CRITTER CARE
Indiana-owned pet supply company stands out among the big chains / P15
This year’s event allow attendees to explore over 60 homes from more than 20 builders across central Indiana. New home construction has never been a better option. With homes on the tour ranging from $250k to $4m+, there’s something for everyone.
In partnership with the CheckIt4Andretti Foundation and in honor of its founder, John Andretti, join us for Riverview Health’s Drive2Detect!
A night of exotic cars, local cuisine and great race-themed experiences, all in a unique atmosphere. Help us in our mission to increase colon cancer awareness and raise funds to provide no-cost colonoscopies and post-diagnosis support to those who cannot otherwise afford it.
Tickets are now available! Simply scan the QR code or visit drive2detect.com to reserve your place. A limited number of VIP Access tickets to meet Jarett Andretti are available only while they last!
May 17, 2025
6:00 to 11:00 P.M.
Motor District Garage Condos
Westfield, IN
April 22, 2025 Current in Fishers & Geist
Southwest corner of 116th & I-69
Drop the basket & pickup a box!
Indy-based real estate firm marks five years of success, expansion
By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com
Although 92c Partners has been around for only five years, co-founders Yumi Goodman and Kara Riggle each brought decades of experience to the new company — and that experience has helped the firm prosper and grow since it started in 2020.
ANNIVERSARY
Before the commercial real estate agency became reality, Riggle and Goodman worked together at another firm. Riggle, who lives in Fishers, said they both wanted to branch out on their own. When the time came, the two were able to leverage prior contacts — and were helped through the new company’s status as a nationally certified women’s business enterprise, a rarity in their industry.
Sarah Rodgers, director of business development for 92c, said less than 3 percent of commercial real estate companies are owned by women, and fewer than 9 percent of C-level positions in the industry are held by women — that refers to CEO, CFO, etc.
“We were at the age where we thought, if we’re going to do this, let’s do it now or we might not ever do it,” Riggle said. “And we’re now five years old. We had four people when we first started and we’re now up to 10. We provide the brokerage service to, really, anybody that has a real estate need.”
That includes those looking to lease space, landlords seeking tenants, people buying and selling, and many government-related contracts. Some services 92c recently added include project management, construction management and space planning.
Riggle said the company stands out from others in the industry for a couple of reasons.
“We are the largest women-owned commercial real estate (firm) in Indiana, and
so that really does set us apart,” she said. “And then as far as the service — it’s the customer service … that also separates us from our competitors.”
Goodman, a Carmel resident, agreed that customer service is the foundation of the company and noted that its name is a reference to the 92 counties in Indiana, which it serves through its work for the state of Indiana.
“We have gone to all 92 counties on (the state’s) behalf,” Goodman said. “It’s really a nod to our dedication to customer service and going to each location and servicing the client, no matter the size of that location. So, we could be driving down south to Posey County for a 2,000-square-foot office with, you know, six people in it. And then, we could be driving all the way up to Allen County and Fort Wayne to service a lease that has 200 people in it.”
Goodman said another way 92c stands out is through its recently added services, which lets it help clients through the whole process of moving into a new space.
“Once we get a (lease) deal done, instead of saying, ‘See you later, see you in five years, whenever your lease is up,’ we then have our project management team,” she said. “It’s kind of this full-circle approach,
from A to Z, where we’re taking you from the very beginning of identifying your space and location, and then … getting the space built out and moved in.”
As the business looks to the next five years and beyond, Riggle said they want to expand the space-planning service and be more proactive with outreach.
“We need to get out more in the community — we want to grow in that regard and also just in our networking and trying to diversify our portfolio of business,” she said. “We have a lot of public-sector work and we’re looking to grow into the private sector.”
The partners also are working with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, such as the Indianapolis Zoo, Women for Riley and animal welfare organizations — causes they support and that also help them network and get the company’s name out into the community.
Goodman noted that when first starting a business, the focus is on all the little details, like getting a website, payroll system, etc., up and running. While they’ve been able to grow in the past five years, they’re looking forward to additional growth now that they’re more established, and want to add more brokers to the office, located at Lakefront at Keystone just south of 96th Street.
She said they recently hired an intern who is interested in eventually joining the commercial real estate industry.
“Over the course of our existence, this is the first intern that is interested in commercial real estate,” Goodman said, adding that most of its previous interns were focused on marketing or other areas. “The landscape is continuing to change in our industry, which is really exciting, and we’d like to be part of that change, mentoring and bringing on more female brokers — not necessarily saying that we can’t have men in our office. This is actually just by happenstance that we’re all women.”
For more, visit 92cpartners.com.
About us
Founded Jan. 25, 2011, at Fishers, IN Vol. XV, No. 14
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The staff of 92c Partners gathers for a group picnic. (Photo courtesy of 92c)
Comment period open for INDOT multiyear plan
news@youarecurrent.com
The Indiana Department of Transportation is gathering public comment on the multiyear Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
TRANSPORTATION
The STIP is a planning document that lists all projects expected to be funded via federal dollars and state-funded projects that have been deemed “regionally significant” and includes years 2026 through 2030.
