The Indy Fuel have added three forwards over the past two weeks, bringing back two familiar faces and signing one newcomer as the ECHL club builds its roster for a season that opens in October at Fishers Event Center.

Returning are forwards Jesse Tucker and Dustin Manz. New to the organization is forward Dean Loukus.

Tucker, 26, comes back to Indy after appearing in all 72 regular-season games in 2025-26, recording 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points. He was one of two Fuel players to dress for every regular-season game.

A native of Longlac, Ontario, Tucker originally joined the Fuel in March 2025 after finishing his college career. He played 135 NCAA games between Michigan State, Clarkson and Northern Michigan, totaling 15 goals and 41 assists. Before college, he spent three seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, where he recorded 129 points in 158 games and served as team captain in 2020-21.

Manz, also 26, returns for his third full ECHL season and his second with the Fuel. He played 71 games for Indy last season and recorded 44 points. He finished the year with the Bloomington Bison, playing 19 games and scoring three points, and also spent 20 games with the Rapid City Rush and 11 games with the Wheeling Nailers.

The 5-foot-10 forward, a Michigan native, played two seasons at American International College, posting 10 goals and 14 assists in 2022-23, and two seasons at Lake Superior State, where he served as an alternate captain. He also spent two seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Prince George Spruce Kings, leading that team in scoring in 2018-19 with 33 goals and 37 assists in 58 games. He added 10 points in 17 playoff games as the Spruce Kings won a BCHL championship.

Loukus, 23, joins the Fuel after spending the first two seasons of his professional career with the South Carolina Stingrays. The Calumet, Michigan, native appeared in 67 games in 2025-26, recording nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points, and added two points in 11 Kelly Cup playoff games. He played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Saginaw Spirit and Mississauga Steelheads, recording 155 points in 194 games.

The Fuel are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the American Hockey League’s Rockford IceHogs. The team returns to Fishers Event Center in October 2026 for its 13th season.

Hamilton County marked the completion of the 146th Street and Allisonville Road interchange Monday, Sept. 14, while awarding a $39.9 million construction contract for the next interchange along the corridor at Hazel Dell Parkway.

County commissioners awarded the Hazel Dell contract to Carmel-based Gradex, according to a county news release. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall and continue into 2029.

The Allisonville interchange has been open to traffic for several months. Crews spent the summer completing paving, landscaping and other finishing work before Monday morning’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The project replaced a traffic signal with an interchange that carries 146th Street over a roundabout on Allisonville Road. The county’s project page identifies reducing congestion as the reason for the work.

“This intersection looks and functions completely differently than it did just a few years ago,” Hamilton County Commissioners President Christine Altman said in the release. “We appreciate everyone who endured the construction to get us here. This is an investment that will serve our residents and businesses for decades to come.”

County officials say the Hazel Dell project is intended to improve safety and traffic flow along 146th Street by separating the intersecting roads onto different levels.

“The Allisonville Road interchange gives people a good idea of what we’re working toward at Hazel Dell,” Hamilton County Highway Director Brad Davis said in the release. “These are major projects, but they allow us to address congestion in a way that will serve this corridor for decades.”

The Fishers Century Club will focus its quarterly giving on local charities that helped Hamilton County residents affected by recent flooding when it meets Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Club Coworking, 9800 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis. Organizers encourage attendees to nominate and bring information about a local charity that assisted flood victims.

“We saw our community come together over the past month to help flood victims and assist with the community cleanup,” said Adam Kallick of the Fishers Century Club in a news release. “This meeting will be another opportunity for our attendees to identify, select and support meaningful local organizations that stepped up to help our community.”

The club pools individual donations to support local organizations. According to its website, participants hear presentations about nominated charities, vote on a recipient and each contribute $100 to the selected organization.

At its June meeting, the club selected Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana as its quarterly award recipient, according to the release. The organization works with residents and law enforcement to help fight crime.

People unable to attend can contribute through the club’s online giving option. More information, previous recipients and a link to give through Grapevine are available on the Fishers Century Club website.

A volunteer visit to The Milk Bank inspired Purdue University nursing graduate Larissa Velasquez to turn her love of matcha into a fundraising effort for infants in need of donor milk.

