Maxwell Winkler has changed his plea to guilty on murder charges.   He could face up to 80 years behind bars, but would have the possibility of parole.

Read more about the story from WTHR at this link.

It has always been amazing to me how many people venerate the United States Constitution, yet many of those same people have little or no actual knowledge about the document, its history and how it has developed into what it has become in today’s world.

People in Fishers now have an opportunity to sharpen their knowledge of the underlying legal document governing our nation.  A class, Constitution 101, will be offered beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 24, and will take place on Tuesdays, ending on Tuesday, Mar. 29. Classes are free to attend and take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium or the Fishers Fire Department.  You must be at least 18 years of age.

Each participant will receive the We the People: The Citizen and The Constitution textbook and a pocket constitution. “We the People” is sponsored by the Fishers City Council, Hamilton Southeastern Schools and the Indiana Bar Foundation.   The class is free, but registration is required.

I have had the honor of being a volunteer judge for the HSE High School We the People team.  That experience alone has kept me up to date on constitutional issues.

For more information, and a link to the registration form, go to this link.

Whenever the Indianapolis Colts are in the news, it is more than a sports story.  Based on an August, 2014 article from TheStreet.com, Central Indiana taxpayers subsidized Lucas Oil Stadium to the tune of $620 million.

So whenever there is news from the Colts complex on West 56th Street in Indy, we all need to pay attention, fan or no NFL fan.  That was the case when Colts owner Jim Irsay was arrested by Carmel police about 2 years ago and underwent a rehabilitation program (Mr. Irsay’s struggles with addiction are well known and I wish him well in dealing with those demons).

The fact that the Irsay family is profiting handsomely from the public subsidy makes many Colts stories a news story.  Even when it’s about a coach.

I have never met Chuck Pagano, but his bout with Leukemia has been well publicized.  The coach has been in remission and appears to be in good health after the horrible scare of a few years ago of undergoing cancer treatments.

When Pagano was asked about his tenuous job situation as the Colts season began to head south, his answer was always the same:  I have a job today, I’m going back tomorrow to work as hard as I can to win.

That’s a trait of being a cancer survivor, a moniker Pagano wears proudly (as he should). After you have battled the possibility of death, losing a head coaching job in the NFL pales by comparison.

But there has been an added part of this equation.  Stories published by Bob Kravitz of WTHR and others clearly indicate Pagano and his boss, Ryan Grigson, were not on the same page and were barely speaking of late.

One thing that tells me is that Colts employees at the West 56th Street complex had had enough and began leaking inside stuff to reporters.  That’s a clear indication all was not well in the Colts family.

As I watched Irsay announce a 4-year contract extension for Coach Pagano, along with a promise to extend Grigson past the one year remaining on his deal, it appears all parties have decided to make amends.  I am guessing that Grigson and Pagano have reached agreement about how decisions will be made in the future.

When things are not well for the Colts, that puts Indiana’s investment in that incredible stadium at risk.  If the Colts become perennial losers (think Cleveland Browns) people will stop attending games, TV ratings would go down and the fortunes of the team would be in jeopardy.

What Jim Irsay has attempted to do is to show his tilt toward continuity if at all possible. Pagano said he planned to fight for his job, and it is clear he did.  Irsay was hearing the message sent by the fans and players that most of them wanted Pagano to return.

Will this stabilize the ship?  Will the Colts avoid the massive injuries of 2015 next NFL season and get back into the playoffs?  Time will tell.

But remember we have an interest in a successful Colts organization that transcends football.  We have a major public investment in these Colts.

Fishers has now completed its first year as a city.  How is it going?  Here’s my latest Indiana Forefront commentary, accessible at this link.

When I moved to Fishers in May of 1991, the municipality had a population of about 11,000.  I lived in the first planned subdivision in the community, Sunblest.  I have seen Fishers move from a small and growing suburban town into a city approaching a population of 90,000.

How did Fishers get to this point and how is the city poised to deal with the future? Reporter Chris Sikich of the Indianapolis Star has a lengthy a front page story in the January 3rd edition of the Star exploring how Fishers got to where it is, and where the city plans to go from here.

