A Tornado Update, Interfaith Cooperation, & More 4/14/25

Hello neighbors, 

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Below, you’ll find an important update about the city's response to the tornado. Plus, keep reading to learn about some exciting events I've taken part in.

Tornado updates

I attended a meeting of city departments held at the Fire Department headquarters and headed by Homeland Security. We learned how the city receive benefits to help cover the costs of repairing the damage from the tornado. They gave us a clear and detailed process of applying for that aid as a city. Though rebuilding after a natural disaster is difficult, I was encouraged by seeing the government hard at work for its people. 

FDIC International Conference 

This is definitely a unique experience! At the invitation of Carmel Fire Chief Joel Thacker, I was able to attend the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis. The FDIC is an education event that offers education, products, and services to thousands of fire & rescue professionals from all over the world. And, by the way, those helmets are way heavier than you think!

Posing with my friends from Crawfordsville and with some of the

heavy-duty equipment on display at the event!

While at the conference, I saw a bit of the Firefighter Challenge, a competition that ESPN called “the toughest two minutes in sports.” I caught a video of the stair tower climb portion of the competition, where participants run up forty-one-foot-high, five-story stairs carrying a forty-two-pound hose. Seeing how hard these firefighters work to keep us safe is mind-blowing!

Resistance to Cruelty Art Exhibit

Now, this is something I’m really proud of—my husband and I sponsored the opening of this beautiful exhibit at the Indy Art Center named “Resistance to Cruelty That Never Ends.” The event featured Afghan artist Abdul Qahar Behzad and Ukrainian artist Iryna Bondar, who shared pieces that celebrated their countries in the face of empire and adversity.

I was happy to see so many Carmel residents at the exhibit! If you haven’t seen it yet, I encourage you to visit. It’s profoundly moving, thought-provoking, and inspiring. Thank you to Patchwork Indy for making this all happen!

Abdul Qahar Behzad and Iryna Bondar, the artists featured in the exhibit, pictured on either side of me

Interfaith Banquet

I was beyond honored to receive the Interfaith Ambassador of the Year from the Indianapolis Center for Interfaith Cooperation. Religion has so often been a motive to create division, but I believe that we are more alike than we are different. Fostering interfaith discussion is vital for us to grow stronger as a community. You can read my full remarks from the banquet here.

A recent City of Carmel newsletter included a write-up on the event, too!

Some photos of the event with my family, with my fellow

City Councilors, and of me accepting the award

What a whirlwind of a week! Everything I did over the past seven days led me to the same theme: togetherness. Whether it's lending a hand after a storm, connecting over powerful art, or celebrating the diversity of our faiths—it's all about community. I want to thank you all for being a part of it. I hope to see you around town soon!

Caring for Carmel,

Dr. Anita Joshi

If you have a fifth grade Carmel student who would like to give the mayoral update at a council meeting, please reach out to me and I will be happy to put your student's name forward.

As always if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please reach out to me. I’m always here to listen and advocate for you. If you wish to review the details of our city meeting, the recording is available here, and the meeting agenda is available here! If you’d like to attend a city council meeting, committee hearing, or other council events, please visit our website for the calendar!