The City of Fishers is moving full speed ahead with plans for the Nickel Plate Trail.  The trail is to be on the Nickel Plate Rail Line running through downtown Noblesville south through Fishers to 96th Street.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety approved two contracts Monday with private firms tasked with planning for the trail, with very little discussion.

NBBJ will be paid $163,000 to handle architecture and design.  EX2 will perform branding and communications for a price tag of $112,000.

The city is expected to begin scheduling public input sessions on the trail in the coming weeks.

Mayor Scott Fadness told the City Council Finance Committee August 10th that he and his staff are projecting a 5.5 cent property tax rate increase (per $100 of assessed valuation) as part of the 2019 budget.  He expects most of that money to go toward renovation of city fire houses, but a portion of that money, the mayor said, will go toward funding the Nickel Plate Trail.

The Nickel Plate has been the center of controversy for many years and advocates of keeping the line for trains continue to oppose the trail.  However, the city continues to plan for the line as a trail.

by

Jeff Jellison

Hamilton County Reporter

This week, construction crews from Hagerman Construction Group began setting new prefabricated steel cells into place as part of the 256-bed, $13 million Hamilton County Jail expansion project.

Hamilton County Jail Commander Josh Carey stated each cell is constructed individually, weighs approximately 17,000 pounds and is stacked on top of another by a crane. Carey also said that the size of the cells could allow jail staff to lock down inmates for as much as 23 hours if needed.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the jail expansion held in April, Hamilton County Sheriff Mark Bowen said, “We’re bursting at the seams. The jail was built 25 years ago to hold 296 inmates. We’re currently pushing 400 inmates.”

Sheriff’s Department Captain Dennis Quakenbush attributed the increase in number of inmates to a recent change in law that requires counties, instead of state prisons, to house low-level felony offenders. Quakenbush also said the jail has seen a significant increase in number of prisoners involved in drug related offenses.

According to Carey, the project is expected to be completed in early March 2019.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton County has just completed construction on a new morgue at Riverview Health in Noblesville. The $1.5 million project will more than triple the current morgue’s capacity. Coroner John Chalfin says Hamilton County’s booming population made the project necessary.

“The county is five times what it used to be and it continues to grow,” Chalfin explains. “It has also become an increasingly popular place to retire, so we’re seeing more people of advanced age. Add to that the 36 opioid deaths we had last year and I only expect that number to go up. We’re over capacity.”

The county has long shared morgue space with Riverview Health, a non-profit, county-owned hospital, but it contained only one cooler with the capacity for two bodies. Chalfin expects his office to handle more than 475 deaths this year alone. That doesn’t account for the space Riverview will need to handle its own deceased.

“Riverview has done some extensive remodeling, which opened up space for a larger morgue,” Chalfin explains. “The county could have built its own stand-alone morgue, but in combining efforts we saved over a million dollars and cut down on construction time.”

Chalfin and his team investigate nearly a quarter of the county’s deaths. They are responsible for tending to suspicious and unattended deaths – primarily homicides, suicides and accidental deaths. They will also investigate deaths in which a person’s doctor cannot determine a cause. The new morgue features a large cooler room and a comfortable viewing area for loved ones.

“We owe it to the people of the county to treat their loved ones with dignity,” Chalfin says. “Anything we can do to provide them with more comfort and decorum, we want to do. This new facility will allow for that.”

Four seats on the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board are up for grabs in the November 6th general election.  In District 1, I extended an invitation to all three candidates to appear on a podcast.  The first to accept was Josh Richardson.  Here is my conversation with him

Friday, September 7th, was a very important day in Fishers.  No, I’m not talking about the Mudsock Football Game between Fishers and HSE High Schools, although that is a big event each year.  I’m talking about an official changing of the guard at the Fishers Police Department.

Fishers has had only three people lead its department in the modern era.  George Kehl led the police department all the way back to the 1960s as town marshal when Fishers was a small farm community with a population of only a few hundred people.  Chief Kehl retired in September of 2016, making way for a new chief, Mitch Thompson.  Chief Thompson was involved in an automobile accident in late July, where he faced OWI and other charges.  Thompson voluntarily stepped down as chief a few days later.

Mayor Scott Fadness named Ed Gebhart as acting chief once Thompson resigned as chief, then named Gebhart as his choice to permanently take the job of leading the Fishers Police.

Gebhart cited retired Police Chief George Kehl for hiring him in 2000 and giving him his first command position in the department in 2011.

“We will fundamentally hold the safety and security of this city, the safety and the futures of our children and the honor of our officers to the highest standards moving forward,” Gebhart told those attending the event. “That will be our goal moving forward.”

Chief Gebhart was visibly emotional as he thanked those in the department that had helped him along in his career.

