The Geist Conservancy District legislation has cleared the last hurdle with lawmakers at the Indiana Statehouse.  State Representative & Speaker-Elect Todd Huston tells LarryInFishers.com that the measure creating the conservancy district has now passed the House and Senate and is on the way to Governor Holcomb’s desk where he is expected to sign the bill.

A conservancy district would have the legal authority to tax property owners and impose fees in the area of Geist Lake in order to do required maintenance on the reservoir.

On the deal reached between Fishers and Carmel officials over the County Option Income Tax (COIT) distribution, Huston says that measure is still moving through the legislative process and he is not anticipating any changes, but cautions that the process is not yet officially done.

Fishers Mayor Fadness recently told LarryInFishers.com the deal reached with Carmel calls for a revised COIT distribution formula that will add $15 million-$18 million in additional COIT funds to Fishers over three years, but that increase is tied to a rise in COIT tax collections of 2.5% each year.  In other words, presuming a strong economy continues locally, Fishers will receive the extra funds.  According to Fadness, after that initial three-year period, Fishers would receive $4 million-$6 million in additional money per year from COIT, but that would once again rely on continued COIT tax collection growth in the coming years.

The 2020 short session of the General Assembly is scheduled to end in a few days.

In Indiana, counties are generally responsible for public health issues, so when something like coronaviris becomes an issue locally, residents look to the Hamilton County Health Department for guidance.

My news-gathering partner, the Hamilton County Reporter, checked with a number of county officials that may hve responsibilities to deal with the coronavirus.

“We are monitoring and managing the situation,” said County Commissioner Christine Altman. “We are reviewing our pandemic flu and infectious disease plans and are ready to implement them if needed.”

The Health Department and Emergency Management team are working directly with local hospitals, health care providers, and local cities and towns to ensure everyone is kept in the loop.

“The biggest thing is getting ahead of it,” said Shane Booker, executive director of Hamilton County’s EMA. “We went through a very similar situation in 2010 with the H1N1 virus. There were a lot of the same concerns then that there are now. The good news is the H1N1 virus taught us a lot that helps us prepare now.”

Currently there are no known cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton County or the State of Indiana. Much is still unknown about how the virus spreads. In the meantime, the Hamilton County Health Department encourages anyone with symptoms of acute respiratory illness to stay home.

“The primary symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath,” said Chris Walker, emergency preparedness coordinator for the Hamilton County Health Department. “To prevent the spread of COVID-19, citizens should wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean them often with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer of at least 60 percent alcohol. Also consider routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces, especially in the workplace.”

Like any business, Hamilton County is working to help reduce transmission among staff and maintain business operations.

“No matter how bad it gets, we want to keep essential functions up and running,” Altman said. “If that means telecommuting or flexible work hours to increase the distance among employees and avoid increased absenteeism, so be it. We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to keep county government operational.”

For more information about COVID-19, the current situation here in Hamilton County and preventative measures, please click here. You’ll also find specific links for healthcare providers, long-term healthcare facilities, businesses and schools.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

NOBLESVILLE – Anyone who has ever had an investment in an Indiana basketball sectional knows one thing: Anything can happen.

That was the case in the first game of Class 4A Sectional 8 at Noblesville on Tuesday.  Fishers and Zionsville were locked in a defensive slugfest, and the Eagles came out on top after a last-second shot, sending the Tigers to a 23-21 loss.

In the second game, Carmel and Hamilton Southeastern played each other for the second time in 18 days. The Royals won the earlier game by one point, and Tuesday’s contest was just as close until the Greyhounds pulled away late for a 50-43 victory.

Tuesday’s winners advance to the Friday semi-finals, where Zionsville takes on Westfield and Carmel will play host Noblesville.

DIFFERENT RE-MATCH
The Fishers-Zionsville game was a re-match as well – in fact, the first time the two teams played was on Feb. 21, the regular-season finale for the Eagles. The Tigers won 58-39 at the Zionsville gym.

“I think it was kind of fool’s gold when we beat them at their place,” said Fishers coach Matt Moore. The Tigers made shots early in that game and got out to a big lead.

“Now you’re playing with a lead and that changes how they have to play,” said Moore. “When they take a minute off the clock in each possession, when they try to stretch, shorten a game, every shot matters.”

Any lead was a big lead in the sectional re-match. The Tigers held a 7-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, after Isaac Farah made a 3-pointer and Jeffrey Simmons added a layin.

The Eagles led 10-9 late in the second period, but Lucas Prewitt nailed a 3 for Fishers, sending it into the locker room with a 12-10 halftime advantage. The Tigers’ Alex Szilagyi scored the first basket of the second half: Another 3, giving Fishers a 15-10 lead.

Zionsville clawed its back to within one point, 18-17 by the end of the third quarter, with Szilagyi making a traditional three-point play as the Tigers’ only other points of the period.

A free throw by Gunnar Vannatta tied the game, then Anthony Scales made a layin to put the Eagles ahead 20-18.

