The Fishers Freight have spent the last two weeks doing exactly what a bubble team has to do: winning. Now comes the hard part.

Sitting at 7-6 with three games left, the Freight head to Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin on Saturday to face the Green Bay Blizzard, the runaway leaders of the Indoor Football League’s Eastern Conference. Kickoff at the Resch Center is set for 5 p.m. Eastern.

The math is unforgiving. Fishers is fifth in the East, a game back of the Orlando Pirates and Tulsa Oilers (both 7-5) for the conference’s final playoff spots. Every remaining game matters, and this one is the toughest on the slate. Green Bay enters at 10-2, has already locked up a top seed, and has been close to untouchable at home, where the Blizzard have not lost all season.

It’s also personal. Green Bay is the only team to beat the Freight twice in 2026. The first came back in March at the Resch Center. The second stung more — a 57-52 thriller in Fishers on May 2, when the two clubs met at 5-1 and tied for first. The Freight led 30-23 at the half before the Blizzard pulled away in the final minute, recovering a late Felix Harper fumble and then an onside kick to slam the door. Quarterback Liam Thompson’s four-yard touchdown run proved the difference.

Harper remains the engine of the Fishers offense, a dual threat who has carried the Freight through their best stretches with his arm and his legs. His favorite target, CJ Windham, has been a steady presence in the end zone since opening night. The questions are on the other side of the ball, where Fishers has struggled to slow the league’s top offenses — a problem Green Bay is uniquely equipped to expose.

The Blizzard are deep, balanced and battle-tested, the kind of team built for a long playoff run. They overcame the in-game loss of running back Demilon Brown in the May meeting and still found a way to win, which tells you plenty about their resilience.

For the Freight, the path forward is simple to describe and hard to execute: protect the football, finish drives, and find a way to make a stop when it counts — the exact things that slipped away in May. Win, and Fishers keeps real control of its postseason fate heading into the final two games. Lose, and the margin for error all but disappears.

The Freight have shown this season they can beat anyone on a given night, including a blowout of the Arizona Rattlers. To keep their playoff hopes alive, they’ll need that version of themselves on the road, against the best team in the conference, in a building where the Blizzard simply don’t lose.

Saturday’s game streams on the Yahoo Sports Network. First place isn’t on the line this time — but for Fishers, a season might be.

Steve Dillinger has served as a Hamilton County Commissioner since 1989, and after more than three decades in office he says one question follows him everywhere: why is there always road construction all around the county?

He offered a simple answer during his 2026 State of the County address Wednesday: growth.

In 1990, Hamilton County was home to about 110,000 people. Today, Dillinger said, that number has climbed past 394,000 — nearly a fourfold increase in roughly 35 years. More people mean more vehicles on the roads, and more vehicles mean more construction to keep traffic moving safely.

Dillinger delivered the address before a packed ballroom at the Noblesville Embassy Suites Conference Center, where the speech anchored a Noblesville Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

His theme for the morning was “Doing the right things for the right reasons.” Dillinger acknowledged that sticking to that motto isn’t always the smart political move, but said it is what’s best for the people who live in Hamilton County.

Roads and Interchanges

Much of the commissioner’s time was spent reviewing recent road improvements, several of which directly affect Fishers. Among them was the long-awaited completion of the State Road 37 project running from 126th Street to 146th Street, a years-long effort that converted a heavily traveled corridor into a free-flow series of interchanges. Dillinger also pointed to the new interchange at 146th Street and Allisonville Road, which opened to traffic a few months ago.

Safety improvements are next. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department has identified the county’s most dangerous intersections, and two of them sit along 146th Street — at Hazel Dell Road and at Gray Road. Both are slated for upgrades aimed at reducing crashes.

Courts, 911 and a New Day Care

Beyond the roads, Dillinger highlighted a wave of construction tied to the county’s growing population. The Indiana Supreme Court has authorized eight new courts in Hamilton County, and work is already underway to expand the Judicial Center in downtown Noblesville to make room for them.

The county is enlarging its 911 dispatch center to keep pace with rising call volume. In the same area, officials are planning a day care center for county employees. With staff working around the clock across multiple shifts, Dillinger said, on-site care would help parents match their hours to their jobs — and save them real money. A year of child care, he noted, can run as high as $20,000 for a single child.

