Carmel in brief — November 3, 2020

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CCPR earns national award — Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation was awarded the Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management for the second time last night. The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association, announced the six national winners during the 2020 NRPA annual conference livestream. CCPR first received the Class III Gold Medal Award in 2014. After a mandatory sit-out period, 2020 marked the first year the department was once again eligible to win. A banner presentation will take place soon to celebrate CCPR’s accomplishment. Social distancing guidelines will be followed but the public will be invited to attend.

Donut 5K race moves — The Donut 5K will relocate from Carmel to downtown Indianapolis for its 14th running. The event is set for 9 a.m. Dec. 19 in Military Park, 601 W. New York St. A post-race party will take place at Metazoa Brewing. A virtual race option is also available, with participants receiving a race hat, shirt and medal. Learn more at Donut5KRun.com.

Bulk item pickup fee increase — Republic Services has increased its fee for bulk item pickup from $10 to $20 and raised the fee for bulky landscape waste from $10 to $45 per pickup. This does not affect the free weekly pickup of up to 20 bags or bundles of landscape waste offered from Oct. 15 to Dec. 15 and in April and May. Schedule bulk item or bulky landscape pickups by calling 317-917-7300.

Least politically engaged ranking — Personal finance website WalletHub has ranked Indiana as the 10th least politically engaged state. The site found that Indiana ranked 33rd for registered voters who voted in the 2016 presidential election, 42nd for electorate who voted in the 2018 midterm election, 44th for total political contributions per adult population and 35th for voter accessibility policies. Read the full report at wallethub.com/edu/most-least-politically-engaged-states/7782/.

Operation Belt Up — The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is conducting Operation Belt Up through Nov. 29. The overtime patrols, occurring statewide in the top 30 Indiana counties for unrestrained crashes, are funded through National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funds. Indiana law requires everyone in the vehicle to wear a seat belt. To learn more about Hamilton County Traffic Safety Partnership, visit hamiltoncounty.in.gov/502/Traffic-Safety.

Modern Woodman program — Jordan E. Kartman of Carmel, administrative assistant for Modern Woodmen of America, has completed a three-day educational program through the organization’s home office in Rock Island, Ill. The program provided an introduction to Modern Woodmen, exposure to home office departmental operations and functions and basic computer training. Founded in 1883, Modern Woodmen of America is a fraternal financial services organization that offers financial products and fraternal member benefits to individuals and families throughout the United States.

Invasive species ranking — The Hamilton County Invasives Partnership recently released results of a survey ranking the most problematic invasive species across the county. The top five spots in the ranking went to Asian bush honeysuckle, Callery pear, wintercreeper, Canada thistle and garlic mustard. Learn more and view complete results at hamiltonswcd.org/hamilton-county-invasives-partnership-hip.html.

Spirit of Community applications — Through Nov. 10, Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals are calling on Indiana youth volunteers to apply for scholarships and national recognition through The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Indiana students in grades 5-12 are invited to apply for 2021 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards if they have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteering within the past 12 months — virtually or otherwise. Learn more and fill out the application at spirit.prudential.com.

Best and Brightest nominations — Junior Achievement of Central Indiana is seeking nominations for its 17 annual Indy’s Best and Brightest event, which will honor 100 of central Indiana’s most outstanding young professionals, age 40 and younger, in 10 industry categories. One winner from each category will be announced in March 2021.  Visit indysbestandbrightest.org to make a nomination through Nov. 20.   

Scholarships available — Midwest Academy has scholarship opportunities available for children in third through fifth grade. The population MWA serves generally includes students diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, high-functioning autism, receptive and/or expansive language or processing challenges resulting in school anxiety. A major change like remote learning can be extremely challenging for a student who has come to feel safe in their school environment. For more information about admissions at Midwest Academy, contact Katie Erdmanis at [email protected].

Comprehensive plan update –The City of Carmel’s Department of Community Services is launching a new update of the comprehensive plan for the city’s growth that will guide city planners and decision makers for the next decade or longer. The last update took place about 11 years ago. The public may provide feedback to guide the new plan by taking a survey at surveymonkey.com/r/GQNNTKJ.

