Adam & I review the film I. Tonya…it tells the story ice skating champion Tonya Harding.  We welcome guests Paul Nethercott and Justin Park, both local documentary film makers.

Gary Oldman has already picked up a best actor award at the Golden Globes…but is the film Darkest Hour Oscar-worthy overall?  Here is my review…

Both the restaurant and craft brewing businesses can be brutally competitive enterprises, and Fishers has seen one craft brewery go as another is right behind it in the same location.

What was once the Heady Hallow, which shuttered its Fishers location in October last year, is now reborn as Mashcraft.  Located at 11069 Allisonville Road, south of 116th Street, the new Mashcraft is set to open at 11am, Saturday, January 13th.

The location will feature beer brewed on site, plus a food menu through a partnership with Chef Joe Hsu and the 5280 Bistro Food Truck.

The brewery and restaurant can seat up to 76 people inside and 30 outside (once weather permits).

Mark Montieth is a Fishers resident and grew up watching the Pacers franchise begin and grown.  Mark became a sports journalist and covers the Pacers.  He has a new book out that provides a history of pro basketball in Indianapolis and the first two years of the Indiana Pacers.

One person is being questioned about a short police chase related to a stolen vehicle report in the early morning hours of Thursday.

A Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy was patrolling in Fishers, near 126th Street and State Road 37.  The deputy saw a vehicle reported stolen.  The driver of the car fled the area when the officer attempted to stop the vehicle.

According to a release from the Sheriff’s Department, there was a short pursuit that ended at Heritage Park, near 106th Street and Eller Road. One person, believed to be  passenger in the vehicle, was taken into custody and interviewed by Fishers Police.

Fishers Police have the car that was reported stolen.

Police are not releasing any more details and have no descriptions of the those in that car that fled the scene.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

It’s clear that with the hiring of Adam Morris as Hamilton Southeastern High School’s new head football coach, both the Royals and Morris got what they wanted.

Southeastern has itself an enthusiastic young man with a track record of success –
both as a football player and a coach. And Morris has a place for he and his family to
grow. Morris was officially hired by the Hamilton Southeastern school board at its
first meeting of the year Wednesday evening.

“I have moved around a bunch prior to this, but it was all with the hope that it would
put me in a position to end up at a place like this,” said Morris. “And I’m here with my
wife and daughter now and we can make that happen.”

Southeastern athletic director Jim Self introduced Morris to the school board at the
Wednesday meeting.

“I was with Adam today as we introduced him to our team, and it was about 10,
12 minutes that he spent with them,” Self told the board. “And I can assure you, we
have found the right person to lead Hamilton Southeastern.”

The feeling was mutual, as Morris said that Southeastern has all the things a coach
is looking for from a competitive standpoint.

“A great administration, great facilities, (Class) 6A, Hoosier Crossroads Conference,”
said Morris. “And it also has the tradition for you to lean on as a new coach
coming in.”

This will be Morris’ second job as a high school head football coach. Morris coached
at Muncie Central during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Morris led the Bearcats to a 6-4
record in his first year, then a 7-4 mark in his second year, including a post-season
win, the first for Muncie Central in 10 years.

“I’ve been very fortunate to be around good people,” said Morris. “I think that’s
what more important, necessarily, than the success that I’ve been a part of or the wins
that I’ve been with at all levels, whether as a player in high school, a player in college
or as an assistant or head coach since I’ve started my coaching career. I’ve been around
really good people.”

This past fall, Morris was an assistant football coach at Noblesville. That served
as his introduction to football in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference. The HCC features
some tradition-laden programs: HSE, Noblesville, Fishers, Avon, Brownsburg,
Westfield, Zionsville, and Franklin Central beginning next season.

“At the high school level, you’re not going to find a league that has better coaches
or better programs,” said Morris. “I think that’s the thing that stands out to me when
you look at this league is, every aspect of every program is top notch, whether it’s the
youth league, the weight room, the Friday night adjustment. Every aspect of building
a program is top notch.”

At age 27, Morris will be one of the younger head football coaches in the area.
In fact, he’s not that far removed from his own playing days, at Ball State University
and at Dublin (Ohio) Scioto High School.

“I definitely think the most important thing that any coach or teacher, educator can
do is have a strong rapport with kids,” said Morris. “So I definitely think that my youth
definitely allows me to do that.”

Morris will begin working at HSE next week. He will teach Physical Education and
Health at the high school. And of course, he met with his new team on Wednesday.

“I’m really excited,” said Morris. “I think they’re anxious, as any high school kid
would be as they’re meeting their new coach. I think I’m just excited. I think they’re
excited just to get started. It’s probably been tough for them to go through the process,
maybe as tough as it’s been for me. I’m sure they’re just anxious to get going.”