Fairgrounds and a Patriotic Finale

Work also continues at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds, where several facilities are being designed for year-round, multipurpose use — everything from community events to wedding receptions.

These were only a few highlights of Dillinger’s presentation, which closed with a video montage and a medley of patriotic music in honor of America’s 250th birthday.

It is not too early to begin planning for this year’s Spark Fishers Festival.

Below is the route for this year’s parade.  Below is the list of parking restrictions and details on how to park and/or catch a shuttle to and from the celebration.

Continue reading Planning for the Spark Fishers Festival →

The Hamilton County Community Foundation closed out 2025 with a new strategic direction, new leadership and a string of investments aimed at one goal: making sure every resident has a chance to thrive, according to the foundation’s newly released annual report.

It was a year of change at the top. The foundation welcomed Danielle Stiles-Polk as president, while Eddie Rivers served as board chair. “Hamilton County is a community on the move,” the two wrote in a joint message. “That growth is most meaningful when our entire community has the chance to be a part of it.”

Much of the year’s work flowed from a strategic plan launched in January. Built on a needs assessment that gathered more than 2,000 data points and extensive community conversations, the plan concentrates the foundation’s investments in five areas: affordable housing, education and training, social services, childcare solutions and transportation.

Those priorities showed up in the dollars. In 2025, HCCF invested $558,000 directly in the community, including $405,000 awarded through its competitive grant cycle. The flexible grants let nonprofit partners direct money where local needs are greatest. “Every grant we award reflects our commitment to strengthening the wellbeing of our neighbors,” Stiles-Polk said. “Nonprofits are leading community change, and HCCF is proud to support their work.”

Several gifts stood out for their size and timing. When a disruption in SNAP benefits left many local families facing gaps at the kitchen table, HCCF joined the Crosser Family Foundation and the Shelly & Cherryl Friedman Family Fund to provide a $100,000 emergency grant to the Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank. “This support comes at a pivotal time for many residents,” said Suzanna Hobson, the food bank’s executive director. “It’s a powerful reminder of the compassion and collaboration that make Hamilton County such a caring place to call home.”

In May, the foundation announced a $120,000, three-year partnership with Prevail, Inc., a nonprofit serving survivors of crime and abuse. The grant will help expand access to secure housing. “It is a powerful investment in the safety, stability, and future of survivors of crime and abuse in our community,” said Prevail Executive Director Tami Wanninger. “Prevail will expand access to secure housing options — removing one of the biggest barriers our clients face as they begin their healing journey.”

Housing affordability drew a longer-term commitment as well. Working with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Indianapolis, HAND, Inc. and other partners, HCCF helped launch the Hamilton County Community Land Trust. By separating the cost of land from the cost of a home, the trust aims to make homeownership more attainable now and keep it affordable for future generations.

The foundation also invested in the county’s youngest residents. Through a coordinated effort led by local libraries and HCCF, with funding from the Hamilton County Council, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is now mailing monthly books to more than 5,000 children under age five — an early-literacy push the foundation says creates lasting opportunities for kids.

Education got another boost through the Lilly Endowment Community Scholars program, which named five local students — from Culver Academies, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville, Fishers and Westfield high schools — as 2025 scholars. “Our 2025 Lilly Scholars are the kind of young people who see a need and step up,” Stiles-Polk said.

Behind the grants sits a growing pool of charitable capital. Individual fundholders granted $5.4 million to 981 organizations during the year and contributed $4.0 million to their funds, while the foundation managed $13.6 million across 41 charitable organization funds.

The year’s largest vote of confidence came from outside the county. HCCF was awarded a $6 million Community Support Grant from Lilly Endowment through its GIFT IX initiative — flexible resources meant to help the foundation respond to emerging needs and strengthen partnerships over the next three years.

The foundation closed its report with a note of gratitude to the donors, fundholders and nonprofit partners who made the year possible. “The work we do can’t happen in isolation,” it reads. “We’re grateful for that shared commitment and look forward to seeing our community continue to grow.”

Drivers along USA Parkway should brace for orange cones this summer as the City of Fishers moves forward with a major road widening project. The work will stretch from USA Drive, near the Link Building (formerly Navient), all the way to the IKEA intersection — one of the busier commercial corridors in the area.

