Hamilton County Reporter

Basketball is a game of runs, and that was demonstrated perfectly Thursday night
at the Tiger Den between Fishers and Westfield.

The Tigers got the final run of the game, outscoring the Shamrocks 14-7 in an
overtime period to win 63-56. The terrific 3-point shooting of Jeremy Szilagyi and
free-throw shooting of Willie Jackson helped propel the Tigers to a Hoosier Crossroads Conference win as well as their first overtime victory of the season after two
OT losses.

“There were two games that were played out there,” said Fishers coach Matt Moore.
“That first stretch for us where we were really hitting offensively. And they made a
run and I thought we did a good job of just staying composed and had poise.”

The Tigers led 15-10 after the first quarter, with Szilagyi draining three 3-pointers on his way to 11 points in the period. Fishers then jumped ahead 31-26 at halftime; Szilagyi threw in two more triples and had 19 points.

Westfield’s Caleb Welch quickly tied the game at the beginning of the third quarter,
with a basket and a 3-pointer. The Tigers responded with a 9-0 run to go up 40-31.
Four different players scored for Fishers, including three points (layin and free throw)
for Willie Jackson.

A ‘3’ from Zach Banks ended the run, but the Tigers led 44-34 with 1:07 left in the
third. It was time for the ‘Rocks to start their roll in the fourth quarter, and they did.
Actually, Westfield’s run began early, with two free throws from Banks with 5.4
seconds left in the third.

Josh Van Dyke then nailed back-to-back 3s in the early stages of the fourth, getting
the Shamrocks within 44-42. Banks then tied the game on another 3, at 45-all.

Chris Chin pushed Westfield ahead 49-47 with his basket off a steal, and Josiah
Matthews answered with two free throws with 1:17 left. That was the final score of
regulation, which ended in a 49-49 tie.

Chin’s 3-pointer put the Shamrocks ahead 52-51 early in the overtime, but
Szilagyi answered with a jumper – his 23rd point of the game – and Fishers was up
53-52. The Tigers would steadily increase their lead during the extra period, with
Jackson getting it done from the line.  Jackson went 8-for-8 during the game’s final
45 seconds.

“That’s what he does,” said Moore. “He’s going to go down when he graduates from here as probably the all-time free throw attempts person and free throw makes person. He’s got a unique skill to get fouled and he shoots a pretty decent percentage. And that’s what makes him unique.”

Szilagyi’s 23 points led all scorers, while Jackson finished with 13. Brendhan Russom
and Jordan Jones also had some big baskets during the late stages of the game; they
finished with eight and six points respectively.

Banks scored 22 points for Westfield, including four 3-pointers. Van Dyke totaled
15 points and three 3s, while Chin had 12 points.

“I thought we played well,” said Westfield coach Shane Sumpter. “It certainly came down to a lot more than the end of the game. Obviously, we let 21 (Szilagyi) have a big first half, and then we did a little bit better job in the second half. Offensive rebounds were big, really big, especially in the third quarter. But defensively, I thought we did a much better
job in the fourth quarter and I thought our guys hung tough.”

The Tigers are now 2-3 in HCC play and 8-8 overall. They are back in action Tuesday
at Anderson, the beginning of a four-game road trip. The Shamrocks are 1-4 in the
conference and 6-9 overall; they are back at The Rock on Tuesday to host Harrison.

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation has a few fund-raising projects throughout the year, but one of the biggest is Game Day.  This year’s Game Day event is set once again at Conner Prairie, Friday, February 23rd, 6:30-9:30pm

Money raised will go toward the foundation’s projects supporting all school in the Hamilton Southeastern school district.

There are a limited number of tickets available.  To buy your tickets, use this link.

Dr. Terry Layman, with OurHealth, talks about the influenza season, how to prevent spreading the virus and why you should receive a flu shot.

Hamilton County Reporter

The Hamilton County Fraternal Order of Police Francis Castor Lodge #103 held a debate Tuesday among the four current Sheriff candidates. After the event, members voted to endorse Bill Clifford (center) as their selection to be the next Hamilton County Sheriff.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Shane Booker has been appointed executive director of the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency effective Feb. 12. Booker has been with the EMA for the past three years. He takes over from acting director Carl Erickson.

