Ignite Studio at the Fishers Library is set to host its second annual Make-Off, a live art competition showcasing the creative potential of the makerspace. The event will take place on Saturday, March 29, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Ignite Studio, offering attendees the chance to watch artists at work, engage in hands-on activities, and even participate in a public maker challenge.

Ten selected artists will compete in a six-hour challenge to create original artwork using Ignite’s equipment, kits, and in-house materials. Their creations will be judged for monetary prizes, and all pieces will be displayed in the Fishers Library Lobby Gallery from April 5 to May 16.

This year’s theme is “Abstract Art: Using the Building Blocks of Art,” emphasizing fundamental artistic elements such as dot, line, shape, form, color, value, space, and texture. Instead of focusing on realistic depictions, competitors will explore how these elements can evoke emotion and meaning.

“Ignite Studio is excited to hold its second annual Make-Off,” said Ignite Studio Arts Engagement Coordinator Kris Hurst. “The Make-Off is a great opportunity for patrons to see local artists at work and get inspiration for their own creative art-making endeavors using equipment and supplies found in Ignite Studio.”

Beyond the competition, visitors can take part in various art activities, and the first 50 attendees will receive free art kits. The judging panel will include past winner Craig Helming, adding an experienced eye to the selection process.

This free, all-ages event invites the community to immerse themselves in the creative process and discover the diverse artistic possibilities within Ignite Studio. For more details, visit this link.

Stevanato Group, a leading global provider of drug containment, drug delivery, and diagnostic solutions, with a major facility here in Fishers, has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2024, reporting steady growth and a positive outlook for the year ahead.

Q4 and Full-Year 2024 Financial Performance

Stevanato Group’s revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024 increased by 3% year-over-year, reaching €330.6 million. The company’s high-value solutions segment accounted for 40% of total revenue, aligning with prior expectations.

For the full fiscal year 2024, revenue rose by 2% to €1,104 million, with high-value solutions representing 38% of total revenue. Diluted EPS for the year was €0.43, while adjusted diluted EPS was €0.48. (€ stands for Euros)

Strong 2025 Outlook

Looking ahead, Stevanato Group has set ambitious financial guidance for fiscal year 2025. The company anticipates revenue to be in the range of €1,160 million to €1,190 million.

Stevanato Group remains focused on expanding its high-value solutions portfolio and enhancing operational efficiencies as it continues to serve the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences industries. The company’s consistent financial performance and strong guidance signal confidence in sustained growth and innovation for the coming year.

The state announced today that money will be handed out to local communities for local infrastructure as part of the Community Crossings matching grant program.  Fishers is set to receive $1.5 million.

This money can be used for road and bridge projects.  Most bridges are the responsibility of county government in Indiana.

“I know that this funding will be put to good use maintaining our current infrastructure and executing new projects where possible,” says Victoria Garcia Wilburn, a member of the Indiana House representing the west area of Fishers, Carmel and a portion of Marion County.  “I will continue to support infrastructure funding for our district’s communities so we can continue growing and attracting families and businesses.”

Hamilton County and Noblesville will both also receive $1.5 million each in Community Crossings grants.  Carmel is set to receive slightly less, $1.17 million.

“Improving and maintaining roads and bridges at all levels is crucial for enhancing quality of life and public safety for Hoosiers,” said Gov. Mike Braun. “Communities across the state need investment in their local infrastructure and we are pleased to partner with them to make necessary improvements.”

Representative Garcia Wilburn also touted House passage last month of  House Bill 1461 which she says would provide tools for local governments to provide road maintenance.  The measure is now in the Indiana Senate.

There will be no changes in the leadership of the Fishers Plan Commission for 2025.  In the Commission’s first meeting of 2025, Howard Stevenson was re-elected President for another year.  Fisher City Council President Pete Peterson will serve once again as Commission Vice President.  The law firm of Krieg DeVault will remain legal counsel for the Plan Commission.

