Another Indy Fuel hockey season is in the books. The team that now calls the Fishers Event Center home finished fourth in the ECHL Central Division, qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs, and saw its season come to an end with a first-round series loss to the Fort Wayne Komets, four games to one.

This marked the first full season the Fuel were able to call the Fishers venue home from opening night through the playoffs. During the 2024-25 campaign, the club spent its first six weeks on the road while construction of the new arena was completed.

This was also my second season making a concerted effort to cover the team. Since the Fuel moved to Fishers, the club has become very much a local story for me — and one of the lasting impressions from this season has little to do with wins, losses or standings.

My thoughts as the season concludes turn to Eva Hallman.

Hallman has spent the past three seasons as part of the Fuel broadcast team alongside veteran play-by-play voice Andrew Smith. Over the last two years, I have watched her grow into the role game after game, becoming increasingly confident, polished and knowledgeable as a hockey analyst and broadcaster.

What makes that growth even more impressive is that Hallman balanced her broadcasting duties while attending Butler University as a full-time student. She has now graduated, a milestone that comes after juggling college coursework, Fuel broadcasts and numerous other professional commitments all at the same time.

On a podcast Andrew Smith and I recorded with Hallman last year, she made it clear her goal was to pursue hockey broadcasting professionally once her studies were complete. Based on what I have seen, any hockey organization looking for an up-and-coming broadcaster should take notice. Hallman has already demonstrated she can handle the demands of the job.

Fishers sports fans have not seen the last of her just yet. Hallman remains part of the broadcast lineup for Indoor Football League games this season. The league assumed control of game production and distribution in 2026 through partnerships with Yahoo Sports and the Overnght streaming platform, and Hallman was selected to be part of that operation.

That likely means Andrew Smith could be searching for a new broadcast partner when the Fuel return next season — and replacing Hallman will not be easy.

Congratulations to both Andrew Smith and Eva Hallman on an outstanding season behind the microphone. As for Hallman, it certainly appears the next chapter of her broadcasting career is only beginning.

The Fishers Freight may have lost a tough, close game to the Green Bay Blizzard last Saturday, but coaches around the Indoor Football League still rank the Freight as the league’s No. 3 team in the Week 8 coaches poll. The Freight now stand at 5-2 on the season, while Green Bay leads the Eastern Conference at 6-1. Jacksonville Sharks are also in the conference race with a 4-1 record.

There were also a couple of notable incidents around the league last weekend.

The Sunday night game — featured nationally as the IFL’s Yahoo Sports Game of the Week – Arizona and Las Vegas — included an on-field confrontation between the two head coaches that escalated into a brief brawl. The altercation also included some comments picked up by television microphones that likely were not intended for a national audience. One coach was eventually ejected from the game.

Meanwhile, during Saturday night’s Freight-Blizzard matchup in Fishers, a sideline reporter appeared to have a tense discussion with the head official after spending time on the field during plays. On-field reporter access is permitted under league rules, but following that exchange, the reporter did not return to the field for the remainder of the game.

In this week’s “Coach’s Corner,” Freight play-by-play voice Andrew Smith talks with Head Coach Dixie Wooten about last Saturday’s hard-fought home loss to Green Bay and previews this Saturday’s road game against the Orlando Predators.

Watch “Coach’s Corner” at the link below.

Hamilton County Sheriff  234 of 234 precincts

Republican

Dustin Dixon                                    16,603       62.74%

John Lowes                                      9,861      37.26%

State Senate District 31

Republican

Juanita Albright                  3,516

Tiffanie Ditlevson               2,332

Travis Hankins                      1,781

Jan Kepley Keefer               1,699

Democrat

Andrew J. Dezelan                          1,141

Kerry J Forestal                               4,153

Lasima O. Packett                          1,805

Catherine Torzewski                    3,909

State Representative  District 37

Democrat

Lauren S. Cole                      2,167        55.22%

Joel Levi                                1,757         44.78%

I voted early Tuesday morning at my local polling place, where turnout appeared light. There was no line when I arrived, and just one voter was casting a ballot.