Sikich begins his piece with a couple living in Fishers planning to downsize.  They looked at all their options and decided to locate in the Depot downtown apartment development because of its walk-ability and access to work and basic needs, such as grocery stores and restaurants.

Mayor Scott Fadness’ vision for the city is explained.  Former Fishers Town Council President Walt Kelly is quoted in the story as being skeptical of Fadness’ strategy of having the city support private development.  This was a throwback to the 2014 mayoral campaign which Scott Fadness won.

The Fishers Town Council had no comprehensive plan and only looked at whether the private developers met certain minimum standards when developing the area.  Impact fees paid by developers were utilized to finance parks, sewage hookups and other services.

Current Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness makes the point that if the city does not create a planned core in the downtown area, and have local employment opportunities, once development begins to move further north, property values could go down as a result.

Sikich does a good job of explaining that many long-time residents of Fishers are not happy with all the development.  Anyone attending a forum or public hearing will tell you there are voices in opposition to the size and pace of development in Fishers.  Many say Fishers has lost the identity it once had, and that is largely true.  Mayor Fadness makes it clear he hears those people and wants to work with them.

Sikich writes about Launch Fishers and the successful small businesses hatched from that operation, reviews all the infrastructure work planned in the next few years and looks at what the future may hold for the city.

One expert is quoted in Sikich’s piece, Arthur C. Nelson, a University of Arizona professor of urban planning and real estate development.  Sikich says Nelson has written extensively about managing growth.  The academic praised the approach taken by Mayor Fadness.

“What’s interesting in Fishers is you have a mayor who is on the ball and looking ahead,” Nelson told Sikich. “That growth pattern will wind down, the houses there now will age, and the population will change. Smart suburban communities do eventually what the mayor is planning to do now, and that is create a downtown.”

When the Depot and Switch developments were approved by the Fishers Town Council, one council member told me at the time that Fishers was taking a big risk by taking on these projects, but he emphasized that doing nothing could be just as risky.

Sikich ends his story with this sentence:  “Time will tell whether the bold, new approach will pay off.”

I think that sums up where Fishers is now.

My compliments to the editors at the Indianapolis Star and reporter Chris Sikich for taking on a long-form story to explore the status of Fishers, Indiana.

You can read the story at this link. (NOTE: If you are not an Indianapolis Star subscriber, there is a limit on the number of times you can access a story online)

Take a look at the following numbers:

$20,170 compared to $484.

The first number is the amount of money Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard claimed as travel reimbursement from the city in 2015 (through October).  The second figure reflects travel costs reimbursed for Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness.

Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) reporter Lindsey Erdody dug into public records to find the information.  Brainard’s travel became an issue when he was traveling in Germany as the Carmel City Council deadlocked 3-3 on a plan to transfer funds, allowing the city to pay its bills for the remainder of 2015.

Brainard’s 2015 travel destinations included three trips to Washington DC, with one visit each to San Francisco, New York, London and Los Angeles.

Here’s how Brainard responded to questions about the amount of his travel, in the IBJ story:

Brainard said he prioritizes his trips based on the ability to learn about other fast-growing communities and city design and on conferences geared toward suburbs similar to Carmel.

“It’s about getting out and knowing what the competition is doing,” he said. “I really see it as part of my job.”  

Fadness’ $484 travel reimbursement was related to an October  trip in French Lick for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns conference..

The front-page story is featured in the January 4-10 edition of the IBJ.

You can read the story at this link. (NOTE:  Your ability to access this story may be limited if you are not an IBJ subscriber)

The Fishers Department of Public Works has been dealing with the collapse of a sewer line near 106th Street and Allisonville Road since late Sunday night (December 27th).   Rick Farnham, Assistant Director of Public Works, told the Board of Public Works and Safety the collapse was related to the rainstorm the city was experiencing.

The city has a sewage lift station just north and west of the intersection.

“Due to the proximity of our lift station to the intersection, this collapsed line became rather serious quickly, as far as developing a sinkhole which took in a sidewalk, endangered a (traffic) signal that is there,” Farnham said.  “It is endangering the lift station, it’s endangering the treatment facility also.”

Farnham said the danger to the treatment facility comes from debris getting into the sewer line and entering the treatment system for sewage.

The Public Works Department immediately summoned contractors on site to help handle the emergency.  The Board of Works approved an emergency authorization to pay for the repairs.

