Corrections – In the Aug. 16 edition of Current in Carmel, a headline on a letter to the editor misstated the district in which Democrat Matt McNally is running for office. He is running for state representative in district 39. In the same edition, a story about infrastructure improvements coming to Home Place misstated the name of one of the groups commissioning a piece of patriotic art for the future roundabout at 106th Street and College Avenue. The art is commissioned by the Greater Home Place Neighborhood Association and Clay Township.
Lottery commission appointment – Gov. Eric Holcomb has appointed Roger Utzinger, a management consultant from Carmel, to the State Lottery Commission. Utzinger’s term runs through June 30, 2026.
White River Cleanup – The White River Cleanup will be held the morning of Aug. 27 at Conner Prairie. Volunteers must register online and make a $40 canoe or $20 kayak deposit. The deposit is fully refundable with confirmation of event attendance. When registering online, volunteers can select to launch on site for a two-mile trip or be shuttled up to the White River Canoe company for a five-mile trip that ends at Conner Prairie. Space is limited and walk-up registration is not available. Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes, expect to get muddy, and be ready to traverse hiking trail conditions. Trash bags and gloves will be provided. After cleaning the river, volunteers can celebrate their hard work by enjoying complementary, same-day general admission to Conner Prairie. Event details and registration instructions are at whiterivercleanup.org.
HCSO launches body-worn camera program – Hamilton County Sheriff Dennis Quakenbush recently announced the launch of a new body-worn camera program. As part of the program, deputies in the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office will use Motorola Solutions V300 continuous-operation body-worn cameras on service calls across all shifts. The V300 body-worn cameras are a durable high-definition camera worn on the front of deputies’ uniforms that are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS-enabled. The V300 uploads the video and audio captured to a secure cloud-based site where videos can be reviewed.
‘I Voted’ sticker competition – Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan is encouraging K-12 Hoosier students to use their creativity to help design ‘I Voted’ stickers for Indiana’s upcoming general election. The competition is open to all Indiana students and is divided into three groups based on age level: Kindergarten – third grade, fourth grade – eighth grade, and ninth grade through 12th grade. An overall winner will be selected for each group in addition to recognition for second and third place entries. The winning designs will be printed and used for official “I Voted” stickers, distributed to Indiana county clerks for use on Election Day. Students can download a submission form and email their completed design to [email protected]. Entries must be received by Sept. 18. Learn more at in.gov/sos/2022-i-voted-sticker-design-competition/.
Voting info for college students – The League of Women Voters of Hamilton County is reminding college students to plan ahead to be able to participate in voting on Election Day on Nov. 8. College students living away from home may use absentee ballots to cast their votes, but they should allow time for applying for the ballot and receiving it by mail at their campus location. The deadline to request absentee ballots is Oct. 27, but students are advised to request a ballot as soon as they have their campus mailing address. Students who opt to vote in local races in college towns must change their permanent address on their registration to that of their campus residence. Learn more and request an absentee ballot at IndianaVoters.org and Vote411.org.
State’s cutest dogs – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, the Indiana Destination Development Corp. and Indiana’s First Dog, Henry, are searching for adorable dogs in great locations across the state through the Visit Indiana Cutest Dog Photo Contest. A different winner will be selected every week for one year. Each winning dog will get a note from Indiana’s first dog, an exclusive ‘More To Discover IN Indiana’ dog bandana, a feature as one of the Cutest Dogs IN Indiana on the Visit Indiana social channels. To enter, upload a photo or video of your dog to Instagram, tag @VisitIndiana and use the hashtag #DogsINIndiana. Entries must include the location where the photo was taken.
Golf outing to benefit Indiana Donor Network – ALO Property Group will host the inaugural Brian Bondus Memorial Golf Outing at 11 a.m. Aug. 29 at Prairie View Golf Club, 7000 Longest Dr. in Carmel. A light breakfast, box lunch and beverages will be provided. The event will conclude with a cocktail hour and awards reception beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the golf outing and reception or the reception alone are available. Proceeds will benefit the Indiana Donor Network in memory of Bondus, an ALO Property Group employee who died in 2021 after a severe reaction to a peanut allergy. Learn more at golfgenius.com/ggid/alobondus22.
Care-oke to benefit United Way program – United Way of Central Indiana is hosting a karaoke competition this fall to benefit its ReadUP childhood literacy program. Registration is open for soloists and musical groups interested in competing for a spot to perform live at Care-oke on Nov. 9 at Old National Centre in Indianapolis. The top 12 fundraisers will automatically qualify for the finale, and the remaining performers will be selected at random. Individual performers commit to raising at least $250, and groups commit to raising $500. The competition is open to singers across the state of all ages. The deadline to register is Oct. 10. Learn more at uwci.org/careoke.
