Corrections — In the Sept. 28 edition of Current in Carmel, an article on the finalists for the vacant school board seat incorrectly stated from which school the children of Jennifer Nelson-Williams graduated. One of her children graduated from Carmel High School, and the other graduated from Park Tudor. Also, in the Sept. 14 edition, the website for the Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame was incorrect. The website is inahof.org.
Best Halloween decorations — Current in Carmel is looking to feature homes in Carmel with the most elaborate or unique Halloween displays. Nominate a home to be featured by emailing Ann Marie Shambaugh at [email protected].
Trunk or Treat — Indiana Wellness College, 10585 N. Meridian St., will host its inaugural Trunk or Treat from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 30 to raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital. The event will include treats, games, face painting, chair and hand massages, and skin analysis from IWC students.
50th anniversary — Ben and Susan Craig will be honored with an open house to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary from 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 10 in the community room at the John W. Hensel Government Center, 10701 N. College Ave. The couple was married on Oct. 10, 1971, at Castleton United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. Friends and family are invited to attend.
Student conductor — Mason Kniola of Carmel will be featured as student conductor at the Manchester University Homecoming Concert set for Oct. 8. in Cordier Auditorium at the North Manchester campus. Kniola is majoring in vocal performance.
Civil War Roundtable — The Hamilton County Civil War Roundtable will meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 13 at Carmel City Hall, 1 Civic Square. The featured speaker will be author Robert C. Jones, programs director of the Kennesaw Museum Foundation. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this free event.
CCHS annual meeting — All are invited to attend Carmel Clay Historical Society’s annual meeting at noon Oct. 17 in the Wilfong Pavilion at Founders Park, 11675 Hazel Dell Pkwy. At the meeting, CCHS will share an update on the new museum. Executive Director Deb Gangstad will also present a Year in Review as well as what’s in store for 2022.
Ben’s Ranch board appointments — Carmel-based nonprofit Ben’s Ranch Foundation has added Dr. Carol D’Amico and Matthew Swartz to its board of directors. Ben’s Ranch Foundation connects teens struggling with mental health challenges to paid internships on farms, stables and equine therapy facilities. The jobs compliment medical therapies by helping give teens purpose and exposure to the healing powers of animals and nature. Learn more at bensranch.org.
Theft suspect sought — Carmel police are searching for a suspect sought in connection with a theft reported at 6:26 p.m. Sept. 12 at Best Buy, 10025 N. Michigan Rd. The suspect allegedly left the store without paying for merchandise valued at $2,077.97 before entering the passenger side door of what is believed to be a white Ford Taurus with tinted windows. Anyone with information is asked to contact Carmel Police Dept. Officer Jennifer Chavez at 317-571-2500 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477. Reference CPD case number 21-61572.
Christkind essay contest — The Carmel Christkindlmarkt is holding an essay contest to select the Christkind for the holiday festival. The contest is open to female high school and college students who must submit a minimum 500-word essay, 2 to 3 photos and commit to making, at minimum, 20 two-hour appearances at the festival between Nov. 20 and Dec. 24. See contest details at carmelchristkindlmarkt.com/christkind-contest.
Republican interns — The Indiana Senate Republican Caucus is offering paid spring semester internships in its communications, information technology, legal, legislative and policy offices during the 2022 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Qualified candidates may be of any major and must be at least a college sophomore. Recent college graduates, as well as graduate and law school students, are also encouraged to apply. Interns earn a $750 biweekly stipend and benefit from scholarship and academic credit opportunities, professional development, community involvement and networking. Apply by Oct. 31 at IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/intern.
Young Artist Contest — Junior Achievement is holding a Young Artist Contest for students in kindergarten through 12th grade to create a design illustrating the definition of “Love.” The winning artwork will be on the JA holiday ornament. Winners will be announced Nov. 1. Submit artwork through Oct. 15 at jaindy.formstack.com/forms/ja2nd_annual_art_contest.
Teen muralist sought — The Carmel Clay Public Library is soliciting designs from teen artists for a mural for the new teens space at the renovated Main Library. Young people in grades 9 through 12 who live or attend school in Carmel are invited to submit their concepts to the library through Dec. 15. The winning artist will receive a $2,000 stipend and have their work transformed into a wallcovering that will become the bold focal point for the new space. Complete contest details are available at carmelclaylibrary.org/teens.
Pups & Pints — Clay Terrace is hosting the fifth annual Pups & Pints series from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the third Friday of each month through October at the shopping center’s dog park, 14395 Clay Terrace Blvd. Participants can socialize with other dog owners at the free event and purchase beer from Bier Brewery. Water will be available for the pups.
