Victims of domestic violence and other violent acts have an advocate in Hamilton County.  Prevail, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Noblesville, provides a wide variety of services to these victims.

I spoke with Prevail’s Executive Director, Susan Ferguson, and Primary Prevention Specialist Sara Roorbach, during the afternoon of Monday, June 14th.

The Spark Fishers Festival was one of many casualties to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.  In 2021, the summer event is back and city officials say it is even bigger than the celebration of 2 years ago.

I spoke with Mayor Scott Fadness and Stephanie Perry of the city communications department in a podcast recorded last Thursday about Spark and other summer events.  The podcast can be heard at this link.

For more details on the plans for the 2021 Spark Fishers Festival, see the listing below provided by the City of Fishers.

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I knew last Thursday morning was going to be a bit difficult for an old (generally) retired guy like me.  The local school board had a meeting Wednesday night that would likely go a little later than normal (it did) and Mayor Scott Fadness agreed to record a podcast early the following morning with Stephanie Perry of his communications staff.  The idea was to talk about the rebirth of activities with human beings together this summer in our fair city.

Then I received a message late Wednesday asking if I could report to City Hall even earlier so the mayor could provide a tour for me of the Nickel Plate Trail tunnel construction underneath 116th Street.  As most of you know by now, 116th at the trail is closed until at least the end of July to construct the tunnel.

Rising even earlier Thursday morning did not seem very appealing to me at first, but who can so no to the mayor when he makes an offer like that?  So, I said yes.

We did record the podcast Thursday (listen at this link).  Before the recording session, I donned my hard hat and descended into the construction area that is the Nickel Plate Trail tunnel.

The construction crew told me the entire area is immersed in gravel, so rain and water does not create mud that would get in the way of the project.  Heading downward, I saw an area that will feature steps on the east side of the tunnel.

What struck me the most was the size of this tunnel.  Most tunnels I have experienced are quite narrow in scope.  Based on the proportions I could see, this will be a fairly large tunnel.

Construction crews are working 6am to 6pm six days a week (Sundays off) in order to complete the construction on time.  I saw the construction crew working well in tandem to continue the work.

I did take some photos, but will not include them here for reasons I will not get into.  Suffice it to say the workers were busy.  It is still hard to visualize how the tunnel will look once it is complete.

The closure of 116th Street is difficult for any of us traversing that area regularly.  But all the businesses in the area are still open and can be accessed without much trouble through the construction.

Will all this inconvenience pay off once the tunnel construction is done?  We will know once the tunnel is open for all to see.

It has been a busy week for yours truly.  Because I am a volunteer news blogger I am sometimes a bit behind, so this is one example.  Fishers hit a very important point this past week – the city has a Community Risk level for COVID-19 down to a moderate level and it is on a good trajectory downward.

What that means is the vaccination rates we have seen locally have contributed to a safer COVID environment for all of us living in the city of Fishers.

I know Mayor Scott Fadness was attacked politically for creating a city health department more than one year ago, a move that is rare in the state of Indiana.  But the mayor saw a serious health risk to his population and acted in creating his own health operation.

The lowering of the risk would appear to be data indicating the creation of the Fishers Health Department was a good idea.  Health departments do a lot more than provide COVID vaccinations and testing and the local department has been working to get all that up and running the past year or so.

It should be noted that the COVID pandemic is at lower risk of spreading locally as things stand now, but the pandemic is not over, based on what I am reading from health experts.  My recommendation is to get a vaccination, not just for your sake, but for those close to you.

by

Richie Hall 

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

KOKOMO – Even after trailing the entire game, the Fishers baseball team never stopped believing it could win.

The Tigers were stuck behind Munster for almost six innings Saturday at the
Class 4A Kokomo semi-state at Kokomo Municipal Stadium. But Fishers kept battling, almost as if the team was living up to its nickname – just waiting for the right
time to pounce.

