TODAy’s WeaTHER SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 2019 Today: Partly sunny. Scattered showers and storms, mainly in the afternoon. SHERIDAN | NOBLESVIllE | CICERO | ARCADIA Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers and storms. IKE ATLANTA | WESTFIELD | CARMEL | FISHERS NEWS GATHERING L & PARTNER FOllOW US! HIGH: 80 LOW: 57 Mayor Hogsett’s Hamilton County farmers “regional” plan under pressure from rain for Indy roads By KATIE WISELY WISH-TV | wishtv.com requires caution Joe Hogsett, may- It's been a rough spring for farmers or of our big sister with the constant rain. A lot of the seeds city, Indianapolis, has aren't even in the ground yet. Farmers are a big problem with feeling the pressure, and consumers could his streets, and he's see the impact on prices later this year. come up with an idea According to a new report, only 22 to have surrounding percent of the state of Indiana is planted. counties help him out Normally, this time of year it's 94 percent. of it. Of course, it's Nathan Davis is a farmer in northern FRED SWIFT an election year. Joe The County Line Hamilton County. He farms about 3,000 needs to get votes, acres of corn every year. Right now, only and there's nothing like telling the voters 500 of that is planted. Davis uses that corn that you've found somebody else to pay to feed the thousands of hogs he raises. for their needs. He says it takes about 180,000 bushels So, Joe wants to have his surrounding of corn to feed all of his hogs. On average, counties, like Hamilton County, put some he sells about 18,000 a year. Davis says he yet-to-be determined amount of their Lo- needs at least 1,300 acres of corn planted. Photo provided by WISH-TV cal Income Tax money into a fund that This year he's had to take new mea- Northern Hamilton County farmer Nathan Davis says he needs at least 1,800 would fix crumbling streets. Supposedly, sures. He says he's had to spend nearly of his usual 3,000 acres of corn planted in order to feed his thousands of Hamilton County would get some of its $60,000 to buy contract corn for the fall money back. But, likely not much. just to feed the hogs. Davis says it's due to hogs. Due to the exceptionally wet spring, so far he’s only been able to plant This "regional" approach to road re- the fact that the weather hasn't been in their 500 of those acres of corn. pair would require state legislation. It is favor this year. Some farmers are saying there's a Davis says the ground has to dry out true that a lot of our county's residents use "It just doesn't affect the crop," he said. chance they may not get a crop in the field, before they can get the planter back out. Indy's streets; about 58,000 of our people "I mean you have all of your inputs, your or once they do plant, it fails due to the wet He says the impact the weather has had commute into the city. And, about 15,000 equipment costs, you've got your seed cost, ground. Most farmers have some type of on planting will increase the cost of corn. Indianapolis residents commute to Ham- your land cost and all that kind of stuff, so crop insurance, but the insurance doesn't As of right now, Davis says it's nearly $4 ilton County. Indy would benefit greatly it's huge. It affects everything really." cover everything. a bushel. by using those numbers in some kind of a formula that is yet to be devised. And, there are a few other problems with Joe's idea. Chief among them is the fact that commuters from our county al- Join Sheridan Rotarians ready pay four tenths of one percent of their income in Marion County as their Deputy Auditor Drew Carlson told me yesterday. That might not sound like for yearly pancake breakfast much, but by my conservative calcula- tions it amounts to between $5 million and $6 million per year. You can fix a lot of chuckholes with that along with the money from the other surrounding coun- ties. There's another consideration. While we have 58,000 commuters to Indy, we have about 318,000 people in Hamil- ton County. That means a vast majority, 260,000 more or less, do not commute and may not want to pay to fix Joe's prob- lem. And, then we should consider that many commuters use largely interstate highways like 69 and 465 to get to work. Indianapolis does not maintain these roads, the state highway department (IN- DOT) is solely responsible. The Local Income Tax (formerly known as COIT) is a big part of Hamilton County's life blood for public services and facilities. Our county, cities, towns, town- ships and libraries get more than $156 million from this tax each year. Giving up Photo provided part of it would potentially reduce local The Sheridan Rotarians shown here are getting yard signs ready to advertise the club’s annual pancake and government's services at all these levels. sausage and biscuit and gravy breakfast scheduled for 7 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 22. The fundraiser will take Our local officials and legislators place in the Community Room of the Sheridan Public Library. Adults are $8 and children ages 12 and under are have a lot of serious thinking to do before $3. Along with the meal, there will also be a silent auction of donated items from individuals and businesses from agreeing to any "regional" approaches the Sheridan community. (Above, from left) Dale McCullough, Les Pense, Steve Armfield and Glenn Hunsucker. that Marion County politicians propose in an election year. th 96 and Keystone traffic State Senator Spartz named changes to begin June 17 chair of audit committee The REPORTER allow northbound traf- 96th Street. Detours will The REPORTER findings and to providing fic coming on Keystone be either 106th Street or A major shift in traffic The Indiana General provides guid- Hoosiers with Parkway, north of In- 86th Street. patterns at 96th Street and Assembly’s Legislative ance to the state and local terstate 465, to proceed These changes are Keystone Parkway should Council recently named SBOA, among government through the construction being made in response help with congestion and State Sen. Victoria Spartz other things. accountability, project without stopping. to notification by utili- access to businesses on (R-Noblesville) chair of “As some- the audits pro- One lane will be dedicated ty companies that they 96th Street, east of the the Audit and Financial one who has vide valuable to right-turn traffic onto would not be able to re- intersection. Meanwhile, Reporting Subcommittee been involved insight into the 96th Street while the oth- move utility lines by the due to unexpected utility of the Legislative Council. with auditing operation of er lane will be for through end of May, as previous- delays, the previous plan The audit commit- and financial any organiza- traffic into Carmel. ly expected. Instead, they to close east-west through tee is responsible for reporting for Spartz tion.” Southbound Key- will need to work until the traffic on 96th Street has independent review and large public and private The Legislative stone Parkway traffic end of July. Work on the been extended from 60 to oversight of the Indiana companies for over a de- Council is comprised will also be able to pro- bridge over 96th Street, 150 days – a step taken by State Board of Accounts cade, I look forward to of eight members of the ceed through the project however, cannot wait the construction team in (SBOA) and the exam- contributing my knowl- Indiana Senate and eight without stopping, giving that long without a sig- order to ensure project’s ination processes. The edge and best practices to members of the Indiana motorists better access nificant delay that could substantial completion by committee monitors in- governmental entities,” House of Representa- to westbound 96th Street extend the overall life of the end of 2019. dependence, evaluates Spartz said. “In addition tives. On or about June 17, and I-465. Traffic turning the project into the sum- the traffic light at 96th and south on Keystone Park- mer of 2020. By making Keystone will be removed way from eastbound 96th these traffic changes now, and traffic on Keystone Street will have a dedicat- the project can remain on Parkway will be shifted ed turn lane. Southbound pace to be substantially onto newly constructed Keystone traffic will not completed by the end of Thank you for reading The Reporter! on-off ramps. This will be able to turn left onto 2019. 2 News Home Auto Business Life Your Friends in the Insurance Business 317-758-5828 [email protected] BraggInsurance.com Carmel graduates 1,225 students Reporter photo by Denise Moe Carmel High School conducted graduation ceremonies Thursday at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. A total of 1,225 students comprised the Class of 2019. I was born and raised right here in Noblesville. I grew up in a home without RACE IN! domestic violence or assault – it wasn’t something I saw, or even heard about. The Volkswagen Arteon. Take a closer look... 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