IndyStar opinion columnist James Briggs has once again decided to give Fishers and Carmel a piece of his mind on a major issue – enacting caps on the number of single -family rental homes allowed in each neighborhood. Fishers has enacted such a cap and Carmel is in the process of passing their own ordinance.
Briggs takes the arguments from Fishers and Carmel officials and turns their arguments around. Briggs cites a number he listed in a March commentary on the same issue – the average homebuyer age is now 56. He argues it takes so much money, assets and credit history to qualify for a home mortgage these days that young families are largely priced out of the market anyway. Briggs asserts young families will not benefit from these rental caps.
Only more homes will provide an answer, which, according to Briggs, will not happen partly because of such caps.
And, of course, he takes a shot at Fishers and the roundabout at 96th Street and Allisonville Road.
it appears there is no paywall on Mr. Briggs commentary, so you can read it yourself at this link.
When the Indy Fuel moved their home games from the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum to the Fishers Event Center, the Fuel became a local story for my local Fishers blog. Then a team in the Indoor Football League took on the name of the city where the home games are played, the Fishers Freight.
The broadcasters that bring Indy Fuel hockey and Fishers Freight football to local fans are Andrew Smith and Eva Hallman. They were both kind to carve out some time for me as they prepared to broadcast the Fishers Freight home game May 3rd against the Quad City Steamwheelers. The podcast I recorded with them is available at the link below.
It was one of those games that reminded fans why they love Indoor Football League football—an entertaining, back-and-forth battle that had the estimated crowd of 4,000 at Fishers Event Center engaged from kickoff to the final whistle. While the fans certainly got their money’s worth, their energy wasn’t quite enough to lift the Fishers Freight, who fell in a heartbreaker to the Quad City Steamwheelers, 55-48 in overtime.
Fishers struggled early, hampered by two costly fumbles in the first half that handed momentum to the Steamwheelers. Those mistakes proved pivotal, sending the Freight into halftime trailing 31-21.
But the second half told a different story. The Freight capitalized on Quad City’s own miscues, clawing their way back into the game. Quarterback Jiya Wright capped the comeback late in the third quarter with a gritty 3-yard touchdown run to give Fishers the lead.
The game came down to the wire. With just five seconds left in regulation, Quad City found the end zone and converted the extra point to tie things up at 48 apiece, forcing overtime.
The Steamwheelers struck quickly in the extra period, scoring a touchdown and extra point on their first play. Fishers, needing a response, drove to the 3-yard line but stalled. On fourth and goal, Wright scrambled to find an open receiver but was brought down to end the game.
One bright spot for Fishers was running back Shane Simpson, who found the end zone four times on the ground, showcasing his scoring ability in a breakout performance.
Now six games into the season, the Freight enter a much-needed bye week with a 2-4 record. There’s still time to turn things around, and Coach Dixie Wooten remains focused on shaping this team into a contender.
As the weather warms, road construction activity is intensifying in and around Fishers. Be aware of more construction on 141st Street west of State Road 37. There are many other construction areas around the city seeing more activity.
Here is the full listing for the work week starting Monday, May 5th, as provided by the City of Fishers:
Drivers Urged to Use Caution, Obey Speed Limits Through Work Zone
Motorists traveling through the White River bridge construction zone should prepare for increased construction vehicle traffic beginning Monday, May 5, 2025, according to officials overseeing the ongoing infrastructure project.
Construction crews are continuing work on widening the eastbound bridge over the White River, part of a larger project that includes storm sewer installation, subgrade preparation, paving operations, and roundabout construction. Crews are also making progress on the construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls and installing a barrier wall within the active construction zone.
As work intensifies, construction vehicles will be frequently entering and exiting the site. Drivers are urged to remain alert, watch for flaggers, and strictly adhere to the posted 35 mph speed limit to ensure safety for both workers and motorists.
In the coming weeks, the contractor also plans to begin seeding and sodding operations as part of the final landscaping efforts.
Officials remind the public that the project is on track for completion by August 1, 2025.
“Safety remains our top priority,” the project team emphasized. “We’re asking the community to help us by staying vigilant, slowing down, and exercising extreme caution when traveling through this area.”
