There was a great deal of excitement about the announcement of 5G technology.  It would open up new, faster ways to connect to the Internet.  I could provide a new, reliable television delivery system capable of handling 4K picture quality technology.  It could even be utilized for autonomous vehicles at some point in the future.

Then, news stories started appearing about bad health impacts and birds falling from the sky.  Those stories blamed 5G signals.  It turned out, based on reporting from the New York Times, that most of these stories were planted by Russian trolls, in an effort to get the Russian technology ahead of American companies.

I am not saying 5G is without any health risks, there is just no credible science to back up  claims of serious health issues at this time.

The companies rolling out 5G service are starting the construction in many suburban areas.  Verizon has chosen Fishers as an area to begin installing 5G towers.

When the Indiana General Assembly wrote the rules on 5G, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness was part of a contingent wanting local governments to have some say in how these towers are constructed.  The final rules allow municipalities to have a limited involvement in where 5G towers will be located.

In Fishers, the Board of Public Works and Safety, a body consisting of the mayor and his two appointees, have been considering these 5G tower applications.  Most have been approved.  In some cases, the board has asked Verizon and the neighborhoods to work out any disagreements and that has worked most of the time.

However, there have been a few denials to Verizon by the board, usually because a tower was to be located directly in front of a picture window and no other location could be found to keep the signal solid throughout the area.

5G technology is a line of sight signal, meaning far more towers are needed compared to 4G cell service.  That means many more towers are required to keep the signal constant.

The neighborhood of Glenn Abbey Village in the Windermere area argued in a board discussion it did not want any 5G towers located there and had an attorney make a legal case that a neighborhood could simply refuse 5G towers.  The mayor ordered City Attorney Chris Greisl to meet with attorneys representing Glenn Abbey Village and Verizon to determine how to move forward.

At a subsequent Board of Works meeting, Mayor Scott Fadness said that meeting of the legal minds resulted in no change to the city’s policy in considering 5G towers.  The Glenn Abbey 5G towers are scheduled to be considered at the January 11 meeting.

Now, there has been another development on the 5G front.  An Associated Press story posted Tuesday says the activation of 5G service has been delayed by 2 weeks at the request of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.  Airline companies have raised concerns about 5G signals interfering with key airplane guidance systems.

I have no idea how this development will impact the 5G rollout in Fishers, if at all, but it is something to watch.

Fishers is part of the initial 5G rollout.  It is a story I plan to follow closely.

The City of Fishers has devoted part of its Web site to 5G.  You can find it at this link.

The Fishers Arts Council announced four new members joining the board of directors for the nonprofit organization.  Below are the names of the new members and a brief bio for each, as provided by the Arts Council:

Greg Dierfeldt works as a Senior Project Manager at IU Health. He has served as a Board Chair for the American Red Cross and Finance Chair for two non-profits. Most recently, he was a Board Member of Fishers Music Works and Indiana CEC. He also volunteered for the Council for Exceptional Children, Hamilton County Humane Society, and the Louisville Orchestra.

Ross Hilleary has also worked in the non-profit field. Currently, he is the Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of Fishers. He says FAC was the first non-profit organization he heard about when he moved to Fishers five years ago. Ross also serves as a non-voting member of the Fishers Arts and Culture Commission, representing the city. He has served on the board of Arts in the Park in Danville, IL, a staple summer event in historic Lincoln Park.

Dr. Leah Leach is the Executive Director of Gal’s Guide to the Galaxy. It is an educational non-profit charity that houses the first lending library dedicated to women’s history in the United States. It offers events, outreach, and educational programs and podcasts to share the joy of women’s history. Leah has extensive experience in the non-profit field and looks to bring that experience to FAC.

Philip Paluso has been a resident of Fishers since 2012 and a member of One Zone since 2009. He is the founder and president of Medium Cool Pictures, a media production company based in Fishers. Philip is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and has served on the Fishers Arts Advisory Council in the past.

The new board members join those already serving, including Pat Grabill, Olivia Holt, Thomas Kneeland, Tom Rich, and Laura Villanyi. Les Reinhardt will continue to serve as Executive Director for 2022.

