The Hamilton Southeastern School District has faced a number of challenges in recent months. There have been issues on race relations. The district must find $5 million in budget savings in the coming school year due to a COVID-related drop in student numbers. Like most school districts around the nation, trying to have in-person classes while protecting the health of students and staff during a pandemic has been a challenge.
There are more I could list, but the most important decision school board members face is the hiring of a new superintendent. The current superintendent, Allen Bourff, has announced his intention to retire at the end of June this year. The board has announced a new superintendent should be named at the March 24 meeting.
The seven board members have been gathering the past two weeks in executive session to interview candidates for the opening. State law allows this be be done in private.
In a board session February 23rd, Board President Janet Pritchett said she was pleased with the candidates and expects the board will be faced with “a difficult choice.”
The board has one more executive session set for March 4th, presumably aimed at discussing the new superintendent. Once the board decides on a candidate, a contract must be agreed upon before the decision is finalized.
Pritchett said the board will “hopefully” announce the new superintendent at the March 24th board session.
In the Indiana legal code, under “General Powers and Duties of School Corporation,” the first one listed is to appoint the superintendent of schools. The board also has the responsibility to evaluate the superintendent.
The decision being made now by our Hamilton Southeastern Board of School Trustees will have a major impact on our community for many years to come. The decision on appointing the person to lead our local school system, the 4th largest in the state, will tell us a great deal about how education moves forward in Fishers and the outlying areas served by the HSE School District.
Incumbent Hamilton County Republican Chairperson Laura Campbell of Carmel has a Fishers opponent in the upcoming election, Paul Hevesy.
Hevesy issued a news release announcing his candidacy Saturday night. He claims to consult with corporations on efficiencies. Hevesy says he, his wife and four children reside in Fishers, where he has lived for more than 11 years.
“As a long-time Hamilton County resident and fan, I realized that it’s time I did more,” said Hevesy in the news release. “Our Republican Party is a party of freedom and hope, both of which I plan to magnify if given the opportunity by our precinct committeemen on March 6th. A strong, vocal Republican party in Hamilton County is important for Indiana. We have a lot of influence and we should use it – as a unified party – to bring hope and light to some very challenging times.”
The announcement comes just one week away from counting ballots from precinct officials, whose votes will determine the Hamilton County GOP Chair.
Hevesy was quoted in an August 27, 2020 story in the Indianapolis Star written by MJ Slaby, urging the Hamilton Southeastern School Board to allow parents an option for in-person classes, joining about 100 people protesting outside the school administration building prior to a board meeting. The board was limiting in-person classes, depending on the grade level, due to the COVID infection rate locally at that time.
“Frustration is high,” Hevesy told the IndyStar, “and we don’t trust those in charge.”
Drug use has been common among musical performers taking to the road, but the United States federal law enforcement targeted one of the greatest Blues singers of all time, Billie Holiday, for her drug addiction, mostly because she dared to sing a song about lynchings of African-Americans. The name of the film is United States vs. Billie Holiday. Here is my review.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office logged a record-breaking number of cases in 2020.
Chalfin
According to Hamilton County Coroner John Chalfin, his office recorded a total of 511 cases in 2020, up 23 percent from the previous year.
Chalfin predicts the number will grow in 2021. “Based on current statistics, the office could see 560 to 600 cases,” he said.
Chalfin contributed the increase to the growing population in the county. “COVID-19 did not impact our numbers significantly,” he said. “A majority of those deaths were people under a doctor’s care, which most often, does not warrant a coroner investigation.”
A new statewide death reporting system, DRIVE, was implemented in January. It’s used by coroners, physicians, health departments, and funeral homes, and it has Chalfin frustrated.
“Under the old system it took 15 to 20 minutes to certify a death with the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH),” he said. “Now, under the new system, it takes nearly an hour if everything goes smooth.”
In Indiana, death certificates are administered by the local health departments and require the signature of a physician or coroner. Death certificates are needed for families to settle final affairs of the deceased.
