Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers dropped its home opener Friday, falling to Pike 28-14.

The Red Devils controlled the first half, leading 7-0 after scoring on a seven-yard touchdown pass. Pike added two more touchdowns in the second quarter:
A minute into the period, Isaiah Martin rushed 86 yards into the end zone. The
Red Devils then made a 25-yard pass play to score with 18 seconds left and
lead 21-0 at halftime.

Meanwhile, Fishers had multiple drives into the red zone in the first half.

“We just couldn’t execute,” said Tigers coach Curt Funk. The coach said he
would take responsibility for that. “That’s something we’re going to put
an emphasis on in practice,” said Funk.

Fishers got on the board late in the third quarter when Lucas Prewitt sent a
35-yard pass to Landon Morris, who took it into the end zone. Pike scored on a pass
play during the first minute of the fourth period, but Prewitt answered minutes later, taking the ball in from the one. Wayne Christian made both extra-point kicks.

“They came out and responded in the second half,” said Funk. “We fell short,
but we played hard till the end and lost to a good Pike football team tonight.”

Prewitt had an outstanding night, completing 23 of 41 pass attempts for
273 yards. Jeffrey Simmons made nine receptions for 133 yards, while Morris
had seven for 95 yards. Shaun Kim led the rushing with 38 yards.

The Tigers are 0-2 and host Noblesville next Friday to begin Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern gave North Central, the No. 7-ranked team in Class 6A, a tough test on Friday before the Panthers came back to force overtime, then make a two-point conversion in the extra period to get past the Royals 36-35.

Southeastern got on the board first, with John McCall taking the ball in from the two-yard line. North Central responded with a touchdown later in the quarter, but the Royals began the second period with Blaine Wertz punching the ball in from the two. Alex Geroulis made both extra-point kicks, and HSE led 14-6.

The Panthers went ahead 17-14, but a huge play from Martice Taylor got Southeastern back in front. Taylor caught a pass from McCall, and took it 91 yards to the end zone. That put the Royals up 21-17, and that score would stand at halftime.

A field goal got NC within 21-20, but Jack Wafford pushed Southeastern ahead
28-20 with 35.4 seconds left in the third.

Midway through the fourth, North Central blocked a Royals field goal attempt and took it in for a touchdown. The Panthers went for two, and were successful, tying the game at 28-28.

Neither team scored again in the fourth quarter, so it was on to overtime.

Southeastern went first, and Wertz got his team the lead with a two-yard run. Geroulis made the extra-point kick to put the Royals up 35-28. But the Panthers scored on fourth-and-1, then once again made a two-point conversion.

“They ran a nice little play on the goal line,” said HSE coach Michael Kelly.
Kelly said he was “really proud” of how his players responded and that his
team played “really well.”

“I thought they fought,” said Kelly.

McCall finished the game 11-of-16, totaling 190 yards. Taylor made three of those catches for 113 yards. Wertz led the rushing with 48 yards. On defense, Nate Haas made eight tackles (six solo, two assists), with Mikah Phillips and Seth Wilson both getting four solo stops; Wilson also had two assists.

The Royals are 1-1 and open Hoosier Crossroads Conference play next Friday
at Avon.

I have loved movie theaters since I was old enough to know what they were.  We had no theaters near us when growing up, so it was rare for me to visit one. It felt like magic every time I went to the movies.

I had a bit of that feeling as I walked into a movie complex for the first time since March.  And, the movie, The Personal History of David Copperfield, was one I knew little about.  I was familiar with the character created by Charles Dickens but had no idea how film maker Armando Iannucci would handle the story.

Is the film worth watching?  Here is my review.

The Fishers Health Department shared two pieces of news Friday, one on the overall community risk related to COVID-19 and the start of younger people in the community eligible for coronavirus testing.

Director Monica Heltz said in a video posted Friday that the community health risk dashboard is now moving in a downward direction, which is a good measure.  The rating is still at Level 3 – significant….but is moving downward.  Heltz says the rating may be down into Level 2 – moderate – early next week.

The department also announced that Fishers residents as young as 5 years of age are now eligible for the free COVID-19 testing program available to anyone living in the City of Fishers.  Heltz recommends parents and their children view a video that will soon be available on the health department Web site before going to a test.  You may schedule a test for people as young as 5 as of Saturday, August 29.

Access the Fishers Health Department Web site at this link.

The road construction listing for Fishers is once again a very long one.

Below is the list, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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When HSE Schools went with all-virtual classes last spring, the district said employees would remain on the payroll for as long as possible, even those not working.  After September 18, HSE District food service workers in grades 5-12 will be on unpaid furlough.

HSE Schools spokesperson Emily Abbotts tells LarryInFishers that the school corporation can no longer afford to pay these employees.  Ms Abbotts clarified that these food service workers will be working through September 4th.

“Many have been working, preparing meals for the virtual students,” Ms. Abbots said.

It is presumed the food service employees would be recalled when students return to their classrooms.

