Hamilton County man enjoys flexibility of working from home
Christopher Bates looks out from his home office Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Westfield. He works remotely for H.B. Fuller. He and his family recently moved to Hamilton County and used the MakeMyMove.com company that helps people with relocation. The company partners with the Indy Chamber to offer incentives and practical assistance for people to relocate to Indianapolis and the area. Even though he is from the area, and he knows the area, the MakeMyMove still gave helpful assistance.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
Christopher Bates works remotely in his home office Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Westfield. He and his family recently moved to Hamilton County and used the MakeMyMove.com company that helps people with relocation. The company partners with the Indy Chamber to offer incentives and practical assistance for people to relocate to Indianapolis and the area. Even though he is from the area, and he knows the area, the MakeMyMove still gave helpful assistance.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
Christopher Bates works remotely in his home office Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Westfield. He and his family recently moved to Hamilton County and used the MakeMyMove.com company that helps people with relocation. The company partners with the Indy Chamber to offer incentives and practical assistance for people to relocate to Indianapolis and the area. Even though he is from the area, and he knows the area, the MakeMyMove still gave helpful assistance.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
Christopher Bates works remotely in his home office Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Westfield. He and his family recently moved to Hamilton County and used the MakeMyMove.com company that helps people with relocation. The company partners with the Indy Chamber to offer incentives and practical assistance for people to relocate to Indianapolis and the area. Even though he is from the area, and he knows the area, the MakeMyMove still gave helpful assistance.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
Christopher Bates works remotely in his home office Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Westfield. He and his family recently moved to Hamilton County and used the MakeMyMove.com company that helps people with relocation. The company partners with the Indy Chamber to offer incentives and practical assistance for people to relocate to Indianapolis and the area. Even though he is from the area, and he knows the area, the MakeMyMove still gave helpful assistance.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
Christopher Bates works remotely in his home office Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Westfield. He and his family recently moved to Hamilton County and used the MakeMyMove.com company that helps people with relocation. The company partners with the Indy Chamber to offer incentives and practical assistance for people to relocate to Indianapolis and the area. Even though he is from the area, and he knows the area, the MakeMyMove still gave helpful assistance.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
Christopher Bates looks out from his home office Wednesday, July 2, 2025 in Westfield. He works remotely for H.B. Fuller. He and his family recently moved to Hamilton County and used the MakeMyMove.com company that helps people with relocation. The company partners with the Indy Chamber to offer incentives and practical assistance for people to relocate to Indianapolis and the area. Even though he is from the area, and he knows the area, the MakeMyMove still gave helpful assistance.
Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
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Indianapolis Star
a day ago
- Indianapolis Star
With Kincaid House gone, these are the oldest buildings in Fishers now
Show Caption A member of the family for which the Kincaid House is named claimed her grandfather would be 'spinning in his grave,' if he knew the 164-year-old brick farmhouse in Fishers had been torn down. But Whitney Kincaid said she didn't disagree with the City o f Fishers' decision to demolish one of its oldest buildings. 'It was pretty beat up and in bad shape,' said Kincaid, who had posted a comment about Donald Kincaid's grave spinning on Facebook. 'But my grandfather put $70,000 into fixing it up in the 1990s when people were interested in buying it and preserving it. So that's sad.' The entire Kincaid family approved of the take-down, in fact, but that did little to quell outrage by some residents, who alleged that Fishers' elected officials are systematically erasing the city's history in the name of redevelopment. It's been a recurring charge each time older structures are destroyed to remake one of the oldest parts of Fishers — downtown, now called the Nickel Plate District. 'People are feeling like this is a pattern with structures of historical significance,' said Jocelyn Vare, a former Democratic city councilor and frequent critic of the administration. 'The city neglects it and then says it is too far gone to save. It is a pattern of devalue and destroy.' That sentiment was at full roar on social media after the suburb announced the building was being torn down because it was in disrepair beyond fixing and no person or organization had shown interest in rehabilitating it. 'Smell some premium luxury condos coming in the near future,' wrote one commenter under a Facebook story about the takedown that drew nearly 600 comments. 'Progress doesn't have to come at the cost of destroying historic landmarks!!!' said another under an IndyStar story with nearly 300 comments. 