This week’s edition of Fridays With Larry covers everything from the changing television news business to the important work being done every day to help local residents in need.

My guest is Nancy Chance, Executive Director of Good Samaritan Network in Fishers. We talk about how the organization assists local families with food, clothing, housing support and other basic necessities during difficult times. Nancy also discusses how nonprofits are being affected by changing government funding and increasing community needs.

I begin this podcast episode with some reflections on the passing of media pioneer Ted Turner and the impact he had on the television news business through the creation of CNN and 24-hour news coverage.

I also spend a few minutes discussing the challenges facing Bari Weiss as she attempts to develop a different approach to television journalism through her work with CBS News.

At the end of the podcast, I lighten things up with a look at the most commonly misspelled words in Indiana and one of the more unusual media stories of the week — the launch of real-life WKRP radio stations in Cincinnati inspired by the classic sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can view to this edition of Fridays With Larry on YouTube using using this link  or the link below.  If you prefer to only listen, use this link or the link below.

An Indianapolis-based nonprofit that regularly assists families in the Fishers area is launching a Mother’s Day campaign aimed at helping some of the region’s most vulnerable newborns.

The Milk Bank announced its new “Lifeline of Love” campaign this week, giving community members a way to honor mothers, caregivers and other special women in their lives while supporting the organization’s mission of providing lifesaving donor human milk to premature and medically fragile infants.

The campaign allows donors to send personalized digital tribute cards for Mother’s Day, with contributions helping fund the collection, processing and distribution of donor human milk for babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

According to the nonprofit, donor human milk can significantly improve health outcomes for premature infants and reduce the risk of serious medical complications.

“‘Lifeline of Love’ connects the act of honoring mothers, caregivers, and mother figures with the profound impact of giving another baby a chance to survive and thrive,” said Lisa Busse, Head of Advancement for The Milk Bank. “It’s a simple yet powerful way to celebrate someone you love while extending that love to families facing some of their most difficult moments.”

Officials with The Milk Bank say the campaign comes at a time when demand for donor milk continues to grow as more hospitals and families recognize its medical benefits. The organization says meeting that increased demand requires additional donor recruitment, community awareness and financial support.

“Every ounce of donor milk can make a difference,” said Freedom Kolb, CEO of The Milk Bank. “As demand grows, so does our commitment to ensuring every baby who needs donor milk has access to it. It is our community’s way of saying no family has to stand alone.”

Founded in 2005, The Milk Bank distributes more than 700,000 ounces of pasteurized donor human milk annually to hospitals and families throughout the region. The nonprofit reports it has provided more than 17.9 million feedings of donor milk since its inception.

The organization follows safety standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

Residents interested in participating in the Mother’s Day campaign can learn more or send a digital tribute card through the organization’s “Lifeline of Love” webpage.

The Hamilton East Public Library, with branches in Fishers and Noblesville, has launched a new online catalog system designed to make it easier for patrons to browse materials, manage accounts and discover new library resources.

In a social media announcement this week, HEPL officials said the new catalog is now live and available to the public.

Library users will need to log in using their existing library card number. During the transition to the new system, patrons’ default PIN number has been set to their four-digit birth year. Once logged in, users can change that PIN through the “My Account” section of either the HEPL mobile app or the library’s website.

Library officials are also reminding patrons to review their notification preferences under the new system. Anyone wishing to receive text message notifications from the library will need to opt in again.

HEPL staff members are available to assist patrons having trouble accessing accounts or navigating the new catalog. The library asks users needing assistance to stop by a branch location with a current photo ID.

The updated catalog is part of an ongoing effort by the library system to modernize services and improve the user experience for patrons in Fishers and Noblesville.

Patrons can access the new online catalog at this link.

Another Indy Fuel hockey season is in the books. The team that now calls the Fishers Event Center home finished fourth in the ECHL Central Division, qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs, and saw its season come to an end with a first-round series loss to the Fort Wayne Komets, four games to one.

This marked the first full season the Fuel were able to call the Fishers venue home from opening night through the playoffs. During the 2024-25 campaign, the club spent its first six weeks on the road while construction of the new arena was completed.

This was also my second season making a concerted effort to cover the team. Since the Fuel moved to Fishers, the club has become very much a local story for me — and one of the lasting impressions from this season has little to do with wins, losses or standings.

My thoughts as the season concludes turn to Eva Hallman.

Hallman has spent the past three seasons as part of the Fuel broadcast team alongside veteran play-by-play voice Andrew Smith. Over the last two years, I have watched her grow into the role game after game, becoming increasingly confident, polished and knowledgeable as a hockey analyst and broadcaster.

What makes that growth even more impressive is that Hallman balanced her broadcasting duties while attending Butler University as a full-time student. She has now graduated, a milestone that comes after juggling college coursework, Fuel broadcasts and numerous other professional commitments all at the same time.

On a podcast Andrew Smith and I recorded with Hallman last year, she made it clear her goal was to pursue hockey broadcasting professionally once her studies were complete. Based on what I have seen, any hockey organization looking for an up-and-coming broadcaster should take notice. Hallman has already demonstrated she can handle the demands of the job.

Fishers sports fans have not seen the last of her just yet. Hallman remains part of the broadcast lineup for Indoor Football League games this season. The league assumed control of game production and distribution in 2026 through partnerships with Yahoo Sports and the Overnght streaming platform, and Hallman was selected to be part of that operation.

That likely means Andrew Smith could be searching for a new broadcast partner when the Fuel return next season — and replacing Hallman will not be easy.

Congratulations to both Andrew Smith and Eva Hallman on an outstanding season behind the microphone. As for Hallman, it certainly appears the next chapter of her broadcasting career is only beginning.

The Fishers Freight may have lost a tough, close game to the Green Bay Blizzard last Saturday, but coaches around the Indoor Football League still rank the Freight as the league’s No. 3 team in the Week 8 coaches poll. The Freight now stand at 5-2 on the season, while Green Bay leads the Eastern Conference at 6-1. Jacksonville Sharks are also in the conference race with a 4-1 record.

There were also a couple of notable incidents around the league last weekend.

The Sunday night game — featured nationally as the IFL’s Yahoo Sports Game of the Week – Arizona and Las Vegas — included an on-field confrontation between the two head coaches that escalated into a brief brawl. The altercation also included some comments picked up by television microphones that likely were not intended for a national audience. One coach was eventually ejected from the game.

Meanwhile, during Saturday night’s Freight-Blizzard matchup in Fishers, a sideline reporter appeared to have a tense discussion with the head official after spending time on the field during plays. On-field reporter access is permitted under league rules, but following that exchange, the reporter did not return to the field for the remainder of the game.

In this week’s “Coach’s Corner,” Freight play-by-play voice Andrew Smith talks with Head Coach Dixie Wooten about last Saturday’s hard-fought home loss to Green Bay and previews this Saturday’s road game against the Orlando Predators.

Watch “Coach’s Corner” at the link below.

Hamilton County Sheriff  234 of 234 precincts

Republican

Dustin Dixon                                    16,603       62.74%

John Lowes                                      9,861      37.26%

State Senate District 31

Republican

Juanita Albright                  3,516

Tiffanie Ditlevson               2,332

Travis Hankins                      1,781

Jan Kepley Keefer               1,699

Democrat

Andrew J. Dezelan                          1,141

Kerry J Forestal                               4,153

Lasima O. Packett                          1,805

Catherine Torzewski                    3,909

State Representative  District 37

Democrat

Lauren S. Cole                      2,167        55.22%

Joel Levi                                1,757         44.78%