The City of Shelbyville mayoral candidates appeared on The Morning Show ahead of the November 5 election day.

Mayor Tom DeBaun (D)

Councilman Brad Ridgeway (R)

Earlier this week, Otis Carter, Jr. died unexpectedly and saved lives as an organ donor. He is among the oldest deceased organ donors on record in Indiana, highlighting the fact that people of all ages can be donor heroes.

Otis’ liver and kidneys were recovered for lifesaving transplants. His heart and lungs were also recovered for medical research, which has the potential to save and heal additional lives. The recovery took place at MHP Medical Center in Shelbyville. Doctors, nurses and other staff at MHP Medical Center conducted an honor walk for Otis.

Otis’ family told Indiana Donor Network, “Otis served in the Air Force and was a member of the American Legion and Masonic Home. Serving his community and others was so important to him.” Born in Evansville, Indiana, Otis was married to his wife, Leudith, for 35 years. They had two daughters. Otis loved sports, especially Indiana University football and basketball. He worked for the Department of Transportation.

Older adults often take themselves off of the donor registry, thinking they are too old to donate or that existing medical conditions will prevent them from being donors. The reality is that people of any age can become donor heroes, even with existing medical conditions. The 114,000 people on the national transplant waiting list are counting on all of us to register and talk with our families.

Registering as a donor takes less than 30 seconds at IndianaDonorNetwork.org or at the BMV.

Earlier this week, Otis Carter, Jr. died unexpectedly and saved lives as an organ donor. He is among the oldest deceased organ donors on record in Indiana, highlighting the fact that people of all ages can be donor heroes.

Otis’ liver and kidneys were recovered for lifesaving transplants. His heart and lungs were also recovered for medical research, which has the potential to save and heal additional lives.

The recovery took place at MHP Medical Center in Shelbyville. Doctors, nurses and other staff at MHP Medical Center conducted an honor walk for Otis.

Otis’ family told Indiana Donor Network, “Otis served in the Air Force and was a member of the American Legion and Masonic Home. Serving his community and others was so important to him.” Born in Evansville, Indiana, Otis was married to his wife, Leudith, for 35 years. They had two daughters. Otis loved sports, especially Indiana University football and basketball. He worked for the Department of Transportation.

Older adults often take themselves off of the donor registry, thinking they are too old to donate or that existing medical conditions will prevent them from being donors. The reality is that people of any age can become donor heroes, even with existing medical conditions. The 114,000 people on the national transplant waiting list are counting on all of us to register and talk with our families.

Registering as a donor takes less than 30 seconds at IndianaDonorNetwork.org or at the BMV.

When you go Trick-or-Treating Halloween night, you can expect rain and cold temperatures.

National Weather Service of Indianapolis Meteorologist Mike Kosh.

Koch says rain will start at sometime this morning, continue through Thursday, and come to an end Thursday night.  Well over an inch could fall in that time frame.

And wind gusts could be pretty significant, as well, pushing up to 30 mph.

Kosh says high temperatures will move back up into the 50s with either partly cloudy or mostly sunny skies from Saturday until next Wednesday.

Shelby County has learned that it will receive just under one million dollars in funding from Community Crossings.

Local governments are awarded state-matching funds for road construction projects through the Next Level Roads: Community Crossings Initiative.

The CCMG was established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2016, and aims to advance community infrastructure projects, strengthen local transportation networks and improve Indiana’s roads and bridges. Since it was put into place, the program has awarded nearly $500 million in state matching funds for local construction projects.

Shelby County Commissioner Kevin Nigh says they were disappointed, at first, to learn there would be no funds for the county in the recent cycle.  That is, until a phone call was made to the Seymour INDOT office.  That’s when an error was discovered.

So now, the county can look ahead to planned projects with Community Crossings money available.

The Indiana State Department of Health is reporting the state’s second death linked to influenza.

The update comes just days after the state reported the first flu-related death of the 2019-2020 flu season.

According to a weekly report from the agency, both of the deaths are in the 65 and over age group.