'This is monstrous,' bellowed yet another. Some long-time residents are still sore about the Nickel Plate railroad tracks being dismantled and converted to a rail-trail. Others lamented the tearing down of the old Nickel Plate Bar & Grill on 116th Street, now the site of Café Patachou Nickel Plate. Even an old grain silo near the former Nickel Plate train station raised a few hackles when it was demolished. Historical buildings still in Fishers The city tore down Kincaid House — which it described as a 'deconstruction' — on Aug. 2 and said it will use some of the clay bricks for a structure at the city-owned Fishers AgriPark. It was one of the five oldest buildings in Fishers. But despite allegations that suburb's history is being wiped away, the other four buildings are still standing — and in good shape. According to the Fishers Historical Society and other sources, they are: Conner House at Conner Prairie William Conner was a fur trader who served in the War of 1812 as guide, interpreter, spy and soldier. The house, built in 1823, was sold by his descendant in 1871 but was mostly neglected until 1934 when Eli Lilly bought it. Lilly restored the house and helped develop the surrounding area into Conner Prairie Farm, adding a loom house and trading post. The house remained a central site at Conner Prairie as it grew. Eller House, 7050 E. 116th St. The house was built in 1877 by Fernando Eller, a prominent farmer, Union soldier and musician. It is now a retail space. A restaurant once occupied the property but after it closed it sat vacant for seven years. In 1999, commercial real estate firm Revel & Underwood, bought the building and refurbished it. The Ambassador House, 10598 Eller Road Built near Allisonville Road and 96th Street in 1826, the house is now the Historic Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens. The ambassador to Austria-Hungary, Addison Harris, bought the property in 1880. The house, which was originally a cabin, was expanded in 1895. It was later moved from its original location at 96th Street and Allisonville. The Trittipo Building, 8698 E. 116th St. Built by Sam Trittipo in 1886, the house is now home to Penn & Beech Candles. It was renovated a few years ago by owner CRG Residential when the firm built the Nickel Plate Station mixed-use building behind it. It had previously been home to a State Farm office. CGR also saved a building constructed in 1913 immediately to the west at 8684 E. 116th St. The building now has a large mural on the side and was the former home of Fishers National Bank and Vardagen and Sure Shot Coffee. Keeping a piece of history Not everyone was bothered by the sudden public fondness for Kincaid House. 'If this building means so much to people, why hasn't anyone bought it ?' one Facebook user asked. Cathy Worrall, who has lived in Fishers for 39 years in one of its oldest subdivisions, Sunblest, said she understood the city's action. 'It was at the point of no return,' she said. 'I think the impression that people got was that someone somewhere was going to find a way to integrate it into the community. I don't know if the city did everything it could to save it, but it was at that point.' Whitney Kincaid, who works in the hospitality industry, said the house has been in bad shape before and has long been a target for vandals. 'When I was younger that was the place for teenagers to go, it was kind of a right of passage to break in because the rumor was that it was haunted,' she said. 'When I got to high school, I even did it.' She said psychics often call her grandfather with offers to cleanse the house of evil spirits, all for the low, low price of $199 per session. The house was in such bad shape in the early 1990s that her aunt fell through the floor to the basement while walking through it. 'I think she broke her ankle,' Kincaid said. After that mishap Donald Kincaid decided to repair the building, spending $90,000 on the floors, windows, and cleaning the bricks. He had hoped that a buyer or a museum would take an interest for the long-term. Donald Kincaid died in 2008. Ten years later the building was rescued but only temporarily. Fishers was Kincid House's most recent owner and helped save it from demolition in 2014. At the time, landowner Thompson Thrift planned to tear it down because a roundabout was being built at 106th Street near I-69, the previous location of the house. That alarmed preservationists, led by Nickel Pate Arts, who raised $115,000 to move the house a half mile north to a 2-acre plot donated by Navient. But in 2018, Navient sold the land to Knowledge Service which planned to build a headquarters there, and that meant the Kincaid House had to go. By that time Nickel Plate Arts had transferred the deed on the house to Fishers, which made plans to move it again to a roundabout on USA Parkway south of Ikea. But there were problems with the roundabout location such as underground utilities that would complicate the move. And when Knowledge Services changed its mind and decided to move elsewhere, it became moot, so Kincaid House stayed put. Upkeep of the house lagged, however, except for mowing the property and repairing damage done by vandals. Few buyers or even preservationists have made inquiries about it for the last several years. Fishers hasn't announced what it plans to do with the clay bricks that it said it would save for a project at AgriPark. On the Saturday that the house was torn down, Whitney Kincaid drove out to it, parked her car on the side of USA Parkway and approached the pile of rubble that was left in a large but neat pile. She took some pictures then, grabbed six loose bricks and a couple of huge chunks of bricks and hauled them to her car. They're sitting on her front porch now and Kincaid said she'll probably give a few away if anyone asks for one 'They crumble pretty easily, but it's nice to save a piece of family history,' she said.