Credit goes to the poll workers staffing these locations. The pay is modest, and Election Day makes for a long shift. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m., but workers arrive well before opening and remain after closing. Anyone in line at 6 p.m. is allowed to vote, meaning workers often stay well into the evening.

I will be monitoring results as votes are counted. After polls close, check back here for updates focused on the races with the most impact on Fishers.

The only countywide race of note is the Republican primary for Hamilton County sheriff, featuring Dustin Dixon and John Lowes. With no Democrat filed for the general election, the primary winner is likely to become the county’s next sheriff. Incumbent Dennis Quakenbush is term-limited.

Another closely watched contest is the race to replace retiring State Sen. Kyle Walker in Indiana Senate District 31, which includes Fishers and part of Lawrence Township in Marion County. Candidates from both parties are seeking the seat.

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston faces no primary opposition, but two Democrats — Joel Levi and Lauren Cole — are competing for the chance to challenge him in November.

In the Fifth Congressional District, incumbent U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz is opposed in the Republican primary by Scott King. On the Democratic side, seven candidates are vying for the nomination to face Spartz in the general election.

If you are registered, make your voice heard and vote.

Election results will be posted here after the polls close at 6 p.m.

Teachers in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools district are receiving Reduction in Force (RIF) notices as the district adjusts staffing levels in response to declining enrollment and financial pressures tied to Indiana’s school funding formula.

In a message sent to parents, Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley confirmed that 18 teaching positions have been identified for contract cancellation through the RIF process. Those positions are concentrated at the K–6 level, where the district has seen a sustained drop in student enrollment, beginning with kindergarten.

Kegley said the district has been reviewing staffing and operational costs for much of the second semester, working to identify savings. Additional details on those reductions are expected to be presented at the May 13 school board meeting.

While 18 teachers are directly impacted by RIF notices, the broader staffing adjustments are more extensive. According to the superintendent, nearly 60 positions districtwide—about 4% of HSE’s teaching staff—are being adjusted when factoring in operational efficiencies and non-classroom roles.

“This aligns with the district’s enrollment decrease over the last three years, with further declines anticipated for the 2026–27 school year,” Kegley said in his message.

In a recent podcast interview with LarryInFishers, Kegley declined to specify the number of RIF notices at the time, but expressed optimism that many affected teachers could ultimately remain employed through retirements and resignations, a common occurrence in a district the size of HSE. The superintendent reiterated that possibility in his message to families, noting that teachers receiving RIF notices could be called back before the next school year if vacancies arise.

The process used to determine which teachers are subject to a RIF is largely governed by state law, not local policy.

Under Indiana Code 20-28-7.5-1(d), school districts must base layoff decisions primarily on teacher performance, rather than seniority.

That means the traditional “last hired, first fired” approach no longer applies in most cases.

State law requires:

• Performance to be the primary factor, using teacher evaluation ratings
• Seniority to play a secondary role, used only when teachers are rated equally
• Additional factors—such as experience, advanced degrees, instructional roles, and student needs—to be considered when teachers fall within the same performance category
• Formal evaluation systems to be in place and publicly posted
• Written RIF notices to be issued between May 1 and July 1, stating the reasons for the action

Teachers are evaluated annually and placed into one of four categories:

• Highly Effective
• Effective
• Improvement Necessary
• Ineffective

Those ratings determine the order in which positions are reduced, with lower-rated categories considered first.

There is a limited exception involving teachers who earned tenure prior to changes in state law more than a decade ago. In those cases, court rulings have found that stronger seniority protections may still apply.

Kegley acknowledged the impact of the reductions on staff and the broader community.

“I understand this news may raise questions and concerns for our families and staff,” he said. “These decisions directly affect important members of our school community and are not made lightly.”

He added that the district must align staffing levels with enrollment while maintaining financial stability and continuing to provide a high-quality education.

Bottom line: For most current Indiana teachers, RIF decisions are driven first by performance evaluations, not years of service. Seniority is considered only in limited circumstances.