Commissioner Steve Dillinger tried to tell a story in the annual State Of The County address, talking about what he described as the story of the community that is Hamilton County.

According to my news-gathering partner, the Hamilton County Reporter, over 400 people attended the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Embassy Suites Wednesday.

“This isn’t a speech, it’s a story with a beginning, middle and end,” Dillinger said. “It’s important for the community to see what we’ve accomplished in the past year, what we’re still working on in the new year, and what we’re planning for the future. Hamilton County is constantly evolving.”

Dillinger cited numbers on local tourism, such as the $820 million in visitor spending during 2019, the 1.5 million hotel rooms occupied to more than 4 million people.  He pointed out the Nickel Plate Express as a tourist draw, with more than 25,000 passengers last year.

Dillinger spent time during the speech to provide updates on the Hamilton County Government Center, the jail expansion project and the solar energy effort.  He says county government saved $810,000 using solar power in 2019 and projects $25.6 million in savings in the coming 25 years.

Specific construction projects were mentioned by Commissioner Dillinger, including the completion of the Logan Street Bridge in Noblesville, the Lowe’s Way expansion in Carmel and the reconstruction of State Road 37 within Fishers and Noblesville.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

Before a top 10 and all-county girls basketball clash with Carmel Tuesday night, Tigers coach Lauren Votaw had a challenge for her team.

“We haven’t come out and started well in the last few games and I really
challenged our kids to make tonight different,” said Votaw.

Challenge accepted. Fishers was up to the task big time: The Tigers got off to
a tremendous start, held off runs by the Greyhounds in the middle of the game,
then finished strong to score a 65-44 win at the Tiger Den, ending Carmel’s ninegame win streak.

The game became a top 10 matchup when this week’s Class 4A coaches poll came out, with Fishers ranked No. 4 and Carmel tied for ninth with North Central.

The Tigers had played the Panthers on Jan. 11, with North Central handing Fishers its only loss of the year, and the lessons of that game came up in Tuesday’s contest.

“We talked about the fact that when we faced adversity against North Central,
we struggled a little bit,” said Votaw. “We struggled in the face of adversity, and so
I was proud of them for when those runs came at us, they stayed together and they
fought together.”

Fishers ran away with the first quarter, leading 22-7 by the end of the period. Six different players scored for the Tigers, including seven points for Tamia Perryman and five for Audra Emmerson.

Both players included a 3-pointer in their first-quarter totals.

Carmel began to make a run in the second period, eventually cutting Fishers’ lead to 25-20 with 2:20 to go. Kate Clarke and Bridget Dunn each had five points, with both making a 3. But Perryman stepped up for the Tigers in the final minute of the half, nailing two triples to
give Fishers a 33-24 lead at the break.

The Greyhounds came out lightning fast in the third quarter, scoring three points in the first 19 seconds on a Dunn steal and a free throw from Kiara Gill.

Fishers took a timeout, then responded with a 6-0 run. Perryman started it with
a layin, Hailey Smith scored off a steal and Katie Burton’s layin made the score
39-27.

Carmel went on one more run, scoring eight unanswered points to get within 39-35. Dunn drained a 3 before making a putback, and Gill hit a 3-pointer. But Fishers held off that run as well, getting the last five points of the period to lead 44-35 after three.

Clarke opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, putting Carmel within 44-38.
But after that, it was all Fishers. Burton nailed a 3 to get the Tigers’ lead back to
49-39. Clarke answered with a jumper, but Fishers took care of business after
that, outscoring the ‘Hounds 16-3. Burton added eight more points during that
run.

Votaw was happy with her team’s energy and communication on the defensive end.

“I was just really proud of our kids and how they weathered the storms, because they put a lot of runs on us,” said Votaw. “It felt like a lot of runs. And our kids weathered the storm. They stayed together. They stayed tough. I was just really proud of them.”

Perryman finished the game with 21 points, including three 3-pointers, while
Burton scored 18. Perryman collected five rebounds, while Smith had four
steals.

Dunn led Carmel’s scoring with 19 points, also hitting three 3s. Clarke scored 12 points.

“Fishers is such a good team and they really expose some of your weaknesses and they did a great job defensively on us in limiting our movement and the things that we can do,” said Greyhounds coach Erin Trimpe. “So it’s a lot of credit to them and it just shows us what we need to get back to work on.”

The Tigers are 18-1 for the season. Fishers will play another home game Saturday afternoon, taking on Avon in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game.

The Tigers are on top of the conference standings with a 5-0 record.

“Our kids have done a really good job of buying in to the ‘one game at a time’
mentality,” said Votaw. “And as a staff, that’s what we try to do. The next game
is the only one that matters. So we’re really trying to focus in right now on coming back tomorrow and getting ready for Avon.”

Carmel is 12-7 and also plays a conference game for its next contest. The Greyhounds play at Pike Friday in a Metropolitan Conference game.

“We’ll get back into the gym tomorrow and work on some stuff and hopefully improve on what we saw tonight,” said Trimpe.

