In February of 2017, Governor Eric Holcomb joined a large group of government and business leaders to announce a new Internet of Things Lab, one of the first of its kind, would be opening in Fishers.  The public-private partnership model appears to be working well so far, as the suites in the lab appear to be sold out.

The grand opening for the new facility is slated for March 21st, but firms are already using the lab.  Here are the dedicated suite members:

• Indiana University: As a key university partner, Indiana University’s presence at the IoT Lab will provide a unique platform for its faculty, students, and alumni to connect to companies around the state to innovate the future of industry and the economy.
• Clear Object: At ClearObject, user-centric IoT solutions are designed to empower custom, connected, collaborative experiences… just as the IoT Lab is doing for the state.
• Outside Source: Outside Source designs applications for connected home brands. They help product managers launch apps & cloud integrations for their smart devices.
• Flexware Innovation: Our mission is to accelerate innovation within manufacturing and our community by harnessing #IoT and the collaboration of The Indiana IoT Lab in Fishers.

• Rook Security: Rook Security protects organizations from the constantly evolving threat of cyberattack in this new age of hyper-connectivity.

• ShopperKraft: ShopperKraft’s Dezign VR/AR cloud based platform allows IoT data to be overlaid over real world objects using AR, and uses VR to better visualize IoT data within immersive VR environments.

• Novel Bits: Novel Bits helps companies and developers learn how to connect devices with Bluetooth Low Energy technology via training and consulting services.

• Volktek:  Volktek products help business customers build reliable network applications for their clients and inspire them to develop new business models for the expanding market.

“Our economy is at a critical time where innovation must happen in the heart of Indiana’s core industries: manufacturing, agriculture, and distribution,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “By creating a physical space to allow innovators and entrepreneurs to come together with industry leaders, Fishers will lead the way for innovation in our state and beyond.”

Although the suites are sold out, individual memberships are still available.

“This has been truly a collaborative effort from the public and private sectors to establish a leading IoT innovation hub,” said Indiana IoT Lab Founder and CEO John Wechsler. “Interest in the IoT Lab is high right now, and we are seeing a healthy appetite by corporate innovators for collaboration with IoT subject matter experts affiliated with the Indiana IoT Lab.”

John Wechsler talked about the lab in a podcast interview recorded February 8th, and available at this link. 

More information about the lab, and the March 21st Grand Opening, is available at this link.

John Wechsler founded the co-working space called Launch Fishers and is now working on the new Internet of Things Lab in Fishers.  I talk about that and more in this conversation with John.

“God healed me.”  That was the message WTHR News Anchor Scott Swan presented to a Fishers audience Thursday morning.  Swan was the featured speaker at the Fishers YMCA Annual Fund-Raising Campaign Kick-Off Breakfast.

The journalist told two stories of how he feels God intervened to save him.  The first was a series of panic attacks he suffered at age 19 while a college student.  The second happened less than a year ago when he had a rare disease that nearly took his life.

The assembled crowd in the local YMCA gym heard the story of Army Sergeant Kevin Smith, who turned a difficult childhood into a military career.  The Y helped him achieve a military physical fitness award earned by only a few wearing the uniform.

Fishers YMCA Board Chair Florie Eaton explained how donations to this fund-raising campaign will be used to help those that cannot afford to joint the local Y.  Of the 22,000 members, roughly 20% receive some level of help from the Fishers YMCA organization through this fund-raising campaign.  Eaton says the local YMCA is proud of its record for never turning anyone away due to an inability to pay.

You can donate to the Fishers YMCA online….just designate your donation to the local Fishers YMCA in the online process.  You can make your donation at this link.

The Fishers Plan Commission sent a unanimous favorable recommendation to the City Council, moving forward a residential component of The Yard culinary development, to be located near IKEA.  Developer Thompson Thrift had requested a text amendment allowing 255 residential units be added to a mixed use structure in the project.

Attorney Steve Hardin, representing the developer, told commission members that construction on The Yard should begin in earnest during April of this year, with an opening of The Yard expected in 2019.

=====

Plan Commission members also gave a unanimous favorable recommendation to a $20 million senior housing project with 160 units.  If all goes as scheduled, construction will begin in 2019, with 12-18 months needed to completion.  The development is planned in Parkside, between 126th and 131st Streets, in what is now a wooded area near the Texas Roadhouse restaurant.

