Monthly Archives: August 2022

Mixed use development planned for 116th Street near Nickel Plate Trail

Artist rendering of planned mixed-use development

Alboher Development Company, Inc. and Birkla Investment Group, LLC announced Friday their proposal to build a five-story, mixed-use building at 8603 E. 116th Street, located at the intersection of Municipal Drive and 116th Street near the newly opened downtown hub of the Fishers Nickel Plate Trail. The REV development will feature 36 for-sale condominiums, a parking garage, and 23,000 square feet of commercial and office space. The condos, ranging from $600,000 to $1,000,000, will be the first of their kind as Fishers’ first for-sale condominiums. “The REV development provides us with a unique opportunity to diversify the housing market in Fishers,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “These condos will offer residents all the benefits of downtown living, but also an opportunity to build equity during a time when real estate options are limited. Combined with its emphasis on sustainability and the additional retail opportunities it will provide our community, the REV building is the perfect addition to our downtown cultural district.” The $35 million investment is the first new development announcement along the Nickel Plate Trail since the downtown portion opened in May, and the first condominium project along the trail. “We are excited to expand the REV brand into Fishers,” said Tony Birkla, owner of Birkla Investment Group. “REV at Proscenium sold out quickly, as buyers immediately saw value in the home quality, amenities and lifestyle. REV Fishers will continue our precedent for all-inclusive luxury community living with quality construction that exceeds expectations.”

This downtown district was designated as a Statewide Cultural District in 2018 by the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC).  “Having owned this property since 1986, I have seen dramatic changes to Fishers,” said Mike Alboher, President of Alboher Development.  “Having sorted through countless proposals on this property, I was not swayed until Steve Hardin introduced me and my daughter, Paige Pettenaro, to Tony Birkla and his team. We were so impressed with his team’s vision for our site, things progressed quickly. Mayor Fadness and Megan Baumgartner shared our enthusiasm and worked tirelessly to make this happen. We believe this development perfectly fits the advancing evolution of our downtown area, filling both housing and retail needs.”Fishers City Council will vote on the project agreement approving incentives at the August 15 council meeting at Launch Fishers.

Julie Chambers has filed for re-election in HSE School Board District 4

The current Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board President Julie Chambers officially filed her paperwork with the Hamilton County Election office Thursday, seeking a second term on the board.  Ms. Chambers had previously announced her intention to seek another term.

So far, the only other candidate to file in District 4 is Ben Orr.  Those wishing to run for HSE School Board have until noon, Friday, August 26 to file their candidacy papers.

In this year’s school board election, voters only cast a ballot for those running within their district boundaries.  District 4 is located in Fall Creek Township, the southeast corner of the HSE District.

Registration is open for this year’s Fishers Police Dept. Cadet Program

The Fishers Police Department has opened registration for the Police Cadet Program.  All Fishers area teenagers ages 14 through 19 are eligible.

Registration is done electronically and is a two-step process.  The first step collects basic information for the background check.  After the background portion is complete, a link will be sent to complete the second step.  Registration is open now through September 2, 2022.

Register at this link 

The Fishers Police describe the purpose of the Police Cadet Program as providing youth with information about a law enforcement career through hands-on experiences, tours, guest speakers, and discussions.  The Fishers Police Cadets meet two Tuesdays each month during the school year with additional volunteer and ride along opportunities throughout the year.

 The first meeting for FPD Cadets will be held on Tuesday, September 13 from 5:30 until 8:00 p.m. at the Fishers Police Department located at 4 Municipal Drive, Fishers, IN 46038.

For questions regarding the Cadet Program or registration, visit the Fishers Police website at this link

If you have questions, you can also  email Allison Nicholson at nicholsona@fishers.in.us

 

First day of school for HSE students

Social media can get one one’s nerves these days, but I always enjoy seeing posts of photos showing students heading out for the first day of classes.

Wednesday was the first day for students to report in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District.  District spokesperson Emily Abbotts says it was a smooth first day of school locally.