Legislative internships — Applications are open for paid internships with the Indiana State Democratic Caucus. Interns are assigned to assist legislators and staff as they expand their knowledge of the Indiana General Assembly and legislative process. For more information and to learn how to apply, visit indianasenatedemocrats.org/opportunities/internships.

Free math, science homework help — Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s free AskRose homework helpline is available to help middle and high school students get a head start on understanding their math and science homework problems through a simple phone call, email or chat session. Rose-Hulman students are available Sunday through Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. during the school year to help youth in grades 6 through 12 review math and science concepts. Connections can be made at 877-275-7673 or AskRose.org.

4-H Photo Challenge – The 4-H Photo Challenge is open to youth in third through 12th grade. Participants should take photos fitting the monthly theme and submit entries online at bit.ly/hamco4hcameracorp by the last day of the month. Monthly themes for 2020 include: November – Occupations; December – Holiday Happenings.

Newcomers Club – Newcomers Club of Carmel, a nonprofit social club, connects its members with friends, engages in fun activities and explores the community. Monthly activities include a welcome coffee, a luncheon event and 32 interest group meetings. Membership represents Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville and Indianapolis. For more, visit carmelnewcomers.com or call 317-564-8349.

Prevent property theft, fraud — The Hamilton County Recorder’s Office has rolled out a new program to protect residents from property theft and fraud. The new system, Doxpop Property Watch, notifies property owners with an email to alert them to changes or filings that affect them. Doxpop is a free service that provides residents access to all their recorded documents online. Multiple parcels can be registered for those who own several properties throughout the county. To access and enroll in the system, visit doxpop.com under “Other Services” and “Doxpop Property Watch.”

Holiday Shopping Preview — Carmel City Center will host a Holiday Shopping Preview from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 7. The businesses in the center will offer sales and promotions, and guests can enjoy sipping on wine and peppermint white Russians at five of the shops. Carmel City Center is on the southwest corner of City Center Drive and Range Line Road.

SePRO completes acquisition –– Carmel-based aquatic solutions provider SePRO Corporation has reached an agreement to acquire Applied Biochemists and Marine Biochemists, innovators in surface water management, and other select business assets from Innovative Water Care. The acquisition allows SePRO to tap into a new set of resources and to accelerate continued innovation and customer engagement. Learn more at SePRO.com.

Hyperspace Challenge — Carmel-based Pierce Aerospace has been accepted into the 2020 cohort for Hyperspace Challenge, a business accelerator run by the Air Force Research Laboratory and CNM Ingenuity for the U.S. Space Force. The goal of Hyperspace Challenge is to accelerate collaboration and partnership between the U.S. government and the startup community to drive innovation in space. This year’s cohort theme, Trusted Autonomy, has brought together startups that can provide the government and participating military agencies with secure, trustworthy autonomous and automated solutions for space. Learn more at hyperspacechallenge.com.

Board member appointed — Leonardo247, which specializes in remote monitoring of onsite multifamily operations, announced that Chief Operating Officer Suellen McFarling has joined its board of directors. McFarling, a Carmel resident, is the first woman to achieve this level of leadership in the company’s history. McFarling brings more than 20 years of proptech experience to the seven-person board.

COO appointed — Birmingham technology consultancy and software development firm MotionMobs has named Emily Hart, a Carmel High School and Samford University graduate, as chief operating officer. Hart has been with MotionMobs for six years and joined the company’s board in 2019.

Business name change — As a result of being acquired by O’Donnell and Naccarato in late 2019, Carmel-based McComas Engineering has changed its name to McComas/O’Donnell & Naccarato. Learn more at o-n.com/mccomas-engineering-joins-odonnell-naccarato/.

Mortgage loan officer appointed — Justin Schreiber has been appointed mortgage loan officer at Centier’s Carmel Branch. Schreiber joined Centier Bank in August, bringing with him more than seven years of experience in retail banking and online mortgage lending. He is NMLS licensed, as well as a licensed notary in the State of Indiana. The Westfield resident is an alumnus of Indiana University in Bloomington and holds a bachelor of science degree in management and a certificate in finance.

