Sept. 2007

Fire destroys vacant factory
The Shelbyville News
September 6, 2007
By Bettina Puckett
Staff Reporter

Spectacular blaze lights up city’s night sky

Onlookers reported seeing a bright orange glow and flames shooting nearly 75 feet into the air Wednesday night when an abandoned factory caught on fire around 9:30 p.m.

Around 45 Shelbyville firefighters – including those on and off duty – quickly responded to the massive blaze at the former Bridgers Manufacturing Co., located at 612 Blanchard Street. The facility is owned by David Hunt of D & D Hunt and David Finkel.

“When I first got here, a lot of black smoke was coming from the building but no flames were apparent,” said Shelby County Prosecutor Kent Apsley, who reacted along with dozens of other law enforcement officers.

But it didn’t take the fire long to reach spectacular proportions.

“Flames were leaping from the top of the structure,” said one bystander. “It was like somebody poured lighter fluid on the top of the building. It was like a big birthday cake.”

Shelby County Councilwoman Linda Sanders was at Shelbyville Councilman Jeff Sponsel’s house when his pager went off. By the time she got to the scene, the large building was engulfed in flames, and the roof soon collapsed.

“This is sad – very sad,” Sanders said.

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters worked feverishly to keep the blaze from spreading to the nearby Knights of Columbus building, located at 413 East South Street. Roughly 20 feet separated the two buildings. Firefighters evacuated the Knights of Columbus building.

“Everyone is pitching in,” Sanders said. “A lot of the firefighters’ wives are here with water and chairs and trying to keep everyone safe.”

Shelbyville Mayor Scott Furgeson, who was helping direct traffic, said it was a big fire.

“When I got here, it was totally involved,” he said. “Flames were shooting probably 75 feet in the air.”

Furgeson commended the firefighters and police officers on the scene.

“They always do a good job,” he said.

The mayor said it has been a unique year, featuring some large fires for the city’s fire department. “It’s been a test for them,” he said.

The February 16, 2007, fire at Knauf insulation, which occurred on one of the coldest days of the year, destroyed about 30,000 square feet of the company’s Plant No. 1. Firefighters also battled a large blaze on July 7, 2007, at the building that housed CS Express Transport Co., 951 Miller Avenue, which was owned by Carl and Sherrie Walton.

Back when Geneva resident Craig Bridgers owned Bridgers Manufacturing, city officials often tangled with him over the weeds, brush and debris that covered the lot. The factory, which started production in 1998, reconditioned and shipped metal racks and containers for automobile manufactures. It went out of business about a year ago when Bridgers declared bankruptcy.

Furgeson said the Bridgers Manufacturing property recently had been improved thanks to new owners Hunt and Finkel.

“It had been sold and the property cleaned up,” Furgeson said.

Hunt bought the front building, while Finkel had purchased the back structure.

“I don’t think (the Finkel) building sustained any damage,” Furgeson said.

Apsley helped direct traffic and the investigators on the scene.

“You always have to consider the implications when you have a major fire,” he said. Apsley said it was far too early in the investigation to speculate on the cause.

As the firefighters battled the blaze, members of the department’s auxiliary arrived on the scene to provide cold drinks and support. Someone from nearby Willie Farkle’s night club, 639 South Noble Street, where the electricity was shut off, set out some bar stools on which the sweaty workers could rest.

More than 100 bystanders flocked to the scene to get a good look at the inferno.

“The police did a good job of keeping them back so the fire department could do its job,” Apsley said. One witness said it appeared the police used so many barricades they were about to run out.

“It’s like a zoo out here,” Furgeson said.

As the Shelbyville firefighters worked to knock down the flames, volunteer firefighters from Morristown and Fairland came to Shelbyville to be ready to react to any other fires that might rekindle.

News crews from Indianapolis TV Channels 8 and 13 taped events on the scene and showed video clips on their 11 p.m. news broadcasts.

Furgeson said Noble Street was shut down and remained so through the night and into the morning.

“And South Street will be shut down from Pike to Noble,” he said. “From Locus to South streets on Noble will be closed at least through the night.”

In an unrelated matter concerning Bridgers, the Shelby County Plan Commission recently shut down an illegal scrapbooking retreat run by Bridgers. A hearing over the matter is set for September 13, 2007.


A hardcopy of this article can be found at the Shelbyville, Indiana Library’s Genealogy Services located at 58 W Hendricks Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176 or you can call 317.398.8144



Bridgers’ hearing delayed
The Shelbyville News
September 12, 2007
By Bettina Puckett
Staff Reporter

AG Carter’s office continues probe of scrapbooking retreat owner

The owner of a scrapbooking retreat in Geneva whom numerous women have filed complaints against was scheduled to appear in a Shelby County court this morning, but those proceedings have been reset for September 26, 2007.

