It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

That famous quote comes from Charles Dickens’ classic book, A Tale of Two Cities.  Dickens’ words came to mind while searching my mind on what I would write at this juncture of our stay-at-home life, with the novel coronavirus taking over our lives.

There is plenty of pain to consider.  Local businesses are struggling.  COVID-19 positive tests are rising and there have been deaths in our area.  Health experts say we have not seen the worst of it yet.  All we can do is stay home to the extent possible and wait out the pandemic.

I will not dwell on this pain.  We all know it and the news media is doing an excellent job informing us with accurate, factual information (more on that later).

What I will dwell upon are the many heroes in this time of crisis.  We should all be thankful for our first responders here in Fishers.  We have some of the best, and they respond to every call and always take risks.  Think about the police officers taking gunshots aimed at them recenlty on what should have been a routine welfare check.  They responded to resolve the situation.  Sadly, two people died in that incident but no police officers were injured.

Yes, I’ve seen some of the crazy posts from a few people on social media during this time, but in this day and age, I suppose that is to be expected.  But I will focus on another group of people.

Many more have utilized social media to offer their help to those in need – offering their neighbors delivery service of food and medicines.  Those local residents are offering to help and are following-through with those requests and doing what is right.  So, to all the individuals out there helping others, my hat goes off to you.

The medical professionals in our community and elsewhere are nothing short of amazing.  They take risks to save others, and in part of our nation, nurses and physicians are dying.  Let’s take a moment and just think about them, and if your faith allows, say a prayer for them.

We have a city government and school corporation with a goal of always making decisions in the best interests of our children, families and all those residing here.  I know some in the community take issue with some of the local actions, but I’m not going there.

I have covered news in this community for over eight years and I may not have been in agreement with every decision local officials have made.  Here is what I do know….every decision is made with the goal of helping every individual and every family living here.  A leader shows her/his colors when a crisis arises.  So far, in my view, our local leaders have passed that test of leadership.

Let’s not forget other parts of our community stepping forward.  There are private businesses putting all employees on full pay and benefits even when they cannot come into work.  Other employers are doing what they can for their workers.

The local school district donated a large number of masks for medical professionals to use because school has been out of session.  Navient and IKEA have been donating masks as well.  I am sure there are many more in the private sector helping-out and have not sought publicity for their actions, but let me recognize you, in general, anyway.

The City of Fishers has setup a COVID-19 hotline…317-595-3211.  If you have friends or relatives living in Fishers without Internet, please let them know about this hotline.  Any assistance you need should be directed to people answering this line.  If you need mental health assistance, call that number.  If you need other help, or want to offer help, call that line.  It is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With all the bad news, I once again plead with everyone to subscribe to your local media.  News organizations live off subscriptions and advertising.  Ad revenue is already falling.  If you want accurate news from professional journalists, support your local media outlets!

One more thing.  With the abundance of bad news, I am so heartened by what I see regular people doing….offering help, looking out for their neighbors.  Overall, I am proud to be a part of the community we call Fishers.  Let’s keep it up!

HSE Schools sent a message Thursday afternoon, informing families that two people working in school district buildings have tested COVID-19 positive.  School officials say they are providing this information “out of caution.”

March 13th was the last date either person testing positive had contact with others in the school district.  With the 14-day quarantine period, March 27th is the key date of what the statement describes as “final date of concern.”

Below is the full statement sent by HSE Schools:

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Please be aware that that a staff member at Hamilton Southeastern High School tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 24. As of this afternoon, we have been notified of a second individual, who works in various buildings, testing positive for COVID-19. It is unknown when these individuals contracted the virus; therefore, out of caution, we are sending this notification.

The last known date these individuals had potential contact with anyone in the district was on March 13, 2020. As a reminder, all HSE schools have been closed since then and if one factors in the 14-day quarantine, the final date of concern would be Friday, March 27.