“The new system has delayed the issuance of death certificates, making it difficult for families to move forward with final arrangements,” Chalfin said.
Chalfin said his frustration with the new system is attributed to inadequate training by ISDH, timing of implementation, and the lack of physicians registered in the DRIVE database.
“They rolled this out right in the middle of a pandemic,” he said. “What use to be a simple process is now an arduous task for everyone involved. On top of that, the new system did not initially recognize the newly formed Fishers Health Department.”
Barb Hathaway, Vital Records Registrar for the Fishers Health Department, confirmed her office did not come online with ISDH’s new system until mid-February, which created a backlog in the issuance of death certificates for deaths occurring in Fishers.
Chalfin said the new system has tasked his staff. “An average number of hours worked per coroner case is 14. With a case load expected to be nearly 600 this year, it is easy to see the additional workload the new system will create,” he said. “We are the fourth largest county in Indiana by population. Unlike some of the larger counties, we do not have a staff person assigned to processes death certificates. Much of our time is spent investigating cases and conducting autopsies. We will need to make some changes if the bugs aren’t worked out of the DRIVE system.”
Chalfin also pointed out some death certificates are being delayed due to toxicology reporting. “In death investigations requiring toxicology examinations, results from testing laboratories are taking four to six weeks due to a nationwide increase in overdose deaths,” he said.
Hamilton Southeastern girls basketball coach Chris Huppenthal has announced his retirement. Huppenthal coached the Royals for 16 years, mentored four Indiana All-Stars, and guided HSE to the Class 4A state championship in 2019 (shown here). (Kirk Green/File photo)
by
Richie Hall
Sports Editor
Hamilton County Reporter
Hamilton Southeastern girls basketball coach Chris Huppenthal is retiring.
The longtime Royals coach announced his decision earlier this week during the Royals’ girls basketball season-ending banquet. With that, Huppenthal took his final bow in a remarkable, highly successful career that has seen him win numerous championships – including a state title for Southeastern – and coach several Indiana All-Stars – including a Miss Basketball.
Huppenthal has been a basketball coach for 31 years, including 25 years as a head coach. He called his decision to retire “a family decision,” and acknowledged that a basketball coach puts in many hours, noting that some people would say it’s a second job. Huppenthal also teaches math at Hamilton Southeastern; he will continue to teach at the school.
Chris Huppenthal’s daughter Kalee played basketball for the Royals. She lives in Denver now. His son Cody was a football player, he will be a senior at Indiana University next year.
“I’ve been coaching since they were born, so they really don’t know this life or my life any different,” said Huppenthal. The coach said that when family members start to move away time becomes “a little bit more precious.”
Huppenthal just finished his 16th season as a coach for the Royals. He joined the team in the 2005-06 season after spending the 2004-05 season at Kokomo, where he supervised the Wildkats to a 19-6 record and a regional title. Prior to that, Huppenthal coached for eight seasons at his alma mater, Highland, leading it to four regional titles.
Once at Southeastern, Huppenthall had immediate success there as well. His first team compiled a 22-4 record and won a regional championship. The Royals would then win a sectional title in 2006-07, finishing 25-1 for the year.
That was just the beginning of a long run for HSE. In Huppenthal’s 16 seasons, the Royals never had a losing record. He also coached the 2018-19 team to a 27-1 record and the Class 4A state championship.
Huppenthall finished his career with a 282-86 record at Southeastern and was 457-124 overall.
“Coach Hupp is a leader in our athletic department, he is a Hall of Fame basketball coach, but more importantly he is a Hall of Fame educator and person,” said Southeastern athletic director Jim Self. “He will be a tremendous asset for our next head coach, he wants nothing more than to see our program succeed at the highest level.”
“I appreciate our athletic directors, our administration, the support from the community for our girls basketball program,” said Huppenthal. “And if anybody asks me if this is a good job, or a good situation, it would be an emphatic ‘yes.’ I say that on many levels. The kids are awesome. I can say that one of the things that made the decision hard is to walk away from the kids we were coaching.”
