The Mira Awards are setup to honor people working locally in the tech world, sponsored by Techpoint.  At the 18th annual awards gala in downtown Indianapolis Saturday night, several people and organizations from Fishers were honored.

Julie Alano, the teacher of the year for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools, was honored as the Tech Educator of the Year.  Mrs. Alano has been key in developing computer science classes at HSE Schools.

The Fishers Police Department received an honorable mention under the Tech Service of the Year category for the CrimeWatch Phone App.  The cell phone application allows citizens to report suspicious activity and include a picture.  Tech developer Auri Rahimzadeh and Assistant Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart were instrumental in launching the app.

“It’s exciting to see Fishers so well represented at the Mira Awards with both nominees and winners,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “We’re truly a smart, vibrant, and entrepreneurial city and it shows with tonight’s representation. And I’m proud that this spirit transcends traditional assets to inside City Hall. Assistant Chief Gebhart’s idea came to life with Auri’s development skills to solve a community problem. To me, that’s smart government.”

The Fishers-based Internet of Things company Clear Object received the Scale-up Company of the Year Award.  The firm, headed-up by CEO John McDonald, was also honored for Best Tech Event, the  IndyIoT Symposium.

Here is a listing of local Mira award nominations:

Community Champion of the Year 

Eleven Fifty Academy Outreach Team

Best New Tech Product

FUZIC

Tech Service of the Year

Emplify

New Startup of the Year

Fuzic

Company Culture of the Year

BLASTmedia

Flexware Innovation

If you frequent LA Fitness or Kroger at 116th & Cumberland Road, be prepared.  Road construction will close those entrances for two weeks, beginning May 1st.

Here is the full list of road construction projects around Fishers for the work week starting Monday, May 1st:

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116TH STREET

There will be lane restrictions on 116th Street between I-69 and Cumberland Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to make improvements to 116th Street.

Beginning May 1, for two weeks, the entrances to Kroger and LA Fitness on 116th Street just west of Cumberland Road will be closed to allow the contractor to work on the signal poles and entrance drives into these businesses.  Access into both of these commercial areas will be off of Cumberland Road.  116th Street will remain open during this time, however there will be lane restrictions in the area.

GEIST ROAD

Geist Road between 106th Street and 111th Street will have possible lane restrictions while contractors perform shoulder work along the west side of Geist Road.

USA PARKWAY

There will be periodic restrictions on USA Parkway while crews construct turn lanes for IKEA.

ALLISONVILLE ROAD

There will be lane restrictions on northbound and southbound Allisonville Road from 126th Street to 131st Street between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. all week. There will be flaggers and barrels onsite to help direct traffic. Please drive with caution.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

The Campus Parkway interchange at Interstate 69 Exit 210 will be shifted into a double-crossover diamond traffic pattern starting on or after May 8. Shifting traffic into the double-crossover diamond pattern is intended to improve traffic flow during the remainder of construction of the permanent interchange improvements.  For more information about the project, please visit http://www.in.gov/indot/3441.htm.

126TH STREET

There will be periodic lane restrictions between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 126th Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road while the contractor installs passing blisters near Reserve at Lantern.  Flaggers will be on site to direct traffic during the restrictions.

106TH AND CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT

There will be possible lane restrictions around the roundabout while the contractor finishes up work.

STATE ROAD 37

Starting May 1, geotechnical drilling will begin along the State Road 37 corridor as part of the final design phase of State Road 37 Improvement Project. Lane and shoulder restrictions will be active through the June 30.

Motorists will see staked locations along the corridor starting with the 141st Street intersection. The geotechnical drilling will cause lane restrictions from 131st Street through 146th Street through June 30. Southbound restrictions will not begin until 9 a.m. daily and northbound restrictions will be done daily before 4 p.m. to allow for maximum traffic flow during peak hours.

State Road 37 turn lanes will not be affected during lane closures and crews will maintain a minimum of one through-lane at all times.

The SR37 improvement project is a $124 Million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton Co, Noblesville, and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed to drivefishers@fishers.in.us.

Indiana state lawmakers took no action on short term home rentals in the 2017 session, and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness says the local committee formed to look at the issue will not likely be meeting anytime soon.  Legislation introduced at the Statehouse earlier this year died, with no action this legislative session.