=====

39 acres of land located on the southeast corner of 113th Street & Florida Road received a unanimous favorable recommendation from the Plan Commission for a zoning change from residential to open space, but not before several objections were raised in the public hearing from residents in the Luxhaven neighborhood.  Luxhaven has existed in that location since 1946 and many of the residents are concerned about the possibility of the city constructing a park on the 39 acres.

City Planning and Zoning Director Tony Bagato says the city has a long-term idea to put a park on that 39-acre tract, but has no immediate or current plans to do so.

Luxhaven residents also raised concerns about a pedestrian bridge that would bring foot traffic near their homes.  Plan Commission President Warren Harling said the commission has no legal jurisdiction over bridges, but City Councilor Pete Peterson, also a Plan Commission member, made it clear he would not favor a pedestrian bridge near the Luxhaven homes.

Lindsey Erdody is leaving her beat covering the northern suburbs for the Indianapolis Business Journal.  She will now be the IBJ reporter covering state-wide government and politics.  Here is my podcast with Lindsey…

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern nearly came all the way back against Class 3A No. 2 New
Castle Tuesday before the Trojans closed out a 68-61 win over the visiting Royals.

New Castle led 30-19 at halftime and 49-34 after three quarters. Class 4A
No. 6 Southeastern made a push in the fourth period, scoring 27 points, but the Trojans were able to hang on for the win.

Aaron Etherington scored 19 points to lead the Royals, with Chaz Birchfield contributing 15 points and Chris Grubbs adding 11. Etherington pulled seven rebounds, while Birchfield and Mabor Majak each collected six. Grubbs had five rebounds. Nick Bowman handed out four assists.

Southeastern is 16-3 and hosts 4A No. 9 Carmel on Friday.

Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers found itself on the wrong side of a fourth-quarter comeback on Tuesday, as Anderson stunned the Tigers 64-62 in an away game.

Fishers got out to a good start, leading 19-10 after the first period. The Tigers
were then up 38-27 at halftime and kept that advantage after three quarters, leading 51-
40. But the Indians overwhelmed Fishers in the fourth, outscoring the Tigers 24-11.

Four Fishers players reached double figures. Terry Hicks scored 17 points, including an 8-of-8 effort from the free throw line. Josiah Matthews added 12 points, with Jeremy Szilagyi throwing in four 3-pointers for 12 points. Willie Jackson scored 11 points.

The Tigers are now 8-9 and travel to Pendleton Heights on Friday.

A Fishers High School Diving Coach has been arrested on OWI charges, and has resigned his position with Fishers High School.  WISH-TV broke this story in the late afternoon of February 6th.

For the full story from Channel 8, use this link.

It’s always a good idea to safely dispose of prescription drug that are unused and/or expired.  The Indiana Attorney General’s Office will be offering a chance for Fishers residents to do just that on Wednesday, February 7th, The Reserve at Hamilton Trace (9974 Federalist Drive, Fishers).   Follow the signs to “Independent Living.”

You can drop off the prescriptions from 10am to 2pm.

I normally write something about each year’s Super Bowl since starting this blog in 2012.  I waited to write anything until now for a very important reason – I didn’t watch the game this year.  I will not explain why in this space….if you see me around town, ask and I will tell you why.

But looking at the aftermath and some of the highlights, I have two major observations on the contest.

First, I am very happy for the pro football fans in Philadelphia.  They are avid fanatics (after all, the work “fan” is short for fanatic).  They can be very tough on the home team if performance is below par, but they love their football and want to win.

The Eagles have never won in NFL championship until 2018, when they were victorious over the New England Patriots.  I spent two weeks one May in downtown Philadelphia working on a special project while a federal civil servant and grew to love Philly, its people and most of all its sports fans.

Second, the league continues to make a mockery of its concussion protocol.  The video clips clearly show a player concussed, sent to the sidelines, only to return to the game and go down again.  The NFL is not looking good on this front.  This concussion issue is one of many that results in the falling NFL fan interest, especially among younger sports fans.  This league has the financial resources to get this done right.  Concussion protocols need to be corrected and fixed now.

One last thought – the TV ratings services estimate the audience for the Super Bowl this year at just over 103 million .  That seems like an astounding number, and it is.  It will likely be the largest TV audience this year for one program.  However, it’s also the smallest Super Bowl audience in nine years.  The audience is huge, but the numbers are on a downward trajectory the last few years.  The NFL has something to worry about long-term.