Common signs of the flu include:

fever of 100° Fahrenheit or greater

headache

fatigue

cough

muscle aches

sore throat

runny or stuffy nose

The department recommends that anyone 6 months and older get a flu shot.

Absentee voting will begin in the lobby of the Shelby County Courthouse continues Monday through Friday to November 1, during the hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. 

The Shelby County Courthouse will also be open for voting on Saturday, October 26, and November 2, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm., and Monday, November 4, from 8:00 am to noon. 

Anyone wishing to vote at the Courthouse please use the west entrance off the parking lot. Absentee voting will be conducted on the first floor of the Courthouse.

November 4, by noon is the deadline for the Circuit Court Clerk to receive an absentee ballot application from a voter requesting an absentee traveling board to visit the voter at the voter’s location because of illness or injury of the voter, or because the voter is caring for a confined person at a private residence. Applications may be submitted to the Circuit Court Clerk in person, by fax, by mail or by e-mail. 

Any questions regarding the General Election to be held November 5, the public can call the Voter Registration Office at 317-392-6324.

Three people were arrested early Wednesday morning following a pursuit from a robbery involving prescription drugs at the Shelbyville CVS.

Shelbyville Prosecutor Brad Landwerlen details the incident and arrests.

Landwerlen details the charges involved.

Police in Shelbyville arrested a man wanted for robbing a West Lafayette bank while wearing a fake beard as a disguise.

Joseph Kruger, 41, of Tilton, Illinois., was arrested Wednesday morning at the Shelbyville Holiday Inn.

He was described as a tall white man with a slender build. He had on a fake brown beard, gray knit hat, gray sweater, and jeans.

The bearded bandit held up the Centier Bank on Sagamore Parkway at around 2 p.m. Tuesday.  He was last seen running north through the parking lot.

Police believe Kruger was also involved in other bank robberies in Illinois and Indiana.

Kruger has been booked into the Tippecanoe County Jail on one count of robbery with a deadly weapon.

The Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) today confirmed the state’s first influenza-related death of the 2019-20 flu season.

“This is a tragic reminder that we should never underestimate how serious the flu can be,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “Vaccination is the best defense against influenza, so please make sure you and your loved ones receive a flu shot.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get a flu vaccine each year. Dr. Box said that because infants younger than 6 months can’t be vaccinated, it’s important that anyone in a household where a young baby lives or visits get a flu shot to protect the child. Healthcare workers also are urged to get a flu vaccine to reduce their risk of transmitting illness to their patients. 

It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body, so the CDC recommends early vaccination. However, the flu vaccine can be administered at any time during the season, which typically runs from October through May.

Influenza is a viral infection of the respiratory tract. It is spread by respiratory droplets released when infected people cough or sneeze nearby or when people touch surfaces or objects contaminated with those infectious respiratory droplets. People can also become infected by touching surfaces or objects contaminated with influenza viruses and then touching their eyes, mouths or noses. 

Although anyone can get the flu, some people are at higher risk of flu-related complications, such as pneumonia, hospitalization and death. More than 110 Hoosiers died from influenza-associated illnesses during the 2018-19 flu season. Those most at risk include pregnant women, young children (especially those too young to get vaccinated), people with chronic illnesses, people who are immunocompromised and the elderly. It is especially important for these individuals to be vaccinated each year.

Common signs and symptoms of the flu include:

• fever of 100° Fahrenheit or greater
• headache 
• fatigue
• cough
• muscle aches
• sore throat 
• runny or stuffy nose

People can help prevent the spread of flu by washing their hands frequently and thoroughly, avoiding touching their eyes, nose and mouth with their hands and staying home when sick. Hoosiers should practice the “Three Cs” to help prevent the spread of flu and other infectious diseases:

• Clean: Properly wash your hands frequently with warm, soapy water.
• Cover: Cover your cough and sneeze into your arm or a disposable tissue.
• Contain: Stay home from school or work when you are sick to keep your germs from spreading. 

To learn more about influenza or to view the ISDH weekly flu report, which is updated each Friday, go to https://www.in.gov/isdh/22104.htm. 

