Many polling locations change — Approximately 88,000 voters in Hamilton County will have a new polling location for the primary election June 2. The new sites are spread throughout the county and include area churches, neighborhood clubhouses and school buildings. Bright yellow postcards have been mailed out to notify voters of their new voting locations. If you do not receive a yellow card in the mail or want to check your polling location, go to indianavoters.com, hamiltoncounty.in.gov, youarecurrent.com/vote or call the election office at 317-776-8476.
County COVID-19 deaths – On May 12, Hamilton County released cumulative COVID-19 deaths by ZIP code. They are 3 deaths in 46031, 31 in 46032, 2 in 46033, 1 in 46040, 4 in 46060, 7 in 46062 and 5 in 46074. Deaths by nursing home facility are 13 at Carmel Health & Living, 7 at The Stratford, 5 at Brookdale Carmel, 4 at Harbour Manor, 2 at Heritage Woods and 1 at Maple Park. ZIP codes and facilities in Fishers are not included, because the city recently created its own health department.
HCLA applications due – Applications for the Hamilton County Leadership Academy Class of 2021 will be accepted through May 31. The 10-month program aims to connect servant leaders with their communities. Participants are selected on experience, leadership potential and desire to serve the community. A COVID-19 contingency plan is in place for the Class of 2021. Learn more and apply at hcla.net/programs/application/.
Virtual Memorial Day ceremony – The City of Carmel will hold a virtual Memorial Day ceremony at 9 a.m. May 22. Retired Army Col. Mike Getchell will be the guest speaker. Music will be provided by several local groups and organizations. Watch the ceremony at facebook.com/CityofCarmel.
College graduation – Carmel residents Lea Washington and Haley Urbanowski have graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of music in Boston. Berklee held its virtual commencement ceremony and concert the second weekend in May.
STEM Team award – Carmel High School senior Iris Yan is one of four winners of the 2020 Governor’s STEM Team award. Yan won in the science category and will receive a $1,000 scholarship. She earned perfect scores on the SAT chemistry, physics and math exams and ACT science and math exams. She was chosen to attend the MIT Research Science Institute in 2019 and was a two-time honoree in the United States National Chemistry Olympiad Exam in 2018 and 2019, one of the top 20 student chemists in the nation. She plans to attend Harvard University in the fall.
Read to Feed — The Carmel Read to Feed program features local celebrities reading poetry, classic children’s novels and excerpts from literature while raising awareness and financial contributions to the Carmel Youth Assistance Program’s summer meals program. Watch the videos on the Carmel Read to Feed Instagram page. Donations can be made at Bidpal.net/CarmelReadToFeed.
BMV opens by appointment – The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has opened a portion of its branches through an appointment-only format. Customers will be able to schedule an appointment for transactions that are not available online, including commercial drivers licenses, new drivers licenses, title transfers and disability placards. Learn more and schedule an appointment at in.gov/bmv/2405.htm.
Golden Hoosier nominations – Nominations are open for the 2020 Golden Hoosier Award, which honors older Hoosiers for their lifetime of service and commitment to their communities. To be eligible for the award, the nominee must be an Indiana resident, age 65 or older and have been a volunteer in the community for the past three years. The deadline for submitting applications is June 30. Make a nomination at in.gov/lg/2532.htm.
Educator Honor Roll – Nominations are open for Carmel Education Foundation’s Educator Honor Roll, which recognizes Carmel educators for their positive impact. Nominees will receive a personalized certificate and be listed on the CEF website. Nomination donations fund grants for every school and scholarships for graduating seniors. Make a nomination at ccs.k12.in.us/foundation/events/honor-roll.
Poll workers needed – Many of the volunteers who work the polls on Election Day are unable to do so this year because they fall into the high-risk category for COVID-19. Hamilton County is looking for volunteers – especially teenagers and school teachers who will be out of school by the June 2 election – to help. The county needs at least 100 workers. Learn more at hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
Homework help – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is extending hours for the AskRose math and science tutoring helpline this spring to help middle and high school students better understand math and science homework problems. Free homework help is available from noon to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays through a phone call, email or chat session. Connections can be made at 877-275-7673 or AskRose.org. The site also offers more than 500 resources available through videos and downloadable reference materials.
Humane Society closed – In response to the increasing concern with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Humane Society for Hamilton County has closed to the public and has ceased adoptions. The HSHC will continue accepting any of the county’s lost, stray or unwanted animals. To surrender an animal, bring in a stray or look for a lost pet, call 317-773-4974. HSHC hours will be 8 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. The HSHC is asking for monetary donations or donations from its wish list available at amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1MGI1R3B4ZZSF/ref=cm_sw_su_w.
Art competition – The office of U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks is seeking submissions from high school students in the 5th District for a chance to have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. May 21. For competition details, visit susanwbrooks.house.gov/services/art-competition.
