Local News

Shelbyville Central Schools listens to parents, family members concerned about bullying in school system

The Shelbyville Central Schools board devoted nearly two hours Thursday discussing what parents believe are unchecked bullying issues within the school system.

School board president Curt Johnson directed a 45-minute work session at the administration building that included Superintendent Dr. Matt Vance and Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Miltz. Twelve individuals sat before the board and outlined specific issues about how bullying issues have been handled.

“We had a good turnout which shows the level of commitment,” said Johnson after the meeting. “It was very civil and rational even though it’s an emotionally-charged issue. There were a couple of people where you could really feel the emotion coming out of them, but I thought it was a good conversation.”

Following the work session, board members and the nearly 60 people in attendance spoke more informally for another 45 minutes about potential solutions to a nationwide problem within school systems.

The most common complaint brought up Thursday was a perceived lack of communication between the schools and family members of a student that has lodged a bullying complaint.

“I think in terms of having a successful education program, communication is huge no matter what we’re talking about. I think its one thing we can continue to work on to make better,” said Vance. “For us all to be successful, we need to communicate. We’ve heard some of those concerns now. We need to look at what we can do to make that better and we understand that.”

 

 

Parents and family members of SCS students at the elementary, middle school and high school levels detailed bullying situations that their children have endured. Several vented frustrations with not getting investigation results to know if the bullying situation was handled.

“No matter how you want to view it, communication is the root of so many problems, big and small,” said Johnson (photo, second from right). “That certainly is one of the big takeaways so far is we need to do a better job communicating what parents, what other stakeholders can do.”

SCS utilizes the Stop It app to allow students to anonymously report bullying. One parent suggested a training session on how the app works to make it a more viable option for reporting.

“I don’t think people are as aware of that (app),” said Johnson. “I think we need to do a better job of making them aware of how it works. It sounds like there may be some kinks in it. We heard some of that tonight.

“In my mind, you have to look at the information technology. What you don’t want to do is dump (more) on a teacher.”

An obvious solution is more adults in each building – whether it is more teachers, more counselors or social workers, or more resource officers.

“My goal is to continue to expand our SRO (School Resource Officer) program,” said Vance. “We have a great program in place. Again, what can we do better? How can we get more officers? You can never have too many SROs.

“We have a great relationship there. Now, what can we do to expand that?”

Adding more staff means expanding expenses. There are grant options that can be pursued, according to Vance, but there also is the need for qualified (police) officers willing to be part of the SRO program.

“Sometimes it’s a matter of having enough officers that want to do it and can do it and have the availability,” said Vance. “It’s more complex than just money. It’s just having the manpower in some cases. We have made some adjustments to our SRO schedule this year. We have expanded it some and my hope is we can continue to expand it more.”

Johnson admitted he is not a fan of bringing more firearms into schools via resource officers or armed security personnel. He is intrigued with the idea of parent volunteers assisting school staff on a daily basis.

“There was a woman here I know that has volunteered at Loper (Elementary) for seven years. She is retired. She likes being around kids,” said Johnson. “This helps get the parents involved in the schools. There is a lot of virtue in that. I think that is a potentially viable option but there are some legal aspects we would have to look at. I think this bears further scrutiny – the heightened use of volunteers.”

The school board and the superintendent plan to talk with teachers and administrators and follow up on Thursday’s discussion. There is not a second public meeting scheduled at this time.

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Wind and storm chances growing in Friday night forecast

A Wind Advisory in effect from 8 p.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Southwest winds 25-35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected across portions of central Indiana.

Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible through the afternoon. There is an ENHANCED RISK for severe thunderstorms, mainly tonight.

A line of thunderstorms is expected to move through this evening. Damaging winds to 70 mph and some risk of a few brief tornadoes will accompany this line of storms.

Strong winds gusts up to 45 mph are possible Friday evening even outside of thunderstorms.

Strong wind gusts up to 50 mph are likely on Saturday.

 

 


Shelbyville Central Schools Superintendent gives initial reaction to Thursday bullying meeting

Several people spoke to the assembled Shelbyville Central School Board Thursday and others to the board members individually about bullying concerns.

Superintendent Dr. Matt Vance spoke to Shelby County Post Editor Jeff Brown on his takeaway from the public meeting.

 

 

More to come on the Thursday night meeting later today on GIANT fm News and Shelby County Post.

Mitch Daniels to join Liberty Fund

The Liberty Fund announced that Mitch Daniels will join the Liberty Fund as a Distinguished Scholar and Senior Advisor.

Daniels joins the Liberty Fund after serving as President of Purdue University from 2013–2022. At Purdue, Daniels led transformative change and was recognized as one of the most innovative university presidents in America. During Daniels’ tenure, Purdue froze tuition, reducing student borrowing by 32 percent.

Daniels served as Governor of the State of Indiana from 2005–2013. After inheriting a nearly $800 million deficit, Daniels left Indiana with a budget in surplus, reserve funds equal to nearly 15 percent of annual spending, and its first AAA credit rating.

Daniels’ work with the Liberty Fund will focus on the creation of educational programs and partnerships that will strengthen Liberty Fund’s existing educational programs.

Daniels will begin his work with Liberty Fund on April 1.

Liberty Fund was founded in 1960 by Pierre F. Goodrich, an Indianapolis businessman and lawyer. Liberty Fund conducts its own educational programs to encourage research and discussion on the values and institutions of a society of free and responsible individuals.


Duke Energy request to reduce fuel electric rate approved by Indiana regulators

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved Duke Energy Indiana’s request Wednesday to lower bills due to declining fuel and purchased power costs.

For an average residential Duke Energy customer in Indiana using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month, it means a decrease of approximately 16% over rates today, or $26 a month. That is on top of a 5% decrease that went into effect in January.

Customer electric bills were higher in 2022 primarily due to soaring fuel costs that affected the cost of power utilities produced as well as what they purchased on the energy markets. A number of unique events drove up fuel costs – from volatility in the energy markets worldwide to labor shortages at railroads that delivered fuel.

“Fuel and purchased power can account for as much as 25-45% of an average residential customer’s bill, so when the markets are volatile, it can have a big impact on energy bills,” said Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar. “We’re starting to see costs stabilize, and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission has approved our request to pass those savings along to customers.”

The decrease will be in effect April-June. Four times a year, utilities adjust prices based on fluctuating fuel costs. Fuel rate adjustments are not permanent; fuel costs rise and fall, and utilities pass those costs to customers with no profit, so customers pay what their utility provider pays.

Duke Energy’s priority is to purchase fuel at the best possible price, through steps such as long-term contracts and using a diversity of suppliers.

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 890,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.

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Transgender bill through Indiana House and Senate

The Indiana House of Representatives voted 65-30 to pass Senate Bill 480 on Monday, joining 11 states that have banned gender-affirming care for minors.

Governor Eric Holcomb now has to decide to sign or veto it.

State Senator Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) talks about the controversial mesure.

 

 


Indiana's February 2023 employment report

Indiana’s unemployment rate in February stands at 3.1%, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. By comparison, the national unemployment rate for February stands at 3.6%.

In addition, Indiana’s labor force participation rate held at 63.4% for February, remaining above the national rate of 62.5%.

Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3,409,528 – an increase of 427 from the previous month.

Private sector employment in Indiana increased by 3,100 jobs over the last month, translating to a gain of 72,900 jobs from this time last year. Indiana’s February private employment stands at 2,827,300. This is a new private employment peak for Indiana.

Industries that experienced job increases in February included:

  • Professional and Business Services (+3,600)
  • Leisure and Hospitality (+1,500)
  • Private Educational and Health Services (+1,200)

As of March 16, there were 135,336 open job postings throughout the state. In February, 19,485 unemployment insurance claims were filed in Indiana.

Individuals looking for work, training or career information are encouraged to visit in.gov/dwd/job-seekers.

 

 

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Just Peachy Cafe gets site development plan approval for expansion

Just Peachy Café is expanding.

The site development plan for a 1,440-square-foot expansion was approved Monday by the Shelbyville Plan Commission.

Opened in November of 2019 at 52 E. Washington St., owner Charity Elliott now has a plan to enclose the open patio space which will create close to 50 new seats for the downtown establishment.

While Elliott wants to close-in the patio space, she does not want to lose its outdoor-seating ambience.

The site development plan includes several glass doors as well as garage doors that can remain open during summer hours. The enclosed structure also will be heated during winter hours.

“I think it’s a beautiful concept,” said plan commission member Joanne Bowen.

Elliott does not plan to start the expansion project until the fall of 2023 to not hinder the summer business cycle.

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Valvoline Instant Oil Change site development plan approved by Plan Commission

The site development plan for a new Valvoline Instant Oil Station in Shelbyville was approved Monday by the Shelbyville Plan Commission.

The 2,080-square-foot facility will be located at 1641 State Road 44, just east of Big Lots.

“This is a three-bay prototypical store for us,” said Robin Peck, a pre-construction project manager with Valvoline.

Valvoline anticipates servicing approximately 100 vehicles per day once open and will have 6-7 employees per shift.

There are over 1,500 Valvoline Instant Oil Change locations nationwide that provide quick oil changes as well as other minor automotive preventative services, according to a Valvoline letter sent to the city’s planning and building department. Services are mostly offered via drive-through which allows customers to remain in their vehicles from start to finish.

The project should start in 6-8 weeks, according to Peck.

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Local farms honored with Hoosier Homestead Award

Area legislators are recognizing the latest local recipients of the Hoosier Homestead Award, which recognizes farms owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more.

Represented by State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg), State Rep. Lindsay Patterson (R-Brookville) and State Rep. Cory Criswell (R-Middletown), locally-owned farms were honored at the Statehouse:

The Harcourt farm in Rush County received a Sesquicentennial Award.

 

The Marvin Covalt farm in Shelby County received a Centennial Award.

 

 

The Hoosier Homestead Award Program honors families who have made significant contributions to Indiana agriculture. Instituted in 1976, the program recognizes the impact these family farms have made on the economic, cultural and social advancements of Indiana. In the past 47 years, more than 5,800 farms have received the honor.

"As chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and a fellow farm owner, I know how tough it can be to run a successful farm," Leising said. "It is imperative for us to take the time to recognize local farmers for their dedication to Indiana agriculture. Congratulations to all of the award winners, I wish you continued success in the years to come."

"These local farm families, generation after generation, dedicated their lives to working the land and helping to feed the world," Patterson said. "These local homesteaders are a shining example of Hoosier perseverance, and they deserve to be honored for reaching this significant milestone."  

"Indiana's agriculture industry succeeds because of these longstanding family farms," Criswell said. "These Hoosiers are committed to working hard, and their efforts help propel our state and economy forward."  

To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year. The award distinctions are Centennial, Sesquicentennial and Bicentennial – for 100, 150 and 200 years, respectively.

 


Attorney General Todd Rokita sues Johnson Co. restorer of vintage Volkswagens for failing to perform work

JB Bugs is accused of taking more than $227,000 from 19 consumers.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced a lawsuit against defendants accused of failing to perform work after taking payments from customers seeking restoration of vintage Volkswagen vehicles.

Operating under the name JB Bugs, the attorney general notes that the company not only failed to do the work it promised but also gave false updates to consumers about work that was supposedly in progress, the lawsuit states.