The draft STIP allocates $20.2 million for projects in Hamilton County; $23.8 million for Boone County; and $85.5 million for Marion County.
The document is prepared in cooperation with local government entities throughout Indiana and identifies funding and
the scheduling of transportation projects and programs for the fiscal year — July 1 through June 30.
The STIP includes all state and local transportation projects funded with federal highway and/or federal transit funding along with 100 percent state funded transportation projects, including highway, passenger rail, freight, public transit, bicycle, pedestrian and projects within national parks.
INDOT is required by federal regulation to develop a STIP. The document is amended with updates every two years to stay current with the state’s two-year budget cycle.
The public comment period is open through May 16. View the full STIP document and submit comments at tinyurl. com/2unejvyv or in.gov/indot under the public involvement tab.
HSE grads intern at Statehouse
news@currentinfishers.com
Hamilton Southeastern High School graduates Emily Boezeman and Marielle McConnell have been learning about state government through internships with House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) and other members of the Indiana House of Representatives during the 2025 legislative session.
GOVERNMENT
“Emily and Marielle are working hard to serve constituents (and) assist us in the lawmaking process this session,” Huston stated in a news release from his office.
“The skills and connections they’re gaining through this experience will shape their careers and serve them well in the future.”
Boezeman is the daughter of Elizabeth and Don Boezeman. She is a junior at Taylor University, majoring in politics and law and minoring in history and business management.
“I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the legislative process,” Boezeman stated. “It has been an honor to serve my fellow Hoosiers.”
McConnell is the daughter of Stacy and Jeff McConnell. She is a junior at Purdue University, majoring in political science with a minor in American studies.
“I have loved growing personally and
professionally through working in the Statehouse,” McConnell stated. “This experience has brought me so many opportunities and allowed me to work with state representatives to make a difference in Indiana.”
As interns, Emily and Marielle correspond with constituents through phone calls, letters and emails while staffing committee hearings and floor proceedings. At the start of each year, the House of Representatives offers paid internship opportunities to college students, law-school students, graduate students and recent college graduates.
For more, visit indianahouserepublicans. com/internship.
Emily Boezeman, left, Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) and Marielle McConnell in the Statehouse Chamber. (Photo courtesy of Indiana House Republicans)
Fishers PD charge Indy man with dealing drugs
CRIME news@currentinfishers.com
Fishers Police Department announced the arrest of an Indianapolis man who faces charges of dealing psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana.
According to an announcement on social media, a FPD detective stopped Rayland Anthony Warren April 8 on I-69.
“The detective immediately detected the smell of marijuana and saw a tan handgun in plain sight; however, Warren denied having any firearms in the vehicle,” the announcement stated. “The detective also requested a K-9 walk around the vehicle. During an open-air sniff of the vehicle, K-9 Rico alerted (police) to the presence of illegal drugs coming from the vehicle.”
Police searched the vehicle and allegedly found 7 pounds of marijuana, 8 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 10 THC cartridges, $3,878 in cash and a tan 9 mm handgun.
Warren was in custody at Hamilton County jail on $50,000 bail. According to Hamilton County court records, he was released on bail April 11. He faces two felony charges of dealing in a controlled substance and dealing in marijuana. His next court hearing is set for June 19.
AGING AND WELLNESS
The City of Fishers’ new Aging & Wellness Task Force is evaluating programming for our senior population. Whether you’re a senior, a caregiver, or simply interested in shaping the future for older adults we want to hear from you!
THE SURVEY AT
BY MAY 15
Fishers Police Department K9 Rico with marijuana and other items seized during an April 8 arrest. (Photo courtesy of FPD)
Warren
Fishers teen headed to World Taekwondo Championships
By Les Morris news@currentinfishers.com
Thanks to his considerable taekwondo skills, Jude Bozarth is seeing the world.
MARTIAL ARTS
The 13-year-old Fishers resident recently returned from Mexico and travels to the United Arab Emirates in May to compete in the World Taekwondo Championships.
Bozarth is already an elite athlete in the sparring discipline of taekwondo. He competes in the cadet division, which includes 12- to 14-year-olds. He made the U.S. National team in January, finishing first out of six competitors at the meet in Portland, Ore.
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and combat sport that consists of kicking and punching techniques.
Billy Seay is Bozarth’s coach and notes the keys to his protégé’s success.
“His work ethic is a big part of it, when it comes to his training and everyday life,” said Seay, who competed in taekwondo for 13 years. “He fights in a mature way. He doesn’t act like a teenager. He moves in a very strategic way. He is very calculating in everything he does.”
Seay noted that Bozarth studies the sport, constantly scouring the internet to work on new kicks and going over video analysis of his own bouts.