Newcomers Club – Newcomers Club of Carmel, a nonprofit social club, connects its members with friends, engages in fun activities and explores the community. Monthly activities include a welcome coffee, a luncheon event and 32 interest group meetings. Membership represents Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville and Indianapolis. For more, visit carmelnewcomers.com or call 317-564-8349.
County assisting small businesses – The Hamilton County Stabilization Fund for Small Businesses has been established to help local small businesses forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants of up to $10,000 per business will be awarded based on demonstrated need. Grants can be used for payroll (exclusive of owner compensation), utilities, rent, mortgage payments, insurance or similar expenses, and products directly used in production of a product for sale. Preference will be given to businesses that have not received other government abatements or incentives. Applications are due by the close of business on May 22. Applications are available at hamiltoncounty.in.gov/1629/.
Real estate stats – The Carmel real estate market was steady in April 2020. According to F.C. Tucker Company, Carmel home sale prices increased 0.1 percent to $415,141, compared to April 2019. Homes in Carmel continued to leave the market more quickly than this time last year – selling in seven fewer days. The average price per square foot for a home in Carmel decreased slightly, down 2 percent, to $150.48.
Merchants Mortgage hire – Merchants Mortgage has hired Stacy Frazier as a residential mortgage loan originator. Frazier brings more than 20 years of mortgage lending experience to the team. She has served the mortgage industry as a mortgage loan originator and business development manager, most recently with the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership. Learn more at merchantsbankofindiana.com.
Workforce Recovery Task Force – Hamilton County has created a Workforce Recovery Task Force. The task force hosted its first meeting April 29 in an effort to jumpstart a recovery plan for Hamilton County businesses. The effort is being supported by the Hamilton County Economic Development Corporation. The task force will look at creating both short-term (three months) and long-term (six to nine month) plans for reducing unemployment. It will also work to identify industries and companies that have additional workforce needs tied to COVID-19. The hope is that the county’s 21st Century Talent Region can take over the task force’s efforts by October 2020.
Stratford now hiring – Carmel retirement community The Stratford is looking to hire qualified workers amidst current unemployment trends. To support those who are looking for new careers, the community has set up a dedicated hotline to speak directly to the community’s HR director as a quick way of connecting. Additionally, the team has implemented Daily Pay, a way to cash out the hours that have been worked that day. The Stratford offers benefits including medical, dental, vision insurance, wellness program, flexible PTO options, emergency loan options and more. For more, call 317-342-9009 or apply online at Stratford-living.com/careers.
Paralegal joins firm – Carmel-based Hollingsworth Roberts Means has added paralegal Kim Achs to the firm. Her primary focus will be with the divorce and family law team. Achs previously worked at Faegre Drinker. She graduated from Sinclair Community College. Achs and her husband live in Greenwood with their two daughters.
Goodwill emergency fund – The Goodwill Foundation of Central & Southern Indiana has created a COVID-19 emergency fund to provide critical support for the most immediate needs of the thousands of employees, students and families served by Goodwill. Donors can contribute to the fund at goodwillindy.org/donatenow. The Goodwill Foundation will match donations to the emergency fund, $2 for every $1 donated, up to $500,000 in matching funds. For more information and to donate, visit goodwillindy.org/donatenow.
MetroNet announces relief plan – MetroNet Fiber recently announced a COVID-19 relief plan to help customers during a time when they need reliable internet more than ever. As demands for faster connections and more bandwidth have increased, MetroNet is allowing residential customers to increase to the next level of speed at no cost. The company is also waiving installation fees for new residential customers. Business customers will receive free remote phone system capabilities for 60 days to enable companies to continue running seamlessly while teams transition to working from home. In an effort to support local restaurants, MetroNet is sponsoring daily lunch carry-out for associates Learn more at metronetinc.com/wp-content/uploads/19-ways-MetroNet-is-helping-communities-final.pdf.
COVID-19 antibody test available – Aria Diagnostics has secured an FDA-approved test for antibody testing for COVID-19. An antibody is a protein which the body produces in the late stages of infection and can remain for months or years after a person has recovered. Drive-up testing will be offered at Aria Diagnostics, 5635 W. 966th St. in Indianapolis, and Northview Church, 12900 Hazel Dell Pkwy. in Carmel. The test costs $75 and a doctor’s order is not required. Results are available within 48 hours. Schedule a test at ariadxs.com.
Plasma can help COVID-19 patients – As coronavirus or COVID-19 continues its spread across the globe, Versiti Blood Center of Indiana has begun collecting plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients throughout Indiana to help treat those diagnosed with the virus. This blood-related treatment, approved by the FDA as an emergency investigational new drug, could offer hope to the hundreds of patients who continue to be diagnosed. This treatment would be used by hospitals for the most severely affected patients. For more, visit versiti.org/Indiana.
Hospice volunteers needed – Anew Hospice is recruiting volunteers to visit patients in facilities in Carmel, Noblesville and elsewhere in the Indianapolis area. Volunteers provide assistance by listening and reminiscing, comforting, reading and playing music. For more information, call 317-300-2292 or visit AnewCare.com.
