Fishers Police are issuing a warning to residents of the Sandstone and Meadow Brook Neighborhoods, in the area near 116th Street and Brooks School Road, after reports of twelve thefts from vehicles and two thefts of vehicles in the early morning hours Thursday.

Detectives are asking residents living in this area to check their home security surveillance footage for suspicious persons or vehicles on or near their property between the hours of 1am and 4am. Anyone with information regarding these thefts is asked to call Detective/Sergeant Ruble at 317-595-3319.

Residents are advised to follow the guidance below, issued by the Fishers Police:

1. Never leave your vehicle unsecured, even if you are only going to be away from it for a short time. Thieves only need a few seconds to open an unlocked door and retrieve valuables that are left in plain sight.

2. Secure valuables in the trunk before leaving your vehicle. Thieves will often take the time to look into windows before choosing a particular vehicle to break-in. Unsecured items such as credit/gift cards, electronic devices (laptops, iPads), purses, cellular phones, audio systems, keys, and other items are often the targets of a thief.

3. Etch your driver’s license number on all items of value and that are removable, e.g., audio equipment, electronic devices.

4. Park in your garage, if you have one. Don’t leave your vehicle in the street, in an alley or in your driveway. If you have to park in the street, avoid dark or isolated areas and removed your garage door opener.

5. Install an alarm system that will sound when someone attempts to break-in, move, or start your vehicle. Always activate the system when leaving your vehicle unattended.

6. Don’t leave spare keys attached to the outside of your vehicle or hidden inside your vehicle. An experienced thief knows all the hiding places.

7. Park in open, well-lighted, and populated areas near your destination. Avoid parking near trucks, vans, dumpsters, or other objects that obstruct visibility and provide hiding places. Avoid parking near strangers loitering or sitting in vehicles.

8. Turn off your engine, roll up all your windows, lock all doors, and take your keys with you even if you are making a quick stop at a store or gas station, or even in your driveway.

9. Follow the 9PM Routine and double check that all valuables are removed, and your vehicle is locked before going to bed.

10. Lock it, Hide it, Keep it! https://www.fishers.in.us/677/Crime-Prevention-Safety-Information

The absentee ballots have all been counted at the Hamilton County Election office and the results show the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board will have three new members in January.  Both incumbents lost in their bids for another term.  Amanda Shera was elected four years ago and Clint Wilson was selected by the board to finish Mike Bottorff’s term when he resigned from the board in 2019.  Both were unsuccessful as candidates in 2020.  Sylvia Shepler chose not to seek another term this year in Wayne Township.

The nail-biter has been in the Delaware Township race.  The final tally shows Sarah Donsbach as the winner by 22 votes over Amanda Shera, out of more than 42,000 votes cast.  That’s a winning margin of .05%.

The other two township races were not close.  Suzanne Thomas easily prevailed in a crowded field of 5 candidates.  Sarah Parks-Reese was the winner in Wayne Township.

The HSE School Board at-large election means all voters in all three townships select one candidate from each of the three townships.

The new board members will have a number of issues to handle when assuming board seats in January, including possible redistricting with a new Wayne Township elementary school in the works.

It started more than a week ago with flu-like symptoms that were not pleasant, but after consulting my physician I took a COVID-19 test.  I tested positive late last week.

To put it bluntly, I am high-risk in more ways than one.  However, my doctor was encouraging as we exchanged e-mails regularly over the past few days.

I am one lucky individual.  My symptoms have been mild and, at least so far, I have managed by trying to take care of myself as best I know.

COVID-19 is on fire in this area and the data is clear on that.  Everyone should be careful.

What confounds me is that I took every precaution expected – wearing a mask when in public, social distancing and washing hands regularly.  I look back and cannot understand how I contracted this virus.

God must be smiling upon me, because I know of so many others not so fortunate that have had serious health problems due to COVID.

So, even with the election going on, if you have missed my posts, it’s all because my health was on the front burner.  It is good to be feeling better once again.

Adam Aasen & Alec Toombs talk about the week in film on the Grade A Movies Podcast.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

FISHERS – Just like it did several weeks ago, big plays became a factor in a Fishers-Hamilton Southeastern football game.

Both teams made their share of those big plays when they met Friday at Reynolds Tigers Stadium in the semi-finals of Class 6A Sectional 4. Fishers made two of them in the fourth quarter: A long touchdown pass and an interception in the end zone. That was enough to give the Tigers a 34-29 win over the Royals and advance to next week’s championship game.

