Kibler wins NCAA title – Drew Kibler, a 2018 Carmel High School graduate, on March 25 won the NCAA Division I title in the 200-yard freestyle in men’s swimming. Kibler, a senior at the University of Texas, finished with a time of 1:30.28. He competed for the U.S. in the 2020 summer Olympics in the 4×200 freestyle relay, finishing in fourth place.
Carmel woman dies in crash – Lakeisha Dairo, 37, of Carmel died in an accident shortly before midnight on March 23 on I-74 in Fountain County. According to the Indiana State Police, a 2016 freightliner heading eastbound near mile marker 8 and driven by Sayidali Sheikhmohamed, 37, of Saint Paul, Minn. struck the passenger side of a 2012 Toyota Camry driven by Dairo that, for unknown reasons, was facing south across eastbound lanes. The impact carried both vehicles across the westbound lanes of traffic. Emergency responders transported Sheikmohamed, who police said was driving with a suspended license, to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. After he was released, he was taken into custody and preliminarily charged with driving while suspended resulting in death, a felony.
Board appointment – Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard has appointed Chris Carlisle of BraunAbility, a Carmel-based manufacturer of mobility transportation solutions, to serve on the city’s Advisory Committee on Disability. Carlisle leads marketing efforts for the firm, which opened its new corporate headquarters in Carmel in 2019. Carlisle and his wife, Sara, moved to Carmel in 2011 with their three children, Emersen, Everett and Eleanor. He also serves on the board of directors for ALS Indiana.
Carmel tops rankings – Niche.com, which uses a statistical formula to rate the positive livability of cities across the nation, has once again recognized Carmel as one of the best places to live in Indiana and the U.S. in its most recent data published on its website. Using a variety of factors including local schools, public safety and an overall family-friendly vibe, the researchers recommended that anyone looking for a new home to live and/or work should look at Carmel. View the report at niche.com/places-to-live/carmel-hamilton-in.
Civil War Roundtable – The Hamilton County Civil War Roundtable will meet at 7 p.m. April 13 at Carmel City Hall, 1 Civic Square. The topic is the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, which occurred April 6 and 7, 1862. The event is free and open to the public.
River Heritage Park closed – River Heritage Park has closed for planned improvements as part of Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation’s Reimagining Parks initiative. Upgrades include wheelchair-accessible playground features, sensory-friendly interpretive signage, ADA-accessible trails and boardwalks with overlooks on the White River and more. The park is anticipated to reopen after construction is completed in the winter of 2022.
Stolen truck – Carmel police are seeking assistance in locating a suspect, pictured here, who allegedly stole a 2004 Ford F-350SD crew cab truck from the 9700 block of Mayflower Park Drive at approximately 8 a.m. March 21. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Carmel Police Dept. at 317-571-2500 or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477. Reference CPD case number 22-18079.
Synergize supports Dotted Line Divas – Synergize raised $4,135 for Dotted Line Divas at its 4:30 Meetup event held March 22 at Hotel Carmichael. The nonprofit, founded by Synergize member Christina Huffines, provides household and hygiene essentials like diapers, toothpaste and toilet paper to hundreds of families in Indianapolis and surrounding areas. The next 4:30 Meetup will benefit Watch Us Farm, a Zionsville-based private nonprofit employing high-functioning adults with autism, brain injury and intellectual impairment. Learn more at synergizeindy.com.
Rising Star winners announced – Winners have been announced in the inaugural Rising Star competition presented by the International Talent Academy. Piano winners are Jerry Zhang, Jedmond Chen, Sophia Liu, Angela Xiao, Ingrid Blocher, Hannah Li and Andrew Lee; and voice and theater arts winners are Rebekah Cernyak, Myla Potts, Caroline Hatfield, Harris Catlin and Imogen Catlin. Learn more at facebook.com/internationaltalentacademy. The competition was held March 5 at the Monon Community Center and featured 70 artists age 5 to 18 from Carmel, Fishers, Zionsville, Westfield, Noblesville, Indianapolis, Brownsburg, Whitestown, Fortville and Muncie.
Artificial turf coming to Midtown Plaza – The City of Carmel will install new artificial turf at Midtown Plaza and along Elm Street, just east of the Monon Greenway. The new turf will be durable, drainable and easy to clean. Construction began March 21 so it can be set and ready to use for the busy summer months at the plaza. Midtown Plaza opened in May 2019, and attempts to foster the growth of natural grass have not been successful. The new turf, once installed, will have a natural grass appearance, be cushioned for delicate joints and will greatly reduce labor and maintenance costs versus the expense of actual grass. In addition to placing turf in the plaza area, contractors will also replace the gravel in the areas along West Elm Street.
ICFW board appointment – Carmel resident Mario Rodriguez, CEO of the Indianapolis Airport Authority, has been appointed to the board for the Indiana Conference for Women. The nonprofit aims to help women build careers, develop professionally and experience lives that are rewarding, healthy and fulfilling. Other new board members are Charlie Garcia, CEO of Garcia Construction Group, and Joyce Rodgers, vice president for development and external relations for diversity, equity and multicultural affairs at the Indiana University Foundation.
Graduate student earns award – Elizabeth Baach of Carmel won first place in Mississippi State’s Graduate Student Association’s 21st Graduate Student Research Symposium in the forest resources and veterinary medicine category for master’s students. Baach, a forestry masters student, won for “Using Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Data to Explore the Relationship Between Biodiversity and Productivity in Forests of the Southeastern United States.”
