Summer is making its presence felt early this week. Hamilton County is under a Heat Advisory from noon Monday until 8 p.m. Thursday, and the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency (HCEMA) is urging residents to take the heat seriously as the season’s first prolonged hot stretch settles over central Indiana.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis reports that heat index values — what the temperature actually feels like when humidity is factored in — could climb as high as 108 degrees. The advisory covers portions of central, east central, north central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Indiana, including Fishers and the rest of Hamilton County.

The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity can cause heat illnesses, and the danger builds over consecutive days as bodies have less time to recover overnight. The Weather Service recommends drinking plenty of fluids, staying in an air-conditioned room, staying out of the sun, and checking up on relatives and neighbors who may be more vulnerable to the heat.

Tips from Hamilton County Emergency Management

If you have to be outside this week, HCEMA encourages residents to plan carefully:

• Time it right. Schedule activities for early morning or evening, when temperatures are lower.
• Find shade and rest often. Seek shade whenever possible and take frequent breaks to give your body time to recover.
• Hydrate, and replace electrolytes. Bring water with you and sip often. If you are sweating heavily, choose drinks that replace electrolytes to stay balanced.
• Use evaporation to your advantage. Placing damp cloths on your neck or wearing lightly wet clothing can help cool you down as the moisture evaporates.
• Never leave anyone in a parked car. Never leave children, older adults, or pets in vehicles. Temperatures inside a car rise quickly and become life-threatening within minutes.

“Your safety comes first, so take every step to protect yourself outdoors,” the agency said in its advisory.

Working Outside? Take Extra Precautions

For those who work outdoors, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool, shaded location.

Know the warning signs of heat illness — heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, headache, and weakness. If someone stops sweating, becomes confused, or loses consciousness, it may be heat stroke. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately.

Check on Neighbors

Older adults, young children, people with chronic health conditions, and those without reliable air conditioning face the greatest risk during extended heat. A quick phone call or knock on the door to check on a neighbor or relative can make all the difference this week.

Residents looking for a place to cool off can take advantage of air-conditioned public spaces such as local libraries and community buildings during regular hours. For the latest forecast and any updates to the advisory, visit the National Weather Service at weather.gov/indianapolis.

The Heat Advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. EDT Thursday.

The Formula 1 team building its North American home right here in Fishers endured one of its worst afternoons of a difficult rookie season Sunday, as both Cadillac cars caught fire and retired in the opening laps of the Austrian Grand Prix.

On a scorching day at the Red Bull Ring — air temperatures around 34°C (93°F) and track temperatures reported as high as 61°C (142°F) — Cadillac’s overheating brakes proved its undoing. Finnish veteran Valtteri Bottas was first to report trouble just a handful of laps in, telling his team his brakes were on fire before pulling into the pits, where crews sprayed his car with extinguishing foam. Moments later, on lap five, teammate Sergio Pérez radioed that he had smoke in the cockpit and brought his car in too. The team quickly confirmed both retirements were caused by overheated brakes.

It was the kind of double DNF — “did not finish” — that no team wants, and a particularly bitter one for an outfit that had brought a substantial upgrade package to Austria hoping to close the gap to the rest of the field. Pérez and Bottas had qualified 19th and 20th on Saturday, ahead of only the two Aston Martins, and any chance to convert that into progress on Sunday went up in smoke before either driver completed five competitive laps. Pérez was also briefly noted by stewards for moving before the start signal, though he ultimately escaped punishment.

The fires were part of a wider theme of heat-related drama in Spielberg. Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson also reported a fire in his car during the same opening stint — “I’m still on fire,” he radioed on lap five — but carried on, and even race-winning machinery wasn’t immune, with Lewis Hamilton later instructed to change engine modes for temperature reasons.

At the front, Mercedes’ George Russell converted pole position into his second victory of the season, holding off an early challenge from Hamilton’s Ferrari and late pressure from Max Verstappen, who recovered to second. Rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third and continues to lead the drivers’ championship.

