By RICHIE HALL
Hamilton County Reporter Sports Editor

The sectional re-match between the
Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern boys
basketball was hard-fought and intense, just
like everybody expected.

In the end, the Royals were able to get
past the Tigers 72-66 in a first-round game
at Class 4A Sectional 8 at Carmel’s Eric
Clark Activity Center. With the victory,
Southeastern advanced to Friday’s semifinals
to take on Anderson, while Fishers
with a 10-14 record.

That record didn’t fool Royals coach
Brian Satterfield. He remembers the regularseason
game between HSE and the Tigers,
in which the Royals needed overtime to win.

“They’re better than their record shows,”
said Satterfield.

The first quarter ended with Southeastern
up 16-12, with the Royals’ senior star
Zach Gunn scoring nine of those points. On
the Fishers’ side, sophomore Armaan Franklin
made his entrance into star territory,
scoring all 12 of the Tigers’ points.

Franklin would eventually finish with 33
points, leading all scorers.

“I thought he was absolutely spectacular,”
said Fishers coach Joe Leonard. “He
got an offer from IUPUI, so people were on
to him. He’s going to be a big-time player
here.”

The Royals led 39-31 at halftime, and
ran their lead up to 12 at one point in the
third quarter. Noah Smith had a solid second
period for HSE, scoring 11 points.

But the Tigers made a run, and tied the
game back up at 50-50 by the end of the
period. Franklin scored another seven points
in that quarter, while Connor Washburn
added six and Jamil Turner-Hall four.

Fishers took the lead twice early in the
fourth period, but Southeastern quickly tied
the game back up both times, and gradually
took control of the quarter. A 3-pointer from
Nick Bowman helped the Royals out during
the period.

“We had some good ball reversals and
got a wide open look in the corner, and
Bowman hits a big 3 for us to tie it,” said
Satterfield, whose team is now 20-5 for the
season. “And then we got a few stops during
that stretch where they came back and tied
it.”

“We came up with some of the loose balls, the rebounds and things like that. But
at the offensive end, we were very efficient.
We sort of got shots that we wanted to from
that point on.”

“Very proud of how they fought
tonight,” said Leonard. “We had played
them earlier in the season and had got down
12 and came back. It’s a group that I would
never give up on because of their ability to
come back.”

Gunn led HSE with 23 points, including
10 in the third quarter. He also grabbed nine
rebounds. Smith added 20 points, and dished
out four assists. Jack Davidson scored 12 for
HSE.

After Franklin’s 33, Washburn scored
nine points and grabbed nine rebounds as
well. Jamil Turner-Hall added eight points
and handed out eight assists.

It seems every time I am scheduled to be out of town, a big announcement happens in Fishers.  Tuesday morning was one of those occasions.

Noblesville, Fishers and Hamilton County appear poised to begin the process of establishing a Nickel Plate Train along the old rail line.  It has been used for the State Fair Train and a few other excursions in recent years, but with $5 million (at least) of work needed to bring the rail line up to safety standards, the train may be done for good.

Mayor Scott Fadness has expressed his intention of having meetings for public input on the proposal to transform the Nickel Plate Rail line from 96th Street north 9 miles to Noblesville, at a projected cost of about $9 million.

This idea has been rumored for a long time.  Now that the proposal is up for public debate, let’s see what happens.

You can read more about the Nickel Plate Tuesday morning announcement from Lindsey Erdody’s Indianapolis Business Journal story at this link.

When an announcement was scheduled for Tuesday morning involving Fishers, Noblesville and Hamilton County at the Downtown Fishers Switch Building, speculation began to center on the Nickel Plate rail line and recent rumors that line would be converted to a trail.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness would not comment at all before Monday’s Board of Works meeting on what the announcement may entail.

John Tuohy of the Indianapolis Star posted a story Monday evening speculating that the Tuesday morning announcement will involve turning the rail line into a trail.

You can read the IndyStar story at this link.

The City of Fishers has entered into an agreement with the Hagerman Group, a Fishers-based construction firm, to build a new parking garage for the city police department.  The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety, a body made up of Mayor Scott Fadness and his two appointees, approved the $5.7 million public-private partnership pact unanimously.

The facility is scheduled to be turned over to the city on August 1, 2018, but the actual construction is expected to be complete well before that date.

A public hearing drew no speakers.

Mayor Scott Fadness says Hagerman and police officials are currently working on the final design of the new police station, to be constructed adjacent to the garage.  That arrangement will be considered by the board once those plans are complete.

The city has been concerned about the security of police equipment, particularly parked law enforcement vehicles in a lot.  The garage would allow better security for that equipment.

