The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) says motorists driving around the 106th Street construction area on I-69 in Fishers should be on the lookout for overnight lane closures beginning July 5th.  This wave of closures is expected to last about 2 weeks.

See the details below in a statement from INDOT:

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Walsh Construction Company plans to close lanes of northbound Interstate 69 next week between 82nd Street (Exit 201) and 116th Street (Exit 205) for construction of the new 106th Street interchange.

Crews are building two new bridges over I-69, one for each direction of traffic on 106th Street, and will be forming and pouring concrete piers in the interstate median.  Multiple left lane closures should be expected over the next two weeks.  The following schedule is subject to change and will be updated as work progresses:

• Tuesday, July 5 – northbound I-69 will have three left lanes closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Wednesday, July 6 – northbound I-69 will have three left lanes closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Friday, July 8 – northbound I-69 will have one left lane closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The speed limit near the construction zone at mile marker 204 is reduced to 55 mph and may be reduced further to 45 mph when workers are present.  Motorists are advised to pay attention to work zone warning signs, follow posted speed limits and keep a safe following distance from other motorists.

The City of Fishers unveiled a new city logo today (7.1).  It incorporates some of the old with some new concepts.  The city flag insignia is embedded in the logo.

City officials released details on what the new logo means.

The news release from the City of Fishers is below.

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The City has worked diligently on a new design that visually captures our vision for a smart, vibrant and entrepreneurial Fishers. Our community has seen a lot of change over the years. We felt it was important to embrace the future and pay homage to past, and this logo does that very well.

With any good design, there is a story behind it. The logo has several elements and each element tells a portion of the story.

The icon – The icon element of the new logo pays homage to the Fishers’ flag. As explained by the Fishers’ website, the green, blue and white colors of the flag represent the fields, waterways and infrastructure of Fishers, respectively.

Specifically, the white of the flag represents the intersection of I-69 and 116^th Street. On the updated icon, the “116^th Street” bar has been extended from one side to the other to represent the growth in Fishers over the years. In addition, the white crossbars of the icon are left open, without an endpoint. This represents the welcoming, open culture of the City of Fishers, as well as the continued growth expected over the next several decades.

The horizon line – The horizon line represents the future of Fishers. In literature works, the horizon has exemplified the possibility of greatness, better things or change in general. As the city moves forward towards the vision of a smart, vibrant and entrepreneurial city, the horizon represents this process and the culture of challenging the status quo that has become synonymous with Fishers. 

Typography – Fishers is spelled out in the logo with a new font that is has straight lines, a block shape and rounded endpoints. Notice this specific font doesn’t touch in some letters, such as the “R” in Fishers. This further represents the openness of the community. In addition, the block, rounded shape represents a solid foundation with a well-rounded, balanced governing body. A dark gray color was chosen for Fishers to “root” the logo with a neutral, grounded color.

Est. 1872 – This element is a tribute to the history of Fishers and communicates that the community is well established and woven into the fabric of central Indiana.

You know the heart of summer is here…not just because we have the 4th of July weekend looming….the road construction listing from the City of Fishers is once again a long one.

Below is the list, provided by the city, for the week of July 4th….

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BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Continuing this week, the bridge on 106th Street between Allisonville Road and Hague Road will be closed by the Hamilton County Highway Department for replacement. Detour routes will be displayed in the area and access to local traffic will be permitted for residents and businesses. Please direct any questions about this project to alison.krupski@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD

Please expect lane restrictions on Brooks School Road between 116^th Street and 126^th Street from Wednesday, July 8 through Friday, July 10. Restrictions will allow for contractors to perform paving activities from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily.

CURB REPAIRS

A contractor will be repairing curb ramps in The Bristols throughout the coming weeks. Please anticipate periodic lane restrictions in that area.

FALL CREEK TRAIL

Fall Creek Trail reconstruction work continues; The Fall Creek Trail project between 96th Street and Brooks School Road will have periodic lane closures for paving operations. Please travel with caution, construction barrels have reduced the existing northbound lane width.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

I-69 TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

INDOT is overseeing an overnight closure on multiple traffic lanes on I-69 overnight this week to continue demolition of the 106th Street overpass bridge. Weather permitting, lane closures and rolling slowdowns of traffic will begin after 9 p.m. and are expected to end before 6 a.m. the next day. Construction schedules and traffic restrictions are subject to change, and questions should be directed to INDOT at indot.carsporgram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone.

STATE ROAD 37

Various general survey work has begun along the State Road 37 corridor. Work will take place starting at the 126th Street intersection. Learn more atwww.Fishers.in.us/SR37.

96^th STREET

Fishers Department of Public Works will be performing street repairs on 96th Street between Lantern Road and I-69 beginning Tuesday, July 5th and ending on Friday, July 8th. Repairs will take place between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., please use caution when traveling in the area.

96th STREET AND CARROLL ROAD

The pedestrian path near the intersection of 96th Street and Carroll Road will be closed due to wall repair work. Periodic lane closures may be utilized for the eastbound travel lanes. Please use caution when traveling through the construction area.

