Fishers controlled the first half of the 2017 Mudsock rivalry game, but HSE came roaring back, capitalizing on Tiger miscues late in the game.  However, in the end, Fishers held on to defeat the Royals, 20-14, Friday night at Fishers High School.

But the Mudsock game was much more than a football contest.  The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District teachers of the year were honored at halftime.  Also at the half, Dub and Jeannie Clark were presented with the 2017 President’s Champion Award by the HSE School Board.

Below is a video of the halftime ceremonies honoring each school building’s teacher of the year, and the awarding of the President’s Champion Award to Dub & Jeannie Clark.

Hamilton County Reporter

After six rounds of voting by precinct committeemen Wednesday evening, Victoria Spartz, 38, Noblesville, was selected to replace outgoing District 20 State Senator Luke Kenley.

The caucus eliminated Joe Morris in the first round, Dan Schnidt in the second round, Brad Beaver in the third round, Sue Finkam in the fourth round and Mark Hall in round five, leaving Spartz and Megan Wiles.

In the final round Spartz received a majority 54 votes and Megan Wiles received 39.

Spartz grew up in the Soviet-controlled Ukraine and spent her career in various financial leadership positions working with Fortune 200 companies and Big 4 public accounting firms throughout the U.S., including in Indiana. She currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of the Indiana Office of Attorney General.

Quick Facts

• Married mother of two
• Lives in Noblesville
• Certified Public Accountant
• CFO of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office
• Adjunct Faculty, IU Kelley School of Business – Indianapolis
• Master of Professional Accountancy, IU Kelley School of Business – Indianapolis
• MBA, National University of Economics (Ukraine)
• BS, International Economics, National University of Economics (Ukraine)

The City of Fishers awarded a bid of $115,848 Friday to begin the work replacing and repairing ramps in the Britton Falls neighborhood to bring them up to compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).  The Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety approved the bid at the recommendation of the City Engineering Department.

The construction work will be done through September and October, with some work possibly finishing up in November, according to City Engineering Department Director Jeff Hill.

The money to pay for this project will come from the city’s surety fund.  “It’s not tax dollars that are being used, it’s what developers pay-in when things like this occur,” Mayor Scott Fadness said at the board meeting.

Also at Friday’s board session, City Assistant Engineer Tami Houston was recognized by the board for achieving the status of Certified Road Builder, a certification held by only 154 people in the State of Indiana.

It was announced at the board meeting that the city’s Assistant Director of Engineering, Jason Taylor, will be leaving the city to accept a position with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT).  His last day working for the City of Fishers will be September 22nd.

For many years, Fishers residents could view the old town council meetings by watching a live video stream provided on an Internet link through the municipal Web site. The audio and video equipment at City Hall, however, are aging and failing on a regular basis.  Video live-streaming has not been available for some time.

At a recent Fishers City Plan Commission meeting, the projector providing video to the screen view for the audience failed, while the screen facing the commission members, facing the opposite direction, was working.  The entire audience moved from their seats to the other side of the room in order to view the pictures of a proposal before the commission.

Mayor Scott Fadness said this is not what a city with a “tech-savvy” reputation should accept.

As a result, the Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety has approved a proposal to upgrade audio and video equipment at City Hall.

The new installation will replace the current projection screens with digital screens in the City Council Chambers as well as other locations in the building.  The cameras used for recording and live-streaming events in the chambers will go from the current analog technology to digital.

These upgrades mean Fishers City Council meetings and other events in the chamber will have the capability to once again provide live-streaming over the Internet, as well as archiving for future viewing at a later time.

The new equipment should be in place and operating by sometime in November, at the  latest, according to Fishers City Director of Information Technology Tracy Gaynor.

The Brooks School Road Bridge over I-69, just south of 136th Street, was to have been completed by the end of August.  It appears the construction is taking longer than projected.  The bridge remains closed for deck maintenance.  The latest word from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is that the bridge will reopen in mid-September.

See that and other construction updates for this week, work week beginning September 4th, below in the update provided by the City of Fishers.

