The Humane Society for Hamilton County is launching its annual June Matching Campaign, with the goal of raising $300,000 in 30 days to support the thousands of animals that come through the shelter each year.

From June 1 through June 30, every online or in-person donation to HSHC will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $150,000. The matching funds are being provided through the shelter’s Advisory Board, Board of Directors and other individual donors.

That means a $5 gift becomes $10, a $20 gift becomes $40, and a $50 gift becomes $100 during the campaign.

“Every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $150,000,” said Emma Nobbe, HSHC community engagement manager. “For the month of June, your $5 donation will become $10, $20 will become $40, $50 will become $100 — with all proceeds providing essential care, medical treatment, and shelter for the 4,000 animals who come through our doors each year.”

The shelter says the campaign supports animals such as Asher, one of the many animals arriving at the facility each year in critical need of medical care. Money raised through the June campaign will help provide shelter, medical treatment and daily care for animals in need.

Community members may donate online at hamiltonhumane.com or in person at the shelter, located at 10501 Hague Road in Fishers.

The Humane Society for Hamilton County is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It serves as both the animal control facility and humane society for Hamilton County. According to HSHC, county funding covers about 21 percent of its operating needs, including the first 10 days of basic care for animals. The remainder of the shelter’s annual budget is funded largely through individual donations.

HSHC describes itself as an open-admission, “no-kill” shelter. The organization says it does not euthanize animals because of time, space, treatable injuries, illnesses or most behavior issues. The shelter reports it has maintained an average live placement rate of 98 percent since 2014.

The Fishers Freight return to the field this weekend looking to do something they couldn’t manage two weeks ago — beat the Jacksonville Sharks.

The Freight (5-4) travel to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for a 7 p.m. Saturday rematch with the Sharks, the same team that handed Fishers a 68-50 loss at the Fishers Event Center on May 16. A bye week followed, giving the Freight time to regroup before a stretch run that will decide whether they reach the playoffs in just their second Indoor Football League season.

Fishers currently sits fourth in the Eastern Conference, holding the final playoff spot with nearly half the season still to play. A win in Jacksonville would help the Freight keep their grip on that position; a loss would leave them vulnerable as the teams behind them jockey for postseason berths.

The first meeting was anything but lopsided for three quarters. The Freight jumped to an early 11-0 lead and carried a 42-41 advantage into the fourth quarter before the Sharks took over. Jacksonville quarterback James Cahoon threw five touchdown passes and Sammy Edwards ran for three more. Freight running back Dominic Roberto answered with three touchdowns of his own.

Roberto remains the engine of the Freight offense and one of the most productive players in the league. He leads the IFL in rushing yards and ranks first in touchdowns, giving Fishers a ground game capable of keeping pace with Jacksonville’s high-scoring attack. Quarterback Felix Harper has been a dual threat, ranking among the league’s top rushers while running the offense.

The Freight will again lean on their defense to slow a Sharks team that hung 68 points on them in the first meeting. Linebacker Marcus Gray leads the IFL in total tackles and solo tackles, anchoring a unit that will need a stronger fourth quarter than it produced two weeks ago. Kicker Calum Sutherland ranks second in the league in scoring among kickers.

After struggling in their 2025 inaugural season, the chance to fight for a playoff berth in year two marks clear progress. But the schedule offers little margin. With roughly half the season ahead, every conference game carries weight, and a road test against the team that just beat them is exactly the kind of measuring stick the Freight will face repeatedly down the stretch.

Kickoff in Jacksonville is set for 7 p.m. Saturday.  You can watch the game on Yahoo Sports streaming service, available on a number of platforms, or just go to YahooSports.tv.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools is moving toward a possible early renewal of its operating referendum, with district officials saying recent changes in Indiana property tax law could significantly reduce future revenue.

At a Wednesday night work session, Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown and consultants from Policy Analytics presented the HSE Board of School Trustees with an early framework for a referendum question that could go before voters in November. The proposal includes a maximum rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed value over an eight-year term.

District officials emphasized that the 36-cent figure would be the maximum allowed over the life of the referendum, not necessarily the rate HSE would collect each year. Under state law, the district must ask voters for the highest rate it may need during the full term. HSE officials said the actual rate would be set annually through the budget process and would begin lower.