Bozarth’s immersion in the sport started when he and his older brother Price were walking through the Fishers YMCA after a
baseball game. Price was 6 at the time and Jude was 4. Their father, Jason, asked what sport the boys wanted to try next and they pointed to a taekwondo practice being held under the auspices of the North Indy Taekwondo Club.
Now, Jude Bozarth is only the second male from Indiana to make the U.S. National Taekwondo sparring team.
Bozarth said one of his goals is to compete in the Olympics. Taekwondo became an official event at the 2000 Games in Sydney.
His coach is confident he can do it.
“The potential is there for international tournaments,” Seay said. “He is just getting his feet wet.”
Taekwondo is far from Bozarth’s only activity. He plays stand-up bass in the Fishers Junior High School band and runs track and cross country.
Jason Bozarth said the school’s administrative staff has been great about accommodating his son’s training and competition schedule. Jude Bozarth trains two days a week at the Fishers YMCA and spends Saturday mornings training at the Baxter YMCA in Indianapolis.
Jude, Jason and mom Megan Bozarth will leave for the world championships in the United Arab Emirates May 5 and return a week later.
“One day, we’re going to go on a vacation and not have a competition,” Jason Bozarth said. “I don’t know when it will be, but it will happen eventually.”
Jude Bozarth will compete in the World Taekwondo Championships in early May. (Photo courtesy of Jason Bozarth)
HEPL offers digital literacy workshops
news@currentinfishers.com
Hamilton East Public Library branches in Fishers and Noblesville are hosting workshops to help residents learn more about the technology that’s ubiquitous in the workplace and nonwork lives.
TECHNOLOGY
According to an announcement on the library’s website, about 89 percent of jobs in Indiana require digital skills — including the job application process itself — which can be challenging for those who lack baseline knowledge.
“There are so many ways technology integrates into our lives and it can be easy to take for granted just how ingrained tech is in our everyday,” the library website states. “But, what if any (or all) of those tasks was a struggle — a barrier to the connectivity available to so many others?”
The HEPL programs, funded through a Public Library Association grant, are designed to help build basic technology skills, such as using email, navigating the internet, building cybersecurity awareness and learning more about using mobile devices. Those who attend a class and complete a survey will be entered into a drawing for a free iPad.
“Our very mission here at Hamilton East Public Library is to be our community’s essential connector to information and ideas,” the website states. “One way we are continually working toward this is to help reduce the digital divide.”
The workshops utilize DigitalLearn training materials, created with AT&T, that are available for free to anyone through DigitalLearn.org and screenready.att.com.
To register for a library workshop and to view the schedule, visit hamiltoneastpl. org/digitallearn-workshops.
Hamilton East Public Library patrons in Fishers and Noblesville can sign up for various digital literacy workshops. (File photo)
Wine, Wags & Whiskers set
By Jessica Todd jessica@youarecurrent.com
Wine, Wags & Whiskers, the Humane Society for Hamilton County’s first fundraiser of the year, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. May 9 at 502 E. Carmel Dr. in Carmel. HSHC Community Event Manager Lily Darling said the fundraiser is for guests 21 and older and will feature wine tasting, hours d’oeuvres, a bourbon and spirits pull, adoptable animals and a silent auction, among other festivities.
FUNDRAISER
Specialty wines featuring adoptable cats and dogs will be available at the Wine, Wags & Whiskers fundraiser. (Photo courtesy of Lily Darling)
“We started Wine Wags & Whiskers 17 years ago to bring the community together, show them our needs and celebrate what we’ve done,” Darling said. “We continue to bring in record amounts of animals, and we need funding to take care of those animals. Saving these lives takes money, and that’s why we have these fundraisers.” Darling said similar events are crucial for the Humane Society to operate as a no-kill shelter.
Individual tickets are $95 and include a keepsake wine glass, hors d’oeuvres, wine-tasting chocolates from DeBrand Fine
Chocolates Indianapolis and chocolate cake from Portillo’s.
Businesses looking to sponsor the event can purchase half tables for $750 with four seats or a full table with eight seats for $1,500, which includes access to the Black Cat Club.
“The Black Cat Club is very exclusive within the event,” Darling said. “It has an expedited check-in for guests, VIP Black Cat lounge passes, premium wine, bourbon and liquor tastings, access to a private cash bar and premium hors d’oeuvres.”
For more, visit hamiltonhumane.com/ events/wine-wags-whiskers.
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Fishers filmmaker competes in Easterseals challenge
By Les Morris news@currentinfishers.com
A team of Indianapolis-area members of the Deaf community, led by Fishers resident Allison Friedman, are competing in this year’s Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, with a gathering and awards ceremony set for early May in Hollywood.
COMPETITION
Founded in 2013, the contest is a fiveday sprint that gives filmmakers the opportunity to collaborate and tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms.
The theme of this year’s competition was “Thriller/Suspense.”
The Indianapolis team produced a short, dystopian film called “Erased,” which follows a woman trapped in a world under constant surveillance, where silence is law and even the smallest act of resistance can cost everything.