If you or anyone in your family is experiencing symptoms in line with COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider for guidance. We encourage you to monitor yourselves and your family for the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Cough
• Body Aches
• Shortness of Breath

Per the Indiana State Department of Health, you should proceed as though everyone has been exposed to COVID-19 by continuing to practice social distancing and remaining at home. Remember hand washing and respiratory etiquette for coughs and sneezes, especially if you have to report for work or travel to obtain essential items.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is an excellent resource to find reliable information. We encourage you to educate yourselves on what you can do to protect yourself and your family. As more information is released, it will be posted on our dedicated COVID-19 Information webpage.

Please know that we face this public health concern together and we must all take care of ourselves and one another. Thank you for your efforts to promote responsible and safe practices.

Ever since moving to Fishers in 1991, the spring neighborhood buzz was always – what road construction is happening this season?  As a growing city, road construction is an annual thing for local residents.

I recorded a podcast with the City Engineering Director Jason Taylor.  He provided a rundown of the major projects planned.  Those include the State Road 37 reconstruction, closings on the west end of 96th Street, a roundabout at Ford Road & 126th, the status of Lantern Road construction and plans for the Nickel Plate Trail.

Jason talks about that and more in the podcast, available at the link below.

Normally, LarryInFishers.com podcast recordings are done in person at my  insistence.  However, in the era of social distancing, I agreed to start conducting interviews via telephone.

My first such podcast featured HSE School Board President Michelle Fullhart and Superintendent Allen Bourff.  Both had a lot to say.

With school buildings closed and e-learning in full swing, after some initial glitches, the e-learning system appears to be running as well as could be expected.  As things stand now, teachers are delivering the e-learning lessons Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday each week.  Monday and Friday are treated as building closure days, with Governor Eric Holcomb allowing up to 20 such days for the remainder of the school year.  Dr. Bourff says systems are up Monday and Friday if students choose to do homework on Monday or Friday.

Fullhart praised the district’s teaching staff, which changed their way of teaching in a matter of hours.  Dr. Bourff says the administration is working on “hot spots” allowing Internet access to students without a home connection, with some already in place.

Hourly employees are being paid their regular wages, even though classes are not in session.  All hourly workers are on call during work hours and many have been called to work.  Bourff says this will continue as long as the district can support the policy financially.

What about the graduation ceremony scheduled for May 30th?  If it cannot happen on that date due to social distancing, Fullhart is in favor of having the graduation ceremony wherever it can be held, possibly in June, July or early August, in the football field facilities if needed.  She believes this year’s senior class deserves a chance to graduate with their friends after 13 years in the school system.

President Fullhart and Superintendent Bourff had a lot more to say in my podcast interview, which you can access using the link below.

Two people are dead following an hours-long standoff at the Woods of Britton Apartments, near 141st Street and State Road 37, based on a news release issued by the Fishers Police Department.

According to my news gathering partner, The Hamilton County Reporter, Hamilton County Coroner John Chalfin identified the two as Derrick Upshaw, 49, and Tiffany Plummer, 34.

Around 2:30pm Monday afternoon Fishers Police Officers were called to conduct a welfare check at the apartment unit located at the 13900 block of Ashlake Lane .  As officers approached the apartment building, police say a suspect began shooting from a second-floor apartment. Officers immediately took cover and secured the area.

Emergency Response Teams and Negotiators responded. Attempts to establish communication with the suspect were unsuccessful. Emergency Response Team members made entry to the apartment. Once inside, officers located the two bodies, both suffered injuries believed to be from a firearm. Both died at the scene.

Police say it appears to two found in the apartment knew each other.  The investigation confirms there is no threat to the community and officers are not searching for any suspects.

Fishers Police thanked the following nearby agencies for their assistance: Carmel Police Department, Noblesville Police Department, Westfield Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Indiana State Police.

This investigation remains active. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Robbie Ruble at 317-595-3319.

I suppose we should all become accustomed to doing things differently in this age of the novel coronavirus and social distancing, but this month’s Fishers City Council meeting was like none I had seen before.

There were only three city councilors in the council chambers Monday night, yet all nine council members were voting on every agenda item.  The remaining five were on a telephone setup, allowing them to vote and comment if they so desired.