The Tigers did that in the bottom of the sixth inning, nailing back-to-back RBI singles to take the lead. Fishers then took care of the Mustangs three up, three down in the top of the seventh, and the Tigers were celebrating a 3-2 semi-state championship win, sending them back to the state finals.

Fishers will play Jasper at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22 at Victory Field in the 4A state championship game. It will be the second time the Tigers play in the state finals. The first time was in 2018, when Fishers beat Cathedral for the big trophy.

“These guys have taught me that they’re just never out of it,” said Fishers coach Matt Cherry. “We had chances early. We didn’t get a runner in with a guy on third and less than two outs. It was getting a little tight, but these guys, all year long, have just never quit. They just keep doing it. They taught me that just to keep fighting no matter what.”

“We never stopped believing,” said junior Zach Cox, who hit the game-winning RBI. He was at Victory Field in 2018 as an eighth-grader, watching the Tigers win state. Now he will get to be on the field.

“That’s one thing we always rely on is believing,” said Cox. “We always have each other’s backs and we had each other’s backs and we got the job done.”

Munster scored both of its runs in the top of the first inning. Denham Kozy batted in the first run, with a sacrifice fly to score Ben Greiner. Later, Bryce Schaum’s base hit sent Brady Ginaven home.

The Tigers cut into the Mustangs’ lead in the second inning. Zach Cox singled
on to base, moved to second on Gavin Clayton’s single, then scored when Carson Dunn reached on error. The score was now 2-1, and it would stay there for a while.

Fishers changed that in the sixth inning. Caulin Brown got on base with a hit, then Matt Bryant came in to run for him. Bryant stole second base, and that him in scoring position.

Jack Braun came up with one out and hit a single to send Bryant home. Braun moved over to second on a throw, and now he was in scoring position. That to send Braun home.

“We finally got a leadoff guy on,” said Cherry. “We hadn’t got a leadoff guy on all game. He hit that single to right to get a leadoff guy on. Huge credit to Matt Bryant, stealing second to get in scoring position. And then Jack Braun just battled.”

Braun had the count at 2-2, also fouling off an extra strike before getting his single, which Cherry called a huge “senior moment.” Cox’s big hit was a good one, too; it was his second of the game.

“He didn’t hit in the sectional, and we put him back in the lineup in the regional and he gets the game-winning RBI up the middle,” said Cherry.

Fishers had the lead, and was now three outs away for a return to state. The Tigers made those three outs drama-free, as Munster flew out to the outfield for the first two outs, then Tate Warner took care of business with a strikeout to end the game.

“Tate was awesome,” said Cherry. “He’s a competitor, man. He’s a warrior.”

After a rough start, Warner pitched outstanding. While he gave up three hits in the first inning, Warner only allowed one hit for the remainder of the game. He finished with five strikeouts and only one walk.

“We adjusted our game plan a little bit,” said Cherry. “We went more offspeed to start him out and just kind of pitching backwards. His changeup was effective early in the count and then his slider was working.”

Warner was also backed up by the Tigers’ solid defense. A prime example of
that was third baseman Gavin Clayton, who fielded six balls for groundouts. In
fact, at one point he made three consecutive outs, getting the third one in the fifth
inning and the first two in the sixth.

“I’m just always ready,” said Clayton. He paid attention to the Mustangs batters’
tendencies during the game. “The leadoff batter hit it to me first, so I was always ready when he came up to bat,” said Clayton. “And then later in the game, I think the third batter, he hit a rocket to me and then later in the game, he hit another one to me. So I was ready
for that one.”

“He started the year on JV and he was on our varsity roster, but he’s playing JV
and dressing with us,” said Cherry. “We finally got to the point about mid-April,
end of April that we just inserted him at third because he’s got really good hands
defensively. He’s played a great third base. He’s had some big hits for us this
tournament.”

The Tigers are 23-12 for the season.

(Here are more photos of the semi-state game at Kokomo, from the Hamilton County Reporter)

Continue reading Comeback Tigers are state bound again – Consecutive sixth-inning RBI singles send Fishers past Munster →

A new fire station on the northeast side of Fishers is one step closer to happening following action Wednesday night by the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board.  The school district is agreeing to transfer 3 acres of land to the city at 136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road for the fire facility.