The district’s current operating referendum rate is .1995 per $100 of assessed value. Consultants told the board that keeping the current rate in place would likely generate less money in future years because of Senate Enrolled Act 1, the property tax measure approved by the Indiana General Assembly earlier this year.

The Policy Analytics presentation projected that changes under SEA 1 could reduce HSE’s expected referendum revenue by an estimated $45.3 million between 2026 and 2031. The district’s net assessed value, which has grown steadily over the past decade, is projected to decline over the next several years as new homestead deductions and other property tax changes are phased in.

District officials also pointed to broader school funding concerns. According to HSE’s presentation, the district ranks 370th out of 376 Indiana school districts in tuition support per student. HSE receives $7,121 per student in tuition support. If the district received the average public school, non-charter rate of $7,490, HSE officials said it would mean more than $7.4 million in additional annual revenue.

On the operations side, HSE is projected at $1,869 per student in net levy funding, placing it in the 38th percentile. The district said reaching the state average of $1,952 per student would generate more than $1.6 million in additional revenue.

The district’s proposed referendum spending plan totals about $31.3 million. The largest share, an estimated $29 million, would support salaries and benefits for certified teaching positions, equal to roughly 275 staff members or the staffing of about five school buildings. The plan also includes about $700,000 for behavioral health therapist services, providing 13 master’s-level therapists across the district, and about $1.6 million for school safety and security, including school resource officers, the director of school safety, traffic security, after-school event security and safety equipment.

Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley said the district has already taken steps to reduce expenses before asking the board to consider an early referendum renewal. HSE says it has identified more than $7 million in potential ongoing reductions over the past two years, including staffing changes tied to enrollment, department and operational efficiencies, salary hold decisions, contract reviews and expanded partnerships.

“These steps were important before asking the Board to consider an early referendum renewal,” Kegley said in a district news release. “Even with these cost-cutting measures, the projected loss in expected revenue due to Senate Enrolled Act 1 would make it difficult for HSE Schools to maintain the level of programming, staffing and student support our community expects.”

One point likely to draw voter attention is the potential taxpayer impact. Because state law requires the ballot language to use the maximum rate, the question would show the effect of the full 36-cent rate. For a median residence, rounded up under state rules to $400,000 in assessed value, that would show an annual tax bill increase of about $700.

However, the district and consultants said that is not the expected initial tax impact. Their models show a lower estimated rate in the first year, with the rate potentially rising over time depending on assessed value, revenue needs and annual board budget decisions.  Brown says he will propose a 2027 referendum tax rate of .2275 for 2027, assuming the referendum passes.  That would mean the homeowner with a median home assessed valuation would pay $3 more per month in 2027 in property taxes

The board is expected to vote June 10 on a proposed maximum referendum rate and levy. If approved, community meetings and information sessions would follow through the summer and fall. Election Day is Nov. 3.

At Wednesday’s work session, school officials emphasized the proposal for a new 8-year referendum is projected to raise slightly less revenue over the 8 years, compared to the amount of tax that would have been collected under the current referendum rate with no change in the state law governing property taxes.

If voters approve the renewal, the board would set the 2027 referendum rate as part of the annual budget process. If the measure fails, district officials have said HSE would need to consider additional reductions to staffing, programming and student supports.

Fishers police say two Indianapolis suspects, one adult and one juvenile, have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery and carjacking outside an IHOP restaurant near 96th Street.

Police say the incident happened Monday, May 25, at about 10:39 p.m. in the parking lot of the IHOP at 9750 North by Northeast Boulevard, just north of East 96th Street. According to the Fishers Police Department, one of the suspects pointed a gun with an extended magazine at the victim and demanded the keys to the victim’s vehicle.

Police say both suspects then entered the vehicle and drove away. The victim was not injured.

On Tuesday, May 26, Fishers police arrested 18-year-old Khalil Glover and a 17-year-old juvenile, both from Indianapolis. Police say each suspect faces four felony charges. The juvenile also faces one additional misdemeanor charge.

