The Indiana State Police recently received a complaint from a resident advising of what appears to be an ongoing scam solicited via Facebook. This scam involves the offering of a “Child Safety Kit” by clicking on a link provided in the Facebook post.

The resident stated that the provided link to receive the “Child Safety Kit” asks the requestor to submit personal information, to include: name, address, and phone number, information which is then followed up by a phone call wherein the scammer requests to set up an in-home visit to further the transaction.

She reports having received two phone calls from two very persistent males requesting to come to her home and be allowed to load an App onto her phone as part of their “Child Safety Kit” service. She stated the callers were very persistent on setting up an appointment, and they falsely claimed they work directly with the Indiana State Police. She was never provided with name or a company name.

This scam has apparently been ongoing for quite some time, and was even reported on by the Louisville based WDRB news channel back in December 2019, wherein an Evansville, Indiana woman was victimized (follow the link below for their full reporting).

https://www.wdrb.com/news/indiana-woman-requests-child-safety-id-kit-via-facebook-gets-frightening-visit/article_0f898fbe-1dec-11ea-a5a8-8fba54f2fd1f.html

The Indiana State Police would remind all Hoosiers that scam artists are pervasive across the internet and all social media platforms.  Scammer’s methods and tactics are primarily intrusive to your personal and financial information, but as noted in this instance, they may often resort to invading your personal space as well.  Luckily this resident was on the alert and did not fall prey to these scammers tactics.

This complaint reported to the State Police is full of red flags, and luckily this local resident did not fall prey to these scammers tactics.  You can protect yourself by:

• ALWAYS consider any unsolicited internet/social media transaction with a “Buyer Beware”
• NEVER provided personal or financial information to an unknown source, whether it be on the internet, by email, or by phone.
• NEVER invite or allow a stranger into your home, especially an unsolicited sales person- thieves commonly use this as a way to case your home for future burglary.
• Don’t be INTIMIDATED by a scammer’s pervasiveness. Delete the internet conversation or just hang up the phone when something doesn’t feel right.
• If you feel you have been victimized by a scammer, suspicious or threatening activity should be reported to your local law enforcement immediately.

Greenwood police are warning shoppers about two people stealing wallets from elderly shoppers.

Police say they stole a wallet from an 82-year-old woman and used her credit card, charging more than $7,000 to it in an hour. Video surveillance shows the suspects stealing the wallet from the woman at a Meijer.

Police say they are distracting customers while they shop, and then stealing their wallets.

Police said there has been a rise in thefts targeting elderly people in the Greenwood area and anyone with information should call Detective Scott Cottongim with the Greenwood Police Department, at 317-887-5619.

A Johnson County man was killed in a car-semi accident late Thursday on I-465

Just before midnight last night, emergency crews were called to the scene of a serious crash on I-465 westbound near Michigan Road on the city's northwest side. When first responders arrived they found the wreckage of a full size van into the rear end of a semi-tractor trailer. A medic from Hendricks County happened to be driving by and stopped to render aid until other first responders arrived.

Two adult males were entrapped in a full size van and both were unconscious and unresponsive. Crews from the Indianapolis Fire Department worked to extricate both individuals. Despite life saving efforts, the passenger was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver was transported by EMS to an area hospital and later pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation by Indiana State Police Crash Reconstructionists determined a semi-tractor trailer had pulled over to the right shoulder due to a mechanical issue. A white full size cargo van ran off the road and struck the back of the trailer. Indications are the semi-tractor trailer was not in the travel lane and had emergency flashers activated. The driver of the semi requested medical evaluation however was not transported by EMS. The Marion County Coroner's Office responded to the scene to recover the remains of the deceased. 

The driver of the Chevrolet van was identified as Andrew Blackwell, 33, of Greenwood. The passenger in the van was identified as Brenden Harper, 25, of Indianapolis. The semi driver was Raimundo Luis of Miami Florida.

The westbound lanes of I-465 were restricted for four hours while the crash was investigated, all westbound lanes have since reopened. 

Indiana continues to make progress in the fight against coronavirus. 39 counties are now in the blue on the state's color-coded map -- the lowest risk of COVID spread.

Nine of those have been blue for two straight weeks and are now free of any restrictions. The other 30 -- including Marion, Johnson, and Hancock counties -- turned blue Wednesday and could be free of restrictions if they stay in the blue for another week.

Shelby and Bartholomew counties are in yellow.  Rush, Decatur, Johnson, Hancock and Marion have gone blue.

Almost everyone else is in the yellow -- the second-best rating.

Just three counties remain in the orange. Zero counties are in the red.

Julia Hamblen is making the most of a difficult situation.

The 2020 Shelbyville High School graduate accomplished her goal of becoming the Indiana Future Farmers of America State President only to have the normal routines and experiences altered by a worldwide pandemic.

“If you would have questioned me 2-3 years ago if I would have done this I would have said absolutely not,” said Hamblen. “This is horrible.”

Still, Hamblen opted for a gap year before enrolling at Purdue University to get the experience of FFA leadership and administration.

Indiana FFA State President Julia Hamblen

“I knew it would be different,” she said. “It’s not how I dreamed of but I am satisfied with what we’ve been able to do. We are a team that no one will forget.”

Hamblen is one of seven young men and women running the state chapter from the FFA facility in Trafalgar. She still has approximately five months left on her one-year commitment.

This week, Indiana FFA is celebrating 2021 National FFA Week.

“Our goal is to share the message,” said Hamblen. “A lot has been done in the past year. We want to celebrate with our members.”

On Tuesday, Hamblen stepped foot inside a school for the first time in almost a year when she visited the Seymour FFA chapter. Her senior year was cut short in March when COVID-19 made school learning at Shelbyville virtual.

Hamblen graduated and chose the unique opportunity of FFA leadership before starting her own agricultural education track at Purdue.

One of her tasks is to increase enrollment in FFA to help students gain knowledge through classroom instruction and hands-on work-based learning.

Indiana currently has more than 12,500 FFA members spread over 215 local chapters in 90 of the state’s 92 counties.

National FFA Week runs from Feb.20-27 and gives FFA members an opportunity to educate the public about agriculture, according to an Indiana FFA media release. Chapters conduct activities to help others in their schools and communities learn about FFA and agricultural education.

Many county fairs and the Indiana State Fair were canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. Hamblen believes the state is on track to see those events, as well as others, resume in 2021.

“That’s the goal right now … to sway back to normal,” she said. “We are advertising all our normal programming and we are hoping to have the state convention (in June).”

The 500 Festival has chosen 33 women from Indiana to be 2021 500 Festival Princesses.

They represent 16 Indiana colleges and universities as well as 21 cities and towns across the state.

They were selected based on communication skills, academic performance, community involvement, commitment to service, and leadership.  

Among the 33 chosen women:

Alie Brown, New Palestine, a graduate of New Palestine High School and a senior at the University of Indianapolis majoring in marketing and supply chain management.  

Hannah McGee, Milroy, a graduate of Rushville Consolidated High School and a senior at Butler University majoring in strategic communication. 

Victoria Petriskey, Whiteland, a graduate of Whiteland Community High School and a senior at Ball State University majoring in history. 

The 2021 500 Festival Princesses were selected through a competitive process consisting of a written application and virtual interviews.

Shelby County Babe Ruth Baseball postponed its 50^th anniversary celebration in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That celebration will happen later this year, according to local president Mark Tackett. More details will be released as the event gets closer.

