With Halloween around the corner, the Humane Society for Hamilton County (HSHC) is casting a spotlight on the real fear faced by shelter pets—being stuck in their cages for days on end without a home. In response, the organization has launched a spooktacular adoption event, “Hocus Pick-Us,” running through October 31st. As part of the special, cat and dog adoptions will cost just $31 (with some exclusions).

Lily Darling, HSHC’s Community Engagement Manager, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “It’s not just a bunch of hocus pocus, these animals need you to step up and save them,” Darling said. “If there was a spell to get these pets into loving forever homes, we would have cast it already. Please give them the chance to show you just how magical they truly are.”

In addition to discounted adoption fees, the Hocus Pick-Us special includes comprehensive care for each adopted pet, ensuring they are ready for their new homes. Every adoption comes with spay/neuter surgery, a microchip, vaccinations, deworming, a wellness exam, and a starter bag of food.

Adoption Requirements:

• Prospective adopters can fill out an adoption application ahead of time at hshcadoptions.com.
• Dog adopters are encouraged to bring their current dog(s) for a meet-and-greet.
• All household members must meet the animal before finalizing the adoption.
• Renters must bring a copy of their pet policy.
• A government-issued ID is required for all adoptions.

This Halloween, the Humane Society hopes to conjure up a wave of new pet parents, giving shelter pets a chance to escape the “haunting” experience of life behind shelter walls and into loving homes. For more information, visit the HSHC website or stop by during the adoption special.

When you are writing a local news blog all by yourself, you will miss a few things.  I missed the October 10th Hamilton Southeastern School Board candidate debate held at the Fishers City Hall.  The event was jointly sponsored by public radio station WFYI & Current Publishing.

First, kudos to those local institutions for putting this together.  I believe this was the only joint appearance by all the school board candidates.  You can watch the video at this link.

The entire debate is about an hour and a half long.  I will not comment on what the candidates had to say, you can watch the candidates yourself and reach your own conclusions.

Allow me to say a few words about the two journalists serving as moderators.  I have come to know Leila Kheiry, editor of Current in Fishers, and Rachel Fradette, education reporter for WFYI.  They are both outstanding journalists.  They know what they are doing.

It doesn’t matter how you end up doing the moderator job, you will be criticized.  There is no way you have time to ask every question that could be asked.  There will be a segment of the audience that will be unhappy you left out their issue(s).

I have been called on to moderate candidate debates a few times in my career.  The most recent was in 2014 when Fishers had its first city election.  There were 6 candidates in the Republican primary.  No one filed in the Democratic primary and it was unlikely any Democrat would choose to run.  Therefore, this Republican primary would likely elect Fishers’ first mayor.

I was asked to moderate a candidate debate sponsored by the Fishers Arts Council. I accepted.

I started researching the challenges of moderating a candidate debate at any level of government.  The best advice came from Jim Lehrer, former anchor the the PBS nightly newscast and the person that moderated the most number of presidential candidate debates in American history.

Mr. Lehrer does not paint a pretty picture of moderating a political debate.  You can do all the research you can, even with the help of staff.  You will always be attacked for not asking the question or raising the issue important to some group of voters.

I took on that challenge in 2014 and didn’t get as much criticism as expected, but Lehrer was right, this is one tough assignment, even if done as perfectly as possible.

Which brings me to the October 10th event.  After watching the video, it is my view that Leila Kheiry and Rachelle Fradette did an outstanding job of raising the most important issues before these candidates within the time frame provided in this debate.

Yes, I have read the social media criticism of what issues were not raised in this debate.  I understand.  But these two experienced journalists did the best job possible asking questions of these candidates.

It is clear there are many differences of opinion among those running for HSE School Board this time around.  Remember, all voters in the HSE District can vote in all three township races because this is an at-large round of balloting.

The school board is a very key part of local government.  I would urge all eligible voters to take time, understand the candidates’ views, and vote in this election, either on election day, early voting or absentee if you qualify under law.

I conducted podcast interviews with all 6 HSE School Board candidates, each about 30 minutes in length.  You can find links to all those podcasts at this link.

