The Fishers city public health order mandating the wearing of masks went into effect Friday.  A mandatory Indiana state order from the governor is set to be implemented Monday.  But are these orders really mandatory?

It has generally been my understanding that when a legal mandate is ordered, there is some kind of penalty attached.  It could be a fine or some jail sentence, but if one willfully and consistently violates the legal mandate, you could, at some point, face some consequences.

Nobody wants a face mask police force or arbitrary enforcement of such a legal order.  However, with no specific penalty one would face for willfully violating these orders, it would be more accurate to describe the city and state actions as strong suggestions rather than mandates.

Now, understand, I am no expert in communicable diseases and have no scientific background other than a few high school courses and one science class in college.  So, I read and listen to those with all the credentials to advise us on issues like wearing a mask.

Those experts are nearly unanimous in their advice – in most situations where you are around other people, wear a mask.  Do that for the sake of the people around you to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

There may be no legal penalty for failure to wear a mask, but it is my view, based on these experts who have spent their lives studying viruses and have the credentials to write and speak authoritatively about the novel coronavirus, we should heed the strong suggestion to wear a mask when around others outside family members living in our households.

I commend Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and Governor Eric Holcomb for making strong statements that citizens must be “educated” on the need to wear masks.  I still worry about the people in our state not interested in being educated.

Allow me to take up a related issue.  Last Monday, the Fishers City Council was set to hear a presentation from the Fishers Health Department about the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  I verified with city staff this work session would be live-streamed on video.  I am in a high-risk health category and have limited the events I attend in person.

I was assured the work session would be available on live stream.  However, there was a major technical malfunction.  You could see the video but there was no audio, you could not listen to any of the presentation.

I was very disappointed, but later learned I was not alone.  There were other journalists planning to use that live stream.  I even received two phone calls later from former local officials asking me if I attended the work session so I could brief them on what was said.

I must be honest, I was very sad to see the city let people down.  In more than 8 years of covering Fishers municipal government , I have always found it very competent.  Perhaps I just expect too much from our city government.  Having worked in the broadcasting industry for over 14 years, I do understand technical glitches will happen, this one just came at a particularly inopportune time.

The city has tried to make up for it by posting the PowerPoint presentation and uploading videos, but anyone in communications will tell you that does not make up for the letdown on Monday night.

I also wrote about the delay in COVID-19 test results.  Fishers has been way ahead of the curve on this one.  It is my view that one major reason Mayor Scott Fadness chose to establish a city health department, a rare move for a city in the state of Indiana, was to provide free and timely testing for city residents and tests available to business owners for a fee.

Fishers has a contract with a lab to process the testing and provide results.  The city health department issued a statement a few days ago saying the normal turnaround time of 2-3 days for COVID-19 test results were now 10 days due to the uptick in cases resulting in more demand for tests.

I wrote that a novel coronavirus test with results 10 days later is not of much use to the individual being tested and does not allow for contact tracing.  I realize that was not the city’s fault, just a reality.

I rarely attend any meetings in person anymore, but I did about 10 days ago because I was invited and felt the session was of great importance to my local community.  Everyone did their best to adhere to CDC standards, wearing masks and distancing as possible.

I received several messages following that meeting that one member of the group was COVID-19 positive, although some follow-up messages indicated the diagnosis might not have been correct.

To be on the safe side, as a resident of Fishers, I scheduled a test, which took about 3 business days.  I received my test results roughly 72 hours later, which is a good sign that the testing results are coming in more quickly than expected.

In case you are curious, my results were negative.

The construction at State Road 7 & 126th Street is in for major changes in coming days.  The Facebook page “37 Thrives,” a marketing program for the businesses impacted by the ST 37 project, listed the changes, which include lane restrictions on SR 37 & a switch in the access to 126th to and from SR 37.

From Sunday, July 26th, 7pm…to Monday, July 27th, at 6am, southbound SR 37, from 131st Street to I-69, will be restricted to one lane.

From Monday, July 27th, 6am to 9pm…there will be two Northbound and Southbound lanes on SR 37.

Beginning July 27th, 9pm, through Tuesday, July 28th, 6am…northbound SR 37, from I-69 to 131st Street, will be restricted to one lane. Rolling stops may be required throughout this time for pavement markings.

