I am in the middle of my 11th year writing this news blog and in my 7th year of producing podcasts.  There is a question posed often as I meet people in and around the Fishers community.  The simple one-word question is – why?

Why do I take the many hours required each week to attend local meetings and events, and write about them?  Why do I take the time to prepare, record and produce my local LarryInFishers.com podcasts?

After all, this is a volunteer venture for me.  I am a one-man-band, covering these news events and producing these podcast all by myself.  I am supposed to be retired…why don’t I retire for real?  I generate no income in these endeavors.

I have tried to quit, at least twice.  In March of 2020, I posted what I thought would be my final local Fishers news blog entry.  I had plans to continue blogging, but switch the focus to local arts and entertainment coverage.  I am a lover of the arts and, to be honest, it’s a lot less work to cover entertainment compared to news.

But COVID shut everything down.  There were no live performances of anything.  Even the movie theaters were closed.

Plus, most local media news outlets were attempting to cover the pandemic with reduced staffing, so Fishers wasn’t getting much local coverage.  Okay, I thought to myself, I will continue the news blog until everything settles down.

Well, nothing settled down for quite a while, so I continued the blog, albeit with a bit less energy than before.  Then it happened.

In late October, 2020, I contracted COVID.  There was no vaccine at that time and few, if any, effective treatments for those dealing with the virus.

I didn’t just have COVID, I had it bad.  My wife Jane chose not to leave home, and thankfully Jane never tested positive.  Having her here was a godsend and helped me get through it.

My primary care doctor later told me she was “this close” to sending me to the hospital due to my severe symptoms.  You may recall that during that time in 2020 few patients admitted with COVID left the hospital alive.

I was very fortunate to recover without a hospital stay.  But having a COVID case of that severity caused me to think.  After all, I had no energy to do anything else but think during that time.

It was that experience that convinced me to continue the blog.  Why did I make that decision after so much time to think?

All of us have plenty of national media to consume.  Newspapers, Web sites and cable channels focus on national and international stories.  But what about local news?  What about Fishers, Indiana news?

I was provided a reminder recently of why I continue this blog.  A person placed a comment on a blog post, saying my coverage had sparked an interest in Fishers news.  That reader said she/he had attended some city council meetings and watched more of those sessions on video only because reading my blog had sparked interest in local Fishers news.

That is why I write this news blog.  That’s why I produce local podcasts.  If that person was the only one that began following local Fishers news events because of my blog, that would be enough to justify the hours and effort I put into this blog.

I had a day recently when I was going from covering one local meeting and heading for a second session when a family issue came up I needed to help in between.  I came home that night and asked myself that question – why?

The answer is the same.  Someone will read the blog and become interested in the local community where we live.  That is enough for me.

There is plenty of news coming in Fishers.  Old City Hall will be demolished and construction will begin on the new City Hall with a prominent Arts Center located in the same building.  It is anticipated more economic development projects will be announced in the coming months.

We have a very important local school board election where 4 of the 7 seats will be up for election in the fall.  In 2023, Fishers will hold a city election for a mayor, 9 city council seats, a city clerk and a city judge.  That requires news coverage.

I will turn 71 in a few months, but my health is reasonably good at the moment.  I will continue my blog for as long as God gives me the energy and ability to keep going.

I continue to be amazed at the number of people that regularly access this blog.  That’s the biggest reason I continue.

Thanks for reading.

Look for a  closure of 126th Street on the I-69 bridge, between Hoosier Road and Promise Road,  May 31 through June 3,

Road construction projects are ongoing in and around State Road 37, Technology Drive and Southeastern Parkway at Cyntheanne Road..  Also, be on the lookout for resurfacing in many residential areas.

For the details, see the update below, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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It would appear Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) High School will once again be searching for a new principal.  In a news release issued Thursday, the IHSAA announced Janie Ulmer has been approved by the organization’s Executive Committee to become an assistant commissioner.  She replaces Sandra Walter, who is leaving to become athletic director at Franklin Central High School.

Ulmer will assume her new job July 1 of this year.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome Janie Ulmer to the IHSAA Executive Staff,” said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig in a news release. “Her experience as a leader in education will prove invaluable as we continue our efforts to promote the ideals of education-based athletics for Hoosier students.”

So, it would appear that the HSE School District will be searching for a new HSE High School Principal for the coming school year.

Road rage has hit Fishers with a reported shooting Monday, May 16, at 6:0pm, near 106th Street and Lantern Road.

Under arrest is Avione Johnson, 23, from Indianapolis.  He faces felony charges of intimidation, two counts of criminal recklessness, pointing a firearm and carrying a handgun without a license.

Fishers Police received a witness report of the altercation involving drivers of two vehicles, with one firing shots.  Later Monday evening, one driver reported being the victim of shots fired in his direction.  The altercation resulted in 2 shots fired in his direction, according to the victim’s statement.  The victim suffered minor abrasions to his left elbow and left shin from the shrapnel, according to police.

Fishers officers obtained a search warrant and went to an address in the Castleton area of Indianapolis. A suspect, later identified as the shooter, was seen throwing a handgun from the balcony of the residence into a nearby retention pond.  The Fishers Police Dive Team recovered a handgun from the retention pond. Also seized, from the residence, were two rifles, a second handgun, thirty-one pounds of marijuana, and more than seven thousand dollars in cash. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Hamilton County Jail without incident.

