Fishers Police are looking for a peeping tom, and officers are asking for your help in finding the culprit.  The reported incidents happened in the 14000 block of Meadow Lake Drive, just south of 141st Street between Cumberland and Howe Roads.

Residents report to authorities that a man was seen looking into windows of a home in at least one instance.  Police do not know how many other homes may have been targeted.

Home surveillance photos were released by police, and are shown above.   The suspect is described as a while male with a average build. Home security videos show the person as wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt

Tuesday night, a man matching this description was seen walking toward the residence. Fishers Police Officers attempted to make contact with that subject, but he quickly fled on foot. Officers were unable to find him.

If you recognize the man in the pictures above or have any information, please contact Fishers Police Detective Ruble at 317-595-3319.

Schuyler Brinson and Mark Feeney talk about the Fishers Community Chorus, how it has grown and how you can become a part of it.

Classes at Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools start Wednesday, August 9th, but the teachers and other staff members of the HSE School Corporation assembled at Fishers High School for the new school year kickoff Tuesday morning.  One could feel the excitement and energy in the gymnasium as teachers and other staff members began the preparation for yet another school year.

HSE Superintendent Allen Bourff welcomed the staff and gave an overview of what has been happening with the school system during the weeks of summer, sharing goals the school board is prepared to finalize soon.

Board President Matt Burke talked to the crowd about building and maintaining what we do, and asked all to think about who invested in you.

Transportation Director Jim White received a standing ovation.  White will be retiring in December.

Hamilton Southeastern Education Association President Janet Chandler told a series of stories, some good, some not so good, about arranging repairs on her house before the start of school, using the examples to ask whether teachers have passion for their students.

The Fall Creek Intermediate School Falconettes were a  crowd favorite, with a song and dance routine centered around the lunch menu.

The Fishers Police Department is continuing its program of scheduling coffee session and inviting the public.  The latest was Tuesday morning, held at the Starbucks near I-69’s Exit 210 interchange.  Police scheduled this event one day before the start of school to allow local students to be a part of it.

Below are a few pictures take at this Coffee With A Cop.

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Many people living here do not know it, but Fishers was a very, very tiny farm town for many years.  Then there’s the story of the fist fight in the middle of a high school basketball game in the 1940s.  Lantern Road was named after a misspelling of another man’s name.

Those are just a few of the gems I learned while recording a podcast with Larry Reynolds, one of the owners of Reynolds Farm Equipment, with a large John Deere store located in Fishers.

Mr. Reynolds also talked about the future of the annual Christmas lights display with construction of the new Harley-Davidson building underway in Reynolds Drive.  Many of the displays will be closer to the Reynolds John Deere store, and along the east side of Reynolds Drive.  He also discussed the possibility of moving the Christmas light display to Conner Prairie in the future.  But the Reynolds family wants to assure local residents the Christmas lights display will definitely remain in Fishers.

The Fishers area has another academic team with national honors.  The Hamilton Southeastern High School Mock Trial team finished as the runner-up in national competition.

Members of the team are pictured and named above.  The team is coached by Janet Chandler.

Below is a news release explaining in more detail how the  competition, held in Chicago, was organized and performed:

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HSE Mock Trial team members practiced in June and July in preparation for the National Judicial Competition (NJC) sponsored by the YMCA. The case concerned Sam Jones’ parent who sued Metro City for damages due to Sam’s death from pindiatosis caused by pindia in the drinking water. Sides argued whether Metro City did enough to control pindia in the water. Sam also had been previously diagnosed with leukemia which compromised his immune system.

Teams are limited to eight participants. Some students play multiple roles.

Plaintiff Attorneys:

Bryana Tuemler (12), Madison Rossillo (10), and Kaleb Oliver (12)

Plaintiff Witnesses:

Ricki Jones (Plaintiff) —Kaitlyn Ross (11)

Alex Foster –works for Metro City Public Utilities—Nathan Brown (12)

Dr. Pat Dawes (oncologist)—Jill Grant (11)

Defense Attorneys: Rebecca Liu (12), Nathan Brown (12), and Emma Leonard (12)

Defense Witnesses:

Chris Baird (Member of City Council)—Madison Rossillo (10)

Dr. Hunter Williams (parasitologist)—Jill Grant (11)

Tyler Johnson (volunteer counselor)—Kaitlyn Ross (11)

Kaitlyn Ross took top honors as most outstanding witness in the competition.

