The City of Fishers is taking over the Geist Half Marathon with a new fall date in 2023, Saturday, September 16.  The city is partnering with Geist Half Marathon to stage the 5K and half-marathon event.

“I’m incredibly excited to continue the tradition of Geist Half Marathon for the community,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in a city news release. “This is an opportunity to reimagine the race with participants and the community first and foremost. We’re grateful for the service of the Geist Half Marathon board members all these years as we embark on the next chapter of this tradition to build a stronger culture of health in Fishers.”

The 2023 Geist Half Marathon will feature 13.1-mile and 5-kilometer races, with optional VIP registration and volunteer opportunities. Special, limited-time registration offers of $49.99 for the half marathon and $29.99 for the 5K are available through January 4, 2023. Participants may register at geisthalf.com.

In 2008, a group of Geist Reservoir residents created the Geist Half Marathon to share their passion for health, wellness, and community building. The Half Marathon is unique in its topography, scenery, and community support along the course. Geist Half Marathon board members have now transitioned operations and management of the race to the City of Fishers. In partnership with Vision Event Management.

Fishers is wasting no time in starting the purchase of audio-visual equipment and related technology for the new Arts Center/City Hall now under construction.  Director of Information Technology for the city of Fishers, Tracy Gaynor, told the Board of Public Works and Safety that he is recommending moving “sooner than anticipated” in order to provide cost savings to the city of an estimated $124,000.

A Fishers-based vendor, Ultimate Technology Group (UTG), removed the information technology equipment from old City Hall before its demolition, without charging the city, and plans on including some or all of that equipment in plans for the new structure.  According to Gaynor, UTG is providing a number of discounts to the city for its services.  Also, suppliers are planning a 10% increase in pricing in 2023, allowing the city savings by initiating the purchase before the end of 2022.  Total cost of this equipment is $889,157.39.

Mayor Scott Fadness thanked Gaynor for his work on this part of the Arts Center/City Hall project, as the board voted to go ahead with the recommended action. “Any savings we can get is good,” the mayor said.

In other items also approved at the Tuesday Board of Works session:

–A land acquisition was approved, a step toward constructing the new Events Center near the expanding Fishers District.  Fadness says the financing for this project is moving forward with $90 million deposited into city accounts for the Events Center Wednesday of last week.

–The city is renewing an insurance contract through MJ Insurance. The total premium is just under $1.1 million. This includes an increase of $92,000 from the prior year. The city says the Increase is predominately due to market increases for cyber insurance and police professional insurance, along with increased property insurance due to increased property values.

–The board approved an Engineering Department recommendation on amending the traffic schedule.  The changes can be viewed at this link.

–The board certified the election of Warren Henderson and Jim White to the Police Merit Commission, both elected by active members of the Fishers Police Department.

–Mayor Fadness thanked his two appointees to the Board of Works, Jeff Lantz & Jason Meyer, for serving in this unpaid position the past year, a very busy one for the city.

Allow me to wish a Merry Christmas and a peaceful holiday season to my friends, family and readers of this blog.

Here is a shout-out to all those required to work over the Christmas holiday.  In my first radio broadcasting job, I was required to work the Christmas morning shift.  I received one phone call after another thanking me for giving up my Christmas morning so the station could broadcast Christmas music.  So, allow me to return the favor and thank all those working on this Christmas holiday.

I did something a little different this year. I drove around Fishers looking for home Christmas light displays.  I video recorded some of them, edited it together to the sound of Swan Lake.  The video is only about 3 minutes long, but I hope you enjoy it!

First, my thanks to all my podcast guests from the past year.  More and more people are listening to my podcasts.  I selected 10 podcasts from 2022 for this look back, with some audio sound bites from those podcasts.  So, here it is, at the link below.

The National Weather Service has extended the Winter Storm Warning to 7am Saturday.

Below is the updated Warning, from NWS:

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WHAT...Dangerous Cold. Strong and gusty winds resulting in
  blowing and drifting snow. Light snow at times.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, north central and
  west central Indiana.

* WHEN...Until 7 AM EST Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. Widespread blowing
  snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous
  conditions could impact the evening commute. Gusty winds could
  bring down tree branches. The cold wind chills as low as 30
  below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little
  as 30 minutes.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Dangerously cold wind chill of -25 to -35
  will be common tonight. Wind gusts will peak up to 45 mph.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.

The Winter Storm Warning for Hamilton County remains in effect until 7pm Friday.  Hamilton County Emergency Management issued the following statement at 10:50am:

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1.    The Hamilton County Emergency Operations Center is staffed to assist municipalities with issues.

2.    Street Departments are reporting salt is not very effective, given the cold temperatures.

3.    Road conditions are fair but remain slick due to extreme cold

4.    There were 113 customers without power at 10:50 a.m.

5.    Power companies have been quick to restore power.

6.    There are reports of frozen pipes due to the extreme cold.

The snow totals are below what was forecast but we did get enough snow in the Fishers area to keep ice on the roadways with air temperatures below zero and wind chill factors in the 30-below-zero-degree range.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness did a live interview with WISH-TV early Friday morning and provided an update on conditions around the city.

“When the temperatures are so cold, salt really doesn’t work all that well.” Fadness told WISH-TV.  “It takes a lot longer. It’s not all that effective. So, throughout the day, it’s not going to be as easy to peel up that snow…but we’ll stay at it and try to make those roads as safe and passable as possible moving forward.”

The mayor provides the following advice to Fishers residents – “If you don’t have to be outside, don’t go outside.”  If you are stranded or end up off the road, local crews and police officers must take risks to provide assistance.