Dominic Castellani gave Fishers back the lead, with his triple getting the Tigers up 21-20. Scales tied the game by making a free throw with 36.5 seconds left.

Zionsville got the ball back, and Vannatta passed it to Jackson Hughes, who made a floater as time ran out.

Szilagyi’s six points led Fishers, who finished the season 18-7, but not before setting a record for most wins in a season.

“It just continues to show the direction we’re trending,” said Moore. “I think Year 1 to Year 2 to Year 3, the progress that we’ve made across the board has been nothing but positive. That’s what you build off of.”

ANOTHER CLOSE GAME
The second game was close as well. After some initial back and forth, Carmel used a 6-0 run (back-to-back 3-pointers by Brian Waddell and Connor Gioia) to jump out to a 10-5 lead in the first quarter.

The Greyhounds never trailed again, but the Royals stayed in contention for the
entire game.

“We’ve got some guys that can shoot it,” said Carmel coach Ryan Osborn. “We’re far from a one or two-man show. Guys give it everything they’ve got. They like each other. It’s an awesome group to coach.”

Carmel led 12-7 after the first quarter, then went up 17-12 with three minutes left in the second after Peter Suder made a floater. Southeastern cut that advantage to 17-16 by halftime after Mabor Majak made a hook shot, then DeAndre Rhodes scored off a steal.

Josh Whack hit a 3 to open the second half, getting the ‘Hounds up 20-16. The Royals got within one again, 23-22, when Majak made a dunk and Kole Hornbuckle hit two free throws. Jackson Jannsen drained a 3 to get Carmel up by four, then Nick Frische’s layin put the Greyhounds ahead 30-25 after three.

Waddell took over for Carmel in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points. He helped the Greyhounds hold off one final push by Southeastern, which included six consecutive free throws by Hornbuckle to tie the game at 37-37 with 4:23 left.

“Waddell’s been great,” said Osborn. “Since he’s come back from his injury, he’s gaining some confidence, he’s going to the boards hard, he’s hitting shots. He defends, he’s long.”

Waddell made a layin to put Carmel back up front, then after HSE’s John McCall made a free throw, the ‘Hounds went on an 7-0 run to lead 46-38. Waddell finished the run with a dunk.

“They’re tough and you got to give Coach Osborn a lot of credit for what he’s done this year,” said Royals coach Brian Satterfield. “But the toughest thing was is, we had to battle back, took a lot of energy. But yes, when we got to that stage, you can see the confidence in our guys’ eyes and I thought that we were going to do it. But we didn’t take advantage.”

Waddell finished the game with 19 points, including a 12-of-13 performance from the free-throw line. Suder added 11 points and led the rebounds with five.

Carmel improved to 16-7 with the win. Hornbuckle was the Royals’ top scorer, with 18 points, including a 14-of-15 performance from the line. Majak had 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. He will play for Cleveland State University this fall, while Satterfield said Hornbuckle is also getting college looks. Rhodes will play football for Indiana
State University.

“It was such a fun group to coach,” said Satterfield, whose team finished the season 17-6. “These guys, the way they came out, worked hard every day. It was fun to be in the gym with them.”

Life Without Limits is the theme of this year’s Disability Awareness Month activities in the City of Fishers.  Fishers City Council President Cecilia Coble and Kelly Hartman, co-chairs for this year’s local effort, handled the agenda for the Monday morning kickoff event at City Hall. The emphasis was on taking care of the caregivers and finding employment for those in our community with disabilities.

The Life Without Limits award went to Noah Malone, a state champion track star at HSE High School.  Noah is legally blind.

The Cornerstone Employer Award was handed out to Books & Brews in Noblesville, for their cooperation in allowing people with disabilities an opportunity to work in their business.

The Accessibility Award went to former Fishers Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath.  She is now a candidate for a seat in the Indiana House of Representatives.

A panel discussion moderated by the mayor covered a number of issues, including what paths to employment exist past high school special education for students with disabilities.  The group talked about challenges of finding housing for the disabled in Fishers.   There was also a discussion about what the community can and should do in supporting caregivers.

For more information on Fishers events tied to March as Disability Awareness Month, use this link.

The Fishers YMCA is offering a special to caregivers.  For more on this, use this link.

I posted a podcast with Cecilia Coble and Kelly Hartman about Disability Awareness Month in Fishers.  Listen to the podcast at this link.

Technology nerds have been writing and talking about the new 5G wireless technology for some time, but the City of Fishers is preparing to decide how to handle the roll out of this next step in connecting us without wires.

The technology most of us use for our cell phones is 4G.  There are tall towers that have a large range to serve 4G wireless customers.  The 5G system will provide much faster downloads and more options for customers.  But there is a catch.

5G towers have a much smaller range than the 4G setup.  The 5G towers, also called “small cells,” have a range measured not in miles but in feet.  So, if you are driving through a neighborhood with 5G installed, you will see a small cell tower every 2-3 blocks at best, sometimes closer together.