Booker has 20 years’ experience in public safety including law enforcement. He is a graduate of the University of Indianapolis and has most recently been managing projects for the county EMA. Emergency Management, the outgrowth of Civil Defense which was formed in 1950, is responsible for coordinating fire, police and other public services in response to community emergencies including flood, fire, tornado, dangerous chemical spills or other natural or man-made disasters.

Emergency Management is housed in secure facilities at the county sheriff’s department, 18100 Cumberland Road, Noblesville.

County officials have also announced the appointment of Monica Greer as director of the Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs. She will assume her duties in March replacing George Kristo who served 22 years in the position.

Greer has been a probation officer with the Hamilton County Probation Department the past four years. Originally from Yorktown, the Noblesville resident is a graduate of Ball State University.

The Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs works to discourage the use of alcohol and illegal drugs by local young people. The council sponsors various projects and provides financial assistance to DARE, MADD and other groups attempting to curb illegal substances.

The council offices are located in the county Government and Judicial Center in Noblesville.

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Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

With only a week to go before the deadline for candidates to file for this year’s primary election, many county and township incumbents remain unopposed. As is normal in Hamilton County, nearly all of those filed for major offices are Republicans. Democrats have candidates in the field for several state legislative seats, but none for major county office. Filing ends at noon Feb. 9.

Winners in the May 8 primary will secure a spot on the November election ballot. If no candidates run for an office in the primary, the political party leaders may fill their ticket in June. County Republicans are almost certain to have a full primary slate. Democrats say they will have some candidates, but not a full slate.

Still unopposed for re-election are incumbent Prosecutor Lee Buckingham, Superior Court Judge Gail Bardach, County Commissioner Christine Altman, County Councilor Amy Massillamany, County Assessor Robin Ward, County Recorder Jennifer Hayden and County Coroner John Chalfin. In addition, all but one of the county’s nine incumbent township trustees are unopposed in the GOP primary.

This year is considered an off-year election. But, county voters will select a total of 52 candidates for office, making the primary of great importance. But, voter turnout is usually low in off-year primaries.

In the meantime the political parties are gearing up for the primary and general elections. Republicans who opened their new county headquarters yesterday in Westfield are planning the annual Lincoln Day Dinner on March 22, according to county chairwoman Laura Campbell. Democrats will hold their Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in May or June, according to county chairman Joe Weingarten.

The following is a complete list of candidates for local office as of 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Continue reading May 8 Primary Election Filing Deadline Is Near →

Hamilton County Reporter

Judge Gail Bardach, Hamilton Superior Court 6, has announced she is seeking re-election in the May 8 Republican primary. Bardach has served as Judge of Superior Court 6 for 11 years. Prior to 2007, she served as Judge of the Carmel City Court for almost 14 years.

“I am looking forward to continuing to serve the people of Hamilton County, as I have for the past 25 years,” Bardach said. “I’ve dedicated my career to serving our community and I’m excited for the opportunity to preside over Superior Court 6 for the next six years.”

Bardach graduated summa cum laude from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law and earned her undergraduate degree at Indiana University (Bloomington). Prior to becoming a judge, she served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Marion County.

Bardach has been married to her husband Lee for 44 years, and they together have raised three grown children: Jeff, Carey and Evan, who are all pursuing and fulfilling their professional careers in journalism, education and the law.

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Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

The Fishers girls basketball sectional began with a reversal of fortune for the host.

The Tigers dropped a close overtime game to Westfield early in the regular season. On Tuesday, Fishers came out on top, overcoming the Shamrocks 41-36 in the first game of Class 4A Sectional 8. The Tigers advanced to the semi-finals to play Mudsock rival Hamilton Southeastern on Friday.

The two teams were tied at 12-12 after the first quarter, then Fishers edged out to a 24-22 lead by halftime. Skylar Fulton hit two 3-pointers in the second period, while Kenedi London helped out with five in the first quarter. Ashtin DeCraene also scored five points in the first for Westfield.

Meanwhile, free throws were also key: The Shamrocks’ Sophia Kreag went 4-for-4 in the first period, then the Tigers’ Toni Grace made all four of her foul shots in the second. Grace added four straight points for Fishers to close out the third quarter, with a layin and two more free throws.

That run helped the Tigers achieve some separation, as Westfield had gotten to within 27-26 midway through the period. Cierra Tolbert made a free throw, then Grace’s run pushed Fishers ahead 32-26 at the end of the third.

