Wednesday, August 12, 2026

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS

Construction crews work Tuesday at the intersection of State Road 9 and Colescott Street as part of an Indiana Department of Transportation improvement project. The approximately 18-day project will widen the intersection radii to improve turning movements and add a dedicated left-turn lane for northbound State Road 9 traffic turning onto Colescott Street. The intersection will remain open during construction. | photos by JACK BOYCE

Saint Joseph Catholic Church Scout Troop 203 conducts a flag ceremony, led by senior patrol leader Wyatt Lancaster, second from right, on Monday. | submitted

The Shelbyville and Shelby County boards of zoning appeals each approved a variance request Tuesday evening, with the county board giving the go-ahead for a small pet boarding facility near Morristown and the city board approving changes to a gas station sign on East State Road 44.

The Shelby County Board of Zoning Appeals voted 5-0 to approve use and development standards variances requested by Lauren Clark for a small-scale pet boarding and daycare kennel at 537 E. Freeport Road. County planning staff had recommended approval with two stipulations.

Clark plans to construct a climate-controlled facility behind a detached garage on the property, utilizing existing concrete, plumbing and electrical infrastructure. The business would be limited to a maximum of six boarded dogs and/or cats at a time and would include indoor space, an attached outdoor play area and an existing 13,200-square-foot fenced yard.

Clark described the proposal as a “very low-scale, low-impact” business. She said the building would be climate-controlled and sound-dampened to reduce barking noise.

Clark needed a use variance because home-business kennels are not normally permitted in the property’s Residential Estate zoning district. She also requested development standards variances allowing the outdoor kennel area to be 27 feet from a property line rather than the required 50 feet and allowing a business sign. Planning staff said the small kennel would have impacts similar to the neighboring property’s use for horses.

Clark told the board she had spoken with most of her neighbors and had a letter of support from an adjacent property owner. No one spoke in opposition.

Also last night, the Shelbyville Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a development standards variance for an existing pylon sign at 1601 E. State Road 44, the current site of CountryMark. The variance allows alterations to the sign without it losing its legal nonconforming status.

A representative for the petitioner said the existing sign at the gas station would be rebranded, with the old sign cabinets removed and replaced by double-sided cabinets featuring updated branding and fuel prices. The existing steel posts would remain. The representative said the change would actually reduce the sign area from about 163 square feet to approximately 152 square feet.

Board members questioned why the business should be allowed to retain the taller, nonconforming sign rather than meet the city’s current sign standards. The representative said retaining the existing structure would avoid tearing it down and allow the station to remain competitive with nearby gas stations while providing enough space to display fuel and rewards pricing.

The representative confirmed the station would no longer carry CountryMark branding.

As part of a compromise, the project will include landscaping in a stone or masonry planter box around the sign and dressing or covering the existing posts, subject to staff approval. Mike Evans, with the planning department, said the landscaping requirement was intended to provide some of the aesthetic benefits associated with the monument-style signs required under current standards.

The board ultimately approved the variance unanimously with the additional condition concerning treatment of the sign posts.

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: FULL CANOPY REAL ESTATE

• The Shelbyville Public Utilities Board yesterday discussed SwiftComply software as a way to better track grease-trap compliance at restaurants and other food establishments. Water Resource Recovery Facilities Superintendent Michele “Shelly” Higdon said businesses are already required to comply with the city’s grease-control program; use of SwiftComply itself would not be mandatory. The system would allow establishments or service providers to upload cleaning documentation and would help the city identify businesses that have fallen out of compliance. Higdon said the city has had grease-trap requirements and penalties in place, but the program has not been fully enforced. She said better tracking is intended to keep grease out of sewer lines and protect the wastewater system, with the software replacing or improving upon a spreadsheet-based tracking system used in the past. Higdon said a five-year proposal included a $4,700 implementation fee and $5,000 annual subscription, making the first-year cost $9,700, with annual increases afterward. Board members expressed some hesitation about committing for five years and discussed obtaining pricing for a shorter, potentially three-year agreement.