Only two items were on the agenda for Wednesday night’s session, and both were approved unanimously.  A rezone of 5.66 acres at 116601 Southeastern Parkway , allowing single family homes, received a favorable recommendation.  Also, the annual update to the Fishers 2040 Comprehensive Plan will move to a City Council vote with a favorable recommendation from the Commission.

On March 4th, I recorded and posted a podcast with Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and his Chief of Staff, Jordin Alexander.  They both made the case supporting a proposed ordinance limiting the number of rental homes available in any individual Fishers subdivision at 10% of the homes located in that neighborhood.  Listen to the podcast at this link.

IndyStar opinion editor and columnist James Briggs has weighed-in on this issue, and let’s just say he is not supportive of the city’s proposed ordinance.    You can read the Briggs piece at this link. (The Star does have a paywall but sometimes makes exceptions for opinion pieces, so you are welcome to try the link if you are not a Star subscriber)

Mayor Fadness argues that residents of these neighborhoods did not buy their homes expecting 30-40% of the residences to be rental properties.  He views the proposed ordinance as a way of addressing that.

Briggs brings a completely different perspective to the issue.  He says all this ordinance will do is cutoff families that cannot obtain mortgages, due to tighter lending standards, from living in a single-family home.  As to the argument that out-of-town investors and Wall Street hedge funds are buying up homes, Briggs asserts the solution is holding landlords accountable for the condition of their properties.  He also cites NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) thinking as one reason Fishers is proposing this idea.

If you want to know more about the city’s plans for this ordinance, Jordin Alexander will be hosting a Webinar at noon, Monday, March 10.  You can register and submit questions at this link.

Also, a group describing themselves as Fishers citizens plan to conduct a Town Hall later that same day, Monday, March 10, 6pm, at the Hamilton East Library Center Stage/Meeting Room.  This group appears to oppose the city’s rental cap ordinance.

Based on comments made during the May 4th podcast by the mayor and Ms. Alexander, it is not likely the City Council will take up the rental cap ordinance in March, and is more likely to vote on this proposal in April.

Community Health Network is expected to receive another 5-year contract with Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools.  Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown told the School Board’s Budget and Finance Committee Wednesday morning 3 hospital groups submitted bids but Community had the best bid on price.  “Community came back the overwhelming winner,” Brown told committee members.

This contract covers school nurses, sports medicine support, behavioral health and clinic services.  Brown described a staff survey conducted about the clinic services, and the results were positive about the clinic run by Community.

HSE and Community are in the process of hammering out a new 5-year pact, and, according to Brown, “We don’t see it changing substantially.”  The agreement will include a process to review the contract provisions at the end of 4 years, but Brown emphasized this would not be an “auto-renewal.”

A completed contract is expected to be before the HSE School Board in April.

HSE Facilities Director Matt Rapp reviewed 12 projects exceeding $350,000 in cost that will be up for board consideration, except the item number 9 below, which will be deferred for reconsideration in one year.

Here is a list of the construction plans presented to the committee:

1. Fall Creek Intermediate Renovation –   Funding from bond proceeds.  Start date in May, completion projected to be July 26. Total: $34,000,000

2. Hamilton Southeastern High School Baseball Drive – We will remove and replace the existing drive and parking lot and install a storm drain. Total: $1,500,000

3. Drive between the Administration Building and Transportation – We are removing and replacing this access drive shared by HSE and the city. We are also adding a pressure loop (opening of the transportation main gate)  Total: $500,000

4. Hoosier Road Elementary Parking Lot – We plan to repair and replace the original asphalt and correct subsurface issues. Total: $350,000

5. Hoosier Road Elementary Playground- We will replace and move some equipment. Total: $421,000

6. Brooks School Elementary Parking Lot – We plan to repair and replace the original asphalt and correct any subsurface issues as needed. Total: $350,000