Friedman produced the film and was one of the actors. Rydrea Walker came up with the original idea of a dystopian society and collaborated with teammates Sarah Margolis-Greenbaum and Aaron Margolis-Greenbaum to write the script.
It’s the third year Friedman has competed, and she described the hectic experience in an email.
“We only had five days to write, film, edit and all. It was a challenge, but it was a wonderful experience that helped us to hone our skills,” she said. “Because sometimes, in the industry, we have to be prepared for last-minute changes, so this challenge really pushed ourselves to the next level. We were supposed to film more but one day there was a tornado warning here in Indiana, so that was a challenge. But we worked around it.”
Almost all filming was completed on the first day at a location near downtown Indy. The cast and crew met at 4 p.m. and worked until 7 a.m. The second day was the day of tornado warnings throughout the area and necessitated an indoor shoot when the original plan was to shoot outside after dark. Editing, sound and music took up the third day and color correction the fourth. Finally, the last day the group made some minor changes and watched their movie.
Submitted films are judged in six cat-
egories — Best Film, Best Director, Best Writer, Best Editor, Best Actor and Best Awareness Campaign.
The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge was started by Nic Novicki, an actor, comedian and producer. He has performed all over the world and recently opened for headliner Nate Bargatze.
In a phone interview from his Culver City, Calif., home, Novicki, who has dwarfism, said he created the challenge to highlight more disabled artists.
The first year, a couple of films were entered in the challenge. This year, approximately 123 films from all over the world will compete. More than 850 films have been entered since the challenge began. The awards ceremony will be held at Sony Pictures Studios May 8.
“People aren’t just talking about being an actor or filmmaker, they’re actually doing it,” Novicki said.
Novicki is well acquainted with Indianapolis. Every October, he attends the Heartland Film Festival, where, since 2018, Easterseals Disability Film Challenge finalists are screened.
“The Heartland Film Festival is one of my favorites and they’re so supportive of disability inclusion,” Novicki said. “It’s up there with some of the best festivals in the country. I look forward to it every year.”
Novicki also is familiar with Friedman’s work.
“She’s so talented,” he said, “She is such a talent — someone who I’m excited to continue to see all the great work she does and all of the opportunities that are coming her way. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up in a major movie or TV show in the near future.”
A compilation photo from a video conference meeting shows, back from left, siblings Aaron Margolis-Greenbaum and Sarah Margolis-Greenbaum and Rydrea Walker; and front, Allison Friedman. (Photo courtesy of Allison Friedman)
Carmel junior softball player gets boost from coach/mom
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Carmel High School softball coach Stephanie Kleiner and her daughter, Jayden Kleiner, spend countless hours together on and off the field.
Stephanie, in her second year as the Greyhounds’ coach, also coaches Jayden’s Indiana Magic Gold Green 18-and-under travel softball team.
“We work well as a team and we bounce ideas off each other, which not everyone can say,” Jayden said. “It definitely took time because parent-daughter relationships can be hard. But I think we’ve figured out a good balance between coach and parent. We have a good time together.”
Jayden, who already has committed to play for the University of Michigan, is a junior shortstop/catcher
“She started out playing pretty much anywhere on the field,” Stephanie said. “As she has grown throughout the years, she’s
JAYDEN KLEINER
Favorite athlete: Yadier Molina
Favorite subject: Math
Favorite genre of music: Country
Favorite vacation spot: Costa Rica
Favorite sports team: St. Louis Cardinals
devoted a lot of her time and energy on the left side of (the) infield — shortstop, spent time at third base and catcher as well. She has really developed as a leader, not only playing those positions but just with her knowledge and overall game.”
Stephanie said when she coached an older travel softball team without Jayden,
Jayden practiced with the older players.
“She learned a more mature game and that’s added to her success on the field and added to her mental aspect of the game, where she knows where she’s supposed to be 99 percent of the time as well as where everyone else is supposed to be,” Stephanie said.
Stephanie said attending college camps and watching college softball raised her daughter’s softball IQ.
In the first nine games for the Greyhounds this season, Jayden is hitting .586. She hit .438 with six home runs and 36 runs batted in as a sophomore. She hit .304 as a freshman.
Stephanie said Jayden spends much of
IN FISHERS
It’s Time to Take Control of your Back Pain
her free time working with Roundtripper Sports Academy in Westfield with her strength and hitting coaches.
“Just putting the ball in play wasn’t going to be enough. She had to put the ball hard in play and make line drives turn into home runs,” Stephanie said.
Besides adding strength, Jayden said working in the weight room has helped her move better laterally when she is in the field.
“Every year, I want to do better than I did last year,” Jayden said. “I’m going up there thinking, ‘What can I do to get on base for my team, so they can move me over?’ Just getting on base as many times as I can is my goal this year.”
Jayden committed to Michigan in the fall of 2024. She said the Wolverines coaching staff will help her reach her potential. She also was impressed with the family culture around the program.