Council members voted unanimously to approve two resolutions extending executive orders already issued by the mayor.  Under state law, such orders by a mayor may only last 7 days.  The City Council must vote in favor of extending the mayor’s authority to issue orders.

The council resolutions continue for as long as Governor Eric Holcomb’s orders remain in force.  The mayor’s actions include a travel advisory for what the order describes as unessential travel and a delay in storm water payment deadlines.

The council also unanimously voted to refinance city bond debt,  taking advantage of lower interest rates.

Today has been a very busy coronavirus day and it is not over yet.

Monday morning, the Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety held a virtual meeting…  Mayor Fadness was as City Hall, and the other two board members, Jason Meyer and Jeff Lantz, were on a speaker phone for the session.  City Attorney Chris Greisl was physically with the mayor at City Hall.

The board passed a resolution empowering the mayor to take certain actions that would normally require board approval.  Examples would be city contracts in excess of $50,000 or changing the hours of operation in city parks.  That doesn’t mean the mayor is planning either one of those actions now, the resolution simply gives Fadness the legal authority to take such action if the situation requires.

The resolution also requires the mayor to document any actions authorized by the resolution and report back to the board at a later date.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety consists of the mayor and his two appointees.

Shortly after the virtual Board of Works session, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued a “stay at home” order.  Fadness posted a Twitter message shortly after the governor’s announcement in full support of the action.

“We must make individual sacrifices for the collective good of us all,” Fadness wrote in the Twitter post.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Proposed improvements for the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds will be revealed to county commissioners on Monday. Director of 4-H activities Susan Peterson has been working with county officials to plan various upgrades and expansion of facilities at the fairgrounds on East Pleasant Street in Noblesville.

Details on the plans were not available Friday, but will be reported when they are made public.

At their regular meeting, commissioners will also consider contracts with RQAW Engineering and C.H. Garmong Inc. for design and construction of a three-level parking garage to accommodate employee and public parking

The garage will be built on the north side of Clinton Street between 8th and 9th streets in downtown Noblesville on ground that is currently being used for surface parking.

The new facility which has been discussed for the past year is estimated to cost about $9.5 million. Approximately half the cost will be paid with funds from the sale of another county lot on the south side of Conner Street at White River. That ground will be developed into a large mixed-use development planned by a private developer.

The county has cash on hand to pay for the other half of the new parking garage, first of its kind in Noblesville. A date for start of construction has yet to be determined.

Highway construction is expected to start this spring on completion of the final mile of the upgrading of 146th Street from Shelborne Road to the Boone County line. County Highway Director Brad Davis said yesterday that contracts have been signed with Gradex Corporation for the work which will complete the dual-lane road from Interstate 69 to Boone County.

Commissioners will also hear from the County Clerk Kathy Williams on the possible need to change several polling places in advance of the primary election. Some nursing homes and churches have reported they cannot host voting due to the pandemic shutdown.

Voters will be notified if the changes affect their polling place.

Hamilton County Reporter

As everyone has heard, face masks are virtually impossible to find amid the coronavirus pandemic, and that has hospital officials around the country and Indianapolis concerned.

Navient employees have always shown concern for local communities, and that’s no different today. Navient’s Tony Huddleston, Facilities and Operations Director, and Joe Worley of Community Hospital North, loaded Worley’s SUV with 2,700 surplus N95 masks being contributed to the hospital, a neighbor of Navient’s Fishers site.

Navient maintains a supply of these masks for business resiliency purposes, but the company has more than needed for the current environment. Across the entire company nationwide, all excess masks are being donated to local hospitals, the American Red Cross, and other organizations because of the urgent need.

Many of us are in our homes avoiding the spread of coronavirus.  So, we are not going out to the movies.  With that, we are often looking for entertainment in our homes.  As a result, I sampled some offerings provided by Netflix and HBO.  If we are hunkered-down long-term, these sorts of reviews will continue until movie theaters and back open again.