In exchange, The City of Fishers agrees to partner with HSE Schools to provide “experiential” learning programs for elementary students at city facilities, such as the AgriPark, Ritchey Woods and the new Hub & Spoke complex.  The city agrees to fund 2 teaching positions for these programs, 100% in the first year and 50% the second year, while the school corporation agrees to fund the third year of the program.

A resident of the nearby Britton Falls neighborhood spoke in favor of the proposal, because Britton Falls has been urging the city to build a fire station in that area for some time.

The school board voted unanimously to approve the memorandum of understanding.

Attorney David Day, representing the school district in the talks with the city, says Fishers officials have told him construction on the fire station could begin this fall.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety is scheduled to vote on a design and construction management agreement Tuesday afternoon with Delv Design Studio and BW Construction for the fire station project.

The road work listing in and around Fishers as of June 11th is a long one.  116th Street remains closed at the Nickel Plate Trail downtown through the end of July.  State Road 37 construction continues, plus there are many street resurfacing job happening around Fishers.

Here is the listing, as provided by the City of Fishers”

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STATE ROAD 37 AND 146TH STREET
All left-turn lanes are currently restricted on SR 37 and on 146th Street with traffic moved to the interior lanes. Thru traffic and right turns on SR 37 and 146th Street will remain open. Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes for all left turn access. View an alternate route map here. 

Northbound and Southbound SR 37 is currently restricted to one lane in each direction, North of 146th Street. This restriction will be in place for approximately 2-3 weeks, as work progresses at this interchange.

There is currently a single lane closure for Northbound Herriman Blvd. between 146th Street and the Circle K/Shell gas station driveway and is anticipated to reopen in June.

STATE ROAD 37 AND 131ST / 135TH STREETS
The westside of 131st Street at SR 37 is currently closed as work progresses on the interchange. SR 37 will remain open both north and southbound. SR 37 southbound left and right turns onto 131st Street will be restricted. Westbound left turns onto SR 37 will also be restricted on 131st Street. View the detour map here.

The Northbound SR 37 right turn lane onto 135th Street is currently closed from 131st Street to approximately halfway to 135th Street for Phase 1 construction. This portion of the dedicated turn lane will not reopen to regular capacity until the interchange is complete.

Please drive with caution through this area. To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com.

The City of Fishers started construction on the Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian tunnel beneath 116th Street on Tuesday, June 1. The closure is anticipated to last 60 days. During the construction, 116th Street will be closed from east of Municipal Drive to west of Maple Street. All local business and public parking access will remain open.

106th Street will serve as the detour route, with the detour beginning at Hague Road for eastbound thru traffic and Lantern Road for the westbound thru traffic.

Portions of the Nickel Plate Trail are now open, including the paved portion from 131st Street to North Street, and from South Street to 106th Street. The 116^th Street tunnel will complete the trail connection through downtown Fishers, joining South Street and North Street, and establishing a full connection from 131^st Street to 106^th Street. While the tunnel is under construction, a pedestrian detour route will provide access through downtown between the north and south sections of the trail. View the pedestrian detour map here.

To learn more about the project, view construction images and project renderings, and find detour maps, visit https://www.playfishers.com/284/Nickel-Plate-Trail

On Wednesday, June 16 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., DPW will be cutting back vegetation overgrowing paved portions of the Nickel Plate Trail. For safety reasons, it is necessary to close segments of the trail in 1-hour increments while work is completed. Closures will include: 106th Street to Fishers Pointe Blvd., Fishers Pointe Blvd. to South Street, Lantern Road to 126th Street and 126th Street to 131st Street.

Beginning on Monday, June 14 at 6 a.m., Eastbound 116th Street between Cumberland Road and Hoosier Road will be closed as DPW performs joint repairs and is anticipated to reopen on Thursday, June 17 by 6 a.m. The official detour route will direct drivers to use Cumberland Road to 126th Street to Hoosier Road to 116th Street. View the detour map here.