(NOTE: an earlier version of this story incorrectly gave the impression these food service workers had not been on the job, but is now clarified to show they have been working and that will end after September 4th and they will be paid through September 18)

Janie Ulmer came to the local school district from LaPorte and was running the local Academy, designed for students unable to function in a normal school setting.  After her time at the Academy, Ms. Ulmer was tapped to be the new principal at Hamilton Southeastern High School.  She talks about a number of subjects, including starting her new job during a pandemic and virtual learning, in this podcast.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board had plenty to handle in the regularly-scheduled board meeting Monday night, including a protest outside the administration building and a presentation on the hybrid learning plan.

40-50 people chanted and carried signs close to Cumberland Road, in front of the building where the board meeting was held.  One person spoke at the board meeting advocating for the school district to bring students in all grades back to 100% in-person classes.

The meeting largely consisted of school officials reviewing building cleaning plans, plans for buses and substitute teachers.  Administrators told the board 55% of substitute teachers are willing to return.  There is a large permanent staff of substitutes, with 72 as the ideal number.  There are now 35 full-time substitute teachers in the district.

The plans for hybrid learning were unveiled to the board.  You can read more details about that at this link.

Superintendent Allen Bourff said it is the goal of administrators and the board to have students back in their regular classrooms 100% of the time.  However, the district is working with the Fishers Health Department on when that is safe for students and staff.  Bourff also said the Indiana State Department of Health issued new guidelines for schools just hours before the board meeting.

Preschool through 4th grade students are set to begin a 50-50 plan, where over a two-week period, students will spend half of their time in the school building and half of their time learning virtually.

School officials told the board an online dashboard is being developed to allow anyone to know how many new cases of COVID have been reported among students and staff, by school building.  That dashboard is expected to be available September 14.

It was also revealed at the meeting that student enrollment has dipped slightly this school year, from roughly 22,000 students down to about 21,500.  CFO Cecilie Nunn said this may be due to some parents making other arrangements due to COVID-19.

As the meeting concluded, Board President Michelle Fullhart, speaking for herself and not the board, said teachers “are not the enemy” in the debate over virtual vs. in-person classes.  The enemy is the virus, according to Fullhart.  She added the school administrators, school board and local health department are not the enemies here either.

“If we could just come together and fight against this virus, instead of each other, our community would be a much better place,” Fullhart said.

The partnership between IU Health and Mudsock Youth Athletics goes back a long way, and that relationship will continue with a renewal announced Tuesday.  IU Health remains the primary scholarship provider and an official community partner of Mudsock Youth Athletics, per a news release.

IU Health is expanding support this year by including personal protective equipment in their tri-annual delivery of first aid kits that are distributed to all coaches in the Mudsock Youth Athletics program.

IU Health is continuing to direct a portion of their funding towards the scholarship program that allows children within the HSE school district one free or reduced scholarship per registration period.

“IU Health is grateful to Mudsock Youth Athletics for its focus on physical activity and health in our community. We are proud to support their work and the children and families who participate in their leagues,” said Joy Davis, IU Health Indianapolis Suburban Region manager of community

IU Health is making a  commitment to educate the families in the HSE school district and Fishers community on navigating the changing landscape of healthcare during unprecedented times.

“IU Health exemplifies what it means to be a great community partner. We are extremely fortunate to have the continued support of IU Health so we can focus on the health and well-being of our programs and families,” said Scott Spillman, Executive Director of Mudsock Youth Athletics.

Mudsock Youth Athletics is an independent nonprofit organization, providing sports programs for young people in the Fishers area for over 30 years.

One of the wisest people I have known in my lifetime was my maternal grandmother, Mary Alice Kidwell.  She always told me that being a parent is special, but being a grandparent is the best thing ever.  She lived to be 99 years of age and taught me much during our time together.  That thought came to mind as I became a grandparent on August 11, 2020.

Dakota is the name of my grandson.  My daughter and son-in-law chose that name because it is a Native American word that translates in English to “friend.”  They want their son to be everyone’s friend.  I am sure he will be just that.

I had no idea how it would feel to become a grandparent, but Jane & I have now experienced the thrill.  I cannot speak for my wife, but there is no way to describe the birth of your first grandchild, it defies description.

In late March, I announced an end to the news blog I have written for over 8 years.  However, COVID-19 and the racial issues facing all of us kept me writing.  I still plan to write.

The move to virtual meetings helped me stay in touch with local issues, but you may see fewer posts and not as quickly as in the past.  I hope to pick up film reviews as movie theaters slowly begin to open.

I also plan to continue podcasting, but at my own pace.  My past interviews with political candidates will not continue.  It is difficult to communicate how much time goes into preparing, recording and producing that number of podcasts.  For example, there are 11 candidates in the at-large Hamilton Southestern school board election.  I just cannot produce all those podcasts along with everything else I am doing.

So, I plan to enjoy being a grandparent and continue writing on the blog and producing some podcasts, but at my own pace and not at the pace set in the past.

After all, Dakota is here.  I am a grandfather!