Fishers’ neighbor to the west, Carmel, is regulating short term home rental activity, mostly fueled by a popular online tool, Airbnb.  Fishers, however, has no ordinances or regulations on such short term rentals.

Fadness told LarryInFishers Friday that the short term home rental issues in Fishers are not a priority for him at this time.

So, at least for now, your short term rentals will not be under a microscope in the City of Fishers.

Citizens State Bank christened its new presence in the the Nickel Plate District of Downtown Fishers Friday morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony.  The new branch is located in the Switch Building, near City Hall.

Mayor Scott Fadness told those at the bank Friday that this is part of the smart, vibrant and walkable urban core local officials envisioned for Fishers.

“You were willing to take the leap of faith with us and locate right here in the heart of our city and I hope it bodes well for you and your business as you move and continue to grow,” Fadness told those on hand for the event.

Citizens State Bank’s home office is located in New Castle, Indiana.  The financial institution has 15 locations in Indiana.

The City of Fishers took action Friday morning allowing its continued legal authority in regulating utilities, such as telecommunications companies, and their placement of equipment, such as cell phone towers.  Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness says a compromise measure enacted in the waning hours of the Indiana General Assembly’s 2017 session allows localities to continue this authority, but the legislation requires local governments to enact the procedures with a May 1st, 2017, deadline.

Fadness says he’s been told that roughly 100 local communities throughout the state will be enacting the same procedures Fishers enacted Friday by the May 1st deadline.  The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety passed the resolution.  The board consists of Mayor Fadness and his two appointees, Jason Meyer and Jeff Lantz.  Fadness and Meyer voted in favor of the resolution…Lantz was unable to attend the special meeting.

The resolution sets up waiver procedures when a telecommunications company wants to place a new utility pole or cell phone tower.   The city continues to be involved when residents have objections to the placement of these utility structures.

On Thursday night, April 27th, the Hamilton County Leadership Academy team studying the future of the Nickel Plate Rail Line sponsored a forum at Hamilton Heights High School.  LarryInFishers recorded the entire forum.  The special podcast recording is about an hour and 45 minutes long.

The subject was the Nickel Plate Rail Line, the place was Hamilton Heights High School, and it happened Thursday night.  A panel discussed the future of the Nickel Plate line and the options before the government entities owning the line.  The event was sponsored by the Hamilton County Leadership Academy Class of 2017 “Rail or Trail” team.

The Nickel Plate Line extends from Tipton to downtown Indianapolis, and is owned jointly by Fishers, Noblesville and Hamilton County.  Fishers and Noblesville have announced a proposal to transform the line into a trail within their city limits.

Many of the panel members appeared to favor using the Nickel Plate as both a rail and trail line.  However, the cost of purchasing the land needed to accommodate both would be much higher than only converting the line to a trail.

Mike Obergfell, President of the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, also told the crowd that the owners of the line signed-on to issuing requests for proposals for possible operators of the rail line, so all options can be considered before any final decisions are made.

When the subject of public safety along a trail was raised, Carmel City Councilman Ron Carter said the Monon Trail is very safe. With over a million people using it over a year, Carter said, there are very few law enforcement incidents on the Monon.

Panel members were:

–Brenda Myers, President and CEO of Hamilton County Tourism

–Dan Canan, Executive Vice President of OneZone (combined Fishers & Carmel Chamber of Commerce)

–Karen Bohn, President, Greenways Foundation

–Mike Obergfell, President of the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority Board

–Ron Carter, Member of the Carmel City Council

The moderator was Jonathon Hagerty, a member of the “Rails or Trails” team.

Other members of the Hamilton County Leadership team included:

–Adam Peat, Internal Account Manager, Stratosphere Quality

–Bonnie Riley, Assistant Vice President and Banking Center Manager, National Bank of Indianapolis

–Greg Schrage, Associate Attorney, Church Church Hittle & Antrim

–Judah Holland, Senior Director & Chief of Staff to the President, Navient

–Steve Cooke, Deputy Mayor, City of Noblesville

–Wade Wiley, Licensing Lead, Beck’s Hybrids

You may have been reading lately about a certain listing from a national publication showing two high schools serving Fishers as number 10 & 12 in the state.  You did not read about it here on my blog.  I have written about this before, but let me reiterate why once again.

