It was an unusual caucus election because two former colleagues on the Fishers City Council, Jocelyn Vare and Crystal Neumann, both were vying for the job of Hamilton County Democratic Chair.  The caucus of 108 precinct officials Saturday afternoon elected Vare by a 2-vote margin.

Vare says she will begin recruiting candidates for Hamilton County Commissioner and County Council.  No Democrat filed for Commissioner during the filing period and only one candidate filed for County Council.

Vare will replace Dayna Colbert, who resigned from the chair position after accepting a staff position with the state Democratic Party.

I spoke with Jocelyn Vare and Crystal Neumann shortly after the caucus, in the video linked above, where Neumann vowed to support Vare as Democratic County Chair.

If you have a sweet tooth, Fishers is offering even more to satisfy you.  I just posted a story about the Parlor Donuts shop that just opened in Fishers.  Now, we have a new chocolate and ice cream store on the way, Kilwins.

The location will be in the Whistle Drive building currently under construction between Torchy’s Tacos and Bibibop in Fishers District.  Kilwins is expecting to open in the fall of this year.

The Kilwins news release says the brand “is famous for its assortment of hand-crafted chocolates, creamy, hand-paddled fudge, caramel apples, caramel corn and brittle, chocolate-dipped treats, and premium ice cream, all made with the finest ingredients. With a rich history dating back to 1947, Kilwins has been delighting communities with their irresistible confections for over 75 years.”

Mayor Scott Fadness even weighed-in on Kilwins coming to Fishers.

“We are delighted to welcome Kilwins to our vibrant and growing city,” Fadness said in the Kilwins news release. “Their commitment to quality, friendliness, and creating a
warm, inviting atmosphere aligns perfectly with Fishers’ values. We believe that Kilwins will quickly become a beloved destination for residents and visitors alike.”

Kilwins plans to allow customers to watch the products being made, in a way that old-fashioned confectionaries were designed.

How many know about the Robert Settlement? It was a group of African-American farmers that ran out of land in Rush County and headed to the frontier of northern Hamilton County during the first part of the 19th Century.  They settled in an area just outside of the present-day Town of Atlanta.  A building from that era is being preserved for a remembrance of that settlement.

That was one thing I learned when visiting the 16th Annual Black Heritage Celebration at Fishers High School Thursday night.  It was sponsored by the Future Black Leaders.

A booth from the Hamilton East Library spotlighted an African-American auto racing series held at a number of Indiana race tracks, including the legendary Winchester Speedway.  African Americans were not welcome in the racing of the early 20th Century, but there was a very popular series featuring some famous black drivers and racing teams.

There were many booths where one could learn more about local Black Heritage.  There were also booths featuring Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), along with black fraternities and sororities.

And, of course, there was music.  There was a good and diverse crowd on hand for the celebration.

Here are a few photos:

Hamilton County Democrats will caucus Saturday in Carmel to select a new county chair, and the 2 candidates are both former Fishers City Councilors.

Dayna Colbert, the outgoing Hamilton County Democratic Chair, tells LarryInFishers the candidates before the precinct officials in that caucus will be Jocelyn Vare and Crystal Neumann.  Both served one term on the Fishers City Council and both lost close races for re-election last year.

Dayna Colbert is leaving her position as Hamilton County Democratic Chair to take a staff position with the Indiana state Democratic Party at its Indianapolis headquarters.

Fishers Police are asking for the public’s help in investigating a fatal motorcycle accident last October 13th, on northbound Interstate 69 just north of E. 96th Street.  The crash claimed the life of the motorcyclist, Ronald Baxter, 61, from Fort Wayne.

This dark-colored Jeep Patriot (photo above) is a vehicle of interest in the investigation. If you recognize it or have further information on the crash, please call Lt. Kevin Kobli at 317-595-3300.

Fishers City  Councilor Cecilia Coble is serving her second stint as President of the Council.  One project dear to her is serving those in the Fishers community with disabilities.  She was key in fashioning a city ordinance creating a permanent city advisory committee on disabilities.

Councilor Coble, along with committee member Stacey Oldham, will be leading the activities during March, celebrating Disability Awareness Month.  The month-long list of activities include a number of community partners, including Old National Bank, Indy Fuel, HSE Schools, Fishers Arts Council, OneZone Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton East Public Library, and Fishers Parks.  Special Needs Living Magazine and Guardian Care are this year’s Platinum Sponsors..

“We are excited to add the Indy Fuel to the list of community partners for 2024 March Disability Awareness Month,” said Cecilia Coble, president of Fishers City Council and co-chair of the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability. “They are committed to working alongside the City of Fishers and the disability community to provide inclusive and accessible opportunities for all guests at the new Fishers Event Center.”

“Our theme is Fueled for the Future due to the many accommodations and programs that Fishers is putting in place for those with disabilities,” said Stacey Oldham, board member of the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability and keynote speaker at this year’s kickoff event. “The vision is not only for now, but far into the future. Our partnership with Indy Fuel is key. As an example, the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability, City of Fishers, and the Indy Fuel have worked together to ensure the new Fishers Event Center will be welcoming for all.”

The month gets underway with the March 1st kickoff at Launch Fishers.

Here is a full list of Disability Awareness Month activities, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers prepares for Disability Awareness Month in March →

The roundabout planned at 96th Street and Allisonville Road is on target to start construction in March of this year, providing weather does not get in the way.  The city engineering department provided that update as the Board of Works & Public Safety approved American Structurepoint to provide construction inspection services as the roundabout is built.

In 2013, the Town of Fishers rebuilt the intersection at 96th Street & Allisonville Road as a “Michigan Left,” requiring those wanting to do a traditional left turn to, instead, turn right and do a u-turn.  The Michigan Left has come under fire and will be replaced by a roundabout once construction is complete.

In one other item before the Board of Works Thursday morning:

The Fishers Farmers Market has a new handbook, providing guidance for vendors.  You can review the handbook at this link.  A total of 79 vendors have been approved for the 2024 Farmers Markets, held Saturday morning at the area between City Hall and the Nickel Plate Amphitheater.

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The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board has been conducting a superintendent search to replace Yvonne Stokes, since her resignation last September.  Board President Juanita Albright announced at the Wednesday meeting that the board has concluded its search “and a final superintendent candidate has been chosen.”

President Albright provided no indication when the name of the new superintendent will be announced or the projected report date.  She did reiterate information already announced that there will be a public hearing on the superintendent’s contract February 21 and a vote on that contract by the board February 28.

Matt Kegley has been acting superintendent since Stokes’ resignation.

In other items before the board Wednesday:

–There will be an increase in the fee charged to attend summer physical education classes.  The current fee is $135 and will increase to $160 per student this summer.  This fee is only charged for summer school PE.  Dr. Kegley told the board the $135 fee does not cover the cost of providing the class during the summer.

–The HSE Schools Foundation was featured under Snapshots of success.  The foundation provided a total $115,000 in grants to all 22 HSE School buildings.

–The board accepted a bid to provide wireless access in school facilities.  The $227,000 bid was below the projected cost.  The district will be eligible for a $90,000 E-Rate reimbursement later this year.

–The board heard a presentation on how some district schools will utilize a state grant of over $52,000 for a robotics program.

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.