase II.

“We want to get the design done before the development happens,” explained city engineer John Kuntz to the three-member board.

In other board business:

• Kuntz was asked to provide more information on the INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) traffic counters currently set up on several roads in the city. The city’s website, in the engineering department, now has a link to the INDOT traffic count database to search the data being collected.
• The use of the parking spaces on W. Washington St. in the Public Square were approved for a special event on June 25 at Capone’s Downtown Speakeasy, 1 Public Square. The event is a fundraiser for Rupert’s Kids Where House re-entry program and will have speakeasy period piece outfits and automobiles.
• Approved the closure of the parking lot directly behind Dean’s Dry Cleaning & Laundry, 20 W. Broadway St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday for Rupert’s Kids annual motorcycle ride.
• Ordered the nuisance property at 521 5^th St. abated so that the city can clean it up and have the cost assessed to the homeowner.
• Opened eight bids for the 2022 overlay program in the city ranging from $415,000 to $609,000. The city engineer’s estimate for the project is $435,708. All eight bids were taken under advisement.

The Shelby County Fair begins in less than a week.  The newly crowned queen and her court will be ready.

Shelbyville graduate, Emma Deaton, 17, was crowned Shelby County Fair Queen Sunday night.  Deaton accepted the crown and sash from the reigning fair queen, Julia Prickett of Shelbyville.

Deaton is the daughter of Robert and Stevie Deaton of Shelbyville.  She was one of seven candidates vying for the honor. 

Throw in graduation and Deaton has had an extremely busy week.

Attending fair events is nothing new to Deaton who will be at plenty thru next week’s fair.

Krista Brown, 18, Southwestern graduate, was named First Runner-Up.  Brown is the daughter of Mike and Ashley Brown of Franklin.

Camille Thopy, 17, who will be a senior at Southwestern, was Second Runner-Up.  She is the daughter of Troy and Jennifer Thopy of Shelby County.

Maia Harris, 18, Triton Central graduate, was named by the other contestants as Miss Congeniality.  She is the daughter of Jason and Amanda Harris of Shelbyville.

A Franklin man shot himself as police pulled him over as the subject of a murder investigation.

 
About 5 p.m. Thursday, the Greenwood Police Department responded to 645 Nicklaus Drive Apt. D on a report of shots fired. Responding officers arrived and discovered the deceased victim inside the apartment. She appeared to have been shot multiple times. The victim was identified as a Greenwood resident Rachel E. Cooke, 35.  Cooke lived at that address.

Early on in the investigation witnesses gave a detailed description of a man that was observed leaving the victim’s apartment shortly after the gunshots were heard. The man was observed walking to his vehicle which was parked in front of the apartment and driving away.

From the detailed witness description detectives were able to quickly determine the suspect’s identity by interviewing friends of the victim. The suspect was identified as a 35-year-old male resident of Franklin. Detectives learned that the victim and the suspect had been involved in a romantic relationship. Both the suspect and the victim worked at the Johnson County Juvenile Detention Facility.

On Thursday, the suspect had met the victim at her apartment at approximately
4:30 p.m. after she returned home from work. Multiple gunshots were heard a short time later and then the suspect was observed leaving.

With the assistance of the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force the suspect was tracked to Kentucky on Interstate 65 headed south. The Kentucky State Police were then notified and located the suspect vehicle traveling south on I-65 outside of Bowling Green.

A traffic stop was then initiated on the suspect, who initially complied and pulled his car to a stop at Exit 30. After pulling over the suspect then shot himself with a handgun and was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect’s identity is being withheld at this time pending notification of next of kin.

This case remains active and is still under investigation by the Greenwood Police Department. Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Greenwood Police Department.

The Shelbyville Parks and Recreation Department tells the Shelby County Post and GIANT fm News that the Meridian Park Family Aquatic Center is finally ready for the season. 

It will open Saturday at noon.

Earlier release on Meridian Park Family Aquatic Center delays

The Shelbyville Parks and Recreation Department hopes with a final repair planned for Tuesday that the Meridian Park Family Aquatic Center will be good to go for the coming weekend.

Initial pool repairs had been slowed by cold, wet spring weather.  Then, as leak repair finally came to a close, another issue with a pipe reared its head when the main pumps were turned on.

Plans are to repair the pipe Tuesday.  Time will be needed to test the plumbing.  So, Saturday, June 4, is now the target date for the pool to open for the season.

The Shelbyville Parks and Recreation Department apologized for not being able to make the normal opening.  Follow the department's social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) this week for updates.

Under bright blue skies and a slight breeze, the City of Shelbyville kicked off a day of celebration with food and fun.

Mayor Tom DeBaun manned a large grill full of hot dogs Friday as part of Municipal Government Day. The city provided hot dogs, chips and a drink until supplies ran out.

Simultaneously, Shelby Senior Services returned to downtown Shelbyville to host the Strawberry Festival.

Bounce houses and children’s games were set up on the new downtown greenspaces as hundreds gathered to enjoy the celebration.