“As a Volkswagen Thing and Bug enthusiast myself, I understand the love poured into these vehicles by their owners,” Rokita said. “Unfortunately, scammers play on these kinds of passions to defraud people of money, but we will keep working to protect Hoosiers and hold businesses accountable.”

Defendants named in the lawsuit are JB Bugs Trick & Truck Shop LLC and Palm Principals LLC — both operating under the name JB Bugs — and owners John Bragg and Melanie Goode.

After customers paid JB Bugs significant sums of money for the restorations — and received assurances the work was in progress — they eventually learned the company’s building was vacated and their vintage vehicles missing.

In total, Rokita’s complaint alleges that 19 consumers paid JB Bugs $227,000 without JB Bugs restoring the consumers’ vehicles or providing any refunds. The complaint alleges the defendants violated the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act’s prohibition on deceptive and unfair business practices.

Rokita is seeking restitution for the affected consumers and civil penalties against the defendants.

Defendant John Bragg is also facing criminal charges in Indiana for his actions at JB Bugs. He was recently located and arrested in North Carolina.

 

 

 

Commissioners vote to use technology to enhance security at Annex 1

Shelby County Commissioners have approved an upgrade in technology to improve security inside of Annex 1.

Commissioner Jason Abel says the card readers to be installed are something that was installed in Annex 2 when it was recently built. Coupled with the metal detector and law enforcement presence at the courthouse it's simply a measure to make the courthouse campus area safer.

 

 

Meltzer's bill to screen for animal tranquilizer in overdose deaths could soon be law

With Monday's vote of approval by the Indiana Senate, State Rep. Jennifer Meltzer's legislation to begin screening for an animal tranquilizer in overdose deaths is now headed to the governor where it could be signed into law.

Meltzer (R-Shelbyville) said xylazine, also known as the street drug "tranq," is used as a veterinary sedative for livestock and it's been linked to a growing number of overdose deaths throughout the United States. In fact, the Drug Enforcement Agency reports that xylazine-positive overdose deaths in the Midwest increased by more than 500% from 2020 to 2021.

She said the dangerous substance is being mixed with drugs like fentanyl and other opiates, and because xylazine is not an opioid, overdose reversal medications like Naloxone and Narcan are less effective.

"This substance has already been found in Shelby County, and the more data we see shows that it's a growing problem nationally," Meltzer said. "By gathering more data, we can better determine the prevalence of xylazine and take action."  

Her legislation, unanimously supported at every point in the process, would task coroners with testing for any trace of xylazine in drug overdose deaths, including if the victim was resistant to drug overdose reversal medication. She said this extra step would provide the state with vital data that could be used to form an action plan.

To learn more about House Enrolled Act 1286, which is Meltzer's first bill as a state legislator, visit iga.in.gov. The bill now moves to the governor's desk to be considered as a new law, visit in.gov/gov/newsroom/2023-bill-watch/.

One man killed and one injured in another shooting on Indy interstate

Indiana State Police was contacted to handle the investigation based upon where it was believed to have occurred. 

 

The driver of the car was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased a short time later, he was identified as Anthony Shelman, 30,  of Indianapolis. The 35 year old male passenger was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 

 

Indiana State Police Detectives are still working to develop a motive for the shooting, however it is believed that occupants of another vehicle fired multiple shots at the victims while they were traveling in the area of I-70 and Emerson Avenue. The victims were in a black 2014 Nissan Altima and crashed near 21st and Emerson shortly after the shooting. 

 

This incident marks the 11th shooting on Indianapolis area interstates so far this year, additionally the Indiana State Police Indianapolis District has investigated 53 incidents of road rage where a gun was displayed or pointed but no shots fired since January 1, 2023. At this point, detectives have not determined if this shooting was road rage related or targeted.

 

Anyone with information about this incident, or who may have obtained dash camera footage in the area around 3:30 a.m. March 25, 2023 is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317.262.8477 or (TIPS). Citizens can also download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or go to www.CrimeTips.org to submit a web tip. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1000 if the information leads to a felony arrest.  Only tips submitted directly and anonymously to Crime Stoppers are eligible for these cash rewards. 

 

The exact location of the shooting has not been determined. Also, a single vehicle crash on I-70 in that area around the same time was originally believed to be involved in the shooting, however detectives were able to determine neither the crash nor the occupants of that vehicle were involved in the shooting. 

Clear Choice Chiropractic opens new office in Shelbyville

To finally put his name on the door, Dr. Mitchel Stammen wanted one specific feel.

“I knew I wanted a fresh start somewhere. I’m from a small farm town,” said Stammen. “I didn’t want to live in downtown Indianapolis so I tried to find somewhere within a half hour of Indianapolis that resembled that hometown, small-town vibe.”

Stammen, whose fiance works for Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, found that in Shelbyville where he has become the seventh office of Clear Choice Chiropractic, based in Portland, Indiana.

After a renovation of the office space located at 502 Saraina Road, Stammen officially opened the doors on Feb. 6. On Friday, he held a ribbon cutting ceremony (photo) with his staff, family and friends and members of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce.

Born and raised in Fort Recovery, Ohio, about 30 minutes east of Muncie, Stammen attended Ball State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Premedical Studies then attended Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Missouri. He officially earned his doctorate degree in December and, most recently, has been working for Clear Choice Chiropractic at its Portland office.

 

 

“Growing up I played three sports a year and had all the aches and pains that came with it,” he explained. “I was almost going to be in construction but my dad, who works as a brick layer, told me don’t do it. I like working with my hands and talking to people. I job shadowed one day in high school and thought this was a good route to go.”

Through his years of education and most recent experience working in Portland, Stammen feels ready to venture out on his own.

“It’s exciting, scary and fun all at the same time,” he said. “As you get going you learn enough to get you where you want to be in life with school for chiropractic training. And you learn the personality and business side of things as you are in a practice. I got that the last year.”

Stammen’s Shelbyville location offers more than just the standard chiropractic adjustments.

“We also offer massage therapy, decompression therapy, cold laser therapy, ultrasound therapy and then I have a flexion distraction table that helps loosen up the low back,” said Stammen.

Stammen also plans to add an X-ray room in April or May.

“The No. 1 goal is to help as many people as I can in the surrounding area,” he said.

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Shelbyville Central Schools conducting public meeting to discuss bullying

Shelbyville Central Schools is conducting a special meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. at the administrative building to discuss bullying within the school system.

The meeting is open to the public and is intended to have a discussion on the issue of bullying and how to make SCS schools better.

“Individuals can come in and express concerns, maybe express ideas,” said Shelbyville Central Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Vance Thursday morning in an interview with GIANT fm and the Shelby County Post. “They will have the opportunity to talk to the board. The bottom line is we all want to work together and make this as good as we possibly can for everyone involved. I hope we have some good dialogue and some good conversations.”

The meeting comes in response to a vocal group of community members concerned about bullying within Shelbyville schools, specifically at Shelbyville Middle School.

Several people attended the monthly school board meeting on March 15 but were not allowed to discuss the issue during the meeting. Once the meeting was completed, board members stayed at the administration building and talked with several in attendance.

“We are more than willing to talk with people,” said Vance. “I think sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to have a conversation. We understand we need some help from time to time. We need some help from parents and families and communities.

“There are issues in the school that many times don’t start in the school. They start somewhere else and filter into the school. We are absolutely willing to look at ways to make things better and we are always willing to listen to ideas and suggestions.”

SCS board members as well as several administrators within the school system are expected to attend the meeting.

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Flood Warning scheduled to start Saturday morning for area rivers

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued a Flood Warning for the following rivers in Indiana:

  • East Fork White River from Columbus through Shoals
  • Big Blue River at Shelbyville
  • Driftwood River near Edinburgh
  • Flatrock River near Columbus

The Flood Warning in effect from Saturday morning until further notice.

Rainfall of two to over four inches in multiple waves through Saturday morning is expected to bring significant flooding to the lower White River and parts of the East Fork White River and nearby tributaries. Widespread minor river flooding is expected along the Wabash and may develop along the upper White.

Until the heavy rainfall exits the area late Friday night there remains potential for locally heavy rain to make the flooding worse.

Shelby County Chamber of Commerce to relocate to West Washington Street office

The historic and stunning Porter Center on Harrison Street in Shelbyville continues to house growth and new beginnings for Shelby County. For many years, the Shelby County Chamber has enjoyed the opportunity to call the Porter Center, owned by the Shelby County Tourism & Visitors Bureau, its home. Now, Shelby County Tourism and the Shelby County Chamber stand on the brink of great opportunity.

“I am proud of Shelby County and get excited whenever I hear growth and Shelby County in the same sentence. The Shelby County Tourism & Visitors Bureau is developing into a new, and improved organization under the leadership of Rachael Ackley, Executive Director. We are on the cusp of developing the organization into even a bigger success story. Not only has the Shelby County Tourism organization grown, but so has the Shelby County Chamber,” said Tony Titus, Board President of Shelby County Tourism & Visitors Bureau. 

Stephanie Amos, President of the Shelby County Chamber, said she is happy that “we are still talking about growth and the Chamber. We are celebrating our 75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary this year. Seventy-five years of supporting the area business community and we’re still advancing and going strong. In fact, for quite some time we have talked about moving from the Porter Center due to our increased staff and overall growth of the Chamber. This is the year we are going to make that move happen. This move will allow the Chamber to continue to flourish and give Shelby County Tourism the space they need so they can reach their new level of success.”

 

 

After months of viewing possible office spaces, the Shelby County Chamber Board of Directors found and secured a new home for the Chamber in downtown Shelbyville. 

 

 

“Due to the generous negotiation with Major Health Partners (MHP), the Chamber was able to secure ownership of 157 West Washington Street. The building we are purchasing is the former clinic located across the street from the past location of Major Hospital. We are busy working on renovations and updating the building. This is a wonderful building that will serve the Shelby County Chamber for many years. On behalf of the entire Shelby County Chamber organization, we cannot thank MHP enough for working with us. MHP has once again shown their desire and commitment to the growth of important organizations like the Chamber and Visitors Center,” said Nathan Runnebohm, Past President of the Shelby County Chamber.

The new Chamber office building will be completed this spring.

“If all goes as planned, we hope to move into the new building in April or early May. After the move takes place, we plan to have a ribbon cutting and we’ll be inviting all of our members to help us celebrate our new home – and our 75-year birthday!,” said Amos.

Amos is quick to acknowledge the Shelby County Tourism & Visitors Bureau who owns the Porter Center.

“On behalf of the Shelby County Chamber Board of Directors, we would like to thank the Shelby County Tourism & Visitors Bureau and their Board of Directors for their continued support of the Chamber and providing us with the impressive office space in the Porter Center. Their kindness through the years enabled us to grow our membership and provide business and community programming," said Amos. “We are going miss working together in the same building, but we will still work together on projects. Of course, we have become good friends and worked extremely well together. But the only way we can grow each organization is to each have more space. This is bittersweet for both organizations.”

Greenfield Police ask public's help for video of thefts from neighborhood cars

Overnight on Tuesday between about midnight and 1:30 a.m., several vehicles were gone through in Greenfield's Oak Commons and Oak Highlands neighborhoods, specifically on Redwood Drive and Cypress Drive.

Greenfield Police are asking for anyone in those neighborhoods to review home surveillance systems for any suspicious activity; people walking or cars driving very slowly.

Police have one suspect in custody but believe there were more. This person was arrested after crashing a stolen car and running from officers on foot.

