Kurt Christian has spent about 8 months covering the “North of 96th” beat for the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ).  He admits it is a big area to cover, with all the activity in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis.

In the most recent print edition of the IBJ, Kurt takes a long, hard look at the cost of the State Road 37 reconstruction in Fishers.  He digs out numbers, talks to county and city officials and tries to understand why the cost of the project is rising.

Kurt Christian was kind enough to join me on a podcast.  You can listen here.

The Fishers High School football team has ended practice for this week after a report Wednesday that a member of the team tested positive for COVID-19.  “To further protect everyone, summer practices have been cancelled for the remainder of the week,” said HSE Spokesperson Emily Abbotts, in an e-mail response to LarryInFishers when asked about reports of a player testing positive.

The Tigers had been following IHSAA guidelines, practicing in small groups.  The players who worked out in a shared training group with the infected individual will be receiving more guidance from the athletic department in conjunction with the Fishers Health Department on next steps.

“Again, more steps may be taken to further protect/test the rest of the team members,” Abbotts said. “The Fishers Health Department will be advising us and our coaches.”

The Tigers are scheduled to open the regular season with a home game August 23rd against North Central.

As the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school board began its July 8th session, Board President Michelle Fullhart read a statement on behalf of the entire board about racism.  She cited an Instragram account, Black at HSE, which features a series of anonymous posts about what the writers describe as racist incidents during their experience as a student at HSE Schools.

“Student voice is a powerful thing,” the statement says. “We applaud our students who will not tolerate discrimination of any sort in our schools and are using the platform to advocate for change.”

The statement also refers to a petition submitted and signed by over 1,000 local residents asking that school officials “openly address the issue” of racism and “implement real change.”

The entire statement read at the school board meeting is below:

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On behalf of the board, I would like to address recent discussions that have taken place nationwide, as well as in our community and on social media concerning racism.  An Instagram account was created recently called Black at HSE where current students and alumni are anonymously sharing their experiences of racism they’ve felt while being in our schools.  Student voice is a powerful thing, and we applaud our students who will not tolerate discrimination of any sort in our schools and are using the platform to advocate for change.

We had students speak to the board about racism during the non-discrimination policy discussion last year and have had quite a bit of feedback  on the topic, as well.  A petition signed by over 1,000 people in our community was sent to us last week, advocating to more openly address this issue and take a stance to implement real change.  A few weeks ago our principals sent out heartfelt messages to their communities in support of an anti-racism agenda.  

We, as a district have been working on making this a priority over the past few years, beginning with the hiring of a Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera, who has been elevating this discussion and working with staff and students to bring about positive changes.  However, as board members, we must also do our part.

Next week the board will meet to discuss district goals for the coming school year, and this will be a topic.  We, as board members, must do everything we can to ensure that our schools have systems in place that promote anti-racism, equity and inclusion, and are welcome and safe places for our students and staff, and to hold those accountable who don’t live up to these ideals. It is our hope that we will have measurable goals for our schools on these topics and that they will bring about positive change for the coming school year and beyond.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Superintendent Allen Bourff spent most of Wednesday night’s school board meeting explaining the 21-page document on how schools will be reopened, but emphasized that plans could change in the days ahead.

The document says, “All students and staff are expected to wear a face covering,” but does not require the facial covering at all times.  There will be some times during the school day when masks may not be required, such as lunch or when a student may be in distress.

Guests allowed in the school buildings will be limited, some will not be allowed, some will, depending their purpose for entering the school building.

Dr. Bourff said he will be discussing with teachers a possible plan to use a special schedule at the two local high schools, having students be in the building either 2 or 3 days during the school week, but expected to use virtual learning when not physically at school.  Bourff added that meetings have been set with the local teachers association to talk about this idea, but nothing is final yet.

A school district survey revealed 10% of parents are asking for virtual learning only.  School officials plan to survey the staff for how many teachers would want to teach virtually.  Dr. Bourff says this virtual learning experience will be much different and more rigorous than the virtual learning used during the final weeks of the past school year.

Special provisions are being made for bus transportation, where face coverings will be expected.  School officials anticipate more parents dropping their students off at the school buildings, and Dr. Bourff asked for patience by motorists as the demand for drop-offs is expected to increase, creating longer lines and wait times.

Food service will be available, with hand washing beforehand required (as it had been before COVID-19).  Students will be wearing face coverings except while seated at the lunch table.

Dr. Bourff said all schools in Hamilton County, and some surrounding districts, have been consulting with each other and their respective public health departments in formulating reopening plans.

