Fishers Police credit an alert resident with a tip that led to the arrest of a local man on car theft charges.  Under arrest is Roman Menossi, 20, from Fishers.  He faces misdemeanor charges of theft and unauthorized entry into a vehicle.

Police say one resident in the area of the 13900 Block of Wimbleton Way, near 126th Street and Olio Road, alerted authorities of a “suspicious man” near his home at 3:00am Friday.

Police saw a vehicle leaving that area.  “Officers stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver,” according to a police department news release. “During the initial conversation officers observed a handgun and a women’s purse in plain sight. Further investigation revealed the suspect had entered multiple vehicles, in the neighborhood, and stolen property from two of those vehicles. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Hamilton County Jail without incident.”

Authorities were able to return what they described as stolen property to the owners and also say they recovered a handgun in the vehicle.

The police department news release also contained this statement:

“Police would like to thank the resident who immediately reported the suspicious activity as well as remind residents to remove all items of value, especially guns, from unattended vehicles.”

It has been a long time since Americans have seen prices rise this much this fast.  I am old enough to remember some big spikes in inflation during my lifetime.  I am no economist, but those holding advanced degrees in that discipline say we are seeing a number of unprecedented events at one time coming together and resulting in high costs.

Local governments must deal with inflation just as families are forced to adjust.
There are several ways inflation impacts Fishers.

The city must replace City Hall because the building is sinking into the water table underneath and would require so much money to maintain, it makes more fiscal sense to replace it.  The current City Hall will see the wrecking ball later this year.

It will be replaced by what has been labeled an “Arts and Municipal Complex.”  It calls for an arts facility along with space for city offices.

I regularly attend the City Council Finance Committee meetings, and most are fairly routine.  For example, the July session featured a review of routine money-related items for the following City Council meeting and a presentation on how fluctuating interest rates may result in a change of how the city parks its money for investment.

That’s where the routine part of the meeting ended.

There were questions raised about the cost of the Arts & Municipal Complex, and it was revealed there are three rounds of bidding.  The first round is for the steel needed to construct the building –  those bids have been opened and are within budget.  Two more rounds of bidding will happen soon and will provide a better picture of where the project stands.

Then the plans for a new city recreation center were discussed, and city officials said there were problems matching-up what the public says it wants in such a facility and the budget available to pay for it before inflation zoomed up the past few months.  City Council President Todd Zimmerman has been heading-up the group planning the center, and he said no plans will be proposed for the full City Council until all the planning is complete.  Rising costs will obviously have some impact on the Recreation Center.

The city is using some advanced computer programs to monitor fuel usage and Deputy Mayor Elliott Hultgren said that data is being analyzed and all departments are looking for ways to save money on fuel and still fulfill their missions.

Councilor Jocelyn Vare raised the issue of State Road 37 and 141st Street.  That is the last project renovating the traffic flow along 37 in Fishers.  She wanted to know why she and other council members were not informed of the expected rejection of all the bids for that interchange project, when the media has been reporting on this.

I can only speak for myself.  The first time I realized what was happening was during a podcast I had already scheduled with officials from the city engineering department.  Engineering Director Jason Taylor told me during that May 6th podcast recording session that he planned to recommend rejection of all bids for the project and his department would explore where to go from there.

I asked Mayor Scott Fadness following the June City Council meeting what would happen next and he basically said the costs were too high in those bids so the city and county will wait until conditions improve in the construction business.

More recently, I spoke with Fishers Assistant Director of Engineering, Hatem Mekky, and he assured me his staff was not sitting pat waiting for the cost of doing business to go down.  The city staff had been conducting ongoing meetings with many stakeholders searching for ways to get that interchange at 141st Street and SR 37 done, according to Mekky.

Finance Committee Chair John Weingardt said there are so many road and highway projects happening in our local area, that had an impact on the bids submitted for the 141st & SR 37 work.

As Fishers starts the process of formulating a 2023 city budget in the coming weeks, all city officials I have heard comment on this are in agreement – the mayor, his department heads and members of the City Council must factor-in rising prices as next year’s spending plan is put together.

The cost of doing business is a factor to consider.

