Fishers has a week of road construction coming up, with the major work east of I-69 on 116th Street front and center.  But there are other projects around the city.

Here is the full listing for the work week starting Monday, April 3rd, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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The hamburger restaurant business is a tough and competitive one.  It wasn’t that long ago when Bagger Dave’s bagged-it-in, closing several locations, including the one in Fishers.

Now, Jack in the Box has become the latest casualty.  The hamburger fast food chain decided to close three eateries in the Indianapolis Metro area, including the one at 116th Street and Allisonville Road in Fishers.

With the new Kroger story under construction nearby, I would think some other operation would want to take over that location at some point in the near future.  But for now, the old Jack in the Box is just an empty building.

A spokesperson for the corporate office told WRTV the chain is still considering expanding in the Indy area.  That’s interesting.

We will be watching for any news of what may come next to the corner of 116th & Allisonville Road.

When first responders head to a Fishers residence on an emergency run, knowing that at least some people living there have special needs, is important information. To better help those residents, the Fishers Fire Department is offering a voluntary system where people with special needs can register.

When Fire Department personnel respond to a home, knowing at least some people in that home need special help before entering the residence, is critical data. Emergency personnel can also better identify people in need of help with general issues, such as power outages, through this database.

To sign up for this database, use this link.

You can read the entire news release from the City of Fishers below:

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When it was announced that IKEA was coming to Fishers, I was just as excited an anyone.  I doubt my family will buy any IKEA furniture, but look forward to sampling their Swedish Meatballs.

I was, and am, excited because IKEA is very picky about where their stores are located.  It had been known for some time that IKEA was scouting the central Indiana area for a new location.

When my community, Fishers, was selected, that said something about the city I have called home for more than 25 years. We must be doing something right.

When the ground breaking ceremony was held, once again it was a big day for Fishers. One thing I can say for sure about IKEA – they know how to host a big event in a first-class manner.

The construction has been moving along at a steady pace.  First, the first blue material that is the IKEA trademark was visible outside the building.  Area media made a big deal about that and I can understand.  It was the first visible clue that IKEA is on the way soon.

But, speaking just for myself, I think we have gone a bit too far.  Several media outlets in the Indianapolis area made a big splash Tuesday when the letters IKEA were first placed outside the building.

Was there some worry that some another company’s name would adorn that building?  Was the building’s color IBM blue and corporate bigwigs just forgot to tell us?

So, we can now all rest at ease.  The letters on the building under construction south of 116th Street near I-69 is, in fact, IKEA.  The letters are there to prove it.

Excuse me if my Fishers local-centric blog does not give you an update on every little IKEA construction development.  That being said, I am looking forward to IKEA opening here in Fishers.  That opening day will be news.

The City of Fishers is wrapping up a very ambitious month of activities during March in celebration of Disability Awareness.  A Disability Round Table was held Tuesday afternoon at City Hall, with Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness leading the discussion.

A number of issues of interest to local residents with disabilities were discussed, including transportation, infrastructure and public safety.  People heading up city departments listened.  Mayor Fadness said some of the issues may not be addressed immediately, but having the concerns of the disabled in the minds of those making decisions will make a difference over time.

One member of the round table raised the issue of affordable housing, particularly for the disabled.  Mayor Fadness made clear the affordable housing issue is under discussion in City Hall.  He emphasized that the community as a whole, not just the local elected officials, need to be a part of the affordable housing conversation.

“It’s a discussion we have often within the walls of City Hall,” Fadness said.  “As soon as we develop a strategy, then I think we need to go out to our broader community and have the conversation, because there are opinions and perceptions about affordable housing in our community that are very strong.”

Construction is coming to the area of 116th Street East of I-69 to Cumberland Road, and along with that will be a lowering of the speed limit.

The current speed limit along that stretch of road is 40 miles per hour….the limit will be reduced to 30 miles per hour from 100 feet west of USA Pkwy to 200 feet east of Spyglass Ridge Drive.  The action will allow for the construction project aimed at widening that area of 116th Street.

Director of Engineering for the City of Fishers, Jeff Hill, told the Board of Public Works and Safety the lower speed limit would likely continue through July.

The board approved the request unanimously.

I don’t normally write about sports on this blog, particularly national sports stories.  However, two stories have come to my attention today that go beyond sports.  They both tell a story of where America is today.

First, the NFL Raiders.  Oakland has been the home of the professional football franchise (except for a few years in Los Angeles along the way).  If you have ever known a Raiders fan, you know just how fanatical they are.  You will find them in Indiana, Chicago, basically anywhere in the USA.

We have word today that the NFL owners have voted to allow Mark Davis, who inherited the team from his his father Al Davis, to move the team to Las Vegas.  The mayor of Oakland has lashed out at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the front man for the billionaire owners, for saying her city has  no “viable” stadium option.

What Goodell should have more accurately said was Nevada is willing to sink $750 million into a new Las Vegas stadium and Oakland will not.  These NFL owners, for the most part, want you to show them the money.  Once you do, they say yes.