106th STREET INTERCHANGE

INDOT has begun work on the 106th Street interchange. A lane shift is currently in place on I-69 and 106th Street is closed as construction continues. Additional details about this project will be released through INDOT and shared on the weekly construction update. Please be advised the speed limit from 82nd Street to 116th Street has been reduced to 55 mph and there are lane shifts on I-69. Please travel with caution and pay close attention to signage in the area.

116th STREET

• There may be short-term lane restrictions on eastbound 116th Street between USA Parkway and Exit Five Parkway while utility work is being completed. Nightly lane restrictions will also be in place on 116^th Street between Commercial Drive and USA Parkway between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. beginning the night of July 6th.
• Lane restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for eastbound and westbound traffic on 116^th Street west of Olio Road. Restrictions will allow for median and drive entrance construction.

126th STREET

• Continuing this week, there will be intermittent lane restrictions for westbound traffic just west of Promise Road. These restrictions will allow the contractor to construct the entrance into Granite Ridge subdivision. Advance warning signs will be in place including a directional arrow board, as needed.
• Temporary lane restrictions will be in place on 126th Street between Cyntheanne Road and Atlantic Road in order for shoulder work to be completed. Please drive with caution in the area.

When I see the word “crawl” a couple of things come to mind for me.

First, I envision myself on my hands and knees crawling.  As a guy in his 60s, that not as easy to do as it once was.

Another vision of crawl is traffic in and around Fishers crawling at a slow pace.

Needless to say, those things are not positive visions of the word crawl

Fishers is trying to change that view of the word “crawl” with the Arts Crawl, coming Friday, July 15th.

Here’s the city news release with more details on the event:

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Breathtaking art displays, engaging street performances and delicious food and drinks are coming to the Nickel Plate District once again. On July 15 from 6 to 9 p.m., the community is invited for the second installation of the Arts Crawl, a program the City hosts in partnership with the Nickel Plate District Business Council and the Fishers Arts Council. The free event features over 25 stops at local businesses that showcase local or regional artists and their exhibits.

“Now that we’ve created a vibrant downtown gathering place for our residents to enjoy, we’re constantly working to activate it in diverse ways,” stated Mayor Scott Fadness. “The Arts Crawl is such a unique event because it allows residents to visit the Nickel Plate District, connect with local businesses and enjoy some very diverse art exhibits.”

Maps are available at City Hall, at participating businesses and on the City’s website for those interested in planning their self-guided art tour ahead of time. Guests are also encouraged to download the Nickel Plate District mobile app to access a digital map during the event. The event is hosted in conjunction with the City’s AMP After Dark Concert series presented by Frost Brown Todd Attorneys, that takes place from 9 to 11 p.m. and features local singer/songwriter, Jennie DeVoe.

“Hosting the Arts Crawl prior to the AMP After Dark means that the community has an entire evening of free events to enjoy,” said Fishers Parks & Recreation Director, Tony Elliot. “We encourage residents to invite a few friends, arrive early and celebrate the talent we have right here in Fishers.”

Additional information about the Arts Crawl including a list of participating businesses, artists and a downloadable map can be found at www.Fishers.in.us/ArtsCrawl. Guests attending the event are encouraged to share photos with hashtag #FishersArts for a chance to be featured.

John Wechsler founded the co-working entrepreneurial operation Launch Fishers…he talked to Larry about it on our latest podcast.

Fishers City Attorney Chris Greisl told city council members Wednesday night that the Indiana State Board of Accounts has been complaining to lawmakers it no longer has the staff or budget to audit all government entities every year.  As a result, many local government entities are taking advantage of a state law allowing the hiring of private accounting firms to conduct the annual audits previously handled by state auditors.

City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told the council a private firm could provide annual audits that would provide different skill sets and knowledge base than the State Board of Accounts.

The city would need to receive state approval to do this, but Greisl assured councilors Fishers will follow the state statute to the letter, assuring approval.

Council members voted unanimously to “opt out” of the State Board of Accounts audits and hire a private auditing firm.  Then the council gave unanimous approval of BKD as that auditing firm.

BKD had been recommended as the firm to conduct city audits by the city’s 3-member Audit Committee, appointed by the council and Mayor Scott Fadness.  Council President John Weingardt (a CPA) and Council Member Eric Moeller (who works in the financial field) are both appointees to the Audit Committee.

Failure is a concept not often seen in a positive light.  Here are just a few famous quotes about that very subject:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Thomas Edison

“He only is exempt from failures who makes no efforts.”

Richard Whately

“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.”  

Richard Branson

“Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be.”

John Wooden

People we see as big successes today suffered serious failure along the way, including people such as Walt Disney, Thomas Edison and Bill Gates.

Launch Fishers is sponsoring FailFest Thursday, July 28th, Fishers High School, 9:00am-5:3-pm.  It’s a way of celebrating the learning process failure provides to all of us.  Few, if any of us, are successful 100% of the time.