Velasquez launched Matcha for a Greater Love in March 2026. By August, the nonprofit had raised $8,200 through eight pop-up events, according to a Sept. 14 news release. The Milk Bank estimates the donation will provide up to 4,920 feedings of donor human milk.

The idea began with an October 2025 visit to The Milk Bank during a public health clinical experience with fellow Purdue nursing students. The students attended a presentation and volunteered with the organization.

“As soon as I stepped foot into The Milk Bank, I knew I wanted to help,” Velasquez said in the release. “I knew I wanted to make a difference. I saw not just the love that’s here, but the passion and dedication from all the volunteers and workers here.”

She combined that interest with her love of matcha to create a pop-up matcha and green tea stand. According to the release, Matcha for a Greater Love donates 100% of purchases to The Milk Bank.

“We are incredibly grateful to Larissa, Matcha for a Greater Love, its volunteers, and customers for making this donation possible,” said Freedom Kolb, The Milk Bank’s CEO.

Velasquez plans to continue the pop-ups in 2027, adding handcrafted cinnamon rolls to the menu alongside matcha and green tea.

The Milk Bank, founded in 2005, is a nonprofit tissue bank that supplies pasteurized donor human milk to hospitals and families throughout the region. The organization says it distributes more than 700,000 ounces annually and has provided more than 17.9 million feedings since its founding.

While Westfield built its identity around drawing visitors to Grand Park, Fishers is spending millions on youth sports with a different target in mind — the families already living here.

That’s the message Mayor Scott Fadness delivered in an IndyStar story published Monday, in which reporter Jake Allen examined how suburban Central Indiana cities are pouring tax dollars into youth athletics.

“Our strategy was born not out of trying to create a tourism play necessarily, but instead it was, how do we continue to double down and create really great experiences for our kids that live here and are involved in youth sports?” Fadness told the newspaper.

The second priority, the mayor said, is attracting new residents.

“It’s just like investing in your schools,” Fadness said. “Having these facilities keep your home values up.”

Fishers has moved on several fronts this year. The city has invested more than $3 million in athletic field improvements at its high schools, created and filled a new position to coordinate youth athletics, and announced a $65 million facility — the Fishers Fieldhouse — that will host large-scale youth basketball and volleyball tournaments.

The IndyStar piece devotes much of its length to Westfield’s Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus, which opened in 2014 at a cost of $49 million and now draws 5.5 million visits a year. Hotels, restaurants and retail followed. Noblesville, Lebanon and Greenwood have since built their own city-financed facilities.

Local parents quoted in the story described benefits that don’t show up on a balance sheet.

Matt Benson, watching his 9-year-old daughter practice field hockey behind New Britton Elementary School, told the newspaper his three children have leaned more toward arts and theater than athletics — but he still sees the value.

“It’s what attracts people to a community like this,” Benson said. “These investments can lead to sparking different interests for children.”

Jen Westerman, a 15-year Fishers resident who coaches her daughter’s Mudsock Youth Athletics softball team, said the payoff has been friendships.

“My kids’ friends have come from playing in sports and some of mine and my husband’s best friends have come from meeting other parents at sport events,” Westerman said. “Investing in this stuff is not only good for the health and socialization of kids here, but I think it’s great for building community.”

The story also includes a caution. Michael Edwards, a sport management professor at North Carolina State University, told IndyStar that publicly funded sports complexes can end up serving tournaments more than taxpayers.

“We have seen situations where the county or the city built these facilities, and they’re essentially padlocked when there’s not an organized event happening,” Edwards said. “In some ways, they can be very exclusionary.”

Edwards added that with so many facilities going up across the region, some will prosper and others will fail — making it critical that cities avoid duplicating what neighbors already offer.

My compliments to reporter Allen and his editors for doing a deep dive into an important issue for families in suburban areas of Indy.

The full story is available at this link.  NOTE:  Most IndyStar stories are behind a paywall.  Online subscriptions to the IndyStar are reasonably priced.  Once again, I encourage you to subscribe to your local media!

