Being Teacher of the Year for Hamilton Southeastern Schools, the 4th largest school district in the state, is quite an honor.  Being a top ten finalist for Indiana State Teacher of the Yea is an even bigger honor.  Both are true for Maria Kussy, a Media Specialist at Brooks School Elementary School.

I spoke to Maria Kussy on September 23rd as she awaited word on whether she is still in the running for Indiana Teacher of the Year.

Ken Burns has earned a reputation for chronicling all things American with his many documentary series produced for Public Television.  He has produced hours of content on subjects like Baseball, Jazz, the Civil War, the Vietnam War and many others.

I have been recording each episode of his latest series, all about country music.  He devoted several minutes to the legendary Roy Acuff.  That got me thinking back.

To be totally honest, I have never liked country music much.  I was even a country music disc jockey back in the 1970s while going to college, playing the country tunes in order to make a little extra money.  But the music, with a few isolated exceptions, never did much for me.

However, my Dad loved country music.  Anytime I was in the car with him, he had the local country radio station tuned-in.  It drove me crazy, but, hey, he was my Dad, so I tolerated it.

For years, I never understood why Dad was such a country music fan.  It wasn’t until many years later when we were talking, that I finally understood.

My father was part of a large farm family just south of Loogootee in southwest Indiana.  Life on the farm was hard, very hard.  The days were long and the work often backbreaking.

My dad did look forward to one event every week.  The family gathered around the radio, tuned into radio station WSM in Nashville, Tennessee every Saturday night and listened to the Grand Ole Opry.

The Burns documentary series on country music explores all the old barn dance live performances on radio stations throughout the nation, but the Grand Ole Opry was the biggest and remains a Saturday night radio event to this day.

Watching this documentary, I envisioned the millions of families all around the nation, tuning into the 50,000 watt power of WSM radio (which covers most of America) just like my Dad’s family, working hard, not exactly prosperous, but having that big night, Saturday, listening to the Grand Ole Opry.

When my father was in hospice care 25 years ago, we asked him what music he wanted.  We didn’t really need to ask.  He listened to the greatest hits of Roy Acuff.  I lost count of how many times he listened to The Great Speckled Bird and the Wabash Cannon Ball.

Burns documents that Acuff didn’t have much of a singing voice and was an average musician at best, but he put so much emotion and feeling into every performance, audiences adored him.  I think that’s why my Dad loved his music so much.

I have this vision in my head of my Dad and Roy Acuff in heaven singing the Wabash Cannot Ball.  That would certainly be heaven for my Dad.

There are still important television programs only an outlet like Public Broadcasting is capable of producing, such as Ken Burns’ Country Music series.  Thanks, Ken Burns and PBS, for bringing back some wonderful memories of my father.

The City of Fishers says 106th Street between Allisonville Road and Eller Road will be closed during the day between Sunday, September 22nd through Thursday, September 26th.  During this work, be aware of southbound lane restrictions on Allisonville Road.

Also, plan ahead now for lane restrictions on State Road 37  beginning Monday, September 30th through Wednesday, October 2nd.  these restrictions will reduce traffic to one lane 9am-6pm.

For the full listing of road projects, see the listing below, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers dropped its first game of the season on Friday, as the Class 6A No. 6
Tigers fell to 6A No. 7 Brownsburg at the Bulldogs’ Roark Stadium.

The game was tied after the first quarter, as Fishers answered a Brownsburg score when Dylan Scally ran the ball in for a nine-yard touchdown. Jack Phillips made the extra point kick. But that would be all for the Tigers until the second half, with the Bulldogs jumping ahead 21-7 by halftime.

Brownsburg scored another touchdown early in the third before Fishers
ended the run with a 25-yard field goal from Phillips. But the Bulldogs added two more TDs in the quarter, taking a 42-10 lead. The Tigers got the only fourth-quarter score when Marcus Roux threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jeffrey Simmons. Phillips again made the extra point kick.

Scally finished the game with 114 yards on 17 carries. Roux completed over half of his passes, going 12-for-23 for 120 yards. Simmons made six catches for 63 yards.

The Tigers are 2-1 in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference and 4-1 overall.
They return home next Friday to play Avon.

Hamilton County Reporter

After some tough games in the first half of the season, the Hamilton Southeastern football team was overdue for a big win.

The Royals got that win Friday, in their Homecoming game at TCU Field.  Southeastern shrugged off a 10-0 first quarter deficit to take over in the remaining three periods, ultimately stunning previously unbeaten Westfield 34-10.

Southeastern thus picked up its first Hoosier Crossroads Conference win of the season and is now 2-3 overall.

“We’ve endured some real tough games,” said Royals coach Adam Morris. “Losing with the field goal in overtime to North Central, the Avon game, coming back and coming up just short. We’ve had an emotional roller coaster this year, so I’m just happy for our kids to have
some success, because I feel like they’ve earned it and haven’t really gotten it.”

The Class 6A No. 8 Shamrocks seemed to have control of the game after the first quarter. Eli Patchett scored the first points for Westfield on a six-yard rushing touchdown. Eduardo Beltran kicked the extra point, and seconds later kicked a 30-yard field goal to give the
‘Rocks the 10-point lead.

Southeastern began its run early in the second period, when Chris Stein pounded
the ball in from the two-yard line. Alex Geroulis made the extra-point kick, the
first of four he would successfully convert on the night.

The score held at 10-7 through halftime, but the Royals took control in the third quarter. Blaine Wertz made a fouryard scoring run midway through the period, Geroulis booted in a 29-yard field goal, then Wertz broke away for a 43-yard touchdown sprint with under two
minutes in the quarter.