Southeastern has had some incredible players come through its program over the years. Huppenthal coached four Indiana All-Stars: Courtney Osborn, Taya Reimer, Amaya Hamilton and Sydney Parrish, who won Miss Basketball for 2020 and is having a standout freshman season at the University of Oregon.
“When you’re in the coaching world, if you’re not dealing with good kids and good families, it can make for a miserable situation. But I’ve been fortunate that in the 16 years I’ve been here, we’ve had some incredible kids with some very supportive families. As I look back on my career, I wouldn’t change one thing in that I got to move our family to this community and this school system,” said Huppenthal.
In addition to the four All-Stars at HSE, Huppenthal also coached an Indiana All-Star at Highland, Jenny DeMuth. She is now the athletic director at Shelbyville High School. Seeing his players succeed in life after high school has been one of the more gratifying experiences for Huppenthal.
“It’s one of the things that really, you look back on a career and makes you smile,” said Huppenthal. “A lot of people think coaches are in it for the wins and losses.” Instead, Huppenthal said that seeing his players come back and then seeing how successful they are is more exhilarating than any win or personal accomplishments.
“I’ve been fortunate to see a lot of my past players move on to bigger and better things than winning basketball games,” said Huppenthal. “And that’s exciting.”
Huppenthal will now be adjusting to a new schedule come the fall, one where the first day of Fall Break is, for him, no longer the first day of practice. No more Thanksgiving week swings where he coaches the Royals against Carmel on Friday afternoon after a tough game with Brownsburg on Tuesday. The coach acknowledged the Bulldogs, a fellow Hoosier Crossroads Conference team, making the Class 4A state finals. “Good luck to them Saturday,” he said.
But Huppenthal will always be a Royals fan, and would encourage anyone to apply for the Royals girls basketball coaching job. He noted three aspects that make Hamilton Southeastern a good place.
“The biggest advice I’d give to them is, it’s a great place to teach, it’s a great place to coach and it’s an awesome place to raise your family,” said Huppenthal.
Roughly six different operations, including the City of Fishers, are joining together for pilot programs involving autonomous vehicles. One pilot has been designated for the City of Indianapolis beginning in May involving the west side. In Fishers, a not-yet-defined pilot program will be coming in November.
May Mobility, one of the partners, plans on establishing a regional headquarters in the Fishers IOT Lab.
Below is the news release issued jointly by all the parties involved.
In a brief board meeting Tuesday, Hamilton Southeastern Schools joined the local teachers’ union, the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, in opposing legislation under consideration by the General Assembly that both groups view as a threat to Indiana public school funding.
The board voted unanimously to issue the joint statement, which urges “legislators to oppose these bills, and any other legislation that directs funding away from
Indiana public schools.” The bills include HB 1005, SB 412 and SB 413.
Board member Sarah Donsbach, the board’s Legislative Liaison, reviewed the details of how the proposed legislation would increase funding for families with children in nonpublic schools and would increase the income range, allowing families with higher incomes to qualify for state subsidies for nonpublic schools.
“It greatly expands the income eligibility for students to be able to participate in this Choice program,” Donsbach told fellow board members. “That risks the public schools losing a large amount of funding in the process.”
HB 1005 has passed the Indiana House by a vote of 61-38. It is now under consideration in the Senate.
On another matter, President Janet Pritchett says the board has started interviewing candidates for superintendent, with those interviews starting last week and wrapping-up this week. The board expects to make a choice, enter into contract negotiations and “hopefully” announce the new superintendent March 24.
“I just want to reiterate how pleased we are with our candidates,” Pritchett said. “They are very strong and we are very, very excited to have them and we’re going to have a really, really difficult choice.”
Current Superintendent Allen Bourff has announced his intention to retire at the end of June this year.
Hamilton County is likely to have a new court soon, assuming the state legislature approves. It will be Superior Court 7, the judge of which will be appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb.
The increasing case load is the reason given for the county’s request for the additional court. Hamilton County currently has a Circuit Court and six superior courts. There is space in the Judicial Center for one more court.
