A chemical incident in a science laboratory at Fishers High School prompted a response Thursday afternoon from local and state emergency personnel, according to Hamilton Southeastern Schools officials.
School district officials said the Fishers Fire Department and Fishers Police Department were called to the high school after a chemical reaction in a science lab raised concerns for a teacher preparing materials for an upcoming Advanced Placement Chemistry class project.
The district said the Indiana State Police also assisted in the investigation.
According to the statement released by HSE Schools, the substance involved in the incident was safely destroyed and no injuries were reported.
School officials praised the response of school staff and emergency responders.
“We appreciate the quick response of our staff, local first responders and state emergency personnel,” the district said in its statement. “Student and staff safety remains our top priority.”
HSE Schools said normal operations at Fishers High School will continue Friday without interruption.
The Indy Fuel will open their 2026-27 ECHL season at home Friday, Oct. 16 against the Wheeling Nailers as part of a newly released 72-game schedule announced by the club Thursday.
The upcoming campaign marks the Fuel’s third season playing at the Fishers Event Center and the franchise’s 13th season overall.
Indy will play 36 home games in Fishers and 36 on the road. The regular season concludes Sunday, April 11, 2027 with the final game of a three-game road series against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
The Fuel begin the season with a demanding stretch of 15 consecutive games against Central Division opponents before heading to Atlanta in mid-November for a three-game set against the Gladiators. In all, 56 of Indy’s 72 games will come against division rivals.
Among the Fuel’s most frequent opponents will be the Bloomington Bison, who face Indy 13 times this season, including seven games at Fishers Event Center. The Fuel will also play 11 games against the Cincinnati Cyclones and eight each against the Fort Wayne Komets, Kalamazoo Wings and Toledo Walleye.
The home schedule includes visits from several non-division opponents, including the Florida Everblades, Allen Americans, Kansas City Mavericks, Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Trenton Ironhawks.
As in previous seasons, the schedule is heavily weighted toward weekends. Sixty-three of the Fuel’s 72 games will be played on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, with only nine weekday contests scheduled. Indy will face 13 stretches involving three games in three days.
Weeknight home games Monday through Friday are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. faceoffs. Saturday home games will begin at 7 p.m., while Sunday contests are set for 4 p.m. The lone exception is a special 10:30 a.m. game on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The Fuel are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools conducted a recent survey examining iPad usage in kindergarten through second grade classrooms, and district officials are now recommending that average screen time for students in those grades be limited to no more than 30 minutes per day — less than 10 percent of the school day.
Assistant Superintendent for Foundational Learning Dr. Danielle Fetters-Thompson reviewed the survey findings during Wednesday’s school board meeting. The study measured classroom iPad usage during one week in November and another week in March of the current school year. All 13 HSE school buildings serving grades K-2 participated in the survey.
District officials said there were 996 total responses from kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade classrooms, along with special education, related arts and English as a New Language (ENL) teachers.
According to the survey, some teachers reported no iPad use on certain days, while others indicated students used the devices for 10 to 15 minutes daily, primarily for intervention programs and the UFLI blending board reading program.
Higher usage times, ranging from 60 to 75 minutes, were generally tied to participation in the “Hour of Code” program, an initiative designed to introduce students to computer science and programming concepts.
The district’s recommendation to limit iPad use to an average of 30 minutes per day does not apply to several required instructional or support situations. Exceptions include state and local assessments, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs), and accommodations required under Section 504 plans, all of which could increase daily screen time.
HSE officials said the new screen time recommendation will be communicated to parents through the district’s annual Back-to-School forms.
Contemporary Christian music fans will have a major concert date to mark on their calendars this fall as MercyMe brings its MercyMe LIVE Tour to the Fishers Event Center on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026.
The concert lineup will also feature fellow Christian music artists Jeremy Camp, Tim Timmons and Sam Wesley.