Why this one stings for Cadillac — and for Fishers

Cadillac arrived in Formula 1 this year as the grid’s 11th team and its only American constructor, and the early going has been every bit as hard as the racing world predicted for a brand-new operation. The team sits rock bottom of the constructors’ standings and is still chasing its first world championship point. It came agonizingly close at Monaco earlier this season, only for a late penalty to Pérez to hand that point to rivals Aston Martin instead.

For readers in Fishers, this is more than a far-away race result. Cadillac’s North American headquarters is rising right now off the east side of town, on the site near the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport between East 96th and East 106th streets, west of Hague Road. The roughly $200 million, 400,000-square-foot campus is expected to employ around 300 people in high-tech motorsport and engineering jobs and to become the team’s manufacturing and R&D base. While the facility is finished out — the team is currently running its 2026 race operation out of Silverstone in England — the Fishers campus is on track to be fully operational in early 2027.

In other words, the cars that limped into the Red Bull Ring pit lane on Sunday represent a program whose American heart will soon beat in our community. The growing pains are real: a winless, pointless first half of the season, reliability gremlins, and a pair of cars on fire on international television. But every established team on today’s grid started somewhere, and the people of Fishers will have a front-row seat as Cadillac tries to turn early adversity into the foundation of an American F1 contender.

Next up is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 5, where Cadillac will look to put a forgettable Austrian weekend behind it and finally chase down that elusive first point.

One of the highlights of every Spark Fishers Festival is the parade, and this year the weather cooperated. It was a bit warm, but the rain held off and the entire parade ran start to finish with no weather delays.

Every year I do my best to record the parade, and every year it’s a challenge. I have a new iPhone and I love the technology — though the technology doesn’t always love me back.

My sincere apologies to the Hamilton Southeastern High School Marching Band. I thought I had captured your moment as you passed my spot on 116th Street, but when I reviewed the footage I found a technical glitch on my end had cut it. You sounded fantastic, and you deserved better from my camera.

As a non-professional videographer, I recorded the parade without commentary — just the way anyone standing along the street would have seen and heard it. No narration, just the parade as it happened in the heart of Fishers.

So here it is: my video of the 2026 Spark Fishers Festival Parade. Thanks for watching, and enjoy. Use this link or the link below.

It did not rain on our parade Saturday as a large crowd gathered for the 2026 Spark!Fishers Festival.

The weather forecast had been a bit dicey, but in the end, nature cooperated and the rain stayed away from the Nickel Plate District.

As I made my rounds through the festival grounds in and around the Thomas A. Weaver Municipal Complex, I found families enjoying the many activities, attractions and entertainment the festival had to offer.

Here are some of the photos I took, providing just a flavor of what this year’s celebration was like.

Continue reading Scenes from the 2026 Spark!Fishers Festival →

The Fishers Freight saw their push for an Indoor Football League Eastern Conference playoff spot stall Saturday night, falling 83-50 to the Green Bay Blizzard in the teams’ third and final regular-season meeting.

The high-scoring affair never tilted the Freight’s way after the opening minutes, as Green Bay pulled away behind a relentless rushing attack and a flawless night from kicker Andrew Mevis. The loss leaves Fishers with ground to make up as the postseason picture comes into focus.

Fishers got off to the start it wanted. On the game’s opening drive, Josiah King punched in the first touchdown, and Calum Sutherland’s extra point gave the Freight a 7-0 lead.

The advantage was short-lived. Green Bay answered on its first possession when Kairee Robinson ran it in from two yards out, and Mevis followed the touchdown with a successful two-point conversion to put the Blizzard ahead 9-7. After Fishers turned the ball over on downs late in the first quarter, Green Bay tacked on another score and a second Mevis deuce to lead 16-7.

The second quarter brought more of the same. A Fishers fumble — recovered by Green Bay and upheld after a challenge from Freight head coach Dixie Wooten — set up an Isaac Ross touchdown that pushed the lead to 25-7. Fishers fought back through CJ Windham, who hauled in a pass from Harper and took it to the house to make it 25-13, but Green Bay quarterback Liam Thompson kept the pressure on with a rushing score of his own.

