Carmel ranked as ‘Most Caring’ – Carmel has been ranked as the “Most Caring” city in Indiana according to Insurify, a company that compares auto insurance quotes. Insurify analyzed its database of more than 4 million car insurance applications, where city, state and primary occupations are listed, to determine the rankings. Insurify’s data science team identified the following occupations as the most caring in 2022: caregiver, counselor, firefighter, hospice volunteer, nurse practitioner, paramedic, physician/medical doctor, teacher, therapist and social worker. Carmel’s 3.94 percent of the share of drivers with these occupations was 55 percent greater than the state average.
Orchard Project Scholarship – Old Town Design Group has established the Orchard Project Scholarship to provide tuition assistance to a Hamilton, Boone or Johnson County student preparing for a career in the construction industry. Applications are being accepted now through March 18. For more information or to request the scholarship application, email [email protected].
Carmel Marathon alumni update – Two Carmel Marathon alumni will be included in the women’s elite field of the 126th running of the Boston Marathon set for April 18. Kathy Derks of Appleton, Wisc., and Ziyang Liu of Kirkland, Wash., will compete in a field that includes Olympians, Olympic medalists and former Boston Marathon champions. At the Carmel Marathon in 2021, Derks and Liu finished first and second, respectively.
Sock drive – Sun King is partnering with the Indiana Independent Venue Alliance to be a dropoff site for the second Sock On sock drive benefiting Indiana’s homeless community and Horizon House. New socks may be dropped off at Sun King, including the Carmel location at 351 Monon Blvd., through Feb. 18. Learn more at bit.ly/3HzvRAH.
Earth Day Art Contest – Carmel Green Initiative is inviting students in kindergarten through 12th grades to enter in the 2022 Earth Day Art Contest. Entries will be displayed at several community exhibits to give youth a voice, empowering them to inspire the community to live more sustainably. Participants will receive a free postcard with their artwork. Entries are due Feb. 18. For details visit Carmelgreen.org.
New FFA director – The Indiana FFA Association and the Indiana State Dept. of Agriculture announced the hiring of Tamara (Tami) Ketchen as the new Indiana FFA Association director. Ketchen currently serves as the assistant FFA director for the association and previously held the role as director from 2015 to 2018. Indiana FFA is a youth organization that provides students opportunities for leadership development, personal growth and career success. Ketchen graduated from Purdue University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. Prior to her position as assistant director of the Indiana FFA Association, Ketchen held the role of field atlas program manager with AgriNovus Indiana.
CCPL west branch closed to in-person visits – Carmel Clay Public Library’s Joyce Winner West Branch is closed to in-person visits until further notice because of the COVID-19 alert level in Hamilton County. Curbside holds pickup remains available at the branch from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays.The outside returns slots at the branch are open to accept returns. The Merchants’ Square Main Library remains open regular hours. Learn more at carmelclaylibrary.org/news-and-announcements.
Apply for governor’s STEM Team – Gov. Eric. Holcomb, Secretary of Education Katie Jenner and Treasurer of State Kelly Mitchell invite Indiana high school students to apply for the 2022 Governor’s STEM Team. The program honors four high school students for their efforts and accomplishments in one of the STEM disciplines. Winning students each receive a $1,000 deposit into an Indiana CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings plan and letterman jackets identifying them as members of the Governor’s STEM Team. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 4. Winners will be announced at a Statehouse ceremony in early May. Apply at form.jotform.com/213203880658962?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=.
Hasbrook Award nominations open – Bosma has opened nominations for the 2022 Thomas C. Hasbrook Award, which recognizes an individual who demonstrates exceptional commitment to supporting people with disabilities. Bosma is seeking nominees who exemplify a strong community service orientation through advocacy, leadership and program development and who assist individuals who are disabled to realize their potential. Nominations should be sent to [email protected]. Along with the nominee’s name, indicate why this individual would be an appropriate candidate for this award. All nominations are due by Feb. 1.
Governor’s Fellowship — Gov. Eric Holcomb is accepting applications through Jan. 28, for the 2022–2023 Governor’s Fellowship, which places fellows in various state agencies on a rotating basis throughout the year. The program is open to college graduates who received their bachelor’s degree beginning in summer or fall of 2021 or will receive it in the spring of 2022. Fellows are paid, full-time employees who participate in the day-to-day activities of state government. Applicants should know if they have been selected for an interview no later than Feb. 14, 2022. The fellowship will begin July 1, 2022. Learn more and apply at in.gov/gov/governors-office/governors-fellowship-program.
Military Veterans Hall of Fame — The Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for the Class of 2022 through Aug. 1, 2022. To be eligible, the nominee must have been born in Indiana, entered military service from Indiana, lived in Indiana for a minimum of five years and have no felony convictions. A nomination form can be found at imvhof.com/nominate. To learn more about the organization or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit imvhof.com.
Winter Blast returns – Clay Terrace will host the seventh annual Winter Blast from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 19 in the Village Green near Hoosier Sister. The free event includes carriage and train rides, face painters, a hot chocolate trail, ice sculptures, guaranteed snow and more.
Wild Birds Unlimited recognized – Wild Birds Unlimited, an international bird feeding and nature specialty franchise, again staked its claim as one of the nation’s best franchising opportunities with another placement in the annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500 ranking. The Indiana-based brand, which has a location in Carmel, was ranked No. 188 in the 2022 rankings thanks to its brand strength and steady expansion. WBU’s inclusion in the list marks its 26th consecutive appearance and the fourth consecutive year among the top 200 brands.
30e Scientific honored – Carmel-based 3Oe Scientific, a sci-tech company advancing the science and benefits of ozonated water, has been announced as a winning company in the 2022 Powderkeg Unvalley Awards. This recognizes 3Oe Scientific as one of the best tech companies to work for in emerging tech communities beyond Silicon Valley. The award winning companies were selected based on data collected from the companies for their company profile on Powderkeg, supplemented with publicly available third-party data. Companies are able to add data to their Powderkeg profile including company size, perks and benefits, funding, industry, and employee testimonials.
The Great Dine Out – The Great Dine Out restaurant promotion returns through Jan. 31 in partnership with Hamilton County Tourism and locally owned restaurants. More than 40 participating Hamilton County restaurants are offering deals and discounts for dine-in and carryout meals. The Great Dine-Out is a mobile-exclusive program. Customers must have a smartphone in order to redeem the offers at participating restaurants. Visit DineOutHamiltonCounty.com and enter a name and email address, and a link to the mobile passport will be texted to the participant. Learn more at DineOutHamiltonCounty.com.
Free at-home COVID tests — Orders may be placed for free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government. Each residential address is permitted to receive four rapid antigen tests. USPS will begin shipping the tests in late January. Anyone currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or in need of a test can visit covidtests.gov/#resources to find tests available elsewhere. Visit special.usps.com/testkits or covidtests.gov to order tests.
BenchMark opens Carmel clinic – BenchMark Physical Therapy recently opened an outpatient clinic at 14580 River Rd., Suite 170, in Carmel. BenchMark offers in-clinic and telehealth options for outpatient orthopedic physical therapy and occupational therapy, including manual therapy, injury prevention, return to performance, total joint replacement, concussion management and vestibular rehabilitation programs. To make an appointment, call 463-223-7770 or visit benchmarkpt.com.