The Waldron and Shelby County community is mourning the loss of Mohawk student and athlete Jacob James.  

James was killed Sunday in a fatal auto accident in Shelby County.

The single vehicle accident happened in the 3200 block of East 500 South.  For an undetermined reason the vehicle left the road, struck a tree and caught fire.

The vehicle was fully engulfed with a person inside when emergency crews arrived.

The accident remains under investigation.

Waldron principal Mark Shadiow says surrounding schools have offered and extra counselors were on campus Monday to help students who were grieving the loss.

On Saturday, James finished second overall at the Franklin Cross Country Regional.  The finish qualified James for a spot in this Saturday's semistate with teammates Ethan Trueblood and Madeline Douglas.

An ordinance before the Shelbyville Common Council Monday morning prompted a debate on the transparency of the proposed downtown revitalization project.

Ordinance 19 – 2871 – Planned Unit Development (PUD) for Hamilton Major Place was presented by the city’s Planning and Building Director Adam Rude, Tom Davis of Genesis Property Development and Chris King of Runnebohm Construction.

Audio from the Shelbyville Common Council chambers:

Questions, debate on the topic and the process involving the project featuring Councilman Brad Ridgeway, Mayor Tom DeBaun, Planning and Building Director Adam Rude, and Councilman Brian Asher.

Audio from the Shelbyville Common Council chambers:

Ordinance 19 - 2871 was approved with Brad Ridgeway voting against the ordinance.

A fatal auto accident occurred in Shelby County Sunday.

The single vehicle accident happened in the 3200 block of East 500 South.  For an undetermined reason the vehicle left the road, struck a tree and caught fire.

The vehicle was fully involved with a person inside when emergency crews arrived.

Efforts to officially identify the driver are ongoing and the accident remains under investigation.

No official identification has been made as of this report.

A guilty verdict from the jury in Fulton County.

Alyssa Shepherd, the driver who hit and killed three children at their school bus stop, has been convicted on three counts of reckless homicide and one count of criminal recklessness.

Earlier, she testified that she didn't realize it was a bus in the early morning darkness and didn't see the children until it was too late.

Fulton County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Mars was pleased with the verdict.

Sentencing is scheduled December 18.

The defense argued that the state was trying to "criminalize an accident."

Family members of the victims react to the verdict.

Just before 5:30 am Thursday Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an accident at the intersection of Deaver and Jonesville Roads.  On arrival, deputies found four vehilcles involved in a property damage accident.

One of the vehicles pulled off of Deaver Road onto Jonesville Road, when it was struck by a vehicle traveling southbound on Jonesville Road.  This caused a 4-vehicle crash. 

Drivers of the vehicles involved in the crash are:

Russell Petro, 75, Columbus 

Jonathon Hoffman, 25, Columbus 

Heather Babb, 50, Columbus 

Gregory Snyder, 58, Shelbyville 

The Columbus Fire Department and Columbus Collision assisted in clearing the scene while Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies diverted traffic.

No injuries were reported.

Closing arguments are being heard Friday afternoon in the Fulton County trial of Alyssa Shepherd, the woman at the wheel of a pickup truck that hit four children and killed three at their school bus stop in October of last year..

GIANT fm 92.1 WROI News Director Jon Bowen says Shepherd testified in her own behalf Friday.

It's starting to really feel like fall, which means winter isn't too far away.  So what kind of winter will we have this year in Indiana?

On Thursday, the National Weather Service in Indianapolis released its Winter 2019-2020 forecast, and the meteorologists say we shouldn't expect anything too extreme like last year.

Andrew White with NWS Indianapolis says the temperatures will balance out, with some days below normal and some days above normal.

White adds that Indiana will see an average amount of precipitation this winter -- about 20-25 total inches of rain and snow.

Ramp closures are scheduled to begin Monday morning at the S.R. 3/I-74 interchange (Exit 134) in Greensburg. Dave O'Mara Contractor Inc. will complete milling and paving on four ramps to and from I-74.