The Arts Council says “the addition of these new board members puts FAC in a strong position to continue its work supporting and promoting visual and performing arts in Fishers.”

Past Board President Tom Rich says he will not be a candidate for another term in that office.  The board will decide his successor as board president.

With Fishers City Hall likely slated for demolition later this year, making way for a new structure, there are only a few months left of Art at City Hall.  The Fishers Arts Council has plans for January.  Artist Taylor Walker’s work will be featured in the Art Gallery at City Hall and Judy Mintze will be displayed in the Alcove at City Hall.

Taylor Walker’s exhibit, “Prismatic Brilliance,” is described as all about color and energy. She is called a Fine Artist and Illustrator creating custom art that connects. She specializes in pet and family portraits, watercolor paintings, children’s art, greeting cards and encaustic paintings. The Arts Council says Taylor is best known for her keen attention to detail and photorealistic renderings.

Taylor describes herself as “a sensitive soul that thrives on creating emotional connections through my art, and I pride myself on my innate ability to fully understand and capture my clients’ unique needs.”

Judy Mintze’s work primarily focuses on abstract and figurative art. This exhibit is, “Hats Off,” – a portrayal of women’s fashion and modern life. “My goal is to create representational figurative paintings with likeness as the priority,” says Mintze.

Judy says she wants “to express internal feelings and thoughts in my works. Something more elusive, poetical and imaginative in my work is my goal.”

A reception will be held on January 14th at the gallery from 6 – 8 pm featuring live music by Jon Martin, snacks and adult beverages. The exhibit is open daily, except for holidays, from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.

Taylor’s exhibit will run through the end of January and will also be part of the Fishers Arts Council virtual gallery at this link, while Judy’s exhibit will run through the end of March. Judy’s exhibit will only be available in-person in the gallery.

Happy New Year everyone!

One task I give myself after Christmas most years is reviewing all my blog posts to determine the top Fishers news stories.  It takes several hours.

Once that was completed for the 2021 top stories list, I did some reflecting on something I hear often from people reading any news product.  Why is so much news bad news?

So, I went through my top 15 Fishers news stories once again.  How many stories were good news, bad news or neither?

It should be noted there is no universal definition of what makes a news story good or bad news.  Some people would have different perceptions, with some not in line with what others may think is a good news or bad news story.

So, with that in mind, I reviewed my top 15 Fishers news posts to determine if there are any stories, that, in my view, would be seen as good news for most or all of my readers.

There is the background.  Now allow me to select a few Fishers news stories from my list and provide them to your as “good news.”

Census Population Number 

When I moved to Fishers in 1991, the 1990 census tallied the population of the Town of Fishers at 7,508.  The 2020 census shows the City of Fishers with a population number of 98,977.  Some were disappointed that Fishers ended up just below the 100,000 mark, but this city is continuing to grow and I think that is good news.

Thorpe Creek Elementary named a Blue Ribbon School 

Only a chosen few schools are awarded the honor of Blue Ribbon School.  In 2021, Thorpe Creek Elementary received that honor.  Thorpe Creek is not the only Hamilton Southeastern School to be honored with the Blue Ribbon, but it is the most recent.  In my book, this is very good news.

Fishers acquires 98 acres along the White River  

There is an old saying that, sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good.  Fishers had some luck but was also vigilant in following a tangled legal dispute among several parties over 98 acres along the White River, north of 96th Street, within the boundaries of the city.  When the personal representative for the estate involved in that land offered the 98 acres to the city in exchange for paying $3,100 in back property taxes, city officials wasted no time in making the purchase.  The mayor has said this land is primed for future park development and perhaps other uses.  I judge this as good news.

Fishers bioscience boom

There have been some businesses in the city centered on the biosciences, but that revved-up into high gear in 2021 with Italian and South Korean firms choosing to locate facilities in Fishers.  There were local and state incentives, but those operations are projected to provide some high-paying jobs.  This is good news in my book.