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Here's where to find the IndyStar Free Ticket Day edition for the 2025 Indiana State Fair
It's almost IndyStar Free Ticket Day at the 2025 Indiana State Fair, and we don't want you to miss out. Here's what you need to know to grab a copy of the Aug. 11 Indianapolis Star, which includes a free pass to the fair for Farmer's Day on Aug. 13. Single copies of the Aug. 11 edition will be available for purchase at locations across Central Indiana, but even with additional copies printed, they sell out fast. Home delivery subscribers will receive their free pass with their Aug. 11 delivery, while digital subscribers will be able to print their pass from IndyStar's e-edition digital print replica. Here's a look at every way to get your free fair ticket, and all the perks print and digital subscribers get for supporting local journalism in Central Indiana through IndyStar. Single copies of the Indianapolis Star are available to purchase for $3.49 Monday-Saturday and $4.49 Sunday at numerous locations across the Indianapolis metro area. Among the more than 1,200 locations where print copies are sold are several large retailers. Copies tend to sell out fast, so make sure to visit any of the following retailers early: Grocers: Kroger, Meijer, Walmart Drugstores: CVS, Walgreens Convenience stores: 7-Eleven, Casey's, Circle K, GetGo, Speedway, Village Pantry Dollar stores: Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar You can also browse the map below for a full list of retailers, recent to July 15, 2025. An archive of the most recent 30 editions of the Indianapolis Star is available to subscribers at Digital and print subscribers can view, print and share individual pages or the entire edition by visiting our site. New home delivery customers can sign up for seven-day or Sunday-only delivery online. For information on a new home delivery subscription, visit for our best introductory offers. Those who need help or more information can call 888-357-7827 and give offer code W-N2 to subscribe. Already a subscriber? Whether you get home delivery of the print edition or have a digital-only subscription, here's a guide to benefits that are included. Check out our activation guide for help on getting started. With a subscription, you can be one of the first to learn about breaking news with news alerts, flip through a digital replica of the print paper, get exclusive newsletters and more. Download the free mobile app for Apple or Android devices and start to personalize it to your liking. Additionally, you can download articles for offline reading and sign up for breaking and topical news alerts. Also in the app, you'll find the eNewspaper, available exclusively for subscribers. As an added benefit, subscribers can access the eNewspaper from any of our more than 200 sister papers across the United States, plus each edition of USA TODAY. Just tap the "Universal" icon to find a complete listing. And, don't forget to check the "Bonus Content" section for free monthly magazines and special sections. ► SPECIAL OFFER: Save on a new subscription today. We know when you subscribe, you expect more. Each day, you can expect to see some of our best storytelling, investigative work, sports analysis and more. Just log in with your account to enjoy your exclusive access. Here's some examples: Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos and videos you're most interested in. Through the app, you can personalize notifications so you can know the news right when it happens. You can select alerts for breaking news, news, sports, entertainment, weather and business. Quiet times for your alerts can be set within the app. Miss out on recent news? Get the latest effortlessly with our Catch Up feature. Want alerts when we publish something new on a topic you're interested in? Sign up to get a notification with the "My Topics" button along the bottom menu bar or the "Add Topic" button at the top of articles to get started. Personalize your feed in the For You front with topics that interest you. The app also provides you access to daily horoscopes and access to over 100 games. Want to follow the news from another city? You can add up to five of our sister publications across the country to get more news right on the home screen. ► DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more To keep our subscribers informed, we email the most important articles to their inbox each day in the form of a Daily Briefing newsletter. Subscribers also get exclusive access to our Your Week newsletter. Each week, you'll get a note directly from the executive editor with background on a big story from the week, a behind-the-scenes look at our reporting and links to some of our top subscriber-exclusive work. ► SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS: Browse our entire portfolio of newsletter offerings to pick more topics that interest you specifically.