==========================

126TH STREET

Periodic lane restrictions will occur between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 126th Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road as crews complete a passing blister. Flaggers will be present during the restrictions.

116TH STREET 

Periodic lane restrictions will occur on 116th Street east of Allisonville Road as the contractor repairs concrete curbs and ramps and begins resurfacing work on the roadway. Restrictions will be in place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please note that overnight work will occur while traffic volumes are reduced. The City greatly appreciates residents’ patience with construction noise.

96TH STREET

Starting on or after August 15, Lantern Road at 96th Street will be closed for approximately 30 days while it is reconstructed for the new roundabout. All Lantern Road traffic will be detoured to Cumberland Road, north to 106th Street and then west to Lantern Road. 96th Street through-traffic will be shifted to the newly constructed portion of the roundabout. Access into businesses will remain. Please follow the signed detour route and drive with caution through the construction zone.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD 

The Brooks School Road bridge over Interstate 69 is closed as Milestone Contractors rebuild the bridge deck. Traffic will be detoured to Promise Road via 126th and 136th streets. The bridge will remain closed through mid-September.

I-69 

Improvements are currently underway to rehabilitate existing bridges, pavement and drainage structures along the 15-mile stretch of interstate.

Two lanes of traffic in each direction of I-69 are currently shifted to accommodate construction of the additional travel lanes. Signs direct large trucks to use the left lane while traffic is shifted toward the right shoulder through the work zone. The speed limit is reduced to 60 mph and further reduced to 50 mph when workers are present. I-69 is expected to open to three lanes in each direction between State Road 37 and State Road 38 before the end of this year. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37

Geotechnical drilling began along the State Road 37 corridor in May as part of the final design phase of State Road 37 Improvement Project. Lane and shoulder restrictions will be active through September 30.

The geotechnical drilling will cause lane restrictions on SR 37 at the 126th Street intersection on or after August 7 and are anticipated to last until September 30. There will be no lane closures during Labor Day weekend, September 1st through September 4. Southbound restrictions begin after 9 a.m. daily and northbound restrictions will be completed daily before 4 p.m. to allow for maximum traffic flow during peak rush hours. Crews will maintain a minimum of one through-lane at all times.

The SR37 improvement project is a $124 million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton County, Noblesville and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed to drivefishers@fishers.in.us.

OUTSIDE OF FISHERS

On or after Monday, August 21, Hamilton County Highway Department will close Cyntheanne Road between 146th Street and 156th Street until December 1, 2017 to replace the bridge over Keiser Drain. Please contact Hamilton County Highway Department at 317-773-7770 with any questions.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted on my blog as part of a partnership between LarryInFishers.com and the Hamilton County Reporter.  Views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com) 

Solar energy appears to be a big part of future electric power production. Will Hamilton County be in the lead in making use of this technology? Right now it’s in the hands of the County Council which has had a request for funding a solar system since June.

County Commissioners have asked the Council to approve spending about $8 million on solar panels and equipment that will convert collected heat to electric power for supplying lighting, heating and air conditioning at the county Corrections Complex and Health Department. Advocates of solar power make a strong case for this seemingly stable source of energy. Other governmental entities including the Indianapolis Airport, Sheridan Schools, Ben Davis Schools and the City of North Vernon have gone to this system, apparently with favorable results.

A question that often arises is, what happens when we have cloudy weather for several days? Apparently the answer is found in storage of power for just such times. But, certainly there could be a time when auxiliary electric power might have to be called upon.

Another question arises over the matter of cost recovery. Officials say the county currently pays nearly $800,000 a year in utility bills. Most of this money commissioners say would be used to repay the $8.1 million that the vendor, Johnson-Melloh Company, will charge for the solar energy system the county needs.

The solar panels, usually mounted on open ground, which amounts to a ‘panel farm,’ reportedly last at least 40 years, and still convert 80 percent of sunlight at the end of that time.

Given the good reviews, one might ask why the county does not go with this technology? As County Councilman Steve Schwartz has said, “it’s a no brainer.” But, Schwartz does not always speak for a majority of the council. Some of his fellow members express caution for one reason or another.