This is tragic for the Oakland fans.  The move to LA was not a good time, but Al Davis saw the error of his ways and took the team back north to its roots.  Oakland fans will now join the fan bases of St. Louis and San Diego as cities without an NFL franchise.  For St. Louis, this is the second time in recent history they have lost an NFL club, first the Cardinals went to Arizona then the Rams back to LA.

The NFL suffered a decline of about 7% in its television audience last season.  League officials blame the presidential election and the length of the games as culprits.  Maybe both had something to do with it.

Maybe the owners should look in the mirror at the problem.  These constant franchise moves are angering the fans.  Going for the money all the time will catch up with them over time.

Now, to the second issue, the Women’s USA National Hockey team.  Training camp should already be underway, preparing the squad for the World Championships, set to start soon.

USA Hockey is refusing to pay the women what they are requesting in stipends and financial incentives for this team.  The dispute has spiraled into a giant national discussion.  The women are woefully underpaid compared to the men.

The American Women’s Hockey players are three-time defending champs in the World Championships.  Yet these ladies feel they are not receiving what they have earned.

USA Hockey has not enhanced its reputation by trying to lure good women players not on the team to essentially be replacement players.  Based on the media reports I have seen, women players are sticking together and refusing to be replacements.

My daughters loved playing sports but found other interests and never pursued athletics at a high level as they found other interests in life.  If they were treated like this, I would be very angry.

Let’s hope USA Hockey’s executives realize what they are doing.  A world class group of women athletes deserve better treatment.

The two takeaways from these two sports stories?  It’s money over fans int the NFL and we continue to treat women athletes as second class citizens.

When I tell people I just spent time as a Shark, I get some interesting looks and reactions. No, I am not loan sharking and no, I haven’t taken up marine biology.

I accepted an invitation from HSE High School Teacher Kelsey Habig to be one of her Sharks.  For the last few years, Ms. Habig has invited people from the local community to help with her Shark Tank exercise.  If you have ever seen the television program Shark Tank, this exercise is much like that.

But in this case, her students are not pitching a business.  They’ve been instructed to find an issue they are passionate about, research it, then find a solution to the problem connected to that issue.

Those of us playing Sharks are not as tough as on the TV show (I could never imagine myself as Mark Cuban) but the Sharks do challenge the students and suggest ways to improve their presentations.

The fellow Sharks during my four days included local business people, professionals such as doctors and lawyers, city staff and local elected officials (including the mayor and members of the city council).

I look forward to participating in Ms. Habig’s Shark Tank for a number of reasons, but one in particular.  These students choose their topics.  They select the subject they are most passionate about.

Some subjects are the same as when I was in high school (Oh so many years ago).  Some argued the homework load is too burdensome.  One worried that athletes participating in extra-curricular sports do not have the time for part time jobs, robbing them of extra money.

One young girl concerned about the potholes in the student parking lot may actually get something done about that, but not right away.  The girl concerned about people judging others by their looks hit a cord for me, because I had been plagued with a serious skin condition in my teens, just as she had.

So, I enjoyed talking with these students and making suggestions on how their presentations could be made better, although most all of them were very good.

My daughters graduated from high school many years ago.  Shark Tank allows me to understand what is important to HSE High School students today.  That’s the best part of being a Shark.

Thank you, Ms. Kelsey Habig, for inviting me back for a second year to be one of your Sharks.  I really believe I got more out of the experience than anything I could say to your students.

Bob McCutcheon has had a rich and varied career in the music business.  He used those contacts to bring some name acts to the 2017 Summer Concert Series at the Fishers Amphitheater.  Here is my talk with Bob.

The City of Fishers needs to do some major work along 116th Street, and is choosing to get this done during HSE Schools Spring Break.  This will be a partial closure between Exit Five Parkway/IKEA Way and Cumberland Road. The driving restrictions will be in effect from March 30 at 9 p.m. to April 10 at 5 a.m, coinciding with Hamilton Southeastern School District’s Spring Break.

Marathon Pipeline will remove casing from their existing pipeline that runs under the eastbound lanes of 116^th Street. Fishers Departments of Engineering and Public Works plans to make additional repairs and improvements to 116^th Street during the partial closure.

The lanes and roads affected by the detour and partial closure include:

–Westbound 116^th Street between Exit Five Parkway/IKEA Way and Cumberland Road will be closed. Traffic will be detoured north on Cumberland Road to Exit Five Parkway/121^st Street and south on Exit Five Parkway to 116^th Street.

–Eastbound 116^th Street will be directed to drive in the westbound lanes of 116^th Street from Exit Five Parkway/IKEA Way to the signal just west of Cumberland Road at Kroger. Traffic will then switch back to the eastbound lanes.

–Southbound Cumberland Road will be closed from 126^th Street to 121^st Street.

–Westbound 121^st Street will be directed to go north on Cumberland Road to 126^th Street and then continue west on 126^th Street.

Westbound drivers are encouraged to detour south on Cumberland Road from 116^th Street to 106^th Street to access I-69 and other Westside destinations.

Businesses along Exit Five Parkway and 121^st Street with regular truck deliveries should consider adjusting delivery times to before or after morning rush hour. Delivery routes along this route should use northbound Exit Five Parkway rather than Cumberland Road during this detour.