If you discover video that could be important for Greenfield detectives to look at, call the dispatch center at 317-477-4400 or send the video to intel@greenfieldin.org. If you find yourself to be a victim in these crimes, please also report that to the dispatch center.

This is also a great time to remind you to make sure your vehicles are locked up before you go to bed even if you leave "nothing of value" in your car.   

The Greenfield Police Department notes that these crimes pickup as the weather gets warmer. If they find one car unlocked, they often will continue on. These crimes almost never result in damage, they look for cars that are unlocked.

City purchasing new, safer turnout gear for each Shelbyville firefighter

The City of Shelbyville is committing nearly $230,000 to protect its firefighters.

At Monday’s Common Council meeting at City Hall, the council approved moving money previously assigned to a west side infrastructure project to the fire department to purchase 63 sets of new turnout gear.

The goal is to get all Shelbyville firefighters out of turnout gear that could potentially lead to cancer diagnoses.

“It started being a big topic in the fall of 2022. There was a lot of discussion up at the Statehouse this year,” said Shelbyville Fire Chief Brian Tackett. “It’s a chemical agent called PFAS. It’s used in fire gear for flame retardation, water repellency and several different items. What they are finding out is that PFAS is in every layer of fire gear, which there are three layers of fire gear.

“Once that starts degrading over time of being in fires, it can be absorbed through your skin and gets into your blood stream and is causing cancer issues.”

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ is nearly impossible to destroy.

“Cancer is the No. 1 death of firefighters right now,” said Tackett. “There is a big push right now to make fire gear PFAS zero.”

Morning Pride is the current supplier of turnout gear for the Shelbyville Fire Department and the company is currently providing equipment with PFAS in just one of the three layers.

“They haven’t figured out how to get that layer to pass NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) standards just yet,” said Tackett. “That is certainly better than being in all three layers.”

 

 

The goal is to have all three layers PFAS zero by 2025, according to Tackett. The problem is not limited to Morning Pride’s gear but rather the industry-wide use of PFAS.

Once learning of the potential hazards of the turnout gear, the fire department implemented plans to limit exposure.

“We’ve done a good job getting those guys out of their gear as soon as possible,” said Tackett. “If we have a fire and they are in a hot zone, they are to get out of it, wash their gear and get into a new set. As soon as the frontline set is clean, they get back in their gear.

“They don’t work out in their gear any more. They don’t wear it around the stations anymore.”

Each Shelbyville firefighter has two sets of turnout gear so a backup is readily available. The jackets can be separated into three separate layers then washed and dried for use again.

“You are supposed to replace a set every 10 years,” said Tackett.

The department budgets annually to replace 10 sets per year, according to Tackett. The budget could not handle the expense of purchasing 63 new sets at approximately $3,500 per set so the city stepped up.

A total of $500,000 was set aside for infrastructure work on a potential gas station at the intersection of Miller Avenue and State Road 44. That project did not come to fruition so the city will use nearly half of that funding to provide safer turnout gear for each firefighter.

“We will start over with everyone getting a new set this year then we will continue our replacement of 10 sets a year so everybody will have two sets of the safest gear possible.”

The department is going through gear fitting this week and expects to have the new gear in approximately three months.

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CDC warning about rapidly spreading fungus with nearly 100 cases in Indiana

The CDC is issuing an urgent warning about a fungus that has been reported in 28 states with nearly 100 cases in Indiana.

Candida auris (C. auris), an emerging fungus considered an urgent antimicrobial resistance (AR) threat, spread at an alarming rate in U.S. healthcare facilities in 2020-2021, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Equally concerning was a tripling in 2021 of the number of cases that were resistant to echinocandins, the antifungal medicine most recommended for treatment of C. auris infections. In general, C. auris is not a threat to healthy people. People who are very sick, have invasive medical devices, or have long or frequent stays in healthcare facilities are at increased risk for acquiring C. auris.

The CDC has deemed C. auris as an urgent AR threat because it is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, spreads easily in healthcare facilities, and can cause severe infections with high death rates.

“The rapid rise and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded lab capacity, quicker diagnostic tests, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control,” said CDC epidemiologist Dr. Meghan Lyman, lead author of the paper.

As further explained in the article, C. auris has spread in the United States since it was first reported in 2016, with a total of 3,270 clinical cases (in which infection is present) and 7,413 screening cases (in which the fungus is detected but not causing infection) reported through December 31, 2021.

Clinical cases have increased each year since 2016, with the most rapid rise occurring during 2020-2021. CDC has continued to see an increase in case counts for 2022. During 2019-2021, 17 states identified their first C. auris case ever.

Nationwide, clinical cases rose from 476 in 2019 to 1,471 in 2021. Screening cases tripled from 2020 to 2021, for a total of 4,041. Screening is important to prevent spread by identifying patients carrying the fungus so that infection prevention controls can be used.

C. auris case counts have increased for many reasons, including poor general infection prevention and control (IPC) practices in healthcare facilities. Case counts may also have increased because of enhanced efforts to detect cases, including increased colonization screening, a test to see if someone has the fungus somewhere on their body but does not have an infection or symptoms of infection. The timing of this increase and findings from public health investigations suggest C. auris spread may have worsened due to strain on healthcare and public health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network, which provides nationwide lab capacity to rapidly detect antimicrobial resistance and inform local responses to prevent spread and protect people, provided some of the data for this report. CDC worked to significantly strengthen laboratory capacity, including in state, territorial, and local health departments, through supplemental funding supported by the American Rescue Plan Act. These efforts include increasing susceptibility testing capacity for C. auris from seven Regional Labs to more than 26 labs nationwide.

CDC continues to work with state, local, and territorial health departments and other partners to address this emerging threat to public health. 

Road closure extended on Shelby County bridge project

A road closure for bridge construction has been extended in Shelby County.

Shelby County Road 350 North over Little Blue River has been closed since late November. The closure is from North County Road 450 East to Little Blue Road.

The contractor, Duncan Robertson, has extended that closure another 30 days.

Initially, it was scheduled for 150 days.

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Early voting for May primary begins April 17

Less than a month to go until early voting begins for the May 2 primary municipal elections.

The Shelby County Courthouse lobby will host early voting starting April 17. Voting will be available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through April 28.

The courthouse will also have early voting on May 1 from 8 a.m. to noon.

Additional early voting will be available on April 22 and 29, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Crossroad Community Church, 475 Progress Parkway.

On the date of the primary, May 2, polling locations will be at:

  • West Street United Methodist Church, 629 S. West Street
  • Crossroad Community Church, 475 Progress Parkway
  • Shelby County Fairgrounds - Family Arts Building, 500 Frank Street

 

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3 Towers Broadcasting, LLC, to acquire Plymouth radio stations WTCA AM 1050 and FM 106.1

3 Towers Broadcasting, LLC, has reached a deal to make WTCA (Plymouth) its fifth Indiana-based radio station, joining WSVX (AM 1520 and 96.5 FM) in Shelbyville, WSVX (106.3 FM) in Greenfield, WROI (92.1 FM) in Rochester, and WREB (94.3 FM) in Greencastle.

3 Towers Broadcasting is based in Shelbyville.

“Little did we know when we started with AM 1520 in Shelbyville that our local brand of GIANT fm radio and online services would expand into other Indiana communities with such success,” said Johnny McCrory, co-owner of 3 Towers Broadcasting along with Scott Huber. “Our entire organization is excited to now partner with WTCA as we add to and help grow its longstanding record of service in Plymouth.”

WTCA was founded by Kenneth E. Kunze in 1963 when he was granted a license from the FCC to operate WTCA-AM 1050. In the beginning, all productions were broadcast from its transmitter site on Muckshaw Road in Plymouth with a business office on Water Street.

In 1965, the broadcasting operation was moved to the Water Street location in order to accommodate an ever-growing listening audience.

In 1966, the radio station moved into the old Plymouth Dairy at 112 West Washington St. The building was renovated into a broadcasting studio and remains the base of operations today for WTCA.

 

 

“We look forward to becoming part of the Plymouth and Marshall County community and being a vital source of news, sports and entertainment for listeners and readers in the area,” said McCrory.

In addition to the radio stations operated by 3 Towers Broadcasting, there also are digital newspapers operating under the banners Shelby County Post, Fulton County Post and Putnam County Post.

3 Towers Broadcasting will commence operations of Marshall County Post in the near future, according to co-owner Scott Huber.

In its early days, Ken Kunze’s wife, Jeanne, hosted a live public interest program each day called, “This and That.” The Kunzes’ daughter, Kathy Bottorff, continues that tradition with the station’s daily talk show, “What’s Your Opinion?”

The station has since expanded to include FM radio broadcasting in addition to their AM radio operations. WTCA is still operating daily radio programs from the AM transmitter site on Muckshaw Road and FM transmitter site at its Washington St. office in downtown Plymouth.

WTCA proudly provides services to the local communities with unique programming, local news, hit music, and other features geared toward the communities of Marshall County.

“We want to see it continue and flourish,” said Kathy Bottorff, who operates the station today with her husband, Jim Bottorff.

3 Towers Broadcasting owns and operates WSVX in Shelbyville and simulcasts on WSVX (106.3 FM) in Greenfield, Indiana. WROI in Rochester was purchased in 2019 and WREB in Greencastle was added in 2021.

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Riverfront District Permit approved for Cadillac Jack's

A downtown entertainment establishment now has a Riverfront District Permit.

Cadillac Jack’s, 29 Public Square, had a resolution approved Monday morning by the Shelbyville Common Council to officially add Sterling Entertainment, LLC, to the list of recipients of a Riverfront District Permit.

Cadillac Jack’s was purchased in August of 2022 by Sterling Entertainment. Ricky Bechtel, one of the owners of Cadillac Jack’s appeared before the common council Monday.

“Since we’ve taken over, we have brought the bar substantial business, which also helps downtown,” said Bechtel.

The Riverfront District Permit is a formal written commitment with the City of Shelbyville and can be submitted to the Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission in support of a liquor license permit.

The resolution was approved 4-0. Council members Rob Nolley, Brian Asher and Thurman Adams were not in attendance.

The council also approved moving $500,000 previously assigned to a development project on the city’s west side into a fund to purchase new turnout gear for firefighters in the Shelbyville Fire Department.

The turnout gear currently being used by local firefighters has been deemed dangerous due to the flame retardant used on the turnout gear being related to cancer cases.

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State trooper's testimony helps Durrett avoid prison time

An Indianapolis man and Triton Central graduate will avoid prison time thanks to the testimony of an Indiana State Police trooper.

Mason Durrett, 23, entered a guilty plea to one count of causing serious bodily injury while operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Level 5 felony. His sentence is three years with all the time suspended to probation thanks to the testimony of the state trooper who was injured in the incident in June of 2021.

The trooper testified that he didn’t want to see Durrett’s life ruined by going to prison.

Durrett collided with the back of the state police cruiser in an I-74 construction zone in Shelby County.

Durrett will serve one year of home detention with the three years of probation.

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Sen. Braun, Rep. Womack introduce bill to protect tipped workers

Senator Mike Braun has introduced legislation to clarify the definition of tipped employee and relieve reporting burdens that are harming the restaurant community.

Representative Steve Womack (R-Ark.) introduced the companion legislation in the House.

“The Biden administration’s confusing compliance rule creates an unnecessary reporting burden for restaurants and servers that are already going through a difficult time due to inflation and rising food costs. This legislation will help streamline regulations for tipped employees so that restaurants and their workers can thrive," said Sen. Mike Braun.

