THE LATEST NEWS IN FISHERS TOP FISHERS NEWS STORIES OF 2022

Writer/ Larry Lannan

I have a tradition of listing the top news stories in Fishers for the year in late December. 2022 was no exception. I listed 15 stories in all, but will share the top five here.

NUMBER 5

The kickoff of the Fishers Sesquicentennial celebration.

NUMBER 4

Over $1 billion of new developments announced.

NUMBER 3

Fishers announces a new Arts Center and City Hall complex, demolishes the old City Hall.

NUMBER 2

COVID was still an issue as the year began and less an issue as the year ended.

NUMBER 1

The election results, which elected four new members of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board.

John Weingardt was elected President of the Fishers City Council for 2023. Councilor Weingardt has served as President of both the Town Council and City Council previously.

The City of Fishers announced a partnership with the Geist Half Marathon Board and will stage a 5K and half-marathon Saturday, September 16. The 2023 Geist Half Marathon will feature 13.1-mile and 5-kilometer races.

Television Station WTHR and the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools reached a monetary settlement over disclosure issues surrounding former Fishers High School Varsity Football Coach Rick Wimmer’s suspension in his role as a teacher, roughly six years ago. HSE agrees to pay WTHR $35,000, presumably for legal expenses. The Indiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of WTHR’s demand for a factual basis related to Wimmer’s suspension.

By the time you read this, 141st Street at State Road 37 is scheduled to be a right-in right-out configuration, preventing motorists from using 141st Street to cross State Road 37. The city says bids will be taken to construct a roundabout at that location in August of this year.

Just a few days before Christmas, the National Weather Service warned of snow, ice and very cold temperatures on the way. The cold and some ice did hit the area, but the big snowfall never materialized. Fortunately, after a few days of sub-zero weather, temperatures moderated as 2022 drew to a close.

The Fishers City Council entered into what is legally described as an “interlocal agreement” with Hamilton County to reconstruct Cumberland Road between 106th and 116th streets. The construction is expected to get underway sometime in 2023 and extend into 2024. Residents may notice utility relocation and tree clearing in that area early in 2023.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board honored four outgoing school board members. Michelle Fullhart did not seek reelection after eight years on the board. Three members – Brad Boyer, Julie Chambers and Janett Pritchett, were unsuccessful in their re-election campaigns.

Fishers Fire Department Public Information Officer John Mehling was honored by the Fishers City Council for 30 years of service. John is known for his sense of humor and excellent work as PIO.

I posted a number of podcasts in December, including guests Carrie Lively of the Hamilton County Pursuit Institute, Kaitlin Lange from the news startup State Affairs, Joylynn Foli and Bryan Beasley from the Recovery Café and City Councilor Todd Zimmerman.

Check out my local Fishers news blog, where you can also find links to my podcasts, at LarryInFishers.com.

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An independent craft beer company known for making flavorforward beers will continue their expansion in central Indiana.

2Toms Brewing Company was originally founded in Fort Wayne in 2017, and has since expanded operations to a second Indianapolis-area location on the 96th Street corridor in Fishers.

Owner Tom Carpenter had been scouting multiple locations in the central Indiana market since early 2021, with sites in Westfield, Fishers and Lawrence under consideration. Ultimately, the space on 96th Street won over the other prospective locations due to the location and amenities, including the size and layout of the kitchen.

The former Redemption Alewerks bar was previously located in the space. Major renovations in early to mid 2022 reworked the former brewhouse for storage and a draft system that is better designed for ease of use. The iconic, horseshoe-shaped bar remains.

The Fishers location officially opened on July 1.

“We picked Fishers because it wasn’t as established and it’s an up-and-coming area,” says 2Toms Brewing Fishers General Manager Kevin Groover. “There weren’t too many other options here, so it was a perfect spot.”

Groover says the nearly 4,000-square-foot space, located on East 96th Street, features a new taproom in a family-friendly environment.

“We are known for incorporating balanced and clean beers,” Groover says. “[Owner Tom Carpenter] had a great following at his brewery in Fort Wayne, and every time we went to beer festivals, we had a lot of folks from the Indy area asking when we would open something in the area.”

Groover says they decided to open 2Toms Brewing north of Indianapolis in Fishers because the market was already established with breweries and taprooms in the capital city. He says the overall community support has been phenomenal so far, despite some early setbacks.

“We had some hurdles at first because we didn’t get an official sign out in front, because of a backorder due to COVID,” Groover says. “We are doing a bit of marketing here and there, but not too much out of the gate, because we kind of want it to build up so we won’t be too overwhelmed.”

Groover says they currently operate with a small, close-knit staff, but that will likely change in the future. He says October was a big month for business because they launched their Cereal Killer beer series, which is based on 12 different breakfast cereal flavors. He says the beer selection changes on a monthly basis, meaning there’s always something new for guests to try during a visit.

“We don’t have core beers on our taps,” Groover says. “We keep inventing new beers and recipes, and have styles from lagers to stouts just to keep it interesting. What sets us apart is we treat our beers like a chef in the kitchen. Owner Tom Carpenter focuses on these culinary beers, which include well-balanced ingredients for a clean, fresh and delicious experience that hits the mark.”

Groover says their experiments with different beer flavors can sometimes take them back to the drawing board. He says this allows them to figure out what works and what does not.

2Toms Brewing also sells cans and bottles for carry-out, and their selection is constantly changing.

As for food, the brewery currently partners with Rusted Silo Southern BBQ & Brew House in Lizton for their award-winning barbecue, including beef brisket, smoked chicken and pulled pork, plus loaded macand-cheese bowls and sides like collard greens, ranch beans and coleslaw.

“We are looking to expand our food menu, but it won’t be too big because we want to focus on the beer and a good customer experience,” Groover says.

The current space does include room for a traditional brewery, and brewing is currently done at their production space in Fort Wayne. Company officials say they would consider specialty batches in Indianapolis down the road.

The 2Toms Brewing Fishers team is also looking to host events in their parking lot in the future.

“We are extremely excited about this opportunity and hope to replicate the unique customer experience found at our current Fort Wayne location,” Carpenter said in a press release. “The plan is to include many of the open-concept features and decor, but also create an identity unique to Indianapolis.”

2Toms Brewing is located at 7035 East 96th Street in Indianapolis. To learn more, visit 2tomsbrewing.com.