The following ramps will be closed beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, October 21, weather permitting:

• S.R. 3 SB to I-74 EB
• S.R. 3 NB to I-74 WB
• I-74 WB to S.R. 3 SB
• I-74 EB to S.R. 3 NB

All ramps are expected to reopen by end of day on Monday, October 28. Start and end dates will be shifted in the event of inclement weather. The detour for the closures will follow U.S. 421 at Exit 132 to S.R. 3 in Greensburg. 

Resurfacing work is expected to be complete by the end of October for the $11.7 million S.R. 3/U.S. 421 pavement replacement and bridge preservation project that began in April. The entire project is scheduled to be complete by July 2020.

Additional ramp/lane closures at/near Exit 134 in Greensburg:
Also beginning Monday, the ramp from S.R. 3 SB to I-74 WB is scheduled to close for a separate asphalt patching project in Decatur County. The closure is expected to last up to ten days, weather permitting. Lane closures will also be in effect on I-74 from S.R. 3 at Greensburg to Exit 123 (St. Paul/Middletown) through late November into early December.

Paul H. Rohe Company began patching operations last week to repair winter damage.

Shelby County Highway will close 100 S between 425 W and  500 W, weather permitting, beginning Monday, Oct 21.  It is scheduled to be closed for 4 – 6 weeks for culvert replacement.

425 W south of 50 S and addresses up to 4715 on W 100 S will be accessible only from the north and east.

Addresses higher than 4715 on W 100 S and S PR 480 W will be accessible from 500 W.

The trial of Alyssa Shepherd, 23, of Rochester, began Wednesday. She's charged with hitting and killing three children on Oct. 30, 2018, and injuring another, when police say she ignored a school bus stop arm.

GIANT fm 92.1 WROI News Director Jon Bowen was in the courtroom in Fulton County and heard testimony from the childrens' mom.

A man was driving behind the school bus when Alyssa Shepherd hit the kids who were waiting for the bus last year near Rochester.

The trial is expected to take through Friday.

Shannon Logan is the administrator for Shelbyville's newst assisted living facility, Timber Creek Village.

She appeared on the GIant fm Morning Show to preview the site and its upcoming grand opening.

Prosecutors in Fulton County will start to make their case today against the woman accused of driving around a stopped school bus last year, hitting and killing three children and seriously injuring a fourth.

The jury was selected on Tuesday -- six women and six men, along with two alternates.

The case led to a new state law focused on school bus zone safety.

Alyssa Shepherd faces three charges of reckless homicide, one charge of reckless driving causing injury, and one charge of criminal recklessness.

Nine-year-old Alivia Stahl, and her two younger twin brothers, Xzavier and Mason Ingle, were killed in the crash.

Michael Schwab, grandfather of the three children who died.

Leaf collection in Shelbyville will begin running a regular route on Monday, October 21.

The Shelbyville Street Department says, typically, the leaf machine will run on your scheduled trash pick up day. There are times where that will change based on circumstances: weather, unexpected maintenance of machine and holidays-are just a few things that could change the schedule.

If you have leaf piles that need collected before that date, please call the office and they can get you on a pick-up list. 317-392-5169

As always, residents are asked be patient with during the leaf season. It’s easy to get behind with the amount of leaves that are out.

Please place leaves at the curbside, not in an alley way or in the street. 

In Greenfield, leaf pick-up begins October 28.

Residents on the east side of SR 9:

Oct 28 - November 1

Nov 12 - Nov 15

Nov 25 - Nov 29

Residents on the west side of SR 9:

Nov 4 - Nov 8

Nov 18 - Nov 22

Dec 2 - Dec 6

The schedule could change due to weather and availability of machinery and crews.

Leaves must be raked to the curbside.  Bagged leaves will be picked up within two working days with a call to the Greenfield Street Department at (317) 477-4380.

Conservation Officers were called to 2496 S. 775 W. in Morgan County to investigate a tree stand accident which injured Bradley Wise, 33, of Whiteland.

