I first met John Wechsler during 2012, early in local Fishers news blogging journey.  He partnered with the then Town Manager Scott Fadness to start a co-working space called Launch Fishers.  It received funding from the Fishers Town Council to start operations in the lower level of the local library (now the Ignite space).

Launch eventually outgrew the library and moved to a building that had been vacated by a private firm on Technology Drive.

Launch Fishers began as a way to provide support to a start-up business not quite ready to lease an office but growing to the point the kitchen table is no long sufficient.  You buy a membership that provides space, a very fast internet connection and, most importantly, a chance to interact with others starting up their own business operations.

Many co-working spaces come and go, but Launch Fishers has just celebrated its 10th anniversary.  Many experts credit the leadership provided by John Wechsler as the reason Launch Fishers succeeds where many others have failed.

John has been involved in more operations than Launch.  He was instrumental in convincing the State of Indiana to locate its Internet of Things (IOT) Lab near Launch Fishers.  The Test Kitchen at the Fishers District was an idea Mr. Wechsler was able to bring to fruition.

I recorded a podcast with Wechsler and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness about three months ago when John announced his intention to move on from running Launch.  You can listen to that podcast at this link.

When Launch Fishers celebrated its 10th anniversary, Mayor Fadness was there to award John Wechsler the Key To The City.

John Wechsler is moving on to a new challenge in the private sector, but has left a leadership team in place to keep Launch Fishers the vibrant place he helped create.  John will continue to serve on the board of director of Launch Fishers, a nonprofit organization.

Congratulations to John Wechsler as he moves on the new adventures, something he always encouraged others to pursue.

If you ae one that keeps track of local posts on social media, you have likely seen a number of comments about a poster in an HSE School District high school classroom about defunding police and Officer Noah Shahnavaz, a policeman that died in the line of duty working for the Elwood Department.

HSE  Schools issued a statement Saturday morning.

“The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of School Trustees deeply regrets the pain that was caused due to a student-made research poster that was displayed in one of our high school classrooms,” the statement reads. “As a district we recognize our responsibility to provide a safe environment for students to learn and we failed to provide that in this case.”

Here is the rest of the statement:

Losing Officer Shahnavaz, a young alumnus of HSE Schools, who not only served his country selflessly, but was protecting others in his job as a police officer, was devastating. HSE has let the Shahnavaz family know how deeply sorry we are to have contributed to more heartache for them. The teacher involved has apologized as well, and is deeply remorseful for causing additional pain to her student and their family.

HSE does not advocate for defunding the police. HSE works closely with the Fishers Police Department with the resource officers that are present in our buildings, the officers who help with traffic at our schools, and the officers who help monitor our community 24/7 to keep our students safe. We are and continue to be tremendously grateful for their service. Our students, staff and community are much safer because of our relationship with our police department.

HSE Schools will use this experience as an example of how we can and must do better in the future to ensure all our students feel safe, accepted, and supported.    

Watch for lane restrictions along the State Road 37 construction zone and on 116th Street in the coming week.  Also be aware of traffic implications of concerts scheduled for the Nickel Plate Amphitheater.

For more details on that, and more, see the latest below, as provided by the City of Fishers:

I had a number of questions when I sat down with Dr. Matt Kegley for this podcast.  As the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools’ Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Kegley & I talked about a number of issues.  Among them were: academic performance, test scores, a possible Hamilton County Career Center and a new grant.

You can listen to the podcast at the link below.

A Fishers firefighter has been placed on administrative leave, and faces preliminary charges, following an alleged incident on the north side of Indianapolis.

You can read the story by reporter Taylor Dixon of Current Publishing at this link.

Fishers police responded to a number of 911 calls in a residential area near 12st Street and Hoosier Road at 12:30 am Friday.  Officers say they found a vacant home that had been struck by bullets in the 10800 block of Roundtree Road.

After searching that home and the surrounding area, police determined no one was injured.  Investigators say those apparently responsible for the shots fired fled in a vehicle but no other details are available at this time.

Fishers Police say there is no known on-going threat to the public.

Fishers authorities are asking anyone that has information about this incident to contact Detective David Finn at 317-595-3341.  Police are also asking homeowners in the area to check any doorbell or exterior video they may have available around 12:30am Friday and contact Fishers Police at 317-773-1282 non-emergency if there are any suspicious persons or vehicles recorded on a video.

The Youth Mentoring Initiative (YMI) has lined up a panel of speakers for its annual fundraising Mayor’s Breakfast September 1st.

