The City of Fishers. in planning the Nickel Plate Trail,  decided not to pursue a plan to construct a trail and a train operation at the same time along the Nickel Plate.  Proponents of preserving the line as a train operation have argued the city did not properly consider allowing both a trail and a train to operate simultaneously along the Nickel Plate.

Friday afternoon, the City of Fishers released a study conducted by the Indianapolis engineering firm of Butler, Fairman & Seufert, dated February 11, 2019.  That assessment shows that there were two possible options in combining a train & trail along the Nickel Plate.  One option would cost an additional $20.5 million over what the trail alone would cost.  The other option would add $39.8 million over the expense of just a trail.

“Due to the continued inaccuracies shared to the media by train advocate groups, the City is responding to their assertions that alternative designs were not considered through a feasibilitystudy,” according to a City of Fishers news release.  “For purposes of the study, the City of Fishers and its retained consultant analyzed the rail corridor to determine the feasibility of keeping the existing Nickel Plate Rail in place throughout the corridor, with the new trail being placed alongside.”

The engineering study specified what would need to be done with the $20.5 million additional cost option.  According to the city, this includes:

• $16,900,000 for 82 property acquisitions (whole or partial) along the rail corridor* with 13 buildings to be demolished
• $1,200,000 for the addition of a 6-foot safety fence between the trail and the tracks
• $300,000 for retention wall construction
• $900,000 for additional pedestrian bridges over major waterway

The city added that all this would be contingent on the “willingness of adjacent property owners to accept the encroachment of the trail onto their property, and for some land owners and businesses willing to relocate.”

You can access the full engineering study document at this link.

Fans of the tenderloin sandwich and donuts in Fishers have been hearing rumors circulating in recent weeks.  One rumor deals with the Nickel Plate Bar & Grill, the second deals with  Dunkin’ Donuts location at 116th and Allisonville Road.  I have updates on both.

First, patrons of the Nickel Plate say their servers have been telling them the downtown restaurant will be closing in the coming weeks and those customers have been posting on social media with concerns about the future of the Nickel Plate Bar & Grill.

In a podcast interview with Fishers Economic Development Director Megan Baungartner recorded February 21st, I asked her about the future of the Nickel Plate location, along 116th Street just east of the municipal complex.

“The intent has always been that the restaurant building stay,” Baungartner said.  “It’s Lux (restaurant company) who owns the Nickel Plate Bar & Grill itself.  The city hasn’t been in contact with him to hear in particular what his plans are for it.  Those (closing) rumors have reached back to us.”

A major reason the city insisted on allowing the Nickel Plate Bar & Grill building to remain is to ” embrace and celebrate the history of Fishers,” according to the Economic Development Director.  Baungartner added that the city wants a restaurant at the current Nickel Plate Bar & Grill location that would serve tenderloin sandwiches, even though that is an unusual provision in a project agreement.

Now, to Dunkin’ Donuts.  It was announced back in August that a Dunkin’ Donuts location would be filling the spot at 116th Street and Allisonville Road that once housed a Jack in the Box restaurant.  A sign has been placed in front of the property, but there hasn’t been any activity there in a long time.

We have now learned that the Dunkin’ Donuts 116th Street & Allisonville property has been issued a commercial building permit.  City Spokesperson Stephanie Perry tells LarryInFishers the permit was issued by the city on February 13th.  That is an indication that donuts should be served there in the not too distant future.

You can listen to my entire podcast interview with Megan Baumgartner at the link below.

It is always a challenge to facilitate a session involving 15-20 people in one room with a time limit.  But that was the challenge for an employee of KSM Consulting Thursday morning as the assembled group of officials from HSE Schools and the City of Fishers  exchanged ideas on how to work together moving forward.

Mayor Scott Fadness opened the session by saying he wanted this meeting to emphasize that the city-school relationship in Fishers is strong and should never by taken for granted.

Fadness talked about one of the most important contributions from the city to the schools is providing School Resources Officers (SROs), sworn, uniformed officers to be present in school buildings.  But another major city involvement in the HSE Schools happened at the time of the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, when the state had to cut back support of local public schools due to shrinking tax collections.  The funding formula at that time also was not benefiting HSE Schools.