At approximately 9:48 A.M. Saturday while climbing his ladder tree stand Wise got to the last step of the stand, began getting dizzy and passed out. When he awoke he was laying on the ground in extreme pain. After approximately twenty minutes he was able to reach his cellphone in his pant pockets and get help from a friend who hunting the same property.

The investigation revealed the fall to be twelve feet. At the time of the fall Wise was wearing a safety harness but was not attached to a safety lanyard.

Wise was transported to Methodist Hospital by I.U. Life Line. Wise sustained injuries consisting of multiple broken bones and spinal fractures.

Indiana communities will receive matching funds to improve roads and bridges through the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program (CCMG).

The CCMG was established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2016, and aims to advance community infrastructure projects, strengthen local transportation networks and improve Indiana’s roads and bridges. Since it was put into place, the program has awarded nearly $500 million in state matching funds for local construction projects.

Through the program, the Indiana Department of Transportation matches up to $1 million when localities invest in road and bridge repairs.

Counties with populations fewer than 50,000 and cities and towns with populations fewer than 10,000 receive a 75% / 25% match, while counties with populations of at least 50,000 and cities and towns with populations of at least 10,000 receive a 50% / 50% match. 

Among area communities awarded funding:

McCordsville, $633, 000                                           Columbus, $1 million

Bartholomew County, $592, 000.                             Edinburgh, $630,000

Greensburg, $505, 000                                            Rush County, $936, 000 

Hope, $189, 000

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb has declared this week as Indiana Move Over Week. 

In 1999 Indiana was the first state in the nation to pass such a law requiring motorists to move to an adjacent traffic lane, or reduce their speed by 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit if unable to change lanes safely when driving by an emergency vehicle stopped along the side of the road, such as a police car, fire truck or ambulance. 

Over the years, Indiana's law has expanded to include stationary towing/recovery, utility service, solid waste haulers, road, street highway maintenance vehicles, as well as a stationary survey or construction vehicles when displaying alternately flashing amber lights.

Indiana’s law was originally crafted and passed as the result of the death of Indiana State Police Trooper, 26-year-old Andrew Winzenread.  The Shelby County native was struck and killed in April of 1997 while assisting a stranded motorist on I-74 in Decatur County.  In 2009, Interstate 74 near the 144-mile marker in Decatur County was dedicated the Trooper Andrew P. Winzenread Memorial Highway in his honor.

Now, 20 years after Indiana enacted its Move Over Law, every state, with the exception of Hawaii has some form of a move over law. 

A big change in the temperatures is coming to Indiana.

Meteorologist Mike Koch with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis says temperatures will drop throughout the day.  Most of the state will start out in the 60s and 70s early this afternoon.

It doesn't stop there, though. Koch says temperatures will continue to drop overnight, and by Saturday morning, most of the state will be in the 30s.  Saturday's high will be in the 50s.

Koch says it'll warm back up Sunday with temperatures back to the 60s, and even a little warmer by next Monday and Tuesday.

Indiana’s retail sportsbooks enjoyed an impressive first month that has the state competitive with more established legal sports betting markets, according to PlayIndiana.com analysts.

Fueled by retail sportsbooks most closely to the situated Chicago market, Indiana retail sportsbooks accepted $35.2 million in bets in September, producing $8.6 million in adjusted gross revenue for the sportsbooks, according to official reporting released Wednesday. With Indiana’s 9.5% tax, the state’s win (which does not include bets yet to be paid, such as a wager on the Colts to win the Super Bowl), injected $813,103 in tax revenue.

“Indiana’s sportsbooks are in their infancy, but their ability to capitalize on the Chicago market did not take long to produce dividends,” Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “This is the largest handle we’ve seen in a state’s first month of legal sports betting, and it happened without the benefit of online sports betting, which didn’t launch until October.

Indiana’s $35.2 million handle was more than the $25.8 million Pennsylvania’s retail sportsbooks generated in August, but less than the $44.4 million bet in-person in New Jersey. Of course, more than half of all September bets in Indiana were on football, and neither Pennsylvania nor New Jersey had the benefit of the NFL in August. Both will likely significantly outpace Indiana in September.

