9/11 ceremony — The Carmel Fire Dept. will hold a Ceremony of Remembrance at 8:46 a.m. Sept. 11 at Carmel Fire headquarters, 2 Civic Square, in memory of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Attendees will be required to wear masks and practice physical distancing.
City budget workshops — The City of Carmel will hold 2021 budget workshops at 8 a.m. Sept. 10 and 15 at City Hall, 1 Civic Square. The meetings will also be livestreamed on the city’s website and Carmel’s local TV channels.
International movies at Midtown — The Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council is presenting International Movies at Midtown Plaza with “Canela” shown at 4:30 and 7 p.m. Sept. 17 and “Endurance” shown at 4:30 and 7 p.m. Oct. 15. Those in attendance will be asked to wear a face covering and practice physical distancing.
Anti-racism training — St. Luke’s United Methodist Church will host “Becoming an Anti-Racist Community” training from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 12. The free program will be offered online through Zoom and is open to all. The training will be led by Rev. Michelle Ledder, director of equity and anti-racism of the general commission on religion and race through the United Methodist Church. To learn more and register for the training, visit AntiRacistIndy.com.
Save to Win Sweepstakes — To celebrate September as National College Savings Month, CollegeChoice 529 will award one Hoosier family with a $5,000 CollegeChoice 529 account contribution with the Save to Win Sweepstakes. To enter the Save to Win Sweepstakes, an individual must make a contribution to their new or existing CollegeChoice 529 Direct or Advisor account during the month of September. One individual will be randomly selected from all Indiana residents who contribute to their CollegeChoice 529 account during that timeframe to win a $5,000 CollegeChoice 529 account deposit. For contest rules, visit collegechoicedirect.com/savetowin.
Early education rankings — Personal finance website WalletHub has ranked Indiana as having the worst early education system in the nation. Among metrics WalletHub considered are shares of school districts that offer a state pre-K program to the number of pre-K quality benchmarks met and total reported spending per child enrolled in pre-K. Learn more and see the rankings at wallethub.com/edu/e/states-with-the-best-and-worst-early-education-systems/62668/.
Gilded Leaf event — The 16th annual Guilded Leaf book and author event will be offered as a breakfast from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and a luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 22 at Ritz Charles, 12156 Meridian St. The auction, raffle and book sales are available online at bidpal.net/CCPLGuildedLeaf. Reserve tickets by Oct. 10 by calling 317-814-3984 or carmelclaylibrary.org/foundation.
Free math, science homework help — Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s free AskRose homework helpline is available to help middle and high school students get a head start on understanding their math and science homework problems through a simple phone call, email or chat session. Rose-Hulman students are available Sunday through Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. during the school year to help youth in grades 6 through 12 review math and science concepts. Connections can be made at 877-275-7673 or AskRose.org.
Relay for Life now a drive-thru — Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the previously scheduled Relay For Life of Hamilton County has been rescheduled for Sept. 12 as a Drive-Thru Luminaria event from 8 to 10 p.m. at Grace Church, 5504 E 146th St. in Noblesville. Luminaria bags will line and illuminate a path where cars will drive through to remember and honor those who have been impacted by cancer. Learn more and dedicate a luminaria bag at relayforlife.org/westfieldIN. Luminaria bags must be purchased by Sept. 5.
Current newsletter launches – Current Publishing launched a Morning Briefing newsletter July 27. The newsletter collects the most important story from all Current communities and delivers them to email inboxes every weekday at 7 a.m. Included will be recipes, best bets for fun activities in each community and more. Subscribers will also receive breaking news directly in their inbox. To subscribe, visit youarecurrent.com/morning-briefing/.
Native tree sale — The Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District is selling 35 species of native trees for $28 each. Trees will be approximately three to five feet tall at delivery. Pre-orders are required and due by Sept. 28. Trees may be picked up Oct. 23 at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds. Learn more at hamiltonswcd.org.
Volunteers needed — Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County is seeking volunteers as requests for the service continue to rise. The meal delivery service has seen a 48 percent increase for service between March and May. There is no contact between clients and volunteer drivers. Meals are left in coolers on the front porch. Volunteers pick up deliveries from either Ascension St. Vincent Carmel Hospital or Riverview Health Hospital in Noblesville. For more information on donating or volunteering, visit mealsonwheelshc.org or call 317-776-7159.
New inclusive playground –– Conner Prairie has debuted Ag Adventures at the Estridge Family Park, a newly constructed playground that will provide access to all visitors. This fully inclusive play area was designed with guests of all abilities in mind. The playscape is accessible for visitors with physical or developmental disabilities who may have been unable to fully engage with Conner Prairie’s previous playground. The playground was made possible through the support of the Estridge Family Foundation — a fund of the Hamilton County Community Foundation — and the Conner Prairie Alliance. Learn more at connerprairie.org.
