The month of May, 2020, saw protests centered on racial equality throughout America.  I covered a couple here in Fishers.

In late May, there was a large demonstration in Iowa.  A reporter for the Des Moines Register, the largest newspaper in the state, was arrested while trying to cover the event.

The reporter’s name is Andrea Sahouri and her trial began today (Monday) in Iowa.

It should be noted that many reporters were arrested during demonstrations throughout the nation in 2020, but they were always released with charges dropped once it was confirmed that they were journalists simply covering the event.

However, In Sahouri’s case, the local prosecutor has pressed the charges anyway and here we are at trial.

According to the Associated Press, the case is resulted in international condemnation from free press advocates who say she was just doing her job.

From all the facts I have seen about this case, Andrea Sahouri was just doing her job, covering a demonstration.  I will be watching this trial closely.

Entering my tenth year as a volunteer news blogger in Fishers, I will admit openly that writing bad news stories takes its toll on a journalist.  Few of us will admit that, but it does.  When you are in the middle of reporting it may not be obvious, but once there is time for rest and reflection, the bad news sinks-in. That’s when reporters feel the emotions of very bad news.

I have been thinking about that very subject as we enter the one-year anniversary of covering the novel coronavirus.  For about a year, there has been little good news to report about COVID.  It has upended the lives of most people in Fishers and around the world.  Every time it appeared things were getting better, cases and deaths would once again spike.  It was scary seeing hospital patient populations swell to the point that you began to wonder if people with non-COVID health emergencies could be handled by an overburdened health care system.

I write this on March 7, 2021 when the news is once again looking up.  Things appear to be getting better.  I truly, truly want to believe we have turned a corner.

The availability of hospital beds in the area of Fishers has improved the past few weeks.  The Fishers Health Department has lowered the local risk level to Level 3, or orange, down from the highest (Level 4) we have been under for several months.  The numbers locally are improving.

The vaccine news is also good.  We have the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that are being administered.  The new Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine is ramping up production and being offered to teachers and school staff, paving the way for more in-person learning.

The experts I read and have talked with indicate all three vaccines may have minor differences, but they all have one thing in common – they keep you out of the hospital and do not threaten your life.  Once vaccinated, your chances of entering the hospital with COVID are about zero.  We can all celebrate that fact.

The announcement from President Joe Biden that there will be enough doses available to vaccinate all American adults by the end of May is nothing short of amazing, as long as that goal can be achieved.

So, it is with a great deal of joy that I can write this piece to celebrate the gains we have achieved in the past year.

At the risk of being a downer, I must remind everyone that this pandemic is not yet over.  In a recent podcast with Fishers Public Health Director Monica Heltz, she admits that health experts have no consensus as to why COVID numbers are improving.  It is too early for vaccinations to be the reason.  It could be that many of us have contracted COVID asymptomatically and never knew we had it, Heltz told me.  Those people have antibodies with immunity that could last a long as 90 days.  That could be one reason for the better numbers.

On the day that I write this, Indiana has reported 11 new deaths due to COVID.  Those are 11 families grieving the loss of a loved one only because of this pandemic.  Never forget that people continue to die, here and around the world.  New strains of the virus are worrisome signs that must be monitored.

But even with that, I feel very fortunate.  A man in his late 60s contracting coronavirus is in a medical danger zone.  I contracted COVID in late October last year (still a mystery as to how) and had what the medical experts describe as “mild symptoms.”  Well, compared to entering a hospital and dying, yes, my symptoms were mild but they were tough.

I had announced plans to end this news blog and continue blogging about live theater, movies and music.  To put it bluntly, writing about local news is hard work.  I had made the announcement as COVID was spreading.

The pandemic was such that I felt a responsibility to continue reporting on Fishers since the local media had lots of other work to do in a health crisis.  Then I contracted COVID.

When the virus has sucked all the energy out of your body, you have nothing else to do but think and reflect.  After days of contemplation, I made the decision to continue blogging about Fishers.  The changes in the news business have resulted in less local news nearly everywhere in America.  The least I can do is report on the community where I have resided for 30 years.