“I’m close to my mom, so being with a coaching staff I knew I could connect to was really important,” she said. To nominate a high school student for Athlete of the Week, contact mark@ youarecurrent.com.
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Jayden Kleiner is one of the top hitters for the Carmel High School softball team. (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Kleiner)
Jayden Kleiner
Ignite ready for stretch run
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Indy Ignite outside hitter Carly Skjodt is making the most of her increased playing time in the second half of the Pro Volleyball Federation season.
VOLLEYBALL
“I definitely think I’ve been improving through the season and was ready to go once my number was called,” said Skjodt, a 2015 Carmel High School graduate who played at the University of Michigan.
Skjodt has 80 kills, 72 digs and two aces. Prior to the April 16 match, she had double-digit kills in five of her last six matches.
Skjodt is quick to share credit with setter Sydney Hilley.
“Syd is doing a great job of running the offense, so it makes it easier for attackers to have good games,” said Skjodt, who played with Orlando in the PVF in 2024. “We’ve had a few injuries we’ve had to battle. This team has so much depth that we’ve been through that. We’re in a good place heading into the playoffs.”
The Ignite, who are battling for one of four playoff spots, have four matches left, including home games April 25, 27 and May 1.
“With it being the first year for our team, you have to integrate with a ton of different personalities and people that came from different places,” Skjodt said. “I think we did a great job of connecting, buying into one another and trying to be selfless in what we do and find common ground to compete together.’’
Skjodt said playing in the new Fishers
Event Center near her home has been special.
“We have such an amazing fan base,” Skjodt said. “The crowd really knows the sport and they are involved. Obviously, it’s super cool for me to play in front of my parents and siblings and friends I have in town.”
The April 27 match against San Diego has an Indy 500 theme with activities starting at 1 p.m., and the match starting at 3 p.m. Activities include pedal car racing, an interactive pit stop and giveaways from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“I think it’s a rule you have to be a 500 fan if you are from Indy,” Skjodt said. “We have a ton of activities leading up to the game for our fans to engage in, and I know a lot of the girls here think the Indy 500 is cool, and we hope to get down there and see the race firsthand,”
Hilley, a University of Wisconsin player, said she wants to attend the race if she can.
Hilley, who played for the Omaha Supernovas last year, said she didn’t know what to expect from the new franchise this year.
“Everything has gone so smoothly. We’ve had so much support from our fans,” she said. “I knew Indy was a sports city, but I didn’t expect this much fan support. We sold out our home opener and our first-ever PVF All-Star Game in February.”
Hilley, who leads the PVF in assists with 1,060, played in the PVF All-Star Game.
“We made history for the sport being on CBS in a nationally televised game,” Hilley said.
For more, visit indyignitevb.com.
Skjodt Hilley
CRITTER CARE
Indiana-owned pet supply company stands out among the big chains
By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com
Specks Pet Supplies started in 1990 as Scott’s Pet Emporium. The name didn’t stick, though, because everyone just called it “Speck’s,” after founder Tom Scott’s dog, Speck, who came to the store each day with Scott, happily greeting customers.
“He would bring Speck in with him to the pet store there, and … customers would come in and want to see the dog,” said Karen Smith, director of purchasing for the company. “Sometimes, they’d come in just to see the dog. So, from what I’ve been told, after about six months or so, he changed the name from Scott’s Pet Emporium to Speck’s Pet Emporium, and then eventually Speck’s Pet Supplies.”
That first store was in Avon and is still there today. Speck’s has changed hands and expanded over the years, and now operates seven stores in Avon, Carmel, Fishers, Geist, Southport, Brownsburg and Columbus. The company is now owned by Indianapolis-based Harlan Companies, but the original owner has maintained ties to the business through his line of Scott Pet Products.
Smith, who has worked for Speck’s since 1996, said the company’s expansion has been slow and careful. Some sites didn’t work out — like a now-closed store in Anderson — but others remained profitable through the years.
“The goal is always to grow, and we still look for the right opportunity, the right site,” Smith said. “We always have our eyes open for if there’s a new place to open another store. At times, they’ve looked further out — was there a need to go into Illinois or Ohio, or what have you. But, so far, it’s just central Indiana.”
That local connection is part of what sets Speck’s apart in a market that offers pet owners many options.
“Our managers and our stores have a unique ability to specialize their service to the customer,” Smith said. “Yes, we carry a wide range of products and we have stores that range in size everywhere from 3,000 square feet all the way up to 10,000 square feet. But if we have a customer that comes in that wants something specific, if it’s available to us, we can get it.
For a lot of our competitors … the managers themselves, a lot of them, they don’t do their own ordering or they’re very restricted on what they can order.”
Speck’s also arranges special group orders for police K-9 units, rescue groups and shelters, she said, and works with pet rescues to host pet adoption events at the stores.