Beginning on Friday, June 18 at 6 a.m., Westbound 116th Street between Hoosier Road and Cumberland Road will be closed as DPW performs joint repairs and is anticipated to reopen on Saturday, June 19 by 6 a.m. The official detour route will direct drivers to sue Hoosier Road to 126th Street to Cumberland Road to 116th Street. View the detour map here.

Beginning on/after Wednesday, June 16, Promise Road will be closed just North of the entrance to Sedona (Chandler Way) between 136th Street and 141st Street for utility repair work and is anticipated to reopen on Friday, June 18. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained. Work is weather permitting. View the detour map here.

Indianapolis DPW currently has Admirals Pointe Drive closed through midsummer 2021 to replace the timber bridge over Geist and the north fork of Dry Branch. The detour will consist of Old Stone Dr. East to Carroll Rd. / 700 W., South to E. 79th St., West to Oaklandon Rd.

ADA ramp and curb reconstruction has started as part of the 2021 Resurfacing Project. After ADA ramp and curb reconstruction is completed, those areas will be restored with topsoil andRoad seed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to water the seed for the seed to germinate. Prior to road resurfacing, residents will be notified via street signage for street parking restrictions.

When Dr. Allen Bourff took his turn on the school board agenda Wednesday night, it started out as a normal update about Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools.  He thanked everyone involved in the “nearly flawless” high school graduation ceremonies held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum.  He explained how the district is trying to “celebrate” the many successes and strides toward life goals among the student population.

But this was not a normal board meeting for Dr. Bourff.  There will be one more board session later in June, but he will not attend.  Allen Bourff is retiring at the end of this month.  June 9th was Allen Bourff’s final HSE School Board meeting.

He counted about 720 school board meetings during his time as a school administrator.  He has signed about 18,000 graduation certificates in his career.  He has worked with 44 board members.

“Thank you to the parents who have entrusted their kids to the school districts where I have been,” Bourff said.  He also complimented the many parents that  spoke at the Wednesday board meeting, many critical of board policies.  “I know you are here for your children…I appreciate that.”

In a previous podcast interview with LarryInFishers, Dr. Bourff said he and his wife plan to remain Fishers residents once his retirement is official in July.

A new York City setting for a film musical is nothing new.  But “In The Heights” takes cinematic dancing, singing and storytelling to a new level.

Here is my review.

The construction of Deer Creek Elementary School is moving along, but there are some issues that Harry Delks, Facilities Director for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools, explained to the school board Wednesday night.

This school building will be within the city boundaries of Noblesville.  Other HSE Schools, other than Durbin Elementary (which Deer Creek is replacing) are located in the city of Fishers.

According to Delks, Noblesville would not issue the required permits to begin construction on Deer Creek Elementary unless HSE Schools agreed to foot the bill for Duke Entergy power line & pole relocations.  The City of Noblesville plans to expand Boden Road in the future and wants the poles & lines relocated in anticipation of that project.

Delks says he is hoping the cost of the relocation will be in the range of $400,000 to $500,000.  If an unforeseen emergency were to happen, such as a tornado outbreak where Duke would need to send their own crews to respond, the project would be outsourced and could cost as much as $1 million.

HSE Schools agreed to pay for the Duke relocations because Noblesville would not approve the necessary permits without that assurance.  “We really had no choice,” Delks told the school board.

Mike Holtkamp of the Hagerman Group told the board the Deer Creek building project is currently on budget.  However, the expense of moving the Duke poles & lines was not included in the original budget.

“There has been work from the team to make sure that this comes in under budget,” said HSE Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff. “In order to do so, we’ve had to adjust our design plans…it’s still going to be a beautiful building.”

Holtkamp told board members the school district is fortunate that Deer Creek’s construction began early enough that it has not been plagued by construction material price hikes and shortages other projects are experiencing.