We may still be in the midst of February and the winter season, but now is the time to start thinking about summer jobs.  The City of Fishers is gearing-up to hire 100 people for various positions during the summer months of 2024.

Here are the jobs, as provided by the city:

• Summer Camp Counselors: Join the team of Fishers Parks staff this summer to provide an exciting and safe environment for youth and preschool campers by leading games, songs, crafts, and other activities. First Aid/CPR Certification will be offered as a part of the training process. Experienced candidates ages 18 and older will be considered for Head Counselor positions.

• Lifeguards: Spend your summer at the beach at Fishers’ Geist Waterfront Park. Lifeguards are responsible for everyday operational tasks and provide an exciting, fun and safe environment for park guests. Responsibilities include responding to emergencies, helping to keep the park clean, and staying up to date on trainings and certifications. Lifeguard Certification Training will be provided if candidates are not already certified.

• Seasonal DPW Laborer: Join the Fishers Department of Public Works’ (DPW) seasonal team to assist with spring and summer grounds and street maintenance. These positions perform general labor supplementing the non-seasonal workforce to ensure city streets, right-of-ways, park grounds and facilities are maintained. DPW maintains 1,300 acres of parks and school grounds that include over 60 baseball/softball fields, more than 60 athletic fields, and over 500 acres of common area. From concerts to 5K races, DPW staff is on the scene to provide setup and support.

Apply today at this link.

Teachers’ union leaders from 6 area school districts, including the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association President Abby Taylor, are calling on Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita to “take down the ‘Eyes on Education’ portal immediately.”

Rokita claims Eyes on Education aims to stop “objectionable curricula, policies, or programs affecting children.”  It features a submission form where people can report school material that they believe violates Indiana law.

Union leaders from HSE, Noblesville, Westfield, Hamilton Heights, Mount Vernon and Frankfort all signed the letter.  They argue the portal is filled with posts that have no verification or context.  They also say the portal is a violation of teachers’ right to privacy.

The letter calls on Governor Eric Holcomb and the General Assembly to “denounce this attack on public education.”

Below is the full text of the letter, posted on social media Sunday.

I began covering Fishers as a town, starting this local news blog in 2012, when Scott Fadness was the Town Manager.  That means I am in my 13th year of covering Fadness as either Town Manager or Mayor of Fishers.

One theme I have heard consistently from him during this time is that Central Indiana, as a region, needs to be a place people and businesses want to locate in order for Fishers to thrive.  Let’s just say Fishers has thrived, but efforts to gather a regional effort have been subjected to stops and starts in the past.

When COVID reared its ugly head, that had people thinking in ways unlike what had been seen before.  Scott Fadness has been pushing the idea of bringing cities, towns and major players outside government to come together and work toward developing our region, and COVID helped jump-start this idea.

A major step in that direction was taken by the General Assembly in the creation of the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority (CIRDA).  In the February 9 edition of the Indianapolis Business Journal, Fadness, now chair of the the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority board, has written an Op-Ed piece extolling the accomplishments of CIRDA.

Fadness has always said that putting Central Indiana’s best foot forward is important, but hasn’t shied away from what needs to be done better.

“Our time to put our foot on the gas pedal is now, as our region has fallen behind others,” Fadness writes in his Op-Ed piece. “Through our collective work, we must move more quickly and boldly than ever before, and most important, we must convince the residents we serve that this region deserves and is capable of aspirations.”

Experts in economic development say that a business looking to locate will first look at the region, then select a specific city or area.  Central Indiana must be an attractive region for Fishers to continue its growth, both in population and in economic development.

You can read the Op-Ed at this link. (NOTE:  You may need an IBJ subscription to access this story)

Traders Point Christian Church in Fishers received a favorable recommendation from the Fishers Plan Commission to rezone property on their location at 12648 E 116th Street, near Brooks School Road.  The church owns adjacent land for expansion of the building and parking lot, but must rezone that parcel of land to move forward.

Neighbors raised concerns about loud music during the services that they say can be heard in their homes.  Church officials say the addition to the building will address that issue.

City Councilor Selina Stoller asked that the matter be tabled,  allowing more time to deal with the sound issue, but the Commission voted 6-1 approving the favorable rezone recommendation to the City Council.  Stoller was the lone Commission no vote.

The rezone now goes to the City Council for final approval.

In other items before the Plan Commission:

–Howard Stevenson was voted by Commission members as the President for 2024.  Pete Peterson will serve as vice president.

–The Commission approved recommendations to the city’s commercial overlay and updates to the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, for approval by the City Council.

Writing a local news blog as a one-man-band is not easy, so I often need to pick-and-choose the stories I cover.  One part of the local political scene I have not written much about is the 5th Congressional District.  It encompasses a wide geographic footprint.

The 5th District includes not only Fishers, Carmel and Noblesville.  It also takes-in cities such as Anderson, Kokomo, Marion and Muncie.

But the political scene of this district took a big turn this week when the incumbent Congresswoman, Victoria Spartz, changed her mind.  After saying for months that she will not seek another term, she has done an about-face and says she will seek re-election after all.