4-H Photo Challenge – The 4-H Photo Challenge is open to youth in third through 12th grade. Participants should take photos fitting the monthly theme and submit entries online at bit.ly/hamco4hcameracorp by the last day of the month. Monthly themes for 2020 include: August – Fairs. Festivals, Fun; September – Community; October – Sunset to Sunrise; November – Occupations; December – Holiday Happenings.
Midwest Academy scholarships — Midwest Academy has scholarship opportunities available for students in grades three through six. The school offers students in grades 3-12 a small, engaging educational setting for those diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, high-functioning autism, receptive and/or expansive language or processing challenges resulting in school anxiety. For more information contact Assistant Head of School Katie Erdmanis at [email protected].
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.
Prevent property theft, fraud — The Hamilton County Recorder’s Office has rolled out a new program to protect residents from property theft and fraud. The new system, Doxpop Property Watch, notifies property owners with an email to alert them to changes or filings that affect them. Doxpop is a free service that provides residents access to all their recorded documents online. Multiple parcels can be registered for those who own several properties throughout the county. To access and enroll in the system, visit doxpop.com under “Other Services” and “Doxpop Property Watch.”
Shops open at Clay Terrace — Sephora and Rose & Remington are now open at Clay Terrace. Both stores held grand openings on Aug. 14. Sephora sells beauty supplies, including brands unique to the Clay Terrace location. Rose & Remington offers stylists to help create the right look and sells jewelry, candles and other items to support nationwide and global initiatives.
Baker Hill VP joins Tech 25 — Baker Hill Vice President of Product Management Mike Horrocks has been named a member of the Tech 25 2020 class, presented by Techpoint. Horrocks, a Carmel resident, was nominated for his work in leading Baker Hill’s development of solutions to meet the needs of financial institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Baker Hill is a financial technology provider for loan origination, risk management and analytics based in Carmel. Learn more at bakerhill.com.
Hoosier Hospitality Promise — In Hamilton County, 56 businesses have made the Hoosier Hospitality Promise, meaning federal, state and local health and safety guidelines were put in place and are being fully executed by key organizations and attractions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. More than 500 businesses statewide have made the Hoosier Hospitality Promise. Learn more at HoosierHospitalityPromise.com.
Carmel facility to close — Horton Inc., which produces engine cooling systems, plans to close its facility at 201 W. Carmel Dr. The closure will be phased and be complete by the end of the year, leading to the elimination of more than 60 positions.
SePRO leadership changes — Carmel-based SePRO Corporation has announced that founder, President and CEO Bill Culpepper is transitioning to chairman of the board of directors, which will allow him to focus on the strategic growth of the company. SePRO creates specialty aquatics, turf, landscape and ornamental products and services for the agrichemical industry. Effective Aug. 1, Tyler Koschnick will become the company’s president. Michael Puckett has been promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer.
Bank offers educational series online — Centier Bank has launched the bank’s online financial educational series, “Centier To You,” online. Centier has hosted in-person community events about financial wellness and education in the past—at branches, local libraries and other locations in communities across the state. But now, Centier is offering the series online, so visitors can access them on their own time, from anywhere. The site contains financial tips, exercises and information on identity theft, homebuying, credit and more. Learn more at centier.com/financial-education.
Uplift nominated for honor — Uplift Intimate Apparel in Carmel City Center is one of more than 300 nominees for the 2020 Best Retail Award by Intima Magazine, the global premiere industry magazine. The award ceremony will be a virtual event on Aug. 2. The recognition is given to the best performing lingerie specialty stores in North America under a variety of categories. Judging of the finalists is done by a professional jury composed of both domestic and international famous lingerie brands.
New hires — Carmel-based Merchants Capital has hired Dewayne Hayward as vice president of Federal Housing Association asset management, and Mark Ciarrocchi as senior vice president of investor accounting. Hayward will work out of his home in Carrollton, Texas. Ciarrocchi will work out of his home in Waxhaw, N.C.
Financial planning partnership — Argent Financial Group, an independent fiduciary wealth management firm, is partnering with Todd DeKruyter and DK Financial. DeKruyter, a Carmel resident, has worked in the family financial planning industry for more than 10 years and will serve as a family wealth strategist on behalf of Argent’s Family Wealth Services division, assisting families across the nation with charitable and legacy planning needs. DeKruyter is a managing partner at DK Financial and previously served as president of Family Meridian, an educational organization that provides resources to help high net worth families thrive. He has also worked as an executive at Larson Financial Group and as a pastor.
Free suicide prevention program — September is Suicide Prevention, and the Indiana Center for the Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide is offering free suicide prevention training this month. The QPR program — which stands for question, persuade and refer — provides information on recognizing warning signs of suicide and gaining skills to prevent a possible tragedy. Register at indianaprevention.org/events.
New hire — Northside ENT, 12065 Old Meridian St., has added Pamela Lambert to its clinical team to help diagnose ear, nose and throat conditions. Lambert recently moved from California, where she had eight years of experience treating pediatric and adult otolaryngology/head and neck surgery patients. Learn more and schedule an appointment by calling 317-844-5656.
Plasma can help COVID-19 patients – As 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.