“Each store and each manager builds the relationship with that store’s local rescue groups, and a lot of our managers have relationships with multiple shelters, multiple rescue groups,” Smith said.
Smith and her assistant, Christa Thompson, both said that working in the pet industry is fun and rewarding. Thompson, a 25-year employee, first worked at the Speck’s store in Anderson, starting when she was 16 years old.
“I just loved animals,” she said. “I thought that would be the funnest job and apparently I enjoyed it. I went to college and I came back home every weekend to work and thought I would go do something different, but I just enjoyed it and stuck around.”
Her passion for animals is part of what keeps her motivated, she said, along with her interest in learning about all the new
products that are available and then helping customers make the best choices for their pets.
“Our pets have turned into our kids and so we … focus on having good products and good nutritional products that we would want to use and want to sell and help people have better health for their pets,” Thompson said.
Smith added that Speck’s provides special training for all its employees.
“We have training events, where we bring in our manufacturers or an all-day event where we take the staff off-site, and they spend the whole day training on different brands of dog food, cat food,” she said. “We’ll take managers on different warehouse and manufacturing tours, where they get to actually go and see how the food is made, see the ingredients, how it goes from the raw ingredient, how it’s broken down, processed, turned into the kibble, or freeze dried or frozen.”
Smith said that in addition to the more than 40 kinds of premium dog and cat food at Speck’s, different Speck’s stores offer self-service pet-washing stations, which provide wash tubs, towels, shampoo, conditioner and dryers for owners to wash their pets without messing up their own
bathrooms; and the Avon store has regular dog training classes.
For more, visit speckspets.com.
Speck’s Pet Supplies stores are open
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The seven locations are:
• FISHERS — 12664 116th St. in Brooks School Plaza
• GEIST — 11641 Fox Rd., Indianapolis, in Marsh Centre
• CARMEL — 10725 N. Michigan Rd., across from Pearson Ford
• SOUTHPORT — 6845 Bluff Rd., in Buck Creek Shopping Center
• AVON — 7577 E. Highway 36 in Harlan Center
• BROWNSBURG — 281 W. Northfield Dr.
• COLUMBUS — 3860 Carlos Folger Dr.
ON THE COVER: Christa Thompson, left, and Karen Smith of Speck’s Pet Supplies with some of the Indiana-based company’s products. (Photo by Leila Kheiry)
Christa Thompson helps a customer at one of the seven Speck’s Pet Supplies stores in central Indiana. (Photos by Leila Kheiry)
Speck’s Pet Supplies carries a variety of pet food, treats, toys and more at its stores in central Indiana.
READERS’ VIEWS Tax bill only shifts burden
Editor,
As a homeowner in Fishers, I’ve watched property taxes rise steadily. My home’s assessed value rose 4.6 percent from 2023 to 2024, and my property tax bill has increased 13.1 percent over the last three years.
Like many Hoosiers, I hoped Indiana’s new property tax bill would bring real relief. Instead, it risks shifting the burden from our homes to our paychecks. Although the bill caps property tax levy growth at 4 percent starting in 2026, it doesn’t limit rising assessed values, which are still driving up our bills.
In fast-growing areas like Fishers, where property values often climb 5 to 10 percent a year, the bill fails to stop this trend. My home is near the 1 percent cap, but not enough to benefit from its full protection. The 4 percent levy cap is easily bypassed with a public hearing, with no voter referendum required, leaving homeowners vulnerable to continued increases. The supplemental deduction may help, but it replaces the current standard deduction, creating uncertainty about actual savings.
More concerning is the bill’s expansion of local income taxes. It allows Hamilton County to raise its LIT rate to 2.9 percent and Fishers to adopt a new 1.2 percent municipal LIT by 2028 — again, only requiring hearings. If property tax savings are offset by higher income taxes, working families won’t benefit. This is not tax relief; it’s a tax shift.
Instead of trading one tax for another, lawmakers should focus on reducing property tax rates directly and requiring public votes for LIT or levy increases. That would deliver real savings and accountability.
Hoosiers deserve a fairer system, one that truly eases the burden, not just moves it around.
James Hicks, Fishers
Texan set for ATI role in Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Abigail Storm figured this role was a great fit.
Storm plays Doralee in Actors Theatre of Indiana’s presentation of “9 to 5” from April 25 to May 11. The musical, with music by Dolly Parton, is based on the 1980 movie with Parton playing Doralee.
Storm, a 2024 Ball State University graduate from Austin, Texas, was cast a year ago as Doralee, the secretary to the lecherous boss, Franklin Hart.
“I love ‘9 to 5’ and I love Dolly,” Storm said. “I’m a Texan and Doralee is a Texan. She’s a Texan cowgirl, which is kind of how I am. We have a ranch back home. I’m about to play another Dolly role in ’Steel Magnolias’ later this summer.”
Storm has seen videos of the musical but has never watched it live.
Storm said she recently read a book about Parton’s relationship with her late husband Carl, which is similar to her character’s relationship with her husband.