Here is what is scheduled to happen beginning Tuesday, July 28th, at 6am:

• The 126th Street closure will be fully switched from West to East and is anticipated to reopen in November.
• During this time, cross access will be restricted, with only right in and right out.
• Northbound SR 37 traffic will not have access to 126th Street. Traffic on Northbound SR 37 will shift to Southbound lanes and two lanes will remain in each direction.
• Local access to businesses will remain open.

If Wednesday night’s Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meeting is any barometer, local school officials are facing a divided community in making the tough decisions this coming school year.  At the previous board session, approval was given to a proposal to start school in-person with a virtual option for families.  Superintendent Allen Bourff emphasized that the plan could change.

Plans did change.  An increase in positive COVID-19 tests in Fishers resulted in an announcement last week that the first month or so of school would be virtual, with the next phase possibly after Labor Day, based on the health department numbers.

There was an agenda item for board discussion, but not a vote, on “COVID-19 perparations.”  Board policy allows time-limited public comment on any board agenda item.  At least 12 people spoke Wednesday night, a clear majority in favor of starting school in-person, opposing the current plans for the start of the 2020-2021 school year.

Board President Michelle Fullhart then read a statement (you can listen to her read the statement during the board meeting at this link).   Then Superintendent Allen Bourff presented the numbers provided by the Fishers Health Department that led to the decision to start the school year virtually.

Dr. Bourff told the board that on July 17, the health department number showed .63% of the Fishers population had tested positive, and just days later the health department reported .68% positive, with about 1100 tests yet to be processed due to a backlog.

The school corporation held a table-top COVID-19 emergency exercise with city officials which revealed a number of situations the schools had not considered.

Dr. Bourff also pointed out that the sports programs in the district have been functioning, and may provide a glimpse into what reopening school buildings may have in store.

“We have had so many (positive) cases (in the athletic program) that we have had to quarantine entire teams,” Bourff told the board.  “We have had to quarantine the coaches.  We don’t know but what will be the similar experience when we open schools.”

Bourff was not specific about which sports teams, grade levels or groups of coaches were under quarantine due to positive COVID-19 tests.

Fishers is showing a higher percentage of positive cases by population than the rest of Hamilton County, but Fishers is also conducting more novel coronavirus tests, Dr. Bourff said.

It was also made clear, just as it was in the previous board meeting, that changes will continue to be made.  School administrators were scheduled to meet with the teachers association the day after the board meeting, which could spur more changes.

I have lived in Fishers for 29 years and have seen a number of tough issues come before the local school board.  This one will be one of those issues because the community is very divided.  Many agree with the majority of those speaking at the Wednesday night board meeting.  Others are just as adamant that school should not start in-person until students and staff feel safe in the buildings.

I have been hearing from both sides and other views much more nuanced.  I have no idea what the majority view is, if there is one, but I know the lines have been drawn.

I interviewed all the school board members currently serving on the board during their election campaigns and I can assure you no one brought up the issue of managing the 4th-largest school district in the state during a one-in-a hundred-year pandemic.  There is a school board election coming up in November and I expect those candidates will be focusing on that as a major issue.

We all want what is best for our kids in school.  My twin daughters attended HSE Schools grades K-12 and received a top-notch education.  It is sad to see the staff and students forced to deal with such an unforeseen circumstance.  Whatever decisions are made as school begins soon, whether you agree with the decisions or not, lets support the staff and the students and get through this as best we can.

Lindsey Erdody covers politics and state government for the Indianapolis Business Journal, and with the political campaigns in the state gearing up for the November election, there is plenty to discuss in this podcast.

During the July 20th Fishers City Council meeting, an item on the agenda dealt with financing the next phase of the Geist Waterfront Park.  This would be a major park in the city’s system and the only public space on Geist Reservoir.

The agenda item up for a council vote dealt with some technicalities that, bottom line, would lead to a commitment by the city to finance the first phase of park construction in the amount of $16 million.

After the item was explained by City Controller Lisa Bradford, Mayor Fadness went into a more in-depth explanation, which you can listen to at the link below.  The mayor addressed how city debt that has been on the books for several years will be paid off soon, and the new debt for the park will simply replace that debt, leading to a tax-neutral situation not requiring any tax increase to finance the park debt.