In a Saturday night social media post, it appeared clear that Michelle Fullhart would not run for another term on the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board.  However, she has since clarified that she will not be a candidate only if someone steps forward she can support.  If no one does step up, Ms. Fullhart tells LarryInFishers she will run for another term.

Michelle has served nearly 8 years on the HSE board.

“I want to ensure a strong pro-equity candidate would be willing to run, and not one pandering to one group of people in our community who believe our schools are terrible and HSE is indoctrinating students,” Fullhart wrote. “I want to move on and get back into the classroom, which is my passion.”

Ms. Fullhart represents District 3.  There are four districts and in this year’s school board election, voters will only vote for the board member within the district boundary.

“I have enjoyed my time on the board, with the exception of during the pandemic, and if you decide to run you will be supported by equity-minded people, and there are lots of us!,” Fullhart wrote.

Below is a map of the district boundaries for the school board election in November.  Board candidates begin filing July 27 through noon on August 27.

Ashley Lansdell is a kindergarten teacher at Fall Creek Elementary, and her family is dealing with a tragedy.  A July 11 traffic accident claimed the life of her husband, Grant, and Ashley is listed in critical condition.  Their daughter, Mia, is safe and staying with family.

Friends of the family have established a Go Fund Me account for Mia, just to allow the family to have one less worry in this difficult time.

You can access the Go Fund Me account at this link.

It appears Fred Glynn will be the Republican candidate in Indiana House District 32.

Ann Marie Shambaugh of Current Publishing posted a story on their Web site Friday saying Glynn’s primary opponent, Suzie Jaworowski, has called Glynn to concede and congratulate him.  Shambaugh reports a recount did not change the results, again showing Glynn with a slim lead.

West portions of Fishers are part of District 32.

Shambaugh reports that the results will not become official until the State Board of Accounts meets to finalize the count.

It’s Friday, it’s the summer season, which means the City of Fishes has a new update on road construction.

The report, as provided by the City of Fishers, is below:

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STATE ROAD 37 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

STATE ROAD 37 AND 146TH STREET
All left-turn lanes are currently restricted on SR 37 and on 146th Street with traffic moved to the interior lanes. Thru traffic and right turns on SR 37 and 146th Street will remain open. Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes for all left turn access. View an alternate route map here.  

On Tuesday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 20 there will be single lane restrictions on SR 37 to put traffic onto the newly constructed SR 37 pavement. Access to 146th Street will still remain the same with no left turns. 

STATE ROAD 37 AND 131ST/135TH STREET
135th Street, east of SR 37, is currently closed as work progresses on the project. This closure will be in place until early July. SR 37 will remain open both northbound and southbound and allow right in/right out access at 131st Street. View the detour map here.

On Wednesday, July 20 and Thursday, July 21 between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. there will be single lane restrictions on SR 37 to mill and resurface the median lane between 126th Street and 131st Street. 

Please drive with caution through this area. To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com.

The inside lane of the Technology Drive is currently closed to traffic to allow for construction of new pavement in the inside lane.  One-way traffic will be in place in the outside lane as shown here.  Access to all businesses will be maintained during the construction.

The intersection at Southeastern Pky. & Cyntheanne Road is currently closed for roundabout construction and is anticipated to reopen by the end of July. View the detour map here.  Schoolhouse 7 Café will remain open for business during construction. View how to access their business here. 

On Monday, July 18, there will be lane restrictions on Commercial Drive, just north of 116th Street, between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. for utility work. 

During the week of July 18, road resurfacing work will be taking place on Cumberland Road between 126th Street and 131st Street. Flaggers will be in place. 

Olio Road between Geist Reservoir and Haven Cove Lane, the first road south of the Geist Reservoir Bridge, may have daily lane restrictions for the reconfiguration and installation of access to Geist Waterfront Park and the Marina. These lane restrictions will occur between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday thru Friday. The estimated completion date is August 1, 2022.  

The outside eastbound lane of 116th Street, just after the Nickel Plate Trail bridge, will be restricted between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. through Friday, July 22 for work on the FIB building. Arrow boards will be in place.