Tickets for the Fishers stop of the tour will first be available during a venue presale beginning Thursday, May 21 at noon local time. General public ticket sales open Friday, May 22 at noon through Fishers Event Center.
MercyMe remains one of the most successful acts in Christian music, known for chart-topping songs including “I Can Only Imagine” and “Even If.” The band has recorded nearly 30 No. 1 songs across Christian music charts and has earned numerous honors, including Grammy nominations, GMA Dove Awards, K-LOVE Fan Awards, American Music Awards and a Billboard Music Award.
The group’s breakthrough hit, “I Can Only Imagine,” became the first Christian song to achieve platinum and double-platinum digital certification. The song later inspired the 2018 feature film “I Can Only Imagine.” A sequel film, “I Can Only Imagine 2,” focusing on the story behind the song “Even If,” premiered earlier this year.
MercyMe’s latest studio album, “Wonder & Awe,” was released in August 2025 and features the band’s recent No. 1 single, “Oh Death.”
Jeremy Camp joins the tour with popular songs including “I Still Believe” and “Dead Man Walking.” Tim Timmons and Sam Wesley are scheduled to open the evening with a collaborative performance featuring songs such as “Starts With Me” and “Holding Onto Me.”
The Fishers performance is expected to be one of the more prominent faith-based music events on the local entertainment calendar this fall.
Families will have a chance to climb aboard everything from snowplows to fire trucks when the City of Fishers hosts its annual Touch-a-Truck event Monday, May 18, at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater.
The free event, held in recognition of National Public Works Week, is scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. at the amphitheater, 6 Municipal Drive in downtown Fishers.
Children and families will be able to explore a wide range of city and public safety vehicles, including excavators, loaders, tractors, police cars, fire trucks, garbage trucks, tow trucks and even a monster truck. Hamilton Southeastern Schools will also have a school bus on site for children to tour.
The event will feature live demonstrations by the Fishers Department of Public Works, Fishers Fire Department and Fishers Police Department. Planned demonstrations include K-9 exercises, road paving operations and a rope rescue demonstration near Fishers Fire Station 9. Firefighters will also conduct a water hose demonstration during the event.
In addition to the vehicles and demonstrations, families can participate in a variety of hands-on activities. The Fishers Department of Public Works mobile Sign Lab will allow children to make their own street signs, while the Fishers Stormwater Division will provide information about what happens to water after it goes down the drain.
Fishers Parks will offer activities where children can design miniature cars and test them on a special Touch-a-Truck track. Visitors can also check out tractors from the Fishers AgriPark and tour the Hamilton East Public Library bookmobile.
Local food vendors will be on hand throughout the evening.
City officials are also seeking volunteers to help support the event from 3 to 7:15 p.m. Those interested can register at VolunteerFishers.com.
Free parking will be available throughout the Nickel Plate District, including nearby parking garages at The Depot, Flats at Switch, Nickel Plate Station, the Fishers Police Department garage, The Edge and First Internet Bank. Accessible parking will be available in the south City Services Building lot at 3 Municipal Drive.
The recent controversy surrounding teacher Reduction in Force (RIF) notices in Hamilton Southeastern Schools has placed renewed attention on how teachers are evaluated — a critical factor under Indiana law when staffing cuts are necessary.
An internal committee consisting of administrators and teachers produced the new system after several months of work.
On Wednesday night, the Hamilton Southeastern School Board unanimously approved a new teacher evaluation system that district administrators say is designed to simplify the process while placing a greater emphasis on classroom instruction and professional practice.
Dr. Danielle Fetters-Thompson, HSE Assistant Superintendent of Foundational Learning, outlined the changes for board members during the meeting.
Under Indiana law, teacher evaluations carry significant weight in determining which educators may be subject to layoffs during a RIF process. Recent reductions tied to district budget pressures have elevated public interest in how those evaluations are conducted.