Reporting on good news is what I prefer.  And Fishers does have some good news.  We are seeing a massive development in the downtown area that should be largely completed later this year.  I have been led to believe there will be more economic development announcements in the coming months.  There is apparently a lot of interest in the now-vacant Fry’s building.

Here is yet another piece of good news.  Pending approval from city health officials, outdoor activities will be coming back!  The passage below is from an update the Parks Department will be giving the Arts Commission at the March 9th meeting:

Fishers Parks is planning a full summer of events, pending approval from the Fishers Health Department. Highlights include:

• Fishers Farmers’ Market: The in-person Fishers Farmers’ Market will return to the NPD AMP in May with socially distancing practices in place to keep residents and customers safe. Online ordering with home delivery will continue to be offered as well. New this year, Biz Kids booths will be incorporated into the market each week so that Fishers’ youngest entrepreneurs to have a presence throughout the entire summer.
• Summer Concerts at the AMP: Fishers Parks is currently booking talent for both free and ticketed shows this summer at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater. These concerts will be held following the same model as last summer, with socially distant seating, limited attendance, multiple sets, and other safety measures in place. Free Tuesday night family shows will be held in June and July, while free Friday night shows targeted to an adult audience will be in July and August. Several ticketed shows will also be held throughout the summer. Fishers Parks will also host their Wednesday lunchtime concerts on Central Green from June through August.
• Spark!Fishers: The Spark!Fishers festival will return in 2021 with a week-long event from August 24-28. Vendor and artisan applications are now open.

Will we have a more normal 2021 summer in Fishers?  The city is at least planning that way.

I am no health expert, I just read the experts and hope to learn from them.  The consensus is this – we still need to wear masks, socially distance, wash our hands and follow the other guidance in order to move to a more normal summer.  It is up to us, we are told, to allow the vaccine and our own behavior to bring us back to a form of normalcy.

Once again, it is largely up to us.  Frankly, I would much rather be reporting good news

This is election time for county political parties in Indiana, with the Hamilton County Republicans staying the course and Democrats bringing in a new team.

Laura Campbell, a member of the Carmel City Council,  remains the Hamilton County Republican Chair after a vote of precinct officials Saturday.  She was opposed by Paul Hevesy of Fishers.

Democrats knew there would be a new chairperson when Joe Weingarten announced he would not seek another term.  A team of officers ran as a slate, headed by Fishers resident Dayna Colbert, and all won election to take over the county party.  Kevin Patterson, who created the Carmel Democratic Club and other such clubs throughout the county, was also a candidate for the chairperson job.

Colbert is one of the youngest party chairs in the state at age 31 and is an African-American.

“I am humbled that the precinct chairs and vice chairs are placing their trust in myself, Ronnie, Sarah, and Al. We look forward to solidifying the Democratic presence here in Hamilton County.” Colbert said in a news release.  “This begins an exciting chapter for our county party as we aim to elevate leaders who are transparent, inclusive, diverse and committed to serving our communities.”

Rounding out the other elected officers for Hamilton County Democrats –  Ronnie Saunders of Westfield will serve as Vice Chair,  Sarah Russell Goddard of Noblesville as Secretary; and Al Moore of Carmel will be the party Treasurer.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

East-west highways will continue to be a major focus of the Hamilton County Highway Department during this construction season.

Highway Director Brad Davis says the 146th Street corridor across the county should be completed this year when the section from Towne Road to the Boone County Line is finished.

In the northern part of the county, work will continue on 236th Street, with the section from Deming Road to DeVaney Road scheduled for this year. Eventually the road will be rebuilt from Cicero to Sheridan.

Work also continues on 276th Street between State Road 19 and U.S. 31 to provide a better east-west corridor.

By the spring of next year, a new interchange, now underway, at State Road 37 and 146th Street should be completed. It is part of the county’s plan to make SR 37 a freeway without grade level intersections from Noblesville to Interstate 69.

The next interchange will be underway next year at 131st Street and SR 37.

Bridge improvements this year include a new deck for Carrigan Road over Morse Reservoir, now underway, and resurfacing of bridges at 116th Street over White River and 266th Street over Cicero Creek.

Most noticeable will be new resurfacing of nearly 40 miles of county roads and chip sealing of another 50 miles, Davis says.