“More financial uncertainty is the last thing restaurant workers want. With crushing inflation and a faltering economy, the Biden administration’s heavy-handed compliance rules only add to the burden being put on hardworking Americans. Servers don’t need the federal government skimming their pay more. Our bill brings much-needed certainty to tipped employees by protecting their income and job opportunities," said Rep. Steve Womack.

“Many servers choose restaurant careers because their skills and knowledge mean high earning potential in a job that’s flexible to their needs. For others, they’re looking for something – extra income, customer interaction, business skills – that make the opportunity ideal. The current system of tipping means that the industry can fit all their needs. We appreciate Sen. Braun and Rep. Womack’s championing of tipped income workers and their ongoing support of restaurant owners and operators," said Sean Kennedy, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs of the National Restaurant Association.

“Senator Braun has traveled the state of Indiana hearing firsthand the stories from those in the restaurant industry and how vital this income is to Hoosiers. We greatly appreciate Senator Braun for listening to our industry and taking action. The support from Representative Womack and Senator Braun will allow our industry to continue to provide opportunities to the communities we serve," said Patrick Tamm, President and CEO of the Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association.

“We appreciate Representative Womack’s dedication to the tipped workers of Arkansas. His efforts with Senator Braun to introduce this bill shows the hardworking people with careers in the restaurant industry that their dedication is important. Their skills and knowledge are vital to the success of the Arkansas restaurant industry, and they play an integral part in the communities they support. We hope that Congress will consider these essential workers and pass this legislation," said Katie Beck, Chief Executive Officer, Arkansas Hospitality Association.

The Tipped Employee Protection Act of 2023 would:

  • Amend the FLSA definition of tipped employee to create a more explicit definition of the term by removing interpretive language (customarily and regularly), providing additional clarity and simplicity in categorizing individuals as tipped employees.
  • Restrict the ability of judges or the administration to set arbitrary limits or requirements in classifying the hours or duties that a tipped employee performs. 
  • Preserve the tipped wage and the protection in the FLSA that tipped employees that receive at least the minimum wage between the addition of an employer-paid cash wage of $2.13 and tips — and in many cases much more. If an individual’s tips do not reach the applicable minimum wage under that formula, the employer would still be required to pay any difference. 
  • Retain the ability of states under the FLSA to set wages higher than the federal statutory minimum, meaning that any state could continue to independently set the wage.

Nearly three dozen arrests in Johnson County drug operation

During the early morning hours Wednesday, members of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department, Greenwood Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, with members of the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office served several drug warrants.

These warrants were from joint investigations conducted by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department, and Greenwood Police Department. These three Johnson County Law Enforcement agencies work together to combat drug issues in our community.

Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess, Chief Kirby Cochran of the Franklin Police Department, Chief James Ison of the Greenwood Police Department and Prosecutor Lance Hamner have formed a partnership with the three investigative agencies to combat drug issues in Johnson County. Each agency has joined together to form a bigger narcotics investigation team to aid in manpower issues and allow officers to work together to be more efficient.

This current roundup began several months ago, and the information obtained has been given to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office. The information has been reviewed and warrants were issued for 33 people.

Several of these people traveled to Johnson County to sell illegal narcotics. Two thirds of those suspects were  from outside Johnson County, including:

Indianapolis: 18          

Carmel: 1                    

Columbus: 1   

Camby/Martinsville: 2

Franklin: 7                   

Greenwood: 3              

New Whiteland: 1

Sheriff Burgess says members of the narcotics team are working to get those high end dealers off of the streets of Johnson County. With the cooperation of each agency contributing manpower and resources we are able to conduct complex and effective drug investigations without overly disrupting normal law enforcement operations.

The following agencies assisted in locating and arresting the suspect(s) involved in this drug round-up, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department, Franklin Fire Department, Greenwood Police Department, Greenwood Fire Department, Bargersville Police Department, Bargersville Fire Department, Edinburgh Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Carmel Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Martinsville Police Department.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office utilized their SWAT Team at 644 Park Drive, Greenwood, when that criminal warrant was served. Two other people were also arrested at that home.

They also utilize the Bargersville Fire Department, Franklin Fire Department and Greenwood Fire Department for safety reason during these type of operations.

The Chicken Inn suffers minimal fire damage early Friday morning

Thanks to the watchful eyes of a concerned citizen, The Chicken Inn suffered minimal fire damage early Friday morning.

The Shelbyville Fire Department was dispatched to The Chicken Inn, 541 E. Hendricks St., at approximately 12:50 a.m. and found a small fire on the exterior of the building.

The fire was quickly extinguished, according to a SFD social media post, and ventilation of the interior of the building commenced.

 

 

A message posted to The Chicken Inn’s Facebook page Friday morning stated: “The Chicken Inn experienced a fire to the outside of our building last night. The good news is that no one was hurt and the damage appears to be minimal. The bad news is that we must temporarily close while we clean up and work to remove the smoke smell in the dining room. We look forward to seeing you as soon as we are cleared to open.”

SFD was on the scene approximately 40 minutes.

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Shelby County government subject of cyber effort to access information

Earlier this month, Shelby County's IT network was subject to an effort to access information by an overseas third party.

The incident occurred on March 2. In a statement provided by Shelby County Commissioner Jason Abel, the access was detected and stopped by the Shelby County’s network administrator, who after restoring normal operations, began a review of the event and its potential impacts immediately.

Abel emphasized that all indications are that information was not accessed. He noted that had evidence suggested information had been accessed, the county would have immediately reached out to affected individuals as required by Indiana code and best practices. 

Of particular concern to Shelby County are the records of various departments that rely on the Shelby County IT network.  

In the written statement describing the attempted access, according to the county’s network administrator, the data set that was attempted to be controlled is several terabytes in size, and that to acquire the data, the data set had to be downloaded. 

Several factors indicate that information was not accessed. Such as, the limited time of access, the transfer speed of the network, the size of the data set in question, and the network traffic at the time of the incident. Those factors show the unlikelihood that data in question was transferred to an unauthorized third party.

Work has been done to repair concerns related to the network. Since the event, Shelby County’s IT administrator has restored operations to a normal state, using the data backups that are regularly made to protect the county from potential ransomware attacks. The IT administrator also made changes to the network itself, including removing the vulnerability and installing software to better track attempts of unauthorized access to the network.

Commissioner Abel says no ransom demands were expressed regarding the information.

Out of an abundance of caution, and to better ensure state and federal officials were aware of any potential large-scale vulnerabilities, the county IT administrator and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department both contacted state and federal offices tasked with monitoring cybersecurity matters.  

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Shelbyville Central Schools board members, concerned residents talk about bullying following board meeting

Following a tense discussion period and the completion of the Shelbyville Central Schools board meeting Wednesday night, school board members and community members frustrated with a perceived increase in bullying within the school system took more than an hour to discuss the issue (photo).

A disgruntled group of more than two dozen people came to the board meeting Wednesday to discuss bullying. They were not afforded the opportunity to speak during the meeting that lasted approximately 25 minutes.

School board president Curt Johnson, a Shelbyville attorney, cited SCS policy on public comments at school board meetings. All comments are limited to agenda items for that particular meeting.

That left many frustrated with the board’s appearance to not want to talk about bullying. Johnson did not think it was appropriate to have the discussion on the same day that Shelbyville Middle School eighth-grader Violet Kreider was laid to rest following her death last week.

Online discussion has linked Kreider’s death to bullying at SMS, but that has not been confirmed publicly. In a statement released by SCS Superintendent Dr. Matt Vance, he affirmed, “SCS takes its anti-bullying obligations very seriously. There were no documented bullying claims brought to the attention of the school in relation to this tragedy. All bullying claims are investigated in accordance with the schools Anti-Bullying Policy.”

Vance confirmed again Wednesday night there were no reports filed on Kreider’s behalf with regard to bullying at SMS.

Johnson reiterated Thursday afternoon, he was only following board policy when limiting public commentary.

“Our policy limits public comments to agenda items,” he said. “We all appreciated the sensitive nature of the situation and emotions are high.”

Johnson confirmed there were inquiries to be placed on Wednesday’s agenda, which must be made public prior to the meeting occurring, but those inquiries did not occur within the stated timeline in the policy.

While not yet official, Johnson wanted to add that a public meeting is being formulated for later this month to discuss the issue. Details are not yet finalized as to the date, time of meeting and venue.

“We are not going to hide and ignore this thing,” said Johnson, who is in his second year as board president.

Following the conclusion of the board meeting Wednesday, board members made themselves available to talk with anyone still at the meeting.

“I thought it was constructive dialogue (after the meeting),” said Johnson.

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SASS collecting items for 2nd annual hygiene drive

A group of local social service organizations is working together to host a hygiene drive.

Brittany Fannin talks about SASS (Shelby Accessing Social Supports).

 

 

Fannin says last year's first effort at a hygiene drive went over bigger than expected.

 

 

She notes that people who wish to donate can take items to Community Corrections.

 

 

The organization will also be collecting donations at Walmart Friday and Saturday. 

 

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Police cracking down on dangerous drivers during St. Patrick's Day and NCAA Tournament

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and the Shelbyville Police Department, who make up the Shelby County Traffic Safety Partnership, will be stepping up patrols to help curb dangerous and aggressive driving.

The enforcement campaign will run through April 4.

The safety initiative is designed to reduce crashes and traffic fatalities and to promote safe driving around St. Patrick’s Day and the NCAA Tournament. It also comes at a time when roadway deaths continue to climb across the state and nation.

In response, officers will be conducting high-visibility patrols over the next several weeks, showing zero tolerance for anyone driving aggressively, over the speed limit or under the influence. The extra enforcement is funded through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI).

“Every person that chooses to drive recklessly or impaired represents a serious threat to public safety,” said Sheriff Louie Koch. “Choices behind the wheel matter. One mistake is all it takes for someone to get injured.We’re asking all drivers to take responsibility and make smart decisions. Let’s work together to keep our roads and community safe.”

Nationwide, traffic fatalities continued to rise at a record pace last year, according to newly released federal data. NHTSA projects that an estimated 31,720 people were killed on U.S. roadways in the first nine months of 2021, a 12% increase from the same period in 2020.

In Indiana, preliminary data from ICJI shows that 941 people died in fatal crashes last year. While that’s up 5% from 2020, it’s a 16% increase from pre-pandemic 2019 and represents the highest number of traffic fatalities since 2005.

Alcohol and drug impairment, distracted driving, speeding and not wearing seat belts are some of the leading causes behind the rise in fatalities.

“Last year, Indiana saw more traffic fatalities than we've seen in over a decade, and it doesn’t appear to be improving,” said Devon McDonald, ICJI Executive Director. “So far this year, fatal crashes in Indiana have claimed the lives of 2.5 people every day on average with over 100 lives lost already. It’s going to take an all-hands-on-deck approach to turn this around.”

Throughout the campaign, the department will be encouraging motorists to focus on safe driving and follow the rules of the road. This means wearing a seat belt at all times, driving sober, watching for pedestrians, driving distraction-free and obeying all posted speed limits.

However, some precautions should be taken before getting behind the wheel. For plans that involve alcohol, designate a sober driver ahead of time or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.

“We cannot and should not tolerate the continuing crisis on our roadways,” said Jim Bryan, ICJI Traffic Safety Director. “Every driver and vehicle occupant has a responsibility when traveling. We need more people to take this seriously and to drive like their life depends on it – because it does.”

