(Updated 9:40am Monday)

Students are not scheduled to return for classes until Tuesday, but teachers and other staff member were to report Monday, January 6, preparing for the start of school following winter break.  The winter storm resulted in Hamilton Southeastern Schools calling off Monday activities, even closing the central office on Cumberland Road.

The city of Fishers offered this update at 9:00am Monday:

“DPW crews have been working overnight clearing roadways. With the wind and continued snowfall, roadways are passable but motorists are encouraged to reduce speeds, leave plenty of room between vehicles, and yield to snow plows. Focus today will be on neighborhoods. Vehicles parked on the streets make this process much slower, so please move vehicles into driveways if possible.”

The Fishers Police Department issued this update at 7:00am Monday:

WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation. Additional snow accumulations up
  to two inches and ice accumulations around a light glaze. Winds
  gusting as high as 40 mph.

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

* WHEN...Until 7 PM EST this evening.

* IMPACTS...The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may
  down power lines and could cause sporadic power outages. Plan on
  slippery road conditions. Areas of blowing snow could
  significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could
  impact the Monday morning and evening commutes.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for
the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

Persons should delay all travel if possible. If travel is absolutely
necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden
changes in visibility. Leave plenty of room between you and the
motorist ahead of you, and allow extra time to reach your
destination. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, and be especially
cautious on hills or when making turns. Make sure your car is
winterized and in good working order.

There may be winter weather coming, but road construction and other items continue in and around Fishers.  Note that there is still a closure scheduled for 116th and lanter Road this coming weekend, January 9th.

Here is the full listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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Continue reading Fishers area road & other construction →

 (Updated 8:30am Sunday 1/5/25)

The National Weather Service office in Indianapolis continues to predict a snow depth of more than 6 inches and as much as 9 inches for our area through Monday at 7pm.  A light glaze of ice is also possible.  In addition, forecasters expect high winds to be a problem as well.

The City of Fishers plans to deploy 50 snow removal trucks, clearing the roadways with crews on 12-hour shifts.  There is a priority list on which streets and roads are cleared first.  The map is available at this link.

Here is more from the city on how the priority system works:

All roads in the City of Fishers are prioritized into groups for snow removal operations. Priority roads 1-2 will always be maintained with the maximum service level. Priority 3-4 roads will be maintained as the winter storm conditions allow.

• Priority 1: Primary Roads (Blue) facilitate traffic coming into and through Fishers and must remain open to connect public safety facilities throughout the city. This includes roads with hospitals, fire stations, and police stations.
• Priority 2: Secondary Roads (Green) are feeder roads distributing traffic toward subdivision main roads. These higher-traffic roads may have schools, parks, and businesses, or act as the primary road within a subdivision.
• Priority 3: Subdivision Main Roads (Red) are longer roads that make up a residential neighborhood.
• Priority 4: Subdivision Roads (Purple) are shorter roads and cul-de-sacs within a residential neighborhood.
• Other Roads (Not Highlighted): Any road not highlighted is not incorporated within city limits or is identified as a private road. These roads are not serviced by the City of Fishers.

Here is how the city recommends residents prepare for a big snow event:

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• Remove parked vehicles, basketball goals, and trash bins from neighborhood streets to ensure plow drivers have plenty of space to operate
• Use caution and provide plenty of space around snow plows on roadways
• Stay up to date with the City of Fishers online:
• Website: www.fishers.in.us/Weather
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/fishers.indiana
• X/Twitter: twitter.com/FishersIN
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/fishersin/
• 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.

Below is the full text o the Winter Storm Warning  from the Weather Service, issued at 4:11am Sunday:

WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow
  accumulations between 6 and 9 inches and ice accumulations around
  a light glaze. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.

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

* WHEN...From 10 AM this morning to 7 PM EST Monday.

* IMPACTS...The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may
  down power lines and could cause sporadic power outages. Travel
  could be very difficult. Areas of blowing snow could significantly
  reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the
  Monday morning and evening commutes.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for
the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

Persons should delay all travel if possible. If travel is absolutely
necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden
changes in visibility. Leave plenty of room between you and the
motorist ahead of you, and allow extra time to reach your
destination. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, and be especially
cautious on hills or when making turns. Make sure your car is
winterized and in good working order.

Ty Farmer had one goal for the season going into Friday night’s contest with Kalamazoo.  The Fuel defenseman tallied 2 goals in the third period to cement a 4-1 win for the home team.