There were a few school bus delays, which one would expect in a district as large as HSE.

Getting through the first day of class is always special and it is good to know all went well for HSE students as the 2022-2023 school year begins.  And it was special to see all those students with smiling faces in the social media pics.  I would suspect some parents were off-camera, smiling as well.

Fishers One cites challenge with test scores, HSE Schools cite high-performance

The local organization Fishers One has issued a challenge to the local school board, citing iLearn test score data, but HSE School officials paint a different picture of the iLearn results.

Fishers One says it wants the local school board to “reprioritize its agenda and take
practical steps toward improving academic performance across all HSE Schools.”

The group cites the following iLearn data:

• More than 50% of HSE 8th graders are below an 8th grade proficiency in Math
• Nearly 40% of HSE 8th graders are below an 8th grade proficiency in English/
Language Arts.

“We are calling on the HSE School Board to take meaningful steps toward
academic improvement in this new school year and to prioritize learning
recovery for all students above everything else,” says Fishers One.

The local school district has a different view.

“As one of the largest school districts in the state, Hamilton Southeastern Schools ranks as one of the highest-performing public schools, according to the most recent ILEARN proficiency assessment results,” HSE Schools say in a statement to LarryInFishers.

The district says Math and English Language Art increased 5% from the previous year.  School officials also point to “notable growth in all student subgroups, and we are trending in the right direction.”

Superintendent Yvonne Stokes mentioned some of this data while speaking to teachers Tuesday morning in the annual day-before-school-starts event.

“Our teachers and staff work diligently every day to prepare our more than 21,000 students to meet and exceed the standards associated with high academic achievement and becoming a productive member of society,” the HSE statement says.  “While there is always room for improvement, any association of letter grades with proficiency percentages is an inaccurate representation of the assessment.”

 

HyVee Grocery coming to 136th & Olio in Fishers

 

Rumors have been rampant about a possible grocery store in the northeast section of Fishers.  Residents in that growing area have been clamoring for it and it appears the HyVee grocery chain will be coming to Fishers.

City Councilman David Giffel’s social media post Tuesday morning said technical specification were being reviewed for a new HyVee location at 136th Street and Olio Road.  City officials confirmed this to LarryInFishers Tuesday afternoon.

“With the tremendous growth in northeast Fishers, HyVee is a welcome addition to our community,” says Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a statement to LarryInFishers.  “Residents have been asking for a grocery option in this area and I hope this helps to answer that demand.”

HyVee is headquartered in the Des Moines, Iowa area.  Current CEO Randy Edeker has named Aaron Wiese as Hy-Vee’s next CEO, effective Oct. 1.

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Fishers Police have had a busy few days

Fishers Police just released information on shots fired on one neighborhood, and now have information on two situations in recent days – an arrest for pointing a gun at people driving cars and a serious traffic accident.

Sunday afternoon, police responded to the area of 116th Street and Allisonville Road on reports of someone pointing a gun at motorists.  At the same time, Fishers Fire crews responded to 7100 block of Merganser Drive, investigating a large amount of water coming from an apartment.  As emergency crews approached the apartment, they observed suspicious packages and a chemical odor. Officers evacuated residents from the apartment building and established a perimeter. During the investigation, officers learned the man suspected of pointing a handgun was the resident of the apartment under investigation. A short time later, police located the suspect and identified him as Darrell Ryan Scott, 39, from Fishers.  He is charged with resisting law enforcement, a misdemeanor, and                pointing a firearm, a felony. He was taken to the Hamilton County Jail.

The next incident was reported at 1:00am Saturday at 126th Street and Promise Road.  Emergency responders found a serious 2-vehicle crash and transported 4 people to area hospitals.

Fishers Police investigators say that it appears the Chevrolet Trax was traveling eastbound on 126th Street when it traveled left of center striking the Chevrolet Cruz. This crash remains under investigation.