Hamilton County celebrated a life-changing milestone Thursday as five individuals graduated from the county’s Drug Treatment Court program during a ceremony at the Historic Courthouse Courtroom. Superior Court Judge David Najjar presided over the event, which recognized the hard-fought progress of participants working toward recovery and stability.
Among the graduates was Noblesville resident Megan Fugate, who shared her emotional journey from addiction to sobriety. “Drug Court literally saved my life,” Fugate said. “I needed this program to help me get sober and reclaim my life.”
Fugate began using drugs at 13 and has been entangled in the justice system since age 19. Facing an eight-year prison sentence, she was instead given an opportunity through Drug Treatment Court—an alternative sentencing program launched in 2010 that provides structured treatment and support for nonviolent, drug-dependent individuals.
The court operates two tracks: one for general substance-related charges and another for repeat OWI offenders. Participants undergo 18 to 24 months of intensive supervision, including court appearances, drug testing, treatment sessions, and educational or employment commitments.
“Drug Treatment Court is about second chances, but it’s also about accountability, healing, and hope,” Judge Najjar said. “Today’s graduates have done the hard work, and they deserve to be proud of how far they’ve come.”
Fugate, who will mark three years of sobriety on May 12, now works full-time and is focused on rebuilding relationships with her children and support network.
“My kids and I grew up together. Actually, they grew up before me, but I’m catching up,” she said.
For more information about the Hamilton County Drug Treatment Court, call (317) 776-9672 or visit the program’s webpage.
Large crowd in attendance for Mayor’s Mental Health Breakfast
I’ve seen a lot in my media career. I worked in radio broadcasting—many of those years as a news reporter—for 14 years before changing careers in 1983 to become a civil servant. After retiring, I started this volunteer news blog in 2012.
Over the years, I’ve covered many mayors. A familiar cycle often played out: a mayor would identify a problem, form a commission or task force to study it, release a report at a news conference, declare victory—and then move on to the next issue.
But Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has broken that cycle.
Even before taking office, as mayor-elect, he spoke with me about the urgent need to address mental health in our community. During his time as town manager, Fadness joined police on ride-alongs and witnessed firsthand the mental health struggles officers encountered—cases where it was clear mental illness played a role, yet police had limited tools to respond meaningfully.
One of his first actions after being sworn in as Fishers’ inaugural mayor in 2015 was to create a committee to study mental health and explore solutions. But unlike many public officials I’ve watched over the years, Fadness didn’t just issue a report and move on. He has maintained a sustained focus on mental health for his entire decade in office.
That commitment was evident again Thursday morning at City Hall, where the Fishers Health Department hosted a Mental Health Breakfast. City Social Worker Brittany Cheviron-Smith shared sobering statistics on the state of mental health—both nationally and locally.
“It’s a little bit of a grim picture,” Cheviron-Smith told the crowd. “People are really struggling. We know that mental health is on the decline across the board.”
She cited a 70% increase in emergency room visits for mental health reasons over the past eight years. These visits often involve substance abuse, overdose, depression, and anxiety. Alarming, too, is the fact that ER visits for suicide-related issues have doubled in that same time period.
“Today, 1 in 5 adults in the United States, in any given year, can be diagnosed with a mental health disorder,” she said. “Youths are struggling too.” Local data, she added, mirrors these national trends.
Leaders from several city departments also spoke, sharing how their offices address mental health. Attendees, seated in small groups, were asked to identify both problems and potential solutions. The recurring theme: collaboration. There was strong support for the city to work in tandem with nonprofits and other community partners. One speaker suggested engaging retired health professionals who now live in Fishers.
Mayor Fadness closed the event with what he called a sense of “righteous indignation.” After listing several of the city’s major accomplishments under his leadership, he voiced deep concern that even one person in Fishers might be living in “quiet despair.”
Ten years into this effort, the mayor knows the fight for mental health solutions is far from over. But one thing is clear—Scott Fadness won’t be declaring victory and walking away.
And for that, our mayor deserves credit.
Mayor Fadness, speaking before the breakfast crowd
Many of you may recall a shooting at a Fishers gas station near 116th Street and Allisonville Road that appeared to stem from a domestic dispute. A woman died, the shooter has been convicted and the judge has pronounced a sentence.
WTHR was in the courtroom Wednesday. See that report at this link.