Twenty-seven mock trial teams vied for the NJC mock trial championship. Washington state took top honors with HSE Mock Trial as the NJC Runner-Up.

In preparation, the Indiana Bar Foundation asked the team to perform a demonstration for some litigation attorneys at Ice Miller. Hamilton County Magistrate David Najjar also presided for the team’s dress rehearsal in his courtroom.

In addition to trials, the team participated in NJC organized activities that included improv from ComedySportz and a dinner cruise on Lake Michigan. The team also enjoyed deep-dish pizza as well as a visit to Millennium Park.

Teachers Ethan Mathias and Janet Chandler accompanied the students to Chicago.

The team will be conducting auditions in September in preparation for its 2018 county and regional season.

In this week’s episode of Hamilton County Goes To The Movies, I interview documentary film maker Jon Schnepp, 16-year-old Film score composer Ashton Gleckman, and there is a review of the recently-released film Atomic Blonde.

by

Jeff Jellison

Publisher, Hamilton County Reporter

Noblesville officials confirmed Friday the city is considering building a new police station on the grounds of the former Firestone plant located near 18th and Division streets. “The city has looked at multiple potential sites for a new police station over the years. What makes Firestone attractive is its location and the opportunity to redevelop the area, which we think will lead to other improvements,” stated Noblesville Public Affairs Manager Robert Herrington.

The former Firestone plant, which has been vacant for the past eight years, was just recently the focus of an extensive investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Herrington confirmed Noblesville and Bridgestone Americas Inc., the current owner of the property, have been in negotiations. “We have had discussions with Bridgestone about the area. We also held a joint public information session with them in May about ways we can use the site and redevelop it.”

Due to concerns of contamination, the construction of a new police facility would need to occur on top of the existing cement slab. “We would not construct anything unless we were certain that it would be safe. Based on Firestone’s testing, as long as we’re building on top of that barrier and not down into the ground, and we’re not tapping into the groundwater for drinking water, then there is no danger for our public safety personnel and the public. It’s been reported to the city that additional, limited soil testing is still needed before a final determination can be made on the specific uses for the various Firestone sites. But all indications so far are positive that these uses would be approved,” said Herrington.

After working with a consultant the city estimates a cost of $13.6 million to $14.1 million to build a 40,000-square-foot police headquarters. Herrington indicated the Noblesville City Controller plans to analyze long-term financing to see if some of the existing revenue streams could be used to help with financing the project. “All options to fund the project will be considered to ensure the best value is realized for our taxpayers.”

Currently the Noblesville Police Department has 95 employees working in 14,340 square feet, a space that was configured for 32. The city estimates current needs are 25,500 square feet and is expected to need 42,000 square feet by the year 2023.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE:  Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted here through a partnership between LarryInFishers and The Hamilton County Reporter.  The views expressed are those of Fred Swift.)

County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Weingarten says the Hamilton County Elections Office is planning to change the boundaries of many of the county’s voting precincts. But, he feels the precinct committeemen or committeewomen of both political parties should first be consulted “because they know their neighborhoods best.”

Mostly, the changes in precinct lines are necessary because of annexations by the county’s various cities and towns, says Elections Administrator Kathy Richardson. There is little committeemen or anyone else can do about this because precinct boundaries must conform with city limits to allow eligible voters to participate in city elections.

There are also some precincts where the number of voters is rapidly increasing, and shifting boundaries can more equalize the size of precincts to try to avoid long waits for voters on Election Day. In any event, voters will be notified if their polling place changes. Richardson says she invited Weingarten to her office to discuss the changes.  Apparently, Gregg Purvis will appear instead along with some other interested officials of both political parties. Under state election law, any precinct changes must be made by Aug. 11 preceding next spring’s primary election.

Ultimately, the planned changes will go the County Commissioners who officially set the boundaries, but they rely heavily on the elections office to do the research needed to conform with legal requirements.

Weingarten’s criticism follows his earlier promise to speak out on behalf of the minority party on issues in local government that concern him. The party chairman has indicated he did not feel Democrats spoke out enough in the past and wants to be more vocal.

Be aware of construction projects along Commercial Drive and the Municipal Complex included in the latest road work report.