That’s when the Town of Fishers (Fishers was a town at that time) stepped in to handle grounds-keeping and snow removal for the schools.  That saved money for local schools when it was needed the most.

The school corporation’s involvement in Mayor Fadness’ Mental Health initiative is another important example of city-school cooperative efforts.

“The City of Fishers will not succeed if our school systems are not great,” Fadness said.  “I think we (the city) can play a supportive role.”

School Superintendent Allen Bourff pointed to the Nature First project, a joint effort of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and school system.

“Nature First is unlike anything you will find in most communities,” Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff said.  “Not only do we have students going out almost daily into a city natural resource, but we have that coming into the schools as well.”

Bourff also lauded the digital portal the school corporation is putting together with the city.

The group each spent time introducing themselves, which took up the biggest chunk of time, but a number of issues and comments were made in the time remaining.

There was an intense discussion of state-mandated test scores, with many in the room critical of the importance placed on those tests.  But HSE School Board President Mike Bottorff reminded everyone that HSE has very high test scores compared to  most other Indiana school systems and that is part of why the local schools are so highly regarded.

The mayor did make two other comments worth noting at this event.  First, he told the crowd there is a need for more indoor sports facilities in Fishers.  A private group has tried to finance such an indoor project in the Saxony area, but the mayor said that fell through.  He also reminded everyone that Fishers is largely built-out, with only 5% of the land in the city available for residential development left to be built.

Hamilton County Reporter

The Hamilton Southeastern girls basketball team will take on Lawrence North for the Class 4A state championship Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

The Royals-Wildcats game will be the fourth in a busy day of state championship
basketball. Saturday begins with the 1A title game between Marquette Catholic and Vincennes Rivet, which tips off at 10:30 a.m. The 2A championship contest between Oak Hill and Winchester is set for 12:45 p.m.

In the evening session, Benton Central and Northwestern will face off for the 3A
state title at 6 p.m. Then it’s time for Southeastern and Lawrence North – their game
will tip off at 8:15 p.m.
Here is some general information about the state finals.

TICKETS
$15 per person (two games). All day tickets (four games) $30 per person.

PARKING
There are multiple parking options throughout the downtown area that are
within walking distance of the Fieldhouse. The Virginia Avenue Garage, which charges
a fee and is located directly to the east of the venue, connects to the Fieldhouse from the
third floor of the garage via a walkway over Delaware Street. The entrance to the Virginia Avenue Garage is located off of Maryland Street.

GATES OPEN
Bankers Life Fieldhouse will open its gates to fans beginning one hour prior to the
start of each session – 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. The venue will be cleared between the Class
2A and 3A games.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern had to deal with a hot start from Lawrence North Thursday night, and that carried the Wildcats to a 66-51 victory at the Royals’ gym.

Lawrence North scored the first 12 points of the game before Southeastern got on the board with a basket by Mabor Majak.

The Wildcats continued to cruise after that, eventually taking a 24-8 lead by the period’s
end. Jared Hankins scored 11 points for LN in that quarter.

“We got off to a rough start,” said Royals coach Brian Satterfield. “I think that set the tone. They hit those perimeter shots and they gained some confidence. And once they had
the lead, they were able to be patient and get looks how they wanted to. We just were out
of sync.”

The Wildcats led 31-9 at one point  during the second quarter, but the Royals got their offense going in the later minutes of the period, cutting that lead to 35-19 by
halftime. Southeastern finished with a 6-0 run; Majak, Vinny Buccilla, Noah Smith all
made baskets.

Lawrence North opened the second half with a 7-0 run, and kept its lead around 20
points for the entire third quarter. Chris Grubbs added nine points for HSE during
the third, which ended with the Wildcats ahead 56-33.

The Royals made a big push in the fourth quarter, going on an 11-0 run to get within
56-44. Grubbs took over the game, scoring nine points of that run, which he finished
with a 3-pointer. Aaron Etherington helped out with a pair of free throws. Southeastern
got to within 12 points two other times in the quarter, but a quick five-point burst by
Lawrence North sealed the game.

