A difficult start for the new head coach as penalties, a controversial goal and a three-goal second period prove costly

It was not the kind of debut new Indy Fuel head coach Jesse Messier had envisioned.

After finally joining the team for Friday morning’s practice, Messier stepped behind the bench for his first game as Fuel head coach Friday night at the Fishers Event Center. By the end of the evening, the Toledo Walleye had handed the Fuel a 5-2 defeat in a physical contest featuring plenty of penalties, several fights and a controversial second-period goal.

The game marked Messier’s long-awaited arrival after immigration processing delays prevented him from joining the team for its first two regular-season contests. Assistant coach Christian Horn had handled the coaching duties during Messier’s absence.

The Fuel entered Friday’s contest with a 1-1 record, hoping to build on their opening-night overtime victory over Wheeling. Instead, Toledo earned its first victory of the young ECHL season.

Things started well enough for Indy.

Harrison Israels opened the scoring midway through the first period, with assists credited to Tommy Budnick and Kyle Aucoin. The early lead gave the home crowd something to cheer about, but the momentum would not last.

The opening period became increasingly physical as players dropped their gloves and officials struggled to keep the action under control. A late penalty left Indy shorthanded with just 11 seconds remaining in the period.

Toledo needed only three seconds to take advantage.

Tag Bertuzzi scored the tying goal, assisted by Marcus Crawford and Mitch Lewandowski, sending the teams into the first intermission tied 1-1.

The second period proved disastrous for the Fuel.

Toledo scored three times during the middle 20 minutes, taking command of a game that had been evenly matched through the opening period.

One of those goals came under particularly controversial circumstances.

Approximately eight minutes into the period, Toledo’s Brandon Hawkins fired a shot that appeared to strike the upper portion of the goal frame rather than enter the net. Ordinarily, officials could consult video replay to help determine whether the puck had crossed the goal line.

However, the replay equipment available to the officials was not functioning, leaving them to discuss what they had seen on the ice. After a lengthy conference, the officials allowed the goal to stand.

The decision added to the frustration of an already difficult evening for the Fuel.

The physical play continued, with players from both teams spending considerable time in the penalty box. By the end of the game, Indy had accumulated 22 penalty minutes, compared with 20 for Toledo.

Trailing 4-1 entering the third period, the Fuel faced a steep uphill climb.

Indy managed to cut into the deficit when Jacob Perreault scored during a two-man advantage, with Matt Petgrave and Kyler Kupka providing the assists.

The goal brought the Fuel within two, but time was running out.

With just over two minutes remaining, Messier elected to pull goaltender Adam Gajan for an extra attacker, hoping to generate the offense needed to mount a late comeback.

The gamble did not pay off.

Toledo’s Quinn Preston quickly found the empty net, sealing the Walleye’s 5-2 victory and sending the Fuel to their second consecutive defeat.

The loss leaves Indy with a 1-2 record early in the 2026-27 season.

For Messier, the game represented a challenging introduction to his new responsibilities. Named the fifth head coach in Fuel franchise history in August, Messier had been forced to watch from a distance while immigration paperwork delayed his arrival.

Ironically, his first opponent was a Toledo organization for which he once played professionally.

There will be little time for Messier and his players to dwell on Friday’s disappointment.

The Fuel travel to Fort Wayne Saturday night for a 7:35 p.m. contest against the Komets before returning to the Fishers Event Center Sunday afternoon to face the Cincinnati Cyclones at 4 p.m.

It is the team’s first stretch of three games in three days this season, with all three contests against Central Division opponents.

After two consecutive losses, Messier will be looking for a much better response from his players as the demanding weekend continues.

Jesse Messier will make his debut behind the Indy Fuel bench tonight, Friday, Oct. 23, when the team hosts the Toledo Walleye at Fishers Event Center, the Fuel announced.  Messier was at the team’s practice Friday morning, according the the Fuel.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

The announcement follows an immigration processing delay that kept the Fuel’s new head coach from assuming his duties at the start of the season. Assistant coach Christian Horn handled the coaching responsibilities during the interim.

