There have been 60…..that’s right 60, complaints of bad guys entering the vehicles of Fishers residents just over the past weekend.  Police have some advice for residents to prevent you from becoming a victim.  Below is the full text of the Fishers Police Department news release:

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Since Friday Fishers police officers responded to sixty complaints of suspects entering vehicles. In a few of these cases the suspects broke a window to gain access, but the majority involved unlocked vehicles. Twenty-five of these incidents resulted in valuables being stolen. The Fishers Police Department believes the majority of this type of crime can be prevented if drivers implement the following safety tips:
 
1. Never leave your vehicle unsecured, even if you are only going to be away from it for a short time. Thieves only need a few seconds to open an unlocked door and retrieve valuables that are left in plain sight.
2. Secure valuables in the trunk before leaving your vehicle. Thieves will often take the time to look into windows before choosing a particular vehicle to break‐in. Unsecured items such as GPS devices, CD’s, computers, purses, cellular phones, audio systems, keys, and other items are often the targets of a thief.
3. Etch your driver’s license number on all items of value and that are removable, e.g., audio equipment, computers, GPS devices.
4. Park in your garage, if you have one. Don’t leave your vehicle in the street, in an alley or in your driveway. If you have to park in the street, avoid dark or isolated areas andremoved your garage door opener.
5. Install an alarm system that will sound when someone attempts to break‐in, move, or start your vehicle. Always activate the system when leaving your vehicle unattended.
6. Don’t leave spare keys attached to the outside of your vehicle or hidden inside your vehicle. An experienced thief knows all the hiding places.
7. Park in open, well‐lighted, and populated areas near your destination. Avoid parking near trucks, vans, dumpsters, or other objects that obstruct visibility and provide hiding places. Avoid parking near strangers loitering or sitting in vehicles.
8. Turn off your engine, roll up all your windows, lock all doors, and take your keys with you even if you are making a quick stop at a store or gas station, or even in your driveway.
 
As always if you see or hear something suspicious please call 911 immediately!  

Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb is a busy man.  With Governor Mike Pence on the campaign trail running for Vice President, Holcomb is running to replace Pence in the governor’s office and is handling most of the gubernatorial duties in Pence’s absence.

Holcomb began a tour of the state today (Monday) to hand out $47 million in road and bridge projects.  Fishers will receive $1 million.

Mayor Scott Fadness plans on using this money next year to modernize 116th Street from Eller Road to Interstate 69.  The overall project will include a number of pedestrian crossings.   Fadness told LarryInFishers that the 116th Street work should start in 2017.

The funding was announced in an outdoor event in the downtown area of Carmel, with Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard hosting the news conference.  Along with Mayor Fadness, Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear and Westfield Mayor Andy Cook were also on hand.

There were a number of political reporters at the event and there was a media scrum that formed around Holcomb afterwards, allowing him to answer a number of questions about his campaign for governor against Democratic opponent John Gregg.

http://www.indianaforefront.com/fishers-city-council-asserts-itself/

Here we go again….another week coming up and another week of road construction.

Below is the schedule, provided by the City of Fishers:

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BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Continuing this week, the bridge on 106th Street between Allisonville Road and Hague Road will be closed by the Hamilton County Highway Department for replacement. Detour routes are displayed in the area and access to local traffic will be permitted for residents and businesses. Please direct any questions about this project to alison.krupski@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.

CYNTHEANNE ROAD

Road work continues on Cyntheanne Road between Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street, during construction periodic lane restrictions and flaggers will remain in place to help direct traffic.

FALL CREEK TRAIL

Fall Creek Trail reconstruction work continues; the Fall Creek Trail project between 96th Street and Brooks School Road will have periodic lane closures for paving operations. Please travel with caution, construction barrels have reduced the existing northbound lane width.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

I-69 TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

INDOT is overseeing an overnight closure on multiple traffic lanes on I-69 overnight this week. Weather permitting, lane closures, traffic changes and rolling slowdowns of traffic will begin after 9 p.m. and are expected to end before 6 a.m. the next day. Construction schedules and traffic restrictions are subject to change, and questions should be directed to INDOT at indot.carsporgram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Please drive with caution as a new traffic pattern is in place.