FBI offers reward – The FBI in Atlanta is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the whereabouts of Ciera (Locklair) Breland, who has been missing since Feb. 24. Breland, a Carmel resident, was last known to be visiting her family in John’s Creek, Ga., the week of Feb. 20 with her husband, Xavier Breland, their 5-month old son and their white labradoodle. Breland’s husband reported her missing on Feb. 26 to the Carmel Police Dept., however, there is no evidence Breland ever returned home. Breland’s last known location was at 10545 Highgate Manor Ct. in John’s Creek at 7:17 p.m. on Feb. 24. She was driving a white 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan with Georgia tag RMB 5869. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Johns Creek Police Tip Line at 678-474-1610, CPD at 317-571-2500.
Monthly beekeepers meeting – The North Central Beekeepers Club meets the third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000 E. 151st St. in Westfield. Meetings are free to attend by all levels of beekeepers located centrally north of Indianapolis. Those interested in becoming beekeepers are welcome. For more information, visit facebook.com/ncbclub.
Spring sustainability workshop – The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District will hold a spring sustainability workshop focusing on invasive species from 9 a.m. to noon April 2 at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds, 2003 Pleasant St. in Noblesville. The workshop costs $10. Register at hamiltonswcd.org and learn more about invasive species at hcinvasives.org.
Design center workshop – The Indiana Design Center, 200 S. Range Line Rd., will host Spring Market Report: What’s Trending in Design, at 10:30 a.m. April 19. Wendy Langston and the Everything Home team will discuss the latest home design and furniture trends. To register, call 317-569-5975 or email [email protected]. Those who attend are asked to bring a pantry item donation, preferably pasta or spices, for Second Helpings.
Rookie Run registration – Registration is open for the 500 Festival’s 2022 Salesforce & JPMorgan Chase 500 Festival Rookie Run, which will take place from noon to 4 p.m. May 15 in downtown Indianapolis. The noncompetitive run for kids ages 3 to 10 ranges from two blocks to ⅓ mile. Pre-register for $10 through May 11 at IndyMini.com/RookieRun to receive a commemorative shirt and finisher medal. Registration at the event is $5 and only includes the medal.
Summer Food Service Program – The Indiana Dept. of Education encourages schools and qualified community organizations to participate in the 2022 Summer Food Service Program. The program reimburses local sponsors that serve healthy free meals and snacks to children 18 years old and younger. Sponsorship is open to public and private nonprofit groups, including local governments, summer camps, religious organizations and recreation centers. In 2021, more than 280 Indiana sponsors served nearly 22 million meals during the summer months. The application deadline for new sponsors is April 15. Learn more at in.gov/doe/nutrition/summer-food-service-program/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=.
United Way looking for volunteers – United Way of Central Indiana is looking for volunteers and projects for Go All IN Day, an organized day of volunteering and community service across the region. This year’s event will take place June 24 across United Way’s service area of Hamilton, Boone, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties. Opportunities – including indoor, outdoor and virtual options – will be available for individual volunteers, families and groups. Those interested in volunteering can learn more and sign up at uwci.org/go-all-in-day.
Military Veterans Hall of Fame — The Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for the Class of 2022 through Aug. 1. To be eligible, the nominee must have been born in Indiana, entered military service from Indiana, lived in Indiana for a minimum of five years and have no felony convictions. A nomination form can be found at imvhof.com/nominate. To learn more about the organization or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit imvhof.com.
Osteria now open for dine-in – Osteria by Fabio Viviani is hiring more than 30 positions ahead of its grand opening set for later this spring. Interested applicants can visit the restaurant inside Carmel’s Market District at 11505 N. Illinois St. from noon to 4 p.m. every Tuesday for an interview. Osteria began offering dine-in lunch services from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 29 but will soon expand its hours.
Allied Solutions recognized – Allied Solutions was named one of America’s Best Midsized Employers for 2022 by Forbes. This is Allied’s second consecutive appearance on Forbes’ list of 500 companies with at least 1,000 employees. The annual ranking of companies is based on surveyed employees’ willingness to recommend their employers to friends and family and nominate companies other than their own. Recognized companies, like Allied, were ranked on working conditions, development opportunities and compensation, among other factors.
Doctor joins Priority Physicians – Priority Physicians has added Dr. Chad M. O’Nan to its concierge medical practice. O’Nan will formally join the Indianapolis office team on May 2, well ahead of its planned relocation to Carmel on June 27. O’Nan is a physician in family medicine who earned his doctor of medicine degree from Oklahoma University College of Medicine. He will begin accepting new patients in May. Learn more by calling 317-688-9000.
Riverview Health appointments – Riverview Health has appointed Dave Hyatt as chief operating officer and Michael Mover as chief information officer. Previously, Hyatt was president at Blackford Hospital and vice president of System Rural Strategy of IU Health. Mover served as the CIO at Riverview Health from 2004 to 2012 and is returning to Indiana from Tennessee after 10 years to rejoin the leadership team.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s – The Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter will host the 2022 Indianapolis Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Oct. 1 at IUPUI’s Michael A. Carroll Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. The event will be held in partnership with Indy Eleven, Indiana’s professional soccer team. Registration for the 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s is open at alz.org/Indiana/walk.