The City has awarded the bid for the roughly $2.5 million project to Calumet Engineering. Fishers Engineering Department Director Hatem Mekky said he expects the widening to be complete by this fall, in time to ease congestion before the busier shopping season.

In another road project of note, a new four-way stop is coming to the intersection of Southeastern Parkway and Connecticut Avenue. The intersection currently operates as a two-way stop, with only Connecticut Avenue traffic required to halt. To prepare drivers for the change, city crews will install advance warning signs and flashers alerting Southeastern Parkway motorists that they will now be expected to stop.

The Fishers Engineering Department recommended the four-way stop as a preliminary and temporary safety measure, citing crash history and limited sight-line conditions at the intersection. The change is a stopgap: the City already has funding in place to build a roundabout at the location in 2029.

Two items on Tuesday morning’s agenda for the Board of Public Works and Public Safety dealt with the new Community Center.

First, cost savings realized during construction of the Community Center will be reinvested into the facility in the form of a rooftop exercise studio. Williams Architecture, the firm that designed the Community Center, will also handle the design of the new studio. The board authorized a maximum of $1.988 million for the project.

Finally, the board took a step toward adding a dog park at the Community Center. Kelly Landscaping Services was awarded a $159,000 contract to regrade the site, add soil amendments, install drainage tile, and lay sod for the new park — giving local pet owners a dedicated space to let their dogs run.

As the Fishers Freight wrap up their second Indoor Football League season with three regular season games remaining, the bigger story off the field is how — and how many — fans are watching. After two years of churn, from free YouTube streams to a paid league app to a national distribution deal, the IFL is reporting the largest television audiences in its history in 2026. Independent reviews of the new broadcasts are mostly favorable, with some technical caveats.

From YouTube to a national platform

Just two seasons ago, IFL games lived on YouTube, free to anyone but drawing modest crowds — a few thousand viewers per game by most accounts. In 2025 the league launched the subscription-based IFL Network through a partnership with Visaic, and in April 2025 announced the service had “surpassed 15,000 subscribers” during a record-setting weekend that also saw 14,729 fans pack Tulsa’s BOK Center.

The 2026 plan was more ambitious — and bumpier. In November 2025 the IFL announced a deal for FanDuel Sports Network to carry 60 games. Within months, financial instability at FanDuel’s parent, Main Street Sports Group, prompted the league to exit the agreement, joining several MLB, NHL and NBA teams scrambling for new homes. “What’s going on there is not good for anybody,” IFL President Jared Widman told Barrett Media, while crediting FanDuel for being upfront.

The league pivoted to two partners. Yahoo Sports Network — a free, ad-supported streaming channel operated by C15 Studio, for which the IFL is the first-ever live sports — expanded its slate to 64 games. To fill the gap, the IFL signed a multi-year deal in March 2026 with Overnght, a subscription streamer (about $12 a month) that becomes the exclusive home of at least 55 games annually through 2028. The league called it the largest media-rights agreement in the sport’s history. The old IFL Network, meanwhile, went free in 2026, repurposed for replays, highlights and team content rather than live games.

The audience numbers

For the first time, the IFL is also producing every broadcast itself — hiring the talent and controlling production rather than leaving home games to individual teams, as in past years. The league brought in CBS Sports veteran Brent Stover as lead play-by-play voice and Director of Broadcasting, paired with Yahoo personalities Jason Fitz, Nate Tice and Caroline Fenton and other national names including Dave Ryan, Mark May, Anthony Herron and Danny Kanell. Widman’s stated goal: three national broadcasters on every game for “the most polished look you can get.”

The early returns, by the league’s own measurement, are strong. According to figures the IFL released and that were reported by sports-media columnist Howie Hanson, an April 4 game between Tucson and New Mexico drew 220,000 viewers and 9.2 million minutes watched — both league records. Subsequent featured windows stayed in six figures: roughly 159,000 viewers on April 12, 116,000 on April 19 and 101,000 on April 26. Each topped 100,000, a consistency the league says it had never reached. The IFL characterized the jump as a “multi-thousand percent increase” over its YouTube-only model.