MORGAN DRIVE

Utility potholing will take place along Morgan Drive between the Cheeney Creek Trail and Lantern Road this week. Please expect temporary lane restrictions between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

STATE ROAD 37

Various general survey work has begun along the State Road 37 corridor. Work will take place starting at the 126th Street intersection. Learn more at www.Fishers.in.us/SR37.

USA PARKWAY

USA Parkway will be closed from 8 p.m. on Friday, August 26th until 5 a.m. on Monday, August 29th to allow contractors to install a storm sewer across the road.

106^th STREET & CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT

Cumberland Road from 106th Street to Mud Creek is closed as Phase 1 of a new roundabout begins. 106th Street will remain open and Cumberland Road north of 106th Street will remain open at this time. The road south of 106th is now closed. Please continue to check the weekly construction update for ongoing progress on this project.

106th STREET INTERCHANGE

INDOT has begun work on the 106th Street interchange. A lane shift is currently in place on I-69 and 106th Street is closed as construction continues. Additional details about this project will be released through INDOT and shared on the weekly construction update. Please be advised the speed limit from 82nd Street to 116th Street has been reduced to 55 mph and there are lane shifts on I-69. Please travel with caution and pay close attention to signage in the area.

116th STREET

There may be short-term lane restrictions on eastbound 116th Street between USA Parkway and Exit Five Parkway while utility work is being completed. Nightly lane restrictions will also be in place on 116^th Street between Commercial Drive and USA Parkway between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

131^st STREET

Lane restrictions will be in place on 131st Street between Brooks School Road and Olio Road to allow contractors to perform paving activities. Weather permitting, restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

If you want to talk about the teaching profession, why not talk with the 2016 local Teacher of the Year?  Larry talked with Julie Alano about all things education.

Aurelio’s Pizza, specializing in their own version of Chicago-style thin crust pies, had it’s grand opening Thursday afternoon.  Joe Aurelio from the company’s headquarters in Homewood, Illinois, was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Aurelio’s in Fishers has been open since late April of this year.

When IKEA announced plans to build its Central Indiana store in Fishers, I asked Mayor Scott Fadness at that event how he envisions the area around IKEA developing, since IKEA locations in other cities have spurred a great deal of development in the area.

“We want to be very thoughtful about that,” the mayor said at the time (November 10th, 2015).  The mayor went on to say he wanted a “conscious, purposeful development that we can be proud of in the long-term.”

The mayor has been following through on that pledge for 116th near I-69, as well as area of 106th Street near the new interstate interchange currently under construction.

On Monday night (August 15th), the Fishers City Council voted to extend an ordinance requiring city council approval for any development of areas in the city on 106th & 116th Streets near I-69.  The city is now enduring what it calls “development pressure” in those areas because the current zoning laws are not consistent with the mayor’s vision of that thoughtful, conscious and purposeful development in those areas.

The city has had in place for 120 days a requirement that no clearing or other disturbance of land will occur and no building, structure, variance or use will be established without City Council approval for properties located within the designated areas.  That 120 days is nearly expired, so the council has extended the ordinance for another 90 days to allow city staff to develop the new zoning standards, consistent with the city’s recently approved Comprehensive Plan, also called Fishers 2040.

The map showing the impacted area along 106th Street and I-69 can be found at this link.

The same map for 116th Street can be found at this link.

If you want to help Hamilton Southeastern Schools, but you are a busy person short on time, you may have an opportunity to help.

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation is forming the Game Day Guild, a way to support the annual spring fund raising event for the foundation.

“This is a perfect opportunity for even the busiest person to be an education champion,” says Game Day Guld Chairperson Sneha Shah.

The bottom line is this… Game Day Guild members can determine the amount of time they are able to give to ensure the event is a success in raising funds for all 21 local schools.

