I was waiting to speak with Wesley Barnes, who along with his wife Marissa, owns the latest donut shop in Fishers.  To say the place was buzzing at 11am on a Wednesday would be an understatement.

There were plenty of families taking-in the donuts and other features.  I saw one lady with a stack of boxes filled with donuts, presumably to feed a large crowd of people.

Wesley took a few moments out of his busy day to speak with me in a mini-podcast about his Parlor Donuts franchise, which opened in Fishers just days ago.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board will be receiving recommendations from Chief Financial Officer Katy Dowling to refinance 2 bonds saving more than $2.7 million in interest payments over 10 years.  The bonds, used for buildings and renovations, are eligible to be called and refinanced.

The lower interest rate environment at the present time allows the interest savings over the coming 10 years of bond payments, according to CFO Dowling  The two bonds were originally issued in 2014.

The bond refinancing will be before the school board in the coming weeks.  The issue was discussed as part of the Tuesday morning HSE School Board Finance Committee meeting.

Dowling also told the committee the HSE District currently has a AA debt rating from Standard & Poor.  In order to raise that rating to AA+, Dowling was told the District would need to increase its cash reserves.  Dowling indicated it is not always a good idea for a school district to have a large balance in cash reserves.

A Monday night fire in an unoccupied Geist residence just off Brooks School Road resulted in no injuries but challenges for Fishers firefighters.  Once crews arrived, the residence was full engulfed in flames.

The Fishers Fire Department was able to keep the blaze from spreading to the adjacent wooded area and nearby homes.  35 firefighters responded to the alarm.

 Due to the set-back from the road for the main fire structure, and the lack of hydrants in the adjoining neighborhood, multiple engines were utilized to establish water supplies and to extend lines into the wooded area.  

Investigators returned to the scene Tuesday but cause and origin may take weeks to determine.  Investigators will be working with the insurance companies to determine the dollar loss of the structure, which was a complete loss.  

Firefighters remained on the scene early into the morning extinguishing hot spots.

Fishers Police Department, Carmel Fire Department, Noblesville Fire Department, Hamilton County Public Safety Communications, Fishers Fire Corps and Duke Energy all assisted Fishers firefighters in battling this blaze.

Fishers Police are continuing the investigation into a fatal vehicle crash Friday, just after midnight, at 96th Street and I-69.  Christopher Brown, 40, from Indianapolis, died in the accident.

The driver of the other vehicle in the 2-car collision is not being identified by police at this time.  Officers say that driver is suspected to have been impaired and driving at an excessive rate of speed. Toxicology results are pending.  Any charging decisions will be made by the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s office.

Anyone in the area witnessing the collision is asked to call Lt. Kevin Kobli at 317-595-3300.

It was August, 1991.  I had only resided in Fishers for a few months.  There was bad news.

Thomas A. Weaver, a member of the Fishers City Council, was volunteering his time to work at the PGA Championship, being held that year at Crooked Stick Golf Course in Carmel.  A sudden thunderstorm hit the area and Mr. Weaver was struck by lightning and died.

I was new here and never met Mr. Weaver, but if you speak to anyone that did know him, they will sing his praises.  He was a very respected man in Fishers.

If you drive along 116th Street in downtown Fishers you may have seen the sign denoting the entire area along Municipal Drive as the Thomas A. Weaver Municipal Complex.  With a new City Hall under construction, I asked the question of city officials, will Mr. Weaver’s name remain on the Municipal Complex?

I received my answer Monday and the answer is yes, the entire Fishers Municipal Complex will remain named after Mr. Weaver.

But that raised another question in my mind.  I have seen and heard many names for the new facility under construction replacing City Hall and wondered if there is an official name.

The structure replacing the previous City Hall will be named the Fishers Municipal Center.  Within that building, there will be an arts side named the Fishers Arts Center and Theatre/Administrative side named City Hall.

The new Fishers Municipal Center is taking shape and should be open late this spring, if all goes as planned.

I knew we were in for a big event when the Hamilton Southeastern Schools scheduled a day off classes, anticipating the solar eclipse coming April 8 this year.  That event is just under 2 months away, so why should you be thinking about it now?

Because it is my understanding that officials throughout Hamilton County are anticipating large crowds for the solar event.  As you can see from the map above, Fishers and Hamilton County are directly in line with the eclipse “path of totality.”

I knew being in that location would draw people to our local area.  However, I am told there are projections that 2 million people could visit Hamilton County for the eclipse.  If you consider the last census shows a Hamilton County population at 356,650, the number 2 million can blow one’s mind.

We should all think about how difficult it may be just to buy groceries, pump gas or get a reservation at a local restaurant on or around April 8.  Local public safety agencies are already preparing for all this.

The solar eclipse my be just under 2 months away, but it may be a good idea to start thinking about it now.

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.