Farnhan told the board it is difficult to come up with a total amount needed to handle all the repairs at this early stage, but his best guess is $100,000.   He said repairs will be required for the roads, traffic signals, electrical systems and the lift station.  Part of the roadway may need to be rebuilt, he said

Mayor Fadness said he has emergency spending authority of up to $50,000, which will be tapped immediately to handle the emergency situation.  The emergency also will result in not taking the usual 2-week period for the bidding process, allowing emergency work to be done.

City Attorney Chris Greisl told the board this meeting was to handle emergency items only. The session was originally scheduled for Wednesday at 10am, but the board was short of a quorum with Mayor Fadness experiencing 3 flight delays in returning from a holiday trip to North Dakota.  The Board of Works has only 3 members and Jason Meyer is out of town this week.  Meetings normally require a 48-hour notice under state law, but emergency sessions may be held on less notice to handle emergency situations only.

It has been a long time since I have written film criticism, and you need not be concerned that LarryInFishers will be become a site filled with film reviews.  But I saw a film today (12/30) that merits comment.  Besides, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is normally a slow news cycle, so why not write about a film?

The film is entitled Concussion.  It’s about the NFL and retired players that seem to go off the deep end, ending their lives prematurely and even committing suicide.

There were rumors that the NFL lobbied the movie studio to water down the parts dealing with pro football.  I must argue there is no sign of that in the film I saw.  The NFL comes across as an institution bent more on protecting its own profits, even at the expense of their own players’ health.

This is actually a very personal story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a pathologist from Nigeria working in Pittsburgh when he ends up studying the tragic death of former Steeler great Mike Webster.  Omalu ends up discovering a brain condition found in Webster, then other former NFL players, called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Omalu naively believes the NFL would want to know about this and deal with it, but finds the league fighting back, trying to marginalize him and his findings.

The best part of the story is not about football, but about how Dr. Omalu wants, more than anything else, to be accepted as an American.  His personal story is what makes this film work.  Will Smith does a masterful job playing the part of Dr. Omalu.

I spent time as a radio play-by-play sportscaster and called many high school and small college contests.  I found a certain beauty and chess-like strategy embedded in the game.

But the movie Concussion reminds us of the ugly side of football, including the steep price former players pay once out of the game and dealing with the many hits to the head any player will experience in a gridiron career.

In my view, Concussion is about football, but at its core is more about an immigrant from Africa trying his best to make his mark in his dream country, the United States.  His struggles and final acceptance embody the real story of Concussion.  On that basis, I recommend it to your holiday movie-going schedule.

When discussions were hot and heavy over what to do about the traffic congestion along I-69 in Fishers during rush hours, and how that impacts State Road 37 traffic, there was an elephant in the room few would mention.  The traffic bottlenecks during rush hours in Fishers are partly due to the lack of a good interchange in I-465 and I-69 in Indy.

Based on an announcement from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), improvements will be coming to the I-69 & I-465 traffic connection.

According to the INDOT news release, here’s what the project will entail:

• Building a high-speed, two-lane ramp for traffic exiting I-465 eastbound onto I-69 northbound. The new ramp would bridge over Binford Boulevard and I-465, while the existing low-speed loop ramp would remain for I-465 eastbound traffic exiting I-69 onto 82nd Street in Castleton.
• Widening I-465 to four travel lanes in each direction between the White River bridge and I-69. In addition, two ramp lanes in each direction would run continuously between the I-69, Allisonville Road and Keystone Avenue interchanges for traffic entering and exiting the interstate

As with most infrastructure plans like this, it will take some time.   INDOT says preliminary design of the project should be done in 2016, with construction anticipated to begin in 2020.

Govenor Mike Pence is quoted in the news release as touting this project, along with others in the pipeline, as a way to ease congestion in the northeastern suburban areas of Indy.

“Building this interchange will increase capacity and improve traffic flow. This project, along with recent and planned projects to widen I-69, a scheduled interchange at 106th Street, and the modernization of State Road 37 in Fishers, will dramatically improve the ability of people and commerce to move efficiently in Central Indiana,” Pence said.

The plans carry a $50 million price tag.