One of the biggest changes approved by the board is a reduction in evaluation categories. Instead of four ratings, teachers will now be assessed using three performance levels: Exemplary, Proficient and Ineffective. The previous “Improvement Necessary” category has been eliminated. The district presentation also noted that school building letter grades will no longer factor into teacher evaluation scores.
Administrators said the new system moves away from counting the number of classroom visits and instead measures total observation time. Formal evaluations will now be based on accumulated observation minutes rather than a set number of visits.
Principals and assistant principals will conduct the formal evaluative observations. Instructional coaches may still provide professional feedback to teachers, but that feedback will not be part of the formal evaluation process.
The district’s presentation showed that teachers will now fall into one of two experience categories: “Provisional” or “Accomplished.” Teachers in their first two years with HSE Schools — or those previously rated ineffective — will be considered provisional and will receive at least 120 minutes of classroom observations during the school year. That includes at least two long observations of 40 minutes each and two short observations of at least 10 minutes each.
Teachers classified as accomplished — generally those in their third year or beyond with proficient or higher ratings — will receive at least 60 minutes of observation time, including one long observation and one short observation. District administrators emphasized the time requirements are minimum standards and additional observations may occur.
The district also approved specialized evaluation rubrics for teacher librarians, special education teachers, teachers in residence and school counselors. Presentation materials indicated the updated system reduces the number of evaluation indicators from 50 to 37 while removing weighted scoring categories used in the previous model.
According to the implementation timeline presented to the board, administrator training and calibration sessions will continue through the summer, with the new evaluation system formally taking effect Sept. 8 for the 2026-27 school year.
You can review the entire presentation to the board using this link.
Car enthusiasts and families will have another chance to gather around classic, exotic and specialty vehicles this weekend as Indianapolis Cars & Coffee returns to the Fishers Event Center.
The organization will host its May meetup Saturday, May 16, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Fishers venue. Organizers describe the event as free and family-friendly, with this month’s gathering benefiting Folds of Honor Indiana and its scholarship program supporting military and first responder families.
Indianapolis Cars & Coffee partners with local businesses to stage automotive-themed events designed to provide what organizers call a safe and memorable experience for attendees. The monthly meetups have become increasingly popular with central Indiana car enthusiasts, drawing a wide variety of vehicles and spectators.
For the May event, Gary Swift with Compass Realty will serve as a donation-match sponsor. Organizers say Swift will match all on-site donations during the event up to $200.
According to Indianapolis Cars & Coffee, the organization raised more than $65,000 in scholarship funding for Folds of Honor Indiana during 2025. Over the past four years, the group says it has generated more than $250,000 for the nonprofit.
Folds of Honor was founded in 2007 and provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen or disabled military personnel and first responders. Nationally, the organization says it has awarded nearly 73,000 scholarships totaling more than $340 million.
The event is open to the public and no admission fee is required.
Bob Garton represented a generation of Indiana political leaders who believed public service was about institutions, relationships and steady leadership. My first memory of him goes back to the early 1970s, when he was a newly elected state senator representing a district that included the Franklin area. I was just getting started in radio broadcasting at the time.
One day, Garton called the radio station while I was on the air. We began talking, and I asked if he would like to continue the conversation live on the broadcast. He agreed, and it became one of the first live interviews I ever conducted with an elected official.
By the late 1970s, I was working as morning news anchor and reporter for WCSI Radio in Columbus, Indiana, where Garton lived and represented the area in the Indiana Senate. Over the years, I came to know him well through many conversations and interviews.
Even after he rose to become Senate President Pro Tem — the top leadership position in the Indiana Senate — Garton never lost touch with the people back home. He made it clear to me that while his status at the Statehouse had changed, his commitment to Columbus and his district had not. He always made himself available to answer questions or discuss issues affecting his constituents.
Early in his legislative career, Garton became known as a strong supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Although the amendment ultimately failed, his support reflected a broader effort throughout his career to elevate the role of women in Indiana politics and government.