Motorists are encouraged to call 911 if they encounter an impaired or unsafe driver on the road.

 

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Indiana's January 2023 employment rate

Indiana’s unemployment rate in January stands at 3.1% according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. By comparison, the national unemployment rate for January stands at 3.4%.

In addition, Indiana’s labor force participation rate held at 63.4% for January, remaining above the national rate of 62.4%. Indiana’s total labor force, which includes both Hoosiers employed and those seeking employment, stands at 3,409,096 – a decrease of 973 from the previous month.

Private sector employment in Indiana increased by 12,600 jobs over the last month, translating to a gain of 85,300 jobs from this time last year. Indiana’s January private employment stands at 2,825,700.

Industries that experienced job increases in January included:

  • Construction (+6,700)
  • Leisure and Hospitality (+4,700)
  • Private Educational and Health Services (+2,500)
  • Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+1,500)
  • Professional and Business Services (+300)

As of March 1, 2023, there were 130,839 open job postings throughout the state. In January, 19,460 unemployment insurance claims were filed in Indiana.

Individuals looking for work, training or career information are encouraged to visit in.gov/dwd/job-seekers.

 

 

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Honda moving Accord production to Greensburg as Ohio transitions to EV Hub

Honda announced key next steps in the establishment of its EV Hub in Ohio.

In October 2022, Honda announced that it would invest $700 million to retool several of its existing auto and powertrain plants to establish the new EV Hub in Ohio, to prepare for the production of battery electric vehicles in 2026.

The Marysville Auto Plant (MAP), where Honda began auto production in America in 1982, will be Honda’s first auto plant in the U.S. to transition to making EVs.

As part of the EV Hub in Ohio, Honda will transform its Marysville Auto Plant (MAP), East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP) and Anna Engine Plant (AEP), leading to the start of EV production in North America. This EV Hub will play a key role in developing the company's knowledge and expertise in EV production that will be shared across Honda's entire North American auto production network in the coming years, even as many Honda plants continue production of gasoline-powered vehicles.

With that, Honda is moving production of the Accord sedan to its plant in Greensburg, Indiana, by 2025.

Honda will consolidate two assembly lines at its Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio and retool them for the production of EVs and EV components. The plant currently produces the Accord, in addition to other Honda and Acura models.

The 1.3 million-square-foot plant in Greensburg began production in 2009 and employs about 2,500 people. The Greensburg plant currently manufactures the Civic Hatchback, CR-V and Insight Hybrid models.

Honda did not specify if any additions would be made to the plant or if any new jobs would be created in response to the additional production.

Janet Wallace to retire from Shelby County Public library at end of 2023

The one constant in life is change. 

And a significant change on the way for the  Shelby County Public Library. Janet Wallace has been a staple at the library for decades. But, she says, that time is drawing to a close. She has announced her retirement for the end of the year.

 

 

Wallace explains what’s anticipated for the library board to search for her replacement.

 

 

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Linton-Stockton basketball coach charged with OVWI in Shelbyville

A veteran Indiana boys basketball coach will not get the opportunity to lead his team in Saturday’s Southport Semistate.

Joseph G. Hart, head coach at Linton-Stockton High School, was remanded into custody of the Shelby County Jail Monday night on the charge of Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated (OVWI).

Linton-Stockton, the top-ranked team in Class 2A, is scheduled to face Parke Heritage at approximately noon Saturday in the second semifinal of the Southport Semistate.

“Linton-Stockton High School Boys Basketball Coach, Joey Hart, has been suspended indefinitely,” according to a press release by Linton Stockton Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathy Goad. “Assistant Coach Noah Hawkins will take over head coaching duties immediately and until further notice.”

 

 

This is the second suspension for Hart (photo) this season. He was suspended in January for public intoxication after being arrested by the Clay County Sheriff’s Department.

On Monday, the Shelbyville Police Department (SPD) was notified of a possible intoxicated driver on West State Road 44 nearing Shelbyville. The vehicle was observed crossing the center line and swerving.

Officers responded to the area, according to a SPD media release, and located the vehicle on W. McKay Road turning into the Clearview subdivision. The vehicle disregarded a stop sign at Swinford and Theobald streets.

Once the vehicle was stopped, officers noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the car. It also was noted there was a restaurant style cup in a cup holder with no lid. The liquid inside the cup smelled like beer.

At that time, Hart was asked for his driver’s license. He fumbled his wallet while attempting to retrieve it.

Hart was asked to exit the vehicle. He had poor balance and his speech was slurred, according to the media release. He was asked where he was going and he advised Clay City.

When asked if he knew where he was, he said, “Clay City.” He was then advised he was in Shelbyville.

Hart refused to perform field sobriety tests and a Portable Breath Test. He was advised there was probable cause to believe he was operating while intoxicated and was offered to take a chemical test at the police department. Hart refused that test as well.

In 13 seasons as head coach at Linton-Stockton, Hart is 275-72 and has led the Miners to nine sectional titles and two appearances in the Class 2A state championship game – losses to Bowman Academy, 86-73, in 2013 and to Andrean, 59-54, in 2019.

In 25 years overall, Hart is 421-200.

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Triton Central adding boys soccer program in fall of 2023

FAIRLAND -- Triton Central High School is preparing to have a boys soccer program starting in the fall of 2023.

Triton Central principal Cary Chandler (photo) and athletic director Bryan Graham delivered a presentation Monday to the Northwestern Consolidated Schools Board detailing the plan to implement boys soccer as a junior varsity program only in 2023. The program then will have its readiness assessed to become a varsity program in 2024 or remain a junior varsity program for another season.

“I have been talking about this for a long time and COVID hit,” said Chandler to the school board. “So were revisiting this idea of possibly looking at a boys soccer team.”

Triton Central already has a middle school boys soccer club in place and is the only member of the Indiana Crossroads Conference (ICC) without a boys soccer program at the high school level.

“This comes down to providing another opportunity for our kids,” said Chandler.

The goal would be to play 8-10 matches in the fall against ICC schools or against other junior varsity teams in the area.

“We have the means. Coach Graham has done a phenomenal job with creating the ability to sustain our athletic programs,” said Chandler. “We have the facilities. And we have the interest.”

Graham confirmed there is enough room for four or five soccer fields to practice on in addition to using the artificial turf at Mendenhall Field where all home girls soccer games are contested.

The Indiana High School Athletic Association has already given its blessing for Triton Central to add boys soccer to its athletic programs.

The next step is to advertise for a head coach and order equipment. Once the coach is in place, summer workouts can be organized and conducted with the first official practice to commence in June.

In other board business Monday:

  • The board removed the “interim” tag from Triton Central Elementary School Principal Rhonda Hill. She was an assistant principal at the high school before stepping into the role at TCES in January after former principal Heather Gant resigned to accept a new position.
  • The board listened to Superintendent Chris Hoke explain a timeline for updating the school system’s current Strategic Plan, which has not been updated in the last five years.

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ISP targeting Indianapolis street racing events with dozens arrested

A national trend involving street racing, street take-overs and spinning has gotten the attention of the Indiana State Police (ISP) and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD).

Within the past year, ISP and IMPD have conducted several special operations targeting these illegal activities resulting in more than 40 arrests and the recovery of over 80 stolen vehicles. 

The most recent special operation occurred March 4 at three locations in the Indianapolis area and resulted in nine arrests. Investigators are currently pursuing leads on others who were involved. IMPD and ISP investigators received information of a planned spinning event potentially involving over 100 cars.

Spinning is a trend of utilizing a public park, a parking lot, a street, intersections or even an interstate to perform an action commonly referred to as a doughnut in a vehicle. During these events, several vehicles are used to block roads or parking lots and dozens of bystanders put themselves in dangerous positions to try and record or touch the spinning cars.

Often times these events are held without proper permits, or permission from the property owners. Once these cars leave the events it is very common to catch them illegally racing one another on the streets. The Indiana State Police recognizes there are legal and permitted spinning events in Indianapolis, the events being targeted are not those legally occurring. 

One of the three targeted events March 4 involved a private parking lot near 34th and Lafayette Road. The owner of the parking lot did not grant permission for the event and had recently spent over $60,000 to resurface and paint his parking lot, which is now heavily damaged from this event.

Indiana State Police Area Five Investigations Commander, Lieutenant Jeff Hearon said. "The Indiana State Police will continue to commit necessary resources to target these illegal and dangerous events. Legitimate car clubs, concerned citizens and community members have played a vital role in providing information to assist detectives with these investigations. The disregard for public safety and personal property shown by these groups is egregious, and we are committed to holding them accountable for their reckless behavior."

During these special operations, the Indiana State Police Helicopter and Aviation Section have played an important role to bring safe conclusion to those who choose to flee from officers. 

Arrested March 4:

  • Eusebio Felipe Moreno Jr. (21) - Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle
  • Luis F. Campillo (18) - Criminal Recklessness
  • Anthony Henderson (25) - Criminal Recklessness
  • John L. Baker (20) - Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle; Criminal Recklessness
  • Craig Murry (23) - Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle; Driving While Suspended; Reckless Driving
  • Shelby Waugh (21) Resisting Law Enforcement (Misdemeanor)
  • Marquis Gibbs (24) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
  • Patrick Gerlach (20) Criminal Recklessness
  • Kadryn Williams (21) Criminal Recklessness

These investigations are ongoing and detectives expect more arrests as a result of the March 4 events. All crimes mentioned in this release are alleged and all suspects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

The charges listed were used as probable cause for arrest, actual charges will be determined by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office upon review of the cases. 

 

 

Greenfield felon sentenced to eight years in federal prison

A Hancock County man will serve time in federal prison for his involvement in stealing and selling firearms.

William Campbell, 32, of Greenfield, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on Feb. 8, 2021, Campbell and another individual broke into a Hancock County residence and stole 25 firearms. Campbell then sold the firearms to another individual. As of today, only eight of the firearms have been recovered by law enforcement officers.

Campbell is prohibited from lawfully possessing any firearm due to his three previous felony convictions for theft and drug offenses.

Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division made the announcement.

“Trafficking of stolen guns fuels the violence that devastates so many families,” said U.S. Attorney Myers. “Criminals like this defendant are part of the reason why so many firearms end up in the hands of dangerous criminals. The sentence imposed here demonstrates that those who violate our homes and endanger our neighbors will be held accountable.”

ATF investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Chief Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Campbell be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison. 

Shelbyville students shine at IJCL State Latin Convention

Twelve Shelbyville High School Latin students earned first place overall in small school Sweepstakes by a substantial margin Friday and Saturday at the IJCL State Latin Convention at Indiana University.

The group had 126 top-10 placings and was awarded second place for delegate spirit (highest in Shelbyville history) and second place in chapter T-shirt design.

Olivia Bowman and Leila Patrick earned the “Fan Favorite” award for their performance of “Patris Ioca” or “Dad jokes” about Latin class.