Nickel Plate Trail and downtown development  

The Nickel Plate Trail is nearly finished in the downtown Fishers area, with the completion of the tunnel underneath 116th Street set to be done in early 2022.  Also, many buildings have been under construction for some time and much of that work will be done by summer.  Included in that would be the new headquarters building for First Internet Bank.  Downtown development has been controversial at times in Fishers but the near completion of the work underway on the commercial buildings, and the trail, count as good news for me.

One last New Year comment from me.  Thanks for reading.  This continues to be a volunteer endeavor for me, both the blog and my podcasts.  Those of you choosing to read the blog and listen to my podcasts make it all worthwhile.   Allow me to wish you, and all close to you, a happy and blessed New Year!

It appears the right-in-right-out access to State Road 37 at 131st Street on the west side will not be completed in December as had previously been announced, but will be installed sometime in January.  An underpass and roundabout are being constructed at that intersection and that part of the project is not expected to be completed under later in 2022.

Also, look for some lane restrictions on 106th and 116th Streets as we begin 2022 in Fishers.

Here is the weekly road construction update, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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I have written extensively on this blog about the slow demise of local newspapers, and news organizations in general, catering to a local audience.  One news outlet in Hamilton County is experiencing an ownership change in 2022 that is worth noting.

A post on the Web site of the Hamilton County Reporter December 31st announced the sale of the news operation as of January 1, 2022.  The new owners are Stu Clampitt, Isaac Taylor, Paul Poteet and Ray Adler.  The Reporter was started by Don and Jeff Jellison.  Jeff Jellison ran the business himself following the death of his father Don.

Jellison has mentioned publicly that he has his eyes on Hamilton Counter elective office, and the Reporter article announcing the ownership change says that Jellison plans to “focus on his calling – public service.”

As far as the news ownership group is concerned, Taylor will be the newspaper’s page designer, Stu Clampitt the publisher, Poteet is a well-known weather forecaster and Adler is an attorney with his office in Noblesville.

I had a news gathering partnership with the Hamilton County Reporter that lasted more than four years and ended during 2021.  I have had some differences of opinion with Jeff Jellison on occasion but I respect the fact that he has kept a local newspaper in business during a period when newspapers were closing or being sold to hedge funds. I wish Jeff Jellison the best in his future endeavors.

I also wish the new ownership of the Reporter the best of luck.  I have written this many times before, and still believe today, that you should subscribe to your local media.

I was not able to watch Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s news conference update on COVID December 29th live (it is available online at this link).  Watching it later, the message from the governor and his top health officials could be summed up this way – the COVID situation is bad in our state and will not get any better over the next several weeks.

Perhaps it took an outbreak on our local NFL team, the Colts, to wake everyone up to the fact that COVID is making a comeback with a much more communicable variant that is quickly filling up our local hospitals and Intensive Care Units (ICUs).  This isn’t just a crisis for those with COVID, it is scary for anyone with a health emergency needing access to a hospital and ICU bed quickly.

The Fishers Health Department is stepping up to the plate.  The vaccination site on 116th Street, just east of Brooks School Road in a former Marsh Grocery location, has expanded hours, open December 30 until 7pm and has just announced additional hours on December 31, New Year’s Eve – 9am-1pm.

The Fishers Health Department says its hotline (317-595-3211) is receiving an influx of calls about walk-in testing availability – the Health Department  does not offer walk-in testing. Appointments are required for all COVID-19 testing and can be made at this link.  Anyone can walk-in at the Fishers Health Department vaccination site.  So, walk-in during any open hours for a vaccination, get an appointment for testing.

I recall a recent conversation with a former member of the Hamilton Southeaster (HSE) School Board about the process used in 2014 when Brian Smith resigned as superintendent to accept an offer to become the Executive Director of Indiana School Boards Association.  The HSE board needed to set criteria on selecting Dr. Smith’s replacement.

As one of the largest school districts in the state, the HSE board felt it was necessary to require all candidates to have a certain amount of experience already as a superintendent.  That former member of the board lamented that, looking back, that may not have been a good decision.

Why?  Because at that time, Beth Niedermeyer was already serving as Assistant Superintendent of HSE Schools.  However, she had never been a superintendent so she could not be considered at that time.