In preparation for what Tackett expects to be a full summer slate of games at Donald L. Johnson Memorial Park, registration is currently open and player evaluations take place Saturday at Shelbyville High School’s auxiliary gym.

There are four league age groups within Shelby County Babe Ruth: 4-6, 6-8, 9-10 and 11-13.

Registration cost is $80 per player or a maximum of $240 per family living in the same household.

Player evaluations begin at 8:15 a.m. Saturday for those ages 6-7. The age 8 age group follows at 9:15 a.m. Evaluations continue at 10:15 a.m. for 9s and 10s. The session ends with 11-13s at 11:30 a.m.

There is no player evaluation session for the 4-5 age group.

Registration can be done online at shelbycountybaberuth.com. The website also contains more information about the organization.

Coaches for all leagues are still needed. Volunteers to work concessions and field maintenance also are needed.

For more information, contact Tackett at marktackett@shelbycountybaberuth.com.

Shelby County's contractor, Trisler Construction Co, Inc., will be closing 375 E between 350 S and 450 S beginning Thursday, February 25, for a period of 4 – 6 weeks to replace a large box culvert.

The last address accessible from the north is 4098 S 375 E, Waldron.

The last address accessible from the south is 4339 S 375 E, Waldron.

Winter weather postponed the start of the project that was announced February 1.

Governor Eric J. Holcomb is directing flags across the state to be flown at half-staff in memory of the more than 500,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19.

Per the President’s proclamation, flags should be flown at half-staff from now until sunset Friday, February 26.

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

Shelby County is seeking money to aid small business dealing with the pandemic.

Commissioner Chris Ross says they have applied for $250, 000 in funds.

Ross says that SIRPC will aid in the administration of the funds if they are granted including the application process when the time comes.

Ross also noted the grant of federal dollars to aid the county in infrastructure and roads for the growth at the Pleasant View site of the I-74 corridor.

The grant is for $1.46 million.

Shelby County farmland is under siege from out-of-state power companies looking to create “solar farms.”

An 1,800-acre facility has already been approved for installation in northeastern Shelby County.

Southwestern Shelby County is the next target site but there is strong opposition from local residents determined to keep a second local “solar farm” from setting up shop.

Indiana lieutenant governor Suzanne Crouch believes the state should allow communities to make their own decisions as to how much “green energy” originates from land inside its borders.

“We very much support local decisions being made regarding those kinds of issues,” said Crouch Friday during a visit to Fischer Seeds in Shelbyville. “I’m a former county commissioner and no one knows their community better than local elected officials. So there is a role for them and they are the ones that have their fingers on the pulse of the community. They are the ones that should be making the decisions for what is best for their county. And they can be held accountable to the voters.”

Fifty-eight state representatives believe differently. House Bill 1381, which would remove the veto power of county commissioners, was approved last week, 58-38. State representative Sean Eberhart (R-Shelbyville) was one of the 58 votes.

The bill next goes in front of the senate.

SPower, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been identified as the latest power company looking to create a solar facility in Shelby County. A representative has approached several land owners seeking to lease or purchase land. The landowner can then make a decision to be a part of the project or decline to become involved.

Money is certainly a factor in the decision. And landowner’s rights are protected to an extent. That makes getting involved a sticky proposition.

“It’s almost one of those economic development vs. quality of life issues,” said Crouch. “And what you want is for economic development and quality of life to be able to intersect so it benefits the community the most.”

COVID-19

As vaccinations mount across the state, COVID-19 statistics are in decline.

“When you look at the statistics, and everything is driven by data, almost 93% of Hoosiers that are dying are 60 and above,” said Crouch during her one-on-one interview with the Shelby County Post. “That’s 93% of the deaths. So if you can get that older segment of the population vaccinated, while other people may get sick and be asymptomatic and have other symptoms, the likelihood of them dying is not as great.

“So that’s why a couple weeks in January we were at a 17% positivity rate and we are 5% right now. As you are getting that population vaccinated, you are cutting down on those deaths and the hospitals have a chance.”

Vaccinations started with first responders and those in the oldest age groups. The age groups eligible for vaccination have been lowering but last week’s winter weather slowed down the process, according to Crouch.

One group that has not yet been approved for vaccinations is teachers.

“We’re focused on saving lives,” said Crouch. “That’s why we are focusing on those elderly Hoosiers getting vaccinated. Then, as we get those vaccinated, and we feel the data is compelling enough, we will start moving into other groups.

“And I can’t tell you how many teachers that have told me and Gov. (Eric) Holcomb that they are so grateful that their parents and grandparents are getting vaccinated because they realize that they are the ones most vulnerable.”

If you shop at Kroger, your personal information may have been exposed. Kroger is sending letters to customers, explaining that a third party vendor was hacked. That means customer and employee information could have been leaked.

Kroger says at least one percent of customers could have been exposed, but that could be a lot of people.

The company says people who used money services or their pharmacy are most likely to have been exposed.

An inmate's death is being investigated at the Johnson County Jail.

Sheriff Duane Burgess says the inmate that was found unconscious in his cell Monday morning and later pronounced dead is identified as Michael Leroy Reynolds, 33, of Indianapolis. Reynolds has been incarcerated in the Johnson County Jail since November 29, 2020.

Johnson County Coroner Michael Pruitt is scheduling an autopsy that will be completed in the next 48 hours. Sheriff Burgess says foul play isn’t suspected in this death investigation.

They will be awaiting an autopsy report and toxicology results.

A renowned doctor from Shelbyville has passed away.

Robert P. Inlow, M.D., passed away on February 16.

Inlow was born in Shelbyville in 1930 to Norma and Dr. William DePrez Inlow.

He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1951 and his medical degree in 1956.

IU is also where he met his wife of 70 years, Roberta Graber Inlow.

Inlow completed his medical internship at Ohio State University and his residency in surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He was also a Captain in the United States Army.

Inlow served and worked at the Inlow Clinic which provided medical services to the greater Shelbyville community for 68 years. The clinic was started in Shelbyville by his father, Dr. William DePrez Inlow, and uncles Herb and Fred in 1923. Bob Inlow joined the clinic in 1963, and served as President until it closed its doors in 1991.  Over the years the clinic employed 40 different doctors and served countless patients in Shelby County.

Inlow also continued the tradition of the Mayo Clinic Priestly Society which bestowed the “Inlow Award” annually for top surgical research by a fellow in the surgical training program. Even after his retirement he continued his medical pursuits in the Medical Reserve Corps and CERT in Redondo Beach, California.

Due to COVID, only a family memorial will be scheduled at this time.

Services have been entrusted to Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville.

Interment will be at Forest Hill Cemetery in Shelbyville.

The wintry weather that has covered roads, rooftops, sidewalks and more will begin to melt with high temperatures warming into the 40’s.

Ryan Hansome with Shelby County Emergency Management says if you know of areas that tend to flood it’s time to be on the watch this week.  Be on the lookout for waterways and low-lying area.

Hansome also advises that residents should help keep drains on roadways and streets clear wherever possible.  Snow packed onto drains may prevent snow melt a path to exit further enhancing street flooding.

Hansome also notes that if you tend to have basement flooding you should make sure you’re sump pump is operational and ready, if needed.

A high of 41 degrees is in the forecast for Sunday. Monday calls for cloudy skies and 37.  Sunshine is in the forecast Tuesday through Friday with Wednesday the warmest day as the high tops out at 50 degrees.

Fischer Seeds hosted Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch Friday morning to discuss its role in the state’s agriculture industry.

