I have never met or spoken with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb.  He has appeared in Fishers on a few occasions and I have covered those events, but that’s the closest I have been to our state’s chief executive.

A Morning Consult poll released in July shows Holcomb with a 50% approval rating among registered voters and a 22% disapproval rate.  The most interesting result from that poll shows about 28% of Hoosiers either don’t know much about the governor or have no opinion about him at all.

I believe more people in Indiana will be getting to know Holcomb for a reason the governor will not like.  He has done something I cannot recall any Indiana governor doing in my lifetime – seek a cease and desist order against a news organization.

If you haven’t been following the story, a news organization named Reveal, which is part of the Center for Investigative Reporting, published a story about the state’s handling of worker safety issues at an Amazon location in Indiana.  The Indianapolis Star published that story by Reveal.

If the governor has issues with the story, he has ways of getting that point across.  To say the journalists must cease and desist reporting this story is wrong in just about every way.

Reveal and the Center for Investigative Reporting are solidly standing behind the story as reported.  The Center for Investigative Reporting has a stellar reputation for checking out stories and ensuring accuracy before anything is published.

The Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists sent a letter to Governor Holcomb dated December 3rd.  The letter makes the case better than I ever could.  So, please read this open letter to the governor, which I believe states the issues involved clearly and succinctly:

=============

Honorable Eric J. Holcomb
Governor of Indiana
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Dear Gov. Holcomb:

The Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists takes exception to your call for the Indianapolis Star and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting to cease and desist reporting stories about your administration’s handling of worker safety investigations at Amazon facilities in Indiana.

Our organization, which represents professional journalists throughout Indiana, feels this move is a threat to press freedom.

According to Article I, section 9 of the Indiana Constitution: “No law shall be passed restraining the free interchange of thought and opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write, or print, freely, on any subject whatever: but for the abuse of that right, every person shall be responsible.”

In our view, your cease-and-desist letters, issued on Nov. 29, are designed to intimidate reporters and journalists looking into your administration. The letters also add to the overall climate in the nation that looks to undermine the credibility of journalists and media outlets.

Although you might not agree with the contents or conclusions of the report in Reveal and the Indianapolis Star, an unusual call by your office for a cease-and-desist order against the media could chill efforts to report an ongoing story.

Indiana Pro SPJ stands behind the efforts of local and national journalism outlets to report issues of public importance and hold leaders accountable. If there are disputes over accuracy, there are ways to address those concerns without issuing a cease-and-desist order.

Indiana should set an example for the rest of the nation to follow when it comes to press freedom. Our officers would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss this issue further.

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors
Indiana Professional Chapter
Society of Professional Journalists

For more information, please contact:

John Russell, chapter president

Michael Puente, chapter vice president

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District is looking into the future of two elementary buildings – Durbin and Fishers Elementary.  Superintendent Allen Bourff told the school board Tuesday morning that the first priority is to determine the size of the new building planned to replace Durbin, then turn attention to Fishers Elementary on Lantern Road, just south of downtown Fishers.

Bourff laid out numbers that show overcrowding at some elementary buildings, and pointed out that redistricting, if the board even considered that as an option, would not be the answer.  The new elementary building replacing Durbin is expected to be constructed on 40 acres of land recently purchased by HSE Schools at 156th Street and Boden Road.  Bourff says the new building is proposed to have 300 more seats for students than the normal elementary student count.

Durbin Elementary cannot be expanded at the current site due to a lack of water and sewer service at that location.  The school corporation says it will keep the Durbin building for other purposes.

Portable classrooms will be required at six elementary buildings in the 2020-2021 school year due to overcrowding.  Superintendent Bourff says the elementary schools expected to utilize portables include Southeastern, Thorpe Creek, Sand Creek, Brooke School Road, Hoosier Road and New Britton.

After expressing the need to have a Durbin replacement building of additional size, Bourff turned his attention to Fishers Elementary, which is a building showing its age, located in a small portion of land.  Although not as urgent as the Durbin situation, Dr. Bourff says the board will be grappling with the future of that building, at the current site or another location.

Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter says the school system will adhere to a commitment made in 2013, when voters passed a referendum authorizing construction of the College & Career Academies at both high schools, to keep the tax rate steady.  No tax rate increase is expected to finance the new elementary to replace Durbin or any action needed for Fishers Elementary.

The board held a public hearing Tuesday and no one chose to speak.  Another public hearing will be held at the next regular board meeting December 11th and the board will vote on creating the option of dealing with the Durbin and Fishers Elementary situations.

In other news from the Tuesday morning work session:

–Executive Director of Secondary Education Teaching and Learning for HSE Schools, Matt Kegley, presented the board with new high school course offerings for the 2020-2021 school year.  Kegley talked about a few of the new classes, including Agribusiness Management, Analytical Algebra for students not planning a 4-year college career, and a Medical Assisting class conducted with J. Everett Light Career Center.  The Medical Assisting class will be taught at a local high school, so no student will be required to drive to North Central High School.  For a full list of the new classes, use this link.  The board unanimously approved the new courses

–The board approved salary structures for administrative and non-certified staff, now that the contract with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (representing the teaching staff) has been ratified.

