I still recall the iPods my daughters had when they were young.  I figured that podcasts went away once new technology made the iPod obsolete.  I was wrong.

It was likely the cell phone that rejuvenated podcasting.  Since I had a radio broadcasting background, I wondered whether producing podcasts was something I could try.

So, it was February 3, 2016, when Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness agreed to appear on the first installment of the LarryInFishers.com Podcast.  My podcast series began then and continues to the day of this blog post.

I have experimented with many themes.  With my tax background, I started a daily tax podcast.  Let’s just say the audience did not respond, that that one lasted only a few weeks.

I tried something named “Larry’s Log,” just a daily commentary on whatever was in the news at that time.  I tried that several weeks and the audience wasn’t there in significant enough numbers to justify producing a daily podcast.

Once reason for starting Larry’s Log related to my decision in 2020 to end the news blog.  But COVID hit and that ditched my plans to start a local entertainment blog because everything was shut down.  Then in late October, 2020, I contracted COVID and it was not kind to me.  As the virus robbed most of my energy, I had several days to do nothing but think.  It was that period that caused me to continue the news blog.

Writing a regular local news blog as a one-man-band is a lot of work, and that’s why I decided to end it all in 2020.  However, although I’ve cut back my time commitment a bit, the news blog continues and I thank everyone that continues to read this blog.

There are two lines of podcasting that continue.  First, my Arts&Fishers podcast series.  It is mostly film reviews, although I do review TV, music & live plays on occasion.  I haven’t been able to post as many reviews lately due to personal issues, but post these podcasts when I can.

Then, there is the LarryInFishers.com podcast series that began with the Mayor Fadness interview on February 3, 2016, local discussions with local people.  There are few opportunities for local people to sit down and talk about what they are doing in the community for roughly 30 minutes, so my local podcast discussion aims to fill that void.

Allow me to once again thank Izzy and Casey Alexander.  In 2020, my grandson was born out of state, so my time was limited during the 2020 Hamilton Southeastern School Board election.  These two local students stepped forward to volunteer and, between the two of them, conducted interviews with all candidates for the school board.  They did a wonderful service to the local community.

If you want to sample some of my recent local interview podcasts, here are links to a few of them:

January 28, Fishers City Council President Todd Zimmerman  

January 27, WTHR Investigative Reporter Bob Segall talks about the HSE Schools case that went all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court 

January 6, Monica Heltz, Fishers Public Health Director 

December 8 (2021), Kristen Distler, HSE Schools Teacher of the Year 

December 1, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness

November 19, Former IU Athletic Director Fred Glass on his new book, Making Your Own Luck

Monica Evans made it clear early in her Thursday presentation to the Hamilton Southeastern School Board work session that she does believe in discipline.  She retired as a Detroit Police Officer in 2014.  She was a teacher for 12 years before joining law enforcement.  All her sons now are working in law enforcement.

She is an instructor for an organization named The International Institute for Restorative Practices and is part of that group’s Graduate School. 

Ms. Evans says she is absolutely in favor in discipline, but believes it must be done “in a restorative way.”  She emphasizes that there “is a difference between authoritative and authority.”  In other words, discipline “must not be meaningless, everything has to be learned.”  Accountability must be a part of this.

We all have biases, she told the board.  The restorative part is putting that reality on the table for everyone to see and know at the outset.  Conversation and communication is all about what restorative practices.

A big part of restorative practices centers on knowing at the outset what the expectations are, and the consequences of not meeting those expectations.  That sets boundaries at the beginning.

Restorative discipline is focused not on rote punishment, punitive in nature, but finding a way to restore harm that some behaviors may cause.  It is a part of restorative practices.

She talked at some length about the differences in the concepts of equity, equality and justice.  Empathy has a lot to do with restorative practices, Ms. Evans says, and is not the same thing as sympathy.

She told the story of how a Detroit school spent 5 years implementing a restorative discipline program and the result was keeping gang members in school.  Instead of punitive discipline, those gang members were forced to clean up every neighborhood where they had been involved in gang activity, working with their community and learning a skill set at the same time.

