by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Candidates are slow in filing for school board seats in this fall’s election. The latest and only candidate filing on Thursday was Dan Degnan, incumbent Westfield Washington board member who will seek re-election on Nov. 6. Four other candidates filed earlier in the week including Arnett Cooper at Hamilton Heights, Frank Whelan at Southeastern and Layla Spanenberg and Michael Kerschner at Carmel. The filing period runs until noon on Friday, Aug. 24.

* * *

Hamilton County Republicans have set Sept. 12 as the date for their annual fall dinner. It will be held at the 502 Event Center in Carmel with a 6 p.m. reception followed by dinner at 7. The speaker and other details will be announced later.

* * *
The Hamilton County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will begin classes for interested persons on Sept. 11. CERT trains civilians for assisting in cases of community emergencies. For enrolling in classes or to get further information citizens may email Jon Baldwin at jon.baldwin@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.

* * *

Dan Pajwer, a high school senior from Carmel, was elected governor of Boys State last month. The annual American Legion event, held this year in Angola, provides a week’s intensive training in Indiana’s political system with participants campaigning and electing public officials from governor to township trustee. About 500 high school students participated, with some then attending Boys Nation in Washington, D.C.

* * *

The County Health Department is spraying for mosquitoes carrying the West Nile Virus. Mosquitoes testing positive for the virus have been found at several locations in the county. Two areas being sprayed in Noblesville include Dillon Park and a neighborhood around 2nd and Washington streets. Thus far there have been no cases locally of humans being infected.

* * *

We try not to deal in rumors, but this one is too good not to share. Local powers that be are said to be planning to relocate the Chief Straw monument to the center of the new roundabout on State Road 37 at Strawtown Avenue. The monument is located on private property along White River at Strawtown. Chief Straw was the legendary Delaware chief who settled his people in the area about 1797. He was friendly with the first settlers who came in 1819, and the town was named for him. But, there is no truth to the rumor of putting his monument in the roundabout. At least not yet.