Transported to the hospital  were Joshua Wise, 29…and Nicholas May, 35, both from Fishers.  Two 16-year-olds rom Greenwood were also sent to local hospitals as a result of the crash.

 

Somber beginning, energetic ending to HSE Schools “Back to School” gathering

HSE staff members observe a moment of silence

It is an annual ritual at Hamilton Southeaster (HSE) Schools for the staff to gather the day before a new school year begins.  That happened Tuesday this year at Fishers High School.

The morning session began solemnly with a moment of silence in honor of those that died as part of the HSE family, the latest being Fishers High School grad, Officer Noah Shahnavaz, who lost his life in the line of duty serving the Elwood Police Department.

But the remainder of the event was spent welcoming the staff as the district prepares for students to arrive in classrooms August 3rd.  There was music, examples of what students have done, and singing.  Then, there was dancing, ending with a dance contest as the morning gathering ended.

Teachers were reminded of the challenges ahead, but also told that working together benefits everyone.

One more reminder – school zone speed limits return August 3rd.  Slow down and observe the speed limits in school zones.

Supt. Yvonne Stokes served as MC
HSE Education Assoc. President Abby Taylor welcomed teachers back for another school year
The event wrapped up with a dance contest

Reports of shots fired in Fishers neighborhood, no injuries

Social media around Fishers has been abuzz about a shooting incident in a local neighborhood Monday night.  Tuesday morning, Fishers Police confirmed the incident.  No one was injured

The report came in at 11:13pm with a number of 911 calls received about shots fired.  Police say a home and vehicle in the 10900 block of Veon Drive (near 131st Street and Promise Road) had bullet damage.  A bullet also damaged a nearby home.

A news release from Fishers Police says they believe the suspects fled the scene in their own vehicle.  So far, no description of the suspect vehicle is available. Police add that there is no known on-going threat to the public. 

 

Authorities are asking anyone with information related to this investigation to contact Detective Sergeant Robbie Ruble at 317-595-3319. Fishers Police are also requesting homeowners in the area check any doorbell or exterior video they may have available in the time frame and contact Fishers Police at 317-773-1282 non-emergency if there are any suspicious persons or vehicles.

Officer Noah Shahnavaz had local Fishers connections

Noah Shahnavaz

When a police officer dies in the line of duty it is a painful event for everyone in the area the officer served.  In the case of Noah Shahnavaz, he served the Elwood Police Department but had a number of ties to the Fishers community.

Many local people have commented on the tragic death of Officer Shahnavaz, but I will share the statement issued Monday afternoon by the Hamilton Southeastern  Schools:

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Our school community has experienced tremendous loss this year. We are deeply saddened by the death of Elwood police officer Noah Shahnavaz, a 2016 graduate of Fishers High School.

While a student at Fishers, Noah was involved in marching band, drumline and wrestling. He is remembered for his friendly, easy-going and caring personality and was said to have always gone out of his way to make others feel appreciated. During his time at FHS, Noah expressed an interest in law enforcement, enrolling in a specialized class his senior year.

“His dream was to serve others and we are proud of what he accomplished in such a short time, both in the military and with Elwood Police,” says Fishers High School Principal Jason Urban.

“The entire FHS Tiger family grieves this tragic loss of such a promising young man full of talent and potential.”

Immediately following his graduation from Fishers High School, Noah entered the U.S. Army, attaining his Air Assault badge and the rank of Sergeant during his five-year term. He then joined the Elwood Police Department in August 2021 after successful completion of training from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.

“Noah’s passing is a reminder of the dangers our brave men and women willingly face every day to keep us safe,” said Superintendent Dr. Yvonne Stokes. “We ask that everyone please
continue to keep Officer Shahnavaz’s loved ones, friends, colleagues and the entire Elwood
Police Department in your hearts.”

Noah is survived by two siblings and his parents. His mother is currently an elementary teacher for HSE Schools.

A moment of silence will be held at the all-staff convocation on Tuesday in remembrance of
HSE students, staff and family members we have lost this year