“I give our guys a lot of credit,” said Satterfield. “We kept fighting, we kept fighting and then finally made a little run there towards the end of the third quarter, and especially the start of the fourth quarter. Got it manageable, but just dug ourselves too deep a hole to get out of.”

Grubbs led all scorers with 25 points, and also had seven rebounds and four assists.

The Royals finished the regular season 14-8. Southeastern will open play at the
Carmel sectional at 6 p.m. Tuesday, taking on Westfield.

by

Jeff Jellison

Publisher 

Hamilton County Reporter

On Thursday, the Hamilton County Elections Board struck three Republican candidates from the 2019 primary ballot.

The action by the board was a result of Republican Party Chairwoman Laura Campbell’s concern the candidates had not met state election code requirements to file as Republicans.

The candidates in question were Kevin Ferguson, Arcadia Town Council District 2; Brian Landress, Noblesville City Council At Large; and John Partlow, Noblesville City Council District 6.

To be eligible for a party ballot a candidate must have voted for the party in a recent primary election or received written certification by party chair, explained Greg Purvis, the Democrat representative on the board.

Purvis and board members Ray Adler (Republican) and Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Williams (Republican) heard testimony from each of the candidates.

Ferguson stated he voted in the 2008 General Election, but had not voted in a primary election.

Republican Chairwoman Laura Campbell confirmed that Ferguson had not sought certification from her office.

The board voted unanimously to remove Ferguson from the 2019 ballot.

Brian Landress testified he had never voted in a primary election in Indiana. Landress stated he has been an active member in the community, supported the Republican Party and volunteered at community events. “Your actions in the community speak louder than voting in a primary,” argued Landress.

Following his statement, Landress presented Campbell a written request for party certification.

Campbell rejected the request stating, “Until today I’ve never met you. You’ve had an opportunity to vote in recent primaries. I take this very seriously and I am not inclined to sign off on your request.”

The board voted unanimously to remove Landress from the ballot.

The most heated discussion during the meeting came from Partlow.

Partlow argued he voted in the 2015 primary; however, the board indicated Partlow did not check the box when voting that identifies party affiliation.

Partlow testified under oath that he voted Republican in the 2015 primary. Each of the board members agreed they had no evidence to dispute Partlow’s claim.

Campbell questioned Partlow not voting in the last two primaries. “When you look at a primary that is 75 percent unopposed, why vote?” said Partlow.

Partlow also argued he had strong family ties to the Republican Party and that he has served on the library board after being recommended by Hamilton County Commissioner Steve Dillinger. “I doubt Dillinger would recommend a Democrat,” he said.

“I find his statement of party identification credible,” stated Purvis.

Adler told Partlow, “It is a two-prong test and I don’t see that you have met either.”

Williams motioned to remove Partlow from the ballot. “We do not have evidence of party affiliation in a recent primary election or approval from the party chairwoman,” she said.

Williams and Adler voted in favor of the motion and Purvis voted nay.

At the conclusion of the meeting Adler told the Reporter that Partlow had no supporting evidence regarding his statement of party identification. “He had no witnesses or additional evidence such as letters of support to document his claim.”

Adler and Purvis, both attorneys, did inform Partlow that he could appeal the board’s decision.

In the 11 years Fishers High School has staged an event as part of Black History Month, this year’s Black Heritage Celebration drew a very big crowd.

There was plenty to enjoy – music, dance, poetry and and a true celebration for all in attendance.  The African-American turnout was big, but people all races and cultural backgrounds enjoyed the Thursday evening celebration.

One wonders how Fishers High School students will be able to top this year’s gathering.  Somehow, they always do a better job year after year.

Below is a video featuring one small segment of a dance routine

Bob Segall, investigative reporter for WTHR, says a Fishers High School swimmer at the center of sexual harassment allegations will be competing in the state meet.  You can read the updated WTHR story at this link.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Duke Energy, the electric utility serving most of Hamilton County, is taking steps to make certain that chemicals from its coal ash holding pit do not contaminate wells of residences in the Riverwood area. Public Service Indiana, the predecessor of Duke Energy, operated a generating plant at Riverwood for many years. The plant was converted from coal to natural gas for generating electric power about 20 years ago.