Fishers officers used the FLOCK camera system to determine the stolen vehicle had been driven toward Binford Boulevard in Indianapolis. That information was shared with nearby law enforcement agencies. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police later located the victim’s vehicle at an Indianapolis apartment complex. The vehicle was unoccupied, but police say additional evidence belonging to the victim was found nearby.

Fishers detectives also collected surveillance video from near the robbery scene, which helped provide descriptions of the suspects’ clothing. Detectives assigned to the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, working with FBI special agents, later located two suspects at the same apartment complex wearing clothing matching what was seen in the surveillance video.

After Fishers detectives obtained a search warrant, IMPD SWAT and IMPD K9 units assisted in serving the warrant and making the arrests. Police say they found additional evidence connected to the robbery and carjacking, including items belonging to the victim and the firearm used in the incident.

According to police, Glover confessed during an interview and admitted the juvenile was with him during the robbery.

Both suspects were transported to the Hamilton County Jail.

“When someone in our city, whether a resident or someone visiting is victimized, we take it personal,” Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart said. “We will use all our resources, all our people, and all our partnerships to find criminals and hold them accountable.”

Gebhart credited both technology and police work in the case.

“Technology helps us, but it’s just a tool for good old fashioned police work to take place,” Gebhart said. “I’m extremely proud of our team and our ability to work with our law enforcement partners.”

Fishers commuters who use the I-465/I-69 interchange will see a major change this weekend, as the Indiana Department of Transportation prepares to open a new ramp from eastbound I-465 to northbound I-69 on Saturday, May 30.

The ramp opening is one of the most visible milestones yet in the Clear Path 465 reconstruction project, the multi-year overhaul of the northeast-side interchange used daily by thousands of Hamilton County residents commuting to and from downtown Indianapolis. The full project is expected to wrap up later this year.

To shift traffic onto the new ramp, INDOT has scheduled a series of overnight closures and lane restrictions this week. All restrictions will run from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Thursday, May 28

• Northbound Binford Boulevard will be reduced to one lane between 71st Street and 75th Street.
• There will be no access to northbound I-69 from northbound Binford Boulevard at 75th Street.

Friday, May 29

• The ramp from eastbound I-465 to northbound I-69 will be closed. The signed detour directs drivers to take eastbound I-465 to southbound I-465 and turn around at Pendleton Pike (U.S. 36).
• The ramp from eastbound I-465 to southbound Binford Boulevard will be closed.
• The ramp from eastbound I-465 to Allisonville Road will be closed.
• The ramps from Keystone Avenue to eastbound I-465 will be closed.
• Eastbound I-465 will be reduced to two lanes from just west of the White River to Fall Creek Road.

INDOT is asking drivers to plan ahead and seek alternate routes when possible. Dates and work could shift due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

For Fishers and other northern suburb commuters, the new ramp is expected to ease one of the longest-standing bottlenecks at the interchange, where the eastbound-to-northbound movement has carried heavy morning and evening traffic throughout construction.

INDOT also reminded drivers that the Safe Zones automated speed enforcement program remains active throughout the Clear Path work zone. The program uses automated systems to monitor speeds in designated construction areas with the goal of reducing excessive speeding and protecting workers and motorists. More information is available at SafeZonesIN.com.

The Clear Path 465 project has been under construction for several years and, once complete later this year, will mark the end of one of the largest interstate reconstruction efforts ever undertaken on Indianapolis’ north side.

Fishers has a number of current federal employees and retirees from the civil service (such as myself). An issue has arisen impacting federal workers that I believe deserves some attention.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing a new government-wide nondisclosure agreement for federal employees, a plan the agency says is aimed at protecting confidential government information and reducing unauthorized leaks.

OPM says the proposed NDA would apply to employees and contractors whose duties involve routine access to sensitive systems or protected information. If finalized, the form could become a standard part of the federal onboarding process and could also apply to current employees at participating agencies.

The argument in favor of the proposal is straightforward. Federal employees often handle private, sensitive or security-related information. That can include personnel records, procurement information, law enforcement material, operational plans and other internal documents not intended for public release. Supporters can argue that a standard NDA would make expectations clear, create uniform rules across agencies and remind employees that unauthorized disclosure of government information can damage public trust, compromise investigations or put people at risk.