The Fuel announced Horn’s temporary appointment Oct. 8, saying Messier was awaiting authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

At the time, Fuel President Sean Hallett said former head coach Duncan Dalmao’s unexpected departure late in the offseason meant the organization submitted its immigration application later than usual. Hallett said that timing did not cause the processing delay but left the team less flexibility to accommodate it. The Fuel also sought assistance from U.S. Sen. Todd Young’s office.

Messier takes over a team that split its first two regular-season games. Indy defeated Wheeling 2-1 in overtime in the Oct. 16 opener before falling 4-3 to Cincinnati the following night, according to the ECHL’s results.

Tonight’s opponent provides a connection to Messier’s playing career: He played professionally for Toledo before also spending time with the Allen Americans, where he was a member of the 2015 Kelly Cup championship team.

The Fuel named Messier the fifth head coach in franchise history Aug. 21. He most recently served as an assistant coach with the Bloomington Bison, with responsibilities that included defense, penalty killing and player development.

His coaching background also includes assistant positions with the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit and York University. As head coach of the junior-level Kam River Fighting Walleye in 2023-24, he led the team to a 39-9-1 record, a regular-season championship and a league finals appearance.

Messier’s debut begins a busy stretch for Indy. The Fuel play three division opponents in three days, traveling to Fort Wayne on Saturday before returning to Fishers to host Cincinnati at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Toledo enters tonight seeking its first victory after losing its opener 6-3 to Fort Wayne. This is the first meeting between the Fuel and Walleye this season.

A worldwide security alert involving software that powers websites offers Fishers businesses a reason to check their online systems — and residents a reminder to stay alert to financial scams.

PHP, a programming language used by websites and services including WordPress, released emergency updates Oct. 21 to fix two critical vulnerabilities. The flaws, collectively nicknamed “PHP2Shell,” could allow attackers to take control of affected web servers without a password, potentially exposing sensitive information or disrupting services, according to the National Security Agency.

The NSA urged immediate patching and recommended taking affected systems offline if updates could not be applied promptly. In Switzerland, ETH Zurich temporarily took some PHP-based services offline as a precaution.

For local businesses, the practical step is to contact their website developer or hosting provider to confirm updates and security checks are complete. PHP also issued an Oct. 23 follow-up advisory addressing an additional risk under an unusual combination of settings; providers should review the latest guidance.

Simply visiting a PHP website does not mean a person’s computer or phone needs repair, New Zealand’s National Cyber Security Centre advises.

The website vulnerabilities are separate from the consumer fraud concerns raised by Kyle Pierce, vice president of information security at Everwise Credit Union, which has two Fishers branches. But both highlight the importance of protecting sensitive information.

In commentary provided for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Pierce warns that artificial intelligence makes familiar scam clues less dependable. Criminals can produce polished messages, impersonate organizations and imitate familiar voices.

“A phone call that appears to come from your financial institution or a desperate plea from a family member might not be what it seems,” Pierce writes.

One warning sign remains especially useful: pressure to act immediately.

Pierce recommends ending unexpected conversations requesting money or personal information, then contacting the organization through a trusted number or website. Contact details supplied in the suspicious message should not be used for verification.

He also urges consumers to review account activity regularly and promptly report unfamiliar transactions.

Anyone who suspects they have shared sensitive information or sent money to a scammer should contact their financial institution or card issuer immediately, Pierce writes. Embarrassment should not delay a report.

His central advice: pause long enough to question the request before acting.

Hamilton County has a general fund balance of nearly $140 million to draw on as it replaces the Hazel Dell Parkway bridge destroyed in August flooding. That’s according to reporting by Mickey Shuey of the Indianapolis Business Journal.

Shuey analyzed county finances and found the general fund ended 2025 at $139.5 million, up from $122.1 million a year earlier. About $115 million of that was held in cash or bank accounts. The balance is projected to reach $154 million by the end of this year, compared with $44.5 million at the end of 2016. Part of that growth comes from a 2021 accounting change that folded the county’s rainy day fund into the general fund figure.