 

 

Those SHS students honored at the convention were:

  • Anna Ballast – 58 points including second place in both Constructed Charts and Greek Derivatives
  • Ev Barnum – 65 points including third place in both Modern Myth and Jewelry
  • Olivia Bowman – 56 points including third place in both Latin Derivatives and Constructed Charts
  • Isabella Bradburn – 73 points including first place in Latin Grammar, Pentathlon, and Advance Reading Comprehension
  • Sydney Brown – 11 points including fourth place in Roman Life & Customs
  • Lilly Conners – 66 points including second place in Dolls
  • Cora Flynn – 79 points including second place in Hellenic History
  • Leila Patrick – 33 points including first place in Roman Life & Customs
  • Sharielis Rodriguez – 62 points including first place in Latin Derivatives
  • Andrea Rosales – 80 points including third place in both Geography & Colored Pencil
  • Addysyn Wettrick – 74 points including first place in Latin Derivatives
  • Madelyn Scott – 151 points overall in a large variety of academic test, graphic arts submissions and creative arts contests. She earned second place in Costume, first place in Greek Derivatives and first place in Impromptu Art.

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Local pastors lead prayer service at Shelbyville Middle School

Following the tragic death Wednesday of a Shelbyville Middle School eighth grader, a prayer service was organized and conducted Sunday afternoon in front of the school.

Jose Rivera, of Grace Wesleyan Church, helped spearhead the effort with Max Southern of The Ville Church and Andy Lee of Crossroad Community Church to bring healing to a mournful community.

“Due to the recent things that have been happening in the school and the tragedy that happened this week with the young lady no longer with us, I just felt a desire to get the community out and pray for these kids, the faculty, the counselors,” said Rivera after the 20-minute ceremony attended by approximately 100 people. “I just feel like the world is trying to steal our children from us. I think the church has to do a better job of coming out, the leadership of the churches in this community and all over the country, we need to step up and stop preaching to each other in the pews and come out here in the world and lay hands on people, on property, on these issues that are happening.

“Bullying is happening in schools. Racism is still happening. People that don’t know God, kids that don’t know God, kids that are being raised by grandparents, the opioid addiction is getting crazy and we can go on and on. We want to come against that.”

 

 

Social media reports of bullying at Shelbyville Middle School were growing before Wednesday’s news of a student’s death. Warren Robison, leader of the middle school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes program was in attendance Sunday.

“The answer is just love,” said Robison when asked if there is an answer to solve bullying. “How do we change the kids so rather than acting out in a harmful way … so kids act out why? To make themselves feel more important. Maybe they aren’t getting something at home and so they look for it here. And, unfortunately, they look for it in unhealthy ways.”

 

 

Rivera (photo) and several others led the prayer vigil that included approximately two dozen students of all ages.

“It’s called denial. It’s important that we highlight and bring a light to what is going on,” said Rivera. “This is not an isolated incident. It’s happening everywhere. There are kids feeling hopeless and helpless and we need to tell them that the church is here.”

Rivera, Southern and Lee led prayers for the students, the faculty and the community to help solve the issues affecting them all.

“We prayed directly for them. The counselors, the teachers, this principal who is doing a very good job,” said Rivera. “My daughter goes here and is a classmate of the student that just passed away. We are all feeling this.”

 

 

Robison spent several minutes after the vigil talking with students, as he does often during the school week.

“In my days when I was bullied, I was hit and slammed to the ground. It was physically being bullied. We didn’t have all the verbal, well maybe we did and just didn’t notice it,” said Robison. “Now, it comes more subtle. It comes where you can bully somewhat anonymously behind a computer or your phone. It gives us a lot more power.

“What is the answer? The answer has been the same. It’s always God. Until we can get that movement around and start seeing that, (bullying) is not the answer. It still leaves you empty. It still leaves you wanting more.”

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2023 Voices of SCUFFY

Two 3rd graders were chosen at each Shelby County elementary school to deliver a message as the Voice of SCUFFY.

Their messages are playing on GIANT fm on 96.5, 106.3 giant.fm and the GIANT fm app and are available here on Shelby County Post.

 

 

 

 

Coulston Elementary:  Lila von Werder and Liam Wagner

 

 

 

Hendricks: Charlotte Cress and Kate Ross

 

 

 

Loper: Sadie Lux and Kamden Johnson

 

 

 

Morristown: Kenzie Moran and Caleb Brock

 

 

 

St. Joseph: Marley Leon-Cruz and Harrison Foltz

 

 

 

Southwestern: Delilah Creek and Wyatt Smith

 

 

 

Triton Central: Lyla Doss and Henry Griffith

 

 

 

Waldron: Morgan Walton and Korbin Thurston

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCS releases statement following death of 8th grade student

Shelbyville Central Schools has released the following statement in connection with the death of a Shelbyville Middle School student this week....

 

On Wednesday, Shelbyville Central Schools (SCS) suffered a tragedy with the passing of one of our 8th grade students. Our thoughts and sympathies are with their family at this difficult time. We have and will continue to have grief support available at Shelbyville Middle School for students who may need any type of assistance surrounding this loss. 

 

SCS takes its anti-bullying obligations very seriously.  There were no documented bullying claims brought to the attention of the school in relation to this tragedy.  All bullying claims are investigated in accordance with the schools Anti-Bullying Policy.  

 

We are saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to assist our students and staff during this difficult time. 

 

In a related note, Grace Wesleyan Church of Shelbyville has posted on Facebook that with The Ville Church & others they intend to cover in prayer students, faculty and school property. At 1 p.m. Sunday, they are inviting the public to meet directly in front of the Shelbyville Middle School to extend hands of prayer.

 

For more info call - (317) 421-0611.

 

Shelbyville students attending state Latin convention

Students from Shelbyville High School will be among 237 high school and college Latin students who will attend the Indiana Junior Classical Convention today and Saturday at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Students will participate in academic, creative arts and graphic arts contests, and will compete in certamen, a quiz-bowl like competition, publicity and membership contests. The top school in both the small-chapter and large-chapter divisions will earn the overall sweepstakes awards while scholarships will be awarded to two students.

The students will participate in general assemblies and attend a Roman banquet dressed in traditional Roman garb.

High school students and sponsors attending will represent the following schools: Bishop Chatard, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Cardinal Ritter, Classical Studies of Indianapolis, Crown Point, Herron, Herron-Riverside, Homestead, North Central, Evansville Reitz, Seven Oaks Classical School, Shelbyville, St. Richard’s Episcopal, Guerin Catholic, Stanley Clark School, Terre Haute South, and The Master’s Study.

Shelbyville won first place overall sweepstakes in the small school division in 2022.

Local students attending are Anna Ballast, Ev(alyn) Barnum, Olivia Bowman, Isabella Bradburn, Sydney Brown, Lilly Conners, Cora Flynn, Leila Patrick, Sharielis Rodriguez, Andrea Rosales, Madelyn Scott and Addysyn Wettrick.

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Single-lane traffic on westbound I-465 begins Friday night

Starting Friday night, traffic patterns on the southwest side of Indianapolis will change to allow I-69 Finish Line to enter its next phase of construction: widening and rebuilding I-465 eastbound, which will include a new bridge over the White River.

Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m., traffic on westbound I-465 between I-65 and I-70 on the city’s southwest side will be limited to a single lane. During the weekend restrictions, crews will shift the westbound lanes to the north in preparation for an eastbound switch later in the month.

During the double-lane restriction the speed limit on westbound I-465 will be reduced to 45 miles per hour. The speed limit on eastbound I-465 will remain at 55 miles per hour, and all motorists are encouraged to slow down, pay attention to changing conditions and drive distraction-free.

This short video shows where roadways and ramps are restricted during the weekend work. A graphic representation of the same information can be found here.

To reduce traffic volume and the number of conflict points in the construction zone, several westbound entrance ramps onto I-465 will close during this weekend’s lane restrictions. Starting Friday at 8 p.m. the following ramps will be closed:

I-65 southbound to I-465 westbound

I-65 northbound to I-465 westbound

U.S. 31 southbound to I-465 westbound

U.S. 31 northbound to I-465 westbound

S.R. 37 (Harding Street) southbound to I-465 westbound

The U.S. 31 southbound to I-465 westbound ramp closure will remain in place through 2024.  All other ramps will reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday.

A similar restriction for eastbound I-465 is currently scheduled for March 24-27, but is dependent upon weather and the schedule is subject to change. 

During the weekend of westbound restrictions, I-65 northbound traffic will be detoured north to I-70 westbound at the South Split. The nearest entry point to the I-465 westbound work zone is Emerson Avenue.

Motorists can expect increased congestion during both weekends of restrictions and are encouraged to plan ahead and find alternate routes. 

Bank erosion becoming problem at Blue River Memorial Park

Fixing a bank erosion problem along the Little Blue River at Blue River Memorial Park (BRMP) could prove costly.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has inspected the site near the wooden pier (main photo), and not far from the walking bridge, but no determination has been made as to how to solve the situation.

“It is eroding (the bank) out closer to the bridge and we will probably lose the fishing pier,” said Shelbyville Parks and Recreation Board President Gary Bowen at Wednesday’s parks board meeting. “It was never reinforced …  I don’t think.”

Neither the pier nor the walking bridge are in imminent danger confirmed Bowen after the meeting.

DNR has provided city officials with three engineers to contact to put together a plan to fix the problem incrementally.

“We are trying to be proactive rather than reactive,” said Tackett.

The parks department maintenance staff is ramping up work in the city parks to prepare them for warmer weather and more visitors. The goal is to have all park restrooms open the first week of April, according to Tackett.

New shade structures for the Splash Pad at BRMP have arrived and will be installed soon. The structures are replacements for the current structures at the Splash Pad.

The parks department will conduct its annual Easter Egg Hunt at Kennedy Park at noon on April 1.

 

 

And the parks department announced the hiring of Triton Central graduate Cierra Jenks (photo) as its new special events coordinator. Jenks is majoring in Hospitality and Event Management at the University of Indianapolis.

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Shelby Eastern Schools purchasing six used buses to expand its fleet

The Shelby Eastern Schools board approved spending nearly $300,000 on used buses, a new lawnmower and door access upgrades for all five school buildings.

With two owner-operators retiring at the end of the school year, the school system needs to build up its fleet of buses. At Wednesday’s school board meeting, approval was received to purchase six used buses which will help offset the need for new routes and expected retirements in the near future.

Shelby Eastern will purchase four 2011 Thomas HDXs from the Brownsburg school district for $20,000 each. And an additional two 2014 Blue Bird buses will be bought from a Fort Wayne school system downsizing its fleet for $16,000 apiece.

“Originally, we were talking about purchasing one 84-passenger bus which was going to be close to the $200,000 mark,” said Shelby Eastern Schools Director of Transportation and Communication Katrina Falk. “But after looking at the playing field and who we thought would be retiring and what the needs were going to be, we decided that money would be better spent purchasing some gently-used buses.”

“The goal is to get all of our spare buses off the road and not on regular routes,” continued Falk. “So Waldron will have two large spare buses and a special (education) spare bus. Morristown will have two large spare buses and a special (education) spare bus.

“We’re coming into a year where we will have four special (education) routes, where we originally started with two. We are growing. We have so many new preschool students coming in. At Morristown, we had to create an additional town route because we are overloaded between Freeport and the south part of Morristown. It’s a great position for a school district but we are having to ramp up our equipment and staffing. This will be an ongoing discussion as we move on four years from now and we have more contractors retiring. We are trying to get to a good position where we have enough equipment to support corporation-owned routes.”

 

 

The board also approved the purchase of a new lawnmower for the Waldron campus. Jeff Scott, Director of Facilities for Shelby Eastern Schools, requested to purchase a larger mower for $15,129.81 that would require less maintenance over its lifespan – an issue the school system has dealt with over recent months with its current smaller mower.

