One of the most often used, and misunderstood, phrases in tech talk these days is this one – “The Internet of Things.”  IoT, as it is also known, essentially describes technology coming to nearly everything we use.

You’ve heard about those self-driving vehicles coming soon the a roadway near your?  They will all by connected as part of the Internet of Things.  Even your household appliances will all be connected to help you keep control even when you are not home, and become much more efficient with all this connectivity.

One tech writer told me you can have a picture frame with a computer chip in it in the very near future.  If someone is trying to steal your rare, expensive painting, the chip will let you know it is moving and track it so the police can pursue the culprits.

The Internet of Things is very much a part of the technology business boom in Fishers.  Plenty of local tech firms are tied into the development and implementation of IoT.

You may recall Governor Holcomb visited Launch Fishers in February of this year to announce a new Internet of Things laboratory not far from the Launch Fishers building.  The city and state have an investment in that lab.

This would lead one to believe that it’s full speed ahead on the Internet of Things and nothing can stop it now.  There is something that could stop IoT dead in its tracks, and we all should sound a cautionary note on this technology.

A Forbes contributing writer specializing in cutting edge technology, Harold Stark, authored a piece published on www. Forbes.com October 29th.  It gives us all something to think about.

Security is the note of caution one must consider when looking into the future of IoT.  Stark describes a scary vulnerability found in most Wi-Fi connections.  Although patches are being made, is illustrates just how easy it might be for hackers to create societal chaos once virtually everything we use is connected via IoT.

You can read Stark’s entire piece at this link.

A few days earlier, CNBC posted a piece on its web site written by their London-based reporter Anmar Frangoul, that reads, in part:

In 2016, IoT security business ForeScout Technologies released a report in which it looked at seven common IoT devices, including smart fridges, connected printers and IP-connected security systems.

Alarmingly, ForeScout said that the devices could be “hacked in as little as three minutes, but can take days or weeks to remediate.” ForeScout said that IoT hacks could result in the microphones and cameras of devices being hijacked to spy on their users as well as the destruction of critical equipment.

You can read the entire CNBC story at this link.

I am not trying to be alarmist here.  It is well known that many systems thought to be secure have been hacked.  The latest big one was Equifax.  If Equifax can be hacked, just about any target is vulnerable.

Both the City of Fishers and the State of Indiana are working hard, supporting technology businesses to grow and thrive as we become even more Internet connected every day.  I only ask that our elected officials keep in mind that technology has its pitfalls.

If the public turns against the Internet of Things because of security concerns, that bright IoT future could be in jeopardy.  As more effective security systems are developed in the years ahead, this concern may be gone.  But in the meantime, let’s be realistic about the possible IoT dangers ahead.

The Florida Project is the film reviewed in this week’s podcast.  Joe Shearer of FilmYap.com joins Adam & Larry as this week’s guest.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

David Najjar has been appointed judge of Hamilton Superior Court 5. Gov. Eric Holcomb made the appointment Friday filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Wayne Sturtevant in August. For 12 years Najjar has been the county court’s magistrate. Previously he served as a deputy prosecuting attorney.

A 30-year resident of Hamilton County, he lives in Carmel and graduated from Carmel High School and Indiana University. The new judge and his wife, the former Karen Philllips, have three children. He is active in Scouting and his church.

He takes office immediately, becoming only the second judge in Superior 5 history.

Najjar will serve out the remainder of the current term which runs through Dec. 31, 2020.

He was one of 17 local attorneys who submitted applications for the post. The new judge had made an unsuccessful run for judge of Superior Court 2 last year. Jon Brown won that contest.

Local attorneys generally expressed satisfaction with Najjar’s appointment, saying they believe him to be qualified and fair during his tenure as magistrate.

“David Najjar is an exceptional judge who will be able to draw upon his experience as he continues to serve Hamilton County in his new and honorable role as a superior court judge. There were 17 other very worthy candidates vying for this position, and Mr. Najjar’s selection is a testament to his integrity and fairness. Congratulations, Mr. Najjar, I wish you well and know you will do a great job.”

– Rep. Kathy Richardson’s statement on David Najjar’s
appointment to Hamilton County Superior Court

by

Richie Hall

Hamilton County Reporter

Friday’s Class 6A Sectional 5 semi-final football game between Fishers and Hamilton
Southeastern was throwback football at its best: A good, old-fashioned roll in the
Mud…sock.

There was also much at stake, with a trip There was also much at stake, with a trip
to the sectional championship game on the line. In the end, the Tigers prevailed over
the host Royals 9-6 and will host Pike next Friday for the Sectional 5 title.
to the sectional championship game on the line. In the end, the Tigers prevailed over
the host Royals 9-6 and will host Pike next Friday for the Sectional 5 title.

Unlike games in their recent past, this was a defensive showdown between the
Mudsock rivals. The game was played in chilly and gloomy conditions, which added
to the grittiness factor.

“Their team played well,” said Fishers coach Rick Wimmer. “Our defense really
played well tonight. I don’t think we gave up a big play all night, except for a little bit
right there at the end of the first half when they got their drive going. We did a really
good job against the run, got some pressure on the quarterback at times.”

The Tigers got on the board first, with Ben Norton kicking a 24-yard field goal late
in the first quarter. Southeastern had to wait almost a full period to respond, but did so
with a step-by-step drive that finally got it in the end zone.