–Finally, the board passed a plan distributing roughly $802,000 from the state in teacher appreciation grant money.  Teachers evaluated as effective or highly effective receive a share of the funds.

LarryInFishers has learned that Fishers High School Football Coach Rick Wimmer plans on retiring from coaching.

HSE Schools Spokesperson Emily Abbotts has confirmed that Wimmer will retire from coaching only.

Coach Wimmer has been the head coach at Fishers since the school opened in 2006 and his accomplishments include a record of 99-61 (overall 263-144), a 2010 Class 5A State Championship, three Sectional Championships (’10, 12, ’17), and four Hoosier Crossroads Conference Championships (’09, ’10, ’13, ’17).

Todd Huston was first elected to the Indiana House in 2012.  Soon, you will be addressing him as Speaker Huston.

The Indiana House Republican caucus voted Huston as speaker-elect Monday.  Current Speaker Brian Bosma will continue in the Speaker’s Chair for the 2020 session.  Huston is expected to take the gavel after the session is over, according to Indianapolis Business Journal Statehouse reporter Lindsey Erdody.

Bosma has served longer than any other Indiana Speaker.

Huston served as co-chair of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee in the last legislative session.  That panel was instrumental in fashioning the state’s two-year budget, and was heavily involved in gambling issues, such as Terre Haute’s proposed new casino and the introduction of sports wagering in Indiana.

His district covers the City of Fishers.

You can read Lindsey Erdody’s IBJ story at this link.   (Note:  You may be limited on the IBJ stories you can access if you are not a subscriber)

Fishers Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath is about to leave her job at City Hall, but seeks another job, this one in the Indiana Statehouse.

Ms. McGrath announced Monday she will be a candidate to succeed current House Speaker Brian Bosma in the upcoming 2020 election.  Bosma has announced he will not seek re-election.

Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 and has a very simple and direct purpose – remember nonprofit groups doing outstanding work in your local community.

This is a friendly reminder to all my readers that we have a wealth of outstanding charitable organizations in the Fishers area.  I would ask that you remember them on Giving Tuesday and make a contribution.

I would list all the local nonprofit groups deserving you support this Giving Tuesday, but I would run the danger of leaving-out one or more.  So, I am leaving it up to you.

Think about a local tax exempt organization locally that you know about or have had any dealings with.  Remember that organization Tuesday.

Or, just peruse social media.  There will be plenty of reminders for the many groups running promotions on Giving Tuesday.

I think Giving Tuesday is a great idea.  Now, consider a local group and contribute this year!

Leah McGrath has been a deputy mayor in Fishers since 2015, and will be leaving public service later this month as she assumes a position in the private sector.  She will be heading to Knowledge Services, a firm that will be building its headquarters in Fishers.

McGrath was mentioned as a possible candidate for the 5th District congressional Republican primary next year, but decided not to pursue that office.

As Ms. McGrath departs, speculation is rampant as to who may replace her.  That guessing game may all be for naught.  Mayor Scott Fadness tells LarryInFishers he does not plan to replace Leah McGrath.

There is one more deputy mayor on Fadness’ staff now, Elliott Hultgren.  The mayor is signaling that he may go back to having just one deputy mayor.

There is precedent for reorganizing his staff rather than replace a key top employee.  When Tom Dickey left his post as Community Development Director, Fadness chose not to replace Dickey.  Instead, he reorganized the staff he had on board at the time.

So, look for some shuffling of the mayor’s top staff, but no replacement for the departing Leah McGrath.

With Thanksgiving behind us, I am seeing a lot of comments on social media about the Reynolds Farm Equipment Christmas light display that had been around since about 1991. Reynolds Drive near State Road 37 south 126th Street has been lit-up with Christmas joy for a long time, until this year.

The announcement was made back in July of this year that Reynolds was donating the light display to Conner Prairie.  The lights are now part of the “Merry Prairie Holiday” celebration on the grounds of Conner Prairie.

I have noticed some critical comments about how Conner Prairie is charging for the light display.  The local nonprofit organization does charge a fee of either $16 or $20 (for those above age 2 & dependent on whether you buy your ticket at the gate or in advance).

It is true there is an admission fee, but the Reynolds lights are just one part of the entire event.  I would ask everyone to keep one important fact in mind.

The Christmas light display belonged to Reynolds and it was the family that decided to donate the lights to Conner Prairie.  They wanted the tradition to remain in Fishers.

It should be noted that Reynolds offered the light display free for a number of years.  I believe they have earned the right to decide where the lights go from here.

I have also seen some criticism of the city providing Conner Prairie with $100,000 of funding.  You can have your own opinion about whether that city donation is a good or bad idea, but that $100,000 a year of funding goes back many years to when Fishers was a town.

Our elected officials, either in the previous town council or the current city council, have, to the best of my recollection, unanimously voted to provide this funding every year.