Comcast will have daily lane restrictions in place on westbound 116th Street between Cameron Drive and Allisonville Road and northbound Allisonville Road between 116th Street to the Kroger signal for overhead work. Restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

ADA ramp and curb reconstruction has started taking place in Delaware Point and Overlook at Beaver Ridge as part of the 2022 Resurfacing Project. Homeowners will be notified via door hangers prior to any curb reconstruction near their home. After ADA ramp and curb reconstruction is completed, those areas will be restored with topsoil and seed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to water the seed for the seed to germinate. Prior to road resurfacing, residents will be notified via street signage for street parking restrictions.

The Fishers Health Department released the data in the graphic above Friday, showing the city COVID community level remains low, but hospitalizations are going up locally.

In an update for the City Council’s July 18 meeting, Fishers health officials say reported cases are increasing, likely driven by new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.  Although the city’s COVID level is low, it “may move into Medium category with the increase in cases and admissions. Cases are likely significantly underreported in part due to the availability of at-home tests. We are relying on community members to get vaccinated and boosted, test, isolate and quarantine as appropriate.”

FHD cites the city’s wastewater surveillance as indicating an increasing rate of COVID-19 cases locally.  In the past, if this data shows an increase, rates of COVID tend to increase.

Here is the latest Health Department data on vaccines & testing:

• Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children six months to five years of age were
approved on June 21. 582 vaccines have been administered to this group by FHD as of 7/14/22.

• Current weekly vaccine and testing demand 300 and 250, respectively. Testing is by appointment.

• Estimated vaccination uptake for residents six months and older: 85.1% first dose and 80.5%
fully vaccinated.

The department is offering vaccinations and testing.  For more details, use this link.

Janet Pritchett is set to run for a second term on the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board.  She made the announcement Thursday.

She will run in District 2, which encompasses the district’s southwest area.

Ms. Pritchett has 3 children in the HSE Schools and lists as accomplishments being a PTA member and a Rotarian.   She says she is “dedicated to improving student experiences as well as parental access.”  Fishers has been her home for the past 18 years.

“An emphasis on early childhood education and hands-on learning opportunities will ensure that each child who passes through the Hamilton Southeastern school district will have the means and motivation to become the leaders of tomorrow,” Pritchett says in the statement announcing her candidacy.

She is anticipating a “competitive race” in the upcoming school board election.

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Political Action Committees (PACs) are becoming involved in the upcoming Hamilton Southeastern School Board election this fall.  HSEqual has already announced the formation of a PAC.

This week, another group, Friends of Fishers, announced its first fund raising event.

PAC President Michael Wilson listed the following candidates as having the support of Friends of Fishers:

District 1 – Tiffanie Pascoe

District 2 – Dr. Juanita Albright

District 3 – Dawn Lang

District 4 – Ben Orr

In this round of the local school board balloting, there are four districts, each candidate runs within the district lines.  Only voters living in that district vote on that district’s school board race.

The four listed above have announced their intention to run.  Official filing with the Hamilton County Election Office starts July 27th and ends at noon August 27th.

In an e-mail message to LarryInFishers, Wilson says the PAC supports candidates “committed to academic success.”  He goes on to say the PAC supports board members “who identify the steady decline in academic performance within the district as alarming and who are committed to lead the district back to one that prioritizes academic performance and post-graduation readiness of all students.”  According to Wilson, the PAC favors  “enforcing policies that require transparency and access as part of a partnership.”

Other Friends of Fishers PAC officers are Mark Hamelmann, Treasurer, and Tiffany Ditlevson, Secretary.

The first fund raising event for this PAC is set for August 10th at the Balmoral House, 5:00-7:30pm.  The reception is for contributors.  The keynote speaker is scheduled to be Greg Garrison, Republican candidate for Hamilton County Prosecutor.

The Lacrosse team at Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) High School has a lot to brag about.  The squad won back-to-back state championships and has been a championship contender for many years.

Coach Scott Beesly brought a contingent from his most recent championship team with him to the Wednesday night school board meeting.  He provided a history of the team for board members.  You can view his PowerPoint presentation to the board at this link.

Beesley explained that the team is self-funded, with players paying fees and the organization conducting fund raisers.  The IHSAA does not recognize Lacrosse.