Hamilton County Reporter

In a re-match of last year’s Class 4A state championship game, Hamilton
Southeastern beat Lawrence North 49-43 Tuesday night at the Wildcats’ gym.

The game was close throughout, although the No. 6 Royals were able to
hold leads on No. 5 LN after the first quarter (9-7) and at halftime (22-20).

The Wildcats tied the game at 31-31 after three quarters, but Southeastern was able
to pull away at the end.

Jackie Maulucci scored 24 points for the Royals. Sydney Parrish had 10 points
and Makayla Hinshaw scored nine points.

Southeastern is 18-2 for the season and hosts Zionsville Friday in a girls-boys Hoosier Crossroads Conference doubleheader.

Some were newly elected, most were re-elected, but all elected Fishers city officials were sworn into office Tuesday evening, before the regular city council meeting.  It is a special occasion to celebrate for those serving in local elective office.

Mayor Scott Fadness was sworn-in for another term, along with City Clerk Jennifer Kehl and all city council members.  City Judge Dan Henke handled the oath of office duties.

It was a very special night for two specific council members.  For the first time in anyone’s memory, Democrats were elected.  Sam DeLong and Jocelyn Vare both were sworn-into office as new council members.  That made some Fishers history.

Mayor Scott Fadness called it an “historic day” for Fishers as Councilwoman Cecilia Coble took the gavel after being unanimously elected as city council president for 2020.  Fadness says even the old town council never had a female president, making this decision even more historic.

Selina Stoller was elected Council Vice President, also by a unanimous vote.

In other council actions at the Tuesday session:

—Appointments to boards and commissions were approved.  Todd Zimmerman will join the Fishers Plan Commission and David George will take a seat on the Finance Committee.  In a separate action, Jocelyn Vare was appointed to the council’s Nonprofit Committee.

–After two years of having the Fishers Plan Commission get first review of proposals, the council voted to go back to having council members go through first reading on developments and other items before sending the item to the Plan Commission.  Planning and Zoning Director Tony Bagato said this will give the Plan Commission an idea of how the council views the project before the public hearing.

–Two project tax abatement items received final council approval.  New commercial projects on Sunlight Drive and Amp West (near the Nickel Plate Amphitheater) were both passed.

–A proposal on nonresidential open spaces, already passed with a favorable recommendation from the Plan Commission, was amended by council vote, meaning the provision will return to the Plan Commission for more consideration.

–The former Ram Restaurant site near 126th Street and State Road 37 is being eyed as an office building, but the setback standards may not be met due to construction on State Road 37, so the council approved a change in the setback rule for that property.

–Jamie Burrows and Duane Reddick were honored for 20 years of service to the Fishers Fire Department.  Dave Seward was recognized for 25 years of service to the Fishers Police Department.

–During the community comment period, a contractor for the city storm water operation asked to be considered for becoming a city employee and Mayor Fadness promised to look into it.  Former Town Council Member Mike Colby asked when the city will announce the street repaving list, because he is concerned about a particular piece of roadway in the River Glen neighborhood.  Fadness said the listing should be available online soon.

–This was the first council session for two new council members, both Democrats, Jocelyn Vare and Sam DeLong.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Lee Buckingham announces his police “officers of the year” each year at about this time.  Two Fishers officers received the honor this time around.  They are Dave Finn and Jarred Koopman.

Detective Finn is a Marine Corps veteran, serving there for 5 years.  He joined the Fishers department in 2007, serving as a road officer before becoming an investigator.  “Detective Finn distinguished himself with genuine compassion toward the victims in the cases he investigates and with balanced attention to all cases, regardless of the overall seriousness of the allegations,” said Buckingham in a news release.

Road Officer Koopman has been in the news recently, as his K-9 partner Harlej died pursuing a suspect during November of 2019 in the Saxony area. Harlej became part of the Fishers Police force in 2015, with officer Koopman as his handler.  “Officer Koopman and Harlej worked tirelessly over the years and helped to take quantities of drugs, large and small, off of our county’s streets,” Prosecutor Buckingham said.

Buckingham also recognized Detective Mike Haskett of the Noblesville Police Department as a third Officer of the Year.

This year proved a particularly difficult year in which to choose the Officers of the Year, according to Buckingham, due to the large number of potential candidates.

County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt made it official Tuesday, by filing the paperwork to seek another term in office.

Heirbrandt has served nearly two terms as commissioner.  When Doug Carter was elected to a term as county commissioner in 2012, shortly after Carter’s election, he was appointed Indiana State Police Commissioner.  Republican precinct officials elected Heirbrandt to fill Carter’s term.  In 2016, Heirbrandt was elected to his current term in office.

In a news release announcing his filing, Heirbrandt points out his work with INDOT and Fishers officials in working out $100 million funding package for State Road 37 reconstruction.