The National Weather Service says a Winter Storm Warning remains in place for Fishers and a large chunk of Indiana until 7pm.   NWS says blowing and drifting snow will continue throughout the day, but the biggest danger comes from the very cold temperatures and wind.  It takes as little as 10 minutes for exposed skin to develop frostbite in these conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

You can watch the WISH-TV interview with Scott Fadness on their Facebook page at this link.

With winter weather all around us, it is hard to imagine March is just a few months away, and the Fisher Arts Council is partnering with Conner Prairie and the Fishers Advisory Committee on Disability for a a special call for artists.  These events will feature small performing arts groups that invite individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities to show off their talent at Conner Prairie and at FAC’s Collaboration Hub Gallery.  All three partners, in sponsoring these shows, describe this as a way to demonstrate the importance of all artists as the community celebrates “Building Our Future Together” during 2023 March Disability Awareness Month in the City of Fishers.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

Performing Artists interested in participating must submit a request by 3 pm January 13, 2023, to info@fishersartscouncil.org indicating their desire to participate. All submissions should include in the Subject Line: March Disability Awareness Month and include the following

● Artist/performance group name

● City of residence

● Phone number

● Email address

● One or two sentences regarding their performance art area (for example: poetry reading, vocal, instrument performance, etc.)

● How much space is needed for the performance art

● A video link or social media link showcasing your talent (if available)

ELIGIBILITY

PERFORMING ARTISTS MUST

● Have one or more members who have a disability

● Be a performance artist

● Be able to appear at the Conner Prairie Arts Reception (March 3, 2023) or at the FAC Collaboration Hub Gallery Second Friday Arts Reception (March 10, 2023)

The latest message from the National Weather Service says people in our local area should be prepared for “blizzard-like conditions” and extreme cold. The City of Fishers has released a detailed message on how the city is preparing, and offers advice to local residents

Here is that message, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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The City of Fishers, in conjunction with Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency, has launched its weather preparedness response teams ahead of the predicted weather system in Fishers.

The extent of the team’s response will be dependent on the outcomes of the weather event which has the potential to include dangerous wind gusts, rain-ice-snow precipitation, and dangerously cold temperatures.

The following actions have been implemented as of noon December 22 with additional emergency response support prepared in the event the weather system causes severe outcomes:

• Snow Fight Activated: More than sixty trucks are deployed with crews working twelve-hour shifts through the end of the storm system
• Crews will begin treating roadways just prior to the anticipated flash freeze
• As snow precipitation falls, crews will begin clearing roadways according to the CoF snow removal policy, beginning with primary roadways and ending with neighborhood roadways as the storm concludes
• Information on roadway snow clearing can be found here: https://www.fishers.in.us/1489/Snow-and-Ice-Control

• Information and resources will be communicated to all Smart 911 subscribers and vulnerable populations
• Fire Stations throughout the city are fully staffed with additional backup staffing scheduled
• Fishers DPW will place crews with Fire Stations to accompany Emergency Services on runs to clear roadways
• Emergency Operations Center is led by Fishers FES which will monitor the changing conditions of the weather event and assess emergency response

• Patrol officers are prepared for winter weather and will be on alert for hazardous driving
• FPD will support Emergency Operations Center monitoring and response.

• City communications channels will provide up-to-date information on resources and emergency response through email, social media, and local media

Residents are asked to be prepared for the weather event, particularly the possibility of widespread power outages for an extended amount of time.

• Residents are encouraged to follow the City of Fishers on social media and register with Smart 911 for the most up-to-date information.
  • Website: www.fishers.in.us/Weather
  • Facebook: www.facebook.com/fishers.indiana
  • Twitter: twitter.com/FishersIN
  • Instagram: www.instagram.com/fishersin/
  • City News Email: http://editor.ne16.com/Subscribe/Form.ashx?l=1002298&p=b1d8b6ad-8a1b-4c1b-b4ac-b059d44e518b
  • Smart 911: www.smart911.com/
• Indiana 211 is a free service that connects Hoosiers with help and answers from thousands of health and human service agencies and resources right in their local communities. The website will include information on warming centers, shelters, and other cold weather resources available if residents need them.

• Limit the amount of time outdoors. Extreme cold can lead to frostbite and hypothermia within 15 minutes.
• Per City Ordinance, when the temperature is 40 degrees or lower, shelter for animals must include sufficient, dry bedding material or other means of protection from the weather that will allow the animal to retain body heat when the weather is colder than what an animal of that breed and condition can comfortably tolerate.
• Exterior faucets and household pipes along exterior walls are at risk of freezing. Open cabinet doors to allow warm air to prevent freezing. Exterior faucets should be winterized.

• In the event residents experience a power outage, residents may do the following:
  • Contact your provider to report the outage
    • Duke Energy: www.duke-energy.com/outages or text ‘OUT’ to 57801
    • NineStar Connect: call  (317) 326-3131 opt. 9 or visit their website
  • Monitor status of outages at poweroutage.us.
  • If you have a non-emergency issue or question, call 2-1-1.
  • If you are medically or physically vulnerable and need assistance due to power outages, call 2-1-1 or dial 9-1-1 if it is a life-threatening emergency.
• If power outages are anticipated to occur over an extended period of time, the City of Fishers will communicate emergency resources and support via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Smart 911.

• Changes to trash or recycling collection will be determined by your provider. Contact your HOA leadership or provider for more information.

Hamilton County Emergency Management has issued information on the Winter Storm Warning in place for the local area.  First, 5 things to expect in the next couple of days, then some preparedness tips, along with what to do if you need help during the storm: