The Indy Fuel’s new head coach will have to wait a little longer to make his debut behind the bench at the Fishers Event Center.

The Fuel tell LarryInFishers that Jesse Messier is not expected to coach the team’s season home opener Friday, Oct. 16, against the Wheeling Nailers, or Saturday, when the Cincinnati Cyclones visit Fishers. Messier is awaiting immigration authorization to begin his duties.

Assistant coach Christian Horn will handle both head and assistant coaching duties until Messier is cleared.

On Oct. 8, Fuel President Sean Hallett said the late-offseason departure of former head coach Duncan Dalmao pushed back the team’s immigration filing.

“The unexpected departure of our previous head coach, Duncan Dalmao, late in the offseason meant we submitted our immigration application later than we typically would,” Hallett said. “While that timing did not cause the processing delay in and of itself, it has left us with less flexibility to accommodate this unforeseen development.”

The Fuel announced Dalmao’s exit in mid-August. He left to become an assistant coach with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, one level below the NHL. Dalmao won 159 regular-season games with the Fuel, the most of any coach in Indianapolis hockey history, and led the team to four straight Kelly Cup Playoff appearances.

The Fuel named Messier the fifth head coach in franchise history about a week later, on Aug. 21. Messier spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison, one of Indy’s Central Division rivals. He previously served four seasons as an assistant with the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit and four seasons as an assistant at York University, where he helped the program win the 2017 Queen’s Cup. In 2023-24, he guided the Kam River Fighting Walleye to a 39-9-1 record, a regular-season championship and a league final appearance.

Hallett said the organization is working to speed up the process, including contacting the office of U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., whose staff he described as “extremely responsive” in trying to help.

“We have confidence in Coach Horn’s ability to lead the team during this interim period and look forward to Jesse assuming his responsibilities as soon as necessary authorization is received,” Hallett added.

Friday’s opener marks the start of the Fuel’s 13th season and third at the Fishers Event Center. Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Fuel are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools voters will decide a referendum question November 3, and there are several questions worth exploring before casting a ballot. Why is the district returning to voters after passing a referendum in 2023? What would this proposal cost homeowners? What happens if voters say no?

For this podcast, I am joined by Laura Cole, chair of Advance HSE, the political action committee advocating passage; Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley; and Assistant Superintendent for Finance Tim Brown.

Much of our conversation centers on the difference between the maximum tax rate voters would authorize and the rate school officials intend to use initially. The proposal would replace the existing operating referendum and allow a maximum rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed value over eight years. Brown says the district plans to use a rate of 22 cents in 2027.

In the interview, Brown estimates the increase for the median homeowner at about $26 for the entire year in 2027. Individual amounts would vary. The district’s referendum information page also lists that estimate and provides a calculator for homeowners to check their own property.

Brown explains how changes in Indiana’s property tax law reduce the revenue HSE can collect under its existing referendum, even as property values grow. He also addresses why the tax impact described on the ballot differs substantially from the district’s first-year estimate.

Kegley discusses where the money would go, with teacher salaries and benefits accounting for the largest share, along with school safety and student behavioral health supports. He says the proposal is intended to sustain services the district already provides.

We also discuss the approximately $7.8 million in budget reductions district leaders describe in the interview, declining enrollment and the staffing changes already made. I ask what additional reductions might follow a referendum defeat. Kegley and Brown say programs and staffing could be affected, although they do not identify a final list of cuts.

Cole explains the work of Advance HSE, the people supporting its campaign and how she responds to residents concerned about property taxes. That includes a question facing many households in our community: Why support the referendum if you no longer have children in the schools?

This episode is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

Listen to the full conversation at this link or the link below.

The Hamilton Southeastern school board recognized 14 high school seniors Wednesday night for being named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Nine students attend Fishers High School and five attend Hamilton Southeastern High School. The students and their families also gathered for recognition breakfasts at the two schools, according to the district’s board agenda material.

National Merit semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. They are among the highest-scoring students in their state on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, known as the PSAT/NMSQT.

The students recognized are:

Hamilton Southeastern High School

• Thomas Bezza
• Liam Kenyon
• Tyler Orris
• William Pence
• Hojin Shin

Fishers High School

• Asher Burgoyne
• Cooper Chapple
• Sashi Ganapaneni
• Owen Jerrell
• Abeer Khan
• Abiola Olutayo
• Allison Svilenov
• Seth Tennekoon
• Ben Wu

The semifinalists now have the opportunity to advance to the finalist level and compete for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth about $24 million, according to the district. The scholarships will be awarded in spring 2027.

Fishers and Hamilton County could see a few severe thunderstorms Thursday, Oct. 15, with damaging winds and isolated flooding the main concerns, according to the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.

The agency’s Hazardous Weather Outlook, issued at 5:21 a.m. Thursday, includes Hamilton County and much of central Indiana. Forecasters expect numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms during the day, with a few storms potentially becoming severe.

The outlook does not specify an arrival time for storms in Fishers or forecast rainfall totals.

Friday, Oct. 16, is expected to bring wind gusts peaking at 25 to 35 mph. By Saturday night, Oct. 17, forecasters say widespread frost is possible.

That frost potential could affect sensitive outdoor plants. The weather service notes that frost can damage unprotected vegetation, making the weekend forecast worth watching for residents with gardens or plants still outdoors. The outlook describes frost as a possibility, rather than a certainty.

For Thursday’s storms, residents with outdoor plans should be prepared to move inside when thunder is heard. The weather service recommends sheltering in a substantial building or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with the windows closed, then waiting at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before returning outside.

Drivers should avoid flooded roads and never go around barriers. Water can hide damage to the road underneath, and just 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars, according to the weather service’s flood safety guidance.

A hazardous weather outlook identifies potential weather threats over the next seven days; it is not itself a severe thunderstorm warning. Residents should monitor updated forecasts and any watches or warnings as conditions develop.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools reported an official enrollment of 19,849 students to the state of Indiana, the count that determines how much state tuition support the district will receive.

Tim Brown told the HSE School Board on Wednesday night that the official count landed within a few students of the district’s projection of 19,850.

The figure is down 440 students from last year’s official count of 20,289. It is the district’s seventh consecutive year of declining enrollment and the first time in a decade that HSE has dropped below 20,000 students. Enrollment peaked in 2019.

Because Indiana funds schools on a per-student basis, fewer students means less state money. Brown told the board’s finance committee in September that even with a roughly 1.46% increase in the per-student rate for 2027, the enrollment loss would leave HSE with about $582,000 less than this year.

No public comment on 2027 budget

No one spoke at the legally required public hearing on the proposed 2027 budget. The plan is unchanged at $323.9 million, with a tax rate of $1.1912 per $100 of assessed value. The 2026 rate is $1.1476.

The legally advertised budget is higher, at $325.9 million with a tax rate of $1.2517. Districts routinely advertise numbers above their expected spending because the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance can lower a budget during its review but cannot raise it.

New health insurance options

The board approved 2027 health insurance rates for certified staff (teachers), support staff and administrators.

Employees will choose from six plans during open enrollment in November. Three are new plans tied to the Community Health Network provider system. These plans will cost employees less, while the more traditional, higher-cost plans remain available.

Brown projects about half of employees will choose one of the Community plans.

Health insurance costs have been a major issue at HSE. Last year’s teacher contract included no base salary increase but provided a one-time district contribution to teachers’ health savings accounts to help offset steep premium increases.

HSE is now bargaining a new contract with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, the local teachers union. Brown said the union has certified its support for the health insurance changes.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools students led comparable districts in third-grade reading and set district records for Advanced Placement success, administrators told the HSE Board of School Trustees on Wednesday night.

 Assistant Superintendent of Foundational Learning Dr. Danielle Fetters-Thompson and Jason Urban, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, presented the district’s annual academic report. It covered state reading and math tests, the SAT and AP exams.

Reading

HSE posted a 97.3% pass rate on IREAD-3, Indiana’s foundational literacy test. That rate was the highest among similar districts. The district defines those as the other Hoosier Crossroads Conference schools plus Carmel and Center Grove.

HSE tested 1,426 students, more than any other district in Indiana. Among districts testing more than 558 students, HSE had the highest pass rate in the state. Eleven of the district’s 13 elementary schools met or exceeded the state’s 95% goal, and three schools had a 100% pass rate.

Ten of 11 student demographic groups improved over last year, and every group passed at 90% or higher. Black students passed at 95.5% and special education students at 86%, each the highest among comparable districts. The pass rate for multiracial students dipped three-tenths of a percentage point, and Fetters-Thompson said the district will address that decline.

Students first take IREAD in second grade. This year, 83% of HSE second-graders passed. That lets teachers focus interventions on the remaining students from the first day of third grade.

“That culture in our buildings has become one of: all students will become proficient readers,” Fetters-Thompson said.

ILEARN

Indiana redesigned ILEARN for 2025-26. Students now take three checkpoint tests during the year, followed by a shorter spring assessment. Because the test changed, the Indiana Department of Education has said results should not be compared with prior years.

