WISH-TV/Hamilton County Reporter

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is looking into what some fisherman are calling an abnormal-looking fish kill on Geist Reservoir.

It is still early in the season for recreational fishers to be out on the water but it is not unusual to have fish turn up dead when the weather starts to warm up.

For people like William Briere, who have been out on the water training since March, they are noticing something different in the fish.

“The fish that you are seeing now have big red splotches on them and a lot of times those red splotches start getting that fungus you know, growing around them,” Briere said. “And it is just odd.”

Briere has been fishing on Geist Reservoir for more than 20 years. He says it is not so much the number of fish that turned up dead in this year’s kill that is concerning, but rather the types of fish.

“Big mature ones that are several years old, for them just to die like that and have the fungus growing on them like what is growing on them, there is something going on,” says Briere. “I am not a biologist but it sure looks chemical related.”

The Geist Reservoir Coalition treats the area for algae a few times a year, but the chemicals used are cleared by the Indiana Department of Environmental management.

However, there are other ways chemicals could be getting into the water and that is what DNR and IDEM are trying to figure out.

Contamination could have major effects on both the reservoir and those who fish in it.

“When you see the fishkills like that,” said Briere, “that affects your tournament fishing. Nobody wants to go fish a lake where you can’t catch fish.”

The Geist Reservoir Coalition says it is not overly concerned with the fish kill but that there are many different sources that could have led to the contamination of the water.

As of now, IDEM says that there are no concerns with the water affecting people.

Hamilton County Reporter

The Hamilton County Election Board met on Friday to review a request filed by Democratic Party Chairman Joe Weingarten concerning bribery allegations in the Carmel mayoral election.

Weingarten issued a letter to the Election Board requesting an investigation into allegations made that candidate Fred Glynn was offered $140,000 to withdraw from the race.

Greg Purvis, the sole Democrat on the board, recommended the board review the claim or ask for assistance from the Indiana State Police.

Board member Ray Adler agreed the board should investigate the matter.

Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Williams told the Reporter the board would review the matter but not until after the election.

Williams said the board would reconvene on May 14: “At that time the names Joe Weingarten has listed in his letter to the Election Board will be asked to come and answer questions from the board.”

The Fishers Mayoral race in the GOP primary election this year is getting some attention from the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ).  “North of 96th” reporter Samm Quinn has a story in the IBJ’s April 5th edition of the weekly newspaper, highlighting how development, and the speed of development, is a dividing line between the two candidates.

Incumbent Mayor Scott Fadness argues change in Fishers is necessary, in his view, in order to move the city forward.  His challenger, Logan Day, says residents he interacts with in his campaign are telling him the development is coming too fast and most projects appear mostly done before the public has a chance to see the plans.

I posted a podcast interview with Logan Day recently that is available at this link.  Mayor Fadness’ re-election campaign has chosen to record a podcast with myself and the mayor later this month…I will post that podcast as soon as it is recorded & ready.

To read Samm Quinn’s IBJ story on the Fishers mayor’s race, use this link.

(NOTE: If you are not an IBJ subscriber, you may be limited on the number of stories accessed each month)

A few road projects are gearing-up in the coming week, and some ongoing work enters a new phase.

126th Street between Cumberland Road and Reynolds Drive is open as of late Thursday afternoon, after that roadway section was closed for construction work.  Improvements will now begin at 126th Street and Parkside Drive, and that will require some motoring restrictions 9am-3pm for the remainder of April.  See the fact sheet link in the information below.  Also, some lane restrictions will be in place on westbound 126th between Olio and Pennington Roads , also 9am-3pm, and also extending through the month of April.

96th Street will see lane restrictions for relocating utilities as a prelude to the upcoming land-widening project coming there this year.

Be aware of the ongoing construction along Allisonville Road and State Road 37.

See the listing below, provided by the City of Fishers, covering the work week beginning Monday, April 8th:

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126TH STREET
Work has begun on intersection improvements for 126th Street and Parkside Drive. View the Fact Sheet to learn more about this project.

Periodic lane restrictions are in effect on westbound 126th Street between Olio Road and Pennington Road. Restrictions are active from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and will extend through the month of April.

96TH STREET
Utility relocation is beginning on 96th Street as part of the road widening project, resulting in periodic lane restrictions over the coming months. For more information about the 96th Street road widening project, view the Fact Sheet.

ALLISONVILLE ROAD 
Southbound and northbound traffic on Allisonville Road has moved onto the newly constructed pavement as part of Phase 3 of the project.This will be the traffic configuration moving into the spring of 2019. The posted speed limit will remain 30 mph.

For more information on this project, view the Fact Sheet.

STATE ROAD 37
Drainage work for SR37 is in progress. Construction vehicles will be using the construction entrance on Lantern Road, between 126th Street and 131st Street, and may cause some short delays. There are no scheduled lane restrictions or closures along SR37 at this time.

Hamilton County Reporter

Attorney Tim Stoesz has requested Hamilton County Prosecutor Lee Buckingham to appoint a Special Prosecutor to review the Indiana State Police Investigation into the Treasurer’s Office.