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
'Scalpel,' not an 'ax': Why many Indianapolis departments could face budget cuts in 2026
Indianapolis officials are asking department heads — except those who lead public safety agencies — to reduce their annual budgets by about 4% heading into 2026 as the city adjusts to higher labor costs, lower property tax revenue forecasts due to Senate Bill 1 and other state policy changes. Without those proposed cuts, city leaders would be staring down a roughly $43 million budget deficit caused in part by property tax reforms passed by state lawmakers this spring, City Controller Abby Hanson told IndyStar in a recent interview. After Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett made clear that he wanted to present the city's 10th straight balanced budget with no tax increases, Hanson is pushing most departments to cut 4% of their budgets that "we could live without." Officials are also asking the local police, sheriff's and fire departments to limit their budget growth to 2%. "Frankly, the amount of property taxes that I was expecting us to have in 2026, that didn't come to fruition," Hanson said in an exclusive Aug. 6 interview with IndyStar, noting that property taxes accounted for about a third of city revenues in 2025. "That's not the amount of growth that we ended up having." Experts have warned that SB 1, which is forecast to reduce property tax growth by $1.4 billion statewide from 2026 to 2028, would force local governments to tighten their belts and could force hard decisions about whether to cut public services in the coming years. Starting next year, cities will start collecting less money as homeowners earn tax credits that lower their property tax bills by up to $300. A state analysis shows that under the new law, the Indianapolis city-county and Marion County governments will miss out on about $11 million in expected property tax revenue growth in 2026. But Hanson said the actual loss is nearly $18 million after factoring in separate taxing districts that are split up in the analysis, including the police, fire and sanitation. SB 1 was a component of the revenue shortfall, but not the only factor. New multi-year labor contracts that the city signed with public sector unions at the end of 2024, including the Fraternal Order of Police and the Indianapolis Professional Firefighters Union, have significantly increased its expenses. The four-year contract with the FOP includes annual pay raises for officers across the board and boosted the starting salary for an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer to nearly $75,000 in 2025, according to the contract. A patrol officer with three years of service is set to earn nearly $88,000 in 2026. Hanson also said a state change that increased the pension rates paid to firefighters and police officers will cost the city more money. In 2025 the city spent nearly $1 billion, or 60%, of its $1.65 billion budget on public safety and criminal justice services including the Indianapolis police and fire departments, the Marion County sheriff's and prosecutor's offices, and the Marion County courts. Where exactly the 4% reductions show up in city services will become clearer during months of budget negotiations that formally begin at the Aug. 11 City-County Council meeting. Presentations by Hogsett and Hanson that night will kick off weeks of hearings at which each department presents its budget to council committees. Hogsett's Chief of Staff Dan Parker told IndyStar that despite the cuts, no "significant" city programs will disappear next year and new investments will still be announced. The growth of the overall budget is expected to be in line with previous years, too, although city officials would not cite an exact amount. The $1.65 billion 2025 budget was about 6% higher than the 2024 budget. "This wasn't an ax being taken to the budget," Parker said. "It was really more of a scalpel because we empowered the agencies to look at their budgets." The city will also set up a new fund for the Department of Public Works that draws mainly on organic growth in local income tax revenues, with the goal of raising $50 million in new money to spend on roads by 2027, Parker said. Starting that year, the state will offer up to $50 million a year in matching grants to help Indianapolis repair its battered roads. Parker said the new state program will make amends for a road-funding formula that disregards lane and traffic counts, sending the same amount of money to a two-lane road in a rural county and a six-lane road in Indianapolis. If the city earns the full matching grant, Indy would spend $100 million more each year on roads. The city's 2025 budget for roads, bridges and greenways was about $200 million. "The mayor's position was that Marion County residents were overpaying into a state system where they weren't getting their fair share," Parker said. "Well, with this bill we're now eligible to get our fair share, and so we want to make sure this budget lays the foundation to be able to get that $50 million and put even more dollars out into road construction."
