David Decker and Travis Tucker had an idea to create a place that would train people for the building trades, contain a maker space with equipment and expertise, along with many other parts for the community. They approached Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, who worked with the two entrepreneurs to put together the Hub & Spoke project. The building is still being designed and tenants continue to sign-up for the available space.
I invited North of 96th reporter Samm Quinn from the Indianapolis Business Journal to join in the podcast with David & Travis.
Terry Hutchens, a long-time local sportswriter in the central Indiana area, was critically injured in a Monday night crash on 116th Street in Fishers, near I-69.
Fishers Police cite witness statements and evidence at the scene, saying the driver of the Toyota was traveling westbound on 116th Street when he apparently rear-ended a Ford Escape. The force of the initial collision pushed the Ford into the rear of a Jeep.
During the follow-up investigation, at the hospital, medical staff told authorities Hutchens may have suffered a sudden medical condition prior to the crash.
Hutchens was unconscious and not breathing when officers arrived. The officers removed Hutchens from his vehicle, and immediately began CPR. Paramedics from the Fishers Department of Fire and Emergency Response transported him to an area hospital in critical condition. The other two drivers and a passenger in the Ford suffered only minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
Judge Steve Nation retires December 31 after more than 40 years of service to Hamilton County. And, what a great public servant he has been, working long hours to provide fair and prompt decisions for the litigants with cases before him.
File photo
He started out as a deputy prosecutor in the 1970s. He was elected prosecuting attorney in 1978, then judge of Superior Court 1 in 1994. Steve has served with distinction throughout his public career.
On Thursday he will be honored at a retirement reception in the courtroom where he has presided for 24 years. The reception will be open to the public, and a lot of well-wishers can be expected to attend.
Steve is not a native of Hamilton County, but he has become one of our best known citizens not only for how he has operated his court, but also for his service to the community beyond his official duties.
Now, Steve and his wife, Peggy, will enjoy a well-deserved retirement. He has our sincere thanks and best wishes following a long career honorably conducted.
The Holt Legal Group, longtime Noblesville law firm headed by Steve Holt, has moved to a new location. After 44 years at 9th Street and Maple Avenue, the firm is now located at 198 S. 9th St., in a building occupied for many years by the now disbanded Campbell Kyle Proffitt law firm. Members of the Holt group also include Sean Fleck, Andrew Dickerson and Heather Kinser. Their old building will be removed to make way for the Levinson, a multi-purpose project due to get under construction in the spring.
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Swearing-in ceremonies for newly elected local officials have been moved from the previously announced location at the Courthouse to the Mill Top Banquet and Conference Center at 8th and Mulberry streets. The ceremonies, open to the public, will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20. The move was necessary because space in the historic courtroom of the Courthouse is not adequate to handle the expected crowd, according the GOP Chairwoman Laura Campbell.
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Rosie Brown, receptionist at the Government and Judicial Center, and Kenton Ward, County Surveyor, received service pins Monday for their 45 years of service to Hamilton County. The presentation was made at the annual county employees Wellness and Awards Luncheon held at Exposition Hall on the County 4-H Fairgrounds.
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The Carmel Clay Historical Society is taking orders for sidewalk bricks, suitable for Christmas gifts. The bricks, inscribed with the name of individuals or organizations, will be placed along Main Street and the Monon Trail. Bricks cost $50 and may be ordered at the historical society office, 317-846-7117. Proceeds go to historical society operations.
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A locomotive being moved by the Indiana Transportation Museum from Forest Park to Logansport apparently ran into trouble this week as it neared its destination. The locomotive, too tall for an underpass, hit the structure. The amount of damage remains unknown. The transportation museum is moving many of its pieces of rolling stock to its new home in Logansport after being ordered out of Forest Park.
Fishers City Council President Todd Zimmerman talked about his year pounding the gavel at council meetings during 2018. He also revealed at Monday night’s council session that he will make a motion during the first meeting in 2019 that Rich Block serve as council president during 2019.
Both Zimmerman and Block are council members at large.
Shari Knox leads an organization facing a big challenge in the coming two years – raise $500,000 to construct an arts facility in Fishers. I talked with Shari Knox about that and a number of other issues in this podcast.
The Fishers Arts & Culture Commission will begin its work next month, and the city has announced the members of the commission.
Here are the appointees set to serve two-year terms:
Cecilia Coble, an at-large member of the Fishers City Council.