• The Shelbyville Board of Public Works and Safety approved cleaning and assessing charges at 907 Governor Lane. Code Enforcement Officer Troy Merrick said he checked the property the day before the meeting and nothing had been done, and no one appeared at the meeting on the owner’s behalf.

• The Board of Works also issued orders to appear to the owners of 749 Second St., 455 W. Franklin St., 1018 Crestmoor Drive and 15 Grandview Drive regarding nuisance issues. Merrick said three were unoccupied, while the Second Street home was occupied. The city has been mowing the Grandview Drive property, where trash has also accumulated.

• Board of Works members also discussed whether property owners are being charged enough when city crews must clean neglected properties. Merrick said charges account for city labor, trucks, fuel and other expenses, with an additional $150 fine. Mayor Scott Furgeson noted the city often does not recover the money until a property is eventually sold. The amount is sometimes forgiven when a new owner takes over.

• The Addison Township Advisory Board unanimously approved reducing its 2026 township assistance budget from $91,325 to $62,000. Trustee James Garrett Jr. said the reduction reflects lower revenue and will prevent the fund from ending the year with a projected $417 negative balance, while the revised $62,000 appropriation will still cover planned township assistance expenses.

• Shelby County Public Library is hosting “Living Well with Hearing Loss,” a presentation by Hailey Dean, Au.D., on Thursday, Aug. 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. The program will be held in Carnegie East Wing, Room A. Dean is an audiologist with Southern Indiana ENT Sinus & Allergy, specializing in diagnosing and managing hearing and balance disorders. To learn more, visit here.

• HOOSIER NEWS: The Democrat-led Indianapolis City-County Council voted 17-7 Monday to override Mayor Joe Hogsett’s veto of a major increase in Marion County vehicle registration taxes. The measure raises the annual excise surtax on passenger vehicles to a flat $100 and the wheel tax on semitrailers, recreational vehicles and buses to $240, with the new rates beginning in 2027. Supporters say the increases will generate an additional $71 million in 2027 and help Indianapolis meet requirements to receive matching state road funding, while Hogsett has argued the city can meet those requirements without raising taxes. (IBJ)

• NATIONAL NEWS: The share of new cars in grayscale colors increased from 60 percent in 2004 to 80 percent in 2023, production of purple cars is down 93 percent over the period and the production of gold cars is down 97 percent. A survey of real estate agents found that 84 percent recommended repainting interiors in gray, white or beige before selling. And once those houses are bought, the HOAs aren’t helping either: 70 percent of new single-family homes are built into color-restraining HOAs as of 2024. (The Atlantic/Numlock)

Support The Addison Times

• The Addison Times is pleased to offer free milestone announcements. Forms are available here: Engagement Announcement, Wedding Announcement and Anniversary Announcement.

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: MAJOR HEALTH PARTNERS

Local headlines reported on or around this date in Shelby County history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials. | edited by HANNAH BAKER | compiled by MYRON RAWLINGS

2016: Revenue was up at the city pool following a summer heat wave. The temperature had hit 90 degrees or more 21 times so far in the summer, and increased pool attendance had led to an additional $40,000 in revenue.

2006: Plans were announced for the first-ever Jeremy Wright Memorial 5K Run and 2-Mile Walk, which would bring back the Flat Rock Run, an annual event that ceased in 2002. Wright, a Shelbyville native, was a U.S. Army Special Forces communications sergeant who had died in action in 2005. Proceeds from the event would fund scholarships for Wright’s alma maters, Southwestern High School and Wabash College.

1996: Shelbyville High School senior Erin Rees won three tennis titles at the Bears of Blue River Open tennis tournament. Rees teamed with SHS teammate Julie Kelley to win the girls doubles and women’s doubles. Rees also won the singles championship. Rees and Kelley beat their coach, Billie Stieneker, and Stieneker’s daughter Sarah in the women’s doubles final. Dave Childres was the tournament director.

1986: Compton Dairy announced plans for a 50th anniversary celebration. A drawing would be held for a 1986 Kawasaki Bayou 4-Wheel ATV, purchased from Kawasaki of Shelbyville.