Below is the listing for the work week that starts Monday, August 7th, as provided by the City of Fishers…

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COMMERCIAL DRIVE

On Monday, August 7, at 9 a.m., Commercial Drive on the south side of 116th Street will be closed for 10 days. 116th Street will remain open, though the lanes may be narrowed for safety at the intersection. This full closure will allow the contractor to replace the concrete panels and crosswalk at 116th Street and will allow for the addition of a northbound right turn lane. Access into Wendy’s and Starbucks will be maintained from the south. Traffic will be detoured from Lantern Road to South Street.

MUNICIPAL COMPLEX

On Friday, August 11, Municipal Drive will be closed from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. directly in front of City Hall, along with the pass-through road near Liberty Plaza that accesses the Depot parking garage for the Stigma Free Fishers event. All diagonal parking spaces directly next to the Central Green (both east and west parking areas) will be closed for the entire day.

116TH STREET

Periodic lane restrictions will occur on 116th Street west of Allisonville Road as the contractor repairs concrete curbs and ramps and begins resurfacing work on the roadway. Restrictions will be in place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please drive with caution.

There will also be lane restrictions on 116th Street between I-69 and Cumberland Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to make improvements to 116th Street.

113TH STREET

Lane restrictions will occur on 113th Street from Olio Road to Florida Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to resurface and make improvements to the roadway.

CUMBERLAND ROAD

There will be lane restrictions on Cumberland Road at 116th Street while the new turn lanes are being poured. Flaggers will be in placed when necessary.  Please drive with caution as this project is being completed.

126TH STREET

Expect periodic lane restrictions between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 126th Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road while the contractor installs passing blisters near Reserve at Lantern. Flaggers will be on site to direct traffic during the restrictions.

ALLISONVILLE ROAD

Starting Thursday, August 10 (weather permitting), the outside northbound lane on Allisonville Road just north of 116th Street will be closed for approximately 3 days while a new gas service is being installed for Kroger.

96TH STREET

Construction has begun on the new roundabout at 96th Street and Lantern Road. 96th Street traffic between Kincaid Drive and Fitness Lane/Pinecreek Drive will be reduced to one lane in each direction throughout the summer.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD 

The Brooks School Road bridge over Interstate 69 is closed as Milestone Contractors rebuild the bridge deck. Traffic will be detoured to Promise Road via 126th and 136th streets. The bridge will remain closed until August.

136TH AND PRAIRIE BAPTIST ROAD

The Hamilton County Highway Department has closed the intersection of 136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road to allow the contractor to reconstruct the intersection. The closure is scheduled to last approximately 60 days. Please follow signs for detour routes. Questions regarding this project may be directed to the Hamilton County Highway Department at 317-773-7770.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

The Campus Parkway interchange was recently shifted into a double-crossover traffic pattern. The interchange will remain under construction through July, when it is expected to be fully open to traffic in its permanent configuration.

Multiple traffic lane shifts will be required to complete construction of the new interchange design. Each phase of remaining construction will bring the interchange closer to its final traffic configuration and capacity. For more information about the new traffic pattern, please visit http://www.in.gov/indot/3441.htm

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 p.m. Lane closures may reoccur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or
1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37

Contractors have begun work a $1.5 million drainage structure construction project on State Road 37 between 146th Street and Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville.

The first phase of construction will shift two lanes in each direction toward the right shoulders to provide room for construction in the median. The second phase will shift traffic toward the median to allow construction to be completed along the outside shoulders. All work on the project is expected to be complete this summer.

Geotechnical drilling began along the State Road 37 corridor in May as part of the final design phase of State Road 37 Improvement Project. Lane and shoulder restrictions will be active through September 30.

The geotechnical drilling will cause lane restrictions on SR 37 at the 126th Street intersection on or after August 7 and are anticipated to last until September 30. There will be no lane closures during Labor Day weekend, September 1st through September 4. Southbound restrictions begin after 9 a.m. daily and northbound restrictions will be completed daily before 4 p.m. to allow for maximum traffic flow during peak rush hours. Crews will maintain a minimum of one through-lane at all times.

The SR37 improvement project is a $124 million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton County, Noblesville and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed to drivefishers@fishers.in.us.

OUTSIDE OF FISHERS

The City of Carmel has closed 116th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway for the construction of a roundabout. This closure is expected to last for 75 days. Questions and updates about this project should be directed to the City of Carmel at 317-571-2400.