Still, Indiana’s launch of online betting in October signals rapid growth in the coming months. Nearly 80% of all bets in New Jersey are made online, and Indiana will eventually take the majority of its bets online, too.

One of the chief reasons Indiana has so much potential is its proximity to Chicago, in addition to large markets in Ohio and Kentucky. The first full month of betting provided plenty of evidence.

Horseshoe Hammond, near Chicago, generated an Indiana-best handle of $8.98 million, yielding $2.1 million in revenue. Ameristar Casino in East Chicago was second with a $5.4 million handle, producing a $1.3 million win.

Harrah's Hoosier Park ($4.3 million handle, $1.31 win)

Blue Chip Casino ($3.8 million handle, $957,470 win)

Indiana Grand ($3.6 million handle, $764,908 win)

Tropicana Evansville ($1.1 million handle, $301,231 win)

Caesars Southern Indiana ($1.1 million handle, $293,348 win)

Belterra Casino ($709,219 handle, $133,352 win)

French Lick Resort ($939,222 handle, $217,523 win)

Shelbyville's West Franklin Street, from Elliot Street to Conrey Street, will be reconstructed beginning Friday, October 11.

Franklin Street from the east side of Elliot to the west side of Conrey will be closed for approximately 5-6 weeks.

The intersection of Conrey Street will be rebuilt as well, and will be closed for approximately 2 weeks.  

It's been open to traffic and pedestrians for a few days but Wednesday brought an 'official' stamp to Shebyville's East Washington Street project.

A ribbon cutting was held to commemorate the new look street and sidewalks along the street just off Shelbyville's Public Square.

Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun.

The mayor talks about the project design.

And the mayor notes the project kept in mind the possible future tenants of the street along with those storefronts currently.

INDOT contractor Paul H. Rohe Company will begin winter damage repairs on a nine-mile section of I-74 in Decatur County on Friday, October 11, weather permitting.

Work will take place from Exit 132 (U.S. 421) to Exit 123 (St. Paul/Middletown) through early December.

Various lane closures will be in place while concrete and asphalt replacement is completed. Crews will begin repairs in westbound lanes, followed by eastbound. 

These repairs are fully-funded by the State of Indiana and total over $700,000. 

Motorists should slow down, use extra caution and drive distraction-free when traveling through work zones. All work is weather dependent.

The alley between West Hendricks and West Taylor in the 400 block in Shelbyville is closed completely for downed power poles and cable/electric lines.

Services in the area are out and the Shelbyville Police Department has been notified along with all power companies.

The future of Shelby County 911 dispatch will not include its current cramped quarters in the Shelby County Jail.  Whether it involves a physical location in Shelby County remains to be seen.

Shelby County Council President Tony Titus says talks have been ongoing for some time about how to update the service.  Those talks are escalating now.

Now, the talks include the possibility of merging all dispatch services with neighboring Hancock County. 

Members of the county council and commissioners with other county officials met with Director of Communications in Hancock County John Jokantas Monday to get more information on what such a merger could mean.

Titus says now its up to county officials to narrow down the safest and most cost effective proposal would be.

 A woman asleep at the wheel of a car was arrested on drug charges.

Early Monday morning the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Hope woman after she was reported to be unconscious behind the wheel of her vehicle while sitting at a gasoline pump at Circle K in Taylorsville. 

Just before 12:30 am BCSO Deputy Adam Warner located the woman identified as Tracy Beeker, 53, Hope.  Several syringes and other drug-related items were in plain view.

After being taken to Columbus Regional Hospital for treatment, Beeker was transported to the Bartholomew County Jail on preliminary charges of:

Possession of Legend Drug Injection Devices

Possession of Marijuana

Possession of Paraphernalia

She remains in BCJ in lieu of $63,500 bond.

You can cast your ballot for the November municipal election in Shelby County in less than two weeks.

Absentee voting will begin in the lobby of the Shelby County Courthouse on Monday, October 21.  Voting hours will be Monday through Friday starting October 21, to November 1, during the hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. 

