A Hamilton Southeastern Schools bus driver is facing misdemeanor charges after allegedly consuming alcohol while operating a school bus with students on board.

According to reporting by Current Publishing journalist Leila Kheiry, Terri Shore, 61, of Noblesville, was charged April 22 in Hamilton County Court with criminal recklessness and driving a bus after or while consuming alcohol. She has not been charged with operating while intoxicated.

A probable cause affidavit filed by School Resource Officer Matthew Madden states the incident began April 1, when a student on Shore’s bus reportedly saw a vodka bottle inside a grocery bag hanging from the driver’s armrest. The student photographed the bottle and sent the image to a Hamilton Southeastern High School dean, who forwarded it to district transportation officials.

Transportation Director Zach McKinney and another employee contacted Shore and instructed her to stop the bus. She pulled over at Brooks School Elementary, where students were transferred to another bus.

During questioning, Shore allegedly admitted to consuming alcohol earlier in the day, according to the affidavit.

Madden wrote that he later reviewed bus camera footage, which reportedly showed Shore drinking from a vodka bottle shortly before 2 p.m. and pouring liquid into an orange juice container. The affidavit alleges she continued drinking from that container while driving and transporting students.

The report also states Shore appeared to brush her teeth around that time, which investigators believe may have been an attempt to mask the odor of alcohol.

Authorities said testing confirmed the bottle contained vodka.

In a statement, Hamilton Southeastern Schools said Shore was removed from duty April 2 and is no longer employed by the district.

“We do not tolerate any behavior that compromises the safety of our students,” the district said. “Student safety remains the district’s highest priority.”

Online court records do not yet list an attorney for Shore. She has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Read Leila Kheiry’s story at this link.

The Indy Fuel slipped into the Kelly Cup Playoffs on the final day of the ECHL regular season. Their reward is a first-round series against the team that won the Western Conference Central Division.

Indy, the No. 4 seed at 34-27-11, opens a best-of-seven division semifinal against the Fort Wayne Komets, who finished 45-17-10 and claimed their first regular-season division title in 10 years. The Komets also reached the 100-point mark for the first time since 2015.

Games 1 and 2 are set for Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 at Fort Wayne, both with 7:35 p.m. puck drops. The series then shifts to Fishers Event Center for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29, both at 7:05 p.m. If necessary, Game 5 would be May 3 in Fort Wayne, Game 6 on May 5 in Fishers and Game 7 on May 6 in Fort Wayne.

On paper, Fort Wayne carries the edge. The Komets dominated the 12-game regular-season series, going 9-2-1 against Indy. Kirill Tyutyayev hurt the Fuel repeatedly, posting 13 points in those meetings, while goaltender Nathaniel Day went 5-0-0 against Indy in the season series.

Fort Wayne also brings more proven firepower into the postseason. Austin Magera scored 32 goals, tied for third-most in the league, and Tyutyayev led the club with 68 points. William Dufour heads into the playoffs after earning ECHL Player of the Week honors earlier this month, when he piled up six goals and two assists in a three-game stretch. In net, Samuel Jonsson posted a 21-8-2 record and led the ECHL with five shutouts, while Day gave the Komets another reliable option with 22 wins.

The Fuel counter with a group that has been battle-tested just to get here. Indy has reached the postseason for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in six seasons. Defenseman Matt Petgrave led the Fuel in scoring with 48 points, and goaltender Mitchell Weeks carried a heavy workload, finishing 20-15-7 with a 2.46 goals-against average and the third-most minutes played in the league. Jesse Tucker was Indy’s top scorer in the regular-season matchup with Fort Wayne, collecting eight points.

One number that favors Indy: the Fuel were second in the ECHL in shots allowed per game at 26.17, evidence that when they are structured and disciplined, they can make life difficult even for high-powered opponents. But discipline may be the key word in this series. Fort Wayne’s power play finished fourth in the league at 23.1 percent, and the Komets showed again in the final regular-season meeting with Indy that they can punish mistakes with the man advantage.

There is also a strong local angle once the series reaches Fishers. The Fuel’s playoff roster includes forwards Jesse Tucker, Tyler Paquette, Cody Laskosky and Lee Lapid – defensemen Matt Petgrave and Chris Cameron – goaltenders Weeks and Owen Flores. Games 3 and 4 will give Fishers Event Center its first home playoff dates for this year’s Fuel club, with Tuesday’s game also promoted by the team as a “317 Night.”

This is the first playoff meeting between the Komets and Fuel, and Fort Wayne says it is the franchise’s first postseason matchup with an Indianapolis team since 1991. That adds another chapter to one of Indiana minor-league hockey’s most familiar rivalries.

