Fishers Police are asking for help in identifying the man in the picture above. He is described as a “person of interest.” If you have any information on the person’s identity, you are asked to contact Detective Rob Baker at 317-595-3300.
When the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns looked at cities with a population over 50,000, it found the most green municipality to be Fishers. The city was given the award at a September 30th luncheon.
“Striving for environmental sustainability is a priority among all departments,” stated Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “I’ve challenged my team to make smart decisions today that lead to a vibrant community in the future, and this award validates many of those smart decisions being made in Fishers.”
In applying for this honor, city officials cited several items, including:
–plans for high efficiency HVAC replacements and installations
–a pesticide management policy promoting eco-friendly practices
–real-time modernization of traffic signals
–a rain barrel program
–a no idle policy for city fleet vehicles
–sustainable growth plans for our trail system,
The City looks to once again provide the annual fall recycling day, scheduled to take place on Halloween.
A lady living in a home on Milton Road in the Avalon neighborhood of Fishers (near 126th Street and Olio Road) got a big surprise early Tuesday morning. She found a person in her garage and called 911 at about 1:40am. Police responded to the report of a burglary in progress, but the suspect fled once discovered by the resident.
Fishers, Noblesville and Hamilton County police formed a perimeter, but were unable to locate any suspect. He remains at large.
Fishers Police Chief George Kehl asks residents to review these basic safety tips:
==========================================
1. Never leave your vehicle unsecured, even if you are only going to be away from it for a short time. Thieves only need a few seconds to open an unlocked door and retrieve valuables that are left in plain sight.
2. Secure valuables in the trunk before leaving your vehicle. Thieves will often take the time to look into windows before choosing a particular vehicle to break‐in. Unsecured items such as GPS devices, CD’s, computers, purses, cellular phones, audio systems, keys, and other items are often the targets of a thief.
3. Etch your driver’s license number on all items of value and that are removable, e.g., audio equipment, computers, GPS devices.
4. Park in your garage, if you have one. Don’t leave your vehicle in the street, in an alley or in your driveway. If you have to park in the street, avoid dark or isolated areas.
5. Install an alarm system that will sound when someone attempts to break‐in, move, or start your vehicle. Always activate the system when leaving your vehicle unattended.
6. Don’t leave spare keys attached to the outside of your vehicle or hidden inside your vehicle. An experienced thief knows all the hiding places.
7. Park in open, well‐lighted, and populated areas near your destination. Avoid parking near trucks, vans, dumpsters, or other objects that obstruct visibility and provide hiding places. Avoid parking near strangers loitering or sitting in vehicles.
8. Turn off your engine, roll up all your windows, lock all doors, and take your keys with you even if you are making a quick stop at a store or gas station, or even in your driveway.
As always if you see or hear something suspicious please call 911 immediately!
Fishers Police have released the names of those involved in two accidents Monday night, one resulting in a fatal injury and the other involving a serious injury.
Police say about 10:30pm, Katherine A. Milliner, 39, of Fishers, was struck and killed along the southbound lanes of State Road 37 near 135th Street. She was allegedly hit by a GMC truck driven by William T. Coward, 61, from Elwood.
According to statements taken by officers from the driver and other witnesses, police say it appears the GMC was traveling southbound on State Road 37 when the pedestrian suddenly appeared in the roadway. There are no sidewalks in that area. The driver was unable to avoid striking the pedestrian, authorities say. Immediately following the crash, the driver stopped and called 911. Police describe this as an ongoing investigation.
At 10:25pm, police received a report of a vehicle striking a bicyclist in the roundabout at Olio Road and Southeastern Parkway. Police identify the injured bicycle rider as Isaac Leiker, 22, of Fishers. His injuries were described as serious.
The driver of the vehicle, a Honda Accord, is identified as Junro Utsumi, 47, from Noblesville.
According to statements taken from the driver and other witnesses by officers on the scene, authorities say it appears the Honda was traveling in the roundabout and did not see the bicyclist. The Honda struck the bicyclist from behind. As a result of the crash the bicyclist was thrown off of his bike and suffered serious injuries. Police issued no arrests or citations in the accident. It is not believed that drugs or alcohol were involved in this accident.