Luke Gannon will be the department’s assistant chief and Mike Pederson will command the criminal investigations division.

Mayor Fadness talked about change during his opening remarks and cited Chief Gebhart as an officer that always embraced change when law enforcement is not always persuaded that change is a good thing.  “(Chief Gebhart’s) character is unquestionable, his drive is certain, and I have confidence, not only in his abilities, but I think you will see in the caliber and character of the people he has surrounded himself with, to lead this department into its next chapter,’ Fadness said.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com) 

The days following Labor Day usually mark the beginning of the fall election campaign. In Hamilton County there is usually not much of a campaign in non-presidential years. But three factors at play this year may bring life to the off-year election.

First is the red-hot race for a U.S. Senate seat in which incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly is being challenged by Republican Mike Braun.  Our county may find itself at an important place in the statewide race. A big Republican plurality here may be needed by Braun in what is believed to be a close contest. The outcome could even determine control of the Senate where the GOP currently has only a 51-49 edge.

The second factor that may spice this year’s general election is the school board race in each of the county’s six districts. A referendum asking for a $50 million bond issue in Noblesville may bring greater than normal interest in the non-partisan competition for two seats on the five-member school board. And, at Carmel the dismissal of a successful girls basketball coach combined with plans to close Orchard Park Elementary School have stirred controversy where three of the five board members are facing re-election.

And, a third factor in this year’s campaign came about when Democrats fielded more candidates for local office than have been seen in many years. Party Chairman Joe Weingarten has indicated there will be a more aggressive local campaign than in the past.

Republican Chairwoman Laura Campbell, aware of the Democrats’ plans, sent an email update to party workers and volunteers this week pointing out the importance of the Senate, state legislative and county races. She said the party has been at work this summer identifying potential party supporters.

Meanwhile, next year’s city elections, in which some candidates have already made their plans known, will likely have to take a backseat until after the statewide Nov. 6 contests are decided.

by

Stu Clampitt

Hamilton County Reporter

Due to the heavy rain in the forecast, Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is making sandbags available to all Hamilton County residents this weekend.

“The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch from Saturday morning through Sunday evening,” EMA Executive Director Shane Booker told the Reporter. “We can see heavy rainfall and what we are concerned with is the inflow of moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon coupled with the cold front that is going to stall over the area. We can see prolonged heavy rainfall during that time.”

At 8 a.m. on Friday morning, Hamilton County EMA took the proactive step of making sandbags available to the public.

“People can pick those up from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Sunday,” Booker said. “If we see there is a need to keep it open 24 hours a day we will do that and will notify people on social media to make sure everyone is aware. There is no limitation on how many they can take. It is open to Hamilton County residents only. They are available at the recycling center at 1717 Pleasant St., Noblesville.”

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers are on standby in case their assistance becomes necessary.

CERT is a group of organized and trained volunteer disaster workers that operates at the neighborhood level. Free training from the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) can help you be prepared to help when the worst happens. You can read more about CERT at this link.

“If we were to activate the sandbar 24/7 or have someone there full time then we would use CERT to do that,” Booker said. “They can perform their normal role where they are ready to assist people in their community, or we would use them as disaster volunteers where they could work in the county emergency operations center, they can help support cities local emergency operations centers, and they can do a whole host of things that we might need during a disaster.”

Hamilton County EMA has already reached out to the groups that staff the emergency operations center and asked for a staffing roster for this weekend, thus to have people available and on call to come in if needed. EMA is also in close communication with the National Weather Service to stay closely informed. Booker said EMA is pushing information on social media to keep people informed and encourage them to take this seriously.

“One of the things we always worry about is when people are out driving in heavy rain. If they are driving through flood water, they really have no idea what is under the water,” Booker said. “They assume the road is there, but you really don’t know for sure. We use the phrase ‘Turn around; don’t drown’ that comes from the National Weather Service.”

There will certainly not be a staffing issue if more sandbags are needed due to a partnership between EMA and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department.

“We keep between 2,000 to 3,000 sandbags filled at any given time year-round,” Booker told The Reporter. “We also have 10,000 unfilled sandbags. If we need to make sandbags we can use some of the inmate workers who would normally go out to perform litter cleanup and roadside cleanup.”

Due to potential liability issues, EMA cannot load the sandbags for you.

“When people come to pick up the bags they do have to load them themselves,” Booker said. “So if Grandma needs sandbags she should take someone with her. We have had several people who are surprised by how quickly these bags weigh down their car and some had to make two or three trips. After the flooding is over the sandbags need to be disposed of in your trash or in a landfill because you never know what may have been absorbed in the sand, so we cannot take them back, not does household hazardous waste. People must dispose of them as they would with potentially contaminated soil.”

You are advised to have a plan of attack and have your sandbags laid out before the water starts to rise on your property. Getting them after your property begins to flood is usually too late.