Shelbyville High School principal Jamie Orem announced the school would start using a weighted grading system in 1987, giving students who took advanced classes an advantage in class rankings.

1976: Waldron mail carrier Paul McVey retired after more than 30 years of service at the post office. A retirement party was held at Kuhn’s Kow Palace on State Road 244. McVey had rarely missed his route in those years. During one particularly bad storm in 1950, he had to drive more than 110 miles to circumvent snowdrifts to complete his route. He left the tire chains on his car for 28 days in a row that winter.

1966: Local Jaycee leader Joe Haseman announced the organization would be selling “We Back Our Boys In Vietnam” bumper stickers at the county fair. Funds would support medical aid and training for the military.

1956: Lee Smith and his band were performing every Sunday night, 9 p.m. to midnight, at Willow’s Park, formerly Porter’s Camp. Admission was $1.10 per person.

1946: State officials encouraged hunters to take advantage of the squirrel hunting season. “Although the bag limit per day for each hunter has been set at five, local shooters needn’t worry, for the average allotment of squirrels per hunter is said to be around 26,” The Republican said.

1936: Mr. and Mrs. Homer Taulman of Flat Rock were the parents of triplets. The three boys were all delivered within 15 minutes by Dr. L.D. Reed of Hope.

1926: The state game warden was arrested on Shelbyville’s Public Square by local police on a charge of intoxication. The warden, from Indianapolis, paid his fine and costs.

ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory

Bentley Shawn Sirk, 1 month and 3 days old, of Shelbyville, Indiana, passed away Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at Riley Children’s Hospital. He was born July 4, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Brianna Ratliff and Brian Sirk.

Though his time on earth was short, Bentley was a fighter. He touched many lives and was loved deeply by his family. Bentley showed nothing but strength and resilience, just like his parents. He loved elephants and was a happy baby boy.

Bentley is survived by his parents; paternal grandfather, Jason (Michelle) Sirk; paternal grandmother, Betty Jo Thompson; paternal great-grandparents, Barb and Shawn Sirk; aunts, Carolyne (Kyle) Cunningham and Lexi (Larry) Preston. Bentley is preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Kimberly Ratliff; paternal great-grandmother, Sherrie Pate; and maternal great-grandparents, Peggy and Donald Ratliff.

Funeral services will be Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, beginning at 1 p.m. at Murphy-Parks Funeral Service, 703 S. Harrison St., Shelbyville, IN 46176. Burial will follow at Fairland Cemetery. “What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us” — Helen Keller

Funeral directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Bentley’s family.

John R. Chambers, 89, of Shelbyville, passed away Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, at MPH Medical Center with his family by his side. He was born Feb. 11, 1937, in St. Paul, Indiana, to Roscoe Chambers and Eva (Bostic) Chambers.

John graduated from St. Paul High School in 1951. He honorably served his country in the Army National Guard from 1956-1964 as a PFC E-3. He then began his 47-year career with KCL, specializing as a receiving clerk. After retirement, John started working part time with Waldron Schools as a custodian for 11 years. He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. He enjoyed walking his dog, woodworking and working on his cars. He also enjoyed watching ballgames, especially baseball games and NASCAR races. His greatest joy came from playing ball with his kids and grandkids, being a grandpa and spending time with his family.

He married Katherine (Alvey) Chambers on June 20, 1959, and she survives. They shared 68 loving years of marriage together. He is also survived by his daughters, Barbara (husband, Daniel) Durst, Lorrie Brant and Lisa (husband, Tony) Kuhn; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Walter Chambers; and sister, Emma Chambers.

Visitation will be Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Murphy-Parks Funeral Service, 703 S. Harrison St., Shelbyville, IN 46176. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with Father Mike Keucher officiating. Burial will be in St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Cemetery. Funeral directors Greg Parks, Sheila Parks and Stuart Parks are honored to serve John’s family. Memorial contributions may be given to Shelby County Animal Shelter, 705 Hale Road, Shelbyville, IN 46176. Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.