For Indy, the path to an upset is fairly clear: steal one of the first two games in Fort Wayne, keep the Komets’ power play off the ice, and let Weeks give the Fuel a chance to bring a tied or favorable series back to Fishers. If that happens, what looked like a tough draw could suddenly become a very live series.

I expect some Fuel fans to make the trip up I-69 and attend one or both of the first two matchups in Fort Wayne.  Tickets for games 3 and 4 at the Fishers Event Center are available at this link.

April is National Volunteer Month, and in Fishers, city leaders are placing a renewed emphasis on the role volunteers play in building community.

In this episode of the LarryInFishers.com podcast, I sit down with Mayor Scott Fadness and the city’s Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Crell, for an in-depth conversation about how volunteerism supports city services, strengthens neighborhoods, and connects residents to one another.

A key focus of the discussion is a new City of Fishers initiative aimed at expanding volunteer opportunities for young people. The program is designed to introduce youth to civic engagement early, while helping local organizations tap into a new generation of volunteers.

We also explore how the city recruits and manages volunteers, the impact those volunteers have across a wide range of programs and events, and why both guests believe volunteerism remains a cornerstone of a thriving community.

You can listen to the full podcast at this link for the link below.

The Hamilton County Leadership Academy has announced the speaker lineup for its 13th annual Leadership Summit, scheduled for June 18 at the Embassy Suites Conference Center.

The event, set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will focus on workplace culture—an issue organizers say is increasingly important as employers compete to attract and retain talent.

This year’s panel will feature three Hamilton County business leaders:

• Bethany Gremel, Director of Culture and Brand Experience at Beck’s Hybrids
• Mandy Haskett, Leadership Consultant with ADVISA
• Mike Pote, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Gaylor Electric

The discussion will be moderated by Heather Haas, CEO and owner of ADVISA.

According to HCLA Executive Director Maria Kanger, the panel will explore how organizations define and build strong workplace cultures, along with how emerging factors such as artificial intelligence are shaping those environments.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have this phenomenal panel of leaders from well-respected Hamilton County employers,” Kanger said in a statement. “Those who attend the Leadership Summit are bound to benefit from their wisdom and willingness to dig into key questions.”

In addition to the panel discussion, the summit will include the presentation of HCLA’s Distinguished Alumni and Honorary Alumni awards. Recipients have not yet been announced.

The event is open to the public, with individual tickets and sponsorships currently available. Registration is scheduled to close June 1.

Founded in 1991, the Hamilton County Leadership Academy provides leadership development opportunities for residents and professionals across the county. Its flagship Signature Program is a 10-month course that examines key community issues and prepares participants for leadership roles in civic organizations, nonprofits and government.

Hamilton County residents will have an opportunity this weekend to safely dispose of unused or expired medications as part of a nationwide effort to combat prescription drug misuse.

The Hamilton County Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs will host a drive-thru medication drop-off event Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to noon in the east parking lot of Riverview Health, across from Federal Hill Commons in Noblesville.

The event is part of the 30th annual National Drug Take Back Day coordinated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The initiative, held each spring and fall, aims to reduce access to potentially dangerous medications that often remain in home medicine cabinets.

Locally, Hamilton County has participated in the program for years, collecting hundreds of pounds of medications annually.

“A critical aspect of the prescription drug epidemic is the supply chain,” said Monica Greer, executive director of the Hamilton County Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs. “For most people who misuse these drugs, the source isn’t an anonymous street dealer but a trusted friend or family member, and the point of access is the home medicine cabinet.”

Greer said removing unused or expired medications from homes can play a key role in preventing misuse and abuse.

The April 25 event will accept expired and unused prescription medications, as well as vape devices. However, organizers say liquids, sharps and needles will not be accepted. Those items should instead be taken to the Hamilton County Household Hazardous Waste Center for proper disposal.

For residents unable to attend Saturday’s event, year-round disposal options are available at several local law enforcement agencies, including the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, as well as police departments in Fishers and Westfield. Some retail locations, including Walmart, Walgreens and Meijer, also offer medication drop-off services.

Officials encourage residents to take advantage of the event as a simple step toward improving public health and safety.

Additional information on local medication disposal can be found at www.hamiltoncounty.in.gov

Reporter Cate Charron of the IndyStar has a story posted to the newspaper’s Web site Tuesday morning centered on a man in Fishers that has been behind anti-Trump protests in the area.  The story contains much more, including involvement by the Fishers Police Department, which, according to this reporting, referred some information to the FBI.

There is so much involved in this story I hesitate to summarize it for you.

It is unclear whether this story is behind the IndyStar paywall.  If you are a subscriber you will have access.  If not, you may or may not.  Here is the link.