“I heard that Fischer Seeds was a unique company for a number of reasons and I wanted to come and see for myself what made them so successful,” said Crouch.

Located at 3387 South 375 East in Shelbyville, Fischer Seeds, founded in 1938 by Charles and Dorothy Fischer, is a third generation, family-owned and operated company.

“The governor’s office has always been supportive of agriculture and I would see emails that (Lt. Gov. Crouch) is visiting this farm or that farm and seemed like she is always keeping abreast of what the farming community is doing,” said Fischer Seeds vice president Bryan Fischer. “We thought we should have her down here. It was fun just talking about what we do.”

Fischer Seeds vice president Bryan Fischer (right) talks about company operations with Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch (center) Friday morning at the Fischer Seeds facility in Shelbyville.

Fischer Seeds produces food grade corn, food grade soybeans and soybean seeds that are used for a variety of products including snack foods, tortillas and for distillery markets.

“What makes them special is their dedication and commitment to quality,” said Crouch. “Agriculture is big business in Indiana. It represents $31 billion dollars of our gross domestic product. We are the fifth largest producer of corn and soy products, and we are the 10^th largest farming state. So Fischer Seeds is actually an important part of the story of agriculture here in Indiana because of their commitment and their dedication to really looking at new ways to have better markets for products and to have more value added to their product.”

Crouch was given a tour of the facility before sitting down to talk with local media and carrying on further discussion with the Fischer Seeds staff.

“They are a well-kept secret that we intend to make better known throughout Indiana because they uphold the values that we hold dear here in Indiana,” said Crouch.

Shelbyville State Representative Sean Eberhart says Thursday’s debate over a school-boundaries bill did offer some heckling and booing inside the chambers.  He also notes that a confrontation outside the chambers with Indianapolis Democrat Representative Vanessa Summers did not go as most have reported.

The bill would allow the John Glenn School Corporation in Walkerton to break off and try to annex part of the South Bend schools. Indianapolis Democrat Greg Porter had just begun to argue against the bill, warning of a "slippery slope." But when Porter referenced "discrimination and segregation," several Republicans interrupted, with shouts of "no" and "c'mon, man."

Eberhart told GIANT fm News that this is when he decided to step out.

From there’ reports indicate Eberhart and Representative Vanessa Summers became involved in a confrontation that nearly became physical.  This is disputed by Eberhart.

Fort Wayne State Representative Bob Morris, who reportedly “shoved Rep. Eberhart into the men’s restroom to separate the two,” according to a Journal Gazette reporter.  Eberhart says Morris did intervene but it wasn’t necessary as far as the situation escalating.

Eberhart says an article on the situation in the Indianapolis Star has received some clarification about his reported use of a derogatory term.

Eberhart says he plans to speak with Rep. Summers when they return to session on Monday.

House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers), who's in his first full term as speaker after taking the gavel days before last year's adjournment, says he'll enforce the House's rules more strictly. He implored legislators to listen respectfully to each other and not impugn one another's motives, a prohibition explicitly included in House rules.

Seven bids were submitted for a relief sewer project for the City of Shelbyville.  All fell under the engineer's estimate.

The project is to construct a relief sewer for the undersized storm sewer main running through the South Central Basin to the Fortune Ditch.  The pipe and detention basin included in the proposed work are specifically designed to reduce the flooding surcharge that happens in short, heavy rain events north of Evans St, and also designed to reduce flooding throughout. 

The reduced water in the Fortune Ditch storm sewer main will also allow the City of Shelbyville the ability to add further storm sewer runs in the near future.

The board awarded the contract to Schutte Excavating - Greensburg.  At this time, it is tentative and subject to a more thorough legal and engineering review. 

The Indianapolis Colts have traded for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

Multiple news sources are reporting the Colts will receive Wentz for a 2021 third-round draft pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick that could become a first-round selection based on Wentz’s playing time with the Colts.

With the retirement of Phillip Rivers, the Colts were actively shopping for a quarterback for the 2021 season. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett is a free agent which left the Colts with 2020 fourth-round draft pick Jacob Eason as the only quarterback on the roster.

Early reports had the Eagles shopping the former Super Bowl winning quarterback for a pair of first-round draft picks.

The Colts now have their QB1 for the 2021 season and will keep its first-round draft pick for this year.

The Eagles will have the Colts’ third-round selection – No. 85 overall.

The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce will host a Legislative Update on Friday, February 19.

The event will be virtual via Zoom from 12:00 - 1:00 pm.

We aren't out of the woods yet, but Indiana's counties are in better shape when it comes to the pandemic.

As of Wednesday's update, Indiana has no counties in the red on the coronavirus map. Eleven counties are now in blue.  That's the best rating on the state's color coded map, meaning the lowest risk of COVID spread.

Shelby and all surrounding counties are in yellow at this time.

A third wave of financial assistance is on the horizon for local businesses.

The Shelbyville Common Council approved a resolution Wednesday morning to authorize the submittal of a phase three grant application to the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

Shelbyville mayor Tom DeBaun estimates approximately 60 grant applications have been approved locally in the first two phases. The grants deliver funds to local businesses struggling with COVID-19 restrictions.

“I think all (local businesses) are struggling. We’ve talked to them. Their attitudes are still good and this will be a welcome shot in the arm,” said DeBaun.

Applying for the grants locally will go through the same process, according to DeBaun. He anticipates the funds to be available in April.

Toray Resin Company received a 10-year tax abatement Wednesday morning from the Shelbyville Common Council. The Shelbyville manufacturing facility has 85 employees.

Tax abatement

A Shelbyville manufacturing facility was granted a tax abatement Wednesday morning for the installation of new equipment.

Toray Resin Company, 821 W. Mausoleum Road, develops plastics for electrical, electronic and appliance products.

The company will install new manufacturing equipment totaling nearly $2,000,000.

Seven new jobs will be created with projected salaries of approximately $40,000 per position.

Toray Resin currently has 85 employees.

Phase one of the installation is expected to be complete by March. Phase two has a tentative completion date of July.

The 10-year abatement schedule starts at 100% tax abatement in year one, 90% in year two,  80% in year three, and so on until the completion of the schedule.

The tax abatement committee sent a unanimous approval recommendation to the common council for approval Wednesday.

Rezoning

The council approved at first reading a request to rezone a parcel of property near 1451 McKay Road.

The vacant property sits behind an apartment complex on McKay Road, near fire station No. 2, and is zoned R2 (two-family residential).

Owned by Christian Investments, LLC, the plan is to rezone the property to RM (multi-family residential) so multi-family apartments may be constructed, according to DeBaun.

The property does not currently have access to McKay Road.

The project now moves to the Plan Commission for further inquiries.

Property development

The council approved a resolution to purchase land owned by Flagstone Properties. LLC, to continue the development of the Clearview subdivision.

The land is approximately 13 acres and will have 30 lots for purchase.

The city will invest $170,000 into the land purchase and infrastructure development. Flagstone will then develop the residential sites.

DeBaun believes the city will have its investment returned within four years.

A heavy blanket of snow covered all of Shelby County Monday afternoon and evening forcing businesses to close early and keeping area students at home Tuesday for an E-learning day.

All four Shelby County school systems remained closed Tuesday with hopes of returning to the classroom Wednesday. That will prove difficult, though, with some county roads yet to be plowed Tuesday morning.

“We started out with a truck in every township but there are almost 900 miles of road and you need two passes on each road,” said Shelby County commissioner Kevin Nigh.