Ryann Bunting opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, and Kreag drained another pair of free throws to get the ‘Rocks within 34-31. But Grace stepped up again, with two more foul shots (sensing a theme here?), and Fishers’ lead never dropped below four points after that.

Tigers coach Lauren Vail believes that experience helped her team get through the fourth quarter. She noted that earlier in the year, Fishers would’ve folded in that situation.

“And quite honestly, against Westfield the first time, we did,” said Vail. “It was a very similar game. We were up late in the fourth and we had some breakaways the first time, and we turned the basketball over. And tonight we found ways to hold on to it.”

The free-throw shooting also was key: The Tigers went 9-of-12 from the line in the fourth period.

“That’s going to win you some ball games if you’re going to hit free throws like that down the stretch,” said Vail.

Grace scored 14 points, including an incredible 12-of-13 performance from the line. Fulton finished with seven points, and London’s six points were accompanied by seven rebounds. Lydia Stullken corralled six rebounds, with Grace and Tamia Perryman both grabbing five.
DeCraene finished with nine points for Westfield, while Kreag scored eight. Bunting made two 3-pointers for six points. Kreag and Annabelle O’Hair both pulled seven rebounds.

“I felt like defensively, we did everything that we had prepared and prepped for,” said Westfield coach Ginny Smith. “Actually, we did an amazing job defensively.” The coach was proud of the fact that her team had just held Fishers – “a really good basketball team – to just 41 points.

“It’s been the same problem we’ve had all year long, just being able to score,” said Smith. “We hit those long spells where we just can’t put it in the hole. In big games against good teams, you’ve got to find a way to consistently score, and we didn’t do that.”

Westfield finished its season with a 14-9 record, while the Tigers are now 13-11. Fishers will now get ready for Mudsock Part 2, with a spot in the sectional championship on the line this time. Southeastern coach Chris Huppenthal and members of the Royals team were indeed at the game.

“I don’t know that it could get more exciting than this,” said Vail. “The first time you play them, it’s always a huge game. And Coach Hupp and I talk about that all the time, how anything can happen in a game like that because it’s a rivalry game. It doesn’t matter how good they are, how good we are. Anytime you play each other, that happens.”

Since 1989, The Fishers Freedom Festival has been the local community summer celebration.   With the Freedom Festival organization pulling out, the new Spark!Fishers festival is set to launch in 2018.

The new event will be held Friday, June 29th & Saturday, June 30th.  All the details are not available, but a group of over 80 people have formed seven committees to begin work on Spark!Fishers.

The Honorary Chairpersons for the new festival read like a Who’s Who of Fishers.  They include Mayor Scott Fadness, Hamilton Southeastern School Superintendent Allan Bourff, Conner Prairie CEO Norman Burns and recently-retired HSE Sports Executive Director Lynda Carlino.

The new festival will have a 5K run, parade and fireworks display.  Spark!Fishers will also include a June 29th concert featuring a yet-to-be-named an act with a national profile.

On Monday, January 29th, I recorded a podcast with all the honorary co-chairs for Spark!Fishers.

The City of Fishers is preparing to welcome a new vendor providing medical services to municipal employees.  During the month of March, a company named OurHealth will be moving into the space for the city employee clinic in the Meyer Najem building downtown.

The Fishers facility will be the seventh OurHealth clinic in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.

“We were attracted by the innovative approach OurHealth takes to customize its healthcare service for individual clients and for their proven record of positively impacting patient health,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a news release. “The OurHealth team has an entrepreneurial drive, and we see them as the latest innovator to join our community.”

OurHealh says its clinics rely heavily on technology and individual employee attention to specific health issues.

The firm claims its customers see an average savings of 20 percent on healthcare costs, mostly in the form of reduced emergency room visits, savings on specialty referrals, and reduced lab and medication costs. Its client list includes OneAmerica, Genesys (formerly Interactive Intelligence), Ice Miller LLP, the Indianapolis Airport Authority, the City of Indianapolis, and the City of Charlotte.

During 2017, the company says its patients lost a combined 33,000 pounds, 76,000 points of bad cholesterol and 2,000 points on A1c levels (the leading indicator for diabetes).

In late November, the Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety terminated the city’s contract with QuadMed, the firm that had handled the city employee health clinic since 2008.  Mayor Scott Fadness said that contract was ending due to “performance issues.”