These sorts of listings have an arbitrary feel to them.  When you choose a certain methodology to conduct these rankings, certain data will be included and other data is not part of the analysis.  That’s why I question the authenticity and accuracy of these listings.

I don’t need a national news organization to show me Fishers and HSE High Schools are top notch.  I see that every day in covering local education.  So, if local schools, let’s say, do not make the top listing next year in this same news outlet, I won’t feel any differently about these educational institutions.  They will still be top-notch in my book.

I don’t blame school officials for being proud of this and if I were in their shoes I would likely do the same.  But as an observer of local events, I will continue to shy away from the many listings about the city of Fishers and our schools.

I don’t need a national listing to tell me I live in a special place.  I can see that for myself.

Early Monday morning, Fishers Police arrested two burglary suspects in the area of 106th Street and Cumberland Road.  Here is what happened, from the official news release:

            During the early morning hours of Monday April 24^th Fishers police officers responded to the 11100 block of Timberview Drive to investigate a residential alarm. As officers approached they observed two men near the rear of this residence. Officers identified themselves and both suspects ran. After a short foot pursuit both men were captured and detained. During an extensive search of the area, officers located a juvenile asleep in a vehicle that was later determined to belong to one of the suspects. Three suspects were transported to the Fishers Police Department.

            As the investigation continued, officers learned the suspects burglarized another home in the same neighborhood and stole property from several cars in a nearby neighborhood. Officers were able to recover several stolen items and return them to their rightful owners. The two adult suspects were transported to the Hamilton County Jail and the juvenile suspect was transported to the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center for an outstanding pick-up order from Marion County.

The two suspects, Derrick L. Johnson Jr, 18, and Marlin E. Rush, 21, both from Indianapolis, face numerous charges, including burglary, theft and resisting law enforcement.

Police believe there may be other victims.  If you have any additional information, contact Detective Sergeant David Flynn at 317-595-3300.

Fishers Police also offered the following safety tips:

Home Safety Tips

Install exterior lights at all entrances. Consider motion detector lights.

Install a wide-angle viewer on all exterior doors.

Check who is at the door and do not open the door to anyone you don’t know.

Install good locks on all doors and windows. Use those locks!

Be sure locks on doors and windows can be opened quickly in case of fire.

Leave a light on when you are not home. If you are on vacation, use a timer to control lighting.

Don’t hide keys outside.

Remove house keys from your keychain when your car is serviced.

Talk with trusted neighbors. Keep an eye on their house and ask them to watch yours.

Stop mail and newspaper delivery when you are away.

Install an alarm system that will detect entry and notify police.

Have your lawn mowed and snow shoveled when away.

Close garage doors at night.

Keep trees and bushes trimmed. Do not let plants block doors and windows.

Suspicious Activity

An event that is out of the ordinary or that makes you feel uncomfortable could be a crime in progress.

Adults or juveniles walking casually through the neighborhood looking into windows, backyards,

vehicles, etc.

A vehicle driving slowly through your neighborhood with or without lights on.

Something wakes you in the night. 

Someone you don’t know rings your doorbell.

An unknown car parked near your home containing one or more people.

If something is suspicious to you, Call the Police!

Fishers Police Mitch Thompson is convinced that having a strong partnership with the police department and your neighbors will give the Fishers community its best chance in deterring and detecting criminal activity. If your neighborhood is not an active member of the Fishers Neighborhood Crime Watch Program we encourage you to call Lieutenant Dave Dunbar, at 317-595-3313, for more information.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board approved an increase in school lunch prices, but the board members will be quick to tell you the increase was required by the federal government – it was not their decision.

Administrators say the increase will equate to a 10 cent increase for all paid lunch prices. School officials warn that another increase will likely be needed for the next school year.

Failure of the board to comply with the national paid lunch equity requirements would jeopardize Hamilton Southeastern Schools participation in the National School Lunch Program which would ultimately eliminate the reimbursement dollars received from the federal Department of Education.

In other school board activity Wednesday night:

–Gave 1st reading approval to a change in tobacco policy.  The revised version prohibits e-cigarettes from HSE schools and school grounds.  Final approval will come at a future board session.

–Approved several items relating to building issues and land transfers.

–Received updates from the school library media specialists, and S.P.O.R.T.S. Executive Director Lynda Carlino.