One roundabout is planned for construction this year at 191st Street and Grassy Branch Road near Westfield.

This week, the highway department received word that the Department of Natural Resources has granted the county $1 million for building a section of the Steven Nation Trail. That grant will allow construction of the foot trail from Cicero to Koteewi Park at Strawtown.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

CARMEL – For the second consecutive year, the Carmel and Westfield boys basketball teams will battle it out for the Class 4A Sectional 8 championship.

The No. 2-ranked Greyhounds won the first of Friday’s semi-final games at the Eric Clark Activity Center, beating Hamilton Southeastern 46-33. In the second semi-final, the Shamrocks held off a late push by Noblesville to win a wild 81-74 contest.

DEFENSE AND DUNKS
The Greyhounds put together another solid defensive performance on Friday. Carmel began to pull away late in the first quarter after battling the Royals for most of that first period, then used a second-quarter run to build a lead that it maintained in the second half.

The ‘Hounds also threw in some fireworks as well, making five dunks. The first one was by Charlie Williams, and his dunk gave Carmel a 7-4 lead. Not to be outdone, Southeastern’s Dalton Retzner threw down his own dunk, then Vinny Buccilla made a floater to put the Royals up 8-7.

That was to be HSE’s only lead of the game, as the Greyhounds went on a 7-0 run that stretched into the second quarter. Peter Suder and Connor Gioia made layins to finish the first quarter, then Suder scored to open the second. Brian Waddell put down a dunk to finish the run.

“I think defensively we did a good job,” said Carmel coach Ryan Osborn. “The kids carried out a good game plan. They locked in. They made shots difficult, limited some offensive rebounds.”

Retzner stopped that run with two free throws, but Carmel ended the half with a 9-2 stretch to take a 24-12 lead into halftime. Josh Whack scored five points, making two free throws and a 3-pointer.

“Trying to play from behind against them is always tough,” said Royals coach Brian Satterfield. “I got to give our guys a lot of credit. They came out here and they battled, they played hard. But Carmel’s a great team. Coach Osborn does a great job. They’re ranked where they are for a reason.”

The Greyhounds kept their lead at 10 points or above for most of the second half. There were two times the Royals got within nine, starting with the third quarter when Alex Totton hit a jump shot to get Southeastern within 25-16. Carmel responded with a 9-1 run; Waddell scored seven of those points with a triple, another dunk and a layin.

That pattern repeated itself in the fourth quarter. Jason Stutz nailed a 3 to cut the Greyhounds’ lead to 40-31 with four minutes left. But Carmel clinched the game with a 6-0 run: Suder and Whack both made two foul shots, sandwiched in between Waddell’s third dunk of the night. With that, the Greyhounds improved to 21-2 and were back in the sectional final.

“Just an opportunity to play in the championship game, you got to celebrate that,” said Osborn. “I’m proud of the kids for sticking with what we do.”

Waddell scored 13 points to lead Carmel, with Suder scoring 11 and collecting eight rebounds. Williams, who had two dunks in the game, also blocked three shots.

Buccilla scored eight points to lead the Royals, who finished their season at 12-11. Retzner added seven points and pulled four rebounds, while Sam Jacobs handed out four assists. Buccilla and Retzner are seniors, along with Stutz, Totton, Isaac Bowman, Mohammed Awad and John McCall.

For the seniors, Satterfield said, “I commend them for what they did in terms of the leadership of helping everybody stay connected and doing everything that we wanted to do.”

“It’s a group that has led things the right way and hopefully that gets passed along to the leaders that are going to take over next year,” said Satterfield.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board started the process with 6 candidates for  superintendent, interviewing them all virtually.  According to Board President Janet Pritchett, the board narrowed the list to 3 with second interviews each, all in-person.

The board is now down to two potential new superintendents, Pritchett tells LarryInFishers.  She describes the selection process as “behind schedule,” but is “trying hard” to meet the goal of introducing the new superintendent at the March 24th board meeting, where board members would officially vote to hire the new school district leader.

The consulting firm hired to conduct the search held focus groups with members of the school community, and that data was used in selecting the six finalists.  Pritchett said this process “cast a wide net” of candidates.

Prtichett reaffirmed  a statement made at an earlier board meeting that she is pleased with the quality of the finalists for superintendent.