The first meeting of a city council in a new calendar year requires a number of actions relating to the coming year.  The Fishers City Council will have its first meeting of 2020 Tuesday night.  The normal meeting day is Monday, but the Martin Luther King holiday required the meeting to be held the following day.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at City Hall at 5pm Tuesday.

As the council convenes, the first action item is to vote on the council president and vice president for the coming year.  Based on conversations I have had with several council members, Cecilia Coble will likely be named as council president and Selina Stoller vice president.  But, it is not official until the council votes.

Another major item on the agenda will be the council appointments to boards and commissions.  If approved as proposed on the council agenda, David George will be added on the council’s Finance Committee, replacing Eric Moeller.  Todd Zimmerman will join follow councilmen Brad DeReamer and Pete Peterson on the Fishers Plan Commission, replacing Rich Block.

In other council appointments, Gary Bolenbaugh would be serving a 4-year term on the Police Merit Commission.  Brad Johnson and Dan Canan would continue their service on the Redevelopment Commission as council appointees for another year.

Again, these appointments are not official until the council approves.

The Fishers Test Kitchen is patterned after Launch Fishers and the Internet of Things (IOT) Lab, experimental and always subject to change.  Tuesday morning, changes were announced.

The first part of this operation that has been in flux is the opening date.  I was told back in September that the goal was to open the Test Kitchen at The Yard in November of 2019.  We are still waiting, but the opening now appears to be on the horizon in early February.

King Dough Pizza owners by Adam and Alicia Sweet have announced their intention to offer the  latest concept, Natural State Provisions.   Natural State Provisions will replace West Coast Nook, after Chef Leisha Berg decided to step away from the accelerator project.

“Fishers District, and specifically Fishers Test Kitchen, is our first major effort to put the Fishers’ culinary scene on the map,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “We are excited to welcome Chefs Adam and Alicia Sweet to the team that will make our city an interesting and dynamic culinary destination.”

Korave Korean BBQ and Lil Dumplings will be the other two operations participating in the accelerator as the operation opens.

Natural State Provisions will feature menu items like fried chicken and root beer braised pork, among other fare inspired by the food of Adam’s hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, the namesake of the restaurant concept.

“We are setting out not only to create delicious food, but also to evoke the feeling of a laid-back southern meal,” Adam Sweet said.

“Adam and Alicia Sweet are simply a slam dunk addition to our Fishers Test Kitchen lineup,” said John Wechsler, Launch Fishers and Indiana IoT Lab co-founder. “They understand the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, and we expect them to be an exciting addition to the entrepreneurial culture of Fishers.”

Dave Colt, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Sun King Brewing, said Natural State Provisions would be a welcome addition to the menu at Fishers Test Kitchen.

“Sun King beers taste great with just about anything, but customers will especially enjoy them along with southern-inspired offerings like the fried chicken and braised pork created by Chef Adam Sweet,” Colt said. “We can’t wait to welcome customers to our innovation brewery in our newest location at Fishers Test Kitchen.”

Clint Wilson began his journey as a newly-appointed member of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board when officially named to replace Mike Bottorff, who resigned his board seat, in late June.  When I recorded a podcast with the new school board member early in July, he talked about his 90-day plan to begin to familiarize himself with the facilities, finances and people that make up the school district.

I recently asked Clint Wilson to tell me what he discovered during his 90-day journey of the HSE school system.  First, he says 90 days will not be long enough, so Wilson has extended his 90-plan to encompass the entire remaining school year.

Second, the school board member has learned a great deal during his relatively short stint on the board.  In an e-mail message to LarryInFishers, Mr. Wilson explains what he has learned so far.

He has visited about half the school buildings in the district, but started with Durbin and Fishers Elementary Schools, since decisions were looming on both buildings.  The board has since moved toward a possible replacement for Durbin, a new large elementary building in Wayne Township.  Commenting on the two elementary facilities, Wilson says “there are some real challenges that exist in both buildings due to the age and layout.”

Next, he spent time getting to know people throughout the district, including those working the school district’s central office.  That includes the superintendent, financial staff, analytics and equity. Getting to know his fellow school board members also became a part of that effort.   “It was incredibly helpful to get to know them on a more personal level, to understand their background, their goals for our schools, and gain clarity about how we can best work together,” said Wilson in his e-mail.

Finally, Wilson took some time with students, particularly a group at HSE High School.  He commented on a presentation made by a multiracial group in an AP (advanced placement) class about such classes not tending to be diverse.

“Several black students shared that they had not been encouraged to take tougher classes, while a white student shared they had been encouraged to take AP classes,” Wilson wrote in the e-mail message to LarryInFishers. “In addition to the panorama (analytic) data highlighting the achievement gap between black students and other races, this conversation made it clear to me there is an opportunity to make sure that all students of all races are afforded the best opportunities in our schools.”

Summing up his overall impressions, Wilson lauded local educators.  “We are fortunate to live in a community with great schools. We are also fortunate to live in a community with passionate parents who hold us accountable to doing what’s best for all kids,” Wilson said.