Texan accent.
“It comes out when I’m angry or tired,” she said.
Fishers resident Devan Mathias plays Judy, and Judy Fitzgerald portrays Violet, the other two main characters who are harassed by the boss. Cynthia Collins plays Roz, who is secretly in love with Hart.
“It’s a wonderful cast,” said Fitzger ald, ATI’s artistic director and a Carmel resident.
Fitzgerald said the story is set around 1980, the same year the movie came out.
“It’s been great to jump into the show and create that relationship with (the character) Dwayne, played by Jacob Butler,” Storm said. “It’s cute. I grew up with Dolly’s music, but I didn’t know a lot about her upbringing.”
One of the songs Storm performs is “Backwoods Barbie.”
“It’s right after all the girls are shunning her because she is in all this get-up, and she is sparkly and over-the-top with her looks. Everyone is judging her and (she) says, ‘I’ve always been misunderstood for how I look. Don’t judge me.’ She talks about how she grew up really poor and saw all these gorgeous women and she thought, ‘I want to be like that. So, if I want to dress like this, who cares.’ She has the attitude that she is who she is and no one’s opinion is going to change.”
Storm said she can apply her natural
“It just has that Dolly Parton spirit, the whole thing,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s mayhem and fun. But it has a great message, and the message is still relevant.” Fitzgerald said she loves her character.
“She’s no-nonsense,” Storm said. “She’s the one that really runs the office, much more than Hart. She works to get the promotion and a person that she trained gets it right out from under her feet. It’s the boys club. She is the heart and brains of the office. Roz is the office snitch who kisses up to the boss. She sings the song ‘Heart to Hart.’ It’s hilarious.”
J. Stuart Mill, a northwest Indianapolis resident making his ATI debut, plays Hart.
“He’s not a very nice guy. That’s part of what attracted me to the role because I think it’s different from me in real life,” said Mill, a retired Washington Township elementary school teacher in Indianapolis.
“I have a lot of powerful women around me and I respect that. I was asked to con sider auditioning for this by the director Suzanne Fleenor. Suzanne and I go way back. After college, she directed a lot of shows I was in. I’m really looking forward to working with her again.”
Mill has one song that defines his char
acter’s lecherous nature. Although a challenge, Mill said it’s fun to play a bad guy,
“The characters I play are the dads, like Mr. Banks in ‘Mary Poppins,’ who started out hard and they get soft and learn and everyone likes them in the end,” Mill said.
“It’s good to challenge yourself.”
For more, visit atistage.org.
‘CHURCH
BASEMENT LADIES’
“Church Basement Ladies” runs through May 18 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. For more, visit beefandboards.com.
LIVE AT THE CENTER
PsyWrn Simone performs at 7:30 p.m. April 22 in the Live at the Center series at the Palladium at Allied Solutions Center. Tickets are $10. To register for a free livestream, visit thecenterpresents.org.
FEINSTEIN’S CABARET
“Greggie and The Jets: Elton John Tribute” is set for April 24, followed by “The Magic of David Ranalli” April 25 and “One Voice: The Music of Manilow” April 26 at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. All three performances are set for 7:30 p.m. For more, visit feinsteinshc.com.
CIVIC THEATRE
Civic Theatre presents “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” April 25 through May 10 at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit civictheatre.org.
MICKY DOLENZ
“Micky Dolenz of the Monkees: An Evening of Songs and Stories” is set for 8 p.m. April 25 at the Payne and Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.
‘BLACK VIOLIN’
“Black Violin” is set for 8 p.m. April 26 at the Payne and Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents. org.
DISPATCH
DCA’s Mixed Rep 25 set — Dance Creations Academy’s pre-professional performing company’s Mixed Rep 25 is set for 2 p.m. April 27 at Marian University. The production by the company, 9257 Castlegate Dr., Indianapolis, showcases a blend of ballet, contemporary and jazz. For more, visit dancecreationsacademy.com/mixedrep25/.
MUSICAL
Abigail Storm in her costume and wig as Doralee in “9 to 5.” (Photo courtesy of ATI)
Fitzgerald Mill
NIGHT & DAY
Stuart embraces instrumentals
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart always enjoyed listening to 1960s albums by The Ventures and Herb Alpert.
CONCERT
“I grew up loving instrumentals,” said Stuart, a country and bluegrass singer-songwriter-musician. “I think everybody in the band did. What I noticed is when we start talking about instrumental bands and covering their songs, we turn into a bunch of 15-year-olds again with our first instruments. It makes it all about fun.”
That spurred Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives’ interest in making a fully instrumental album titled “Space Junk.”
“The Superlatives have always written and played instrumentals,” Stuart said. “We’re players. I noticed one day we finally had 20 original instrumentals, and we thought the world needed a fresh instrumental album. We seem to be doing three to four songs a night from ‘Space Junk.’”
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 1 at the Payne
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 1 at the Payne & Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. (Photo courtesy of Allied Solutions Center)
& Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.