It was Glow night and the Fuel had a chance to glow in their performance before a sellout crowd at the Fishers Event Center.  The first two stanzas were largely defensive.  Then Farmer tallied 2 goals within 4 minutes to provide the final winning margin,

The Fuel’s Colin Bilek started the scoring 14 minutes into Period 1, his 8th of the season.  Ben Berard notched a goal for Kalamazoo near the end of the period tying the score.

7 minutes into Period 2, Brian Lemos scored his first goal of the season, providing the Fuel with a 2-1 lead.

Farmer put the game out of reach with his 2 goals in the final period.

The Fuel head down I-74 to face the Cincinnati Cyclones Saturday.  The next home game is Wednesday, January 8, 7pm, when the Fuel take on the Wheeling Nailers.

You may see the streets of Fishers, both main roads and neighborhood streets, treated with salt brine in anticipation of the coming winter storm.  The city will have crews working around the clock doing this work, saying it will reduce hardpack and help city plows get down to bare pavement when the snow and ice arrives.

The National Weather Service office in Indianapolis has issued a Winter Storm Watch for much of central Indiana, including the Fishers area.  The forecasters say 6 inches of snow minimum is expected, with the possibility of much more.  A Watch means this weather is likely to impact us from Sunday morning into Monday evening.  Those experienced in such things expect a Warning to be issued Saturday,  A Warning means the weather is on the way and it is time to prepare for it.

Writing a story about the weather is risky…things can change quickly.

There is some snow expected Thursday evening, but the National Weather Service office in Indianapolis has issued a Winter Storm Watch beginning Sunday morning and extending into Monday.  Snow depths of 6 inches or more are on the way.

Here is the full text from NWS:

WHAT...Heavy winter precipitation expected. High probability snow
  amounts of 6 inches or more, with potential for significant
  accumulations of sleet and freezing rain across southern portions
  of central Indiana.

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

* WHEN...From Sunday morning through Monday evening.

* IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will
  likely become slick and hazardous. The strong winds and weight of
  snow on tree limbs may down power lines and could cause sporadic
  power outages.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.

Persons should consider delaying all travel. If travel is absolutely
necessary, drive with extreme caution. Consider taking a winter
storm kit along with you, including such items as tire chains,
booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing.
Also take water, a first aid kit, and anything else that would help
you survive in case you become stranded.

New Year’s Eve is a date on the calendar each year this is normally set aside for partying – saying goodbye to the old year and ringing-in the new.  So, as we bid adieu to 2024 and welcome 2025, let’s all remember to party responsibly.

No doubt, law enforcement will be out looking for anyone partying too much and driving when she/he should not.

Perhaps I am showing my age, but my New Year’s Eve will be spent close to home.  So, be responsible this New Year’s Eve, but enjoy!

John Wechsler is best known around Fishers as the man at the center of creating Launch Fishers, a co-working operation that continues to thrive.  He left the day-to-day workings of Launch to others in order to pursue another opportunity, a new firm, Spokenote.

Spokenote is considered  by many to be a leader in short-form video engagement, and is poised to redefine personalized communication in 2025, building on a groundbreaking year marked by high-profile partnerships, technological advancements, and industry accolades.

Among the company’s most notable achievements in 2024 was its collaboration with the Indiana Pacers to debut the first-ever scannable jersey patch in U.S. professional sports. This innovation allowed fans instant access to dynamic video content, reshaping sports marketing and engagement.

“This activation has marked a significant turning point for personalized digital experiences and has demonstrated how video can foster meaningful connections at scale,” said Wechsler, Founder and CEO of Spokenote, in a company news release. “While 2024 proved to be a groundbreaking year for Spokenote, we believe our next wave of innovations in 2025 and beyond will further integrate intuitive and dynamic tools that businesses can use to craft messages that resonate deeply with their audiences.”

The Indiana Pacers partnership also earned Spokenote and the team the NBA Changemaker Award for fan engagement innovation. Additional milestones in 2024 included winning the Sponsorship Marketing Association’s Sponsorship Excellence in Innovation Award and being named finalists for the 2025 TechPoint Mira Awards in the Tech Innovation of the Year category.

Looking ahead, Spokenote says it aims to continue the trajectory of growth and transformation, with plans to introduce new tools and technologies to further revolutionize how businesses and individuals connect through video.

Spokenote is another cutting edge technology firm hatched in Fishers and introducing innovative technologies.