Board President Pritchett would not comment further on the two finalists for the job of leading the HSE School District.

The current HSE Superintendent, Allen Bourff, has announced his intention to retire at the end of June this year.

The Fishers Health Department has issued its weekly update, with some information already released and other important reminders.

Here is the update, as provided by the city:

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Fishers Metrics Review As cases continue to decline, Fishers has now been downgraded to Risk Level 3, or Orange. This is great news and shows the diligence residents have been taking to mask up, sanitize, and distance. View the full review of metrics. Also, Fishers Health Department’s new public health orders go into effect March 8, and will require approval for any events or gatherings of 50+ people and maintain the mask mandate for ages 5+.
		UPDATE: Ages 50+ Eligible for Vaccines Individuals ages 50 years and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of underlying medical conditions. Vaccination clinic hours are by appointment only and can be made here for eligible individuals only. You are able to schedule your vaccination appointment at the Mass Vaccination Site or at any vaccination site in Indiana. New appointments continue to open up, so check back frequently. Currently, only Indiana residents can get a vaccine from an Indiana vaccine clinic. If you need assistance scheduling, please call the Fishers COVID Hotline at 317-595-3211 or call 2-1-1. Family members may schedule on behalf of eligible individuals. There is no charge for the vaccine. All persons receiving the vaccine will need valid ID or other proof of meeting eligibility criteria.
		Additional Groups Now Eligible for Vaccine Veterans The VA is now offering COVID-19 vaccination to enrolled Veteran patients 18+ at the Indianapolis VA Medical Center. Enrolled Veteran patients can call (317) 988-4899 to schedule their appointment(s). Veterans who are not enrolled or do not currently receive care at VA can visit VA’s eligibility web page to learn more. In partnership with the Federal government’s Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, educators now have access to vaccinations through three retail pharmacies. Teachers Educators 50+ remain eligible through local health department vaccination sites through ourshot.in.gov or 2-1-1. At this time, educators younger than 50 years of age must register through the retail pharmacy websites, NOT through the ourshot.in.gov website or 2-1-1. Meijer Walmart Kroger Individuals with Medical Conditions Supply of vaccine is limited but will soon be available to those with certain medical conditions that place them more at risk than others of becoming severely ill if infected with COVID-19. You will need to contact your healthcare provider to enter you in the system to sign up for vaccine and to ensure your medications won’t interfere with the vaccine. Initial groups of patients include: Active dialysis patients Sickle cell disease patients Down syndrome Post-solid organ transplant People who are actively in treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, surgery) for cancer now or in the last three months, or with active primary lung cancer or active hematologic cancers; lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma
		Travel Precautions Florida is currently the state with the highest amount of the UK/B117 strain circulating. If you are planning any vacation or trips, please use caution, follow safety measures, and consider a revision of any travel/vacation plans. If you have international travel plans, you are advised to quarantine, you may need to symptom monitor, and you will need a test to get back in the country.
		COVID-19 Vaccine Standby List Once you complete the COVID-19 Vaccine Interest Form, eligible individuals will be added to the standby list to receive the vaccine. Non-eligible individuals will continue to receive updates and communication on when you are eligible to receive the vaccine.
		Vaccination Site Volunteers Needed The Fishers Health Department is looking for volunteers to join the effort in vaccinating our community against COVID at our vaccination site. This is a temporary, volunteer position. Learn more and apply.

There is road construction news in Fishers, particularly if you utilize the intersection of 135th Street and State Road 37.   The SR 37 northbound right turn lane is closed and will be as construction continues at the intersection at 131st Street.  See details below.

For the details on the latest road construction areas in and around Fishers, see the listing below, as provided by the City of Fishers:

The Golden Globe Awards have been handed out and we await the mid-March announcement of the Academy Award nominees.  One film that won honors at the Golden Globes was Nomadland and our trio of commentators provide views on that film.  There is also a discussion on how to handle racially insensitive films from the past.  Finally, Adam, Alec & Larry talk about how films may emerge in the post-pandemic America.

Here is the March 5, 2021 edition of the Grade A Movies Podcast, featuring Adam Aasen, Alec Toombs & Larry Lannan.