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Following the theory that the early bird gets the worm, 24 candidates appeared at the county elections office yesterday to file their candidacies for the May 8 primary election. All are Republicans.

The first to file were Steve Schwartz seeking re-election to the Hamilton County Council, John Chalfin seeking re-election as county coroner and Robin Ward seeking re-election as county assessor.

Filing for office continues until noon on Feb. 9.

Those also filing on the first day included:

• Kathy Richardson for county clerk
• Jennifer Hayden, running for re-election as county recorder
• Bill Clifford, Mitch Russell and Jason Sloderbeck for sheriff
• Sue Maki seeking nomination for County Council, Dist. 1
• Christine Pauley and Rick Sharp running for County Council, Dist. 4
• Matt Snyder seeking re-election on Clay Township Board
• Rick Fain running for Delaware Township Board
• Doug Allman candidate for trustee in Fall Creek Township
• Chad Garrard and Jason Meyer running for township board in Fall Creek
• Robyn Cook for trustee in Jackson Township and Chris Miller, incumbent trustee for re-election in Jackson Township
• Tom Kenley seeking re-election as trustee of Noblesville Township
• Terry Busby candidate for re-election on Noblesville Township Board
• Chad Amos running for Cicero Town Council at large
• Bill Curl and Steve Fisher running for Sheridan Town Council at large
• Doug Allman seeking a State Convention delegate seat from Fall Creek Township, Dist. 3

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board welcomed two new staff members after formally approving them as employees.

Adam Morris will become the new HSE High School varsity football coach.  Morris served as head coach at Muncie Central High School and was on the staff at Noblesville as an assistant coach.  He will begin work as a teacher at HSE HS this semester.

The board also approved the hiring of Erica Buchanan-Rivera as the school corporation’s equity officer.  The position is being funded, at least initially, through a Lilly Foundation grant.

Matt Burke will serve another year as president of the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board.  The vote was unanimous.  Sylvia Shepler will serve as vice president, while Michelle Fullhart will be the board secretary during 2018.

In other board activity during the Wednesday night session:

–Final approval was given for new classes to be offered at both high schools.  The courses had been discussed at length at a previous board meeting.  For more details, use this link.

–The board unanimously gave its stamp of approval to new insurance contracts.  The board is using a new insurance broker and will spend roughly $893,000 on the revised policies with Liberty Mutual and Chubb.  This includes property/casualty and Cyber policies.  The previous insurance contracts cost the school system over $1 million.

–The board postponed a decision on a proposed contract with the Metiri Group to better publicize the HSE21 program.  Board members complained that the agenda item was added at the last minute and the board did not have time to review the proposal.  A vote is tentatively scheduled for the next board meeting.

–The board approved schedules of plans for 2018 meetings.  The board can call a meeting, if there is a need with 48 hours notice (not including weekends and holidays).  With that in mind, here is the schedule of regular board meetings for 2018:

January 10, 24
February 14
March 14, 28
April 11, 25
May 9
June 13, 27
July 11
August 8, 22
September 12, 26
October 10
November 14, 28
December 12

Note that there are some months the board will be meeting only once, a departure from the normal schedule of 2 sessions per month.

For a listing of planned work sessions, which are public meetings of the board, use this link.  

–The board honored Fall Creek Elementary Third Grade Teacher Bill Marquardt and his class, who raised nearly $2,000 dollars to support a family with five foster children for the holidays.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Mark Heirbrandt was elected president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners in the board’s organizational meeting Monday.  Steve Dillinger was named vice president. Election of officers and appointment of department heads and members of various county boards is an annual practice at the first meeting of the year.

All department heads under commissioners’ jurisdiction were reappointed. They include director of administration Dan Stevens, county attorney Mike Howard, highway director Brad Davis, human resources director Sheena Randall, information technology  Director Chris Martens, Veteran Service Officer Lynn Epperson and Safety and Risk Management director Dan Papineau.

Commissioners engaged a new director of public relations, Tammy Sander. She
becomes the first to hold that position. As a part time contract employee Ms. Sander
will be responsible for communicating with the news media to disseminate information
on county government plans and projects. She and her husband, Scott, reside
in Carmel.

Among other appointments, Dave Burtner was named a member of the County
Board of Health filling a vacancy created by the recent death of longtime board
president Garrick Mallery.

Justin Clevenger and Jonathan Globle were appointed to the County Airport Authority
replacing retiring members.

Andrew Dollard was appointed to the County Redevelopment Authority replacing
Jeanette Kassebaum.

There were no changes made in the membership of the Riverview Hospital
Board, county park board, county plan commission or community
corrections board.