“The setlist varies every night,” Stuart said. “However, ‘Tempted’ is the one that always seems to be a part of each and every show. I love that song.”
Stuart and his band have been together for more than 20 years.
“It’s beyond special,” he said. “Nothing stays the same in Nashville for 20 years. “
Stuart has been performing since age 13 and has no plans to slow down.
“Whatever is up ahead waiting just around the next curve and the next unwritten song,” Stuart said of his motivation.
UPCOMING ARTISTS
THE CARPENTERS PROJECT | Timeless Catalog of 70s Su per-Duo & Hidden Gems!
ERIC BAKER & FRIENDS | ECHOES OF SOUL: From the Ear ly Masters to Memphis
BEN JONES: TEMPATIONS | The Best Music of the 20th and 21st Centuries
INDY NIGHTS WITH RYAN & FRIENDS | Emmy-Nominated Ho st of Indy Now
ALL THE WAY FRANK: A SINATRA TRIBUTE | Presented by Don Farrell
ELLIE MARTIN QUARTET: MORNING GLORIES | Mother’s Da y Celebration
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC: An ABBA Party! | Presented by Don Farrell
MURDER MYSTERY: Midnight at the Masquerade | Unmask the Killer. Reveal the Truth
DUELING PIANOS | Live Jukebox Experience Presented By Brittany Brumfield
DRAG ME TO BRUNCH HOSTED BY PAT YO’ WEAVE | Show 21 + Only NOW THAT’S FUNNY | Comedy show for ages 16+
THE MAGIC OF DAVID RANALLI | Feinstein’s Signature Magic Show
ESQUE: A BURLESQUE SHOW AT FEINSTEIN’S | 21+, 7:00p
& 10:00pm
Vocalist set for Center series
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
PsyWrn Simone has a unique style of blending vocals from a variety of genres.
CONCERT
“It’s a little bit of this and that,” Simone said. “I grew up listening to about everything. I pull from all the genres, certainly R&B, soul, gospel, some funk, a little bit of contemporary and hip-hop. I like it and create and put it back out there.”
Simone will perform in the Live at the Center series at 7:30 p.m. April 22 at the Payne & Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.
“The Palladium is a dream venue. The stage is beautiful, the sound is unmatched,” said Simon, whose given name is AshLee Baskin. “It’s an opportunity to expand listeners and supporters and to expose more people to my artistry. It’s a dream come true among places to perform, especially in this (Indianapolis) area.”
Simone, a Pike High School graduate who lives on the southeast side of Indianapolis, appeared in the Live at the Center series in 2021 as a guest vocalist with classical
been itching to return.
“I’ve been performing pretty much my entire life, but (I’ve performed) in this fulltime professional capacity for the better part of five to seven years or so,” Simone said. “Like a lot of folks, I got my start in the church choir. I picked up playing the guitar. As I got to high school, I started participating in performing arts as a whole, incorporating theatric elements more as you do when you are in a show choir.”
Simone is the associate artistic director at Asante Art Institute.
Tickets are $10 or register for a free livestream at thecentpresents.org.
pianist Joshua Thompson. Simone said she has
PsyWrn Simone will perform April 22 in the Live at the Center series. (Photo courtesy of Allied Solutions Center)
for the Deaf communication, initially
23. Rent from a renter 24. Genesis garden
26. Wading bird 28. Wrath
29. Ostrich’s cousin
32. “___ about time!”
33. CIA relative
34. Annual Noblesville event in honor of Earth Day that runs Apr. 23-26
37. Free spot on WTHR
39. Slugger’s stat
40. “The Matrix” hero
41. Col. Lilly
42. Angry outburst
44. Desire
48. Eagle Church delivery
50. IU Health surgery centers
53. Prohibit
54. Indianapolis Opera voice
55. Monon Trail short run, for short
56. Bob & Tom, e.g.
57. Level
58. Magical powder
60. Musical interval
61. “___, Brute?”
62. Slurpee alternative 63. U-turn from NNW
64. One of the five Ws for a Current reporter
65. School org. Down
1. Rubbernecked on I-69
2. Riverview Health ER priority system
3. Bridgewater Club golf score
4. Lugs
5. “Do you want me to?”
6. Is unwell
7. Fish eggs
8. Clean vigorously
9. Kind of fracture
10. Cyber criminals
11. Burning
14. Lipton rival 16. Indiana Senate assent 20. Skirmish
23. Peaceful protest
25. PBS-funding grp.
27. Roy G. ___
30. Something to reflect on 31. Opposite of rural 34. Impartiality
35. Yang’s partner
36. Like a limbo bar, late in the game
37. Annoy
38. Shirt parts
43. This evening, in ads
45. Kidnap
46. Queasiness
47. Investment option, briefly
49. ___ Carlo
51. Air again on WTTV
52. Wild blue yonder
55. Solemn vow
58. Not many
59. Quick swim Answers on Page 23
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