Once the motion was made and seconded to approve the Geist Park item, Councilwoman Jocelyn Vare began asking questions of the mayor about how the park debt is impacted by reported cost increases on the State Road 37 construction and the possibility of a new fire station on the northeast part of the city, near Britton Falls.

The second part of the sound clip below captures that exchange.  The Council voted to approve the item related to the Geist Waterfront Park, with Jocelyn Vare the lone no vote.

The Fishers Health Department issued a Public Health Order July 20th requiring masks to be worn in indoor spaces, other than personal residences, and outdoors when 6-foot distancing is not possible.  The Order is effective Friday, July 24th at 8:00am.  It contains much more detail and is available to read at this link.

What surprised me about the order is what it does not say.  There is no specific provision on enforcement, except to state the local health department “may enforce this Order in accordance with Indiana law.”  There is no fine structure contained in the Order.

I realize the aim of the Public Health Order is not to be punitive, but the document is clear that this is a legal mandate.  By and large, I expect Fishers residents and visitors will abide by this order.  But there will be exceptions.  We have all seen the YouTube videos of some people that become aggressive, screaming at the top of their lungs they will not wear a mask and even some cases where people physically attack retail personnel.

Without any specific enforcement provisions I wonder how effective this Order will be.  Just referring to enforcement based on state statutes doesn’t say much.

I do salute the city for being one of the few localities in Indiana willing to take this step in the name of public health based on Fishers Public Health Department data.  This is a step our state and county governments have refused to take up to now.

Wearing a mask in public is  the most important action any of us can take to say we care about those around us.  The science is clear – masks mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

I have been covering Fishers news since January 2012, when we had a town council and no mayor.  I tried to move away from local news blogging in March, but with the novel coronavirus and racial issues at the forefront, I felt a responsibility to continue, at least for a while, as these large issues are being handled locally.

Now I am asking myself why I even bother.  The city is facing major health issues and we are finding that local citizens are not able to follow what is happening in our government.  That includes me.

I am a high risk individual.  If I contract COVID-19, I am at risk for major health problems.  With all these big issues locally, I have limited covering local events in person, although I have attended two outdoor demonstrations centered on racial issues.

Meetings of the school board and city government sessions have been reviewed by me through video live streams.  However, the city is stretching my patience.

A recent city council meeting was held at Launch Fishers.  I was assured that there would be a video live stream of that meeting.  That live stream never happened due to what the city described as “technical difficulties.”

Late Monday afternoon, the Fishers Health Department posted a Facebook message saying COVID-19 test results could take up to 10 days.  I had to scratch my head on that one.

One of the major reasons, maybe the most important reason, the city established its own health department a few months ago was to provide novel coronavirus testing available free to local residents and for a fee to local businesses.  A COVID-19 test that takes 10 days is of virtually no value – you might as well have no testing program at all.

I wanted to learn what the city officials had to say about all this.  I wanted to hear their side of the story so I could understand the situation more completely.

The city council had a work session scheduled Monday night all about the Fishers Health Department and I wanted to listen to it.  Once again, the city (or its contractor) was unable to provide the sound to the council work session.  I tested my equipment and everything was in working order, YouTube videos and podcast audio were coming through my computer just fine.  The city council meeting audio was not.

Since I could not hear the health department presentation or the questions from the council members, I cannot illuminate you on any of this and I wish that I could.

I have not always agreed with Mayor Scott Fadness on everything but we have agreed more than disagreed since he has been town manager, then mayor of Fishers.  I had always been complimentary of his ability to do the job of mayor and always felt he had competent staff.

Sadly, that confidence in the city’s competence has been shaken.  I wonder why I even try to blog about local news at all anymore.

I hope the city starts to get itself together.  I’m just not sure I will be writing about it, except in commentaries like this.  I am very sad to write this, but that is the view from here.

I will continue blogging about subjects like entertainment and will write commentaries on a variety of subjects.  I also plan to continue podcasting in some form.  I made a mistake even trying to cover local news at all.  Lesson learned.

It was late Friday afternoon when social media was abuzz with the rumor that HSE Schools would begin the school year virtually, at least through Labor Day, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  When I was able to confirm the rumor, comments have been flying throughout the community.