Those numbers deserve a caveat: they are league-supplied figures for marquee Yahoo windows, not independently audited Nielsen ratings, and they reflect the most-promoted broadcasts rather than a typical game. As Hanson noted, the leagues are reporting growth “at least through their own data.” Still, even discounted, the scale dwarfs the YouTube era.

What the critics say

On broadcast quality, the most substantive independent review came from Shady Sports Network, which assessed the inaugural IFL Cup at New Jersey’s American Dream in May. Its verdict was largely positive: “Other than the audio issues the broadcast of the games was amazing,” praising Stover and analyst Kurtis Riggs in the booth alongside three sideline reporters who made it “feel like they had every angle covered.” Presentation, the field and the production “lived up to the standard the IFL has created for itself.”

The audio, though, was a real problem. The outlet described sideline reporters whose “lips [were] moving without any sound coming through,” plus intermittent distortion in the booth — issues it attributed partly to the venue but called “certainly avoidable.”

The trade outlet Barrett Media framed the effort favorably, while indoor-football site Off The Wall credited the IFL’s multi-year investment in raising broadcast standards and adding commentary talent.

The bottom line for fans in Fishers: the games are easier to find and free to watch on Yahoo Sports, the audiences are demonstrably larger, and the production has drawn solid early marks — with the league’s own audience claims still awaiting independent verification, and a few audio gremlins to iron out.

Fishers Youth Initiative is changing the way it raises money, moving away from one of its long-running annual fundraising events in favor of year-round partnerships with businesses, churches and community organizations.

In a recent newsletter to supporters, Executive Director Sara Ferguson announced that FYI will not host the Mayor’s Breakfast this year. The event has been a key part of the organization’s fundraising model for many years.

Instead, Ferguson said the organization is making a “strategic shift” toward more intentional, relationship-based partnerships.

“Rather than engaging partners through a single annual event, we are prioritizing year-round partnerships that create deeper connection, clearer impact, and more meaningful engagement opportunities,” Ferguson wrote.

The new approach, according to FYI, is designed to connect organizations more directly with measurable community impact, offer employee engagement opportunities through volunteering and service, provide clearer visibility into how support helps students and families, and build longer-term partnerships aligned with the goals of supporting organizations.

“We believe this model creates a stronger return—not just in visibility, but in real community impact and meaningful involvement,” Ferguson wrote.

FYI is inviting corporate and church partners interested in learning more about the new approach to contact Ferguson at https://fishersyouthinitiative.org/

The fundraising change comes as Fishers Youth Initiative continues a busy summer of programming. Ferguson said the organization’s Summer Meals distribution began in early June and is now in full swing.

The program is serving about 200 families each week. In addition to food distribution, Ferguson said FYI is able to provide community opportunities and exposure through partner organizations that assist with the effort.

The Summer Meals program will continue through the end of July. After that, FYI will transition back to Snack Attack, its school-year food insecurity program.

Ferguson said FYI is also planning for its mentoring work during the 2026-2027 school year. The organization is currently hiring for an open Director of Engagement position.

Fishers Youth Initiative works with local students and families through mentoring, food support and other community-based programs.

Hamilton County will be part of Indiana’s America 250 celebration later this week as one of the state’s Revolutionary Lanterns makes several stops around the county June 26-28.

The lantern is symbolic of the signal displayed in Boston’s Old North Church on April 18, 1775, warning colonists that British troops were on the move. That signal helped launch Paul Revere’s famous ride and became one of the enduring symbols of the American Revolution.

The Hamilton County visit is part of a statewide effort by the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution and the Indiana America 250 Commission. Ten symbolic lanterns are touring all 92 Indiana counties as the nation prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The lanterns will eventually become part of a permanent display at the Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis.

As the lantern travels through Hamilton County, the Hamilton County Historical Society is encouraging residents to think about history closer to home by recording and preserving family memories and personal experiences.

“History isn’t just found in books and archives,” said Jessica Layman, Hamilton County historian. “It lives in the memories of the people who experienced it. By recording and preserving family stories today, we ensure that future generations understand not only what happened in Hamilton County, but how it felt to live, work, celebrate, and build a community here.”

Residents will have several opportunities to view the lantern during its Hamilton County visit.

On Friday, June 26, it will be displayed at the Hamilton County Judicial Center in Noblesville from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The lantern will then travel to Coxhall Gardens in Carmel for the Time Traveler’s Ball.