Craig Bridgers, 43, was suppose to appear at 8:30 a.m. in Shelby Superior Court No. 2 after he was fined several hundred dollars by the county and issued a court summons for illegally operating the Olde Geneva Dairy, a scrapbooking retreat in southeastern Shelby County.

A call to the office of Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter on Tuesday revealed that 10 women – the majority of whom live out of state – have thus far filed complaints regarding Bridgers’ retreat.

“We’re looking for deceptive practice,” said Sarah Rittman, deputy press secretary. “If we see a pattern of deceptive practice, we’ll move forward.”

Many of the women have complained that they put down a $75 deposit to come to the Shelby County retreat, but when they learned online that the dairy location is no longer available and the alternate location is often a hotel, they asked Bridgers for their money back.

“Our ultimate goal will be mediation and getting the consumer whole again,” Rittman said. “We will try to avoid costly litigation and get the consumers back what they lost.”

Back in April, when the Shelby County Plan Commission began investigating complaints from neighbors about Bridgers, he signed an affidavit stating he would use the Olde Geneva Dairy only for his residence and not for business activities until all local and state permits had be obtained. When he did not get that required permits for additional bathrooms he had installed and for other construction work – and because he did had not obtained a variance to operate the business in the agricultural zone – the county shut him down.

Meanwhile, The Shelbyville News has been inundated with emails since breaking the story on August 10, 2007. While a couple of the emails from women who attended the retreat back in the spring were positive, the majority were critical of the operation and said Bridgers had not returned deposits.

“I had a reservation in September and was fine with the move until no new location was disclosed,” wrote one scrapbooker. “They will not acknowledge my cancellation and refund and keep responding with questions that I have already answered. Nothing is making sense. I fear for the women with future reservations. This is a very terrible deal for those of us who are so passionate about our hobby of scrapbooking. I have filed dispute (claims) with my Credit Card Company and hope for the best at this time.”

While Bridgers will not be in court on the scrapbooking case today, he is scheduled to be Shelby Superior Court No. 1 at 1:30 p.m. today for a 2004 case involving failure to remit sales tax, court records show.

The Shelby County Plan Commission has hired a special counsel to handle the Bridgers case Amy Dillon, executive director of the plan commission, said the magnitude of the case warrants a special counsel.

The plan commission hired attorneys Brady Rife and Cameron Morgan, both of whom work for McNeely, Stephenson Thopy & Harrold, a Shelbyville law firm. Rife could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Bridgers’ September 26, 2007 hearing in Shelby Superior Court No. 2 is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

A hardcopy of this article can be found at the Shelbyville, Indiana Library’s Genealogy Services located at 58 W Hendricks Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176 or you can call 317.398.8144


Olde Geneva owner in court on Wednesday
The Shelbyville News
September 25, 2007
By Bettina Puckett
Staff Reporter

Complaints about the Olde Geneva Dairy, an illegal scrapbooking retreat, have been slowing down the past couple of weeks but a hearing on the matter is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The owner of the retreat, Craig Bridgers, 43, will appear in Judge Russell J. Sander’s Shelby Superior Court No. 2.

“We filed the court summons for Mr. Bridgers to appear to answer to his unsafe building citation and failure to comply to building code requirements, for having the retreat and for doing renovations without authorization,” said Amy Dillon, executive director of the Shelby County Plan Commission.

To handle the case, the plan commission hired special counsel Brady Rife and Cameron Morgan, both of whom work for McNeely, Stephenson, Thopy & Harrold, a Shelbyville law firm. “I think we are ready to go for our hearing,” Dillon said.

The Shelbyville News obtained a copy of the complaint the two attorneys filed with the court. The document listed several alleged violations of the Shelby County code, including Bridgers’ remodeling of the scrapbooking retreat, installing electrical wiring and doing plumbing work – all without the appropriate permits.

Another alleged violation was that Bridgers illegally operated a scrapbooking retreat business and engaged in activities such as providing overnight accommodations, operating a retail establishment and providing food service at the structure located on the property at 2801 Vandalia Road. Bridgers also is accused of maintaining a common nuisance at the retreat.

The complaint said any person who violates the county’s zoning ordinance is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $100 and not more than $500 a day and that each violation is deemed a separate offense.

A court order instructed Bridgers to cease and desist from further operation of the scrapbooking retreat.

Back in April, when the Shelby County Plan Commission began investigating complaints from neighbors about Bridgers, he signed an affidavit stating he would use the Olde Geneva Dairy only for his residence and not for business activities until all local and state permits had been obtained.

When he did not get the required permits for additional bathrooms he had installed and for other construction work – and because he had not obtained a variance to operate the business in the agricultural zone – the county shut him down, but he has been operating the business off and on from other locations.