“I see exactly what I said we would see and what everybody believed we would see,” said DeBaun referencing the three-year downtown redevelopment project that was completed in late 2021. “People are coming down and using all the space – the greenspace, the wide sidewalks, they are sitting on the benches and enjoying themselves.

“This is exactly what we said this place would do and I can’t be any happier than I am.”

The celebration continues at 5 p.m. when the city holds a ribbon cutting ceremony to finalize the downtown project. Music, food and games will continue throughout the evening as traffic is closed off to the Public Square.

“I don’t know if you can measure how much this helps because I think as people come down and see it, feel it and experience it for themselves, they will get an appreciation what these renovations mean to our communities in Shelby County,” said Rachael Ackley, Executive Director of the Shelby County Tourism & Visitor’s Bureau. “This gives us a gathering place to meet our neighbors and friends and enjoy time together. This is kind of a dream come true for Nisha (Ciarletta) and I at the visitor’s center because we hear it from people that come in here and visit.

“We are very blessed in the respect that we get to promote this and brag on it and tell the story to people outside our communities that this is happening in Shelby County. We are retaining the past, preserving the past but we are bringing it into today’s nuances, today’s appreciation of so many different things we can do here.”

Friday’s event serves as a trial run for future downtown events including the upcoming Taste of Shelby County on June 10.

“We have people down here walking around from the city, making sure everything is working the way it should,” said DeBaun. “We know it’s a work in progress as far as events go.”

It would have been the 37th year for the Shelby Senior Services annual Strawberry Festival.  The Covid pandemic stripped the event of its annual status for a couple of years and brought it back to Year 35 for the event as it returns to Shelbyville's downtown.

Along with the City of Shelbyville's Government Day Lunch, visitors will be on West Washington Street by 11 am looking for free hot dogs, chips and drink from the Mayor Tom DeBaun and city employees and dessert from Senior Services.

Senior Services Executive Director Kim Koehl says a lot has changed since they last hosted their event.

What hasn't changed is the strawberry favorites.

The daytime activities lead into later Friday evening.  At 5pm, a special ribbon cutting is scheduled for the new look downtown following nearly two years of renovation.  Downtown games, food trucks, music with Ghost Radio and more will then continue through the evening.

Mayor DeBaun says they are anxious to showcase the downtown while getting a feeel for how the new layout serves as a host site for events.

The death of a Hancock County woman in a car crash has resulted in the arrest of a Fairland man.

Timothy Merrill, 44, has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, theft and leaving the scene of an accident where the defendant has a prior conviction.

On May 18, New Palestine Police responded to the intersection of U.S. 52 and 600 West for a hit-and-run, rear-end crash.  The driver of the car that was struck from behind, Gerald Jensen, told officers that his car was rear-ended and the driver fled the scene.

Jensen was taking his wife, June, 81, of New Palestine, to a doctor’s appointment and decided to continue that trip after she initially told her husband she was okay.  But later that day June Jensen died.  Cause of death was determined to be a head injury and blunt force trauma.

New Palestine Police asked for the public’s assistance in a social media post on the evening of May 19.  Officers were able to use nearby store video to aid their search and led to Merrill.

After an initial court appearance, Merrill is scheduled to be back in the courtroom next month.

More than $225,000 in financial assistance is still available to Duke Energy Indiana customers who may be struggling to pay their energy bills.

“Hoosiers are paying more at the grocery store and gas pump and may also be noticing higher energy bills, as rising fuel costs impact the price of electricity,” said Stan Pinegar, president of Duke Energy Indiana, in a media release. “We know that higher bills can be a hardship for many, and we want to connect our customers with financial assistance and resources to help. So far this year, we have been able to support approximately 450 households with more than $100,000 in assistance.”

The funding is made possible through Duke Energy’s Share the Light Fund, which brings together customers and communities to help individuals and families struggling to pay their energy bills. Duke Energy works in partnership with the Indiana Community Action Association to distribute the company’s assistance funds.

Qualifying Duke Energy customers who are struggling to pay their electricity bills can receive up to a $300 credit annually on their account. Customers should contact their local community action agency to take advantage of funds available locally.

Duke Energy offers a number of tools and resources to help customers take control of their energy use and save money. To learn more about these programs, visit duke-energy.com/HereToHelp.

Blue River Community Foundation will host a scholarship workshop for all Shelby County high school students on track to graduate by June of 2023.

Students attending will learn about scholarship opportunities available through BRCF, including the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, as well as applying through BRCF’s online application, writing an expressive essay, selecting recommenders, interviewing tips, and hearing suggestions about the transition from high school to college from members of BRCF’s alumni scholarship group.

Interested students should select one of the following dates to attend:

• June 23 from 1 to 3 p.m.
• July 14 from 10 a.m. to noon

The workshops will be held at the BRCF building located at 54 W. Broadway in Shelbyville.

To register or learn more about this event, visit blueriverfoundation.com or contact Julie Alvis at jalvis@blueriverfoundation.com or 317-392-7955, ext. 102.

The deadline to register in June 20. Each session is limited to 20 participants.