Final exams at the two local high schools have been 2 days long, but if a proposal under consideration by the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Administration is approved, the exams would stretch over 3 days. Superintendent Allen Bourff told the HSE School Board he needs to discuss this change with the local teachers association before moving forward. The proposal would allow most or all of the morning hours in those three days as preparation time for the exams. Bourff said the only reason HSE Schools would have this option is because of its state classification as a high-performing school district.
The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation announced its grant winners at the board session. Shannon FitzGerald, a senior as HSE High School and member of the foundation board, presented the award certificates. Here is a list of the winners:
Additional Awards:
Dr. Bourff updated the board on his “listening tour” of school faculty on how the school corporation should move forward with a referendum. Bourrf told the board he will have a more detailed report on what he has been hearing from the school staff. He also plans to offer meetings with presidents of homeowners associations within the school district boundaries.
The board also approved its goals for the current school year.
The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety voted Monday to reject all bids submitted for the Fall Creek Trail reconstruction along Fall Creek Road, between 96th Street and Brooks School Road. The city engineering department told board members the city will be rebidding the project with an eye toward starting construction in 2016. However, trees in the area may need to be taken down in the coming winter season to meet clearing requirements. The budget for this trail reconstruction is $1.8 million, but the lowest bid was just over $2.6 million. Fishers City Director of Engineering Jeff Hill said his department will be working to modify construction times, clearing restrictions, work hour restrictions and material options in order to reduce the overall project costs.
The railroad crossing at 116th Street in downtown Fishers near City Hall will be rebuilt in October, after the board approved a bid to reconstruct the crossing, which, according to city engineers, has surpassed its “serviceable life.” This will require the closing of 116th Street at that railroad crossing from 9pm, Wednesday, October 21st, through 6am, Monday, October 26th. The bid is just under $340,000. Federal funds of $40,000 will be utilized for this project. Lantern Road is expected to be open at the time of the closing, allowing a nearby detour during the railroad crossing construction.
The board approved a change order of $27,768 for the Fall Creek Bridge lighting and electrical project over Geist Reservoir. Duke Energy informed the contractor the electrical service drop must be reoriented to come from the south end of the bridge rather than the originally planned north end of the bridge, requiring the change order. This project provides pedestrian-level lighting and electrical outlets along the bridge.
In other Board of Works actions:
–Approved $248,823 for the Northeast Commerce Park Trail. The trail will be a 10 foot asphalt path that completes a missing connection between Lantern to the Sunlake Apartments. This connection will provide pedestrian access for the Sunlake Apartments tenants, the Fishers Launch building tenants, and other businesses located within Northeast Commerce Park.
–Approved a new memorandum of Understanding with the Ambassador House on managing that facility.
–Voted to approve a Salt Storage Facility Concrete Floor and Apron Quote of $82,750. The building is currently under construction on Eller Road.
–Approved a change order of $4,100 for the parking lot at Flat Fork Creek Park, currently under construction.
Fishers continues to be a growing community, with population moving in the direction of 90,000 residents. That means Fishers is the 5th or 6th largest city in the state of Indiana, depending on which estimate you believe.
As the population expands, local commercial growth is also on the rise. With the upswing in population and commercial activity, look for a number of announcements from the city during the fall season.
Everyone traveling around Fishers, especially those commuting to work places in Indianapolis, should be aware of the traffic gridlock found during the morning and evening rush hours. Expect to see an infrastructure announcement soon aimed at easing that regular vehicle congestion.
As our population grows, it is expected that more jobs will be coming to Fishers. Look for several news items in the coming weeks about more employment opportunities on the way. Look for Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport (near 106th Street and Allisonville Road) to be the home for some new Fishers jobs.
One development still up in the air is the proposed Sports Pavilion in the Saxony area of Fishers, near Olio Road and 136th Street. The major plans were announced by Mayor Scott Fadness in a City Hall news conference on April 13th. However, the group planning to build and operate the facility, GK Sports and Entertainment, has not been able to secure financing needed to begin construction on the project. The city administration offered a 10-year tax abatement for the developers, valued at about $200,000 a year, and a lease agreement with the city. Mayor Fadness has said the city will not change its incentive offer. The incentives are still on the table, but the Fishers City Council will not vote on the package until the financing is in place.