The incident that led to the alleged shooting reportedly began on I-69 and ended up in Fishers.

Indianapolis Police Department personnel assisted Fishers Police in making the arrest.

For the first time ever, a high school from Indiana placed second in the national We The People academic competition – Fishers High School did just that in the 2022 national finals.  No Indiana school has ever placed as high as second.

We The People is a test of students’ civic knowledge.

I spoke with Fishers High School We The People Coach Liz Paternoster & team member Abbie Kilgore, in the podcast linked below.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has made mental health in his city a priority the entire time he has been serving as the first (and, so far, only) mayor of Fishers.  The mayor is inviting anyone interested in the city’s ongoing mental health initiative to join him and other local city, county, and state leaders for a breakfast update.

The event is set for 9:00am, May 25th, at Fishers City Hall.

Registration is required to attend this event.  You may register at this link.

It was a night of celebration at Monday’s Fishers  City Council meeting.  Three local schools were recognized for their success in the We The People national competition.

Robert S. Leming, Director of We The People nationally, introduced each school’s team.

Also, three Fishers Fire Department employees were cited for 20 years of service…Rick DeCrastos Jr., Ky Ragsdale  and Maria Rhea .

The photos below show We The People teams from Fall Creek Junior High (3rd Place), Fishers Junior High (1st Place) and Fishers High School (2nd place).

We The People is a competition all about civic knowledge.  Teams prepare a 4-minute presentation, then answer questions from a panel of experts.

There are many publications and organization that point out employers known for being a good place to work, and the Indianapolis Star, in a recent such listing, cited TCC, with an office based in Fishers, as such a workplace.

This is the third year in a row TCC has received this recognition.

“Employee engagement is a top priority as we strive to make TCC a company people want to work with and work for,” said Scott Moorehead, President and CEO of Round Room, TCC’s parent company, in a company news release “I’m so proud of our entire team for this recognition and excited to see how we continue to build upon our unmatched company culture to maintain TCC’s reputation and company ethos as a desired place to work.”

TCC is located in the same location as Round Room, a building that has been a bank call center and an office for Roche in the past, and is visible to motorists traveling along I-69.

The Top Workplaces in Central Indiana list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner, Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of an organization including alignment, execution and connection.

The meaning of words matters, so when the term “microaggression” is used in a student handbook, the meaning of that term does attach importance.

Two assistant principals, Kyle Goodwin of Fishers High School and Zak Tschiniak of HSE High School, reviewed proposed student handbook changes with the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board Tuesday morning.

The board had wrestled in the past with a definition of microaggression.  The proposed high school student handbook language says the following:

Microaggressions can be defined as everyday, subtle, intentional or unintentional interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups. While Hamilton Southeastern High School understands those individuals communicating a microaggression might not intend to express bias, the school recognizes the responsibility to educate students on the reality of bias perceptions. Issues regarding microaggressions may be addressed through restorative conversations led by school administration and/or guidance counselors rather than punitive measures. Habitual occurrences could lead to consequences applicable to inappropriate conduct as defined in Section 28 (another section of the handbook).

When asked how to define habitual, the administrators responded that it would depend on the context of the situation with that particular student.

“I don’t really have a problem with microaggressions,” said board member Brad Boyer.  “I just want to say that…I think it can be divisive.”

There are a number of other proposed changes to the handbook.  Here are a few presented to the board:

–Food delivery services ordered by students would not be allowed entry into the school building.

–An entire section would be added dealing with virtual students.

–Keeping track of students tardiness has created a proposed change in how to handle this.  Instead of tracking tardies per class/period, administrators are proposing a shift to cumulative tardies across all classes.

–Air pods and headphones would not be used unless allowed by a teacher or other school official.  Also, the following passage would be added – “No picture taking or video recording is permitted in locker rooms or restrooms.”

–The student dress code would have the following language, saying students are “expected to maintain an appearance that is appropriate for school and conducive to the
educational atmosphere.”  The proposal would delete the reference to bare midriffs, brimmed hats and hooded clothing as inappropriate.

–The prohibition of photographing or recording other students or school personnel would be extended to school buses.  Added is the following language – “Students may not use
any device to record themselves or other students violating school policies, and students may not disseminate recordings of such content.”

–There are several proposed changes in the athletic eligibility section of the handbook.

These are proposed changes that will come back to the board for action at a regular board session.

You can read the document presented to the board with changes highlighted in yellow at this link. 

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School board fielded a number of comments and questions on new Literacy Resources for grades kindergarten through 6th grade after making the material available to parents and the public.  After considering all the feedback, the board voted 6-1 Tuesday morning approving the recommended resources, with Suzanne Thomas the lone no vote.

The board unanimously passed updated World Language resources, with the Spanish curriculum put on pause for the moment allowing further consideration.  The board is allowing school administrators to move forward with updated resources in the French and German World Language programs only.

Finally, the board accepted a bid of $1.178 million to replace the Riverside tennis courts with a concrete surface.  The concrete bid was a bit higher compared to the asphalt bid ($1.018 million) but the concrete surface has a 10-year warranty compared to the 2-year warranty offered for asphalt.