The ash from the burned coal was stored on site and has remained there since the conversion to gas. Hamilton County Health Department Director Barry McNulty said Duke took it upon themselves to deal with the coal ash to head off any contamination threat. Working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), Duke has been working on the project for several years.

The project involves the drilling of de-watering wells around the ash storage site. The water from these wells is monitored and to date has shown no underground leaching that would create problems for neighboring properties, McNulty learned.

The water from these test wells will now be discharged into nearby White River. This discharge plan apparently created concern recently on the part of some residents, but the water has been judged completely safe by IDEM, and will continue to be monitored.

The county health department, not involved in the operation, has been made aware of all plans as a courtesy, McNulty said. Meanwhile, Duke is in the process of capping the ash pit in the way a landfill is covered.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Edior

Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers got several things out of its trip to Kokomo Wednesday night.

The main accomplishment for the Tigers was a 64-54 victory over the Wildkats. That
gave Fishers a new record for wins in a single season, as the Tigers won their 16th
game of the year. It also gave Fishers a win heading into next week’s sectional, and it
was a nice way for Tigers coach Matt Moore to say hello to his old school; he coached
there from 2014 to 2017.

“It’s fun,” said Moore. “I think Kokomo does a great job of competing. It’s easy to look at their record and have an opinion. But every time we’ve played them, they’ve played hard, they’ve played together. And if they continue to live inside that, they’re going to be a team that has a chance to upset some teams in the tournament.”

The Wildkats played close with Fishers in the first half. The Tigers scored the first
four points of the game off layins by Alex Szilagyi and Jeffrey Simmons, but Kokomo
answered that with a 6-0 run to lead 6-4.

Fishers came back with a 7-0 run, with Willie Jackson scoring five of those points.
Jackson made a 3-pointer, then Szilagyi scored on a putback. Jackson’s layin made
the score 11-6. But the Wildkats’ Jayveon White hit a buzzer-beating 3 to get his team
within 11-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Fishers led 16-11 midway through the second before Kokomo scored seven straight
points to go up 18-16. A pair of Szilagyi free throws tied the game again, but Bobby
Wonnell’s 3 gave the Kats a 21-18 lead.

Justin Long made a layin late in the quarter, so the Tigers went into halftime down by
one, 21-20.

Fishers began to pull away in the third period, scoring 21 points. Szilagyi nailed a pair of 3s to get the Tigers ahead 26-23, and Fishers held the lead from there. The Tigers then scored on back-to-back possessions twice, and Jackson’s 3 got Fishers up 37-29.

“They did a great job of coming out, making sure that ball movement was better,”
said Moore. “I thought we established lane touches a lot better. And we got a string of
stops together. We got a stop right out of the half, led to a bucket. For us, the goal was to
get three stops in a row, put it together a few times, which led to some offense.”

The Tigers led 41-33 at the end of three, and Szilagyi hit a 3 to begin the fourth quarter, giving Fishers a double-digit lead for the first time at 44-33. The Tigers continued to roll until the end, with Simmons scoring back-to-back layins, then Zach Webb came off the bench to make 7 of 8 free throws in the final 1:27 of the game.

Moore said that with Terry Hicks and Geoffrey Brown still out, his team needed another player to make shots, and Webb filled that role nicely.

“Putting him in those positions to get some confidence and see the ball go in the basket will pay dividends for us as we move into the Tuesday game against Anderson,” said Moore.   “I thought Zach did a great job stepping into that role tonight.”

Szilagyi finished the game with three 3-pointers and 17 points, while Jackson made two 3s on his way to 16 points.

Simmons scored 10 and pulled six rebounds; Josiah Matthews led the rebounding with seven. Szilagyi handed out five assists.

The Tigers finished the regular season 16-7 and will take on Anderson in the first
round of the Carmel sectional on Tuesday.