There are many more details in the 21-page reopening document, which you can access at this link.  But be aware these provisions are subject to constant change.

The school board approved a resolution Wednesday allowing the administration to handle the constant changes, and will review all changes with the board at the next regular board meeting.

It was a Sunday, March 29th, and I had made up my mind.  After 8 years of blogging about local government and schools, I decided it was time to bow out and blog about other things.  I was very sincere in that March 29th post.  So, why do I continue to blog?

I will cite three things that changed dramatically after March 29th.

First, I intended to concentrate my blog and podcasts to what is going on around the local arts scene, particularly in live theater and music.  As you know, COVID-19 reared its ugly head and most of the live theater and music venues are shut down for the time being.

Second, you are likely aware the crisis in local news coverage.  A good example is the Indianapolis Star.  With the largest health crisis facing our area in 100 years, 25% of the journalists at the Star were on unpaid furlough, due to the dramatic drop in advertising revenue.  That resulted in fewer journalists to cover it all, meaning Fishers received a lot less coverage compared to other parts of Central Indiana.

Thirdly, the death of George Floyd has raised the awareness of racial issues that have lurked below the surface of American life for a very, very long time.  When marches for racial justice were organized in Fishers, I made it a point to attend two of them, take photos and video, and let the rest of the community know what happened.

I have cut back on my work load.  Most government meetings are being held virtually, but even when face-to-face meetings resume, I do not intend to attend them in person.  Some are available via video and I can still blog post about them when the circumstances warrant.

I noted on March 29th I would continue to write commentaries about a variety of subjects.  That will continue.

So, the novel coronavirus and racial issues, along with the lack of anything to cover on the arts scene, has kept me posting about local news.  I am not sure how long this will last, but I am heartened by so many of you that have urged me on.  At the student march for racial justice at the Amphitheater, I ran across so many people who cheered the fact I was there taking pictures and shooting some video.

Again, the many kind comments I received March 29th about my past work was way beyond anything I could expect.  But father time is still around and I will celebrate my 69th birthday soon.  So, blogging in some form and podcasting will continue as long as my health holds out.

Drainage costs, change orders, relocating utility lines, buying land right-of-way and design costs – all that and more have resulted in an increase to the price tag of the State Road 37 renovation underway in Fishers.  What had originally been estimated to cost $124 million now appears to have risen to $171 million.  The project completion date has also been moved back to 2023.

Based on a story appearing in the latest edition of the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ), reporter Kurt Christian quotes Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness as saying he is “cautiously optimistic that, at the end of the day, it will not be” a $47 million overage.

However, County Commissioner Christine Altman is quoted in the story as saying she is not so optimistic about the budget outlook if the project stays with the current plan.

There is much more to this story, so I would encourage you to read reporter Christian’s work at this link.

Note that you may be limited on how many IBJ online stories you may access if you are not a subscriber.  I just renewed my subscription to the IBJ and would encourage you to subscribe to your local media.  For IBJ subscription information, use this link.

The decision by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb not to move to Stage 5 in COVID-19 recovery, but go to what he describes as Stage 4.5, has created changes in the plans for the two local high schools, Fishers & HSE.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools announced the changes Thursday.  Below is the text of the new guidance for the ceremonies from the HSE School District.

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In order to comply with the Indiana Executive Order 20-35 which states Indiana must refrain from fully transitioning to Stage 5 re-opening, we are altering our in-person graduation plans.

The graduation plan as of July 2, 2020 is as follows: 

• The previously announced ceremony at the football field has been replaced with a modified ceremony.
• A “graduation walk” will now be held over the course of two days, July 10 and July 11, in the auditorium.
• Graduates will be assigned a day (July 10 or July 11) and one hour time slot (between 8:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.) to receive their diploma.  Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate specific requests for date/time.

Attire for the event:

• Graduation gown
  Mortar board (cap) and tassel (wear on the right side)
  Class medallion (students will receive upon arrival)
  School issued honor cords (if applicable)
  Official HSE face covering (provided upon arrival at “graduation walk”) for graduates only.