County Commissioners and County Council members discussed the pending court’s needs in a joint session Tuesday.
The court was one item on a list of upcoming projects reviewed by the officials.
At the top of the list was the State Road 37 reconstruction designed to create a freeway without grade level intersections from Noblesville to Interstate 69. Costs for the major project are increasing. Late last year, the county was told another $40 million will be needed and further increases are likely.
The earlier announced county parking garage was also considered. Originally estimated to cost about $9.5 million, county officials now believe it may be wise to increase the structure to five levels to allow for anticipated future needs.
The garage, planned on the northside of Noblesville’s Clinton Street between 8th and 9th streets, will take the place of a current ground-level lot on Conner Street on the eastside of the White River. A private development is planned on that three-acre site.
Other projects getting attention at the meeting include converting the current Humane Society building on Pleasant Street to offices for the Soil and Water Conservation District and county Weights and Measures.
The Humane Society is in the process of building a new facility on Hague Road in Fishers.
The long-discussed White River bridge at Pleasant Street, a vital link in the planned bypass of downtown Noblesville, was considered at the joint session. The county is responsible for major bridges anywhere in the county, while the city will build the bypass to the bridge.
A center for victims of domestic violence has also been requested. There is presently no shelter for such victims within the county.
Officials are also considering acquisition of a 106-acre parcel for park development in Washington Township and will be undertaking intersection improvements at 146th and Allisonville, likely involving a roundabout at the heavily-traveled crossing.
All proposed projects were referred to the council’s finance committee for consideration. While the county has considerable resources on hand, the listed projects cannot likely all be financed at one time without other sources of revenue or staged as annual revenues are collected.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department has announced the passing of Retired Lieutenant Mitch Russell.
Russell served the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 29 years, from Nov. 21, 1977 to April 1, 2006. After retiring, Russell went on to serve as Chief of the Arcadia Police Department and Director of Security for Riverview Health.
“Mitch Russell will long be remembered for his selfless service to the citizens of Hamilton County,” said Sheriff Dennis Quakenbush. “He was a great leader, law enforcement officer, public servant, friend, and family man. Our hearts grieve with his family for the loss of a great man who loved his community and was loved by all who knew him.”
Hamilton County has a large number of employees that have served county government for many years, and they are set to be honored. A total of 131 employees will be recognized as part of the celebration, each with receiving a service pin for at least 5 years of service.
“Our goal is to bring to the citizens and taxpayers of Hamilton County the most responsive governmental services possible,” says Human Resource Director for Hamilton County, Sheena Randall . “Employing top quality people, providing them with meaningful work, and retaining their services helps us serve the public efficiently and effectively.”
Hamilton County Auditor Robin Mills and Lynette Duvall, a caseworker in the Prosecutor’s Office, top this year’s list of employees with the most longevity. Each has been employed with the County for 40 years.
“I have stayed with Hamilton County because I enjoy the work I do,” Duvall says. “Plus, the county offers great benefits, such as health insurance, paid holidays, and a 37.5-hour work week.”
“I know that longevity in a place of employment is almost unheard of these days,” adds Mills. “But the county has offered me stability and job growth. I have been mentored by and continue to work with some pretty awesome people. It’s been a privilege to see Hamilton County grow and develop into one of the most sought-after places to live and to know that I have been a part of that.”
This year, six employees will celebrate 35 years of service with the County, 11 will mark 30 years, and 18 will observe 25 years. Another 17 employees will be honored for reaching the 20-year milestone with 15 others marking 15 years, 16 celebrating 10 years, and 46 observing five years of employment.
The Hamilton Southeastern School District has faced a number of challenges in recent months. There have been issues on race relations. The district must find $5 million in budget savings in the coming school year due to a COVID-related drop in student numbers. Like most school districts around the nation, trying to have in-person classes while protecting the health of students and staff during a pandemic has been a challenge.
“They rolled this out right in the middle of a pandemic,” he said. “What use to be a simple process is now an arduous task for everyone involved. On top of that, the new system did not initially recognize the newly formed Fishers Health Department.”