Hamilton County legislators are encouraging local college students and recent graduates to apply for paid internships with Indiana House Republicans during the 2027 legislative session. Applications are due Oct. 31.

The full-time program runs from January through April, with interns working Monday through Friday at the Statehouse in downtown Indianapolis, according to a House Republican news release.

Eligible applicants include college sophomores, juniors and seniors, recent college graduates, and graduate and law school students. All majors are welcome, and no previous political or government experience is required. Interns earn $900 every two weeks, according to the official program website.

House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said the program offers students a chance to explore government and public service.

“For young Hoosiers interested in government and public service, there are few experiences more valuable than the House internship,” Huston said in the release. “This opportunity helps students launch careers, build connections and discover the impact they can have in shaping the future of our state.”

Positions are available in legislative operations, policy and communications. Legislative interns help with research, constituent communications and legislators’ schedules. Communications interns assist with writing, news coverage monitoring, media events and other assignments, according to the program website.

State Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, said the experience can help students prepare for careers beyond the legislative session.

“The skills, relationships and experience they gain can help prepare them for whatever career path they choose,” Jeter said in the release.

State Rep. Danny Lopez, R-Carmel, said the program gives students an opportunity to contribute to work at the Statehouse. State Rep. Hunter Smith, R-Zionsville, highlighted opportunities to interact with legislators, state agencies and private sector organizations and participate in a weekly speaker series.

State Rep. Alaina Shonkwiler, R-Noblesville, said interns gain a closer understanding of how state government makes decisions and how they can participate in their communities.

Students can find more information and apply through the Indiana House Republican Internship Program website. The application deadline is Oct. 31, 2026.

A proposal to allow accessory dwelling units in part of downtown Fishers faces an uncertain future after city officials withdrew it from the August 17 City Council agenda.

The proposal had received an unusual unanimous “no recommendation” from the Fishers Advisory Plan Commission on August 5. The 7-0 vote sent the measure forward without endorsing either approval or rejection.

Requests from LarryInFishers to the city asking why the proposal was pulled and what happens next have received no response as of publication.

City officials who did not wish to be named have told LarryInFishers the proposal may be off the table for now. That possibility has not been publicly confirmed, leaving unanswered whether the city will revise the measure, bring it back unchanged or shelve it.

Accessory dwelling units, often called “granny flats” or “in-law suites,” provide independent living space on the same property as a single-family home. They can be separate cottages, apartments above garages or living quarters incorporated into an existing house.

The proposed city ordinance would allow them in the Nickel Plate District’s Village Center zoning district. Although the Nickel Plate District encompasses much of downtown, the proposal would have a narrower practical reach. The city identifies the area south of Morgan Drive and along Meadows Drive and Lantern Road as the primary area affected because other portions already contain apartments and townhomes.

The proposed rules would limit each lot to one accessory dwelling of no more than 800 square feet. The owner would have to live in either the main home or the accessory unit.

Each unit would need a separate address or unit number and a paved route to a driveway or alley. Detached units could reach 25 feet in height; units over garages could reach 42 feet. The amendment would not count an accessory unit as a separate dwelling when calculating required parking.

City planning staff recommended approval.

The local uncertainty comes as Indiana pushes communities to examine barriers to housing construction. House Enrolled Act 1001, a housing measure signed by Gov. Mike Braun on March 4, is now law.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority says local governments must report by December 31 that they held a public hearing reviewing zoning and development rules with the goal of increasing housing development. Annual housing progress reports begin in January 2027.  Fishers officials have indicated an October date is expected to conduct the local public hearing.

That statewide review provides a broader backdrop for Fishers’ discussion. It does not explain why this particular proposal was withdrawn. For homeowners interested in adding a smaller residence to their property, the city has yet to provide an answer about the proposal’s future.

With Labor Day behind us, attention is turning to the November 3 general election. For Fishers-area voters, this year’s ballot includes school board, congressional, state legislative and local government races.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board will undergo a substantial change. Four of its seven seats are up for election, and none of the incumbents holding those seats — Tiffany Pascoe, Juanita Albright, Dawn Lang and Ben Orr — appears on the candidate list. That means a majority of the board’s seats will change hands when the next terms begin in January 2027.