Replacing the bridge is expected to cost about $10 million. Commissioner Christine Altman told the IBJ she expects emergency federal highway funding to cover 80% of eligible costs, following President Donald Trump’s disaster declaration. The county has hired United Consulting Engineers to design the new bridge. The Indiana Department of Transportation must approve that selection.

County Council President Brad Beaver told the IBJ the council has two options. It could pay upfront from reserves and wait for federal reimbursement, or it could borrow short-term, taking advantage of the county’s AAA bond rating.

Beaver said the county has long followed financial adviser Mike Reuter’s guidance to keep at least six months of property tax revenue on hand. That was about $48.3 million in 2024, and Beaver said the county is now well above it. Investment earnings, which totaled $16.7 million in 2025, go back into reserves rather than paying recurring costs.

“You might use it to build a bridge, but you don’t use it for payroll,” Beaver told the Journal.

Beaver also pointed to the State Road 37 project in Fishers as an example of why the county keeps a cushion. The project ran $20 million over budget, and the state’s share was capped. The county and the City of Fishers covered the overrun, with the county adding about $10 million.

Not everyone sees large balances as purely positive. Doug Noonan, a professor at IU Indianapolis’ O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the IBJ that reserves have an opportunity cost unless officials have a clear purpose for them. The cost could be projects not built, services not offered, or taxes that may not have needed to be collected.

How Fishers compares

The City of Fishers also keeps substantial reserves. The 2027 budget the Fishers City Council approved Oct. 12 projects about $78.7 million in cash reserves across all city funds, up from about $66.9 million projected for 2026. The 2026 budget put the city’s General Fund reserve at $35.9 million. The city figures are not directly comparable to the county’s general fund balance.

Reuter advises Fishers as well as the county. He told the City Council Finance Committee in August that a one-time distribution of about $10 million in local income tax added to the city’s cash balance this year.

Mickey Shuey’s full report is available at this link.  You will need an IBJ subscription to access the full story.  Once again, I remind everyone to subscribe to your local media!

What should come after high school—a college degree, a career certification, or some combination of the two?

That question opens this edition of Fridays With Larry. For students and families in Fishers and throughout Hamilton County, the answer involves more than tuition costs. It also means understanding what a credential prepares someone to do and whether employers value it.

My guest is Katie Reigelsperger, CEO and founder of KLR Medical Certification Training School. Katie’s own path gives her a personal perspective on the subject. In our conversation, she describes returning to school as a young mother, earning her diploma and a pharmacy technician certification, and eventually running her own business.

We talk about how KLR works with high schools to prepare students for healthcare careers, whether they plan to enter the workforce after graduation or continue their education.

Katie also explains why technical training is only part of that preparation. Communicating with patients, showing compassion and learning to handle difficult situations are skills students need alongside their certifications.

Our conversation includes a preview of KLR’s plans for its November 18 Skills Day at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Noblesville. Katie describes how hands-on activities give students a chance to explore healthcare work beyond what they can learn from a textbook.

I close the program with commentary on Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic. I look at his arguments about violence, police staffing and prevention, along with some of the criticism of his conclusions.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can watch the video version or listen to the audio using these links or the links below.

The Indy Fuel face a demanding early-season test this weekend, playing three games in three days, two of them at the Fishers Event Center.

Indy enters the weekend 1-1 after splitting its opening weekend in Fishers. The Fuel opened the 2026-27 ECHL season Oct. 16 with a 2-1 overtime win over the Wheeling Nailers, then fell 4-3 to the Cincinnati Cyclones the next night despite a late third-period rally.

The Fuel host the Toledo Walleye Friday at 7:15 p.m. in Fishers, then travel to Fort Wayne for a 7:35 p.m. Saturday game against the rival Komets at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The weekend wraps up Sunday at 4 p.m. back in Fishers with a rematch against Cincinnati.

