“COVID-19 is still spreading within the community, at a much lower rate than what it was previously back in the large winter surge we saw in November, December, in the beginning of January.”

That’s the word from Fishers Health Department Epidemiologist Josh Robinson in his weekly COVID-19 video update.  The Fishers Community Risk Level remains at a 3 on a scale of 4 and has remained steady in recent weeks.

According to Robinson, the latest numbers verify that COVID-19 continues to spread within the Fishers area.

The Hamilton County percent positivity rate is at 8.4% as of Tuesday morning.  The Fishers percent positivity rate is 7.7%.  The case incidents rate stands at 27.98.  Robinson says these numbers have increased over the past few weeks.

Robinson asks local residents to continue taking precautions to slow the spread of the virus.  That includes wearing a mask outside your own household, social distancing and washing your hands regularly.

“There have been a lot of projections coming out lately, showing a slight increase in cases across various localities in the U.S.,” Robinson said.  “There (are) also other projections that these increases may continue for a few weeks and then eventually start to decline again in April.”

The Fishers Health Department plans to keep a close eye on local COVID numbers.

Fishers health officials say the availability of testing remains good, with testing appointments available within two days and results ready in two days or less.  Contact tracing is also staying current.

Hospital availability in the counties surrounding Marion, including Hamilton, remains good.

If you need to schedule a COVID vaccination or a COVID test, call 317-595-3211.

To access Josh Robinson’s entire video update posted Tuesday night, use this link.

I am dating myself when quoting the old TV series “Hill Street Blues,” which aired from 1981 through 1987.  At the beginning of most episodes, a character named Phllip Esterhaus (replaced later after the death of actor Michael Conrad who originally played the part) provides a summary to the assembled officers prepared to start their shift on the busy and dangerous city streets.  As Esterhause ends his rundown, he always looked out over the roomful of police and said, “Hey, let’s be careful out there.”

What was true in a fictional police TV series in the 1980s is still true today, but for different reasons.

Our  local Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools are on spring break.  After more that a year dealing with COVID and all that goes with a pandemic of a very contagious and life-threatening disease, everyone badly needs that break.

Vaccinations are increasing at a rapid rate.  I am scheduled for my second injection Friday.

But as many families return from the break and prepare to return, this is where we all need to be extra careful.  I would hope all returning to the Fishers area find a way to get a COVID test.  When traveling, the chances of being infected grow.

HSE Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff says that even though junior high school students will be able to attend in-person classes 4 days per week once returning from the break Monday, April 12, school officials reserve the right to close individual school buildings if COVID outbreaks are detected.

There is a danger that the success of the COVID vaccination program will bring a false sense of security.  This virus is still around and variants are out there that could spread if infections continue.

Look at the state of Michigan, just to our north.  Residents there are seeing a spike in positive cases even though vaccinations continue.  One health professional there says there are more variants spreading there and that has contributed to the COVID infection rate going up.

You can also look at the South American nation, Chile.  One-third of its population of 18 million has already been COVID vaccinated, yet cases have increased to the point of overwhelming the Chilean health system and strict lockdown measures are back in place there.

Why has Chile seen their COVID cases soar?  British newspaper The Guardian reported this:

The speedy vaccination programme appears to have instilled a false sense of security that led the country to ease restrictions too soon without people appreciating the ongoing risks. The country reopened its borders in November and in January introduced permits for Chileans to go on summer holiday. Without strict controls on people entering the country, and the lack of an efficient contact-tracing system, travellers may have brought infections back into the country that were not picked up. 

The last thing we want to see is the “false sense of security” that created the COVID spike in Chile.  These vaccines are nothing short of a medical miracle, made possible by the urgent need of the pandemic and the amazing technology available to medical science now.

So, I know some of you follow this blog as you travel on your spring break vacation, and I sincerely hope you all have a wonderful time.  Just allow me this reminder.

“Hey, be careful out there.”

For many years, Fishers had no long-term, strategic plan.  Not long after converting from a town to a city, Fishers spent months formulating the 2040 plan, the new blueprint for the city’s future.

That 2040 plan is due for a review and city officials are inviting the public to be a part of that review.  Since the pandemic is not yet over, two virtual meetings are on the calendar.

The first virtual open house for public comment is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21, 6pm.  You can register at this link.

The second open house is set for Thursday, May 6, at 7pm.  Register for that session at this link.

Here is what the city has to say about the process.