This is not the way anyone wants to begin the new school year.  Parents, staff, administrators and school board members all wanted students in the classroom to start the 2020-2021 school year.  But facts and data point to virtual learning.

The statement issued by the school district, in the form of a letter to parents, said the decision was “based on our local health indicators that are showing an increase in infections in our community and current staffing projections.”

The health indicators, just reviewing the numbers, are not encouraging.  At the level of the entire state, Sunday’s number shows 927 new positive tests….that is a lot and the number has been generally growing in recent days.

In Hamilton County numbers provided by the state Sunday, 45 new positive cases were reported, for a total positive tests of 1,933.  The positive test number in the county has been increasing steadily.

The Fishers City Health Department reports 105 positive tests in the past 14 days and a total of 591 tests coming back positive since the novel coronavirus pandemic began in March.  July has been a particularly difficult month for Fishers, with a high of 22 positive tests reported July 7th.

These numbers, particularly from the Fishers Health Department, had an impact on the local school corporation’s decision not to open the school year with in-person classes.

Note that the HSE letter to parents cites “current staffing projections” as a reason to start the school year virtually.  Many teachers are high-risk due to age, health condition(s) or a combination of both.  Do not blame the teaching staff, they have families and loved ones to consider just as we all do.

The decision to have virtual learning at least through Labor Day at HSE Schools has drawn a lot of reactions.  Just keep in mind school officials were balancing a number of important factors in reaching this decision.  School board members and administrators want in the worst way to get students back in their classrooms, based on everything I know and their public statements, but doing so safely, without major health risks, is a challenge with the number of positive cases in our local community.

This is the 4th largest school system in the state based on the number of students, so there will be a wide variety of opinions about all this.  However you may feel, and you are certainly entitled to whatever views you may hold, just understand the HSE Schools, and most school districts throughout America, are dealing with a once-in-a-hundred-year pandemic.  Whatever decision school officials make, it will leave a large segment of the community unhappy.

A legendary member of Congress has died, a member that accomplished more before serving in the House than most of us do during several lifetimes.  I am talking about John Lewis.

There is much to say about this man.  Allow me to just focus on two things I found fascinating about his life.

When John Lewis was a young man, he noticed that there were parts of his community in Alabama where Black people could not go.  He always was required to sit in the balcony of the movie theater, never on the main floor.

When he asked his parents and grandparents for an explanation, they just told him not to question it – that’s the way it’s always been, just don’t make any trouble.  John Lewis spent the rest of his life not following his parents advice.

He did what he described as “good trouble,” pushing for social justice and civil rights in the Jim Crow south.  He nearly died after having his skull fractured by police as he and many others attempted to cross a bridge in a peaceful march to the state capital in Montgomery.  There were other instances where Lewis and others came close to death making “good trouble.”

Secondly, John Lewis lived by a very important concept…when you are right and on the right side of history, never give up…..never, ever give up.  When Mississippi civil rights leader Medgar Evers was shot and killed outside his home in 1963, it would have been easy for Lewis to give up.  When Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1963, it would have been easy to give up.

But John Lewis never gave up.  Perhaps it was because he survived that he chose to run for congress and remained there for 34 years.  He fought for the causes in which he believed, and followed his own advice of never giving up.

John Lewis was a man not just of conviction, but a man willing to put his life on the line to fight for those principles.

I went to Washington and Capitol Hill several times as part of legislative conferences and always hoped to perhaps see John Lewis in the hallway, shake his hand and thank him for his service to the nation.  I never had that chance, but here is a story that may make you smile.

I did see the late Elijah Cummings speak, and he told us how many times people visiting the Capitol would mistake him for John Lewis.  It happened so often Cummings stopped correcting the tourists and just smiled and thanked them.

The Washington Post reported Saturday that Senators Marco Rubio of Florida and Dan Stevens of Alaska posted tributes to John Lewis, and used pictures of Elijah Cummings instead of John Lewis.

The Hamilton Southeastern schools will start the coming school year with virtual classes, not in the school buildings.  The district says the virtual instruction will continue from the first day of classes August 6th through at least Labor Day.

Athletics and extra curricular activities  will remain “status quo,” based on the statement from school administrators.

The entire statement from the school corporation is below:

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