Once again, the only reason a news organization like the IndyStar can do reporting like this is through subscribers.  Initial online subscription rates are very inexpensive.  Once again, I communicate this message – subscribe to your local media!  Otherwise, someday, it could go away.

Monday night, the Fishers City Council approved the first reading of a sweeping ordinance that would overhaul how bicycles and a growing range of motorized devices are regulated across the city.  The measure now moves toward a final vote expected in May.

Fishers Assistant Police Chief Luke Gannon explained the ordinance to the Council.  The proposed language consolidates and updates rules that are currently scattered across multiple sections of city code. City officials say the goal is to create a single, clear framework governing bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, electric dirt bikes and similar devices as their use continues to expand.

The measure would repeal portions of existing traffic rules and replace Chapter 73 with a new section titled “Operation of Motor Vehicles, Bicycles, and Motorized Devices on Multi-Use Trails, Sidewalks, and Roadways” .

In doing so, the ordinance introduces updated definitions reflecting newer technology, including three classes of e-bikes, as well as e-scooters, “e-motos” (such as electric dirt bikes), and electric personal assistive mobility devices like hoverboards and Segways .

A key component of the proposal spells out where each type of device can and cannot be used. For example, traditional bicycles and lower-speed e-bikes would generally be allowed on trails and sidewalks, while higher-speed devices—such as Class 3 e-bikes and some e-motos—would face restrictions on multi-use trails and sidewalks . E-scooters and personal mobility devices would be prohibited from operating on roadways, while certain e-motos and higher-class e-bikes would be allowed on streets under specific conditions .

The ordinance also establishes uniform operating rules, including requirements to yield to pedestrians, maintain safe passing distances, and avoid reckless behavior such as excessive speed or weaving through traffic .

Safety provisions include helmet requirements for riders under 16 across several device types, along with stricter rules for higher-speed devices. For instance, operators of e-motos and Class 3 e-bikes must be at least 15 years old and wear helmets at all times .

Motorists are also addressed in the proposal, with updated language requiring drivers to maintain at least three feet of distance when passing bicycles or motorized devices and to yield appropriately in bike lanes .

Violations would carry a $150 fine, increasing to $300 if not paid within 30 days, with additional provisions for parental responsibility when minors are involved and the potential impoundment of devices in certain cases .

City officials say the changes are designed to improve safety and reduce confusion as new forms of transportation become more common on Fishers streets and trails.

Council members made generally positive comments about the new proposed ordinance.  Mayor Scott Fadness emphasized that there will be a communications and educational component once this receives final passage.  Enforcement is an option but the goal is to impact behavior for safer streets, sidewalks and trails.

The Mudsock Youth Athletics program has long had first call on city athletic facilities, with parks such as Cyntheanne serving as a home field for its large youth soccer operation.

That long-standing arrangement will change under a new ordinance approved by the Fishers City Council.

The City of Fishers is partnering with Hamilton Southeastern Schools to consolidate management of school and city athletic facilities under a single director. Former HSE High School athletic director Jim Self will oversee the combined system, with his salary split between the city and the school district.

Under the newly approved ordinance, Mudsock will retain “priority” access to fields, but the city will assume control over scheduling and allocation. That change opens the door for additional organizations—including other soccer groups—to gain access to facilities.

The measure passed on a 6-1 vote, with Councilor Bill Stuart casting the lone dissenting vote.

Stuart raised concerns about provisions lowering the percentage of Fishers residents required for teams to use city facilities, which he said could fall to between 60% and 75% in some cases.

“What’s invariably going to happen on some of these travel teams is somebody’s going to be cut from Fishers to make room for someone else that isn’t paying taxes here,” Stuart said. “Philosophically, I have a problem with that.”

Mayor Scott Fadness defended the changes, saying the goal is to expand opportunities for youth participation in sports. He added that revenue generated from facility rentals would be directed into a dedicated fund to support and improve local sports programs.

City Councilor Todd Zimmerman, citing more than 30 years of coaching youth athletics, supported the ordinance, saying it would broaden access and participation.

Fadness also noted the policy could be revisited if problems arise.

Chief of Staff Jordin Alexander said the lower residency threshold would primarily apply to what she described as “emerging” sports, such as cricket.

The change drew criticism during Community Comment at the end of the Council session from Justin Burtner, president of Mudsock Soccer. Burtner argued the ordinance “should not have occurred” and said the proposal was advanced without sufficient community input.

He also accused the city of disadvantaging entry-level players, saying “we don’t have the funds to lobby the mayor’s office or the city to get exactly what we want.”

Burtner said the city’s message has shifted from allowing Mudsock to control access to prioritizing broader participation across multiple organizations.