More information:

• Graduates will be brought into the auditorium, one at a time, in groups of 45 per hour.
• Specific details of your student’s date and time slot, as well event procedures, will be provided no later than Monday evening, July 6.
• Immediate family members will be permitted to accompany the graduate when they receive their diploma.
• During the event, graduates and families will stay together until they enter the auditorium. Graduates will then walk to the stage to receive their diploma, will be instructed to change their tassel, and families will view the diploma presentation from a designated area in the auditorium.
• Families will be permitted to take photos and videos of their graduate as they walk across the stage.
• After receiving their diploma, a photographer will be available for a photo with the graduate and their family in a separate area designated for photos.
• A video of the commencement speeches and musical performances will be made available prior to the “graduation walk” for viewing. Students unable to participate in the “graduation walk” event may pick up their diplomas on July 9 from 2-5 p.m.
• All graduates and guests will be required to wear face coverings while on school grounds.
• All graduates and guests will be required to complete a health safety waiver.  The waiver information will be included in the Monday communication.
• Anyone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms as described by the Centers for Disease Control will not be permitted to attend the “graduation walk.”  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

As a reminder, information regarding your student’s assigned date and time as well as the health safely waiver, will be sent to you on Monday, July 6.

Please take time to read this important information regarding updated COVID-19 health concerns.

We appreciate your understanding as we continue to plan a safe and memorable experience for our seniors.

Hamilton County announced Thursday that work will begin at 106th & Mollenkopf Road on July 7th.  Below is the release from the county:

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Effective on or after Tuesday, July 7, 2020, the intersection of 106th Street and Mollenkopf Road will be under construction for an intersection improvement project. These improvements should last approximately 45 calendar days, tentatively wrapping up on or before Thursday, August 20, 2020.

Temporary lane restrictions may be in place with flaggers directing traffic. Please use caution while driving through this area.

We have plenty of news to report on the COVID-19 pandemic locally, as well as reporting of data and mask requirements.

First, the Fishers Health Department announced Thursday that more detailed information is now available on the total number of infections in the city and the number of deaths.  You can find the information at FishersRecovery.com.

As of 3:00pm July 2nd, 35 Fishers residents have died due to the novel coronavirus, with one death reported in the past 14 days.  The department says it has recorded 450 COVID-19 positive tests since the start of this pandemic, 55 of those reported in the past 14 days.

The mayor of Indianapolis, Joe Hogsett, announced masks will become mandatory in Marion County.  This is from a story on ibj.com written by Samm Quinn of the Indianapolis Business Journal:

Beginning July 9, face coverings will be required to be worn in indoor places where the public gathers, such as in office buildings and retail stores. They’ll also be required outdoors when it’s not possible to socially distance. Hogsett said the order won’t go into effect until July 9 to give residents time to get masks, but officials recommend residents who aren’t already wearing them start now.

It would appear “willful” offenders will be subject to fines, but as of this writing it is unclear how much the fine will cost offenders.

This means that 96th Street will be the line of demarcation on mandatory masks.  For example, if you visit Kohl’s south of 96th Street you will be required to don the mask.  If you are shopping at Fry’s Electronics north of 96th in Fishers, there will be no such requirement.

Then, the question arises, will Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness require mask wearing in Fishers similar to Hogsett’s decree in Indy?

I put that question to the city of Fishers, and here was the response:

“No decision has been made at this time.”

In other words, the answer is not “yes,” but it was not a solid “no” either.  This is something to watch in coming days.

An accident at I-16 & 106th street claimed the lives of two people Wednesday afternoon.

State Police released the following information, with an update providing the names of those fatally injured:

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The driver of the car who suffered fatal injuries in the crash was identified as 19 year old Marcus Padgett of Spencer Indiana. The passenger who suffered fatal injuries in the same vehicle was identified as 17 year old Elizabeth Robertson of Pendleton Indiana.

I-69 was reopened just after 11:00 p.m. The investigation into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

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Wednesday evening, at 5:38 p.m., emergency crews were called to the scene of a serious crash on I-69 southbound near 106th Street in Fishers. Senior Trooper Nick Klingkammer was close-by and arrived very quickly. He told dispatchers there were two unresponsive victims in one car and he was unable to gain access to render aid to them. The Fishers Fire Department quickly responded to the scene and hastily extricated both crash victims from the car. Despite life saving efforts, both the driver and passenger of the car were pronounced deceased at the scene. There was also a semi-tractor trailer involved in the collision, that driver was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

Preliminarily, investigators believe the driver of the passenger car swerved to avoid shredded tire debris in the roadway and lost control, the car spun into the path of the semi and was struck on the driver’s side. All lanes of I-69 remain closed as of 10:00 p.m. Neither Alcohol nor any other impairment is suspected as a contributing factor to this crash, however as state law requires blood tests for the drivers involved will be part of the investigation.

The driver of the semi is identified as 52 year old Anthony Manuel of Georgia.

The families of the deceased have been notified, however their identities are being withheld at this time to allow for proper notification to extended family.

The investigation into this crash is ongoing and there is no further information to release at this time.