School security being a priority, the board also approved spending $142,819.81 to replace aging door access systems at all four school buildings as well as the administration building.

“The new system is more advanced and user-friendly,” said Scott.

Recent heavy rainfall that caused flooding issues exasperated the need to improve the radio signals to buses extending to the furthest reaches of the Waldron school system.

Scott observed the loss of radio signals to buses traveling south of Geneva. The goal is to stay in communication with all buses, especially when inclement weather is a concern.

The solution is to purchase a repeater that will strengthen radio signals to the south, east and west of the Waldron campus. There are no such issues with radio signals around the Morristown campus.

The cost of the repeater approved for purchase is $12,245.

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Driver killed in Johnson County car crash

A driver of a vehicle involved in a Wednesday night Johnson County accident was killed.

Just before 8 p.m., the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department and the Franklin Fire Department responded to area of 780 Hospital Road, Franklin on the report of a vehicle accident.

Emergency responders arrived on the scene to find a single vehicle accident. The vehicle was occupied by only the driver. 

Medical workers pronounced the driver deceased on the scene.

Members of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident. Hospital Road between County Road 50E and Tracy Miles Road will be closed for an undetermined amount of time.

The Johnson County Coroner’s Office was also on the scene and will make positive identification and notify the next of kin.

Scott Furgeson announces policies for platform as candidate for Shelbyville mayor

Republican Scott Furgeson addressed policies for his platform as a candidate for Shelbyville mayor in the following submitted article.

 

 

Building a Stronger Shelbyville
Community Resources to Improve Mental Health
Building a stronger Shelbyville requires a team effort. Our police officers do a great job keeping our citizens safe, but our city needs additional tools to better serve the members of our community who have mental health conditions. I support the addition of a paramedical community resources program that would utilize current community, healthcare, and public safety resources to proactively assist community members with non-emergency health needs.

This programming would provide active crisis response, provide follow-up services focused on a path to recovery, and conduct community outreach initiatives.
By better coordinating existing services and by identifying and filling gaps, we can provide important tools, training and resources to our community support system, while also achieving improved mental health for some of the most vulnerable in our community.

Beautifying Shelbyville
Because Shelbyville is the place I call home, I want to ensure it is a place we are all proud to work, play and live. Shelbyville is blessed with the natural beauty of the Blue River. We must continue to invest in the parks and trails around the Blue River and invest in connectivity across the city. We’ve made a lot of investments in our amenities over the last several years, and we must ensure that they remain in great shape for generations to come.

It’s also important that we plan for and prioritize the maintenance of our roads and sidewalks in our neighborhoods.
Shelbyville’s neighborhoods are one of our most important assets. We must do everything possible to ensure our neighborhoods are well-maintained and kept clean. As Mayor, I will ensure that our staff is empowered to enforce our city’s code and clean up blighted properties and nuisances.

Economic Development
Access to Good Paying Jobs in Shelbyville

As a business owner and job creator, I understand the need to provide good-paying jobs for our community members. Providing access to good paying jobs for residents is a two-pronged approach: (1) business retention and expansion and (2) new business attraction.

Business Retention and Expansion
On average, 80% of new jobs in a community come from existing businesses expanding. To continue providing the opportunity for our residents (both current and future), Shelbyville must ensure our existing businesses have the resources they need to continue growing. In my previous terms as mayor, I made regular visits to industry and business leaders to listen and learn about their needs. I will do so again so that Shelbyville can provide the appropriate resources to
nurture and grow our existing businesses

Business Attraction
We must also focus efforts on attracting good, high-paying jobs to our community. Business attraction requires collaboration between the city, county, and Shelbyville Development Corporation to strategically provide the needed infrastructure to support the right kinds of jobs inour community. Our efforts as a city must focus on bringing good, high-paying jobs with strong benefits for our residents.

Attainable Housing
Shelbyville should be a place where people can find meaningful work, attainable homes, quality learning opportunities, and all the other elements of a healthy community. Because housing costs are rising faster than incomes, we need to make sure that good places to live are within reach.

Designing a vibrant community is like solving a puzzle. If a community doesn't have key pieces like good homes that people can afford, the puzzle doesn't fit together. Local government has an important role to play. As mayor, I will collaborate with our community development organizations, our county government, and residential developers to bring new, diverse, and attainable housing options to our community.

City Leadership
City Services

As a business owner, I understand the importance of customer service and will make sure that all city employees understand that we are employees of the citizens of Shelbyville. I will ensure that city services are delivered with a high level of professionalism and that processes are streamlined and made more efficient.

Financial Responsibility
As your mayor, it is my responsibility to be a good steward of taxpayer money. I stand for balanced budgets, and I am opposed to reckless spending and inefficient government. We must continue to invest in our city to meet both current and long-term needs. We must be strategic in the way that we spend money and stay focused on keeping local tax rates low. I am committed to listening to what the citizens say, and I will continue to work hard every day to deliver on
what they say is important to them and the future of our city.

As a taxpayer myself, I will ensure the best return on investment for every tax dollar spent. As mayor, I promise to always make sure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly, that elected officials are accountable for their spending decisions and that the best interests of the taxpayers always come first.

Responsive Leadership
While having a plan and goals is very important, having the ability to adjust to meet the community’s ever-changing needs is also very important. A strong leader must proactively identify the community’s needs, be flexible enough to change course as needed, and be willing to make quick and difficult decisions that will best serve the community.

I have proven experience in all of these areas during my prior tenure as mayor, and more recently in successfully leading my restaurant business through the pandemic. At the onset of the state’s stay-at-home orders, restaurants were required to make huge adjustments on short notice to help ensure the safety of their employees and their customers. I made many changes, discovered new opportunities, retained nearly all of my long-term employees, and maintained a strong customer base.

I will bring these skills to City Hall to help our community build on our strengths and remain vibrant.

Ribbon cutting, open house celebrated expansion of Cancer Association's Thrift Store

The Cancer Association of Shelby County celebrated the grand re-opening of its Second Time Around Thrift Store on Tuesday.

The expansion of the thrift Store at the 31 Public Square site accompanied by the move of the association's offices to neighboring 37 Public Square was completed in February to feature more inventory for shoppers. 

 

 

Executive Director Donna Harrell says they had waited for a long time to find a suitable site to expand when the opportunity came up right next door.

 

 

The final result was better than initially hoped.

 

 

 

The Cancer Association of Shelby County is a non-for-profit organization that helps those in the community that are battling cancer.  Proceeds generated from the Thrift Store help provide financial assistance.

Board member Mark McNeely:

 

 

 

 

 

Harbor Freight Tools to hold Grand Opening at new Shelbyville store March 25

Harbor Freight Tools, America’s go-to store for quality tools at the lowest prices, announced by press release today that it will officially hold a grand opening at its new store in Shelbyville, on March 25 at 8 a.m.

The Shelbyville store, located 2549 E State Road 44, will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Over 40 million customers, from professional contractors and technicians to homeowners and hobbyists, come to Harbor Freight to find the tools and equipment they need to get the job done. The company has assembled a world-class team of engineers and experts in all tool categories to ensure that its tools meet or exceed industry standards and deliver unsurpassed value.

The store is currently operating under a soft open that began this week. Staff training continues while working with customers under the store's regular schedule.
The store will stock a full selection of tools and equipment in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools and much more. The stores are smaller and much easier to shop than the huge home centers.
This new store is the 36th Harbor Freight Tools store in Indiana. The company, which hires locally, has brought between 25-30 new jobs to the surrounding community.
Harbor Freight recognizes that its people are key to its success and is committed to being the best place to work in any industry. In 2021, Forbes Magazine recognized Harbor Freight as one of the top 20 large employers in all of retail, one of the top employers in terms of diversity, one of the top employers for women and one of the country’s top employers for veterans.
Our team is ready to serve and deliver value to customers in Shelbyville and all of Shelby County,” said Barry Clevenger, Store Manager. “At Harbor Freight, we recognize that now, more than ever, our customers depend on us for the tools they need to get the job done at an affordable price.”
About Harbor Freight Tools
Harbor Freight Tools has been Americas go-to source for affordable tools since its start in 1977 as a Southern California based mail-order company. Harbor Freight is still owned and led by founder
Eric Smidt, who learned long ago that by working directly with factories he could pass the savings on to the customer without compromising on quality.
The company opened its first store in 1980. Today, Harbor Freight Tools has over 1,300 stores across the country, 25,000 associates and more than 40 million customers who depend on Harbor Freights quality and value to earn a living, repair their homes and cars and pursue their hobbies.

With core values of excellence and continuous improvement, Harbor Freight Tools works to constantly improve the quality of its products and this year will introduce more than 800 new tools and accessories. Harbor Freight Tools is one of the nations fastest growing retailers, opening two new stores every week.
For more information about Harbor Freight Tools, visit harborfreight.com.

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Bridge project over Big Blue River to begin next month

Beginning on or shortly after April 3, INDOT contractor E&B Paving will close the westbound lane of U.S. 52 over Big Blue River while it replaces that half of the

bridge.

Traffic will be controlled by automated temporary traffic signals that will allow westbound traffic to alternate use of the eastbound lane. When the north half of the bridge is done, this will be switched and eastbound traffic will alternate use of the new westbound lane until the whole job is finished.

The estimated completion date of the project is November 15.

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Gov. Holcomb directs flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of fallen Indiana State Trooper

Governor Eric J. Holcomb is directing flags to be flown at half-staff in the State of Indiana in honor and remembrance of Master Trooper James R. Bailey who was killed in the line of duty.

Flags should be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday.

Gov. Holcomb is asking businesses and residents in Indiana to lower their flags to half-staff.

PK USA finding hiring success with incentive program for current employees

PK USA needed new employees. Bill Kent had an idea.

In early February, PK USA in Shelbyville announced a plan to incentivize its current employees to find new employees. On Monday at the Shelbyville Common Council meeting at City Hall, Kent, PK USA’s Vice President of Corporate Relations, Kent discussed the success of the program.

“We rolled the program out on Feb. 9, so far we’ve had almost 50 referrals and hired 18,” said Kent. “I was told to stop hiring.”

 

To read about the program, go to https://shelbycountypost.com/local-news/675078

 

When asked, Kent stated the financial incentive program was his idea. He deemed it a better way to get people motivated.

“The automotive industry is stabilizing. We are seeing orders remaining firm which is what we want. I needed people,” said Kent. “So I turned 300 employees into active recruiters.”

New employees and the PK USA associate that referred him or her each receive $1,000 after three months on the job. The retention fee climbs to $2,000 for the referral employee and the new employee after six months on the job.

And at 12 months of employment, another $2,000 is awarded.

Kent now has a pool of people interested in working for PK USA.

“One of the things folks on the floor have taught me is make them a part of the solution and they will be willing to participate,” he said.

In other council business Monday:

  • Approved the rezone of the property at 1501 S. Harrison St.
  • Approved a resolution for special appropriations and an executive order to amend the Capital Improvement Plan.
  • Tabled a resolution to transfer a Riverfront District license to Sterling Entertainment LLC, the current owner of Cadillac Jack’s at 29 Public Square in downtown Shelbyville, because there was not a representative of the business in attendance at the meeting.

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American Pickers looking for nominations for Indiana visit

The American Pickers television show is returning to Indiana in April to film episodes for The History Channel.