OPM also argues the NDA would not eliminate legal protections for whistleblowers. The agency says the proposed form is intended to protect confidential information while still allowing disclosures that are authorized by law.

But the arguments against the proposal are stronger.

First, calling the agreement voluntary becomes questionable if refusing to sign could place an employee’s job in jeopardy. News accounts describe the proposal as applying to current and future federal employees, with violations potentially leading to discipline, termination or even civil and criminal penalties.

Second, the definition of confidential government information appears broad. Reports say it could include internal agency operations, personnel matters, procurement processes and sensitive pre-decisional or deliberative material. That could go well beyond classified information or truly sensitive records.

Third, federal employees already operate under laws and rules restricting the improper disclosure of classified information, personal data, procurement-sensitive material and other protected records. A sweeping NDA may add more intimidation than protection.

The American Federation of Government Employees has sharply criticized the proposal, calling it an attack on nonpartisan federal employees and warning it could be used to silence dissent or discourage workers from raising concerns.

That is the heart of the problem. Even if whistleblower rights technically remain in place, a broad NDA could chill employees from speaking to inspectors general, Congress, journalists or the public about waste, fraud, abuse or misconduct.

Federal employees should not be free to leak private or protected information. But the public also has a right to know when government is failing, abusing power or hiding facts that matter.

After weighing the arguments on both sides, this proposal looks less like a necessary protection and more like a tool that could discourage accountability. Bottom line: it is a bad idea, in my view.

Fishers residents are reminded that trash collection schedules shift during holiday weeks.

Republic Services, which provides residential trash collection under contract with the City of Fishers, operates on a one-day delay following certain holidays. That means if your regular pickup day falls during a holiday week, your trash will be collected one day later than usual.

Memorial Day is one of those holidays, so residents should expect trash pickup this week to be delayed by one day.

The same one-day delay will apply during the remaining holiday weeks on the city’s trash collection calendar this year. Residents are encouraged to place trash carts at the curb by the usual time on their adjusted pickup day.

Here is a calendar  listing the remaining holidays triggering this holiday trash collection schedule (impacted holidays listed in red).

Sangrita Grill & Cantina, a Mexican restaurant in Fishers, located at 11547 Yard Street, will reopen Saturday under new leadership and with a revamped menu and beverage program, the restaurant announced.

The cantina closed Monday at 8 p.m. and is scheduled to reopen at 11 a.m. Saturday after what owners described as a brief refresh of the menu, bar program and overall guest experience.

Josh Ratliff, the restaurateur behind BlackSheep Craft Pizza & Cocktails, is joining the Sangrita team to lead the changes. As part of the transition, the restaurant will become part of Upland Hospitality, the group that operates Upland Brewing Company, BlackSheep Craft Pizza & Cocktails, CV Tap House & Kitchen and CV Proper Kitchen & Bar.

Ratliff said the reimagined restaurant will move away from a traditional Tex-Mex approach and toward coastal Mexican cuisine, with a focus on a beachside grill and ceviche.

“We’re taking Sangrita to the coast — beachside grill and cevicherías, celebrating authenticity in the ways people tend to overlook, like the Caesar salad being a Tijuana original,” Ratliff said in a statement. “We’ve also built something one-of-a-kind: an 80-bottle tequila and mezcal program, all additive-free, paired with fruit and chocolate.”

Ratliff said he had personally tasted every spirit on the new list. “Tex-Mex has its place — but we want you to taste and smile, not just feel full,” he said.

Sangrita has operated in Fishers as a neighborhood Mexican restaurant and bar. Upland Hospitality, based in Indiana, operates brewpubs and restaurants across the central and southern parts of the state.

The restaurant said it will welcome guests back to its Fishers location Saturday morning.

I am one of those people who commuted between Fishers and downtown Indianapolis for years, until my retirement from federal civil service in September 2011. For me, State Road 37 was always one of the most difficult stretches of an already challenging daily commute.

There were projects over the years aimed at easing the bottlenecks along SR 37, but none seemed to make a lasting difference.

That has now changed.

After at least eight years of planning and construction — with some tracing the origins of the concept even further back — motorists can now travel on State Road 37 between I-69 and 146th Street without encountering a traffic signal for north-south traffic. East-west drivers at 126th, 131st and 141st streets are now using roundabouts, while a signal system is in place for east-west traffic at 146th Street.

The final piece of the Fishers portion of the project, the 141st Street interchange and roundabout, officially opened Tuesday morning during a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by a host of dignitaries. Among those on hand were Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, Hamilton County Commissioners and other state and local officials.

The project’s original price tag was set at $124 million, but costs rose sharply in the post-COVID inflationary period. Braun said the final cost came in at $185 million.

The ribbon was cut in two ways. First, a vehicle carrying special guests drove through a ceremonial ribbon. That was followed by the traditional ribbon cutting, complete with scissors and officials gathered for the moment.

Speakers at the ceremony emphasized the partnership among the City of Fishers, Hamilton County and state officials that helped get the project approved eight years ago and brought to completion Tuesday morning.

Braun was especially complimentary of Fishers and its growth.

“I love the enterprising communities,” the governor said.

Braun noted that inflation hit concrete and steel especially hard, two of the key materials needed for road and bridge construction.

“We’re here today to celebrate what I think is the example for Hoosiers across the state — keep your economy strong,” Braun said. “If you don’t keep growing, you won’t be able to do this in the future. I’m going to keep citing what you have done here in Fishers.”

Fadness praised the team effort among different levels of government, saying the project was aimed at improving both quality of life for residents and economic opportunity for the business community.

The mayor also singled out Hamilton County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt for his role in helping launch and complete the SR 37 project in Fishers.

With the opening of the 141st Street interchange, Fishers has now completed one of the largest construction projects in the city’s history. For motorists who remember years of backups and stoplights along State Road 37, Tuesday marked a major milestone.

And as Fishers reaches the finish line, attention now turns north. Noblesville is next in line to begin improvements along its section of the State Road 37 corridor.

Here are additional photos from the ceremony:

Continue reading SR 37 Project Reaches the Finish Line in Fishers →

After helping open Fishers High School and guiding its athletic program for two decades, Jim Brown is stepping away. Brown is retiring as athletic director at FHS, capping a 41-year career in Indiana high school athletic administration.

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees confirmed Brown’s successor at its April 15 meeting, hiring Tyler Nicole, the former athletic director at Westfield High School, to fill the position.

Brown’s name has been tied to Fishers High School from day one. He came to Fishers for the school’s opening in the 2006-07 academic year and helped oversee facility renovations in 2009 and 2013, building the foundation for what has become one of the largest high school athletic programs in Indiana.

Before Fishers, Brown spent 21 years as athletic director at Triton Central in Shelby County, where he also served as assistant principal beginning in 1988-89.

His influence stretched well beyond the Tigers. Brown is in his 12th year on the IHSAA Board of Directors and has served as board president, vice president and executive committee vice chairman. He is in his 34th year as an assistant director of the IHSAA boys basketball state finals and has worked state finals events in track, volleyball and soccer. Fishers also served as a host school for the IHSAA soccer state finals from 2019 to 2021 and hosted the 2025 Indiana All-Star Futures Games doubleheader under his watch.

Earlier this school year, the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association named Brown its 2026 District 2 Administrator of the Year, recognizing his decades of support for high school basketball in Indiana.

He has also been a longtime leader within the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, serving as president in 1996-97 and as treasurer and conference chairman from 1998 to 2015. The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association honored Brown with its State Award of Merit in 2001 and its Distinguished Service Award in 2012.

This spring, Fishers hosted the third annual Jim Brown Unified Track Invitational, an event named in his honor that has become a fixture of the FHS athletic calendar.

A 1973 graduate of Southwestern High School in Tippecanoe County, Brown earned a bachelor’s degree from Ball State, a master’s in education from Indiana State and an administrator’s license from Butler. He began his career as a physical education teacher at Rushville Junior High in 1978-79 before moving to Triton Central in 1981.

Brown and his wife Gretchen have two adult children, Liz and Nick, and eight grandchildren.

As Brown closes out his career, his fingerprints are on nearly every corner of FHS athletics — from the original buildout of the program to the facility upgrades, the state finals events hosted at Fishers and the generations of Tiger student-athletes who came through during his 20 years on the job.