Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has been working on responses to the COVID-19 virus outbreak.  The mayor announced at a city council meeting that the third phase of the city’s response to the virus will be released later this week.  Also, the city has started the process of approving a 10-year property tax abatement for Knowledge Services to locate its headquarters in Fishers.  For that and more, here is Larry’s Log:

There has been a lot said and written about the protests staged in several states, including Indiana, in the past few days, protesting the stay at home orders and business closings due to the spread of coronavirus.  The protesters want to start working again in their shut-down industries.

The health experts that specialize in epidemiology are clear that we must practice social distancing or death rates from the novel coronavirus will spike upward.  Those involved in the protests say they just need to work and start bringing in money now.

I have seen much heavy criticism of these protests, particularly the Saturday demonstration at the Indiana Governor’s residence on the north side of Indianapolis.  Those protesting were very close together with few wearing masks.

In politics and public policy, fear can be a key emotion.  Fear can dictate how one advocates for or against public policy and can greatly influence how you vote in an election.  When you can no longer work and money stops coming into your family, fear becomes a very real thing.

Just talk to people involved in food banks.  They have never been so overwhelmed.  Those groups are helping people that have never needed food assistance and never imagined they ever would need such help.

As human beings, we are all in this together.  I have seen one argument that “being in this together” does not mean we are all in the same boat.  Some of us are not working, or working fewer hours.  Some of us continue to work, either out of our homes or as essential employees.

I understand the fear I am seeing, but we all must do whatever we can to stop the spread of this virus.  Because people without symptoms can contract the virus and spread it to others, this is particularly lethal.

Yelling at each other and placing blame doesn’t help right now.  There will be plenty of time to study how this happened and everything that went wrong, and our media is doing a good job of watching all that.

Our common humanity must prevail.  Government and non-governmental organizations must help those without work get through this very terrible period.  We must help each other to keep us all safe.

Do not blame those fearful of this situation.  I understand that emotion.  But let’s pull together and help each other to the extent we can.

The wealthiest among us, some of whom are doing very good work, have a special responsibility.  Organizing protests with a political motive is not the right choice at this moment.

The Paycheck Protection Program, aimed at keeping small businesses going and keeping their staff intact, is out of money until Congress approves more funding.  NBC financial reporter Stephanie Ruhle said recently on MSNBC’s Morning Joe that lots of businesses, such as law firms, who qualify because they have fewer than 500 employees, are doing just fine but are taking this money when the program is not aimed at them.  This is not the time for businesses to take the government money just because they can, Ruhl said.

Speaking with public radio station WBUR in Boston, entrepreneur Mark Cuban said something about businesses that do not use this situation to do something better for society:

“Their brand is going to get destroyed. I mean, how you treat your employees today will have more impact on your brand in future years than any amount of advertising, any amount of anything you literally could do. Because, again, we’re all suffering from this. Every single person is looking to see how their company is treating them, how their employers are treating family members and friends.”

When food banks are overwhelmed with people that never expected to need that help, every business person should pay attention to Mark Cuban’s advice.

We may not all be in the same boat, but as human beings that want to live and want our loved ones to live, we are together and should be united.

Listen to the health experts.  Stay at home to the extent possible.  Wash your hands.  No protest will change any of that.  You cannot live your life in fear.

People in the public eye need to think before they speak.  In today’s Log, I look at three people, a member of congress and two popular TV personalities, and lament the lack of responsibility public figures take when speaking publicly.

Most of us may be “hunkered down” at home by order of Governor Eric Holcomb, but one essential industry in the Hoosier State is road construction.  We have plenty of it in and around Fishers.

Here is the road construction update, as provided by the City of Fishers, for the work week starting Monday, April 20th:

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(Note:  I had to correct the original headline…to be clear, there have been over 500 positive tests recorded in Hamilton County, 29 deaths, 8 of them in Fishers.  Sorry about the original error.  It is a difficult time for us all)

The Hamilton County Health Department and Hamilton County Reporter Publisher Jeff Jellison have been going back-and-forth on the issue of information about COVID-19 positive tests and deaths in Hamilton County.  It appears the Health Department is beginning to release a little more information, but the general dispute appears to be ongoing.

According to a story published in the April 17 edition of the Reporter, Hamilton County Health Department officials revealed over 500 county residents have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.  One test came back positive for Carmel Police Chief Jim Barlow.

It was also disclosed by county health officials that 8 people with Fishers addresses have died of COVID-19.  A total of 29 Hamilton County residents have reportedly died of COVID-19.

Hamilton Southeastern School officials announced at the April 15th board meeting that an instructional assistant at HSE High School, Marc Fallow, has died from COVID-19.

During a meeting of the Hamilton County Health Board, one member asked who Jeff Jellison is and is he just trying to stir things up?  Jellison published a front page commentary in his newspaper in that April 17 edition as a response to that question.  Here is what Mr. Jellison wrote:

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“What do we know about this guy that is just all over the health department … this Jeff Jellison? Or whatever? Do we have any idea where this is coming from? Is this guy just somebody to stir things up or what?”

