⛵ Where will you celebrate?

Good Tuesday Morning. This is Fishers Digest. The Fishers newsletter where we slice and dice Fishers news like a hibachi chef.*

(*Fancy hat and onion volcano trick included)

In today’s digest:

• The best of June

• New July laws

• Fourth of July and what to do

• Construction report

— Written by Lindsey Watson and Skyler Braun

PS. We will be back in your regularly scheduled inbox again next Tuesday.

This issue is 1,590 words, a 5-minute read.

The Digest

The Best of June

June was a hot month for news at Fishers Digest. But come on, what was the best? We rounded that up for you. All ranked in order. Use the header to jump deeper into each story.

Kevin the Peacock 🦚

Kevin took the month and social media by storm, with him showing up in yards (including our own) throughout the city. Kevin is chill, and welcome to exist among us, as long as he doesn’t become aggressive.

Five lowkey restaurants to try this summer

I’m biased (because I wrote it) but I’m told the list is pretty 🔥 and it was one of the most popular pieces of content for the month. Check it out to see where your list of go-to lowkey places stack up with mine.

Indy MPO funding 💰️ 

Two big projects were given millions in funding from the IMPO last week:

• A pedestrian bridge for the Nickel Plate Trail over Keystone Avenue at 49th Street

• A roundabout at 116th/Olio Road

Fishers is annexing Fortville addresses

The land being annexed is considered unincorporated Hamilton County. The homes have a Fortville address for US postal office services, and also use Fortville city services like water. But it’s not technically Fortville.

Homeowners here should have been aware that at some point this is coming, and will add about 2-3000 people to Fishers total population.

New month, new laws 🧑‍⚖️ 

Happy Hours are back 🍻

The people have spoken! Businesses can now have happy hours that last up to 4 hours each day, with a cap of 15 hours for the week. They cannot be offered between 9 pm and 3 am. Additionally:

1. The new age for serving alcohol at a restaurant is 18

2. The sale of carry-out or to-go alcohol is legal

Up until yesterday, if a restaurant wanted to offer a drink special it had to be all day. Happy hours were banned in Indiana in 1985 as part of a nationwide effort in the ‘80s to curb drunk driving. Studies have shown that didn’t exactly work.

Indiana bars and restaurants aren’t wasting time posting their happy hours. Join the Facebook Group below to see all the places in Indiana posting their specials.

Phones are mostly banned at school

Unless an educator gives permission, all students in Indiana schools are not allowed to use their phones in class. It’s up to the schools on how they want to implement this.

Hoosier Farmland = protected

These countries cannot buy Hoosier land: Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela.

Repeating 3rd grade

If your child is not able to pass the state’s reading exam in 3rd grade, they will be held back.

Want more? Here’s the full list of laws passed. And not a law, but Purdue and IU officially split into separate schools yesterday 💔 

HSE School Data

Last week, superintendent Mapes presented loads of school data to the board in a 25 page report. It includes what the schools new organization structure looks like, 2022-2024 testing data, finances, academic priorities for each grade, and more.

To summarize: HSE schools continue to lead and dominate state metrics in just about every way. Mr. Mapes biggest complaint was around the schools finances.

You can view the full presentation here.

White River State Park

A new park is coming just west of the 96^th  Street and Allisonville Road intersection! It will feature over 120 acres of parkland, and 5000 feet of riverfront land. The surveys you answered last year helped them come up with the amenities like:

• Disc Golf Course

• Kayak Launch

• Terraced Rain Garden

• Creek stomping area

• Boardwalks

Groundbreaking will be this fall, and should open up sometime next year in 2025! View all the pictures and renderings here.

The Happenings

The Fourth countdown is on ⏳️ 

You have 4 days left to make your star-spangled plans if you haven’t already. Luckily, we put together a Fourth of July guide to help you let freedom ring. Here’s a few highlights:

There are 3 places to view city official fireworks:

• Geist Bridge

• NPD Amphitheater (Downtown Fishers)

• Cyntheanne Park

You are allowed to set off fireworks:

• June 28-July 3: Between 5 pm and two hours after sunset.