The intersection of 96th Street and Allisonville Road has been through a lot during my years living in Fishers.  The standard traffic signals were backed-up during busy traffic times.

The Town of Fishers thought they had a solution by installing what many describe as a “Michigan Left.”  Basically, it did not allow left turns, instead relying on right turns and legal u-turn lanes.  Let’s just say this was not a popular configuration for most motorists.

With private development and a city park coming along the White River north and west of this intersection, Fishers came up with the idea of converting the intersection from the Michigan Left to a large roundabout design.

That construction has limited traffic flow at 96th & Allisonville for a number of months.  The City of Fishers has announced, in a social media post, the following –  “Full access will open to this roundabout on or after Monday, October 28th.”

There is more work to be done, and some lane restrictions may be in place until all is completed, but for the most part, motorists will have access to the full roundabout “on or after October 28th.”

For the latest on this construction project from the City of Fishers, use this link.

I only rarely take time off from my local Fishers news blog.  But I did this the past few days to allow some time to visit family in South Dakota and spend time with my grandkids.  So, thank you, readers of this blog, for your patience.

Lots of news has been happening during my absence and I will start posting again soon.  But allow me this opportunity to show my appreciation to those reading this blog and listening to my podcasts.

When starting this blog in January of 2012, my goal was to gain a few hundred people reading my material.  Over the 13 years of writing, I measure my audience not in hundreds but in the tens of thousands of unique visitors to this site each year.  2024 is shaping up to be the biggest audience ever.

So, thanks for reading.  This is a volunteer activity for me.  You will see an advertising portal on my site, but I allow that as a favor to Tom Britt of Towne Post Network.  I receive no money specifically from those ads.

I have a lot of catching-up to do and will be writing over the next few days.  But, above all, thanks for reading.  You make all the volunteer work worth it to me.

I am not quite back from my brief sabbatical from blogging, but this story on WRTV caught my eye.  It appears many voters in the HSE School District received a text message about the candidacy of Suzanne Thomas, saying they are representing a group no one can confirm actually exists.

You can read the story written by reporter Meredith Hackler at this link.

As many of you know, this local Fishers news blog is a one-man-band. I do all the writing. Every now & then, I take a few days off. That is what I am doing as of today. I should be back in 4-5 days. Thanks for your understanding & thanks for reading.

Fishers has detailed plans for the new pedestrian bridge over 96th Street, connecting the Nickel Plate Trail to Indianapolis. Here is a link to the city news release.

https://fishersin.gov/news/fishers-unveils-plans-for-96th-street-bridge-along-nickel-plate-trail/

18 years is a long time to be a high school principal. Jason Urban has held that job for 18 years at Fishers High School, but the Hamilton Southeastern School Board formally approved Mr. Urban’s promotion Wednesday night as the new Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education. Kyle Goodwin has been named Acting Principal at FHS and Chrissie Sturgell will serve as Acting Associate Principal at Fishers High.

In an effort to combat the heightened cancer risk firefighters face due to occupational hazards, Fishers Fire and Emergency Services, in collaboration with Community Health Network and GRAIL, has introduced an early cancer detection initiative using the Galleri® multi-cancer test.

The initiative, held in late September, offered firefighters the opportunity to participate in a blood draw event to screen for over 50 types of cancer, including some of the deadliest cancers that lack standard screening methods. Of the 148 members of the Fishers Fire Department, 122 participated in the health initiative aimed at early cancer detection.

Firefighters are at an increased risk of developing cancer due to their frequent exposure to carcinogens such as smoke, soot, and harmful chemicals while responding to emergencies. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that firefighters are twice as likely to develop certain cancers compared to the general population.

Fishers Fire Chief Steven Orusa highlighted the significance of this initiative, saying, “Firefighters risk their lives daily to protect our community, and it’s essential we safeguard their health. Providing access to cutting-edge cancer screening technology like the Galleri test is key to our efforts in protecting our firefighters so they can continue serving our community.”