“You need a spark. You need a big win for a program,” said Fishers coach Curt Funk, who picked up his first post-season victory as the Tigers coach.

“We talked to the kids all week about moments, and life’s about them and sports are about them,” said Funk. “And they made their moment tonight.”

Fishers trailed 29-20 going into the fourth quarter. The Tigers cut into that lead midway through the period; after Carson Dunn made a big run to get Fishers into scoring position, Lucas Prewitt punched the ball in from the one-yard line. Southeastern blocked the extra-point kick, but the Tigers were now within 29-26.

Minutes later, Fishers would get the ball back. The Tigers made their way down to the 42, where Prewitt threw a pass to Luke Valerio, who weaved his way into an open space and ran into the end zone. That put Fishers in front, and it added to its lead when Prewitt threw a two-point conversion pass to Shaun Kim.

The Tigers were now up by five points with 1:27 to go. The Royals began a furious drive, getting down to the Fishers 7. But with less than 10 seconds to go, the Tigers’ Shawn Dunnuck intercepted a pass in the end zone, sealing the victory.

“I knew somebody had to make a big play,” said Dunnuck. “They were driving it down the field that whole drive. And it was my man and I did my job and did what I could. All thanks to my teammates. They played their hearts out. They motivated the whole team and we kept it going the whole game.”

“For years they’re going to talk about the Seth Dunnuck interception,” said Funk. “What a way to end an outstanding game, and HSE, they played their tails off. They had a great season and Coach (Michael) Kelly’s done a great job there in his first year.”

Fishers set the tone of the game early. Carson Dunn blasted off on a 78-yard run into the end zone early in the first quarter to get the Tigers on the board first. Justin Sharkey’s extra-point kick gave Fishers a 7-7 lead.

Southeastern was in control for the remainder of the first half. John McCall found Dylan Conner for a 38-yard touchdown pass, and Alex Geroulis tied it up with his extra-point kick. The score was now 7-7, and would remain so through the end of the quarter.

McCall stepped up again for the Royals in the second quarter. He ran in two touchdowns, the first from nine yards and the second from one yard, the latter with 13 seconds left in the half. Geroulis kicked both points afterwards, and HSE led 21-7 at halftime.

“I thought our kids played really well,” said Kelly. “They had a phenomenal game plan and played really hard. I thought our guys showed a lot of heart, showed a lot of poise. At the end of the night, Fishers was the better team than what we were.”

The Tigers mounted a comeback in the third quarter, with Dunn once again making big plays. He zoomed into the end zone on a 69-yard touchdown run early in the period, then caught a 76-yard scoring pass from Prewitt midway through the quarter.

“Carson Dunn did an outstanding job,” said Funk. “We challenged him. We told him, ‘You’re going to have to come out here and you’re going to have to bring it all night long,’ and he did. He just did an awesome job. Real proud of him.”

The Royals blocked the extra point attempt after the second touchdown to preserve a 21-20 lead. Then with less than a minute in the period, McCall scrambled into the end zone from 18 yards. He followed that up with a two-point pass to Will Gerig to put Southeastern ahead 29-20. That lead would hold until Fishers began its fourth-quarter comeback.

Dunn finished the game with 193 yards rushing on 20 carries, giving him the vast majority of the Tigers’ rushing yards. Prewitt completed 14 of 19 pass attempts for 220 yards, with Silas Martin making five catches. Dunnuck totaled 13 tackles, with Collin Malone making seven stops.

McCall was 13-of-21 as the HSE quarterback, totaling 185 yards. Conner made five receptions for 103 yards, while Jace Alexander had four catches. Blaine Wertz led the rushing with 100 yards, followed by McCall with 96. Cole Earlewine led the Royals tackles with six stops.

Southeastern finished its season 6-3, and tied for second in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference standings.

“We grew a significant amount,” said Kelly. “I appreciate what our seniors did for the program, just setting the tone, setting the expectation. I thought they did some great things for us.”

Fishers improved to 3-7 after the win and will travel to Westfield next Friday to play for the Sectional 4 title.

There are a few “bucket list” items world travelers normally cite.  One is traveling the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing.  Local residents John & Ann Craig-Cinnamon took that trip recently and brought back the video they shot along the way.

What resulted is a half-hour documentary film airing locally on WFYI (Channel 20).

Here is my conversation with Ann & John about that experience.

There will be no changes next week for the in-person class situation in Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools, as had been tentatively planned.  Grades 5 & 6 will remain 50% in-person following action by the school board Wednesday night.