In one other Board of Works action –the board approved the contract with Fall Creek Township for the city to provide Fire and Emergency Services.  The roughly $538,000 contract is slightly higher than the previous year.  Board member Jason Meyer abstained from voting, since he has recently assumed a seat on the Fall Creek Township Board.

OK, how could I resist?  Here is my review of the 2017 Academy Awards TV show

You know it’s a big deal when a room full of entrepreneurs pack themselves into the Launch Fishers auditorium to hear from Governor Eric Holcomb, Mayor Scott Fadness, Launch Fishers Founder John Wechsler, ClearObject CEO John McDonald and many others.  The occasion was the February 21st unveiling of a new planned Internet of Things (IoT) Lab near Launch Fishers, contained within a state-designated Certified Tech Park.

The Tech Park designation is important because the first $5 million in state tax money generated by businesses in the Tech Park are plowed back into improvements at the Tech Park, rather then going into the state coffers.

In a podcast interview the day following the announcement with myself and Lindsey Erdody of the Indianapolis Business Journal, John McDonald said this may be the first IoT Lab in the world featuring a public-private partnership.  There are many private companies with such operations, but he cannot find another IoT Lab like the one planned for Fishers.

If you want to better understand the Internet of Things, listen to the podcast with John McDonald.     John explains how nearly everything we use, including our cars and lighting systems, will be tied to the Internet, creating this Internet of Things.

McDonald is also hopeful the new IoT Lab will continue to establish Fishers as a hub for high-tech companies.  He credits Launch Fishers as a big part of bringing the high-tech culture to the Fishers economy.

McDonald’s company ClearObject (formerly known as CloudOne) will have its own employees working in the Fishers IoT Lab.  There is little doubt other high tech firms will follow.

This is the second time Governor Holcomb has visited Fishers this month in a public appearance (first was a legislative breakfast at Conner Prairie).  He and Mayor Fadness are clearly on the same page on how to grow the local economy.

“Fishers is on the cutting edge and on the move,” the governor said at the IoT Lab announcement.

If staying at the forefront of the high-tech world is an important cog in continuing the growth of Fishers, this announcement is a large step forward in that effort.

Keep in mind, Mayor Scott Fadness has promised the unveiling of even more initiatives at his State of the City address March 15th.

It’s one of the biggest parties of the year in Fishers, and this party benefits local schools. Friday night marked the annual Game Day celebration, the biggest annual fund-raiser for the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation.

It was a packed house, with bids stacking up for the many items in the silent auction. There was food and drink for all.

Continue reading Game Day Party Benefits HSE Schools Foundation →

The City of Fishers held a banquet Thursday night to recognize volunteers around the local community.

The Key to the City was awarded to Warren Harling, whose service on the local Plan Commission goes all the way back to 1993.  This is only the third Key to the City awarded by Mayor Scott Fadness.  The first two went to Tom Curry, founder of the S.P.O.R.T.S organization, and long-time Fishers Police Chief George Kehl.

“In 1993, the population of Fishers was 13,000 people,” Mayor Scott Fadness told the crowd.  “Warren Harling today is still on the Plan Commission, still on the Board of Zoning Appeals.  Not only does he serve on these committees month after month, but he presides over them.”

It was my honor to serve as emcee for the event.  Kudos to Tony Elliot, Dan Domsic and Mayor Fadness for holding this celebration of volunteering.  It’s the first time Fishers has ever done such an event.  I suspect it will not be the last one.

Below is a list of all those honored at the City of Service Evening, held at Forum Credit Union’s Conference Center:

Fishers Parks and Recreation Youth Volunteers of the Year:

Dorothy and Jacqueline Schmok

Fishers Parks and Recreation Adult Volunteer of the Year:

Bernard Thomasson

Department of Public Works Volunteer of the Year:

Stan Schenher

District Teacher of the Year:

Julie Alano

HSE Schools Foundation Volunteer of the Year:

Linda Witt

Nonprofit Volunteer of the Year:

Peg Powers

Key to the City:

Warren Harling

Winter may still be here, but road work in the Fishers area continues.  This includes more overnight lane restriction on I-69 at Exit 210.

Below is is listing for the work week beginning Monday, February 27th, provided by the City of Fishers:

by

Hamilton County Reporter

HAND’s plans to build 56 affordable
apartments on the former site of the
Noblesville grain elevator hit a snag
Thursday when the Indiana Housing &
Community Development Authority
declined to award the project highly-soughtafter
Low Income Housing Tax Credits to
fund construction.
Continue reading HAND Loses For Now, Maybe Later →