7. Fishers High School Roof – We will replace approximately 87,000 sq ft of roofing. – Total: $4,000,000

8. Fishers High School Pool Air Handlers- We will solicit bids for labor to install the two units on order. Total: $1,500,000 ($750,000 already spent on equipment, $750,000 for this bid))

9. Fishers High School New Auxiliary Gym- Releveling the wood court to meet the other courts. Total: $171,000 (Deferred at this time, will re-evaluate in one year) )

10. Lantern Road Elementary School Renovation –  We are moving the north playground to the south of the building, further away from the roundabout. This will include prep work of the new area and new equipment. Total: $1,200,000

11. Hamilton Southeastern High School- We will be advertising a Request For Proposals  for a Construction Management Services Contract as part of this extensive renovation project. Total: Budget TBD

12. Custodial- A Request For Proposals will be going out to bid. Total: Budget TBD

Fishers will likely wait until April to present a second and third reading of a proposed cap on single-family rental homes until April.  That’s the word from Mayor Scott Fadness and his Chief of Staff, Jordin Alexander, during a podcast recording session with Larry Tuesday afternoon.

The main issue covered in this podcast is the proposed ordinance on rental home caps, but also discussed were the city-wide trash collection contract, proposed changes to the property tax system at the Statehouse and the decision to delay construction of the 116th Street & Allisonville Road roundabout to 2026.

You can listen to the podcast at the link below.

Mayor Scott Fadness recently hinted that he and his staff were considering delaying the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of 116th Street and Allisonville Road.  During a podcast interview with LarryInFishers Tuesday afternoon, the mayor says that construction project has been moved to 2026.

It is expected that the intersection will be closed completely during the construction when it happens in 2026, allowing for a quicker completion of the work.

Fadness says bids were taken for 2025 & 2026, so no new bidding will be required to push the project back one year.  The roundabout construction at 116th & Allisonville was originally scheduled for the summer of 2025.

The continued construction of a new interchange at I-69 and I-465 is the main reason given by the mayor for this delay.  Any closing of 116th Street and Allisonville Road would only add more traffic to the new roundabout at 96th Street and Allisonville Road, which is  feeling the impact of additional vehicles as a result of the I-69 & I-465 construction.

Mayor Scott Fadness made one thing clear in his remarks at the Disability Awareness kickoff event Monday morning – he was there mostly to listen.  Listen, he did, and moderated a panel discussion among deaf Fishers residents.

Jason Wagner, Irina Burke and Greg Gantt served as panelists and told stories of how something like a simple police traffic stop for speeding can become complicated and even dangerous for a deaf person.

The theme for the 2025 Disability Awareness Month is “Connected Through Language.”  One language highlighted is American Sign Language (ASL).

Three awards were presented Monday morning:

Life Without Limits Award -Carter Schmidt

Cornerstone Employee Award – Spokenote

Accessibility Award – Mari Kennedy

For more on Fishers March events for Disability Awareness Month, use this link.

I pulled into the parking lot next to HSE High School’s Reynolds Royals Stadium 35 minutes before the scheduled balloon release in honor of Mason Alexander.  I took one of the last parking spots left.

Walking to the field, all I could see were students and some adults waiting to enter the stadium with their balloons.  The number of people crowding the field numbered into the thousands.

It was a well behaved and quiet crowd.  They were there to remember a former fellow student that had touched so many lives during his time at HSE.

Mason Alexander had committed to play football at the University of Pittsburgh (known also as just Pitt).  He had graduated from HSE in December but wanted to walk with his classmates in the graduation ceremony this coming June.

He was killed in a tragic car crash at 113th Street and Florida Road Saturday night.

Once the balloons were released at 5:15pm Monday, the crowd stood quiet and staid.  There were some public address comments.  Even then, students didn’t seem to want to leave.  They quietly spoke to each other.

Below is a news conference held by Hamilton Southeastern High School Head Football Coach Michael Kelly, talking about Mason Alexander.