Presidential Scholar – Carmel High School senior Kevin Wang was selected as a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholar. Wang is one of 161 students from across the country to earn the distinction and receives the honor with fellow Indiana scholar Sneha Yelamanchili from Signature School. This is the second consecutive year a Carmel High School student has earned the recognition. Scholars are selected annually based on academic achievement, artistic and technical excellence, essay submissions and school transcripts. Wang was also named a 2022 National Merit Semifinalist and recently received a perfect ACT score. See a complete list of 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars at ed.gov/psp.
SONIC donation benefits PTE – Prairie Trace Elementary teacher Rachel Knuttel received a donation from SONIC Drive-In through DonorsChoose, which allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom requests submitted by teachers. Knuttel will use the donation for the Scary Good Novels! project for students in third through fifth grade. As part of SONIC’s Limeades for Learning initiative, the brand matched 50 percent of each donation made to teacher requests on DonorsChoose for Teacher Appreciation Day on May 3, donating a total of $1.5 million.
Study abroad grant – Maryrose Ramsey of Carmel recently received a study abroad grant worth $1,000 from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Ramsey is one of 125 students nationwide to receive the award. A junior majoring in chemical engineering at University of Kentucky, Ramsey will use the grant to study abroad in Italy.
CCHS garden tour – The Carmel Clay Historical Society is hosting a tour of three gardens around Carmel from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 3 and 4. There will also be an evening tour on June 3 from 5 to 8 p.m. with wine and cheese. Tickets are $20 for daytime tours and $25 for the evening tour. Tickets can be purchased at carmelclayhistory.org/gardentour or by calling 317-846-7117. Event volunteers can earn a free ticket.
International science fair – Carmel High School student Rohan Bhosale won a second-place award in the biochemistry category at the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair held May 7 to 13 in Atlanta, Ga. Bhosale’s project was titled, “Accelerated Bio-Chemical Depolymerization of Plastics from Surgical Face Masks: A Proactive Solution to the Impending Environmental Pandemic.”
500 Festival Queen Scholar – Melissa Aceves of Columbus has been named the 2022 Marlyne Sexton 500 Festival Queen Scholar. Aceves is a 2022 graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and earned a degree in community health. She was actively involved in the Undergraduate Student Government and the Chancellors Student Advisory Board. She also served on the Alliance for Immigrant Justice, in which she dedicated her involvement to community service, cultural awareness and education. Aceves is a graduate of Columbus North High School.
Synergize benefits ATI – The Synergize 4:30 Meetup on May 19 benefited Actors Theatre of Indiana and included a live performance from “Working: The Musical.” The next 4:30 Meetup will benefit Fur The Brand, a non-profit that financially supports pet owners whose pets have a cancer diagnosis. Tickets for members and nonmembers are available at synergizeindy.com.
Summer service program – The Kiwanis Club of Carmel is presenting a summer service program for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade to have a meaningful impact in the community. The program runs from June 5 to Aug. 7 and includes activities designed to be completed at home. Service themes include food insecurity and nutrition, elder care, and animals and nature. Cost is $40 with a T-shirt, $30 without a T-shirt. Scholarships are available. Learn more at carmelkiwanis.org/summerservice.
Weed Wrangles clear invasive species – The organizations of the Hamilton County Invasives Partnership are inviting volunteers to help clear local parks of invasive species by participating in Weed Wrangles. During the Weed Wrangle, teams of volunteers, supervised by guides, will locate and uproot unwelcome plants such as bush honeysuckle, garlic mustard, autumn olive, English ivy and winter creeper. Learn more and sign up to volunteer at hcinvasives.org.
Over the Edge participants sought – This summer, adventurous philanthropists will rappel down a 23-story building in downtown Indianapolis – in the name of fundraising for Hoosiers in need. Registration is open for those who want to participate in United Way of Central Indiana’s third “Over the Edge” event, scheduled for Aug. 12 at Keystone Group’s 220 N. Meridian St. Space is limited to the first 80 people over age 13 who register. Participants commit to raising at least $1,000 for United Way’s Basic Needs initiatives, which help provide access to food, housing, transportation and health services. Last year, 73 people rappelled during the event, raising more than $196,000. For more or to sign up, visit uwci.org/ote.
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.
CCHS Spring Tea – The Carmel Clay Historical Society and The Barrington of Carmel are partnering to present a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. May 27 at The Barrington, 1335 S. Guilford Rd. IUPUI professor Anita Morgan, author of “We Must Be Fearless: The Woman Suffrage Movement in Indiana” will speak, and CCHS will showcase important women in Carmel’s history and a women’s history exhibit created by the National Archives. Cost is $25. Purchase tickets at brownpapertickets.com/event/5429863.
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.
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.
Peanut butter dip recall – Giant Eagle, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of GetGo branded Apples with Peanut Butter Dip sold in GetGo locations across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Indiana due to potential salmonella contamination. The impacted product was sold in GetGo locations through May 13 and can be identified by the UPC 30034 93770 6 and includes best if used by dates through May 29, 2022. The recalled items were sold in approximately 215 transactions. There have been no reports of illness associated with this recall to date. Guests who have purchased the affected product should dispose of it or return a qualifying receipt to the local GetGo for a refund.
Guildmaster Award – Case Design/Remodeling of Central Indiana has received a 2022 Guildmaster Award from GuildQuality for demonstrating exceptional customer service within the residential construction industry. Since 2005, GuildQuality, an Atlanta-based third-party customer satisfaction surveying company, has powered the Guildmaster Award to recognize and celebrate home building, remodeling, and contracting professionals demonstrating the highest level of customer service within the U.S. and Canada. Learn more at guildquality.com/guildmaster.
Tyler Trent golf fundraiser – The second Tee Off for Tyler Trent Charity Golf Classic is set for June 6 at the Bridgewater Club, 3535 E. 161st St. in Westfield. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. The event aims to raise more than $100,000 for the Tyler Trent Foundation to help advance cancer research. Learn more at one.bidpal.net/teeofffortyler/welcome.