Trucks were working county roads Monday afternoon but that process was hampered by winds pushing freshly plowed snow back on the roads while snowfall continued well into the night.

The call was made to send most of the trucks home. The plan was to have all trucks out working by 5 a.m. Tuesday, according to Nigh.

“The trucks had been out all day (Monday) but with the wind blowing they weren’t getting anywhere,” said Nigh, who hoped to have most or all of the county roads cleared before Wednesday morning.

City of Shelbyville snow trucks worked diligently into the night Monday to keep major roads passable.

GIANT fm staff photos

A winter snowstorm dropped more than six inches of snow across Shelby County Monday, making travel dangerous and forcing schools to remain closed Tuesday.

With snow drifting, determining an exact amount of snowfall is difficult. Staff at the Shelbyville Municipal Airport estimated 6-7 inches covered the ground with drifts going closer to one foot tall.

At the GIANT fm facility on Morristown Road in Shelbyville, snowfall measured between 8-9 inches which included snow that had previously fallen.

The Shelbyville Police Department dealt with limited calls overnight as conditions deteriorated.

“We had five or six slide offs … just normal stuff,” said Shelbyville police chief Mark Weidner Tuesday morning. “We assisted several motorists. There was nothing serious overnight.”

The police department is fully-staffed Tuesday, according to Weidner, and on patrol in all-wheel drive vehicles.

Despite roads being cleared, Weidner asked residents to avoid traveling if possible.

“I wish people that didn’t need to get out to stay home and let us do our thing,” said Weidner.

Shelby County Commissioners have informed GIANT fm News that, at this time, the intent is to keep Shelby County in the ORANGE category of the state's travel advisory map. 

As of this report, Hancock County is also an ORANGE county.

As Shelby County schools continue to get more insight from the State Department of Health, local educators continue to refine their plans for students and faculty in the midst of the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic. 

Superintendents from both Northwestern Consolidated and Shelbyville Central Schools have told Giant FM their plans, which are outlined by the CDC, State Department of Health and the Shelby County Health Department, and comes on the heels of the State Department of Health relaxing quarantine and contract tracing expectations. 

One of the biggest changes is quarantining and contact tracing will no longer be mandatory if students and teachers remain at least 3 feet apart and are wearing a mask at all times. State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box said quarantining should occur with exposures that will take place at lunch, athletics or extra curricular activities or if students and staff have removed masks.  In addition, schools will receive rapid tests and the state health department will send out more than a million KN95 masks for teachers and 600,000 children's masks and hand sanitizer.

Northwestern Consolidated Schools superintendent Chris Hoke welcomes the changes.

"The reduction in quarantine time period is helpful in returning students identified as 'close contacts' back to the classroom.  It has been enthusiastically embraced by our parents who want their children in school," Hoke said.  

As for the tests, Hoke said staff is educating themselves on the tests. 

"Our intent would be to utilize them for staff only if at all.   We are still going about the process of learning what they are, how they would work, what training is necessary and what protocols are needed.   It was not something that we were aware of being considered by the state prior to the announcement.  We were a bit surprised and  there is a lot to understand and unpack before we make a definitive decision," Hoke told Giant FM.

Shelbyville Central Schools Superintendent Mary Harper tells Giant FM her district began adhering to the three feet for contact tracing on Feb. 8. 

However, the change does not include high risk situations such as athletics, bus, lunch, band, choir, show group or elementary music classes if singing. 

"For now, we are allowing staff to come back on day 8 as allowed by the CDC and Indiana State Department of Health," said Harper. 

Harper added that Shelbyville will be going to the following guidelines for a shorter quarantine period: 

After 7 days of quarantine with a COVID test IF (return to school on day 8):

PCR nasal swab on day 5, 6, or 7 is negative OR Antigen (rapid) test on day 8 is negative Staff returning must provide negative test results. Antigen tests must be CLIA approved.

Individual has never developed symptoms

Individual wears mask correctly at all times upon his/her return

The positive individual and the close contact had to be masked at the time of exposure

After 10 days of quarantine without a test IF (return to school on day 11):

Individual has never developed symptoms

Individual wears mask correctly at all times upon their return

Individual may NOT participate in athletics or extra-curricular activities if the activities require them to remove their mask  (IHSAA doc updated 1/26/21). 

The positive individual and the close contact had to be masked at the time of exposure

For middle and high school students only, they will be brought back to school in the 11th day, and Harper says students must be separated by at least six feet at lunch and cannot remove their masks during extra-curricular or athletic events and must maintain a distance of 6 feet if all parties are not wearing a mask . 

In addition, Harper tells Giant FM, corporation nurse Michelle Herbert, is now overseeing the training on how to administer Covid tests, as well as developing a district protocol on when they will be used. 

"Once health clinic staff members have been trained, we will begin administering the antigen tests to staff. At this time, we are not ready to administer the BinaxNow Cards to students," Harper said. 

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson announced today that she will step down as Secretary of State. Secretary Lawson has notified Governor Holcomb and will submit a formal resignation once Governor Holcomb selects her successor and the successor is ready to serve.

“I have dedicated the last 32 years of my life to public service,” said Secretary Lawson. “I have served with all of my heart and soul. It has been an honor to serve, but it is time for me to step down.

“Like many Hoosiers, 2020 took a toll on me. I am resigning so I can focus on my health and my family. I will work with Governor Holcomb to ensure our next Secretary of State is up to the task and has the tools and resources to hit the ground running.”

Secretary Lawson was first appointed Secretary of State on March 16, 2012, by then Governor Mitch Daniels. She successfully ran for election in 2014 and 2018. She is the longest serving Secretary of State in Indiana history and Indiana’s 61^st Secretary of State.

As Indiana’s chief elections officer, she focused on ensuring the integrity and security of our state’s elections. She championed sweeping election reforms and led the effort to clean Indiana’s voter rolls.  Thanks to her efforts, all Indiana counties now have access to cybersecurity tools to protect not only elections, but every county and the entire state from adversaries who seek to destroy our republic.

A tireless advocate for increasing Indiana’s financial literacy and protecting Indiana investors, Secretary Lawson educated Hoosiers about smart money decisions and fought for stringent penalties for white collar criminals. She directed substantial innovation and leveraged cutting edge technology to improve how businesses interact with government by leading the charge on the state’s business one-stop portal. INBiz is now a nationally recognized portal that serves as businesses’ single point of contact for registration, filing, reporting and making payments across state agencies.

Prior to serving as Secretary of State, Lawson served in the Indiana Senate for sixteen years, where she accomplished significant legislative success. Respected across the aisle, she quickly earned the admiration of her colleagues and made history in 2006 when she was selected as the first woman to serve as Majority Floor Leader in the Indiana Senate.

Before joining the Indiana Senate, Lawson served as Clerk of the Hendricks County Circuit Court for eight years. During her tenure, she was named elections administrator of the year by the Indiana State Election Board and clerk of the year by the Indiana Clerk’s Association, both in 1993.

As a public servant, Lawson has been a true inspiration to women in government, an agent of change for Indiana counties and a determined advocate for the prevention of diseases that would rob us of our loved ones. In addition to her public work, she and her husband Jack own Lawson & Company, an auctioneer and real estate company.

GIANT fm, with stations in Shelbyville, Greenfield and Rochester, has hired Jeff Brown to serve as news editor for its online news presence, including the Shelby County Post.

Brown, a former managing editor and sports editor for The Shelbyville News, will provide news and sports coverage for the GIANT fm brands.