On Saturday, June 27, the lantern will be on display at the Arcadia Train Depot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during Nickel Plate Express caboose rides. Later that day, it will be featured during the Fishers SPARK Parade.

The final Hamilton County stop is scheduled for Sunday, June 28, at the Westfield Washington Public Library, where the lantern will be on display from 1 to 5 p.m.

The America 250 observance offers communities across the country a chance to reflect on the founding of the nation. Hamilton County officials and historians are using the lantern’s visit as a reminder that local history is built not only through major events, but also through the stories of families, neighborhoods and communities.

The Humane Society for Hamilton County is encouraging pet owners to take steps now to keep their animals safe before the Fourth of July holiday.

On Saturday, June 27, HSHC will host its Saturday Safety Microchip Match event from 9 to 11 a.m., offering discounted microchip procedures for pets. The cost will be reduced to $25 for those making a $25 donation to the shelter’s June Matching Campaign.

The first 10 people to stop by will receive one free microchip.

Shelter officials say the event is aimed at promoting pet safety during a time of year when fireworks can frighten animals and increase the risk of pets running away from home. HSHC is urging residents to make an early plan to keep pets calm during fireworks displays and to make sure ID tags and microchip information are current.

“Fireworks may be fun for us, but they can be terrifying for our pets, and with the holiday just around the corner, now is the time to take early action,” said Emma Nobbe, HSHC Community Engagement Manager. “For community members who haven’t microchipped their pets, we hope this event will give them the opportunity to keep their pet extra safe this Fourth of July.”

The Fourth of July is often one of the busiest times of the year for animal shelters taking in lost pets. Microchips provide permanent identification and can greatly improve the chances of reuniting a lost pet with its owner.

HSHC says now is the time for families to prepare their homes and pets for the holiday weekend. In addition to microchipping, pet owners should check collars and tags, keep animals indoors during fireworks, and create a quiet space where pets can feel secure.

The Humane Society for Hamilton County serves as both the animal control facility and humane society for the county. The nonprofit receives partial funding from Hamilton County for the first 10 days of basic care for animals, but relies heavily on individual donations to fund its annual operating budget.

HSHC describes its mission as “Saving Lives. Educating Communities. Completing Families.” The organization operates as an open-admission, no-kill shelter and reports it has maintained an average live placement rate of 98 percent since 2014.

Pet owners interested in the microchip event may stop by HSHC on Saturday, June 27, between 9 and 11 a.m.

Hockey fans now have a new reason to spend their Sundays at the rink: a portion of every ticket sold through a new Indy Fuel Sunday game package will go directly to the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation (HSEF), funding classroom grants and school programs across Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

The Sunday Ticket Package is a 10-game plan built around family-friendly perks — three postgame skates, four specialty jersey nights, and kids eat free at every Sunday game in the package. Every ticket purchased through HSEF’s designated link turns a night out into a contribution to local students and educators.

Fans who want to take part can place a deposit through the HSEF ticket link to reserve their Sunday plan.

The ticket program is the first concrete way the public can support a much larger commitment announced this week: a new 10-year partnership between HSEF and the Hallett Sports Foundation that is expected to generate $1 million for Hamilton Southeastern Schools. The money will fund classroom grants, enhance school programs, and support opportunities for students and staff.

Rather than a single donation, the partnership is built on ongoing fundraising led by the Indy Fuel and Fishers Freight — designated games, ticket programs like the Sunday package, and community engagement activities that add up over the life of the agreement.

“We believe meaningful change is created through long-term commitment and community participation,” said Sean Hallett, CEO of Hallett Sports. “This pledge creates an opportunity for fans, partners, and supporters to directly contribute to educational impact through experiences that bring our community together. We are excited to support the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation and invest in opportunities that will benefit students for years to come.”

“We are incredibly grateful for this transformational commitment,” said Justin Hirnisey, executive director of the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation. “A partnership built around sustained community engagement and long-term support creates meaningful opportunities for our students and schools.”

For local families, the message is simple: a Sunday Fuel game is now also a way to give back to neighborhood classrooms — and the more tickets sold through HSEF, the more dollars flow to Hamilton Southeastern students and teachers.