When City Councilor David Giffel recently raised the issue of rising trash removal costs, he asked why Fishers does not have a contract with one trash firm to save residents money.  The Town of Fishers investigated this 10 years ago, took bids and had a low bidder.

However, at that time, local residents were loud and clear that they did not want the Town of Fishers to take over the trash removal system, even under a contract with a private company.  Basically, residents told the Town Council they don’t want government intervening in how their trash was collected.

Let’s just say things are different now.  With Waste Management’s purchase of Ray’s, as I understand it, there are only two trash removal operations offering service in Fishers…Waste Management and Republic.

After recording podcast interviews with all but one City Council candidate, Mike Fassold asked the question of what the candidates were hearing in their door-to-door campaigning.  A number of them said the cost of trash removal and the quality of service were a subject with residents before Councilor Giffel publicly asked about this.

It should be noted that two current City Council members, Pete Peterson and John Weingardt, were on the Town Council when the trash issue was investigated 10 years ago.  Current Mayor Scott Fadness was the Town Manager.

Only one councilor has gone on the record to oppose a city contract with one trash firm…Brad DeReamer.

The next step is for the mayor to have a work session with the Council explaining steps that must be taken to just begin the process of accepting bids on a city-wide trash collection contract.  Will the rising cost of trash collection result in a different public reaction this time around?  We will soon find out.

I recently wrote about a new nonprofit news operation being organized named Mirror Indy.  I cited a piece posted on the local Indy Axios operation by former IndyStar columnist James Briggs about the number of Star writers and editors jumping ship to Mirror Indy.

Since I wrote that piece, Ryan Martin, a former Star reporter that won a Pulitzer Prize for an investigation that examined K-9 units and the damage inflicted by police dogs, left the Star for news startup State Affairs.  Martin recently announced on social media he, too, will be joining Mirror Indy.

One of my readers posted a question when it was revealed the news nonprofit has $10 million.  Just who are the donors?

An Indianapolis Star story from February of this year listed a few of the major donors:

• Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
• Myrta Pulliam
• Herbert Simon Family Foundation
• Lumina Foundation
• The Robert R. and Gayle T. Meyer Family Fund
• Joyce Foundation
• Indianapolis Foundation, an affiliate of the Central Indiana Community Foundation

There are more details about the nonprofit’s donors on their Web site at this link.

The nonprofit’s board of directors includes some prominent local names, such as Publisher of the Indianapolis Recorder Carolene Mays…former Gannett executive Karen Ferguson Fuson…Mark Miles of the Penske Corporation and Myrta Pulliam, part of the family that sold the Star to Gannett in 2000.

One last thought.  The IndyStar is supposed to have a partnership agreement with Mirror Indy.  I would love to be a fly on the wall when the two entities have their first meeting, after Mirror Indy has raided the Star’s journalists.

The Indiana State Police, in collaboration with the Fishers Police Department, have launched an investigation into a reported incident of sexual assault involving a minor. The incident took place on September 25th, on a trail located in the vicinity of 113th Street and Florida Road in Fishers. The case was only recently reported to the Indiana State Police, prompting an immediate criminal investigation in an effort to identify the suspect.

Local law enforcement agencies are now seeking the public’s assistance in this ongoing investigation. Anyone with information, including doorbell video footage or any relevant details about the incident, is strongly encouraged to contact the Indiana State Police at (317) 899-8577.

As of now, this remains an active investigation, and law enforcement is not able to release any further information at this time.

The Fishers road construction update is a bit shorter this week as we get deeper into the fall season.  Notice there is important information about what the Hamilton County Highway Department is planning for 146th Street at Allisonville Road October 25th, in this week’s report.

Below is the full report, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers road construction update – work week starting Monday, October 23 →

If you have ever considered signing-up for the Fishers City Government Academy, just contact anyone that has been through the program.  That should convince you to register.  My experience has been that everyone that finished the Academy came away with a much better understanding of Fishers City Government, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Fishers has just opened up the enrollment period for the next Academy class.  Registration is easy, just use this link.

For more on the Academy, check a video at this link.