Windham found the end zone again to trim the deficit to 32-21, and Sutherland tried an onside kick, but the Blizzard recovered and Robinson quickly added another rushing touchdown for a 39-21 lead. Jordan Davis answered with a 17-yard touchdown for the Freight, and Sutherland’s extra point and two-point conversion cut it to 39-30. Robinson struck once more with six seconds left in the half, sending Green Bay into the break ahead 46-30.

The third quarter opened with a dagger. Fred Flavors took the kickoff back for a touchdown, and the Blizzard rolled from there — Robinson scored again, Mevis kept converting, and Green Bay built a 62-30 cushion. King answered with a rushing touchdown and Dominic Roberto added another in the closing seconds of the period, with Isaiah Coulter hauling in a two-point conversion to make it 69-44.

Green Bay closed it out in the fourth behind Cole Stenstrom, who scored twice to stretch the lead to 83-44. Coulter caught a late touchdown for the Freight inside the final minute, but a pair of failed two-point tries — including a penalty-forced redo — left the final at 83-50. The win was Green Bay’s eighth and final home game of the regular season, capping an undefeated record at home.

The Freight are now 7-7 and will look to regroup quickly. Fishers travels to face Quad City on the road July 11 before wrapping up the regular season at home July 27 against the Orlando Pirates.

Hamilton County Republicans have a candidate for Indiana House District 32 after all.

A caucus of GOP precinct committeemen and committeewomen, meeting Friday night, selected Fishers insurance man Paul G. Nix to carry the Republican banner against two-term Democratic incumbent Victoria Garcia Wilburn in the Nov. 3 general election, according to a member of the caucus.

The vote fills a ballot vacancy that had loomed over the district since spring. When the filing deadline for Indiana’s May primary passed, no Republican had stepped forward to run for the seat. Under Indiana law, when no candidate files in a primary, the county party may fill the opening by a caucus vote of its precinct officials — the same process the GOP has used to fill other unexpected openings. Hamilton County GOP Chair Mario Massillamany called the closed caucus for June 26 to settle the question.

District 32 takes in parts of Fishers, Carmel and a small slice of Indianapolis, spanning portions of both Hamilton and Marion counties.

A familiar name to District 32 voters

Nix is not new to this race. In 2022, when redistricting created the District 32 seat, he was the very first candidate to file, entering a three-way Republican primary. He finished third behind Fred Glynn and Suzie Jaworowski, taking 479 votes, or about 11.5 percent. Glynn edged Jaworowski by six votes in a result later confirmed by recount, then lost the general election to Garcia Wilburn.

Now, four years later, Nix gets the nomination not at the ballot box but by the choice of his fellow precinct officials.

A native of Fort Wayne, Nix and his wife, Ann, are longtime residents of the Fishers area; he has lived in Delaware Township for more than three decades. The couple have married for nearly five decades, raised seven children and, by his own count, have 22 grandchildren. He has spent more than 40 years in the insurance business, working largely with senior clients, and has served as a vice precinct committeeman.

Where he stands

Nix campaigned in 2022 as an unapologetic conservative, and his Ballotpedia “Candidate Connection” survey from that year offers the fullest public record of his views. He organized his platform around three words — “Faith, Family, Freedom.”

On faith, he emphasized “free exercise of our 1st Amendment Right to Religion.” On family, he pledged a strong parental role in schools, opposing the teaching of critical race theory, diversity-equity-and-inclusion programming and social-emotional learning, and opposing transgender girls competing in girls’ sports or using girls’ restrooms and locker rooms. On freedom, he praised Indiana’s move to constitutional carry, writing that “State Government should never interfere with our Rights Granted in the Constitution.”

He also stressed fiscal restraint, arguing that government “take[s] too much of our money,” objecting to public funding of abortion, and calling for the state to shift from pensions toward 401(k)-style retirement programs to reduce unfunded liabilities. He said he believes “we can do more to protect the unborn.” A self-described admirer of Ronald Reagan, Nix cited the line, “Government isn’t the answer to your problem, Government IS the problem,” and voiced support for term limits, writing that “Career Politicians are a problem.”

The incumbent

Garcia Wilburn, a Democrat first elected in 2022, is seeking a third term. A physical therapist and university faculty member by profession, she serves as the ranking minority member of the House Judiciary Committee and sits on the Public Health and the Employment, Labor and Pensions committees.