Jackson Sweeney punched the ball in from the one-yard line with 3:30 left in the
second quarter. Fishers blocked the extra point attempt, but the Royals still had the
lead at halftime, 6-3.

The Tigers re-took the lead early in the third quarter. HL Lewis ran the ball into the
end zone from six yards, getting his team ahead 9-6. Fishers tried to go for two, but a
conversion pass fell incomplete.

After that, the defenses took over. Most of the drives for both teams ended in punts,
but a big defensive stop came with 5:56 left, when the Tigers halted HSE’s drive on
fourth-and-1.

That gave Fishers the ball back with around 4:30 left. The Tigers converted a
fourth-and-2 to keep their drive going, then Lewis’ nine-yard run on third-and-9 with
under a minute left finally clinched the game for Fishers.

Both teams’ leading rushers worked hard to get their yards, with Lewis and Sweeney
carrying the ball 22 times. Lewis finished with 81 yards, while Sweeney collected 49
yards. Lewis also had two catches for the game, the most of any Fishers player. Matt
Wolff finished the game 6-of-16, collecting 75 yards.

Southeastern quarterback Kody Sparks had a solid game, going 13-for-20 on 116
yards. Ben Boysen and Jackson Lantz each made four catches.

The Tigers are now 6-4 for the year, while the Royals finished their season at 3-7.

I spend a good part of my fall and early winter season working to prepare and instruct the Indiana University Tax Practitioner Institute.  Since taxes are a big part of the political discussion these days, I brought together my colleagues at the IU school to talk about taxes, and also discussed adult education.

Cold weather may be upon us, but the road construction listing in and around
Fishers remains a very long one.

Here is the listing of road and street work scheduled for the work week beginning Monday, October 30th, as provided by the City of Fishers.

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One item that is of interest to almost all parents and students of any school district is the school calendar.  When does school start?  When is the last day of school?  When are the breaks scheduled and how many days will they last?

Families often plan vacations well in advance, so knowing the calendar is important for that reason.  There are other reasons as well.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District is conducting a survey of the entire community on the issues surrounding future school calendars.  As of October 27th, roughly 9,000 people had sent their views.

It is a simple multiple choice survey.  If you would like to participate, use this link.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools hired Miles Herndon, an outside firm, to come up with proposals to re-brand the school corporation, in June of this year.  During that discussion, School Board President Matt Burke and Vice President John DeLucia both voiced support of at least studying whether the school district should change its name.

It appears that issue has been settled – HSE Schools will keep its name.  HSE Schools Spokesperson Emily Pace Abbotts has confirmed that the school district will not be changing its name – it will continue to be called the Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

Miles Herndon updated the board on its work so far in an October 11th work session and made no mention of any school district name change.  The company’s recommendation on re-branding the local schools should come soon, and will be done in conjunction with a revamping of the school district’s Internet Web presence.

Speaking of school names, the school district is accepting suggestions from the public on what name to give the new elementary school planned on Cyntheanne Road.  If you would like to submit your recommended name, use this link

When Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools went to the voters in May of 2016 asking for a property tax increase to solidify the financial situation of the local schools, one argument educators made to vote yes was the issue of teacher compensation.  HSE Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff often said HSE, because of the quality and reputation of the school system and the community, can recruit and retain good teachers without being at the top of the Indianapolis suburban pay school.

Dr. Bourff said HSE just needs to be competitive by raising the compensation closer to the middle of the pack among the Indy suburbs.  The referendum passed overwhelmingly.

The Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) and Hamilton Southeastern School administrators have hammered out a new 2-year contract covering calendar years 2018 and 2019 for teachers in the HSE school corporation.  At the October 25 school board meeting, Superintendent Bourff summarized the main provisions in the new contract proposal.  Those provisions include:

–In 2018, teachers will receive an average pay increase of 2.73%, with salaries ranging from a low of $40,158 up to high of $79,085.

–In 2019, the average salary increase will be 2.66%, with the low $40,158 and the high $79,751.

–There will be a group of teachers not always falling under the increases described above due to what is described as a”reset,” which is an effort to increase the pay of newly hired teachers who suffered pay caps during the tough budget years.

–Health insurance premiums will not increase in 2018, but 2019 premiums will depend on what the school system experiences in health claims, and that data is not known yet.

–Teacher compensation for extracurricular activities will not change in the current 2017-2018 school year, but the school corporation will inject $17,500 into that money pool during the 2018-2019 school year.

–The administration Power Point presentation says this contract will increase teacher compensation by just over $6.4 million during the 2-year duration of the pact.

Teachers must ratify this contract.  The vote will be held November 1st through November 3rd.  If teachers approve, the school board will hold a ratification vote at the November 8th meeting.

It should be noted that I have covered a number of teacher-school board bargaining over new contracts.  This is the first time I have ever seen a school corporation choose to reveal publicly the major provisions of a proposed agreement before the teachers begin the ratification process.

When we think of the many rivalry competition matches between Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) High Schools, we first think of sports, especially football & basketball.  But there is Mudsock competition on the academic front as well between our two local high schools.  Thursday night featured the annual Mudsock match featuring the We The People teams from each school.

HSE High School came out the winner this year in this year’s Mudsock competition.  There was an all-star panel of judges, including Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness.

We The People highlights students knowledge of the United State Constitution, its history and where it stands today.  Teams prepare a four-minute presentation, then must answer questions from a panel of judges about the presentation.