It is the council’s job to be cautious with public money, and there could also be just a little internal politics involved. Some council members are not always in step with ideas advanced by county commissioners.

Let’s hope this case is a matter of wanting cautious and careful study, and not anything else. When a proven plan for saving money comes along, county government should seriously consider taking advantage of it.

Local Fishers Attorney Steve Hardin is a film buff.  He joins Adam & I for this week’s episode of Hamilton County Goes To The Movies.  Adam & Larry review the film set in a southern Indiana city, Columbus.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern dropped its Hoosier Crossroads Conference opener to Avon
Friday, falling 38-7 at Royals Reynolds Stadium.

The Orioles, who are receiving votes in the 6A poll, broke a 7-7 first-quarter tie with
two more touchdowns in that period, then jumped ahead 31-7 at halftime. Southeastern’s
score was on a 94-yard kickoff return to Jack Boyd, with Tyler Melser making the
extra-point kick.

Cody Huppenthal led the Royals’ rushing, with 37 yards.
Southeastern is now 1-2, and travels to Fishers next Friday for the Mudsock game

Avon 38,
Southeastern 7

Score by Quarters:

Avon                          21  10  7 0 – 38
Southeastern           7    0   0 0 – 7

Team Stats

AHS                                                 HSE
First Downs                              16                                                      13
By Rush                                      6                                                          8
By Pass                                        9                                                         4
By Penalty                                 1                                                         1
Rushes-Yards                       26-84                                                38-86
Yards Passing                       322                                                      68
Comp/Att/Int/TD             14-23-1-4                                          10-31-0-1
Fumbles/Lost                      1-1                                                        0-0
Penalties/Yards                  6-52                                                   6-45
Punts/Average                  4-30.5                                                 8-37.7

Southeastern Scoring
First Quarter
Jack Boyd 94-yard kickoff return (Tyler
Melser kick), 8:11

Southeastern Stats
Rushing: Cody Huppenthal 6-37, Delind
Hooks 1-12, Nijawon Wilson 7-9, Cole Russell
2-9, Malik Sims 6-8, Lance Stephens 6-8, Boyd
2-7, Zach Boyle 1-2, Kody Sparks 4-minus 3,
team 1-minus 3, Andrew Hobson 2-5-17.

Passing: Huppenthal 3-11-18, Sparks 5-15-44.
Receiving: Ben Boysen 4-11, Brett Cowan
1-22, Boyle 1-14, Sims 1-11, Nick Mutchner
1-9, Russell 1-2, Stephens 1-minus 1.

by

Craig Adkins

Hamilton County Reporter

When Fishers took the short road trip north to Noblesville for their Week 3 matchup,
they were focused on one thing and one thing only and that was getting their first
victory of the 2017 season. That’s exactly what the Tigers did with a convincing 29-0
shutout of the host Millers.

The two Hoosier Crossroads Conference rivals traded punts after going three-and-out
on both of their first series of the night.

After a short punt from Jack Knight, the Tigers had a short field, starting their drive
at the Noblesville 39 and it didn’t take long for them to get their first score in two weeks.
Quarterback Joe Vore made it look easy, finding Isaiah Dunnuck for a 10-yard touchdown
pass with 5:21 left in the first. Fishers attempted a 2-point conversion, but the run
by Collin Statz was stopped by the Miller defense, putting the Tigers up 6-0 early.

Another three plays and a punt by Noblesville gave the ball back to Fishers at
the Miller 40, but three plays later, Fishers gave it back on an interception by Austin
Bridenthal.

Noblesville was starting to move the ball a little, but tailback Christian Collier
coughed up the ball just into Tiger territory at the Fishers 47.

Fishers took over after the fumble and marched down the the 20 before Vore found
Statz for a 20-yard TD pass. The two-point pass was incomplete and Fishers held for a
12-0 lead.

Head coach Rick Wimmer seemed pleased with his team’s effort throughout,
despite current injuries and having to play a number of underclassmen.

“Vore had a little bit of a rocky start. He threw a pick early, but he threw the ball well
and the receivers did a good job of getting it,” Wimmer of his poised junior signal
caller.