• July 4: 10 am to midnight

• July 5-9: Between 5 pm and two hours after sunset

What’s open, closed, and other 🇺🇸 happenings

Ok, we know about the fireworks, but how about during the day? Friendly reminder that all federal, state, and most city and county offices will be closed on Thursday for celebration. This includes the BMV, banks, & most libraries.

• The post office is closed, so don’t expect any mail. FedEx and UPS are offering modified hours.

• IndyGO will operate on their Sunday schedule.

• There will be no Costco runs on July 4th. Sorry. 😋

• The Indiana Children’s museum is open! Here is a look at their daily events!

Any Full House fans reading? Uncle Jesse AKA John Stamos will join The Beach Boys (!!!) at the July 6th concert @ Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park. Tix still available here.

Conner Prairie will host the Glorious Fourth July 4-6 from 10 AM to 5 PM. This is a cool opportunity to explore the grounds and celebrate American Independence. Other noteworthy fun: there’s a ceremony honoring veterans and even a reading of the Declaration of Independence! + the Star Spangled Symphony

Nefarious Noblesville ghostwalk 👻 

Only 2 more are scheduled for the summer! From beer rooms to business, visit the places where the dead continue their spirited affairs and hear their empty voices call from beyond. Meet south side of Courthouse Square. 1:30-1:45 hours Reservations required. $23, seniors 65+ $20, (No child under 10 years of age allowed). Public outside ghost walk, with visit to a haunted and historic cemetery. Not an investigation. Tickets here.

Local Business

The big walrus return

Indy zoo-goers who have missed the walruses will be excited about their comeback! The zoo posted a special message last Wednesday announcing the return of the beloved walruses on July 1. These “sea cows” were temporarily relocated in order to enhance their digs. We hope they like their upgrade!

Lindsey’s pupdate 🐶 

Thank you to everyone who wrote us last week about rescue organizations to help my family find a dog! Sometimes the stars just align, friends.

Meet our new golden, Jax! We rescued him from Misty Eyes Animal Center in Avon, Indiana and he is already a well-loved family member. Misty Eyes has the most caring volunteers! They’re ready to help you find a new fido or feline friend to add to your crew. Here’s the link for adoptable pets.

Rapid Fire Hits

Quick headlines and things to know from all around 🌐 

The Leasing Agent for some of the new developments in downtown Fishers shares a graphic showing the concentration of wealth in Indianapolis. Fishers and Nora/Keystone top the charts for all of greater Indianapolis area (Linkedin)

For those still watching Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest (despite Joey Chestnut NOT appearing), you can watch from 11 AM - 1PM. FUN FACT! Did you know a Fishers local, John Gebhard, is ranked #40 by Major League Eating?

Are you willing to share how much money you make? This salary transparency thread shares what people make around Indianapolis (Reddit)

Don’t forget: It’s Tenderloin Tuesday. For the rest of July, go to participating restaurants to earn a free county shirt! (Hamilton County Tourism)

A full brief on the Meijer coming to Fishers (Grocery Dive)

Andretti held a “topping out ceremony”, putting the last piece of steel on top of the building. (WISHTV)

The Fishers library hosted a hearing for Duke Energy raising their prices next year. (Current)

What to plant in July 🪴☀️ 

Summer is in full swing, and if you’re still trying to figure out what to put in your garden, hope is not lost! Here are the top picks for planting in Indiana's warm July soil:

1. Bush Beans

2. Cucumbers

3. Summer Squash

4. Carrots

5. Leaf Lettuce (pick a heat tolerant one)

6. Radishes

The best part is you can get most of these seeds for free at the Fishers Seed Library. In the main lobby in the corner there are cabinets with every kind of seed you can think of. And if you’ve developed your own or have extras, you can also donate them here!

Construction This Week

Nothing new this week but there is a LOT going on

• On or after July 8, Fishers will be moving into phase 3A during which there will be a slight shift in traffic to allow the contractor to build the future driveway for the Circle K gas station. This gas station will still be accessible from 96th street and Allisonville Road.

If you’re curious how Fishers decides what roads to repave, they do it based off a PASER score. You can view a full map of Fishers and their scores here.

View the full construction report for the week here.

Thanks!

➡️ Advertise | Upgrade ⬅️ 

If you found something useful, please share this with the person in your neighborhood who will be doing a fireworks show for your ‘hood.