That does not necessarily mean four first-time board members. Former trustee Michelle Fullhart, who previously served two terms, is seeking the District 3 seat.

I plan to cover the school board election in more detail as the campaign progresses, so I will save a closer look at the candidates for that reporting.

For now, one distinction matters: these are district elections. Voters cast a ballot for the HSE seat in the district where they live, rather than voting in all four races. Nine candidates are listed across the four districts, with Stephanie Braden the sole candidate in District 4.

Another race involves a current HSE board member. Albright won the Republican nomination for Indiana Senate District 31, while Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal won the Democratic nomination. They are seeking the seat held by Republican Kyle Walker, who announced that he would not seek reelection.

In Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, incumbent Republican Victoria Spartz faces Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford. Both advanced from their parties’ May primaries.

There are also Indiana House and township offices on the ballot, along with county races. The contested Hamilton County sheriff’s election features Republican Dustin Dixon and Democrat Charles Hollowell. The offices and candidates appearing on an individual voter’s ballot depend on where that voter lives.

As a one-person news operation, I will do my best to cover as much of this election as I can in the weeks ahead.

For readers planning their participation, Indiana’s voter registration deadline is Monday, October 5. Early in-person voting begins Tuesday, October 6, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

The state’s IndianaVoters portal provides registration status checks and registration services. Readers who have moved or changed their names can also find instructions for updating their records.

It is your right, and I would argue, your civic responsibility, to cast a vote.

Perez retires, Bottas finishes last at Spanish Grand Prix; team still winless as Indiana factory nears completion

The Formula 1 team building its world headquarters in Fishers had another hard afternoon Sunday, this time on a brand-new circuit in Spain.

The Cadillac Formula 1 Team left the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s Madring circuit with nothing to show for it. Sergio Perez retired on lap 31 with what the team described as a suspected water system issue. Valtteri Bottas was classified 18th and last among the cars still running at the finish, three laps behind the leader after two pit stops.

Italian driver Kimi Antonelli won the race for Mercedes, holding off Max Verstappen by 4.351 seconds. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who started from the pole, finished third after a Virtual Safety Car period caught him just past the pit entrance and cost him the lead.

The result leaves Cadillac 11th and last in the constructors’ championship with zero points through 14 rounds. Mercedes leads with 503.

For Fishers residents, the more consequential story is unfolding at East 96th Street and Hague Road, near the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport. The team’s 400,000-square-foot, $200 million headquarters remains under construction, and it is designed to eventually house roughly 300 engineers and technicians who will build Formula 1 chassis in Hamilton County.

That work is not happening here yet. Through the 2026 season, Cadillac has run its race operation out of Silverstone, England, with additional facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Warren, Michigan. The Fishers campus is meant to pull that scattered operation together under one roof.

As LarryInFishers reported in August, some of the team’s United Kingdom-based employees have been told they will need to relocate to Indiana by January 2027 or risk losing their positions. Team leadership has said staffing decisions will not turn on nationality, and that Cadillac intends to keep recruiting from British motorsport talent while developing American engineers.

The team also changed leadership this season, with Marcin Budkowski replacing Graeme Lowdon as team principal for what executives have described as the operation’s U.S.-centered phase.

None of that changes the scoreboard in the short term. A first-year Formula 1 team competing against Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren was never expected to score much, and Cadillac has not. But the investment being poured into the ground on the east side of Fishers is a long-term bet, and city officials have pointed to it as an anchor for further development near the airport.

Cadillac’s next chance comes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Sept. 24-26. The season runs through Abu Dhabi in December.

A fire on Lamarque Place displaced three family members and killed their two dogs and two cats, according to the Fishers Fire Department.

Crews arrived to find the home fully engulfed in flames. The three residents were away when the fire started. The department said the family has a safe place to stay.

During firefighting efforts, a partial structural collapse occurred. A Fishers firefighter declared a mayday and was able to free himself. He was evaluated at the scene and released back to work, according to the department.

The Fishers Fire Prevention Bureau is investigating the cause of the fire.