There is already a long list of candidates announced for this seat.  Some have raised enough money to compete in the May primary election.

Not long after Spartz announced her intention to run again, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness entered the fray.  He is endorsing Chuck Goodrich, a business owner from Noblesville that has been serving in the Indiana House.

In his statement endorsing Goodrich, Fadness cites Goodrich’s support of “innovative companies that call Fishers home.”

It will be interesting to see how many candidates remain in the GOP primary now that the incumbent Spartz is back in the race.  Goodrich shows no sign of leaving the contest.

On a side note, Mayor Fadness has not been shy about supporting candidates he favors outside Fishers.  He has been publicly supporting Brad Chambers as he runs in a crowded Republican Primary for governor.

The 5th Congressional District was drawn as a majority Republican district.  That’s why so many are vying to be the GOP candidate in the fall.  This is a race worth watching.

A robing ceremony for new Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Bloch has been set for February 7, 4:00pm, at the Historic Courthouse in Noblesville. Bloch was appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb to replace Judge Paul Felix, who was appointed to the Indiana Court of Appeals last summer.

“I am grateful for the trust placed in me by Governor Holcomb,” Judge Bloch said in a county news release. “As I take on this new role, I am eager to contribute to the continued excellence of our legal system and to serve the good people of Hamilton County. I look forward to the journey ahead.”

Prior to his tenure as a magistrate, Judge Bloch worked as an attorney at Cross Pennamped Woolsey & Glazier, specializing in family law and appellate law. He is also an active member of the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum.

It appears the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board has made a decision on a new superintendent, has set a public hearing on the contract but will not announce the name until February 28.

HSE Schools announced Monday morning a public hearing will be held Wednesday, February 21, 6pm, on the provisions contained in the new superintendent’s contract.  The base annual salary of $215,270  is an indication this superintendent candidate has prior experience.  There is also a benefits package in the pact.  You can read the entire contract at this link.

After the February 21 public hearing, the board will convene on February 28 to announce the new HSE Schools Superintendent.

Dr. Yvonne Stokes submitted her resignation as HSE School Superintendent September 13 last year with a severance package.  Dr. Stokes’ base salary at the time was roughly $180,000  a year.

Dr. Matt Kegley has been Acting Superintendent since Yvonne Stokes’ resignation.

The board hired an outside consulting firm to assist in the search for a new superintendent.

The construction by the Hamilton County Highway Department at 146th Street and Allisonville Road will reach in new phase on March 1, if all goes as scheduled.  Allisonville Road is scheduled to close in the area of 146th Street for 90 days “on or after March 1.”

The county is constructing a roundabout at street level on Allisonville Road and an overpass on 146th Street.  County highway officials are giving motorists an advance warning of this planned road closure.

Below is the statement issued by the county Friday:

 Please be advised, beginning on or after Friday, March 1, our contractor will be closing Allisonville Road between 146^th Street and Kensington Drive, and between 146^th Street and Helmsley Court for 90 calendar days. Property owners within the limits of the closures will have access to their property during the closure. Both eastbound and westbound 146^th Street will remain open to all through traffic throughout the closure of Allisonville Road.

The contractor will be placing detour route markers as we approach the road closure. Please utilize the posted detour route to avoid the road closures on Allisonville.

When I began writing this blog in January of 2012, it never crossed my mind there would be a local story related to international auto racing, but that is what is happening now.

Andretti Global announced some time ago it will locate its new racing operation headquarters in Fishers.  That plan is still in place.  Andretti may be best known as an IndyCar racing team, but there are other series in which Andretti competes, including the IMSA sports car series.

Andretti has been lobbying Formula One to join that prestigious, world-wide racing series.  The answer came Wednesday from the Formula One powers that be.  Not only was it a “no,” it was a disrespectful “no.”

The statement from Formula One basically said Andretti would not be competitive.  There were other reasons provided in that statement, except the one that is most likely true…the current teams do not want to divide the massive amount of money flowing into Formula One with another team.

Andretti would be the only truly American Formula One team, but now the big shots at Formula One say 2028 would be the earliest Andretti would be able to enter the series, if at all.

Jenna Fryer of Associated Press, one of the best auto racing journalists in the world, wrote the following

“The decision outraged American fans of the series and left Michael Andretti and GM exploring potential legal avenues. F1 said it would be willing to revisit the issue if GM has an engine ready for the 2028 season, but was adamant and sharply critical in telling Andretti no for 2025 and 2026.”

Formula One is just getting popular in America, with races in Miami, Austin & Las Vegas.  How North American racing fans will react to the Andretti snub remains to be seen.

Jenna Fryer quoted Mario Andretti’s reaction in a social media post:

“I’m devastated,” the elder Andretti wrote on social media. “I won’t say anything else because I can’t find any other words besides devastated.”

There was speculation that the new Fishers Andretti Global headquarters would include the Formula One operation.  At least for now, it will not, but there should be plenty of land to expand Andretti’s footprint in the coming years if minds change.

In the meantime, let’s see what legal avenues the Andretti family may explore.