The event was made possible through a partnership with Community Health Network. Dr. Patrick McGill, Chief Transformation Officer at Community Health Network, emphasized the importance of early detection for at-risk groups like firefighters. “This event is crucial because firefighters face a significantly higher risk of cancer due to occupational exposures. It also demonstrates the impact partnerships can have on promoting healthier outcomes,” he said.

While the Galleri test is a promising tool for detecting multiple cancers at early stages, it is not without limitations. The test does not detect all types of cancer, and false positives or negatives may occur. It was primarily tested in populations aged 50 and older, and its specific efficacy in firefighters remains unstudied. Clinical trials suggest that about 1% of people tested receive a “cancer signal detected” result, with around 40% of those cases later confirmed to have cancer after further evaluation.

The Galleri test is meant to complement, not replace, other recommended cancer screenings by healthcare providers. Firefighters participating in the screening event were encouraged to continue regular screenings alongside this advanced test to ensure comprehensive monitoring of their health.

More information about the Galleri test and safety details can be found at this link.

If you live in Hamilton County, early voting has begun.  If you want to early vote in Fishers, you need to wait until October 23rd.

Here is the early voting information for Fishers:

Roy G Holland Memorial Park Building, 1 Park Drive, Fishers

Wednesday and Thursday, October 23 & 24 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, October 25 & 26 from 10 am to 3 pm

Wednesday and Thursday, October 30 & 31 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2 from 10 am to 3 pm

Billericay Park Building, 12690 Promise Road, Fishers

Wednesday and Thursday, October 23 & 24 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, October 25 & 26 from 10 am to 3 pm

Wednesday and Thursday, October 30 & 31 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2 from 10 am to 3 pm

Here are the details of early voting in Hamilton County.  You may early vote at any Hamilton County early voting location if you reside in Hamilton County:

Noblesville   

Judicial Center, One Hamilton County Square, Noblesville

Tuesday thru Friday, October 8 – 11 from 8 am to 4:30 pm

Monday thru Friday, October 14 – 18 from 8 am to 4:30 pm

Monday thru Friday, October 21 – 25 from 8 am to 4:30 pm

Saturday, October 26 from 9 am to 4 pm

Monday thru Friday, October 28 – November 1 from 8 am to 4:30 pm

Saturday, November 2 from 9 am to 4 pm

Monday, November 4 from 8 am to noon

Hamilton County Fairgrounds, Hall C, 2003 Pleasant Street, Noblesville

Tuesday thru Friday, October 8 – 11 from 9 am to 4 pm

Monday thru Friday, October 14 – 18 from 9 am to 4 pm

Monday thru Saturday, October 21 – 26 from 9 am to 4 pm

Monday thru Saturday, October 28 – November 2 from 9 am to 4 pm

Monday, November 4 from 8 am to noon

Westfield

Westfield City Hall, 130 Penn Street, Westfield

Wednesday and Thursday, October 23 & 24 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, October 25 & 26 from 10 am to 3 pm

Wednesday and Thursday, October 30 & 31 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2 from 10 am to 3 pm

Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000-1 E 151^st St, Carmel

Wednesday and Thursday, October 23 & 24 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, October 25 & 26 from 10 am to 3 pm

Wednesday and Thursday, October 30 & 31 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2 from 10 am to 3 pm

Carmel

Carmel Library, 425 E Main St, Carmel

Wednesday and Thursday, October 23 & 24 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, October 25 & 26 from 10 am to 3 pm

Wednesday and Thursday, October 30 & 31 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2 from 10 am to 3 pm

Wilfong Pavilion at Founders Park, 11675 Hazel Dell Pkwy, Building A, Carmel

Wednesday and Thursday, October 23 & 24 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, October 25 & 26 from 10 am to 3 pm

Wednesday and Thursday, October 30 & 31 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2 from 10 am to 3 pm

Jill Perelman Pavilion, 3000 W 116^th Street, Carmel

Wednesday and Thursday, October 23 & 24 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, October 25 & 26 from 10 am to 3 pm

Wednesday and Thursday, October 30 & 31 from 2 pm to 7 pm

Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2 from 10 am to 3 pm