A “call out” meeting has been set for 9am on Monday, August 22 at the HSE Administration Building.  To RSVP or for more information e-mail hsefoundation@hse.k12.in.us.

Scott Rhodes is a Nationwide Insurance agent with his office on Lantern Road in the downtown Fishers Nickel Plate District.  The city has announced economic development plans for his Lantern Road office that calls for that structure’s demolition.

Rhodes owns a rental home at 13862 Cumberland Road and he wants to move his insurance office to that location.  In order to do this, Mr. Rhodes must receive a zoning variance, changing the use of the building and land from residential to commercial.  He also will need to annex the building and land into the City of Fishers.  City staff says this rezone would only allow office use for this parcel, not any other commercial activity.

The Fishers City Council heard Mr. Rhodes rezoning request on 2nd reading Monday night. The council heard testimony from several individuals.  Some were in support.  A real estate representative from FC Tucker told the council approving this rezone would not result in the reduction of home values in the area.  Fishers High School Football Coach Rick Wimmer spoke before the council in favor of the rezone request.

But most of the people in the audience that nearly filled the council chambers were there to oppose the rezoning.  They expressed a number of concerns, the most common being the change in atmosphere for what is now only a residential area.

The council members approved 2nd reading.  The measure requires a vote by the full council at 3rd reading for a final decision, which will likely happen at the September city council session.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) alerts area motorists that the southbound lanes of I-69 in and near the Fishers area will shifting as early a Tuesday night, if weather permits.

Below is the full release from INDOT:

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Interstate 69 added travel lane

Weather permitting, southbound lanes on I-69 will be shifted toward the right shoulder tonight. Shifting traffic lanes away from the median will allow room for construction of an additional southbound lane.  Northbound lanes are currently in this traffic configuration.

Current weather forecasts could postpone the traffic shift to later this week.  Shifting traffic lanes will require alternating lane closures on southbound I-69 between Campus Parkway (Exit 210) and 116th Street (Exit 205) between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Temporary concrete barrier lines the I-69 median for construction of an additional lane in each direction.  After southbound lanes are shifted, subsequent overnight lane closures will be needed to modify the barrier and install entrance and exit routes for construction trucks.

Motorists should be alert for construction trucks entering and exiting the roadway.  Signs direct large trucks to use the left lane through the shifted section of interstate.  The speed limit is reduced to 60 mph and further reduced to 50 mph when workers are present.

Interstate 69 patching & paving

Milestone Contractors has completed patching on the 15-mile stretch of interstate from Exit 205 to north of Exit 219.

Following the patching crew, a new asphalt overlay is being paved on existing lanes.  Paving continues on northbound and southbound I-69 between Campus Parkway and State Road 13.

Weather permitting, patching and paving operations require alternating lane closures in various locations six nights a week on Monday through Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.  One lane of I-69 will remain open at all times, and two lanes will remain open during peak daytime travel times.

The speed limit through the work zone is reduced to 60 mph and further reduced to 50 mph when workers are present.  Speed detection and LED display signs are installed in the work zone to alert motorists driving at unsafe speeds.  Indiana State Police are patrolling the work zone to promote public safety and compliance with traffic laws.

State Road 13 Exit 214

Construction crews have started widening the I-69 bridges over State Road 13 to accommodate an additional lane in each direction on I-69.  Work is also underway to install traffic control signals at the interchange ramps.  The new signals are on-schedule to be activated, and State Road 13 traffic lanes will shift for pavement construction, in September.

Campus/Southeastern Parkway Exit 210

Construction of the new double-crossover diamond configuration is underway as Milestone builds up the new interchange ramps and widens the Campus Parkway bridge over I-69.

Campus Parkway traffic lanes are narrowed to 11 feet and motorists should be alert for workers in the area and trucks entering and exiting the roadway.

Later this summer, traffic will be shifted into a double-crossover diamond configuration, which is intended to improve traffic flow during the remainder of construction of the permanent interchange improvements.