It didn’t take long for Noblesville Schools to hire her away from HSE to be the superintendent at the school system to Fishers’ north.

Allen Bourff was chosen and just recently retired as HSE superintendent and by all accounts did a very good job in that post.  However, that former board member wishes the search committee could have at least considered Dr. Niedermeyer.

My dealings with Beth Niedermeyer impressed me in my dealings with her covering HSE Schools.  She was personable, approachable and was always willing to answer my questions as a reporter.

I am writing about her because I just read a story posted today by Indianapolis Star reporter MJ Slaby about the announcement that Beth Niedermeyer, after 8 years at Noblesville, is planning to retire.  You can read the Star story at this link.  (Note…you may be limited on how many Star stories you can access if you are not a subscriber…again, please subscribe to your local media if you do not do so already)

I wish Beth Niedermeyer all the best as she prepares to retire after a solid career in education.  We need more people like her running our public schools.

The Fishers COVID testing site near City Hall is seeing long lines of vehicles waiting for a test.  The Fishers COVID vaccination site on 116th Street just east of Brooks School Road is expanding their hours (9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 28 through Thursday, December 30) and is accepting walk-ins.

In the state of Indiana, officials report 3,058 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 on Monday, up from 2,982 the previous day. COVID patients occupy 38.7% of Indiana’s intensive care unit beds.  170 deaths were reported Monday.

The COVID challenge is real and the numbers tell the story.

Fishers Health Department Epidemiologist Josh Robinson released his weekly video update Tuesday afternoon and there is not much good news there.

The most important number is the availability of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds in our area of the state.  The availability number is 7.1%, “….”among the lowest it’s been since they’ve started posting this online,” said Robinson.  “We expect that this level of low ICU bed availability will continue as Omicron further starts to take hold.”

According to Robinson, the overall community case incidence rate has gone way up…from 65.6 to 82.01.  In the last 14 days, 966 new COVID cases have been reported.  December 22nd, 2021, recorded the 4th highest daily case total…153 cases.

There was some good news in the health department’s weekly report.  The Hamilton County positivity rate is down from 20.2 to 18.5.  The Fishers testing site has seen a slight decrease in positivity…16.7 to 16.

The epidemiologist says the best protection from hospitalization and serious illness is the vaccine.  Robinson recommends the exercise of “mitigation measures.”  That includes wearing a mask when outdoors or out and about, in indoor settings with other people and the general practice of safe hygiene measures.

Even though the demand is high for COVID testing, Robinson recommends checking the Fishers Health Department Web page on testing at this link.  For any questions, call the department at 317-595-3211.

Here is Josh Robinson’s full video message:

COVID cases are increasing and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed availability is the lowest since the pandemic started.  That has prompted the Fishers Health Department to increase hours available for vaccinations, as well as encouraging first vaccinations and booster shots.

The Fishers Vaccination Clinic is located at 12520 E. 116^th Street, just east of Brooks School Road, and is extending hours to 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 28 through Thursday, December 30.  That site has administered more than 82,000 vaccine doses since its opening earlier this year.

“We are absolutely at a point – again – where we are asking residents and Hoosiers everywhere to take this situation seriously,” said Monica Heltz, public health director for Fishers Health Department, in a city news release. “The number one way to protect yourself and loved ones is to complete your vaccination round and get boosted when eligible. The omicron variant is directly impacting our hospitals and health care systems and these measures can help alleviate this pressure. By the very nature of this virus, new variants will continue to develop until we take vaccinations and boosters seriously.”

In the entire state of Indiana, ICU bed availability at 12.2 percent, the lowest rate since the beginning of the pandemic. In District 5, which represents Central Indiana, the availability number is even lower at 7 percent.

“Not only are these numbers sobering, but they’re real. By opening the vaccination site to more hours this week, we hope we can capture those who might have time off or more flexibility to be able to make an appointment or walk-in,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “This is one step each of us can take to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”

For more information on the steps you can take on how to protect yourself and loved ones from the omicron variant can be found at this link. The FHD continues to support CDC recommendations for protection from COVID that include vaccination, masking up, and avoiding large indoor or poorly ventilated gatherings.