As construction continues on the Fishers Events Center, Mitch List, General Manager of the Events Center and an employee of ASM Global, told the Town Hall Building Corporation Monday that the first 4 shows to be scheduled in the Center will be announced next week.  He also said more bookings will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Fishers Events Center will be home to the Indy Fuel hockey team, Fishers Freight Indoor Football League (IFL) squad and the women’s volleyball team Ignite.  The Building Corporation approved an agreement for the Freight football team, with an arrangement similar to the Fuel hockey squad.  Freight home games will likely be on Saturday evenings with a few on Fridays.  The Freight will have no preseason, 8 regular season home dates with up to 3 playoff games possible. The IFL season begins in mid-March and ends in July.

The Indy Fuel Hockey team will be on the road for the first 15 games in the upcoming season as the Events Center is readied.  The Fuel open the season at Savannah October 18.  The first home game in the Events Center is set for December 6 against Iowa.

List told the Building Corporation the Center’s basketball floor comes from Detroit where it was used for NCAA basketball games.  High school and collegiate hoops may be played at the Events Center.

The Town Hall Building Corporation was established in 1989, a nonprofit corporation under Indiana law. when Fishers was a town.  The corporation has, among other functions. the financing and leasing of buildings and other capital improvements in the City of Fishers.

You may recall a story I have posted on this blog about a small Kansas newspaper and a police raid that resulted in no criminal charges.

A $235,000 payment has settled one federal lawsuit related to that raid that resulted in the removal of the Marion, Kansas chief of police from the suit.  But that leaves other civil actions unsettled.

This all stems from an August 11, 2023 police raid on the office of the Marion County Record, the publisher’s home and the home of a city councilor.

Associated Press reporter in Kansas, John Hanna, has the details and background for all this.  You can access his story (no paywall) at this link.

Be aware of traffic configuration changes at the roundabout construction along Allisonville Road and 96th Street (details below).

Not included in this update below are plans by INDOT to begin a three week closure July 12th on I-465 northbound lanes between I-65 and I-70 on the southeast side of Indianapolis.  Crews will also close the northbound and southbound Shadeland Ave. ramps to I-70 eastbound.

For a road status map encompassing the City of Fishers, use this link.

Below is the Fishers-area road construction update for the work week beginning Monday, July 8, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers area road construction update for the week of July 8 →

When the Fishers City Council had first reading on a proposed new Meijer grocery on Southeastern Avenue near Cyntheanne Road May 20th, the Council was told the public hearing would be held at a Plan Commission meeting July 10.  That public hearing has been delayed to the August Plan commission meeting, according to city staff.

Meijer is proposing a building with just a grocery and pharmacy, much smaller than nearby Meijer stores on 96th Street just south of Fishers and on State Road 37 in Noblesville.  It would be located adjacent to the Schoolhouse 7 Cafe.

During the community comment at the May 20th Council session, several neighbors spoke out against building a Meijer at that location, citing additional traffic and other concerns.

Many residents in that area of northeast Fishers have been pushing for a nearby grocery, but obviously there are those opposed to this proposed Meijer store.

Local Fishers residents worried about the escalating cost of trash collection should know the City of Fishers is moving along with reviewing the three responses received following  the Request for Proposals (RFP) on a city-wide contract.  Republic, WM (formerly known as Waste Management) and Priority all submitted proposals

City of Fishers spokesperson Ashley Elrod says staff is reviewing all three bids, which all “are in line with our expectations.”  The city is currently in a negotiation period with all 3 firms bidding on the contract.

The public hearing on the bids was originally expected to be held in July, but that may slip into August, with no firm date set.  Elrod says the timeline, other than the public hearing, is “still on track.”

The earliest any new city-wide trash contract would be in place would be January of 2025.

I write this on July 1, generally accepted as the half-way point in a calendar year.  I took a look at what has happened in Fishers during the first 6 months of 2024 and came up with a few major stories.  I list them below, in no particular order.

–Patrick Mapes was selected by the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board as the new Superintendent of Schools.  He replaces Yvonne Stokes, who resigned last fall.  Dr. Stokes was recently names superintendent of Gary Indiana Schools.

–Mayor Scott Fadness reacted to a court ruling impacting the tax distribution formula in Indiana which Fadness argues short-changes Fishers.  He cites the fact that Carmel receives $60 million more annually in this distribution system compared to Fishers.

–3 new city councilors assumed their seats on the Fishers City Council.

–Fishers City Hall & Art Center opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

–The roundabout construction begins at 96th Street and Allisonville Road.  The roundabout is expected to be essentially completed in October.

–Fishers began the process to take bids on providing city-wide trash collection service.  This is in response to local residents complaints about rising trash collection fees.

–Construction began on a new city community center at 121st Street and Hoosier Road.

–Melissa Loiselle has been named Hamilton East Library Director.

What will the second half of 2024 bring us?  I am not into speculation, but there are a couple of items we can anticipate.

There will be an election in November with 3 HSE School Board seats on the ballot.  Some county offices will also be up for election.

The first half of 2024 has generated plenty of news.  I expect the coming 6 months to do the same.