“I thought our offensive line did a good job with protection and a pretty good job of
run blocking,” Wimmer continued on his O-line helping Vore have a good night
behind center.

The Tiger offense would tack on another score before half. It was Dunnuck again
from his tight end slot, catching a 17-yard pass from Vore. This time they would opt
to have Ben Norton boot the PAT that would account for the halftime score of 19-0.

The Millers received the second half kickoff and seemed to be an energized group
on offense, that is until the Tigers’ Seth Sontich intercepted a Noblesville pass.

In Fishers’ next series following the Sontich pick, the Millers forced the Tigers
to punt, but only to get it back on the punt.  The ball bounced and hit a Noblesville
player and Fishers recovered the ball at the Miller 18. Noblesville’s “D” stepped up and
forced a field goal attempt from 33 yards away, but it brushed the right upright and
was no good.

“Our defense played steady all night,” Wimmer on his defense having a great night
in the shutout.

He was exactly right about that.  After the missed field goal, defensive end Daniel
Amadi grabbed an INT of his own and ran it clear down to the Noblesville 25.

The Tigers would get their lone rushing score with sophomore, workhouse tailback
Geoffrey Brown carrying the ball over the goal line for a six-yard touchdown to make
it a 26-0 margin.

Noblesville had plenty of opportunities, but kept shooting themselves in the foot.

The Millers tried to get into some sort of rhythm offensively, but every time things
were going right, Fishers’ “D” came up big and made the plays necessary to get the
stops.

The Tigers “D” forced Noblesville to turn the ball over on downs twice in the
second half; late in the third and early in the fourth.

Following the latter, Fishers was in prime shape to score again, but a little better
play defensively kept the Tigers to a 26-yard field goal off the foot of Norton that would
ice it for the final of 29-0.

“When you look at tonight, I’d say it was a team loss, especially offensively and
defensively,” Noblesville head coach Jason Simmons on his team’s disappointing loss
on their home field.

The Fishers offense simply just wore out Noblesville’s defense. It never bodes well
when your defense is on the field more than your offense. It just turns into one long night
of football.

“Our defense was on the field too long. And that’s because of our inability offensively
to make plays. Whether that’s drops, not making the right reads, throwing the
football in the right spot or our inability to actually keep the blocking scheme,”
Simmons continues on how things fell apart.

Jon Vore went 14-22 for 166 yards through the air and three TD’s. His main
targets Isaiah Dunnuck (3-47, 2 TDs) and Collin Statz (5-55, TD) helped Vore carve
through the Miller defense.

Noblesville (0-3, 0-1 HCC) makes the short trip west next week to face the Westfield
Shamrocks (3-0, 1-0 HCC). The 2016 Class 5A state champs grabbed a big road
win at Zionsville, 28-21.

Fishers (1-2, 1-0 HCC) got back on track and looks to get back to .500 next Friday
when they face Hamilton Southeastern (1-2, 0-1 HCC) at home in the battle for the
Mudsock Trophy. The Royals dropped their HCC opener Friday at home to Avon, 38-7.

Fishers 29,
Noblesville 0

Fishers                          6  13  7  3 – 29
Noblesville                  0   0   0  0 – 0

Team Stats
FHS                                                                               NHS
First Downs                            15                                                                                    11
By Rush                                    6                                                                                       7
By Pass                                     9                                                                                        3
By Penalty                              0                                                                                        1
Yards Rushing                   36-85                                                                              31-68
Yards Passing                       173                                                                                  69
Comp/Att/Int/TD            15-23-1-3                                                                    8-25-3-0
Fumbles/Lost                     3-1                                                                                     3-2
Penalties/Yards                 4-45                                                                                  2-15
Punts/Average                   3-38.7                                                                            4-33.5

Scoring

First Quarter
Isaiah Dunnuck 10-yard pass from Jon Vore
(run failed), 5:21

Second Quarter
Collin Statz 20-yard pass from Vore (pass
failed), 9:36
Dunnuck 17-yard pass from Vore (Ben Norton
kick), 3:54

Third Quarter
Geoffrey Brown 6-yard run (Norton kick), 4:31
Norton 26-yard field goal, 7:07

 
Rushing: Brown 20-46, Dylan Scally 7-25,
Alec Green 6-22, Vore 2-minus 8.