All three opponents are Central Division rivals. Indy opens the season with 15 straight games against Central opponents, and 56 of the Fuel’s 72 games this season come against division foes. Fort Wayne ended Indy’s 2025-26 season, eliminating the Fuel in five games in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Sunday game supports HSE classrooms

Sunday’s game is the first of 10 Sunday home games on the Fuel schedule tied to the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation. Fans who buy through a dedicated link can purchase a 10-game Sunday package for $199, with all proceeds going to the foundation.

The Sunday package is part of a pledge by Hallett Sports & Entertainment, the family-owned company behind the Fuel and the Fishers Freight, to give at least $100,000 a year to HSEF for the next 10 years. Fuel President Sean Hallett, who recently joined the foundation’s board of directors, made the commitment. HSEF funds classroom grants and student scholarships across Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

Head coach still awaiting approval

Assistant coach Christian Horn has directed the team as interim head coach while newly hired head coach Jesse Messier, a native of Keswick, Ontario, awaits authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to begin his duties.

LarryInFishers asked the Fuel on Thursday for an update on Messier’s status and had not received a response as of publication.

The team has said the late-offseason departure of former head coach Duncan Dalmao, who left to become an assistant with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors, pushed back its immigration filing. Hallett said that timing did not cause the processing delay but left the organization less flexibility to absorb it. The Fuel have sought help from the office of U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind.

The Fuel named Messier the fifth head coach in franchise history Aug. 21. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Bloomington Bison, one of Indy’s Central Division rivals.

Saturday, Oct. 24, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and Meijer is reminding customers that its pharmacies will be ready to take unwanted, unused and expired medications.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is hosting the 31st national Take Back Day, working with more than 4,300 law enforcement partners. Collection sites registered with the DEA will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Meijer, which first took part in the national program in February 2019, says it has collected more than 350 tons of medications at its in-store kiosks, including more than 50 tons so far in 2026.

The Midwest retailer says every day is drug take back day at its stores. Kiosks near each Meijer pharmacy accept over-the-counter and prescription medications, including controlled substances, year-round during normal pharmacy hours, no questions asked.

Meijer kiosks do not accept needles or other sharps, inhalers, mercury thermometers, medications containing iodine or illicit drugs. Pharmacy staff can help if needed.

Meijer is not the only option for Fishers and Hamilton County residents.

The Fishers Police Department maintains a prescription drug drop box at its headquarters, 4 Municipal Drive. The department operates the box in partnership with the Fishers Health Department, and users must follow the posted rules on what is accepted.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office has offered a drug collection unit in its administration lobby at 18100 Cumberland Road in Noblesville.

Walgreens offers free medication disposal kiosks at many of its pharmacies year-round, and stores without a kiosk can provide at-home disposal packets on request. CVS also offers an online tool to find year-round disposal sites by ZIP code.

In past years, Indiana State Police posts, except the Toll Road Post, have accepted pill and liquid medications on Take Back Day.

Residents can find a registered Take Back Day site, or one of more than 15,300 pharmacies, hospitals and businesses that accept medications year-round, at DEATakeBack.com.

Needles and other sharps are generally not accepted at drug drop-off sites. Hamilton County residents have been directed to Hamilton County Household Hazardous Waste in Noblesville for sharps disposal. Call (317) 776-4005 before going.

Health officials warn against flushing medications or throwing them in the trash, because both can pose health and environmental risks. Most misused prescription drugs come from the home medicine cabinets of family and friends.

Onyx+East celebrated the opening of its Nickel Row model home with a ribbon cutting, marking the Indianapolis homebuilder’s first development in Fishers.

The community will include 35 three-story townhomes along the Nickel Plate Trail, offering residents access to downtown restaurants, shops and community activities.

Onyx+East CEO Kelly Lawrence told me at the event that the homes will sell for between $500,000 and $700,000, with elevators in some units. Pricing on the company’s Nickel Row website extends beyond that range: floor plans start at $579,900, while individual available homes are listed as high as $799,900.

During the ceremony, Lawrence pointed to Fishers’ investment in the trail and Nickel Plate District as key reasons the company chose the location.

“Today is about more than opening a model home,” Lawrence said. “It’s about celebrating a new neighborhood and the continued investment and evolution of downtown Fishers.”

