After covering news in Fishers for nearly 12 years, I know once an area of the city reaches a certain level of development the residents begin to ask the question – when will the city build a fire station in our area?  That question was often asked as the northeast part of the city began to develop.

After many years of planning, Station 397 on 136th Street opened in February, and Wednesday the official opening was celebrated.

One feature of this new facility is a baby box, designed for mothers that wish to anonymously give up their babies.  The baby box facility allows for safe care of the child by firefighters on duty at the time.

Above is a short video with Fishers Fire Department Captain John Mehling about the new station and the baby box, a first for Fishers.

Below, a photo of the baby box from the inside.

What has been a vacant plot of land along Cumberland Road in Fishers, just south of 141st Street, will soon become the Cumberland Cottages housing development.  Ground will be broken on the project June 15.

HAND Incorporated is a nonprofit housing organization based in Noblesville with housing developments all around the area.  Cumberland Cottages will be HAND’s first Fishers endeavor.

HAND Executive Director Andrea Davis says of the 11 rental units to be constructed, 5 will be at market rate and 6 will have rents based on the tenant’s income.  Plans call for building four two-bedroom units and seven three-bedroom units in what’s known as a cottage court layout, clustered around shared green space.

Davis projects the construction will be completed in 10 months.

In August of 2021, HAND announced the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority’s Board of Directors voted to award HAND a $1.5 million grant from its HOME Investment Partnerships program and a $500,000 loan from its Development Fund supporting the Cumberland Cottages development.

In February of 2021, the Fishers City Council approved a zoning variance for Cumberland Cottages in a 5-4 vote.

(NOTE:  Earlier versions of this story gave the ground breaking as June 12…the correct date is June 15)

The sun shone brightly, with just a breeze in the air that occasionally shuffled papers.  The birds were singing as a sign that summer is here.  The setting was the Fishers Nickel Plate Amphitheater and the ceremony honored America’s war dead on this Memorial Day, 2023.

Mayor Scott Fadness remarked the Town of Fishers 15 years ago was fortunate to have 10-15 people on hand for a Memorial Day event.  In 2023, the crowd was large.

Retired Army Lieutenant General Thomas M Montgomery was the guest speaker.  He served in Europe with NATO and spent time in Belgium.  He noted the cemeteries located there going back as for as World War I as a resting place for American and European troops giving their lives on the battle field.  He talked about the daughter of one American in that cemetery and how she realized having her father buried in a far-away place wasn’t what she imagined because those living in Belgium today continue to honor the war dead, American and local soldiers.  He also talked about his service in Vietnam and what it was like returning home from that conflict.

Mayor Scott Fadness praised members of the Fishers Armed Service Commission, a body created in recent years to plan events such as Memorial Day in Fishers.

Chairman of the Commission, retired Navy Commander El Ahlwardt, also served as Master of Ceremonies for this Memorial Day in Fishers, as he has done so often and so skillfully.

Many items on the ceremonial agenda have become part of the Memorial Day tradition in Fishers, including the POW-MIA Remembrance, Presentation of Colors by the Fishers Police Department Honor Guard, benediction and the playing of taps.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools Superintendent sang the national anthem.

Here are some photos from the 2023 Fishers Memorial Day observance:

Continue reading Fishers Memorial Day 2023 →

Political campaigns traditionally start around Labor Day, but Fishers City Council candidate Samantha Chapman is wasting no time touting an endorsement from a national organization.

“Run for Something” has issued an endorsement for Democrat Chapman.  “Run for Something” describes itself as a progressive group supporting young people running for local office.  It was founded in 2017 by Amanda Litman, a staff member of Hilary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and Ross Morales Rocketto, a person involved in a number of past political campaigns.

“I am honored to receive this endorsement from Run for Something,” said candidate Chapman in a campaign news release.

Chapman faces incumbent Republican Councilor Brad DeReamer in the Northeast District November general election.

The Fishers Farmers Market started this year in May.  I had been hearing about the large crowds at this year’s Saturday morning markets, so I decided to check it out myself.  Everything I heard was true.

There has been a little luck involved with perfect weather so far.  But it is also clear there is plenty of interest in the market as well.

It was no surprise that there were plenty of vehicles on Municipal Drive searching for parking (there is plenty but it takes a while with so many people there).  What was a surprise was the pedestrian backups with so many people there.  I have never seen so many dogs and children to go along with the adults.

If the weather continues to smile on the Fishers Farmers Market, the only challenge for the many vendors will be keeping enough product for the number of shoppers on hand.

The Fishers Farmers Market is Saturday mornings, 8am-12noon, at the Amphitheater, through September.

I must be honest, covering local schools can be the best of times and there are situations where it is the worst of times.  One of the best times is attending the end-of-the-school-year celebrations where Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) District teachers and administrators gather to celebrate the end of another school year and prepare for the summer break.

One important announcement at this event each year is the naming the the HSE Schools Teacher of the Year.  For the 2023-2024 school year, that teacher will be Johanna Kitchel, orchestra teacher at Riverside Intermediate & Junior High.

There were two other finalists for Teacher of Year – Heather Skaggs, Fourth Grade teacher at Brooks School Elementary….and Erin Ingwersen, Math Teacher at Fishers High School.

Many awards were handed out.  Superintendent Yvonne Stokes conducted an exercise giving teachers a chance to breath in and then out, in an effort to leave the stress of the past school year behind.

There were a number of retirements among HSE teachers, listed below.

All the teaching staff left HSE High School with smiles on their faces, anticipating the summer vacation.

It will be another active week of road construction in & around Fishers.