Pedal Perks — Hamilton County Tourism’s Pedal Perks promotion returned this month for its fourth year. The goal is to incentivize locals and visitors to explore Hamilton County by bicycle. From May 1 through Oct. 31, more than 30 participating Hamilton County businesses are offering deals and discounts redeemable on a smartphone. Visit PedalPerks.org to learn more and register.
Virtual job fair — The Indiana Dept. of Workforce Development and the Region 5 Workforce Board, in partnership with the office of U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, will host a virtual job fair from 11 a.m. to noon Oct. 6 highlighting numerous job openings in Hamilton and Madison counties. Participating employers include Carter Logistics, Helmer Scientific, the Indiana Dept. of Corrections, Sitel Group and Telamon Corp. Those interested in the job fair but unable to attend are encouraged to still register, as a recording will be sent via email the following day. Register at register.gotowebinar.com/register/853368775329113612.
Brand ambassador — Carmel-based Merchants Bank of Indiana has signed Indiana University basketball player and All-Big Ten Second Team Ali Patberg as the company’s newest brand ambassador. Patberg became IU’s 28th member of the 1,000 points club in the 2020-21 women’s basketball season, ranking 15th of all time with 1,368 points and ranking third of all time in assists with 416. Throughout her brand ambassadorship, Patberg will make personal appearances and participate in other advertising opportunities to promote Merchants Bank’s various lines of business.
Math Motivators — Carmel-based CNO Financial Group and OneAmerica are collaborating with The Actuarial Foundation to bring the national Math Motivators program to Indianapolis-area schools. Math Motivators is a national program that cultivates better math understanding skills for local middle and high school students at qualifying schools. The multi-year sponsorship by CNO and OneAmerica will fund local resources, learning programs, and volunteers to help local juniors and senior high school students prepare for the math sections of the SAT, ACT and state standardized testing.
2 new showrooms — Two new showrooms are now open on the first floor of the Indiana Design Center: Stephanie Wiott Designs and Great GrowIN’s. The Stephanie Wiott Designs showroom showcases a selection of retail furniture, design accessories and gifts for purchase and houses a working studio for its full-service design firm. Great GrowIN’s has become known for designing and installing green walls crafted from living plants and mosses in homes and businesses, but they also do landscape designs and custom planters.
Vaccination clinics at businesses — The Hamilton County Health Dept. is offering on-site COVID-19 vaccination clinics to Hamilton County businesses. Businesses should consider hosting a workplace vaccination program only if they have enough space to stand up a clinic while maintaining social distancing through the entire process, from screening to post-vaccination observation. Businesses interested in setting up an on-site clinic can contact Chris Walker at [email protected] or by calling 317-776-8500.
Drive-through vaccine clinic — Franciscan Health Immunization Services is offering drive-through vaccine clinics at seven locations this fall. A clinic is scheduled in Carmel from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 17 at Franciscan Health Carmel, 12188-B N. Meridian St. Available vaccines are to prevent COVID-19, shingles, pneumonia and flu. Participants should bring their insurance cards to avoid other charges and dress appropriately to ease administration of the vaccines. Learn more by calling 317-528-6374.
Elective procedures suspended — IU Health has temporarily suspended all inpatient elective surgeries and procedures in response to increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization. The suspension will relieve pressure on care teams and free up space for critically ill patients. The hospital is notifying elective surgery patients of the suspension, which will be continuously monitored and extended as needed on a rolling basis for two-week periods.
Blood donations needed — Versiti Blood Center of Indiana is issuing an emergency appeal for blood donations. As the available blood supply has dropped to critically low levels, communities throughout the state face a potential crisis with less than a one-day supply of lifesaving blood available. Because of the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Versiti’s mobile blood collections are down more than 16,000 units of blood this year, with more than 4,500 units in Indiana alone. Versiti Blood Center has a location in Carmel at 726 Adams St. Suite 150. Schedule an appointment by calling 317-916-5150 or visit versiti.org/Indiana.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s — The Indianapolis Walk to End Alzheimer’s is set for 10:30 a.m. Oct. 2 at IUPUI’s Michael A. Carroll Stadium, 1001 W. New York St. in Indianapolis. An online participation option will also be available. As part of a partnership with Indy Eleven, each pre-registered participant will receive a ticket to the game that evening. Register for the 2-mile walk at alz.org/Indiana/walk.