The Shelby County Courthouse will also be open for voting on Saturday, October 26, and November 2, from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm., and Monday, November 4, from 8:00 am to noon. 

Anyone wishing to vote at the courthouse please use the west entrance off the parking lot. Absentee voting will be conducted on the first floor of the courthouse.

 October 24, 2019 is the deadline by 11:59 pm for the Circuit Court Clerk to receive an absentee ballot application from an applicant requesting delivery of an absentee ballot by mail.  November 4, 2019 by noon is the deadline for the Circuit Court Clerk to receive an absentee ballot application from a voter requesting an absentee traveling board to visit the voter at the voter’s location because of illness or injury of the voter, or because the voter is caring for a confined person at a private residence. Applications may be submitted to the Circuit Court Clerk in person, by fax, by mail or by e-mail. 

Any questions regarding the General Election to be held November 5, 2019, the public can call the Voter Registration Office at 317-392-6324.

Three people died and three others were injured when a single-engine plane from Indianapolis crashed Thursday morning near Capital Region International Airport in mid-Michigan. Police say all six passengers are from central Indiana.

The plane was on its way to the Lansing-area airport when it went down about 9 a.m.

Three people were killed in the crash:

-Neil Alan Sego, 46, of Trafalgar, Indiana

-John Thomas Lowe, 51, of Greenwood, Indiana

-Timothy Joe Clark, 67, of Franklin, Indiana

Three more people remain in critical condition:

-Zechariah Eugene Bennett, 27, of Plainfield, Indiana

-Aaron Levi Blackford , 42, of Frankton, Indiana

-Joel Stewart Beavins, 48, of Franklin, Indiana

“I know that it was coming in on the approach and that’s when something went wrong,” airport spokesman Spencer Flynn said.

The plane was at capacity and included a pilot and co-pilot, said Clinton County Sheriff Larry Jerue.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Socata TBM 700 plane left Indy South Greenwood Airport at 8 a.m. Thursday. The FAA lists the plane as being owned by a Greenwood company.

The airport received an emergency alert from the plane, said airport public safety and operations chief Eric Patrick. He wasn’t sure if the alert came before or after the crash.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb is directing flags across the state to be flown at half-staff for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. 

Flags should be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Gov. Holcomb also asks businesses and residents to lower their flags to half-staff on Sunday.

Kimberly Wheeler appeared on The Morning Show on GIANT fm to preview Saturday's Time for Change event set for Shelbyville's West Washington Street.

Indiana State Police responded to two crashes on I-65 between Seymour and Columbus which caused one injury and closed portions of I-65 for three hours.

The first crash occurred shortly before 1:00 pm when a vehicle overturned on I-65 southbound near the 60 mile marker in Bartholomew County.  The vehicle came to rest in the middle of the southbound lanes of I-65 causing all southbound lanes to be closed for approximately one hour for crash cleanup.  The driver of the vehicle was not injured.

The second crash occurred just after 1:00 pm on I-65 northbound near the 55 mile marker in Jackson County.  In that crash, a Holiday Rambler RV pulling a trailer was traveling northbound on I-65 near the 55 mile marker when the RV collided with a concrete barrier in the median of the construction zone.  The RV then caught fire and burned in the median of I-65. 

The driver of the RV, Clarence Hampton, 37, of Orlando, Florida, was transported by EMS to Schneck Medical Center before being flown to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis with serious injuries.  Two passengers in the RV escaped without injury.

Further information gathered in the investigation indicated that the RV may have been intentionally crashed into the concrete barrier. 

The northbound lanes of I-65 in Jackson County were closed near exit 55 for nearly three hours for crash investigation and cleanup.  Traffic was diverted onto US 31 and State Road 11 during the interstate closure.

Both crashes remain under investigation.

Kroger plans a ribbon-cutting celebration to mark completion of a nearly $4 million store renovation project in Shelbyville. 

Kroger spokesperson Eric Halvorson.

Executives of Kroger Central Division took part in the event and presented donations worth a total of $62,000. 