“I am honored to join the GIANT fm staff and continue to produce quality journalism for local readers,” said Brown. “The local radio station has a distinguished history providing news for all of Shelby County and I look forward to being a part of this team.”

With over 20 years of local journalism experience, Brown provides GIANT fm with a strong writing presence familiar with the local issues affecting Shelby County residents.

"It's rare to get the opportunity to add a quality reporter with the background, knowledge and ability of a Jeff Brown. GIANT fm is excited to have Jeff join our staff and advance our news gathering operations to better serve our readers and listeners,” said Johnny McCrory, GIANT fm news and sports director.

A 1987 graduate of Shelbyville High School, the Shelbyville native is married to Stacy Brown. The couple have two daughters: Sydney, age 13, and Avery, age 7.

A Shelbyville woman was lifelined from a two-car crash Thursday evening on south State Road 9.

The two-vehicle crash occurred at 600 South just before 5:30 pm.

Indiana State Police say one driver, Melinda Nevins, 28, of Shelbyville, was lifelined from the scene.

The driver of the other vehicle went by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries – Kristi Cooper, 28, of Greensburg.  A passenger in her vehicle, Paul Cox, 37, of Plainfield, was also taken by ambulance for medical treatment.

No details as to what led to the crash have been released as of this report.

You'll need to mask up when a nationwide public transportation mask mandate goes into effect..

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday issued an order requiring travelers in the United States to wear face masks at transportation hubs, on airplanes, and while using public transportation.

Travelers must wear a mask that completely covers the nose and mouth while "awaiting, boarding, disembarking, or traveling on airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares as they are traveling into, within, or out of the United States and U.S. territories," the CDC says.

Masks do not need to be worn when eating, drinking, or taking medication. Children under the age of two are not required to wear a mask, nor are people who cannot wear a mask due to disability.

The mandate takes effect Monday at 11:59 p.m.

On the COVID map most of Indiana's counties are still in the orange and yellow, but Dr. Kristina Box, state health commissioner, said on Wednesday that Switzerland County is now the only county in Indiana that's red.

She said Indiana even has a county in blue now, Starke County.

Other area counties show Rush and Marion in yellow while Shelby and its other border counties – Decatur, Bartholomew, Hancock and Johnson remain orange.

One month ago, 73 of Indiana's 92 counties were in the red.

Indiana isn't expanding COVID vaccine eligibility yet, but health officials have announced who's next in line.

The health department had already said people 60 and up will be next -- the current cutoff is 65, except for health care workers, first responders and nursing home residents.  Chief medical officer Lindsay Weaver says the next expansion after that will cover two groups: people 50 and up, and people younger than that with one of six specific conditions putting them at risk.

For now, 60-year-olds are still waiting their turn, and Health Commissioners Dr. Kris Box says it'll be at least another week. She says the state is watching its inventory of vaccine and the expected weekly shipment of 100-thousand doses to make sure nearly a half-million Hoosiers who have already received their first dose will have their second available.

Weaver says while other ailments, including coronary artery disease and C-O-P-D, are also risk factors, lowering the age threshold to 50 will reach four out of five of those patients. Governor Holcomb says it'll also encompass 98-percent of Indiana's deaths.

Box says the Johnson and Johnson vaccine awaiting F-D-A approval has the potential to be the "workhorse" of the COVID fight. Not only would a third vaccine increase the supply, but the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires one dose instead of two. Box says that'll help with harder-to-reach populations for whom getting them in for a second appointment may be challenging.

At 85-percent, the new vaccine is less effective than the 95-percent rate of the already-approved Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but Weaver says that's still an excellent performance.

Patients won't be able to choose which vaccine they receive.

Box says Indiana has the capacity to deliver four times the vaccinations it's administering now, once there are doses available to give.

Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines through the U.S. Federal Retail Pharmacy Program on Feb. 12.

More than 1,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in 22 states are receiving federal vaccine allocations this week, with an emphasis on locations that reach customers in underserved communities with limited access to health care. In addition to the 22 states, Walmart and Sam’s Club is also currently administering vaccinations under the state allocation in 11 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. While initial vaccine supply is limited, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacists and technicians stand ready to help expand vaccine access across the country.

With 150 million customers and members passing through our doors each week, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacists can safely and easily reach customers where they’re already shopping for household and health care essentials. The company worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and states taking into account the population density, customer demographics, infection rates and availability of local health care resources among other factors to identify many of the participating locations.

The company also looked at pharmacies located in Medically Underserved Areas, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration. 

“Ninety percent of the country lives within 10 miles of a Walmart. We’re at the heart of many rural and underserved communities, and we are committed to providing access to vaccines as groups become eligible,” Dr. Cheryl Pegus, Executive Vice President, Health & Wellness, said. “Vaccinations to achieve widespread immunity are important for re-opening across the country. We’re proud to work together with the federal government, states, communities, customers and associates to reach that goal.”

Walmart and Sam’s Club are partnering with CDC and states to move as quickly as possible to help administer vaccines to eligible populations in participating states, including Indiana.

Vaccine supply and eligibility will vary based on allocation as well as state and local guidelines. The number of vaccinations will be limited and is planned to continue to increase each week. Eligible customers can schedule a vaccine appointment directly via the Walmart and Sam’s Club websites once appointments are available, making it convenient to get vaccinated while allocation lasts. A membership is not required to get a vaccination at Sam’s Club. In addition to appointments, the scheduler will provide a digital reminder when it is time to return for the second vaccine, which is why customers are asked to create a profile, helping to ensure customers receive the second dose of the vaccine.

Walmart recognizes there are people who may have difficulty accessing in-store clinics, so it will be partnering with other providers and organizations to expand access to offsite vaccination clinics. The company will share details of these new vaccine options as they become available.

An Indianapolis man is accused of molesting a Johnson County girl he helped babysit.

Jonathan Thompson, 27, was faces charges of child molesting and statutory rape, reports The Daily Journal.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office started investigating Thompson in January after the girl repeatedly said Thompson touched her genitals.

According to court documents, the victim said Thompson would touch and spank her over her clothes or underwear while she was sleeping. 

The Daily Journal says the victim told her parents about Thompson touching her and they confronted him, but he denied her claims.

Police contacted Thompson last month and set up an interview, but Johnson did not show up.

Thompson was arrested Tuesday and taken to the Johnson Co. Jail, where he was being held Wednesday on bond.

With students back to the classroom, they will do so with relaxed quarantine guidelines, more personal protective equipment on the way and rapid tests available on campuses. 

The moves come on the heels of state health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box announcing the state will be sending BinaxNOW Covid-19 antigen test cards for testing teachers and students who exhibit symptoms. 

"If the student or teacher tests positive, the school will know immediately, and this will allow a school to move quickly to isolate the positive individual and reduce the spread of COVID," Box said during last week's announcement, adding each school will get details on how to use the test. 

One of the biggest changes is quarantining and contact tracing will no longer be mandatory if students and teachers remain at least 3 feet apart and are wearing a mask at all times. Box said quarantining should occur with exposures that will take place at lunch, athletics or extra curricular activities or if students and staff have removed masks. 

Shelbyville Central Schools is one district that will be implementing the new guidelines, according to superintendent Mary Harper. 

Harper told Giant FM that her district will begin to use the three feet for contact tracing.

"This does not include high risk situations like bus, lunch, athletics, band, choir, show group, cheerleading, classes where students are not forward facing or any time parties are not wearing masks. In these situations, we are required to utilize the 6 feet for contact tracing," Harper said.