The City of Fishers has received legal advice that local governments cannot take into account any health risks, if there are any, because only the federal government can make health risk determinations.  That means cities like Fishers will be handling applications from wireless companies wanting to install 5G small cell towers in Fishers neighborhoods.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness says there are about 40 small cell 5G tower requests pending in Fishers neighborhoods.  He expects there are roughly 400 more set to get into the pipeline soon.

One major impact the city can have is doing its best to keep these towers out of the way of residents homes to the extent possible.  For example, if a wireless firm wants to erect a small cell tower in front of a family home, impacting the window view or just in the way, the city can work to move that tower slightly, perhaps to a common area in the neighborhood or next to a pond.

The complication is just how close these towers need to be spaced in order to provide the full 5G wireless service.  There may be instances where moving a small cell tower away from a home may not be possible.

The Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety has legal jurisdiction over the small cell tower placement issue locally, and the board plans to have a work session, planning how to move forward on the 5G network in Fishers.  The next scheduled meeting of the board is Monday, March 9th, 4:00pm, at the City Hall Council Chambers.

The Board of Public Works and Safety is comprised of Mayor Scott Fadness and his two appointees, Jeff Lantz and Jason Meyer.

It’s March 1st, the day is sunny and the temperature will reach the 50s, melting most of remaining snow around Fishers.  Spring is not here yet, but March 1st also marks some traffic situations local motorists need to know.

First, the traffic signals at 126th Street and State Road 37 are disabled, with two lanes northbound and 2 lanes southbound open for traffic on SR 37.  When you approach SR 37 heading west on 126th, you only have the option of a right turn.  Vehicles moving north on SR 37 can turn right at 126th Street.

The barricades are in place on the west end of 126th and SR 37, blocking traffic as work begins in earnest to construct a roundabout overpass going east-west at SR 37 and 126th.  This configuration is expected to be in place until July, when the east end of 126th and SR 37 will be closed as construction continues.

Also, in downtown Fishers, you will see one-lane traffic on 116th Street heading west at Lantern Road to Municipal Drive.  City officials say this will continue for 45 days.  You will continue to have access to businesses located along that stretch of road.

Hamilton County Reporter

Boys basketball sectionals get underway on Tuesday, and a Hamilton County team will be playing at each of the five sites involving local teams – and all of the games are re-matches.

The county’s Class 4A schools are playing at Noblesville this year for Sectional 8. The first game, which tips off at 6 p.m., will see Fishers take on Zionsville in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference re-match of a contest that took place less than two weeks ago.

The Tigers played at the Eagles’ gym and were winners, 58-39. There is, of course, a difference between the regular season and the sectional and Fishers coach Matt
Moore is aware of that.

“Sectional’s always different,” said Moore after the Tigers beat North Central last Tuesday in their regular-season finale. “The stakes are higher now, and there’s a lot more on the line. The first game, I thought we did some good things, and they’re going to adjust and we
need to be ready to combat that.”

Fishers is 18-6 for the season, while Zionsville is 15-9.

In the second Tuesday game, Hamilton Southeastern will play Carmel. The two teams played each other at the Royals’ gym on Feb. 14, with Southeastern coming back from a 13-point deficit to beat the Greyhounds 62-61.

The Royals are 17-5 for the season and riding a 13-game win streak, which also includes wins over Brownsburg and Lawrence North to finish the season.

Carmel is 15-7 and coming off a big win over Class 4A No. 5 Crispus Attucks.

“The team’s demeanor has been great,” said Southeastern coach Brian Satterfield. “They go to practice every day trying to improve and get better.”

Hamilton Heights travels to New Castle to play the Trojans in Class 3A Sectional 24 action. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. The Huskies played New Castle in their second game of the season on Dec. 6, winning 67-59. Heights is 14-8 while the Trojans are 10-12.

Down at 3A Sectional 27 at Shortridge, Guerin Catholic plays its Circle City Conference rival Brebeuf Jesuit in the second game, set for 7:30 p.m. The Braves beat the Golden Eagles 54-47 in their meeting on Jan. 24. Guerin Catholic comes into the game 15-7, while Brebeuf is 15-6.

Sheridan heads east to 2A Sectional 39 at Blackford to play Tipton in a 6 p.m. start. This is another re-match, as the Blackhawks hosted the Blue Devils on Dec. 14, with Tipton winning 90-49. Sheridan is 5-17 and the Blue Devils are 17-5. University is trying Class 2A for the first time, playing at Sectional 42. The sectional has been moved to Scecina from Heritage Christian. As a result, the Trailblazers are now playing the sectional host Crusaders on Tuesday, with a 7 p.m. tipoff.

University played at Scecina on Feb. 1, winning 53-35. The ‘Blazers picked up their 20th win of the season Thursday in a win over Bishop Chatard, improving to 20-4. The Crusaders are 7-15.