HAND Incorporated is a Hamilton County nonprofit organization that works on affordable housing issues in our county.  I talked with Jennifer Miller and Andrea Davis about the work HAND does in local communities

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com) 

Are voters more enthusiastic or more “turned off” by the upcoming general election which is now less than three weeks away? If absentee and early voting are indications, the answer seems to be they are much more interested than in most non-presidential elections.

The county elections office reports that walk-in traffic for early voting is averaging 500 per day. And, more than 5,000 voters have requested mailed ballots. The great interest is partially because of the increasing popularity of early voting coupled with particular interest due to national publicity over the importance of control of Congress.

In any event, Hamilton County does have an important local election with dozens of offices to be voted upon. This year is called an off-year election, but with all the offices at stake from U.S. Senate to township board, it has more implications for local residents than the presidential year election.

For example, voters will choose school board members who can alter the course of local school systems. Township officials will be elected who in some communities will decide the future of their fire and rescue services.

At the county level, races for sheriff, county commissioner and county council will determine whether or not there will be any major changes in public services ranging from law enforcement policy to highway improvement.

And, of course, at the national level, the outcome of our Senate race could possibly determine majority control and therefore future of national administration policy.

So, it is probably not wise to listen to cynics who may say elections don’t matter and politicians are all the same. Such statements are by and large not true. Elections do matter.

Both political parties, of course, know this and are working harder than in most off-year elections to get their voters to participate. Democrats, feeling there is a national trend in their direction, are working harder locally than they have in years. Republicans, knowing they have a challenge, are also working harder than they usually do in fall elections to maintain their advantage.

Adam Aasen & I had to go into hiatus with our weekly podcast Hamilton County Goes To The Movies, but we have produced a special edition.  Adam talks about films he has seen lately, and I talk with the filmmakers behind an Indiana-based movie, Bullitt County.

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools are in the process of changing the district boundaries for grades kindergarten through 8th grade.  The proposed boundaries in some of the proposals posted so far have created a lot of conversations with the families within the Hamilton Southeastern Schools.  I asked to speak with school officials about the process so far and how the redistricting timeline will work as it moves forward.

In this podcast, I spoke with HSE School Board President Matt Burke, HSE Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff and Interim HSE Assistant Superintendent Bill Carnes.

All schools within the Hamilton Southeastern School District recently received Gold Star recognition from the Indiana Department of Education.  According to my news gathering partners at the Hamilton County Reporter, that news was announced by local State Representative Todd Huston (R-Fishers).

Former Fishers Police Chief Mitch Thompson has pleaded guilty to one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person.  According to a news report from WISH-TV in Indianapolis, Thompson was sentenced to probation after entering his guilty plea.

The Fishers Police Department tells LarryInFishers former Chief Thompson officially resigned as a Fishers police officer earlier this week.  Mr. Thompson resigned as chief days after the July incident but left open the option of asking for reinstatement at a lower rank.  The former chief had been on paid leave while his criminal case was pending.

The WISH-TV story also says the former chief must also submit to random drug and alcohol testing, and avoid consuming alcohol for one year as part of the probation sentence.

The charge and now sentence stem from a July 2018 three-vehicle crash in the intersection of 96th Street and Keystone Avenue. At the time of the incident, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Thompson got behind the wheel, causing the crash.

In addition to 363 days of probation, Thompson’s license was also suspended for 90 days, retroactive back to Aug. 1. His license was restored on Oct. 16.

You can read the WISH-TV story at this link.

My series of podcasts featuring candidates for Hamilton Southeastern School Board continues.  This time, I talk with Brad Banks, on the ballot in District 4

Hamilton Southeastern Schools are in the midst of a process aimed at redrawing the district’s school boundaries, grades kindergarten through 8th grade, for the start of the 2019-2020 school year, beginning in August of next year.  If you have been reading social media in the Fishers area, there are plenty of comments about what is happening so far, and some of the comments are not complimentary.

The new Southeastern Elementary, currently under construction near Southeastern Parkway and Cyntheanne Road, will be welcoming students in August of 2019.  Hence, the need to redistrict school boundary lines.

Mike Fassold, long-time teacher in the HSE system, currently at Fishers Junior High School, has served on redistricting committees in the past but has chosen not to take on that role this time around.  Mr. Fassold made some very pertinent comments recently on his Facebook page.

Here is part of that post:

Each plan has Fishers Junior High/Sand Creek Intermediate School between 80 and 85% capacity. This should have been a show-stopper for each plan. The growth is on the eastern side of our district. FJH/SCIS and Riverside JH/IS should be filled to 105% each so that redistricting can be delayed as much as possible for those schools. Fall Creek Junior High/Intermediate School and HSE Intermediate School/Junior High should be the schools with enrollment at the 80 to 85% level so that they can adapt to growth easier.

It should be noted there are two community dialogue sessions scheduled…the first is set for October 24th at Fishers High School, the second the following evening, October 25th, at HSE High School.  Each begins at 6:00pm in the cafeteria.

The HSE School Board plans a work session on November 20th to review the work of the various groups and the options they have offered.  Superintendent Allen Bourff will present the administration’s proposed boundaries at the November 28th school board session.  The board is scheduled to vote on the final redistricting plan December 12th.

The Fishers Fire Department welcomed a new piece of equipment at the station on 116th Street near Brooks School Road.  A shiny, new Pierce 105’ ladder truck arrived Monday.

Companies and their families followed rich fire service tradition by “wetting down” the truck, praying over it for the protection of firefighters and all they serve, and “pushing” the truck into its bay.  The traditions date back to the days when fires were fought using carts.

Local firefighters took time to remember Assistant Chief Raymond “Bud” Moulders death, which happened Oct 13, 1967.

The new fire truck will replace a 2002 ladder, which will still serve in a reserve and training capacity.

Hamilton Counter Reporter

Fishers nearly pulled off an upset at Zionsville on Friday before falling to the Class
5A No. 7 Eagles 13-12 Friday in the Tigers’ Hoosier Crossroads Conference and
regular-season finale.

The Eagles got on the board first with a first-quarter touchdown. Fishers worked
its way back to a 6-6 tie in the third quarter thanks to field goals from Jack Phillips,
who hit a 29-yarder in the beginning of the second quarter and a 35-yard kick late in
the third period.

Zionsville scored on a long running touchdown in the fourth. The Tigers answered
with a 5-yard run by Dylan Scally with 19 seconds left, but the Eagles held on for the
win.

Scally rushed for 152 yards on 35 carries, while Matt Noble added 55 yards. Lucas
Prewitt completed 8 of 20 passes for 109 yards, with Collin Statz making four receptions.

Fishers finished HCC play 2-5 and the regular season 3-6. The Tigers will play at
Pike on Oct. 26 in the semi-finals of 6A Sectional 5.