Harper said Shelbyville Central Schools has to  make sure proper protocols are in place to monitor the safe return of staff and students.

"Several driving factors need to be instituted to ensure proper oversight for the shorter quarantine periods. For students participating in athletics, band, choir or other extra-curricular activities, students will need to wear masks at all times if they are returning early. In addition, the students must be able to maintain the six feet of social distancing at all times while observing practicing or participating. If these requirements cannot be met outside of the classroom setting, the students must complete the entire 14 day quarantine period," Harper said. 

In addition, schools will receive rapid tests and the state health department will send out more than a million KN95 masks for teachers and 600,000 children's masks and hand sanitizer.

Harper said Shelbyville Central Schools has asked for KN95 masks for staff, additional masks for students and the tests. 

"We will be accepting the BinaxNow Cards. Prior to using the tests, we will establish the proper policies and protocols and clearly communicate when and how they will be used. As we finalize the protocols on the shorter quarantine periods and BinaxNow Cards, we will communicate to our stakeholders," Harper said.

The ongoing pandemic has taken a toll on enrollment at Shelbyville Central Schools, according to Harper. 

"We are down about 125 students from last year. Some parents opted to  home school or participate in another virtual option. Others decided to wait a year to enroll their student in preschool or kindergarten. We have been able to maintain our enrollment this school year and are hopeful to have some of the students that left us back," Harper said. 

Shelby Eastern Schools superintendent Dr. Todd Hitchcock tells Giant FM his district is also in favor of the new quarantine guidelines. 

"We hope it limits the number of healthy students we have to keep away from school," he said. 

Hitchcock notes the district is still discussing the pros and cons of accepting the tests.

"We are strongly considering giving those back to the health department for them to use as they see fit," Hitchcock told Giant FM. 

Shelby County Prosecutor Brad Landwerlen last week released information that his office had received two reports of "grandson arrested" scams.

In the latest, a lady in her 80's was called and told that her grandson had an accident and was being arrested for having cocaine. The caller knew his name, occupation, and where he lives (which is out of state) - all information likely obtained via Facebook.

Fortunately, the teller at a local bank contacted our Prosecutor's Office Adult Protective Services (APS) investigator Mary Ann Turner as the lady was attempting to wire $200,000 (basically her entire life savings). Investigator Turner responded and contacted the lady's son. When the son arrived, the lady demanded that they leave, explaining that the call contained threats if others became involved and she became very worried. A local officer, also, a family member, responded and put her at ease by providing "security". Her grandson called and then drove to her house from out of state before she would accept that this is a scam and he was alright.

An area resident talked with GIANT fm about her interaction with a similar scam effort. 

Arlington area resident Hannah Davis explains what happened.

Now, part of what prompted this isthat Davis has the phone number of her grandmother who has since passed away.

Davis says she asked questions of the scammers who never gave up much information.

Davis says these scammers can be convincing.

She notes people should be careful.  Contact directly those that you trust if you have reason to believe in the call you’ve received.

While Shelbyville and Shelby County residents continue to get settled into a new year, Shelby County Prosecutor Brad Landwerlen admits he is seeing an old problem rear its ugly head – overdoses.

Landwerlen tells Giant FM that overdoses are back up in Shelby County.

“Though we are still having some overdoses from prescription medication abuse, the majority of overdoses currently seem to involve opiates – primarily heroin and fentanyl. And we are seeing more and more fentanyl, and seeing it in other drugs that we are getting such as cocaine and meth,” Landwerlen said.

Landwerlen said fentanyl is used to cut heroin because it is cheaper and sometimes it is sold as heroin.

“When a heroin addict takes the same dose size of fentanyl as they normally take of heroin, it will undoubtedly result in an overdose and death, as fentanyl is so much more powerful than heroin,” Landwerlen told Giant FM.

Help exists for any resident wanting to get help, according to Landwerlen, as he said residents can find a recovery organization at www.indianarecoverynetowrk.org or by calling 211 for help any time of the day. In addition, there is the Indiana Addiction Hotline at 1-800-622-4357. He said people can also contact him at 317-392-6440 and he will guide them to services.

Landwerlen notes the stigma surrounding addiction is starting to change.

“Several people, now regularly, post on social media that they are in recovery and how much better they feel. In the past, recovery was a very secretive thing, presumably due to shame for being an addict. I’m very happy that this seems to be changing, increasing the odds that some addicts will be more willing to seek the help they need,” Landwerlen said. 

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (Nasdaq: ODFL) expands its network by adding nine service centers in new and existing markets. The steady growth brings the Company’s service center count to 245 and solidifies Old Dominion’s presence across the continental United States. The less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier’s new or improved facilities include Brooklyn, N.Y., Edinburgh, Ind., Grand Island, Neb., Louisville, Ky., Mansfield, Ohio, McDonough, Ga., Mesa, Ariz., Milton, Pa. and Olympia, Wash.

The nine new and renovated service centers are strategically placed for operational efficiency aligned with the Company’s long-term strategic plan. Old Dominion’s investment in

each market will support capacity needs, improve shipping time, and enhance delivery flexibility,

allowing the Company to better serve customers as demand continues to grow amid the COVID19 pandemic.

“Investment in our service center network is a hallmark of Old Dominion’s long-term

strategic plan,” said Chip Overbey, senior vice president of strategic planning. “We measure

capacity in three key areas; service centers, people, and equipment. Each area is critically

important to serve our customers and accommodate the growing demand for premium LTL

services.”

Each service center is constructed with best-in-class facilities to improve operational

efficiencies. Old Dominion’s recent investments in innovative technology, such as tools for realtime track and traceability, allows the Company to adapt to meet evolving customer needs while maintaining its premium service.

“Shippers can expect to see improved transit times, faster response times, and adequate

capacity to meet their transportation needs,” said Overbey. “In each of these nine markets, our

team worked together with the common goal of wanting to serve our customer and community

better.”

Old Dominion’s service center openings include:

Edinburgh, Ind. – The Edinburgh service center is positioned near two major highways, I-65 and Highway 31, to help support shippers in southern Indiana. This facility operates

on 20.1 acres, with 63 doors and room to expand to a total of 120 doors in the future. Old

Dominion hired 15 new employees to help serve Edinburgh.

About Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. is a leading, less-than-truckload (“LTL”), union-free motor

carrier providing regional, inter-regional and national LTL services through a single integrated

organization. Our service offerings, which include expedited transportation, are provided through an expansive network of service centers located throughout the continental United States.

Through strategic alliances, the Company also provides LTL services throughout North America.

In addition to its core LTL services, the Company offers a range of value-added services

including container drayage, truckload brokerage and supply chain consulting.

The growth of the Pleasant View corridor along I-74 will include a new warehouse for a retailer.

Shelby County Commissioner Don Parker explains that Five Below is preparing to construct a warehouse at the location.

Five Below is a discount-store chain that sells everything from books to clothes for under $5. 

Parker says the warehouse could be up and running in less than a year.

 The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced the estimated funds that each school district across the state will receive as part of the second round of federal stimulus dollars (CARES 2.0/ CRRSA). Together, these school allocations for Indiana public and non-public schools total more than $881 million.

Planning allocations for each of Indiana’s public schools are available here, with planning allocations for each non-public school available here.