The Hamilton County EMA Facebook page can be found at this link.

The annual Mudsock Football Game is more than just a sports event in Fishers, it is one of the biggest nights of the annual local calendar.  Sadly, the crowd was far below the usual numbers due to the unrelenting moisture from the sky throughout the evening.

Those with VIP tickets from the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation found the tent just outside the north end zone at HSE High School a welcome space to get away of the rain.

But even with the challenges from the weather, one of the game’s must important moments came when the Teachers of the Year were honored on the field at halftime.

This will be a Mudsock Game to remember because of the rain that fell all night, the fact that Adam Morris was able to notch a Mudsock win in his first year as Royals head coach and the Teachers of the Year held the spotlight at halftime.  Let us not forget that the foundation raised money through VIP ticket sales and support from commercial sponsors that will be used to fund classroom activities throughout the local school district.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

Mudsock football games should be memorable, and Friday’s showdown between Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers definitely will be remembered.

The Royals won a tense 14-10 game over the Tigers at Reynolds Royals Stadium in conditions that ranged from light rain to heavy rain. Southeastern trailed at halftime, but scored on a resolute third-quarter drive, then held on in the fourth period.

“I’m just happy for our kids because they work so hard,” said Royals coach Adam Morris. “We just preach to them about culture and process and work. At some point, these kids need some results, keep believing, and at HSE, this is the biggest result we can get.”

It was a thrilling game, although not a pretty one. The only score in the first quarter was a safety by Fishers, awarded when a Royals snap went into the end zone.

Southeastern got on the board at the beginning of the second quarter. A huge pass from quarterback Kody Sparks to Ben Boysen moved the ball 32 yards, to the Tigers’ 2-yard line.

Royals running back Matt Harris carried the ball into the end zone on a 1-yard run seconds later. Mitch Hebenstreit followed it with an extra point kick.

The Tigers dominated the second quarter. Starting from its own 28 with 10:54 left in the period, Fishers ground the ball into Southeastern’s red zone. Dylan Scally and HL Lewis each made several runs during the drive.

The Royals managed to stop the drive on 4th-and-1, halting the Tigers’ at the 8-yard line. But Southeastern fumbled the ball on the first play, and Fishers got the ball back at the HSE 17. Scally used a series of short runs to move the ball to the 2-yard line, and quarterback Marcus Roux took it in from there to score. Roux then made a two-point conversion run to put the Tigers up 10-7, and that would be the halftime score.

“They did a great job, they came out, they ran the football,” said Morris. “I thought they were really patient. I thought we got a little impatient, maybe try to throw it. They just kept running it and had success.”

Both teams struggled with turnovers in the first half, but HSE was able to get things together in the second half. The Royals began the third quarter with a long drive of their own, starting at the 20 and ending with a touchdown.

Harris was again the star, running the ball on all but one of the plays in that drive. The only time Harris didn’t touch the ball was on a pass from Sparks to Jackson Lantz, but that was also a big play – a 17-yard pass to get the ball to the Fishers 5-yard line.

The Royals got to the 2, then were stopped a couple times. But on 4th-and-2, Harris stepped up again, punching the ball in. Hebenstreit made the extra point kick.

Neither team scored for the remainder of the game, although Fishers threatened on the next drive, getting all the way to HSE’s 3-yard line on fourth down early in the fourth quarter. But the Royals’ defense forced a fumble and recovered the ball. Both teams traded possessions for the remainder of the game.

“We just found a way to win,” said Morris. “It’s a classic game. We easily could’ve lost this one.”

Everyone earned their yards in this game due to the conditions. Harris finished with 65 yards in 25 carries, while Lance Stephens gained 23 yards on seven rushes. As for the Tigers, Scally ran 26 times for 103 yards, with Lewis getting 43 yards on 12 carries.

“We just told our kids ‘Hey, it’s just what this game is right now,’” said Morris. “We got to go run it and win it and we did.”

The rain didn’t allow for much passing, but both quarterbacks threw the ball well. Sparks was 3-of-6 for 45 yards, while Roux went 6-of-10 for 46 yards.

The win improved Southeastern to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in Hoosier Crossroads Conference play, while the Tigers are 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the HCC. The Royals play at Westfield next Saturday, with the Tigers hosting Brownsburg.

Here are more photos from the Mudsock Game, from Kirk Green of the Hamilton County Reporter:

The heavy rain forecast Saturday has resulted in the cancellation of Safety Day, scheduled for the St. Vincent’s Hospital parking lot, near I-69 Exit 210.  The event was to be put on by the hospital and the Fishers Fire Department.  The fire department  says, “With current forecasts, we feel the safest approach for attendees, vendors, emergency responders and staff is to keep everyone out of the elements.”