Trade invasive species for trees – Via a trade-in program, Hamilton County property owners can show proof of removal of an invasive species on their Hamilton County property and receive up to three, three-gallon native trees or shrubs for free. Landscape plantings of callery pear species, burning bush, Japanese barberry and Norway maple are the preferred species for removal, but any from the Official Indiana Invasive Species Council Invasive Plant List is acceptable. Trades are limited to one per address. Learn more and apply at hcinvasives.org.
Same as U Golf Tournament – The second Same as U Golf Tournament is set for 11 a.m. Sept. 23 at Pebble Brook Golf Club, 3110 Westfield Rd. in Noblesville. Check in begins at 10 a.m. A box lunch will be provided by Divvy’s, and dinner will be from Big DOg’s SMokehouse BBQ. Learn more and register at sameasu.org/golf-outing-2022.
Sidewalk Repair Grant funds available – In 2020, the Carmel City Council established a Sidewalk Repair Grant program to help keep residential sidewalks across the city in good shape and safe. This program was initially funded by a $50,000, non-reverting fund and there are still funds available for property owners to apply for assistance with sidewalk repairs. The fund assists residents who own and occupy their homes with the expense of repair/replacement of sidewalks and for removal of trees located on their private property that are affecting sidewalks by reimbursing up to 50 percent of the project cost, up to $3,000. Learn more and apply at carmel.in.gov/government/departments-services/community-services/sidewalk-repair-grant.
Squirrel stampede fun run – In 1822, a great squirrel emigration swept across Central Indiana. Carmel Clay Historical Society has partnered with Hamilton County Tourism to commemorate that event with a fun run called the Great Squirrel Stampede. The event, which features a 1K and 3K race, is on Sept. 17 at Coxhall Gardens. Proceeds will help fund construction of the new Carmel Clay History Museum, scheduled to break ground near Midtown this year. Tickets are $30 per individual or $50 per family. Visit carmelclayhistory.org for more information.
Arts & Culture digital passport – The recently launched Indiana Arts & Culture digital passport encourages visitors to discover new places and enjoy some of Indiana’s creative spaces. Sign up online for the passport and receive custom prizes for visiting multiple destinations across the state. Visitors need to check-in from a smartphone at one of the designated passport locations. Participants earn more by visiting more locations. For more information, visit VisitIndiana.com/arts or follow Visit Indiana on social media at @VisitIndiana on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Hamilton County Democratic Women meetings— The Hamilton County Democratic Women meet every third Saturday of the month at the Delaware Township Trustee Building 9090 E. 131st, Fishers. Conversations begin at 9:30 a.m., the meeting is from 10 a.m. to 11. All Hamilton County women are welcome.
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.
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.
Real estate stats – The Carmel residential real estate market was slightly quieter in July, with prices continuing to increase and homes remaining on the market longer. According to F.C. Tucker Company, the average sale price for a home in Carmel increased 6.2 percent, to $581,929, compared to July 2021. The average price per square foot also increased by 12.5 percent to $215.20 compared to this time last year, and homes sold in 12 days on average, spending 33.3 percent more time on the market.
Eggs & Issues – OneZone Chamber of Commerce announces Eggs & Issues as their new monthly advocacy event. Starting in December, OneZone member attendees will hear about a variety of topics. From January to April attendees will hear from state legislators, what they are working on at the Statehouse, and how to get involved. Registration for the first Eggs & Issues will open in August.
Blood donors needed – Versiti Blood Center of Indiana has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations, as it has seen a drastic drop in scheduled appointments. The blood center anticipates the available inventory of blood to be at less than a one-day supply within the coming days. Versiti strives for at least a three-day supply of blood, so it can be ready to serve all patients, even during unexpected events. Versiti is seeking donors for more than 2,500 open appointments available at community blood drives and donation centers throughout the state. Donors can schedule an appointment to donate blood by calling 916-5150 or online at versiti.org/indiana.
500 Mile Challenge – Registration is open for the Indianapolis 500 Mile Challenge, an online fitness program that encourages participants to complete 500 miles of physical activity, the same mileage drivers complete during the Indianapolis 500. Participants also have the option to complete 250 miles of physical activity in the Gasoline Alley 250 Mile Challenge. The challenges, which benefit the 500 Festival, kicked off June 13 and run through Oct. 31. Registration is $65 and includes a shirt, finisher medal, hat and more. Register for either challenge at IndyMini.com/500Miles.
Hospice volunteers needed – Anew Hospice is seeking volunteers to spend time with hospice patients throughout the Indianapolis area. Volunteers visit hospice patients to provide companionship through music, reading, doing puzzles, life review or just being a hand to hold. To learn more, call 317-300-2292 or email [email protected].