“This CARES 2.0 federal funding offers the opportunity to focus on addressing the educational needs exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “As we all continue to navigate these challenges, it will be critical to better understand and take actions to mitigate the learning loss resulting from COVID-19, as well as capitalize on any opportunities for growth that have come to light as a result of this challen

                                                            April allocation            Planning allocation

Shelby Eastern Schools                        $ 83,138.90                   $ 343,990.78

Northwestern Con School Corp            $ 164,958.86                  $ 667,914.95

Southwestern Con Sch Shelby Co       $ 73,161.76                    $ 288,162.68

Shelbyville Central Schools                  $ 462,595.19                  $ 2,178,584.39

Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp         $ 84,529.51                   $ 341,560.64

Southern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp  $ 67,237.01                   $ 262,300.61

Greenfield-Central Com Schools          $ 300,551.34                 $ 1,149,810.78

Mt Vernon Community Sch Corp          $ 162,891.09                 $ 602,912.10

Eastern Hancock Co Com Sch Corp    $ 75,300.85                   $ 270,854.29

Rush County Schools                            $ 334,201.93                 $ 1,264,141.76

These funds include:

• Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)
  Planning allocations for Indiana’s public schools – the largest part of ESSER funding – total $799.37 million. These schools will submit their allowable expenses incurred from March 13, 2020, through September 30, 2023, and then will be eligible for reimbursement. More information on the use of these funds – designed to tackle learning loss and achieve operational efficiencies – is available here.
• Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS)
  Non-public schools’ planning allocations total $81.66 million, which can be used to fund services and support for these schools. These funds prioritize schools that enroll low-income students and are most impacted by the pandemic. More information on allowable activities and uses is available here.

These planning allocations are preliminary and will be finalized in the coming months based on the Title I formula.

The second federal stimulus package (CARES 2.0/ CRRSA) also includes more than $115 million in discretionary funding available to the state, as well as $327.78 million available for higher education.

Update (original story below):  It has been confirmed that at least four vehicles were hit by rounds.

Investigators located two firearms at the scene. Charges are still pending, as the investigation continues.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Department asks that anyone who witnessed or anyone that was involved, please contact their department at 317-398-6661.   

ORIGINAL RELEASE

A Michigan man is in the Shelby County Jail charged with attempted murder.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Department reports dispatch received a call of a male standing in the roadway, shooting at vehicles, around the 6000 block of West SR 44.

Frederick Dewon Charles, 36, of Grand Rapids, Michigan is charged with attempted murder and resisting arrest.

Larry Hill lives at 6417 West State Road 44.  He told GIANT fm News that he saw Charles try to get into his barn that is located across the road from his home.

Once units arrived, a pursuit began with the suspect. The pursuit went north through farm fields to Shelby CR 100 S. The pursuit went west on CR 100 S.  At some point one of the units was able to use stop sticks on the suspect vehicle. Charles  was taken into custody, shortly after that, in the 8000 block West of CR 100 S.

On the Facebook page of Fred Charles-Jones is video shot while he was parked along the roadway and then a later video shot of himself inside the cab while he is driving thru the field toward 100 South and eventually stopped by police.  He states he isn’t trying to hit anyone and doesn’t want to ram anyone.  Officers can be heard near the end of the video yelling for him to get out of the vehicle.  He then notes that he is boxed in and can’t go anywhere.

Charles says “Love you all” and gets out and is apprehended.

No injuries have been reported but it’s reported one vehicle was struck by a round shot from a gun.

A Michigan man is in the Shelby County Jail charged with attempted murder.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Department reports dispatch received a call of a male standing in the roadway, shooting at vehicles, around the 6000 block of West SR 44.

Frederick Dewon Charles, 36, of Grand Rapids, Michigan is charged with attempted murder and resisting arrest.

Larry Hill lives at 6417 West State Road 44.  He told GIANT fm News that he saw Charles try to get into his barn that is located across the road from his home.

Once units arrived, a pursuit began with the suspect. The pursuit went north through farm fields to Shelby CR 100 S. The pursuit went west on CR 100 S.  At some point one of the units was able to use stop sticks on the suspect vehicle. Charles  was taken into custody, shortly after that, in the 8000 block West of CR 100 S.

On the Facebook page of Fred Charles-Jones is video shot while he was parked along the roadway and then a later video shot of himself inside the cab while he is driving thru the field toward 100 South and eventually stopped by police.  He states he isn’t trying to hit anyone and doesn’t want to ram anyone.  Officers can be heard near the end of the video yelling for him to get out of the vehicle.  He then notes that he is boxed in and can’t go anywhere.

Charles says “Love you all” and gets out and is apprehended.

No injuries have been reported but it’s reported one vehicle was struck by a round shot from a gun.

With the coldest temperatures of the season on the way to Shelby County this weekend, local officials are asking residents to be prepared and use caution. 

An arctic blast is expected to drive temperatures near zero and wind chill readings will make it feel much colder across the county. 

Shelbyville Police Lt. Mike Turner said the department is asking residents to utilize a form of safe heating. 

"If the furnace is not working or you have to use portable heaters, please make sure they are not near any items that may catch fire. Also, make sure small children stay away from the floor heaters to keep from being harmed," Turner said. 

Shelby County Emergency Management Director Ryan Hansome echoed those sentiments.

Hansome asked residents to prepare their homes with insulation, caulking and weather stripping, as well as ensuring pipes do not freeze and smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are ready with battery backups. 

"Use extreme caution if using space heaters, and follow the manufacture's recommendations," Hansome said. 

The precautions extend outside the home, as Turner is asking residents who are traveling to ensure they have a full gas tank and a charged cell phone, as well as blankets. 

Hansome said it is vital to have an emergency supply kit for the car, which would include jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, warm clothes, phone charger, blankets and snacks. 

In addition, Turner is asking residents to keep tabs on pets.

"Please make sure you keep your pets inside either your home or garage, if possible. If your pet had to remain outside, please provide a warm place for them to stay and make sure they have food and the water is not frozen," Turner said.

Officials are also asking residents to keep tabs on family and neighbors.

"Please check on your family as well. If you have elderly parents or grandparents, please make sure they are staying safe and warm. These temps will not last long, so please stay safe during the cold weather," Turner said. 

Hansome said the Salvation Army will open Saturday through Feb. 16 as a warming center, and the facility is in need of volunteers to help staff the center. 

There's another bill to limit some of the state's anti-COVID restrictions -- but this one has the state health department's support.

Indiana stopped all nursing home visitation for three months at the start of the pandemic, and there are still limits in counties with high positivity rates. That's caused some residents to decline physically and mentally. Indiana has a program to name one "essential caregiver" who can visit no matter what. But the program is optional, and Granger Senator Linda Rogers (R) says many nursing homes have continued a full ban on visitors for fear of running afoul of the state or federal government, or to avoid risking a lawsuit if someone gets sick.

The Senate Health Committee unanimously approved Rogers' bill requiring nursing homes to participate in the essential caregiver program. The bill also requires facilities to allow family members to visit if residents are showing signs of emotional distress or struggling to adapt to the new surroundings.

Vickie Ayres of Indianapolis says she watched her mother decline physically and mentally after a positive COVID test landed her in isolation for three weeks. Ayres says once she was able to visit again, her mother improved for a few days, only to have the facility shut down visitation again after a staff member tested positive. At that point, she says she pulled her mother out of the facility to live with her.

Rogers says when she was able to visit her own 99-year-old mother for the first time in months, her mother told her she'd been "lost" and thought her family had been able to find her.