Bob Garton was not an easy political figure to define in simple partisan terms. The description that seemed to fit him best was “institutionalist conservative.” He believed deeply in the role and traditions of government institutions and was widely respected for his integrity and ethical standards.
Garton served more than three decades in the Indiana Senate and was credited with expanding the authority and influence of the Senate President Pro Tem position. His long tenure made him one of the most influential figures in Indiana state government during his era.
His political career came to an end in 2006 when he lost a Republican primary to a younger challenger, closing the chapter on a remarkable run in public office.
Bob Garton died earlier this month at the age of 92. He left a lasting mark on both the State of Indiana and his adopted hometown of Columbus.
I have many fond memories of Bob Garton over the years, and my thoughts are with his family and friends.
CFO Tim Brown, before the school board Wednesday night
Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools Superintendent Matt Kegley delivered a measure of good news to district teachers Wednesday night, announcing that six of the 18 educators who recently received Reduction in Force (RIF) notices have now been told they will have jobs for the next school year.
Kegley said the positions became available through the normal attrition process involving retirements and resignations within the district.
The superintendent made the announcement during an update to the HSE School Board from Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown on the work of the district’s internal Budget Task Force.
Brown said the district is facing a significant financial challenge after relying on approximately $8 million in cash reserves during the current school year to cover operating expenses — a practice district officials say is unsustainable.
To address the shortfall, the task force is recommending approximately $7.7 million in budget reductions, exceeding its original goal of finding at least $5 million in savings.
The largest share of the proposed reductions — roughly $6.7 million — would come from personnel-related savings, reflecting the fact that staffing represents the largest area of district spending.
District officials said declining student enrollment is a major factor driving the cuts. HSE enrollment has dropped 4.1 percent over the past three school years as the district’s demographics continue to change. Because Indiana school funding is largely based on student enrollment, fewer students mean less state revenue.
Most of the teaching position reductions are concentrated in kindergarten through sixth grade levels, where enrollment declines have been the greatest. Those reductions account for approximately $4.4 million in savings.
The task force is also recommending several central office and support staff reductions, including the elimination of positions such as Deputy Superintendent, Building Instructional Coach, Payroll Clerk, Custodial/Maintenance staff member, District Technology Instructional Coach and Telecom Specialist.
Additional savings are being explored through transportation efficiencies, building technology changes and reductions involving support instructional assistants and office staff not tied to special education services. Officials indicated bus driver layoffs are not expected.
The recommendations also include several potential new or reinstated student fees. One proposal would establish “consumable fees” for classroom materials, projected to save approximately $770,000. Another would bring back participation fees for athletics and performing arts programs, similar to measures implemented during previous rounds of district cost-cutting years ago, a savings of $225,000.
The task force also identified an estimated $24,000 in possible savings through reduced printing costs.
Specific recommendations are expected to come before the school board in June. At that time, board members are expected to consider the amount of proposed fees for athletics, performing arts and classroom consumables.
District officials noted Indiana law prohibits schools from charging textbook fees.
You can view the details of Tim Brown’s presentation to the board at this link
The board will conduct a work session May 27 on a possible referendum to be placed on the November election ballot.
If you love to parse numbers, HSE has now unveiled a new section of the district’s Web site. It is a financial section, which school officials say will be updated on a regular basis. You can peruse the school’s finances using this link.
The interim tag came off for Brent Farrell following action by the Hamilton Southeastern School Board at Wednesday night’s meeting. Farrell was being recommended for appointment as principal of Riverside Intermediate School under a contract that will run through June 2028.
Farrell has been serving in the interim role at Riverside and is now poised to take over the position on a permanent basis, pending board approval as part of the personnel agenda.
The same personnel agenda also includes several administrator resignations across the district:
Jessica Paige Vinson, assistant principal at Hamilton Southeastern High School
Jill Berry, assistant principal at Fall Creek Junior High School
Chad Guest, athletic director for HSE Intermediate and Junior High schools