2015 has been a year to remember in Fishers.  Now is the time to look back on 2015.  What were the major local news stories of the year?

There are dangers in composing a Top 10 list.  Most news organizations have long meetings and big arguments over what the top stories were, and how to rank them 1-10.

The only arguments I have are with myself, since this is my news blog and I am the only person writing for it.  Having a debate in your own mind can still be a challenging intellectual exercise.

So, here is my Top 10 list of Fishers news stories for 2015:

10.  Major Drug Arrests in Fishers

Last July, local police announced the biggest drug bust in the history of Fishers.

9.  Governor Pence Visits Harrison Parkway Elementary School

The governor took time to visit with administrators, teachers and students at Harrison Parkway Elementary School.  I learned one important fact.  Governor Pence loves talking about his pet snakes before a group of fourth-graders.

8.  City Elections

Fishers elected officials served a 1-year term in 2015 as part of the transition from a town to a city.    Selina Stoller won reelection in a GOP primary contest with former Town Councilor Mike Colby.  Former Greenfield Mayor Brad DeReamer defeated long-time office-holder Stuart Easley in the same Republican primary.  Greg Purvis was the only Democrat running in the General Election and was not successful in his campaign for a city council at-large seat.  All elected city officials will serve 4-year terms, beginning in 2016.

7.  HSE School Funding

Indiana lawmakers provided a funding reprieve for Hamilton Southeastern Schools.  Even with the added help from the state, the school board is expected to hold a tax referendum in the May, 2016 election.

6.  George Kehl Announces His Retirement Plans

If you can find a police chief anywhere in Indiana that has hired every officer on his force other than Fishers, please let me know.  George Kehl has done just that in Fishers.  After a long stint as the top police officer in Fishers, Chief Kehl announced his plan to retire in September of 2016.  However, he will not be taking it easy once he retires.  Kehl has also announced plans to be a candidate for an at-large seat on the Hamilton County Council.

5.  Downtown Development Projects

The Depot development on the grounds of the city complex completed construction, with commercial tenants in place and a strong demand for the available residential apartments.  The Switch development construction continued, with a completion date planned for spring, 2016.  Since Tax Increment Financing (TIF) was involved in these projects, there was some controversy.  However, the election results have shown no large opposition to the projects among voters.

4.  Mental Health Initiative

One of Scott Fadness’ first actions as mayor was to appoint a task force on mental health in Fishers.  After months of effort, a cross-section of community leaders has put together a plan to attack mental health issues in our city.  Time will tell how successful this effort will be, but it is ambitious.

3.  Economic Development

IKEA was the big economic development news for Fishers in 2015, even though the store won’t open for two more years.  The city reached a deal with the airport authority to develop currently unused tracts of land for future development.  State laws delayed the big Sun King development, but the micro-brewery did open a tasting room on 96th Street.  The Saxony sports complex is on hold after the developers ran into trouble firming up financing, so this project is in limbo for now.

2.  Road Construction

The biggest announcement of the year centered on planned upgrades to State Road 37 in Fishers, but the actual construction is not expected to begin for 2-3 more years.  The new interchange at 106th Street and I-69 will begin construction, as will work on I-69 to add another lane of traffic each direction.  The exit 210 interchange on I-69 will be improved and the deck on the Brook School Road bridge over I-69 will be replaced, closing that road for up to a year once work begins (2016 or 2017).  All in all, road construction remains in the news every year for a growing community like Fishers.

1.  First Year as a City

Fishers has just completed its first year as a city, and based on what’s been accomplished by the mayor so far, it appears voters knew what they were doing in 2012.  That was the year the referendum passed transforming Fishers from a town to a city with a strong mayor’s office.  Tom Dickey left his post as head of the Community Development Department, returning to the private sector.  Leah McGrath was hired as the city’s only deputy mayor in a reorganization of the city staff.  One of his department heads once told me the most difficult part of working for Scott Fadness is keeping up with him.  That was certainly true in 2015 and 2016 should be no different.

So, there it is.  My Top 10 Fishers news stories in 2015.  There were several items that just missed the list.  But as some point, you must make a decision and this is the result of all the arguments I conducted in my own mind.

I expect 2016 to be a busy year in Fishers.  I plan to be here on this blog to write about it.