Those questions were asked by Laurie Pylitt, a member of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton County Health Department on Thursday’s during the board’s quarterly meeting. The questions were in regards to a few columns I’ve published challenging the health department’s interpretation of HIPAA and its transparency in releasing local COVID-19 data.

As the publisher and owner of the only locally-owned newspaper in Hamilton County, my goal has been to publish accurate news, sports, obituaries and the opinions of a great stable of columnists.

Never have I made the newspaper about me.

Today, I’m going to divert from my goal for a moment and introduce myself and my newspaper to Pylitt.

The Reporter is the county’s largest distribution newspaper.

The Reporter produces more county news than any other publication published in Hamilton County.

The Reporter annually donates a portion of its subscription and advertising revenue to several county non-profits.

I am a person that until nearly eight years ago had no experience in the newspaper business; however, I did mentor under a great newspaper man, Don Jellison.

I have lived in Hamilton County my entire life.

I own a beautiful piece of property in another part of the state, but choose to reside in Hamilton County.

I’m a person that was fortunate enough to be impacted by some tremendous coaches through participation in athletics. People like Jim Belden, Dave Nicholson, Steve Dillinger and Don Dunker. Those people taught me the importance of never giving up. They taught me to be competitive. They taught me each touch of the ball, each play and each at-bat was equally important. I’ve carried their teachings into my personal and professional life.

I am the husband to a wonderful wife; an expanded duties dental assistant with 24 years of experience. She works for a dental practice that is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

I am the father of two children. My son is an amazing young man. My daughter serves residents of this county as a police officer. She was on the frontline of COVID-19 daily. Now she is COVID-19 positive and quarantined.

I am the owner of a business that has been financially burdened by COVID-19. A business that has been tasked as a community watchdog by several thousand Hamilton County residents, my newspaper readers.

I am a person that has been given a constitutional right to question government and the decisions made by government officials. That includes the Hamilton County Health Department and its board of directors.

Ms. Pylitt, now that we have been properly introduced, I’ll say this: My reporting was never meant to “stir things up.” If my writings had agreed with your position, I doubt my name would have been mentioned in Thursday’s meeting.

But, because many of my newspaper’s readers and I disagree with you and your board, I’ll also say, if you don’t like it … get out of the kitchen while I’m standing next to the stove “stirring” the pot of Hamilton County news for my readers.

The death toll in Indiana for COVID-19, as of this writing, is 477.  One of those deaths has hit the staff at HSE High School hard.  An instructional assistant died recently from the coronavirus.  I talk about that, and more, in this edition of Larry’s Log.

As we all do our best to continue staying at home and observe social distancing, there is a concern voiced by many in the mental health field.  They have concerns that mental health issues will be an problem, not just during the lock-down period, but perhaps even more once society begins to open up once again.  Here are a few of my thoughts.

Fishers has started approving 5G small cell towers in Fishers neighborhoods.  There has been a lot of social media chatter about 5G technology.  I do my best to present some important facts everyone should know when discussion 5G rollouts in Fishers.

As we enter a dark phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, allow me a few random thoughts on this Sunday night.

–I know everyone is trying to show support and brighten up the lives of others by posting their high school graduation photos, but mine is from 1969, and if it still exists, there is no way I can find it.  Just to spread a bit of cheer I posted on Facebook our 1991 wedding picture.  Lots of people seem to like it, lots of comments and reactions online.  Since our wedding anniversary is next month, expect to see that pic again soon.

–If you are bored at home and looking for something to do, let me offer two suggestions.  First, go online and fill out your census form.  It only took me a few minutes.  Second, get your absentee ballot and vote in the primary election!  Jane and I just filled out our ballots and will mail them Monday.  Jane says anyone should be able to vote by mail from now on because it is so easy.  As usual, my lovely wife is correct again.

–The latest count of coronavirus deaths in Indiana stands at 343 as of tonight.  I recall my last podcast interview with Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, when he said the lack of available testing means the number of COVID-19 deaths will sadly be the only accurate account of how Indiana is doing, and that is not an encouraging number at this point.  In the United States, we have surpassed the 20,000 number of coronavirus deaths.  If there is any encouraging news, 32,000 people have contracted the virus and recovered.

–I posted podcasts with two groups locally during the past week, the Youth Assistance Program and Youth Mentoring Initiative.  There are a number of nonprofit and governmental organizations working with individuals and families struggling as many, quite suddenly, are out of work and in need of immediate assistance.  If you are in a position to help, please support local nonprofit groups doing very important work.

–Based in the weather forecast for the coming week, it is spring based on the calendar only.  Temperatures will be cold.  But that too will change soon.  Put a smile on your face and get outside when you can (safely & with the proper distancing).

Continue with good practices and stay safe!

Adam & I have been busy dealing with the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, just as all of you have…..the theaters may be closed but there are ways to take-in films at home.  Adam & I talk about that, and what may happen to the film business once the theaters reopen.