And HSE wasn’t done yet: In the fourth quarter, Geroulis nailed a 25-yard field goal, and Michael Cherry put the finishing touch on the victory by picking off a Westfield pass and returning it 45 yards for a touchdown.

Wertz had a big game for the Royals, with 225 yards on 32 carries. Quarterback
Andrew Hobson was efficient by making 10 of 15 passes for 154 yards. DeAndre
Rhodes led the receiving with five catches for 88 yards.

Stein had eight tackles for Southeastern, with Louden Sundling making six stops. Clayton Toner had five tackles.

Simons had a solid game for Westfield, completing 16 of 27 passes for 192 yards. Mason Piening had seven receptions totaling 123 yards. Bryson Hoover had a huge defensive game with 13 tackles. Mark McLaurin, David Frey and Owen Ogle each made seven tackles.

The Royals will travel to Zionsville next Friday, while the Shamrocks return home to Riverview Health Stadium to host Brownsburg.

It was Homecoming at Hamilton Southeastern High School Friday night.  Principal Chad Cripe placed crowns upon the heads of the king & queen.  Tommy Adams was named king and Lauren Bojrab queen of the 2019 Homecoming celebration.  The Royals defeated Westfield in the Homecoming game, 34-10

Brad Pitt plays the part of an astronaut in the undefined “near future” tasked with finding his father in the outer reaches of the solar system in order to save humanity, in the film Ad Astra.  Here is my review.

by

Jeff Jellison

Publisher

Hamilton County Reporter

Allegations of misconduct, a criminal investigation and a civil suit have employees in the Hamilton County Treasurer’s office on edge.

The civil suit filed by Susan Byer alleges she was unjustly fired after she made allegations of late property tax penalties not being charged to family members of office employees.

The criminal investigation being conducted by the Indiana State Police – now in its eighth month – was initiated by county commissioners after they learned of Byer’s allegations.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Lee Buckingham is not commenting on the criminal investigation.

Buckingham requested, and was granted, a Special Prosecutor to oversee the State Police investigation.  Hancock County Prosecutor Brent Eaton now heads the investigation.

The commissioners have said they do not believe there is a factual basis behind Byer’s allegations.

Commissioners have described Byer as a disgruntled employee.

A second Treasurer’s Office employee, Julie Ward, was fired following Byer’s termination.

Reports indicate Ward was fired for allegedly posting tax payments to the wrong account multiple times.

Pamela Watson, a current employee of the Treasurer’s Office, has been suspended for violation of office policies, according to county officials.  Watson, represented by local attorney Tim Stoez, has filed a tort claim notice as a result of her suspension.

According to an article published by the Indianapolis Star, two current Treasurer’s Office employees who asked to remain anonymous view Watson’s suspension as the latest example of retaliation within the office.

Earlier this year, Hamilton County Commissioner Steve Dillinger told the Reporter the Treasurer’s Office is in “upheaval.”

“We may need to make some changes, but until the investigation is concluded we can’t,” said Dillinger.

When asked about the timeline of the investigation, Prosecutor Eaton responded, “I’m hoping things wrap up soon, but I want to be fair, complete and accurate: however long that takes.”

Prosecutor Eaton told the Reporter it is his policy not to comment on an ongoing investigation. “I will say the Indiana State Police are very professional and are committed to doing a good job.  They have worked hard on this case.”

Dillinger, along with Commissioners Mark Heirbrandt and Christine Altman, Prosecutor Buckingham, Hamilton County Attorney Mike Howard and Human Resource Director Sheena Randall are on Byer’s list of witnesses that could be called to testify in the Byer suit.

Byer’s lawsuit is scheduled for trial in April of next year.

The King and Queen of England announce they will be visiting Downton Abbey…..what could possibly go wrong?  You find out in the film Downton Abbey….here is my review

For the past two-and-a-half years, the relationship between certain Fishers neighborhoods and the Internet company MetroNet has been a rocky one.  Subcontractors for the firm have been accused of utility strikes while digging fiber optic networks.  There have been stop orders issued on more than one occasion by the City of Fishers.

At a Fishers City Council work session Monday night, city and MetroNet officials talked about how to move forward as MetroNet construction continues in Fishers.  Kris Smith, government affairs manager for Metronet, and Mark Hill, market manager for the MetroNet area including Fishers, met with the council and talked about past errors as well as how to move forward.

Fishers Director of Engineering Jason Taylor briefed council members on what has happened so far with MetroNet and the city.  Taylor described weekly meetings his staff has recently had with MetroNet. and said there are situations when people blame MetroNet when another utility may be at fault.  Regular communications with the technology firm have helped, according to Taylor.

“We have an even stronger commitment to safety and restoration today,” MetroNet’s Smith told Fishers councilors. ” We’ve improved our construction communications program tenfold.  We have an executive vice president who is running our construction team.  We’ve put several layers in place.”

Smith said subcontractor crews will always be clearly marked, outfitted in vests, with identifying signs on trucks, along with arm badges on workers with their names and pictures.  If there are language barriers, there will be an English speaking crew member on site.  If that English-speaking person is away or next door, cards will be provided with a customer service phone number residents can call to get questions answered.

MetroNet expects to be finished with construction within what the company calls the Fishers “city build” areas, by spring of 2020.  “City build” meaning MetroNet will not be installed in all Fishers neighborhoods.

“We made some mistakes, there’s no question of that,” Smith said.  “But it’s how we’re moving forward, we want to improve that.”

MetroNet provides home Internet, television and telephone services.