Recipients were Shelbyville Central Schools, Riley Children’s Foundation and Gleaners Food Bank.

A proposed Shelby County solar farm has taken a step forward with a decision by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

The $175 million Speedway Solar project achieved another milestone this month when the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) entered an order declining to take jurisdiction over Speedway Solar’s proposed 199-megwatt solar farm in northeastern Shelby County, finding that the public interest is served by a declination of jurisdiction. This has been a common decision for other independent power producers, but it marks the first time the IURC has issued the order for a large-scale solar project in Indiana.

Speedway Solar is a development of Ranger Power, a leading developer of utility-scale solar projects focused in the Midwest.

The IURC issued the order earlier this month after thoroughly reviewing the project, the project owner, and the local regulation of the project.  In its order, the IURC concluded, in part, that the project “. . . should be beneficial for those public utilities that may indirectly have access to the power produced and to the State of Indiana. We further conclude that the Commission's declining to exercise jurisdiction over Petitioner will promote energy utility efficiency. Moreover, Petitioner has demonstrated that it has the technical, financial, and managerial capability to construct and operate the proposed Facility. It has also shown that the wholesale market for electricity in Indiana will benefit from the addition of the generating capacity…”

“We are pleased to reach this milestone with the project,” Ranger Power CEO Adam Cohen said. “We are focused on bringing this significant investment in clean energy to Shelby County and Indiana. We continue to work with local officials and our landowner partners as we prepare for design and construction.”

Part of the IURC’s reasoning in issuing the declination was because the project is not selling the electric power to the general public. Instead, the approximately 1,000-acre Speedway Solar project will sell the power to Wabash Valley Power Alliance, which provides power generation for 19 rural electric cooperatives across 50 Indiana counties in central and northern Indiana.

The latest decision is one of the final approvals Speedway Solar is seeking to bring the project to Shelby County. Construction of the solar development will begin in 2021 or 2022 and the project will be online in 2023.

The candidates in the Shelbyville mayor's race, Tom DeBaun and Brad Ridgeway, took to the podiums to discuss the issues at Tuesday's Candidates Forum.

Segment 1

Segment 2

The search for a missing Shelbyville man has ended.  Now, the search for what happened to him begins.

Derek B. Beagle, 44, was found in the attic above Shelbyville apartments located at 14 East Broadway.  Beagle had been missing since November.

Shelbyville Police Detective Jason Brown addressed the media Tuesday afternoon with the following information (the 7-minute press conference can be seen on the GIANT fm Facebook page):

On September 30, 2019 at 7:31 AM, Shelbyville Police Department patrol officers were dispatched to an empty apartment at 14 East Broadway Street, to meet with maintenance personnel who had located human remains.

Officers and medical personnel arrived at 7:33 AM and confirmed a deceased human being had been located in the attic above the apartments. The S.P.D. Criminal Investigations Division was notified and responded.

Investigators processed the scene, and with the assistance of personnel from the Shelbyville Fire Department and the Shelby County Coroner’s Office, the body was removed. Shelby County Emergency Management personnel also assisted at the scene.

A post-examination was performed early this morning by a forensic pathologist. The decedent has been positively identified as Derek B. Beagle, a 44-year-old white male who went missing on November 24, 2018 in the 300 block of West Jackson Street, here in Shelbyville, Indiana. Derek was reported missing to this agency on December 01, 2018.  There were no signs of foul-play surrounding Derek’s disappearance.

At this time, the cause and manner of Derek’s death is undetermined, and is still under investigation. 

There were no signs of foul play at the scene.  At no time, either during Derek’s disappearance or now, do we believe the public was or is currently in danger.

We strive to answer every question.  Unfortunately, we also realize this isn’t always possible. However, we always encourage those to be patient and allow the authorities to do their job.

Early social media posts indicated the body was wrapped in a blanket, a rug, or by other means. This was simply inaccurate.

We met with the family earlier this afternoon and they have asked that everyone respect their privacy as they process this information and mourn their loss.

This matter is still on-going and under investigation.  Any new evidence or information in this case, that can be released, will be released at that time.