There are now calls to defund police departments in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death.  I hope this will spark a discussion, but not on defunding itself, but about how we police ourselves and what we expect from an officer that takes an oath and dons a uniform.  On this Larry’s Log commentary, I attempt to start discussing this important public policy issue.

The Indianapolis 500 is a gigantic sporting even known the world-over.  But will there be fans in the stands when the race is run in 2020, or will COVID-19 cancel this year’s race?  I look at that and more in this Larry’s Log commentary.

It was a religious gathering to work for justice and peace at the Central Green in downtown Fishers.  Representatives from various faiths spoke before a crowd of about 60 people.  They came together as Christians, Muslims and those of the Jewish faith to declare that Black Lives Matter.

“Justice is what God is all about,” Bishop Andrea Williams, the organizer of the Monday evening event, told the crowd. “Righteousness is what God is all about.  Without truth there can be no justice, and without justice there can be no truth.”

Muzaffar Ahmad, a 20-year resident of Fishers and a Muslim, said as an immigrant to the United States, he can practice his religion freely here. But, as with all other nations on the planet, there are injustices here.

“May humble request to everybody here is, do not let this momentum go away, until we make this a better place.” Ahmad told those assembled.  “Keep coming back to these events, keep writing, keep yelling Black Lives Matter.”

The crowd observed 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence, symbolizing the amount of time a knee was on George Floyd’s neck.  The crowd than marched from Liberty Plaza down the Central Green, past City Hall to the Amphitheater.

The video below is the start of a march by those attending the event.

The City of Fishers has announced the appointment of Monica Heltz as Public Health Director for the Fishers Health Department.  The Fishers Board of Health ratified Mayor Scott Fadness’ appointment of Heltz at the May 29th meeting.

The City says Heltz will lead the development of the Fishers Health Department, which was established in April 2020. The department is completing its transition of duties from the Hamilton County Health Department.

Heltz has two decades in public health, with experience in environmental health, tuberculosis, immunizations, home visiting, and sexually transmitted infections. Heltz joins the Fishers Health Department from the Marion County Public Health Department where she held roles as nurse practitioner, Northeast District health office nursing coordinator and TB program coordinator.

Fishers established its own COVID-19 testing program April 24th.  As of late afternoon, Monday, June 8th, the city had conducted 2,658 tests, with 43 coming back with a positive result.  8 of the positive tests were from people without symptoms.

The Fishers Health Department will provide the following services to all Fishers residents

• Vital Records including Death Certificates and Birth Certificates
• Food Safety permits, inspections, and plan reviews
• Pools and Spa permits, inspections
• Septic Tank and well permits and inspections
• Immunizations
• Water quality testing
• Mosquito and pest control
• Communicable Disease Control

Residents may access Health Department services, in both Spanish and English, online at this link or contact the department at 317-567-5045

There has been a lot in the news lately, but one consistent fact centers on the novel coronavirus – it is still here and continues to be a threat. Let’s review the latest numbers.

In Indiana, as of this Sunday afternoon writing, the COVID-19 death toll stands at 2,121.  The death toll in Hamilton County is 94.  We still do not know how many of those 94 deaths are Fishers residents.  The City of Fishers has promised that number will be released, but have not done so yet.

The numbers we do have for Fishers show 2,406 COVID-19 tests have been conducted, representing just under 2.6% of the city’s population.  30 of those tests came back positive.  Of the 30 positives, 5 of those residents were asymptomatic.

In the United States, 112,000 deaths have been recorded.  World-wide, the number of fatalities stands at 393,000.  As you can see, our nation has 28% of the world’s COVID-19 deaths.  The U.S. has 4.4% of the world’s population.

Health experts urge anyone that has participated in recent public demonstrations to get tested for novel coronavirus.  Residents of Fishers have free testing available.  To begin the process of obtaining a free test from the City of Fishers, use this link.

Here is the latest list from the City of Fishers of all the road construction projects:

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After a large demonstration and march at the Fishers downtown Nickel Plate Amphitheater June 1st organized by local students, a religious demonstration is planned downtown Monday, June 8th, at 6pm.

Bishop Andrea Williams, Senior Pastor of Ebenezer International Training Center, is organizing the event, inviting people of faith to gather and “come together as a community in support of humanity.”

The demonstration will be held at Liberty Plaza, located at the entrance to the municipal complex along 116th Street.

The Confederate monument was moved from a cemetery to Garfield Park on the south side of Indianapolis roughly 100 years ago.  Indy Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Thursday the city plans to remove the monument.  Is that a good or bad idea?  I have a few thoughts in this Larry’s Log commentary.

Every year around this time, people see golf carts motoring on Fishers city streets.  The question that always comes up is – is it legal?  The answer is a qualified yes.  There is a city ordinance governing this.  The Fishers Police Department has issued a release on this very subject, citing the specific ordinance and lists the three neighborhoods that allow golf carts on their subdivision streets.

Here is the police statement:

Continue reading Know the Fishers city ordinance governing golf carts on the streets →

The City of Fishers has rolled-out a new phone app, Fishers Connect, to make it easier to communicate when you need to deal with city departments.  The app is designed to contact the city for non-emergency issues.

Examples of situations where the new app may come in handy include city maintained roadways, street signs, storm water, water, sewer, streetlights, and park infrastructure elements. The app also provides quick links to City information and forms related to City services. The free app is now available for download from the App Store and on Google Play.

The new app also allows residents to submit a photo illustrating the issue.

“Fishers Connect makes it easier than ever for our residents to report concerns directly to their city government, and allows for increased transparency as residents can view all of the issues reported across their community and follow the progress of these issues until they are resolved,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “We are always looking to centralize information and resources for our residents, and Fishers Connect truly serves as that one-stop-shop.”

The app also includes links to and resources for residents, including:

• The City’s COVID-19 response and community information
• How to sign up for free COVID-19 testing with the Fishers Health Department
• Contact information for City Hall and a list of frequently asked questions
• Forms to report private property issues, such as high grass and weeds
• How to report noise and non-emergency issues to the Fishers Police Department
• Drive Fishers construction and road closure updates
• Stigma Free Fishers mental health resources
• Fishers Parks information
• Sign up for City emails and links to the City of Fishers’ social media accounts