Passing: Vore 15-23-173.
Receptions: Statz 5-55, Dunnuck 3-47, Bryce
Gee 3-44, DiSean Graham 3-21, Donovan
McFarland 1-6.

Noblesville Stats

Rushing: Luke Blevins 11-45, Ryan Barnes
5-24, Christian Collier 6-16, Grant Gremel
9-minus 1.

Passing: Gremel 8-24-69, Barnes 0-1-0.
Receptions: Blevins 3-21, Lucas Williams 2-8,
Nick Rusie 1-17, Anthony Nale 1-12, Carson
Sanders 1-11.

Hamilton County Reporter

The Hamilton County Leadership Academy, established in 1991 to educate and inspire leadership to create a positive impact in our communities, has selected a new class of participants. The following participants will graduate from the program in June 2018.

Kelly Barton, Community Health, Chief Operating Officer – North Region

Ryan Berry, Garmong Construction Services, Business Development – Construction

Jessica Billingsley, Church, Church, Hittle + Antrim, Associate Attorney

Cassandra Bogaards, Horizon Bank, Business Banker

Casey Cawthon, City of Fishers, Assistant Director of Public Relations

Brad Cozza, Hamilton County Airport Authority, Airport Director

Dan Degnan, Purdue University College of Pharmacy, Senior Project Manager, Clinical Assistant Professor

Ashlie Dew, Elements Financial, AVP Private Client Services

Dana Donahue, Lake City Bank, Vice President – Private Banker

Alex Emerson, Coots, Henke & Wheeler, P.C. Associate Attorney

Aaron Head, City of Noblesville, Economic Development Specialist

Bradley Howell, Hamilton East Public Library, Adult Services Manager

Jeremy Hunt, Beck’s Superior Hybrids, Sr. Network/Systems Engineer

Katie Jess, ACES Power, Lead Contract Specialist

Jeffrey Johnson, Meyer Najem, Senior Business Development Manger

Julia Lowe, CarDon & Associates, Director of Community Engagement

Henry Mestetsky, Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP, Attorney

Angela Morris, St. Vincent Hospital | Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, Forensic Nurse Examiner/RN

Laura Musall, FC Tucker, Realtor/Broker

Daniel Potash, arcDesign, Graduate Architect

Patrick Propst, Faith Community Church, Lead Pastor

Marcus Reed, City of Westfield, Fire Chief

Natasha Robinson, Prevail Inc., Event & Marketing Coordinator

Greg Sorvig, Heartland Film, Director of Film Programming & Marketing

Andrew Swickheimer, Noblesville Schools, Director of Technology

Gina Terril, Indiana Members Credit Union, Senior Business Development Officer

Branden Voegerl, CleanSlate Technology Group, Senior Account Executive

Seth Warren, Riverview Health, President/CEO

Michael Winterhalder, Navient, Director, HR Business Partner

Julie Wright, Central Indiana Community Foundation, Community Investment Coordinator

Adriann Young, Noblesville Schools Education Foundation, Executive Director

Shanna Young, The Legacy Fund, Coordinator

Corby Thompson, Thompson Land Co, Inc., will serve as the Curriculum Dean for the 2018 class. He also served as the Curriculum Dean for the 2017 class. The dean is a volunteer position, appointed by the Board of Directors, who directs the curriculum and facilitates the learning sessions for the Hamilton County Leadership Academy.

The 10-month program begins with monthly educational sessions held in sites throughout the county. The sessions are designed to increase awareness of the existing institutions and leaders in the county and develop personal leadership skills. The class culminates with a Closing Retreat held in June. Upon graduation, the program participants will be prepared for greater levels of involvement in the community. Alumni are often called upon to serve on boards of county organizations and volunteer their time for community development efforts.

For more information on the Hamilton County Leadership Academy, contact Laura Crum atlcrum@hcla.net or visit their website at www.hcla.net.