Ayres and Rogers say the state-ordered lockdown was an appropriate precaution at the time, and Ayres says she's not calling on nursing homes to "fling open the doors." But she notes doctors, nurses and therapists travel from one facility to another. As long as family members get tested, mask up, and wash their hands, she argues, they're no more of a health risk than those staffers.

Rogers' bill would shield nursing homes from lawsuits over coronavirus infections unless they show "gross negligence or willful misconduct," the same language as a House-passed bill granting similar protection to all businesses, nonprofits, schools, and government offices.

The Senate will vote on requiring facilities to participate.

A mix of rain and snow along with frigid temperatures will be moving through Indiana for at least the next few days.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis says a winter weather system will arrive Thursday afternoon.

“Precipitation should start as rainfall. There might be a little mix of precipitation in the early parts. We might see a few scattered snow showers overnight after the cold front passes through, but we’re not looking at any kind of accumulations,” said Aaron Updike, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. “We’re also expecting pretty windy conditions Thursday. They could gust as high as 40 mph at times.”

Updike projects that Indiana will have the coldest temperatures of the season so far.

“That’s especially the case for Sunday. Sunday’s high temperatures may only reach the teens. Our wind chill values will be running 5-10 degrees below the actual values,” said Updike.

That means it will likely feel as if it is below zero at times even if the temperature is above zero.

“We’re tracking another snow system coming in Saturday night, maybe in the one to two-inch range,” said Updike. “It should be that light, fluffy snow. It won’t be like the snow from last weekend when it was really dense and heavy. We are tracking another system early next week. It’s hard to say how much we’ll get this far out, but it does look like the potential for much more significant snow values.”

Updike expects the cold weather to continue for the next few weeks. 

If you bought a ticket for the Jan. 30 Daily 3 drawing, the Hoosier Lottery is asking you to hold onto your ticket.

A technical issue occurred during the Daily 3 drawing on Jan. 30, according to the Hoosier Lottery. 

Anyone who purchased a ticket for the drawing is asked to hold onto their ticket.

The announced numbers were 9-0-2 with Superball 1. 

A second drawing will be completed. The Hoosier Lottery will honor both sets of numbers for prize payment.

Players who believe they may have purchased a winning ticket based on the secondary numbers drawn but discarded the ticket after viewing the numbers initially announced, or who redeemed a winning ticket and believe they may have been eligible for a higher prize level, may download and submit a claim form/affidavit for review by the Hoosier Lottery. Claims must be received by the Hoosier Lottery by July 29, 2021.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and WorkOne Central are hosting a virtual hiring fair highlighting dozens of job openings in Shelby County.

The virtual hiring fair is scheduled to run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021.

Participating employers will include Freudenberg-NOK, Major Hospital, Penske Logistics and Toray Resin. Presenters from each company will discuss the job opportunities in detail, along with benefits and how to apply.

“Businesses need workers. We continue to hear this from Shelby County employers as well as from employers throughout the region,” said Lance Ratliff, Executive Director, Region 5 Workforce Board. “To help address this need, the Region 5 Workforce Board is pleased to partner with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to offer a virtual hiring fair for several Shelby County businesses. A virtual hiring fair engages technology to provide a safe and efficient method for recruiting new workers.”

To register, visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2605868259187634187.

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the webinar.

Bradley Cooper, the former Johnson County prosecutor, has had his law license suspended for four years by the Indiana Supreme Court.

Cooper avoided jail time with a plea agreement in 2019 after brutally beating his girlfriend. He also stole her cell phone and pretended to be her in messages, then conducted media interviews where he accused her of attacking him.

The attack happened in March 2019. The following month he pled guilty to criminal confinement, domestic battery, identity deception and official misconduct. 

The Court ruled that Cooper narrowly avoided disbarment, calling his acts “deplorable.”

Cooper’s law license has already been under “interim” suspension for a year and a half, according to the ruling.

Have you received your coronavirus vaccine? The Better Business Bureau is reminding you of one thing not to do after you get your shot.

Many people are sharing photos of their vaccine card on social media. The BBB says you shouldn't do that.

"Unfortunately, your card has your full name and birthday on it, as well as information about where you got your vaccine," the BBB said on its website. "If your social media privacy settings aren’t set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use."

They say if you want to share the news of you getting your COVID shot, share a photo of your vaccine sticker or use a "I Got My Vaccine" profile frame instead.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. plans to close its facility in Franklin and lay off more than 80 employees.

In a notice to the state, the company said the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Climate Control plant will shut down at the end of the year.

The Franklin facility opened in 2015. It makes turbochargers and compressors for car air conditioning systems, according to Inside Indiana Business.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries says the facility is closing "due to lack of sales and no future business."

Layoffs will begin in March and extend through the end of the year.

The county’s contractor, Trisler Construction Co, Inc., will be closing 375 E between 350 S and 450 S beginning Wednesday, February 3, for a period of 4 – 6 weeks to replace a large box culvert.

The cost of the project is $105, 000.

The last address accessible from the north is 4098 S 375 E, Waldron

And the last address accessible from the south is 4339 S 375 E, Waldron.

Have you received your coronavirus vaccine? The Better Business Bureau is reminding you of one thing not to do after you get your shot.

Many people are sharing photos of their vaccine card on social media. The BBB says you shouldn't do that.

"Unfortunately, your card has your full name and birthday on it, as well as information about where you got your vaccine," the BBB said on its website. "If your social media privacy settings aren’t set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use."

They say if you want to share the news of you getting your COVID shot, share a photo of your vaccine sticker or use a "I Got My Vaccine" profile frame instead.

Nearly 96,000 Hoosiers ages 65 to 69 had scheduled appointments to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of 5 p.m. Monday, the first day of their eligibility.

A total of nearly 103,000 first-dose appointments for all eligible age groups were scheduled Monday. Since Indiana began offering vaccine in late December, more than 1.3 million first- and second-dose appointments have been scheduled.

Hoosiers age 65 and older, along with healthcare workers, long-term care residents and first responders who are regularly called to the scene of an emergency to render medical assistance, are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. To schedule, visit https://ourshot.in.gov. Hoosiers who do not have a computer or cell phone or those who need assistance scheduling an appointment can call 211 or contact one of Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging.

Vaccine clinics are widely available across the state. Hoosiers who cannot find an appointment at the nearest location are encouraged to look at other sites in neighboring counties. Appointments are being added regularly as vaccine supplies permit.

Ten Walmart stores in Indiana are now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to Hoosiers age 70 and older.  Other states with Walmart stores offering the vaccine include Georgia, South Carolina, New Jersey, and Louisiana.

The coronavirus shot is now available at the following Walmart locations:

- Columbus: 735 Whitfield Drive

- Greenwood: 1133 N. Emerson Rd.

- Lafayette: 2347 Veterans Memorial Parkway South

- Michigan City: 5780 Franklin St.

- Mishawaka: 316 Indian Ridge Blvd.

- Muncie: 1501 E. 29th Street

- New Castle: 3167 S. State Road 3

- Noblesville: 16865 Clover Rd.

- Terre Haute: 2399 S. State Rd. 46

- Warsaw: 2501 Walton Blvd.

Appointments can be scheduled online through ourshot.in.gov.

Before this round of snowfall, a mild, dry winter had afforded the City of Shelbyville opportunity to advance on the construction with the downtown project.

Entering February, Mayor Tom DeBaun says they are moving ahead of schedule.

As for the timeline for seeing homes at the Hamilton – Major site, the mayor says they will turn to a local realtor to aid the city in future lot sales.