When the seat was first drawn, observers rated it competitive, with only slightly more Republican than Democratic voters. Garcia Wilburn has since won it twice, making her bid for a third term a test of whether the district has settled into Democratic hands or remains within Republican reach.

The two will meet on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Spark Fishers is Saturday with the street fair, parade and fireworks display all creating road closures in the downtown Nickel Plate District of Fishers.  Those visiting the festival are encouraged to use the Crosspoint parking lot (10475 Crosspoint Blvd) and take the shuttle in and out of the Spark area.

There is plenty of other road construction and other activity impacting local motorists in and around Fishers.  Here is the full listing for the week beginning Sunday, June 28:

• 96th Street and Cyntheanne Road – Full Closure -Follow detour route
• 136th Street Widening – Southeastern Parkway to Prairie Baptist Road – Follow detour route
• 116th and Allisonville Intersection Improvements Project – Down to one lane in all directions
• Lantern Road – Closure at Morgan Drive from June 8 – 19
• Southeastern Parkway & Olio Road Roundabout Improvements – Periodic lane restrictions

SPARK!Fishers – Various road closures & Parking restrictions

Continue reading Fishers Road Construction Update for the week of Sunday, June 28 →

Artificial intelligence, electric utility rates and helping seniors remain independent are all featured in this week’s edition of Fridays with Larry.

In the June 26 episode, I begin with commentary on the technology industry’s response to the federal government’s decision to pull back the Mythos and Fable5 artificial intelligence programs. The reaction raises questions about the future direction of AI development and the relationship between government policy and one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy.

I also discuss recent developments in Indiana’s regulation of electric utility rates and what they could mean for consumers as utilities continue to seek approval for major infrastructure investments and the growing demand for electricity.

My guest this week is Stacey Williams, owner of Seniors Helping Seniors. She explains how her organization helps older adults remain in their own homes by matching them with fellow seniors who provide companionship and assistance. Williams discusses the growing need for in-home senior care and why the program benefits both those receiving services and those providing them.

The podcast concludes with a lighter story from Australia, where one man has earned recognition as the loudest person in the world.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can listen to the June 26 edition of Fridays with Larry using these video or audio links, or the links below.

As Spark!Fishers returns this weekend, Fishers is again preparing for the kind of summer gathering that has been part of this community for nearly four decades. The name has changed. The location has changed. The event is now run by the city. But the roots go back to 1989, when the Fishers Freedom Festival began as a hometown Independence Day celebration at Holland Park.

When I moved to Fishers after marrying my wife Jane in May of 1991, the Freedom Festival was preparing for its third event. We lived in Sunblest, only a few blocks from Holland Park, and the festival quickly became one of those local traditions that helped define summer in Fishers.

The timing was always intentional. Fishers held its celebration just before the Fourth of July so it would not conflict with holiday events in nearby communities such as Carmel and Noblesville. That pattern started with the first festival in 1989 and continues today with Spark!Fishers.

According to a retrospective published for the Freedom Festival’s 25th year, the event began when founders of the Fishers Parade and Festival organized a one-day community picnic, parade and children’s games to celebrate the Fourth of July spirit, promote volunteerism and bring residents together. The response was strong enough that the festival soon grew into a two-day event.

Over the years, the Freedom Festival became one of the clearest symbols of Fishers’ identity during a period of massive population growth. By the early 2010s, reports described weekend crowds of about 50,000, with art and craft booths, business and food vendors, games, live entertainment, a 5K, fireworks and the annual parade. In 1998, the festival formally became a nonprofit, allowing it to accept tax-deductible donations.

But the festival’s success also masked a financial reality. As I reported in November 2017, trouble had been brewing for a couple of years. The city had been providing about $85,000 annually in direct cash support, along with in-kind help from city departments valued at about $45,000 each year. The Freedom Festival organization said its annual budget was about $325,000.