HSE students in grades 3-8 were 66.4% proficient in English/language arts and 68.1% proficient in math. Both figures were more than 24 percentage points above the state averages. Seventh- and eighth-graders ranked first in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference in three of four content areas.

Among comparable districts, HSE placed third, behind two districts. “We’ve got some work to do,” Fetters-Thompson said.

Board member Sarah Parks Reese asked her to stress that those percentages are not letter grades. Fetters-Thompson said ILEARN closely tracks the National Assessment of Educational Progress, one of the most demanding tests in the country.

SAT and AP

All Indiana juniors take the SAT. HSE ranked third among comparable districts and moved up one spot in evidence-based reading and writing. Urban pointed to strong growth at Hamilton Southeastern High School.

Urban called it a “banner year” for AP. At Fishers High School, 58% of last year’s graduates earned at least one AP score of 3 or higher, a district record. A score of 3 typically earns college credit. Hamilton Southeastern High School posted a record 89.3% AP success rate.

Across the district, the number of AP exams taken rose 25% from 2025. The number of students taking exams rose 14%, and the number of qualifying scores rose 26%. Urban said success rates have climbed each year even as the district has opened AP courses to more students.

AP Precalculus was offered for the first time last year. It produced more exams than any other AP course and a 98% success rate.

“Strong results are worth celebrating, but they also show us where we can continue to improve,” Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley said in a statement released during the meeting.

Central Indiana is in for a wild ride this week, moving from record-setting heat to possible frost in just a few days.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis issued a hazardous weather outlook Wednesday morning calling for showers and thunderstorms at times through Thursday night. A few storms could become strong to severe Wednesday afternoon and again Thursday, with damaging winds and heavy rain as the main threats.

Forecasters expect about 1 to 2 inches of rain across central Indiana through Thursday night. Drivers in Fishers should watch for standing water on roads during heavier downpours.

The rain follows two straight days of record heat. Indianapolis hit 87 degrees Monday, breaking the Oct. 12 record of 86 degrees set in 1879. On Tuesday, the thermometer reached 88 degrees, beating the 86-degree mark from 1975.

The weather service said Tuesday marked the latest date in the year that Indianapolis has ever reached 88 degrees. The previous latest was Oct. 10, 2010. Temperature records in Indianapolis go back to 1871.

The heat continues a warm stretch for the region. The weather service reports September 2026 was the warmest September on record in Indianapolis, with an average temperature of 73.8 degrees.

Official records are kept at Indianapolis International Airport, but Fishers residents felt the same summerlike conditions early this week.

That warmth is about to disappear. A strong cold front will bring wind gusts of 35 to 40 mph Friday, along with much cooler air. High school football fans heading to Friday night games will want to dress in layers.

By Saturday, temperatures will run well below normal. National Weather Service meteorologist Alexander McGinnis said the forecast high of 57 degrees and low of 38 degrees for Saturday are each about 10 degrees below typical for the date.

“The fact that we’re going from record highs to 10 degrees below normal will be quite a shock factor,” McGinnis said.

The weather service says widespread frost is possible Saturday night, with a localized freeze possible in colder areas. The average first frost date in Indianapolis is Oct. 17, so the timing is about right for the season, even if it comes on the heels of record heat.

Gardeners in Fishers and across Hamilton County should consider covering tender plants or bringing potted plants indoors Saturday evening. A frost will likely end the growing season for many annuals and vegetable gardens.

Temperatures are expected to warm back into the 60s by Sunday afternoon.

The Hamilton East Public Library Fishers Branch officially opened its renovated Youth Services area Tuesday afternoon with a ribbon cutting. It wasn’t a quiet event.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness joked it was the first time he had ever yelled in a library. He had plenty of company. Youngsters roamed the space during the ceremony, trying out the new features as fast as they could find them.

The library invited children to explore the renovated area, which includes cozy treehouse-inspired reading nooks, an updated play area, additional seating and renovated children’s program rooms. Families will also find special toys selected for the new space.

Library Director Melissa Loiselle welcomed the crowd and thanked those who helped make the project happen.

The opening marks the end of many years of construction at the downtown Fishers library, which sits next to the Nickel Plate Trail and the Fishers Municipal Center.

The library’s makeover started in 2018 with the opening of Ignite Studio, an arts-focused makerspace in the lower level formerly occupied by Launch Fishers. Major construction followed in 2021. That phase moved the main entrance to a new two-story lobby on the north side of the building, expanded parking and reworked traffic flow and connections to the Nickel Plate Trail. Plans at the time also called for improvements to the youth services areas, including the children’s and teen spaces.

