Rhinos for Rockstars silent auction – Rhinos for Rockstars will hold a silent auction fundraiser from 2 to 5 p.m. April 16 at Bier Brewery, 13720 N. Meridian St. in Carmel. The auction will include items from the Colts, Norwex, Urban Vines and more. Members of the Carmel Police Dept. will be at the event to meet members of the community. Rhinos for Rockstars is a nonprofit that encourages building relationships between the community’s youth and law enforcement officers. Learn more at rhinosforrockstars.org.
Coloring contest – The Kickoff to May Coloring Contest, presented by the 500 Festival and STAR Financial Bank, is open to Hoosiers age 12 and younger. Winning entries will be selected on creativity and originality, and two grand prize winners will receive a scholarship of $500 and a free one-year membership to the INDYCAR Nation Rookie Program. Download the coloring sheet and entry form at 500Festival.com/Color. Entries must be received by noon on April 28.
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.
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.
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.
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.
