Contractors for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) plan to temporarily close lanes on Interstate 69 during overnight hours next week to paint the westbound 106th Street bridge at the newly constructed Exit 204 roundabout interchange in Fishers.

The new roundabout interchange was opened to traffic in December 2016, and some remaining temperature-sensitive work such as bridge painting and landscaping will be completed this spring.

This work is dependent on favorable weather conditions and schedules are subject to change:

• Monday, April 17 – up to three right lanes of northbound I-69 will be closed will be closed. 
• Tuesday, April 18 – up to three left lanes of northbound I-69 and one left lane of southbound I-69 will be closed. 
• Wednesday, April 19 – up to three left lanes of southbound I-69 and one left lane of northbound I-69 will be closed.
• Thursday, April 20 – up to three right lanes of southbound I-69 will be closed.
• Friday, April 21 – one left lane of northbound and southbound I-69 will be closed.

When the state of Indiana authorized the distribution of Local Option Income Tax (LOIT) money owed to local governments throughout the state last year, Fishers received $9.5 million from state coffers.  The Fishers City Council Finance Committee approved a resolution Wednesday recommending the full council appropriate $7.1 million of that money aimed at infrastructure projects throughout the city.

Initially, Mayor Scott Fadness had taken a go-slow approach to how the funds should be utilized.  This action will allow the city to dip into that cash for various projects throughout the city.

A public hearing on the appropriation will be held at the next city council meeting schedule for April 17th.

In  another matter, City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told the Finance Committee the E911 board is taking the position that updated Fishers census figures will not be used to distribute funds unless state lawmakers act.  The distributions supporting the E911 service are made to municipalities by population numbers.  Unless the legislature takes action, the E911 board will use the lower Fishers census figures from 2010.  Fishers paid for a special census which showed a spike in population since the last regular census in 2010.  The census from 2010 showed a Fishers population of 76,880.  The special census completed in 2016 showed a city population of 86,459.

We used to call them textbooks, but with the mix of books and technology, we call then resources today.  Whatever they are called, students in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School System will be using new math materials following action by the school board.  McGraw-Hill’s Everyday Math will replace the current resource, Envision Math.  Board members had received individual briefings on Everyday Math by administrators prior to Wednesday night’s session.  The vote was unanimous.  A committee comprised of teachers, parents and others made the recommendation to the board after reviewing a number of math resources.

Board member Michelle Fullhart said teachers were the ones that decided this was the best math choice for local students.  “We always want to keep in mind that they’re the ones who are going to be using this,” Fullhart said.

You can find more information about the Everyday Math program at this link.

In other school board items from Wednesday’s meeting:

–Dr. Dana Kaminski updated the board on the preschool program for special education students.  More information on the program can be found at this link.

–The board approved an agreement with Indy Premier Soccer League, allowing use of school corporation fields for $173,090 over three years, with a $10,000 reduction in years two and three, provided the soccer league performs specified maintenance work.  Premier Soccer access under the contract includes soccer fields at Hoosier Road Elementary, Brooks School Elementary, Fall Creek Intermediate, HSE High School and Fishers High School, along with use of the Plateau and the Fall Creek Intermediate field for their Halloween Classic.

–Riverside Junior High 8th grader Olivia Larson briefed the board on her research into mental health awareness.

— The board honored the Riverside Intermediate School 2017 Indiana Association of School Principals M.A.T.H. Bowl Champions, Blue Class.  Other HSE Schools finished in the top 10.  Here is the list”

Riverside Intermediate School – State Champion

Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate Junior High School – State Third Place

Sand Creek Intermediate School – State Top 10

Riverside Intermediate School – State Top 10

Fall Creek Intermediate School – State Top 10

When you are just one guy trying to cover news in Fishers, you miss a few things.  One unveiling I sadly had to miss was a talented deaf artist’s work on the side of a parking garage in downtown Fishers.  I found a video about the art display on Facebook (thanks George Martin) and it shows the impressive work of Warren Miller.

The video is news for the deaf, so it uses sign language, but the artwork in the video is the key.  You can access the Facebook video at this link or below.

There are only a few Double Crossover Diamond Interchanges in Indiana.  One is at Fort Wayne and it is a bit of a challenge if the concept is new to you.

Exit 210 on I-69, where Fishers and Noblesville meet, will soon switch to this configuration.

Below is a link to the Indiana Department of Transportation Web page which contains a video on how this interchange works.   You can view the video at this link.

Below is a news release from the Indiana Department of Transportation, about construction work coming on State Road 37, just north of Fishers in Noblesville:

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Construction contractors plan to begin work this week on a $1.5 million project to replace a drainage structure under State Road 37 between 146th Street and Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has awarded a $1.5 million contract to White Construction for the project. Crews plan to install construction zone signs along State Road 37 starting on Wednesday, April 12.

State Road 37 will remain open during construction. Temporary shifting of traffic lanes and overnight lane closures will be used to complete the project. Two lanes will be maintained in each direction during peak traffic times, and single-lane closures in each direction will be scheduled between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Starting on or after Monday, April 17, one lane of State Road 37 will be closed each night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. as the shoulders on northbound and southbound State Road 37 are resurfaced and strengthened in preparation for future traffic shifts.

The first phase of construction will shift traffic away from the median to provide room for construction. The second phase will shift traffic toward the median to allow construction to be completed along the outside shoulders.

Specific start dates for these traffic shifts will be announced in advance as shoulder paving progresses. All work on the project is expected to be complete this summer.