Supply-chain problems slowed the work. In 2023, library officials put the cost of the Fishers renovation at $16.1 million, including a new roof for the entire building, and said the project was designed to serve the community for the next 20 years.

Patrons have worked around fences, detours and closed entrances for much of that time. On Tuesday, the payoff was easy to see — and hear — in the faces of the kids who got the first run of the place.

The Hamilton East Public Library serves residents of Fishers and Noblesville, and one library card works at both branches.  A third library building is in the works on Olio Road in Wayne Township.

Here are a few photos of young people enjoying the new space.

Fishers officials want firmer assurances that reconstruction of the roundabout at Olio Road and Southeastern Parkway can be completed before winter weather leaves motorists and nearby businesses facing months of disruption.

Engineering Director Hatem Mekky told the Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety Tuesday morning that the contractor continues to assure his department the work will be finished this fall. But Mekky said he is seeking confirmation this week that construction can be completed by year’s end.

Mayor Scott Fadness said the city must weigh how much work to undertake this fall against the risk of leaving the intersection under construction through the winter.

“I think what we are debating now is – we don’t want to get halfway through (the construction) and then the weather changes and then we’re stuck with it until next spring,” Fadness said. “Do you nibble around the edges, so to speak, this fall, then try to get it all done next spring and not worry about weather, or can we push through and get it done this year?”

Mekky said maintaining limited traffic through the construction area is another key consideration. Closing portions of the intersection, only to have winter weather halt the work, could create prolonged access problems for nearby businesses and medical facilities.

Those discussions are taking place this week, Mekky said, and he hopes to have answers soon.

The city’s online construction information also reflects uncertainty about the schedule. Its construction overview lists November 2026 completion, while the more detailed roundabout project page lists January 2027.

According to the project page, E&B Paving LLC was awarded the construction contract with a bid of approximately $6.73 million (amendments and change orders have upped the price tag to just under $6.9 million). The city says the reconstruction is intended to improve traffic flow, make lane choices easier and reduce rear-end and sideswipe crashes. The planned changes include permanently closing the roundabout’s fifth leg and providing a new connection between Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street.

The city says nearby businesses and medical facilities will remain accessible during construction, although access routes may change. Emergency access is to be maintained throughout the project.

The board’s discussion came as members approved an amendment and a change order related to the roundabout work.

In other business:

• Police vehicles: The board accepted a bid from Don Hinds Ford to purchase 12 police SUVs for just under $546,000. The purchase replaces vehicles that have reached the end of their useful lives for police work and have been traded in. The Fishers Police Department has a fleet of 184 SUVs.
• Maple Del: Members approved a sanitary sewer agreement for the residential development. Fadness said the agreement is the final step needed to begin construction. The action follows the Redevelopment Commission’s Oct. 6 approval of agreement changes allowing David Weekley Homes to take over construction of 54 townhomes and eight single-family homes, as detailed in earlier coverage.
• City technology: The board approved contracts for human resources and payroll systems, along with renewals covering support, monitoring and alerting software for city systems.

A limited number of all-session tickets for the first-ever Big Ten Volleyball Tournament at Fishers Event Center go on sale to the general public Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 11 a.m. ET at FishersEventCenter.com.

The tournament, set for Nov. 20-25, marks a new chapter for one of the strongest conferences in college volleyball. For the first time, the top 15 teams in the Big Ten regular-season standings will gather at one venue to compete for a conference tournament title, and that venue is in Fishers.

Fishers Event Center, which opened in November 2024 and seats 7,500, is already home to the Indy Ignite of Major League Volleyball. The arena also hosts the Indy Fuel of the ECHL and the Fishers Freight of the Indoor Football League.

The tournament opens with three first-round matches, followed by four second-round matches. Play then moves through the quarterfinals and semifinals, with the championship match scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 25. One off day is built into the schedule.

Fans will also be able to visit the Big Ten Fan Village, which will feature activities, vendors and more. The Fan Village will be open daily Nov. 20-25, with more details to be announced.

The Big Ten has long been regarded as the nation’s premier volleyball conference. Current member schools have combined for 22 NCAA Division I championships, including 12 of the last 20. Big Ten teams have played in eight of the nine most-watched college volleyball matches of all time, and six Big Ten regular-season matches last season drew television audiences of more than 500,000 viewers across three networks.

The conference has also led Division I volleyball in attendance every season since 2007, with its matches regularly drawing some of the largest crowds in the college game.

The Indianapolis area has become a regular stop for Big Ten championships. This year alone, conference titles in men’s and women’s indoor track and field, women’s basketball and rowing have been decided in the region.

Ticket information is available at FishersEventCenter.com.