The Latest Hometown Happenings Around Fishers
Writer / Larry Lannan
Photography Provided
After an extensive community survey, dealing with ups and downs in the construction industry and much planning, the City of Fishers announced a new $60 million community center. It will be located at 121st Street and Hoosier Road. Much of the facility will be free to everyone, including an indoor walking trail and playground. Other amenities will require a membership, with details coming closer to the opening of the center in 2025. 
Murders do not happen often in Fishers, but a Noblesville man faces charges in the shooting death of his ex-wife, Kaylah Ann Farmer. Joshua Farmer, 32, from Noblesville, faces a charge of murder and other counts in connection with the June 28 shooting at a gas station on 116th Street, just west of Allisonville Road.
You may have seen the new mural along 116th Street as you drive eastbound past Municipal Drive in downtown Fishers. The Wilkinson brothers, Corey and Casey, are the artists painting the mural celebrating Fishers, its history and the city of today. However, those same motorists will only have a partial view of the mural soon – a Cafe Patachou will soon be constructed next to the artwork.
The Spark!Fishers festival had the one element needed the most by any summer event – good weather. The concerts, car show and art fair, street fair, parade, and drone show all drew large crowds with the weather largely cooperating.
A high school group, Future Black Leaders, sponsored the 2023 Fishers Juneteenth celebration. It was the first year the local Juneteenth event was held at Conner Prairie, and the good weather helped in drawing the largest crowd yet for a Fishers Juneteenth. Now a federal holiday, Juneteenth marks the date when the last group of slaves were informed of their freedom at the end of the Civil War.
At the June Fishers City Council meeting, George Kehl was recognized for 45 years of service to the city. Most of that time spanned his years as the Fishers chief of police. Once retired from that job, Kehl then went to work at the Department of Public Works, where he continues employment today. George Kehl is the first person ever to have completed 45 years of service to Fishers.
The bids for construction of a roundabout at 141st Street and State Road 37 have been delayed once again. After state highway officials told local engineers the state would be bidding a number of projects in August of this year, Fishers decided to wait until spring of 2024 to take those bids. Once the project is awarded, city officials say the construction would start in 2024.
HighGround, a subsidiary of Carmel-based Hageman, and Rebar Development, a Fishers-based development firm, are planning projects for parcels along South Street. The Fishers City Council received the details at the June City Council session. Slated for completion in spring of 2026, this will include two projects in downtown Fishers. Housing for those 55 and over, and commercial developments, along with a mixed-use urban village, will be included in the project.
The Hamilton Southeastern Schools board members chose not to give what is normally a routine contract extension to some top district administrators. Those people and positions are: Jimmie Lake, chief operations officer; Katy Dowling, chief financial officer; Nataki Pettigrew, chief equity and inclusion officer; Matt Kegley, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning; and Kim Lippe, assistant superintendent of staff and student services.
HAND Inc. broke ground on its first development in Fishers, Cumberland Cottages, just south of 141st Street on Cumberland Road. Cumberland Cottages will provide 11 housing units on just under two acres of land, with five at market rate and six with rents based on the tenant’s income.
A new “Nuisance Ordinance” became effective August 1 in Fishers. The new measure calls for a commercial operation with seven calls for service, complaints and/or citations in a 90-day period to be issued a warning letter explaining the operation will be required to come in for a meeting with public safety and the health department, if the operation continues to have calls for service, complaints or citations. Also, the commercial enterprise will be required to enter into a remediation agreement to address the reasons why there have been excessive calls, if they reach 10 calls for service, citations or complaints. If the business continues to have calls for service, complaints and/or citations, they could be designated as a “Chronic Violator” and then be subject to a fine of $250 for each call, complaint or citation for a period of six months.