This year’s list of speakers includes:

Chris Baggott, Founder of ClusterTruck;

Kim Brand, President of 1st Maker Space;

Brandon Gorin, 2X Super Bowl Champion and Area Representative of Marco’s Pizza;

Eric Hiler, Founder of Dulead;

Matt Hunckler, Founder and CEO of Verge;

Jared Ingold, Owner of Vardagen;

Steve Loser, Assistant Principal at Fishers High School;

Robert McDonald, Co-Founder of Brandery;

Oscar Moralez, Managing Director of VisionTech Partners & VisionTech Angels;

Polina Osherov, Editor in Chief of Pattern Magazine;

Kris Parmelee, Co-Founder and CEO of Lectio;

Jonathan Polak, Partner of Taft Law;

John Qualls, President of Eleven Fifty Academy;

Teresa Sabatine, Founder of The Jump Network;

Cassie Stockamp, President of The Athenaeum Foundation.

More speakers will likely be announced before the event.

This is the third consecutive year Launch Fishers has setup the FailFest event in Fishers.

Early bird ticket pricing is available now at $69.00. Advance sale general admission tickets will be $99.00 and at-the-door sales will be $129.00. Tickets are now available at

www.FailFest.us

A Fishers faith-based group heard some sobering statistics Tuesday afternoon:

–Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15-24 in Indiana.

–In 2014, 119 young people died in our state by suicide.

–Girls are more likely to consider suicide – boys are more likely to die by suicide.

Those sobering facts were shared by Mike Dunn, Crisis and Suicide Intervention Director for Mental Health America of Greater Indianapolis.  He gave an hour-long presentation to the religious representatives at a City Hall event sponsored by the City of Fishers Mental Health Initiative.

“95% of people who die by suicide had a psychological disorder at the time of death,” Dunn said.

Dunn went into detail describing why teens attempt suicide, and reviewed some of the warning signs.  He also emphasized that it’s time for the stigma attached to suicide to be removed, allowing a more open discussion, opening the door to more prevention to take place.

You can learn more on how to get help at this link.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has provided an update on overnight paving and patching along Interstate 69 and the work to upgrade Exit 210 set to begin afte July 4th.   The update from the state is below….

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Interstate 69 patching & paving

Milestone Contractors plans to begin tonight (June 28th) paving an asphalt overlay on southbound I-69 south of Campus/Southeastern Parkway (Exit 210) to State Road 37 (Exit 205).

Crews will also continue patching existing northbound pavement north of Exit 210.  The patching operation will continue north over the next several weeks to the end of the project limits, which is just past State Road 38 (Exit 219), before returning southbound on I-69 back to Exit 210.

Milestone is repairing pavement on about 15 miles of interstate before paving a new asphalt overlay on existing lanes.  Motorists may temporarily experience rough pavement after sections are patched and before sections are paved.

Weather permitting, patching and paving operations require alternating lane closures six nights a week on Monday through Saturday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.  One lane of I-69 will remain open at all times, and two lanes will remain open during peak daytime travel times.

The speed limit on I-69 through the work zone is reduced to 60 mph and further reduced to 50 mph when workers are present.  Motorists should also be alert for trucks entering and exiting the highway through the construction zone.

After pavement is repaired and resurfaced, crews will start work to rehabilitate interstate bridges and build the additional travel lane.  Beginning soon after Independence Day (July 4), northbound and southbound I-69 traffic lanes between Exit 205 and Exit 210 will be shifted toward the outside shoulders to set temporary concrete barriers and begin construction of an additional travel lane in the median.

Campus/Southeastern Parkway Exit 210

Construction of the new interchange configuration is scheduled to begin after Independence Day (July 4).  Campus/Southeastern Parkway bridge construction will require overnight lane restrictions between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. starting on or after Wednesday, July 6.

The first phase will begin building the new ramps and will prepare for shifting traffic into a double-crossover diamond configuration later this summer, which is intended to improve traffic flow during widening of the bridge deck and construction of the permanent interchange improvements.

When I interviewed Gerry Dick of Inside Indiana Business for a Podcast posted May 11th (you can listen to it here) he talked about the success of Launch Fishers morphing into a state-wide movement.

Inside Indiana Business recently featured an interview with Elkhart Mayor Tim Neese about his city’s efforts to begin their own Launch movement (you can read more and see the interview video at this link).

Elkhart has been a city dependent on the swings of the RV economy for many years.  When RV sales are down, jobs are scarce around Elkhart.  When RV sales are booming, as they are now, employers are having difficulty filling job vacancies.

Elkhart has caught on to the success of Launch Fishers.  The idea is to provide coworking space and incubate new businesses that will expand locally and begin hiring their own employees.  The hope is to provide employment not so dependent on the volatility of the RV industry.

It’s interesting that Fishers is the place where the (then) town council took a chance, providing seed money for Launch Fishers.  Now Launch has outgrown its quarters in the  Fishers Library and moved to a more expansive facility.  It appears the rest of Indiana is paying attention to Fishers’ success.