Attorney re-elected — Indianapolis attorney and Carmel resident Mark W. Rutherford was unanimously re-elected chair of the Indiana Public Defender Commission for a two-year term. He has chaired the commission since 2007 and has served as a gubernatorial appointment to the commission under three governors. Rutherford is a shareholder at the Indianapolis law firm of Thrasher, Buschmann, and Voelkel, PC, where he focuses his practice on business law, business defense, litigation, and election law.

Real estate stats — The residential real estate market in Carmel accelerated in September. According to F.C. Tucker Company, the average home sale price in Carmel increased 19.4 percent, to $466,817, compared to September 2019. Homes in Carmel also left the market very quickly, selling 11 days faster than this time last year. The average price per square foot for a Carmel home increased 5 percent to $159.05 compared to September 2019.

New leader selected — Carmel-based public accounting firm Katz, Sapper & Miller recently announced the election of Tim Cook, a 17-year KSM veteran, as its next firm leader. Cook will succeed managing partner David Resnick, effective Jan. 1, 2021. As KSM’s new CEO and president and the first non-CPA to lead the 78-year-old firm, Cook will draw on both his training as an attorney and his experience growing two highly successful practices within the firm. Resnick will succeed Curt Miller, one of KSM’s namesakes, as chair of the board.

Uplift nominated for honor — Uplift Intimate Apparel in Carmel City Center is one of more than 300 nominees for the 2020 Best Retail Award by Intima Magazine, the global premiere industry magazine. The award ceremony will be a virtual event on Aug. 2. The recognition is given to the best performing lingerie specialty stores in North America under a variety of categories. Judging of the finalists is done by a professional jury composed of both domestic and international famous lingerie brands.

Bank offers educational series online — Centier Bank has launched the bank’s online financial educational series, “Centier To You,” online. Centier has hosted in-person community events about financial wellness and education in the past—at branches, local libraries and other locations in communities across the state. But now, Centier is offering the series online, so visitors can access them on their own time, from anywhere. The site contains financial tips, exercises and information on identity theft, homebuying, credit and more. Learn more at centier.com/financial-education.

Blood donations needed — Versiti Blood Center of Indiana is issuing an emergency appeal for blood donations as communities throughout the state face a potential crisis. Ideally, Versiti strives for a three-day supply of blood available to its partner hospitals. Schools and businesses are typically Versiti’s largest source of blood donations this time of year. Because of remote work and virtual schooling, many of those drives have been canceled. Compared to an average year, Versiti is down more than 50 percent in donations – or nearly 20,000 units of blood – from those key contributors. Blood donations may be made in Carmel at 726 Adams St., Suite 150. Make an appointment and view blood drives at donate.indiana.versiti.org.

New COVID-19 testing site — The Hamilton County Health Dept. has opened a second COVID-19 testing site at Trinity Free Clinic at 14598 Oak Ridge Rd. in Carmel. It is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon. This is the first time the county has offered testing on the weekend. Appointments must be made at Scheduling.coronavirus.in.gov. The county’s other testing site moved Oct. 5 to Ivy Tech Community College in Noblesville.

COVID-19 complaint line — The Hamilton County Health Dept. has established a COVID-19 complaint line at 317-776-8237. Callers are asked to limit complaints to employees and staff at restaurants, bars and food stores not complying with the mask mandate. Complaints related to patrons of these establishments should be directed to the business owner.

Plasma can help COVID-19 patients – As COVID-19 continues its spread across the globe, Versiti Blood Center of Indiana has begun collecting plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients throughout Indiana to help treat those diagnosed with the virus. This blood-related treatment, approved by the FDA as an emergency investigational new drug, could offer hope to the hundreds of patients who continue to be diagnosed. This treatment would be used by hospitals for the most severely affected patients. For more, visit versiti.org/Indiana.

Hospice volunteers needed – Anew Hospice is recruiting volunteers to visit patients in facilities in Carmel, Noblesville and elsewhere in the Indianapolis area. Volunteers provide assistance by listening and reminiscing, comforting, reading and playing music. For more information, call 317-300-2292 or visit AnewCare.com.


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