David Decker, owner of ACo, a remodeling company and co-founder of Hub & Spoke
Jeremiah Follis, a social studies teacher at HSE High School, a sculptor and founder of Olio Productions.
Kathryn Haigh, Chief Operating Officer at Newfields, the home of the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Chris Lingner, founding member of the Indianapolis Ballet
Marisol Sanchez, Vice President & General Counsel at Endress + Hauser
Jocelyn Vare, Owner of Propeller Marketing and former president of the Fishers Arts Council
All members are appointed by the Mayor of Fishers, Scott Fadness.
The Commission was created by a city ordinance enacted in August of this year, with the goal of a more strategic and comprehensive approach to the arts locally.
(Note: earlier versions of this story said Jeremiah Follis is an art teacher in the HSE Schools…Mr. Follis is a social studies teacher. LarryInFishers apologizes for the error)
The Fishers City Council moved forward with a number of economic development plans Monday night. Incentives for the downtown First Internet Bank headquarters, a parking garage, boutique hotel and other projects received approval from council members.
Browning Investments agreement with the city to develop downtown was also approved by the council.
The council extended the deadline to begin work on the Flexware project, near the downtown Amphitheater, due to unexpected delays dealing with utility lines.
Council members also gave their stamp of approval on a tax abatement for DMC Insurance to renovate and occupy a currently vacant office building at 10500 Crosspoint
Boulevard. The 5-year abatement applies to property taxes related to the improvements, not the underlying structure.
HSE Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff (left) looks on as outgoing board members (from the left) John DeLucia, Matt Burke & Terry Tolle show one of their farewell gifts
Serving as a member of any school board can be a thankless and stressful experience. Add in the fact that your school district has been one of the fastest-growing in the state and now is the 4th largest school corporation in Indiana and the stress level multiplies.
That will create growing pains. One major pain is the need to redistrict school boundaries. The Hamilton Southeastern School Board completed that task December 12th and a redrawing of school building boundaries, grades K-8, is ready to implement at the start of the 2019-2020 school year.
There are three school board members that chose not to seek another term on the board in the last election cycle. Presuming nothing serious arises the remainder of this month (and I hope nothing does) those three men have now cast their final votes as school board members.
John DeLucia has served two terms on the school board, which has spanned a period of about 8 years. Matt Burke and Terry Tolle each served one 4-year term.
I began covering school board meetings for this blog in January of 2012, so I covered most of Mr. Delucia’s time on the board and all the time Mr. Burke and Mr. Toller served their terms as board members.
I had the chance to observe their work, comments and voting records over the past few years. Now that their work serving the public has come to an end, I feel it is time for me to say something about their experience on the board.
After covering a number of school boards, I can identify school board members that want to serve the public and make the best decisions for everyone in the district. I can also identify board members in it for themselves, only interested in their own, personal agendas.
I can say, with no hesitation, that each of these three men worked very hard to serve the public that elected them and wanted nothing more than the best for the parents, children and taxpayers of the Hamilton Southeastern Schools. You may not agree with every vote they cast, but I can assure you, based on my observations and discussions with each of them, they served this board with the best of intentions and acted that way during their entire tenures on the board of trustees.
We have been very fortunate that outstanding people from within our local community have been willing to step forward and run for a seat on the school board. John DeLucia, Terry Tolle and Matt Burke should be proud of their service to the public. Residents of the school district are very lucky to have had outstanding school board members such as these three men.
I will add one other comment. At the December 12th school board meeting, Terry Tolle said the best decision the board has made in recent years was hiring Allen Bourff as school superintendent. I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Tolle.
I wish all three the best….they all are accomplished professionals in their respective fields of work outside their school board duties. I, as someone that attends most school board meetings, will miss all three.
I will also welcome back Michelle Fullhart after her re-election win, as well as three new board members – Brad Boyer, Julie Chambers and Janet Pritchett. They will all by sworn-in at the first board meeting in January.
On December 1st, the Hamilton County Reporter carried a story that the Hamilton County Commissioners had asked the Indiana State Police to independently investigate claims made by a discharged employee in the county treasurer’s office. A lawsuit filed against Hamilton County and Treasurer Jennifer Templeton alleges that the office allowed county employees and family members to waive penalties on late property tax payments.
Indianapolis Star reporter John Tuohy wrote a story appearing in the December 16th edition of the newspaper saying that the Indiana State Police will investigate these allegations.