Since reporting on the issue on August 10, 2007. The Shelbyville News has received numerous angry emails from the retreat’s customers. Although a couple of the emails from women who had attended the retreat back in the spring were positive, the majority of the customers were critical of the retreat and said Bridgers had not returned their deposits.

Then women – the majority of whom live out of state – have filed complaints with Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter’s office, but no action has been taken against Bridgers, a Carter spokeswoman said Monday.

A hardcopy of this article can be found at the Shelbyville, Indiana Library’s Genealogy Services located at 58 W Hendricks Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176 or you can call 317.398.8144



Bridgers case delayed
The Shelbyville News
September 27, 2007
By Bettina Puckett
Staff Reporter

Olde Geneva Dairy lawsuit to be heard early next year

The Shelby County Plan Commission was ready to proceed with its civil case against Olde Geneva Dairy owner Craig Bridgers on Wednesday, but the case likely won’t be heard until January of February.

Bridgers’ attorney, Katie Mofield, said her law firm received Shelby County’s complaint roughly one week ago and filed an answer with Shelby Superior Court No. J Judge Russell J. Sanders on Tuesday. Mofield works for David Murphy & Associates in Greenfield.

“I’m going to handle this just like any other civil case,” Sanders said as the brief 2:30 p.m. pretrial hearing began.

The plan commission hired special counsel – Brady Rife and Cameron Morgan – in what has become a high profile case in the national scrapbooking community. The two attorneys work for McNeely, Stephenson, Thopy & Harrold, A Shelbyville law firm.

The judge asked Rife and Mofield how much time they would need in presenting their cases during the trial. Rife answered an hour, but Mofield said she would need at least an afternoon.

“I can’t give you an afternoon,” Sanders said. “I just don’t have the time and the support. We are a high-volume court.”

Shelby County courts typically stay busy, but that is especially true during the hectic holiday season. As an aside, Sanders said that if the Shelby County Board of Commissioners wanted to open a new courtroom and hire additional employees, then he might have more time per case.

Sanders said Bridgers’ trial date likely will be set in January or February, with a final pretrial hearing scheduled 45 days before the trial.

“While it’s certainly an important matter to the county and to Mr. Bridgers, it doesn’t seem like it will be terribly complex,” Sanders said.

Web site running

Bridgers allegedly operated an illegal scrapbooking retreat business as well as provided overnight accommodations, operated a retail establishment and provided food service at the Olde Geneva Dairy, which is located at 2801 Vandalia Road and serves as his home.

Shelby County officials ordered Bridgers to cease and desist further operations of the scrapbooking retreat, but the Olde Geneva Dairy’s web site has not been dismantled.

Dozens of women from all over the country have called or email The Shelbyville news complaining that, in many cases, Bridgers has not refunded deposits of $75 per customer after they tried to cancel reservations when they heard about Bridgers’ legal troubles.

“Bridgers is still taking reservations via his website and stealing money from scrapbookers with no intent to provide the services described on his website,” wrote disgruntled former customer Nina Donnell in an email.

“It is my opinion that nothing is going to be resolved with this issue,” Donnell said. “Bridgers is going to get a slap on the hand and a fine, one he will pay for with his “earnings” from his website!”

So far, 10 complaints about Bridgers have been filed with Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter’s office. On Wednesday, spokeswoman Sarah Rittman said the office has a variety of options but does not have criminal jurisdiction in the matter.

“We’re looking for a pattern of deceptive practice,” Rittman said. “If one is not found, then we do not have the legal means to go to court.”

Civil options could range from a monetary loss to a lawsuit.

“Our goal is to make the consumer whole is some way,” Rittman said.

Rittman has declined to say how long the attorney general’s investigation into the matter might last.

Shelby County Prosecutor Kent Apsley said consumer protection falls within the bailiwick of the attorney general’s office.

“They have an ongoing, open case,” Apsley said.

Apsley said it is his understanding that no complaints have been filed with law enforcement agencies in Shelby County. “We are a prosecutorial agency,” he said. “We depend on someone to conduct an investigation and then provide us with results to see if it merits prosecution.”

Rife said Bridgers could be fined up to $500 per day for each violation of the county’s zoning ordinances and other local codes. “We’ll see how many times he’s violated the ordinance, and we’ll just have to go from there,” Rife said.

Rittman said the attorney general tries to weed out deceptive practices targeted against consumers.

“We encourage any other consumers out there to contact our office,” Rittman said. “We will review their complaints.”

For more information visit www.indianaconsumer.com.

A hardcopy of this article can be found at the Shelbyville, Indiana Library’s Genealogy Services located at 58 W Hendricks Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176 or you can call 317.398.8144