I am old enough to remember the Indianapolis Times, a newspaper that folded in the mid-1960s.  That was the last time there was genuine newspaper competition in Indianapolis.  The remaining newspapers, the Star and the News, were both owned by the Pulliam family.

The News, the evening paper, ceased publication in 1999.  That left the Star as the only daily newspaper in Indianapolis.  In the year 2000, Gannett bought all the Pulliam newspapers, including the Star.

The Star remains the largest daily newspaper in Indiana.  However, new journalistic enterprises have come onto the scene recently.  The Indiana Capitol Chronicle, Axios and State Affairs are all into local news scene.

Another new player is coming, a nonprofit called Free Press Indiana,and has hired some top editors at the Star.  Once that newsroom is hired, one wonders how many more Star journalists will jump ship and head to Free Press Indiana.

James Briggs, former columnist for the Star, has a well-written piece about all this on Axios, at this link.

I have maintained the most important elections are local elections, and you cannot get more local than a city election.  A nonprofit organization is working to provide easy access to your ballot.

The Indiana Citizen Education Foundation (ICEF) has secured funding with the aim of informing voters about the upcoming municipal election.  Funding comes from the Indy Chamber and the Herbert Simon Family Foundation.

“We are very grateful for the support from these two respected, civic-minded organizations that will help us provide voters with a depth and breadth of candidate information they can use to make informed decisions on election day,” said Bill Moreau, ICEF’s president.

The Indy Chamber will actively promote the voter guide to its 6,500 business members through several communications channels. The Herbert Simon Family Foundation has authorized part of a generous racial justice grant to publicize the voter guide to communities of color throughout Central Indiana.

The virtual ballot available online includes a candidate’s biographical information, social media posts, contact information, an incumbent’s key votes, news coverage, campaign finance reports and positions on key issues. In addition to the virtual ballot, the website allows voters to confirm their registration and review stories on key political issues by Indiana Citizen journalists.

You can input your address and see your city ballot at this link.

A 501(c)(3) public charity, ICEF operates The Indiana Citizen as a nonpartisan, non-profit
platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed, engaged Hoosier citizens.

Yes, I know, it’s not even Halloween yet, why talk about the upcoming holiday season?

It is never too early for holiday gift-planning, and the Hamilton East Libraries in Noblesville and Fishers have some interesting gift ideas.

How about converting old VHS video tapes to DVD or digital devices?  You can do that in a digital lab.

For the local history buff, the library recommends two books on Hamilton County history.

Those are just two examples from a long list of suggestions from local librarians.

To see the entire list of HEPL holiday gift suggestions, use this link.

The border between Fishers and the city of Indianapolis runs along 96th Street – the south side of the street is Indy, the north side is Fishers.  In his 2024 budget proposal to the Fishers City Council, Mayor Fadness proposed a $3 million “vibrancy” program for the area of 96th Street.

Tuesday afternoon, the mayor announced a $3.7 million in infrastructure upgrades along the Fishers side of the 96th Street corridor.  City officials say the funds will go toward additional streetlights, median and landscape construction along North by Northwest Boulevard, and facade improvement grants for commercial properties along the north side of 96th Street.

“My vision is to continue to bring vibrancy to every square mile of Fishers and as a major gateway to our city, the 96^th Street corridor will get the reinvestment it deserves,” said Fadness in a city news release. “There is so much momentum along 96^th Street with private and public investment creating a dynamic commercial center that prioritizes safety, walkability, and aesthetics.”

The city points to a a number of other projects along this stretch of road, including CRG Residential’s $135 million River Place mixed-use development at the northwest corner of Allisonville Road; Patch Development’s $27 million flex office building at Masters Road; Andretti Global’s $200 million headquarters and museum at Hague Road. Public investments include the City’s acquisition of nearly 100 acres of parkland along the White River and the completion of the Nickel Plate Trail to 96^th Street with a pedestrian bridge planned for 2025 to the Indianapolis segment of the trail.

Fishers plans to invite residents to a town hall in November, but no date or location has yet been announced.

You may noticed vehicle traffic a bit reduced and commercial establishments a bit less crowded this week.  It is Fall Break for Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

Not all families in the school district travel during this time, but many do.

So, to all the students, teachers and other school district employees, enjoy your week off.  You deserve it!