At the same time, Fishers officials were facing more requests from local nonprofit groups seeking city support. In earlier years, the Freedom Festival and Conner Prairie had received most, and in some years all, of the municipal money set aside for local nonprofits. Members of the Fishers City Council began pushing for more accountability, written agreements and a broader review of how public money was being distributed.

As part of the 2018 budget process, a City Council committee evaluated requests for nonprofit funding. The Freedom Festival applied, but in August 2017, the city announced its list of funded organizations and the festival was not included.

A city news release later said the Freedom Festival “was unable to demonstrate fiscal independence,” and that the nonprofit committee believed grant dollars should be spread among multiple organizations to benefit more residents. Among those receiving support were groups such as Cherish, the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation and Nickel Plate Arts.

After the funding decision, I asked Freedom Festival officials whether they could stage the 2018 event without city cash and in-kind support. The board took time to deliberate. Late on the evening of November 8, 2017, the board announced the nonprofit no longer had the financial means to operate another festival.

That set off a difficult public moment for Fishers. I recorded podcast interviews with Freedom Festival Board President Don Dragoo and City Councilman Brad DeReamer, which revealed two very different perspectives on what had happened. Mayor Scott Fadness also pushed back strongly against language in the festival’s announcement suggesting the city did not see the festival partnership as part of its vision.

“We’ve had lots of dialogue with the Fishers Freedom Festival about maybe evolving their event, or continue to adapt just like our city continues to adapt,” Fadness told me at the time. “It was not in any way about ‘I don’t believe we should have festivals’ — nothing could be further from the truth.”

The basic disagreement was clear. The Freedom Festival board wanted to preserve the traditions of the event dating back to 1989. City officials believed the festival needed to evolve financially and operationally, while preserving major pieces such as the parade, fireworks and entertainment.

There were hurt feelings. Many long-time festival volunteers were not inclined to help with a city-run version of the event. DeReamer said at the time the city would welcome those volunteers. The city also had to deal with another practical matter: the Fishers Freedom Festival organization owned the rights to the name “Fishers Freedom Festival,” and Dragoo said the nonprofit intended to hold on to those naming rights.

That meant the city needed a new name.

The result was Spark!Fishers, launched in 2018. The celebration moved from Holland Park to the Nickel Plate District, but many familiar elements remained: a 5K, music, food, a parade and fireworks. Fishers budget records said more than 100 community members helped plan that first Spark!Fishers, which city leaders framed as both a fresh start and a continuation of community tradition.

Spark!Fishers did miss one year, 2020, when the city canceled the festival because of COVID-19. But the event returned, and this weekend’s celebration is another reminder that Fishers never really gave up its pre-Fourth of July gathering.

The old Freedom Festival ended after 29 years. Spark!Fishers is now the city-sponsored successor. For those of us who remember walking over to Holland Park in the early 1990s, the change was not always easy. But the tradition survived — just with a new name, a new location and a city-run structure.

Steve Ferrucci, chair of the Fishers Board of Zoning Appeals, said he could not recall ever seeing a short-term rental variance request receive unanimous and enthusiastic support from residents in the affected neighborhood.

But that is what happened at Thursday’s board meeting.

Lynda Pendleton and her sister inherited a home on Wakefield Place in the Harrison Green neighborhood. Their mother lived in the house for many years before moving into nursing home care. Pendleton told the board the income from operating the house as a short-term rental helped defray the cost of caring for their mother, who has since died.

The sisters continued the short-term rental arrangement until the city, during its rental registration process, informed them they would need a zoning variance to continue using the home for that purpose.

Pendleton gave board members a detailed presentation, explaining how she and her sister carefully screen renters and maintain the property. She also read a series of letters from nearby residents, all supporting the variance request. Two people spoke during the public hearing, both in favor of the request.

State law limits how much cities can regulate short-term rentals. However, because no one lives in the home as a primary residence, the city is allowed to review this particular short-term rental use.

The board voted unanimously to approve the zoning variance.

In one other item before the board, members unanimously approved a request from Mission Christian Academy, located on Publishers Drive near 131st Street east of State Road 37, to place two additional portable classrooms on its property through July 2028.

School officials told the board they are working with an architect on plans to either reconfigure the current building or construct an addition to provide more classroom space.