For the latest on construction, and other local matters, here is the update, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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STATE ROAD 37 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com. 

STATE ROAD 37 AND 141ST STREET
A pre-construction phase at SR 37 & 141st Street is currently in place. During this phase, 141st Street will be a Right-In-Right-Out (RIRO) traffic configuration. 
This is not the permanent configuration. This will allow for traffic to flow more freely along SR 37 until the next phases of construction can be activated. This will eliminate backups along SR 37 that have caused dangerous stops to the free flow traffic and backups on the 146th Street interchange. Again, this is not the permanent configuration for 141st Street. The full timeline for the 141st Street interchange will be provided after project bids are accepted in the Summer of 2023. View detour routes here.

To learn more about the Clear Path Improvement Project and sign up to receive text and email updates, visit clearpath465.com 

I-465 & I-69
Drivers will see an increase in construction along the I-69 corridor in the coming months. This work will focus on reconfiguring the interchange at I-465 and I-69. New ramps will provide direct movements from eastbound I-465 and northbound I-465 to northbound I-69. Binford Blvd. will also be reconstructed to separate local traffic from traffic entering and exiting I-69 and I-465. Access to I-69 from Binford Blvd. will remain open. Drivers can expect to see significant activity on I-69 at the 82nd Street interchange.

The ramp from I-69 North to 82nd Street and the ramp from 82nd Street to I-69 North is currently closed through late 2023. For detour routes and additional project information, visit clearpath465.com 

To learn more about the Nickel Plate Trail, view the Capital Project Dashboard here.

NICKEL PLATE TRAIL
The City of Fishers is working on the completion of the Fishers portion of the Nickel Plate Trail. The remaining paving work from 96th Street to 106th Street is underway, and construction crews are currently working to clear and prep the area for paving. In the coming weeks, construction crews will begin the paving process.

Beginning on or after Monday, June 5, Hague Road will be closed at the NPT crossing for construction of the speed table and is anticipated to reopen by Monday, June 12. The detour shall use Crosspoint Blvd. to 106th Street. View detour route here.

Beginning on Wednesday, May 31, daily lane restrictions will be in place on 116th Street between Commercial Dr. and Inspiration Dr. as well as Exit Five and Ikea Way for storm sewer BMP work through Monday, June 5. 

There are daily lane closures currently on Cumberland Road, just south of 126th Street for sanitary and water line work. The northbound right turn lane and the southbound passing blister will be closed.

Phase 1 construction for the grade separation intersection improvement is currently taking place at 146th Street and Allisonville Road. One through lane and one left turn lane in all directions will be closed through the intersection.

Beginning on or after Tuesday, May 30, Lynn Avenue (south of 146th Street, east of Allisonville Road) will be closed to all thru traffic for utility relocation work. These daytime closures will last through Friday, June 2, from the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to these closures, the worksite speed limit will be 35 mph. Please exercise caution while driving through this construction zone.

For additional project information, visit Hamilton County website here. 

Indiana State Police responded to serious crash in the southbound lanes of I-69 just north of 96th Street, before 4pm Thursday.

Troopers were responding to a report that a motorcycle had hit the back of a truck and the occupants were lying in the roadway. When first responders arrived they found two adults severely injured, one of them was unconscious. The two victims were transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

Here is how State Police described what happened:

“Preliminary investigation at the scene determined a white pick-up truck had slowed to a stop due to stopping traffic, a motorcycle crashed into the back of the pick-up truck ejecting both occupants off the motorcycle onto the roadway, they were wearing helmets. The driver of the pick-up truck was not injured.”

The crash caused several lanes of I-69 to be closed for approximately three hours while the crash was investigated. The circumstances of this crash are under investigation

I had not been able to attend a Hamilton East Public Library (HEPL) board meeting in several months, so Thursday night I decided to check out what was happening by attending the session at the HEPL Library in Fishers.  (The Noblesville Library is also part of the HEPL system)

The board considered a number of fairly routine matters, including a presentation on how the library is funded and the budget process.

It appeared the meeting was nearing an uneventful end when board member Ray Maddalone said the progress on reviewing books for content was “pretty disappointing.”  Seven part-time people have been working ten hours per week reviewing books for adherence to the content instructions from the board, as to whether the books should be moved from the teen area to the adult collection.

Maddalone asked if these part-time employees were taking books home to read and review.  Library Director Edra Waterman said yes, but these workers are not leisurely reading books as one might due for pleasure.  According to Watermnan, these employees are filling out forms as they review the books.

Library staff said this is a new process and everyone is doing their best to set expectations.

“I’m a Board of Trustees member, I set policy and objectives,” said Maddalone. “I don’t do the operational mechanization of the process.  That’s up to our manager, and if our manager is not up to do that, then we’ll find someone else.”

That comment drew a negative reaction from the crowd.  At least one audience member was escorted out of the meeting room by police, others left the room on their own.

Board member Tiffanie Ditlevson indicated she was not concerned about the pace of the book reviews because HEPL is probably the only library system in Indiana, perhaps the nation, undergoing this process.

Waterman did say some new software, soon to be implemented, may help quicken the review pace to some extent.

No action was taken on this issue, but there was plenty of discussion.

The Hamilton County Highway Department has issued this update related to the construction project at 146th Street and Allisonville Road:

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Please be advised, beginning on or after Tuesday, May 30, Lynn Avenue (south of 146^th Street, east of Allisonville Road) will be closed to all thru traffic for utility relocation work. These daytime closures will last through Friday, June 2, from the hours of 9am – 4pm.

Local traffic is asked to use Sowers Drive to enter and exit the Willow Crest subdivision throughout these closures.