The Fishers 2040 comprehensive plan lays out a roadmap of how we reach that vision. The plan is structured around a vision that takes a holistic view of the future of Fishers, including topics such as future land use, quality of life, parks and open space, transportation, and housing. By analyzing all aspects of the city government, we can produce a comprehensive, strategic, and sustainable approach to future decision-making that will lead to a higher quality of life for Fishers residents.

We may not know the name of the new Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools Superintendent yet, but we do know the provisions in that person’s contract with the district.

April 22 is the date we have been given for the announcement of the individual set to replace retiring superintendent of schools Allen Bourff.  But the school  board will be holding a public hearing and voting on the new superintendent’s contract before we know anything about the individual to be hired.

I understand the school board’s desire to have the pact in place as the new superintendent enters the job, but it is hard for the public to comment on a contract for the head of our local public schools when we have no idea of that person’s background and experience.

The compensation package for the newly-selected superintendent will be slightly lower that the current contract with Allen Bourff.

The contract spans three years, includes an annual salary of $180,000 and has many other benefits listed.

Here is the public notice published by the school district with the contract provisions of the new HSE Schools superintendent:

Continue reading No announcement yet on new HSE supt, but contract is up for a vote →

The Fishers Arts Council is set for the 12th annual Senior Showcase at Fishers City Hall, featuring works of art from seniors at Fishers and HSE High Schools.  A free public reception is set for Friday, April 16th, from 6:00pm to 7:15pm, followed by the Awards Ceremony at 7:30pm.

This will be an in-person reception, but COVID protocols will be in place. Facial coverings are mandated as is social distancing.

The award winners this year will receive scholarships totaling $2000. The categories are – Best of Show ($500), First ($250), Second ($150) and Third Place ($100) in the categories of Drawing, Photography and Painting/Mixed Media.

The artwork will be on display at Fishers City Hall from April 4th thru April 29th, with the gallery open daily from 8:30am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday.

Jesse Kramer, Director of Exhibits at Conner Prairie will be the judge. The artwork for the exhibit was selected by Jasmine Osborne, Chair, Visual Arts Department, Chair, Visual Arts Department, Fishers High School and Angela Fritz, Chair, Visual Arts Department, Hamilton Southeastern High School along with art department teachers Danielle Ontiveros and Lisa Brown.

The corporate sponsor for the exhibit is Star Bank.

The artwork shown in this post are from last year’s event.

Fishers Student Karissa Stiner

The American Rescue Plan (ARP), the $1.9 trillion in spending recently enacted by Congress, provides local governments money, and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness says his city is receiving $19.8 million.  The mayor wants to work with his city council on how the funds should be spent.

According to Fadness, there are some restrictions in the federal law as to how the money can be spent and he wants to sift through all the provisions before working with council members on spending the cash.

“We are in a very good financial position, so Fishers will not need to use this money to plug holes in our budget,” Fadness tells LarryInFishers.

According to national news reports, the local ARP money must be spent by the end of 2024 on certain projects, including:

–reimbursement and expenses related to the coronavirus pandemic

–grants to assist small businesses, nonprofits and industries impacted by the pandemic.

–water, sewer and broadband projects

All ARP funds must be spent by the end of 2024 and the money cannot be used to lower taxes or to pay into municipal pension funds.

I have been experimenting with recording my podcasts on both audio and video.  I have this podcast available as audio only but have added this video version if you prefer it.

Let me know if you like, or dislike, my video versions of the LarryInFishers.com podcasts

This is the video of my podcast with Jason Taylor and Hatem Mekky of the Fishers Engineering Department.

Ever since moving to Fishers in 1991, municipal officials have always advised local motorists to be patient as road construction is ongoing.  Some things never change.

In this podcast with Jason Taylor, Director of Engineering for the City of Fishers, and Hatem Mekky, the Assistant Director, both ask for your patience as we enter the road construction season in 2021.

We discuss State Road 37, the status of the Nickel Plate Trail and a number of other subjects in this podcast.

HBO has offered-up three documentary films on contemporary issues that looked quite promising to me.  The first deals with the impact of COVID on American sports.  The second looks into the fascination many Americans have with a thing called Q-anon.  Finally a cruise ship is the first one hit with a COVID outbreak early in the pandemic and the film uses amateur phone videos to tell the story.

Sadly, only one of the three would be recommended by me.  Here is the review podcast.