The vote was 5-2, with board members Amanda Shera and Brad Boyer voting no.  Previously, the board had acted to have grades 5 & 6 go to a 100% in-person classroom schedule.  The action Wednesday keeps the situation the same, at least for now.

Experience with COVID-19 in the schools and the community as a whole were cited as reasons for keeping the hybrid system in place for grades 5 & 6.

An advisory group has been working for months on how to re-arrange class start times in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School, with the school board set to give the plan final approval November 11.

Based on a recommendation presented to the board, grades K-4 would start most school days at 7:40a,  high school 8:20am & grades 5-8 9:00am.

The committee had three additional recommendations for the board.

First, study the possibility of walking zones.  The City of Fishers would need to be involved in this.

Second, take a look at a 3-teir bus transportation system

Thirdly, study a possible “feeder system” allowing student groups to remain together as they move from one school building to another.

You can review the entire presentation to the school board at this link.

For more details on the start time study, the HSE Schools Web site has a special page devoted just to this subject.  Find it at this link.

The City of Fishers Parks Department announced early Wednesday afternoon that the 2020 Boo Bash has been cancelled.  The increase in local COVID-19 positive cases is cited as the reason.  Below is the statement from the city:

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It was 1967, I had turned 16 years and one month, which made me eligible for a driving test and application for my first Indiana driver’s license.  In order to do that, I needed to deal with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles of that time.

That was a time, under the existing Indiana law, when all employees of the Bureau were political appointees.  Your main qualification for the job was your loyalty to the political party of the governor.

It just so happened Indiana had a Democratic Governor, Roger Branigan, at that time, but a Republican governor would have been under the same rules.  You hired people recommended by their work for the party.

I recall going into a completely full room at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and waiting.  The wait stretched for hours.  It was clear the workers were doing the best they could with the limited training and experience they had.  It was a miracle I ever obtained my license.

That is a small example of what life was like in old “spoils system” that rewarded election winners with a number of jobs to fill.  Those employees were hired, and could be fired at any time, for no reason other than that was the whim of the political party in charge.

Dealing with most agencies in the Hoosier State was like that in 1967.  It was setup to benefit political parties but not the citizens governments are supposed to serve.

I recall my grandfather Sam Lannan, heavily steeped in local politics where he lived in rural southwest Indiana, telling me the spoils system was just fine because it was transparent.  Everyone was able to see what was going on and there were no hidden agendas.

I politely listened to my grandfather but never agreed with that argument.  Government should serve the people, not the political system, in my view.  My father was a nearly life-long federal civil servant with the Defense Department and taught me the value of the merit system, which allows qualified people to serve in government positions with civil service protections.

Court decisions and actions by the Indiana General Assembly slowly changed the BMV.  It is now a model of how to run an agency.  All my dealings with the Indiana BMV have been good and professional in recent years.

After nearly 17 years of toiling in the broadcast business, mostly in news and talk shows, I entered the federal civil service in 1983 for 28 years and retired.  I learned a lot about bureaucracy and how it works.

People can be fired from the civil service and are fired.  There are processes for appeal so the employee can make her/his case but that system prevents people from being dismissed from employment for no good reason.

Tom Friedman is a New York Times opinion columnist that has traveled the world writing for the Times.  He has written often about how Americans do not know the value of a professional civil service.  He would cite cases where you were expected to bribe a civil servant in another country just to complete what one could consider a routine government transaction.

I bring this up because the president has issued an executive order creating a new category of federal workers, technically called “Schedule F” workers.  The details are very vague, but the president’s goal is to bring tens of thousands of federal civil servants into political appointees, hired and fired at any time by order of the president.

Presidents already appoint the top policy-making people at every federal agency.  His people run those agencies.

The federal government decided in 1883 that the spoils system was not serving the public and passed the Pendleton Act, which created the federal civil service.  Hiring and promotions were to be based on merit from then on.

The new executive order is an attack on the Pendleton Act and takes us on a road to another spoils system.  Citizens of the United States are entitled to professional treatment, whether you are applying for Social Security benefits, dealing with the VA or trying to solve a problem with the IRS.

A Washington Post editorial described the presidential order as “insidious,” and an effort to put loyalty to the president above performance in evaluating these workers.  The action is already being challenged in the courts.  A presidential executive order must be consistent with the law.

I think about all this every time I interact with the Indiana BMV.  I am thankful there are qualified professionals to handle my needs.  It wasn’t always that way.