The construction contract to resurface 116th Street from I-69 west to the city limit was approved Monday.  The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety gave the okay to award the $1.58  million dollar project.  Construction is expected to begin in July or August of this year.  The contract includes installation of ramps compliant with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).   A Community Crossing Grant awarded last year will pay up to $1 million of this work as a matching grant.

The city’s Director of Engineering, Jeff Hill, told the board detours and rerouting of traffic along 116th Street between I-69 & Cumberland Road ended at noon Monday.  The work took over a week, in order to repair an energy line.  The construction was scheduled during HSE Schools spring break in order to minimize complications with school buses and because many families schedule out of town vacations during that time.

In other news from the Monday Board of Works session:

–A design services contract was awarded for a planned widening of 96th Street between Lantern and Cumberland Roads.

–In a last minute addition not on the board’s published agenda, a $65,000 design project was approved for the Department of Public Works new additional building to be constructed near the current facility on Eller Road.

–The police department will receive uplifting equipment for 10 new police interceptors in the amount of just over $63,000.

The Fishers Police Department has achieved high accreditation, and to keep that status, the department regularly asks local citizens for their views about the job officers are doing. If you have had a contact with Fishers Police, you are encouraged to submit the survey.

The survey will also ask you about your perceptions of safety where you live and shop.

There are only 9 questions to answer.

The survey  is available from now until May 12th.   You can access the survey at this link.

For 18 years, Ben & Ari’s, along State Road 37, has provided joy for the young and old, in and around Fishers.  The center for miniature golf, games and many birthday parties has now closed.  According to a posting on their Web site, Ben & Ari’s last day of business was Sunday, April 9th.

Here is part of the posted statement:

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Thank you for letting us be a part of your life and this community for almost 18 years. Thank you for coming back time and time again. Thanks to the kids who came in more than a decade ago who now come back with their own kids. Thanks to the parents who supported us and let us be a part of your family’s fun. Thanks to every kid who chose us for a birthday party (or parties!), to every team that celebrated with us, and every group of “grown-ups” who came in to relive their childhood. We are honored to have shared in your family’s celebrations.

We know that our closing has come rather suddenly and due to confidentiality agreements with the buyer we were unable to be more forthcoming with this news. We will conduct this transition with the same integrity that we ran our business. To view our FAQ with reimbursement information follow this link: Ben & Ari’s Closing FAQ

To this whole Ben and Ari’s community: thank you for being part of our lives and helping us make Ben and Ari’s a fantastic place to grow up. We’ve come a long way since we first started helping out around the family store and as our time as “mascots” comes to a close we are looking forward to new life stages as well. Ben is now 26 and getting married in August, while Ari is 22 and graduating from college this May. Thank you all for our time at Ben and Ari’s and we hope you’ll remember it the same way we do: We sure had a ball at Ben and Ari’s!

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Based on that statement, it appears the property is being sold for another purpose, which is not being disclosed at this time.

Before Fishers started growing and more choices located here, Ben & Ari’s was the place to have a birthday party, or any celebration.  My family has some fond memories of Ben & Ari’s.  It will be missed, but we anxiously await news of what is planned for that area.

(NOTE:  Ben and Ari’s sent a comment you can read below…..in that comment, they confirm the property will become some type of auto dealership.  Ben & Ari’s brought many good times to people in this area for a very long time.  I wish them all the best in the future.)

The federal tax filing deadline is usually April 15th, but due to a weekend and a local holiday on Monday, April 17th, this year’s deadline is April 18th.  But Saturday, the 15th, this year has some meaning in Fishers.  There are several events tied to Keep Fishers Beautiful.

First, if you have items needing recycling, come to Billericay Park at 126th & Promise Road this Saturday, April 15th, 8am-1pm, to drop-off your items for recycling.  The gates close at 1pm sharp, so you may want to get there early.  Here is the guidance from the Fishers Parks and Recreation Department on what you can submit:

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Electronics/Metals: Appliances – anything that plugs in an outlet

Computers, Gaming systems

Printers – cartridges and toners

Cell phones

all Batteries

VCR’s

stereos

keyboards

mice-all peripherals

power tools

speakers

wiring

monitors

televisions

metals

lawn mowers

workout equipment

HHW: Paint, flammable liquids, liquid acids, liquid bases, toxic solids, motor oil, household batteries, propane tanks (gas grill size only), fire extinguishers, pesticides/herbicides, aerosols, corrosive liquids, non-conforming waste (unknowns), antifreeze, pool chemicals, fluorescent lamp and PCB ballasts, medical sharps. There are limits for flammable liquids and Pesticides/Herbicides. Up to one hundred (100) pounds or its’ liquid equivalent is free, but there will be a charge of $1.00 for each additional pound or its’ liquid equivalent.

Paper: Confidential paper, bills, mail, office paper, printer paper, corrugated paper, cardboard, and newspapers. PAPER IS NOT SHREDDED ON SITE

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There will also be a neighborhood blitz, where such help is needed, with volunteers providing the help, at selected places in need.

Finally, Ritchey Woods will once again be in need to volunteers  to help spruce up the plant life.  That project is 9am-2pm.  Anyone can drop by and volunteer, rain or shine.  You can preregister as a volunteer to get all the paperwork done ahead of time.

To raise your hand to volunteer for any of these April 15th Keep Fishers Beautiful projects, register online at this link.  For more information, contact Dan Domsic via email at domsicd@fishers.in.us or by phone at (317) 595-3151.