Stoesz is now calling for Prosecutor Buckingham to release the full investigative report regarding allegations of late property tax penalties being waived by Treasurer’s Office employees.

Stoesz believes the public should have the opportunity to view the investigation and that Prosecutor Buckingham, an elected official, should not be permitted to investigate another elected county official.

“There is an inherent conflict of interest when one elected Hamilton County official investigates another elected Hamilton County official,” said Stoesz.

The Hamilton County Commissioners have said from the onset that the county has attempted to avoid an appearance of conflict of interest.

“That is why we asked the State Police to conduct the investigation rather than the Sheriff’s Department,” said Commissioner Steve Dillinger. “I trust Lee Buckingham will make the right decision in this case regarding the need for a Special Prosecutor.”

Buckingham has not responded to the Reporter’s requests for comment regarding the State Police investigation and Stoesz’s demand for a Special Prosecutor.

Separate from the State Police investigation, former Hamilton County Treasurer’s Office employee Susan Byer has filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Superior Court 1. Byer’s suit alleges she was unjustly terminated, and the action was in retaliation for the confrontation with Kim Good over Good posting family members’ payments as on time when they were in fact late.

Stoesz represents Byer in the suit.

On Thursday, the Indianapolis Star reported Treasurer’s Office employees saying the office was fraught with paranoia.

“There is a lot of media attention on this and there is probably a lot of finger pointing,” said Dillinger. “The entire office is in upheaval.  I don’t like that and it needs to be fixed.”

Hamilton County Reporter

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has awarded Hamilton County $719,285 as part of its Community Crossings Matching Grant Fund Program.

The county will use the money to resurface various deteriorated areas along 146th Street, primarily the intersection of 146th and Hazel Dell Road. This funding will also be used to resurface 196th Street from Promise Road to State Road 13 in Wayne Township.

Davis

The Community Crossings Matching Grant Funds, which are administered by INDOT, will fund 50 percent of the construction up to the awarded amount. Hamilton County is responsible for funding the rest.

“We rate our roads on an annual basis and prioritize our resurfacing program based on condition ratings and available funding,” said Hamilton County Highway Department Director Bradley Davis. “These roads have definite age and condition-related needs. This grant money will allow us to stretch our budget and do more paving.”

Resurfacing the various areas along 146th Street between Adios Pass and River Road, as well as work along the 5.7-mile stretch of 196th Street from Promise Road to State Road 13, is tentatively scheduled to start in August.

When the City of Fishers needs to close a major thoroughfare, it’s normally done during a break in the local school calendar, like spring break, or during the summer vacation.

When 126th Street needed to be closed for some work, the city chose spring break as the time to do it this year.  That way, school buses do not need to to rerouted and a number of motorists are out of town during the school break.

So, 126th Street has been closed for the needed construction work this week, but the good news is that roadway is on schedule (as of Thursday morning) to open once again Thursday afternoon.

Keep in mind that rain could slow the process down, but as of now, 126th Street will be back open between Reynolds Drive and Cumberland Road Thursday afternoon.

Logan Day is challenging incumbent Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness in the 2019 Republican Primary election.  I talked with Logan Day about his campaign in the podcast linked below.

FYI, the Scott Fadness campaign opted to record a podcast interview later this month, so that recording will be done and posted later in April.

Hamilton County Reporter

On Monday, detectives with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office arrested a suspect in conjunction with a series of burglaries in the central part of the county.

Three homes in the 700 block of West 186th Street, the 600 block of East State Road 38, and the 1200 block of East 203^rd Street were allegedly burglarized over the last weekend of March. Another residence in the 16700 block of Mill Creek Road experienced an alleged residential entry during the weekend.

Detectives were able to locate a vehicle seen leaving the area of at least one of the incidents and were able to locate and identify the owner of the vehicle as a suspect in the alleged burglaries. This along with other evidence led to the arrest of John Michael Kader, Jr., 52, Darlington, Ind.

Kader was transported to the Hamilton County Jail where he was booked on the following initial charges: Burglary of a Dwelling, a Level 4 felony; Burglary, a Level 5 felony; and Theft, a Level 6 felony.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

The deadline is April 8 for those who are not registered to vote and want to participate in the May 7 primary election. New voters may register at the county Government and Judicial Center or a license branch.

County Clerk Kathy Williams said last week that requests for absentee ballots are trickling in at the rate of about 10 per day. Early voting will be available again this year at satellite locations in Carmel, Fishers and Westfield beginning April 24 as well as at the county elections office.

Notices to nearly 40,000 voters go out April 12 advising of a change in their election day polling place. The majority of those affected are in Fishers.

The primary election will be for those voters within the city limits of Hamilton County’s eight cities and towns. There is no election this year for those in unincorporated areas of the county.

The County Election Board meets Friday, April 5 for approval of this year’s ballot and voting machines. Williams said that during the meeting the board may or may not consider a request from Democratic County Chairman Joe Weingarten to look into allegations of a financial offer allegedly being made to Carmel mayoral candidate Fred Glynn to drop out of the race.