The Fishers City Council created a Nonprofit Committee a few years ago to determine which local nonprofit organizations will receive funding from the city.  The panel’s recommendation passed the Finance Committee and received unanimous approval from council members at the meeting this month.

In addition to the $100,000 approved for Conner Prairie, the council included the following funding for local nonprofit groups as part of the 2020 city budget:

Hamilton County Youth Assistance Program – $65,250
Youth Mentoring Initiative – $64,707
Janus Development Services – $15,043
Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation – $10,000

So, everyone is entitled to your own opinion on the move by Reynolds to donate the Christmas light to Conner Prairie and whether the city should be financially supporting Conner Prairie.  Just be aware of a few key facts.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern dropped a 53-45 game to Hilliard Bradley (Ohio) on Saturday as part of the Ohio Valley Hoops Classic in Mason, Ohio.

The Royals led 10-5 after the first quarter, but Bradley cut that lead to 19-18 by halftime. Southeastern moved back ahead 35-31 after the third quarter, with Sam Jacobs scoring six points in that period.

The game was tied with a minute to go, but Bradley scored and the Royals had to foul.
Alex Totton scored 10 points for the Royals, including two 3-pointers. John McCall added nine points.

Southeastern is 1-1 and plays at Avon Friday to begin Hoosier Crossroads Conference action.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

Don’t be fooled by the final score in Hamilton Southeastern’s Friday afternoon win over Carmel.

The Royals had to fight to get the victory against the Greyhounds, which was played in front of a nice-sized crowd at the Southeastern gym. It was a back-and-forth game for three quarters, but the Class 4A No. 7 Royals pulled away in the fourth period to win 52-36.

“We knew it was going to be a scrappy game,” said Southeastern coach Chris Huppenthal. “You’re not going to run away and hide from Carmel. It’s going to be hard to. Coach (Erin) Trimpe does a really good job. They’re a young basketball team. They got a lot of youth over there and we’re starting four seniors.”

The Greyhounds scored first in the game, with Bridget Dunn making a layin. The Royals answered by scoring the next 10 points, which included 3-pointers from Lauren Morris, Bailee Poore and Sydney Parrish.

That got HSE ahead 10-2 and established a pattern that held for most of the game. The Royals would make a run to build a comfortable lead, but Carmel would come right back and get within shouting distance.

“They got some really good players,” said Huppenthal. “Dunn was a real big presence inside in the first half.

The first quarter ended with Southeastern up 12-7. Parrish opened the second with a jumper, and baskets from Makayla Hinshaw and Parrish put the Royals ahead 18-9. Kate Clarke scored on a layup in between.

“The girl can score, she’s a great scorer,” said Huppenthal. “Their other kids, they’re good players.”

Emily Roper’s basket and a 3-pointer from Clarke cut HSE’s lead to 18-14, but Jackie Maulucci’s basket stopped that run. Dunn scored consecutive layins to get Carmel within 20-18.

“We’ve really been pushing her to do that,” said Trimpe. “Her inside presence is great. We’ve been getting on her about being physical inside and finishing through contact. So she’s getting good rebounds, putting herself in a good position. She’s a leader on the floor for us, and we’re just going to keep pushing her to be better.”

Parrish hit a jumper to end the half with the Royals ahead 22-18. As the third quarter began, Riley Pennington had some good minutes for the ‘Hounds, scoring the first basket of the period, then a layin that got Carmel within one point, at 25-24.

But Southeastern answered with a 9-0 run. Parrish scored six of those points, with Ryan Viele also making a 3-pointer. Morris had hit a 3 earlier in the period.

While his seniors have been stepping up like they always do, Huppenthal was pleased with how his younger players are coming along.

“Mikayla Hinshaw just keeps getting better and better,” said Huppenthal. “Lauren Morris is getting better with each game, gaining confidence shooting the ball. Ryan Viele comes off, hits a 3 for us in the second half. We got kids that continue to just grow into their roles and they’re getting better.”

Carmel made one last push late in the third quarter, getting the lead down to 36-32 after Dunn hit a layin. A putback from Parrish pushed Southeastern’s advantage back up to 38-32 at the end of the period.

The Royals’ defense then took over in the fourth, allowing the Greyhounds only four points. After Roper hit two free throws early in the period, the Royals finished the game on a 14-2 run. Morris and Parrish both made 3s; Morris totaled three 3-pointers for the game.

“I thought defensively, we played great,” said Huppenthal.

Parrish scored 31 points, with Morris totaling nine points. Maulucci and Parrish each collected four rebounds and Maulucci dished out four assists.

Dunn was Carmel’s top scorer with 15 points, and also led the rebounds with nine. Clarke collected seven rebounds and handed out four assists, with Hannah Lach also providing four assists.

“They just took us out of rhythm,” said Trimpe. “They were physical. They’re never out of position, they play hard, so that’s a tough team to play against and we have some adjustments to make from it.”

Southeastern is 7-1 and hosts Noblesville Wednesday in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game. Carmel is 3-3 and travels to Lawrence North on Tuesday for a Metropolitan Conference game.