The event will feature a panel discussion, moderated by Mayor Scott Fadness, on the role mentorship has played in the successes achieved by our panelists as they were thrust into public roles.  The panel includes:

·       Kelsey Murphy: MasterChef: Legends 2021 winner; Owner of Inspo in the Fishers Test Kitchen

·       Noah Malone: Paralympic sprinter for Team USA; Indiana State University student-athlete and former Hamilton Southeastern High School student-athlete

·       Ronald Nored: Assistant Coach of the Indiana Pacers; Former Butler University point guard, including two Final Four appearances

“On behalf of the entire Board and staff, we are excited to bring together this incredible panel,” remarked YMI Executive Director Brittany Rayburn in a news release. “Each of these individuals have been guided and impacted by mentors along their journeys of accomplishment and now have a desire to give back. We’re looking forward to an inspiring morning with them and Mayor Fadness.”

The breakfast event is 7:00am-8:30 am at Heritage Gardens at the Historic Ambassador House.  The fundraising event directly benefits YMI’s mission to connect Hamilton Southeastern School District students with a volunteer mentor once a week.

If you are looking to buy tickets or provide a sponsorship for the YMI Mayor’s Breakfast, use this link.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer mentor, use this link.

The entrance to Fishers Technology Park is located just off Lantern Road and east of the municipal complex.  That commercial area will see another addition as Fairway Mortgage broke ground Wednesday on a new office building containing the firm’s regional headquarters.

The project, named Techway, also includes a trailhead plaza along the Nickel Plate Trail.

“It is exciting to see the vibrancy and energy of the Nickel Plate District and Nickel Plate Trail impact the gateway to the Fishers Technology Park through this development and substantial art and trail components,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a company news release. “We look forward to welcoming the Fairway Independent Mortgage team to their future home in Fishers as this building comes to fruition.”

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation plans to use the new 15,000 sq. ft., two-story building as a central hub to better serve employees and the customer base . Three central Indiana branches, including Branch 691 which is currently located in Fishers, will be combined in the new building along the Nickel Plate Trail. In addition, the regional headquarters will support the business services of the other nineteen branch locations in Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky.

Announced earlier this year, Techway is a $8.8 million development project located near Technology Drive and Technology Lane. In addition to the new office building, the project also includes the rehabilitation of an existing building, currently home to the Fishers Health Department Clinic, additional parking, and a trailhead plaza. The plaza will include bicycle racks, benches, a water fountain, parking for trail users, and a public art installation.

The Fishers Arts and Culture Commission partnered with Rebar Development earlier this year on a request for proposals for the trailhead sculpture with a budget of $50,000. Indianapolis-based artists, Luke Crawley and Quincy Owens’ concept, Synapse, was selected to move forward and will be installed once the trailhead construction is complete.

“Mayor Fadness and his administration continue to demonstrate their commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and the arts through creative public-private partnerships,” said Shelby Bowen, President of Rebar Development. “We are grateful to the City and the leadership at Fairway Mortgage for trusting us to deliver this important project.”

The Techway project is scheduled for completion in June of 2023.

Brad Boyer filed his paperwork Wednesday to run for a second term on the Hamilton Southeastern School Board. Boyer joins two other candidates, Jackie Howell and Tiffany Pascoe, in seeking the District 1 school board seat.

Here is the rundown of candidates filing for the local school board as of close of business, Wednesday, August 17th:

District 1

Brad Boyer

Jackie Howell

Tiffany Pascoe

District 2

Juanita Albright

Janet Pritchett

District 3

Dawn Lang

District 4

Julie Chambers

Ben Orr

Candidates may file for the school board election up to the deadline, August 26 at noon.

In this round of school board balloting, voters only choose the candidate within the district where the voter resides.  You can access the district maps at this link using the Current District Lines link on the right side of the page.

Jackie Howell filed her paperwork to run for Hamilton Southeastern School Board Tuesday.  She will be a candidate in District 1.

Ms. Howell’s news release announcing her candidacy says she is a licensed mental health counselor with 20 years experience serving kids and adults, including public schools and federally funded grant programs for youth. “My mental health background allows me to conceptualize the whole student, which is necessary for successful education,” says Howell.

She has 2 children that are students in the district.  Ms Howell has been involved in Junior League, CASA, Coach for Mudsocks Cheerleading and am a parishioner at Holy Spirit at Geist.

“I chose to run to serve our students and staff, many who need an advocate and positive voice,” she says in her announcement release.

District 1 contains Wayne Township and some areas to the south and west.  In this election cycle, voters cast ballots only for the candidates running within the district in which they live.

The filing deadline is noon August 26.