There was a lively discussion between members of the school board and Monica Evans.  It will now be up to HSE school officials whether to move forward with restorative discipline.

Hamilton County Republican precinct officials have elected a new county chair.  Mario Massillamany won the election to serve the remainder of the term.

Laura Campbell announced her resignation from the chair position after serving 6 years as chair.

The party announced the election results in a Facebook post Saturday.

As one writing a local news blog by myself, there are stories I just don’t have time to get to immediately.  This story is important, even if I am just a bit behind on it.

After weeks of bad news on COVID in Fishers, our local health department is finally saying the situation is improving.

This week, Fishers has seen a break in the level of new cases with the Omicron variant. Compared to the previous 7-day period, the Fishers Health Department reports a 26% decrease in new cases in Fishers and a 12% decrease across Hamilton County. Statewide, cases have increased 6%, but this local data indicates our area might potentially start to see this decrease reflected in hospital and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) relief.

The Fishers Health Department reminds us that vaccines help provide you with a level of protection, especially from severe outcomes like hospitalizations and death. 

Walk in or schedule ahead and get your free COVID-19 vaccine at the Fishers Health Department Vaccine Site, at your local pharmacy, or various pop-up clinics throughout the city.  Fishers Health Department Epidemiologist Josh Robinson posted a video Wednesday with more details, which you can access in the link below.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools Superintendent Yvonne Stokes announced Friday that the school district will change guidance on contact tracing, which she says will result in allowing “more students to remain in school.”

When masks are required, students exposed to a COVID positive individual during the school day will no longer have to quarantine. This would also include lunch, when masks are not always worn.

Under the new guidance from the Indiana Department of Health, contact tracing will no longer be necessary as long as masks continue to be required in schools. Families will still be notified if there is a positive case in the classroom-setting via Skylert.

According to Dr. Stokes, these changes are only in effect during the school day. Contact tracing and quarantine will still be required for students outside of the school day (for example – athletics, band, choir, bus rides to and from events, etc.). Isolation procedures for an individual that is COVID positive remains the same.

These changes will go into effect on Monday, January 31.

Students who are currently quarantined for being a close contact during the school day may return to school effective immediately, as long as they remain symptom-free.

“The number of COVID positive cases in our schools are down this week,” Dr. Stokes said. “We hope this is a trend that will continue.”

View Dr. Stokes’ entire video message at the link below.

The Fishers City Council faces a number of issues this year.  Council President Todd Zimmerman talks about that and more in this podcast.

Fishers Police saw a trend of vehicles being left unattended and subject to theft as 2022 began.  The department began an intensive investigation that led to the arrests of 2 Brownsburg residents.

Officers recovered three stolen vehicles and a large amount of stolen property related to twelve separate victims.

Under arrest are Levi Weaver, 35, and Jade Cotterman, 33, both from Brownsburg.  Levi Weaver faces charges of auto theft with a prior conviction, theft with a prior conviction, fraud and possession of methamphetamine. Jade Cotterman is charged with theft with a prior conviction, fraud and possession of methamphetamine. 

Fishers Police remind residents to remove all items of value and never leave their vehicle unlocked and unattended.

Here is the link to the video version of my podcast conversation with WTHR’s Bob Segall…

Bob Segall has been an investigative reporter for WTHR Television news since 2006.  He was involved for more than 5 years in reporting a story about HSE Schools and disclosure of information.  Here is my discussion with him.

Several Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR certification for superior energy performance.  HSE Energy Management Director Bob Rice explained the honor at Wednesday night’s school board meeting.

The list of school recognized is:

Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate Junior High

Harrison Parkway Elementary

New Britton Elementary

Sand Creek Elementary

Sand Creek Intermediate

and

Thorpe Creek Elementary.

Schools awarded the ENERGY STAR® certification perform in the top 25 percent of buildings nationwide, based on weather-normalized source energy and indoor air quality standards as certified by a professional engineer.

HSE Schools partnered with an outside contractor, Performance Services, and reduced HSE’s utility consumption by 16.7 % and achieved over $2 million in annual savings.  In 2019, the school district’s annual energy cost was down 15% compared to 2010 despite significant increases in utility rates and expansions to the total building area.