Another major development coming soon is the rollout of the mayor’s plan to deal with mental health issues in Fishers. Communities around the nation struggle to handle issues of mental health, no matter the size or relative wealth of the city. Mayor Scott Fadness made this one of his first priorities after taking office. He formed a mental health task force as he assumed the job of mayor, and that group is poised to announce a comprehensive plan dealing with mental health issues. Public safety, the local school corporation and a number of other experts (and regular citizens) from around the Fishers community banded together to put this plan together. The general lack of support in Indiana for people in need of mental health services has become a front and center issue in our state. The Indianapolis Star published a recent editorial detailing the lack of help for the mentally ill.
With major road infrastructure, news of new jobs, waiting for the Sports Pavilion’s quest for financing and the mental health task force plan announcement, there will be plenty of news generated from the City of Fishers in the weeks to come. LarryInFishers.com plans to keep you up to date with the latest. Stay tuned.
Fishers-based Meyer Najem has received several awards from The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Indiana/Kentucky. According to a company news release, The local construction firm won the Award of Excellence for the Nickel Plate Building, Executive Management Services Build-Out, and the Ruth’s Chris Steak House at Ironworks. The firm was also recognized for winning ABC’s STEP Diamond Level achievement in safety.
Meyer Najem as been headquartered in Fishers for many years. When their main office outgrew the space along 131st Street just east of State Road 37, the company entered into a deal with the City of Fishers to construct a new headquarters building in the downtown Nickel Plate District of the city. Meyer Najem has been operating from that new structure for the past several months.
The calendar may say fall has arrived, but road construction projects around the City of Fishers will continue during the work week starting Monday, September 28th. Note that a number of busy thoroughfares around Fishers will see some lane restrictions. The listing from the city can be seen below:
ATLANTIC ROAD
Beginning on October 1st, Duke Energy will begin pole installation on Atlantic Road south of 136th Street.
CYNTHEANNE ROAD
Continuing the week of September 28th, Cyntheanne Road could see shoulder work for construction of the acceleration and deceleration lane and passing blister at Oakhurt subdivision south of 104th Street. This project is dependent on the timing of utility work.
LANTERN AND COMMERCIAL INTERSECTION
Lantern Road will remain closed the week of September 28 from Commercial Drive to North Street.
UTILITY CLEARING
There will be periodic lane restrictions beginning the week of September 28th for utility clearing along:
106th STREET & ELLER ROAD
Construction on the 106th Street and Eller Road turn lane will continue the week of September 28th. During construction period lane restrictions will be implemented between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Lane restrictions will continue through mid-October.
116th STREET
There will be lane restrictions on the north side of 116thStreet between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Holland Drive to Cameron Drive for fence replacement along Sunblest.
There will also be moving lane restrictions between the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 116th Street from Allisonville Road to Olio Road for utility work. Arrow boards will be displayed to help direct traffic.
131st STREET
We appreciate your patience as shoulder work continues along Parkside and Cumberland Road. Please use caution when traveling through the area.
136th STREET
136th Street will have restrictions west of Cyntheanne Road for shoulder work, asphalt milling and resurface work through the week of September 28. Cyntheanne Road, south of 136th Street, may see shoulder work for asphalt milling and resurface.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has the responsibility for designating which Indiana municipalities qualify for the CLEAN award, and for the 8th consecutive year, Fishers has won the CLEAN community designation.
“We are constantly seeking out ways to ensure future sustainability with the environment in mind,” stated Deputy Mayor, Leah McGrath. “We are eager to share news of this award with residents, especially as we embark on the comprehensive plan and map out ways to ensure sustainability 25 years from now.”
Several Fishers initiatives were listed to gain the most recent designation, which include: reducing vehicle emissions of city vehicles, increasing energy conservation in municipal buildings, and hiking the city’s forestry budget. The addition of walking and biking trails and plans to develop rain and community gardens within the city were also part of the CLEAN City award
In his State of the City address, Mayor Scott Fadness emphasized his plan to plan to position Fishers as a sustainable city in the future