Lawrence said the trail’s connections to neighborhoods, businesses and public spaces helped make the property attractive for development. She described Nickel Row as an option for buyers seeking low-maintenance living near downtown amenities, including restaurants, concerts and the farmers market.

The model home is at 11365 Fishers Pointe Boulevard. According to the developer’s website, the community offers direct trail access, private two-car garages and private elevators in select residences.

City Council member Todd Zimmerman said the development fits the city’s vision of a downtown where residents can work, live and spend their leisure time.

Zimmerman, who said he moved to Fishers in 1989, described the community’s transition from a small farming town and bedroom community to a city with a broader business base. He thanked Onyx+East for being part of that growth.

Lawrence also recognized Holy Family Episcopal Church, saying its property helped make the development possible, and Everwise Credit Union, the project’s financing partner. She thanked city officials, investors, trade partners and the company’s staff for their roles in bringing Nickel Row to fruition.

The ceremony concluded with the ribbon cutting and an invitation to tour the newly completed model home.

Lawrence said the company hopes Nickel Row will be the first of more Onyx+East communities in Fishers.

Ribbon is cut at the model home

Hamilton Southeastern Schools has turned down the top offer for roughly 16 acres of district-owned land at 136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road after bidding failed to reach the district’s target price.

Bidding on the property closed at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Tim Brown, assistant superintendent for finance, said in an email to LarryInFishers.com that the district received 45 bids.

“However, we did not meet our targeted goal, so at this time we did not accept the final offer,” Brown wrote.

Brown said district officials will update the school board on next steps at its meeting Wednesday. He added that the district is “not concerned about meeting our goal in the future.”

Brown’s response did not include the amount of the highest bid or the target price the district had set.

The land, which is leased out and farmed, is what remains of a larger parcel the district once owned at the intersection. Part of the original tract was used in a partnership with the City of Fishers to build a fire station.

District officials told the board’s Finance and Facilities Committee in August that the remaining ground is too small and poorly located to serve as a future school site.

Brown said then that the sale would carry no contingencies limiting how a buyer could use the property. Any zoning or land-use approvals would go through the City of Fishers, not the school district.

The board voted to authorize the sale before the property went to bid. Under the process outlined in August, members would also have to approve any final sale.

Hamilton County voters who want to cast a ballot by mail in the Nov. 3 general election have until 11:59 p.m. today, Thursday, Oct. 22, to get their application in.

Indiana law requires the county election office to receive the application by that deadline. A postmark does not count. The application can be submitted online through the state’s voter portal at IndianaVoters.com, or by email, fax, mail or hand delivery to the Hamilton County Election Office. With the deadline hours away, voters are urged to use the online portal or email rather than the mail.

Not every Hoosier can vote by mail. Indiana requires voters to give one of the reasons allowed under state law. Those include being 65 or older, having a disability, expecting to be outside the county on Election Day and during the entire early voting period, working a shift that covers all 12 hours the polls are open, and caring for a confined person at a private residence. The application lists every accepted reason, and voters must select one.

Applications must also include the voter’s Indiana driver’s license or state ID number, or a copy of a valid photo ID. Leaving that information off can delay or stop the application.

Once a ballot arrives, the voter must mark it personally and sign the ballot security envelope. Completed ballots must reach the county election office by 6 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Ballots arriving after that will not be counted. The U.S. Postal Service generally estimates five to seven days for first-class mail delivery, so voters should return their ballots as soon as possible.

Voters who miss today’s deadline or do not qualify to vote by mail still have options. Any registered voter may vote early in person for any reason. Early voting began Oct. 6 at the Hamilton County Judicial Center and the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Noblesville. Satellite early voting sites in Fishers, Carmel and Westfield opened Oct. 21. All Indiana counties must offer early voting on Saturday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 31. Early in-person voting ends at noon Monday, Nov. 2.

Voters must bring a valid photo ID to vote in person.

On Election Day, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For locations, hours and other election information, visit the Hamilton County Election Office website or call the office at 317-776-8476.