The show is a documentary series following skilled pickers in the world of antiques, finding sizable unique collections and learning the stories behind them.

The show is looking for leads and welcomes nominations of those who have large, private collections or accumulations of antiques that may spark interest for the show.  American Pickers does not pick stores, flea markets, malls, auction businesses, museums or facilities open to the public.

To make a nomination, call 646-493-2184 or send contact information and photos to americanpickers@cineflix.com.

 

Cancer Association of Shelby County to celebrate store expansion Tuesday

The Cancer Association of Shelby County will celebrate the grand re-opening of its Second Time Around Thrift Store on Tuesday.

 

The expansion at the 31 Public Square site was completed in February to feature more inventory for shoppers. With that, the association’s new office is located at 37 Public Square.

 

Guests will receive a cancer awareness bracelet and refreshments will be served from 10 a.m. – noon..  Guests will also have a chance for prizes and a scavenger hunt will be available for shoppers.

 

The Cancer Association of Shelby County is a non-for-profit organization that helps those in the community that are battling cancer.  Proceeds generated from the Thrift Store help provide financial assistance.

 

City of Shelbyville announces heavy trash clean up week

The City of Shelbyville has announced heavy trash clean-up week will begin April 17.

For one week each year, the street department suspends its trash limits for daily collection, with certain exceptions. Items that will not be picked up include televisions, computers, batteries, concrete, paint cans, tires or oil.

All appliances must be drained of freon and tagged by a professional for collection.

The street department asks that trash sitting curbside be separated into trash, lumber and metal.

Heavy trash collection will occur on normal trash collection days the week of April 17. There will be no recycling collection or chipper pile collections during that week.

All items should be curbside by 7 a.m. on collection day.

For more information, contact the Shelbyville Street Department at 317-392-5169.

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Shelby County Chamber announces 2023 Chamber Awards Gala Award recipients and Business Nominees

The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the award
recipients and business nominees line-up for the 2023 Chamber Awards Gala.
2023 Award Recipients

“Dick Kitchin” Volunteer of the Year
Bill Poland
Nathan Runnebohm
Shelby County Community Lifetime Achievement
Dr. Ron McDaniel
John A. Hartnett, Sr. Business Person
Kent McNeely – Yushiro Manufacturing America, Inc. (YUMA)
Hospitality Award
Buffy Powers - Infinity Home Care Plus, Inc.
Golden Apple Outstanding Educator
Marijo Hamblen-Snow – Shelbyville Middle School
Outstanding Citizen
Brent Sandman
Maverick Award (Under 40)
Beau Browning
“Big Green” Sustainability Award
Shelby County Recycling District
Pay It Forward
Ami Carter
Business Nominees
Business of the Year
Blue River Dental Care
Builders Lumber & Hardware
Stephenson Rife, LLP
Non-Profit Champion
Grover Center Museum & Historical Society
Shares, Inc.
Shelby County Public Library
The Chamber is excited to add two new awards, the “Big Green” Sustainability Award and the Maverick Award (Under 40).
“We feel it is important to celebrate our younger community for their hard work and those organizations that are making great strides to keep our county ‘green’” said Chamber Executive Director Donna Christian.
Previously awarded Large Business and Small Business Champions has been merged into the Business of the Year award.

The Golden Pineapple Customer Service award is now the Hospitality Award.
The Chamber is also celebrating its 75-year anniversary in 2023, making the gala ceremony its “75th Diamond Jubilee” celebration.
Join the Chamber on April 13 at Horseshoe Indianapolis Racing & Casino for a night of celebration, honoring those who exemplify the true spirit of Shelby County. Tickets are now on sale for $50 per person,$500 for a table of 10.

Tickets are available at www.shelbychamber.net or by calling the Chamber at (317) 398-6647.

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The National Weather Service warns of rain with possible flooding and high winds

A flood watch remains in effect through late tonight for much of central Indiana.

 

The flooding to be caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. Rainfall totals of 2 to 3 inches are currently forecast for the region.

 

Locally higher amounts are possible.

 

The watch includes the following counties - Bartholomew, Decatur, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, Rush and Shelby.

 

In south central Indiana, Brown, Jackson, Lawrence and Monroe. In southeast Indiana, Jennings.

 

In southwest Indiana, Daviess, Greene, Knox, Martin And Sullivan.

 

In West Central Indiana, Clay, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Vermillion And Vigo.

 

Also, a wind advisory remains in effect from 10 a.m. Friday morning to 10 pm EST. Northeast winds are forecast to be at 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected.

Sounds of Summer will pay tribute to The Beach Boys this Saturday at The Strand

Sounds of Summer is a tribute show based in North vernon that includes over 30 familiar hits and tells the story of America’s band - the Beach Boys.

 

These four incredibly talented guys have known each other since grade school and shared a love of 1960’s music and Beach Boys’ harmonies. The band has been playing across the nation since 2015, delivering audiences an authentic look and sound, taking them back to memories of the 1960s.

 

Sounds of Summer has received praise for staying true to the Beach Boys sound and had the privilege of playing a live hour-long special on AXS TV’s “World’s Greatest Tribute Bands” on September 2016.

 

Matt Hurley spoke to GIANT fm News about Saturday's show at The Strand Theatre in Shelbyville.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill to address use of tracking devices passes Senate unanimously

A bill authored by State Sen. Michael Crider (R-Greenfield) that would address a need for protection and privacy from electronic tracking devices passed out of the Senate unanimously.

Senate Bill 161 would create penalties for those using a device to track an individual without their knowledge with the purpose to commit a crime. This includes placing a tracking device on one's person or property. There are exceptions to this legislation for individuals who place a tracking device on their own property, family members, law enforcement officers lawfully engaged in the officer's duties, someone who has a tracking device as a condition of parole or probation, and vehicle manufacturers.

The penalty will increase if the victim has a protective order against the person placing the tracking device and provides a sentence enhancement if someone uses a tracking device to commit or facilitate a felony. 

"This bill is trying to thread the needle between tracking a person with the intent of protecting them, such as a younger or older family member, and prosecuting those who use these tracking devices to inflict harm to the people they are tracking," said Crider. "There are many things to consider in a piece of legislation like this, and it is important that we consider every angle in order to help protect the people of Indiana, as well as those trying to keep their loved ones safe."

The need for this bill was brought to the attention of legislators by a constituent who was brutally attacked by an ex-boyfriend. He had tracked her via one of these devices and violated a protective order as she attempted to flee and relocate to a safe area. This is a real-life example of the situations this bill tries to penalize and address. SB 161 would allow victims of this kind of crime to have a course of action to prosecute bad actors who intend to use tracking devices to commit a criminal act.

The concepts in SB 161 were offered by multiple senators who worked together to come up with the current version of the bill. SB 161 is a combination of these ideas, and discussions will continue in order to keep improving the legislation.

SB 161 will now be considered by the House of Representatives.

 

 

Gov. Holcomb appoints Don Lamb as new executive director of Department of Agriculture

Governor Eric J. Holcomb announced today second-generation farmer Don Lamb, from Lebanon, Indiana, will become the new executive director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA).

“Don is not only a 2nd-generation farmer, but also a successful agribusinessman and understands the significant and leading role the ag industry plays in Indiana,” said Gov. Holcomb. “In looking for a new executive director for the Indiana Department of Agriculture, it was important to find someone who would be a strong steward of our land and all that it produces. Don truly cares about the Hoosier ag community and securing Indiana’s place as a global leader in the agricultural industry for generations to come.”

Lamb is the co-owner and operator of Lamb Farms Inc., along with his brother and father. The farm produces popcorn, corn, soybeans and wheat. The family also owns AgRecycle, a composting and recycling business, and Lamb Farms Agronomy, which provides soil management and crop production products to surrounding farms.

“Indiana is now the 8th-ranked agricultural product producing state in the country, this industry contributes more than $35 billion dollar to our economy,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Don engrained himself in the agricultural community at an early age, not just focusing on his own operation. He has the leadership skills to not only lead the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, but to the state’s ag industry into the future. I look forward to working with him.”

Lamb is a member of the Advisory Council for the Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation. Lamb will be stepping down as Vice President of the Boone County Council and policy chair of his local Farm Bureau Board to assume his position with the ISDA. 

“I am so thankful for this opportunity from Gov. Holcomb and Lt. Gov. Crouch,” said Lamb. “I have worked in the agriculture industry for my whole life and this is the only job I would take off the farm. I am excited to work with the great team at ISDA and to become an even better advocate for this industry I love.”

Lamb graduated from Purdue University in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics. He was named the Agricultural Professional of the Year in 2014 by the Boone County Chamber of Commerce.

Lamb will begin in his new role on March 13.

SCUFFY underway with return of Kickoff Breakfast and Giving from the Heart

The Shelby County United Fund For You (SCUFFY) officially kicked off its 2023 drive with a breakfast event and Giving From the Heart that hadn’t occurred since before the pandemic.

Executive Director Alecia Gross was excited to host the breakfast for the first time in her tenure.

 

 

2023 Drive Chairman Brian Baker says it’s the community, represented by those who attended the breakfast and volunteered to work at the member agencies, that makes SCUFFY successful each year.

 

 

Pacesetters are those who run their individual drive early to kickstart the campaign. The grand total raised announced at the end of the breakfast was $289, 073.63. That is approximately 33% of the campaign goal of $895,000 to benefit SCUFFY's 13 member agencies.

Pacesetters this year included First Bank Shelbyville, Bowen Engineering, Brazeway, Builders Lumber & Hardware, Major Health Partners, McNeely Law LLP, Runnebohm Construction, Shelbyville Middle School, Yushiro Manufacturing America and Stephenson Rife LLP.

Final numbers will be unveiled at the end of drive dinner on May 3.

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Scams threatening arrest reported by ISP and Shelbyville resident

The Indiana State Police has received several concerns from citizens reporting an apparent phone scam. 

ISP receives numerous reports of phone scams each year, but this particular scam involves using the ISP General Headquarters phone number.

The scammer is using a Caller ID showing “Indiana State Police” with “317-232-8248”. The scammer then identifies him/herself as an Indiana State Police Trooper and tells them they have drug charges pending in Texas. The scammer then threatens the citizen with arrest if a payment is not made.

ISP says they would never call and ask for or demand any sort of payment for any reason whatsoever.

The ISP would like to remind all citizens that phone scammers are persuasive, convincing, and technically savvy. Scammers will often play on your emotions and fears in order to get your personal information and money.

It is, of course, just one of many scams that get reported daily. Luke Runnebohm was at work this week when he received a call demanding payment or arrest would come.

He explained what happened to the Shelby County Post.

 

 

The easiest way to protect yourself from being scammed over the phone is to either ignore unsolicited calls from unknown callers or just hang up when something doesn’t seem right. If you feel as though you have been a victim of a phone scam, immediately report the incident to your local law enforcement agency and alert your bank as soon as possible so the payment can be stopped.

As a reminder, never give out personal information such as date of birth, social security number, or bank/credit card numbers. Many of these scammers want you to make a hasty decision and may pressure you to get your money or personal information. Be aware that transactions made by prepaid card or wire transfer are nearly impossible to recover once sent.

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Nearby river negatively impacting stretch of Morristown Road

It’s not a long stretch of Morristown Road but a significant project that Shelby County commissioners discussed this week.

Commissioner Kevin Nigh says the Big Blue River is threatening a section of roadway that will need to be moved and shored up.

 

 

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