A Hamilton County election official has flagged a page of 10 voter signatures submitted by a volunteer for Greg Ballard’s independent campaign for secretary of state as potentially fraudulent, prompting the county Republican Party chairman to call for an investigation and prosecution.

Ballard, the former Republican mayor of Indianapolis, is seeking to qualify for the November ballot under the “Lincoln Party” label. To do so, he needs nearly 37,000 verified signatures from registered Indiana voters. His campaign has submitted about 35,000 so far, ahead of a June 30 deadline.

Hamilton County Election Administrator Beth Sheller said her staff discovered the suspect page sometime in late May or early June. “Nine out of 10 of these addresses were not real addresses,” she told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. The one legitimate address carried a name not registered to vote there — a name that instead matched the volunteer who submitted the signatures.

“And, you know … all the writing’s kind of the same,” Sheller said. “That’s what led us to believe that they were possibly fraudulent, and then we let the State Police decide.”

State Police picked up the page shortly after its discovery, according to the Capital Chronicle. “I can confirm that we received allegations of a crime and we are currently investigating,” spokesman Sgt. John Perrine said, noting the agency presents its findings to prosecutors rather than filing charges itself. Police did not say whether other counties had reported signatures from the same volunteer.

In a Thursday news release, Hamilton County GOP Chair Mario Massillamany called on the Indiana State Police and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate and prosecute the volunteer. “Greg Ballard is running for the office responsible for protecting Indiana’s elections, yet a volunteer on his campaign has been caught submitting fraudulent petition signatures,” he said. “If you cannot run an honest petition drive, you have no business running the office that safeguards our elections.” Massillamany also urged election officials in all 92 counties to conduct a “heightened review” of Ballard’s petition pages.

Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Kocher told the Capital Chronicle his office “will review any information provided and work with the appropriate investigative agencies to determine if criminal charges are appropriate,” but said it would be inappropriate to comment further on a specific investigation.

The Ballard campaign said the system is “working exactly the way it’s supposed to,” noting that signatures are verified by counties and that each gatherer must attest to the validity of every sheet. “As soon as we learned of this issue, we ended this rogue individual’s association with the campaign,” the campaign said. It emphasized the 10 signatures represent about 0.02% of the more than 35,000 submitted.

Sheller cautioned that the campaign didn’t necessarily do anything wrong. “They’re trusting their people to go out and get them,” she said. Still, she added: “An example, at least, should be set. Otherwise, it’s going to keep happening.”

If Ballard qualifies, he’ll face Democrat Beau Bayh, Libertarian Lauri Shillings and a yet-to-be-named Republican, with the GOP nominee set to be chosen Saturday at the state party convention.

Fishers Police were among several Central Indiana law enforcement agencies assisting Fortville detectives Wednesday in a multi-location investigation that included a search warrant served in Fishers.

According to a Fortville Police Department news release, detectives and assisting agencies served search warrants June 17 at several locations, including the Woods at Vermillion neighborhood in Fishers, the Coppertone neighborhood in New Palestine, Eagle Highlands Way in Indianapolis, the 8000 block of East Washington Street in Indianapolis and the 3000 block of North Shadeland Avenue.

Fortville Police said investigators located illegal narcotics, firearms, counterfeit merchandise, evidence of corrupt business influence, money laundering, tax evasion and more than $100,000 in U.S. currency during the warrant operation.

Several individuals were detained for interviews and further investigation, according to the release. No specific arrests or formal charges were announced in the information released by Fortville Police.

Fortville Police Chief Patrick Bratton thanked a number of agencies for assisting in the investigation, including the Fishers Police Department, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Plainfield Police Department, Carmel Police Department, New Palestine Police Department, Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, Hancock County Joint Tactical Team, Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office, Greenfield Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Indiana Excise Police, Indiana Department of Revenue and the Indiana Fusion Center.

The case remains under investigation.

This week’s episode of Fridays With Larry welcomes local volunteer Virginia Tate, who joins the program to talk about the value of giving her time. Tate explains how volunteering keeps both her body and her mind active as she ages, offering a firsthand case for staying engaged in the community through the years.

Host Larry also turns to the national mood as the United States approaches its 250th birthday. Drawing on polling data, he contrasts how Americans feel about their country today with the sentiments recorded during the bicentennial in 1976 — highlighting what has shifted, and what has held steady, across half a century.

From there, the conversation moves to the FIFA World Cup. Larry looks at a practical challenge on the pitch: how players and officials manage to communicate during matches when so many of them speak different languages.

He closes with a lighter story from one of the tournament’s host cities, explaining why Boston is running short on beer during its World Cup matches — a shortage that, as it turns out, traces back to Scotland and its traveling fans.

It’s a half-hour that ranges from personal reflection to national history to the global game.

The Fridays With Larry Podcast is sponsored by Citizens State Bank

Listen to the full episode using this link for video, this link for audio, or use a link below.

The filing deadline has passed, and the field is now official for the four Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board seats on the November 3 ballot. Nine candidates filed across the four districts — but one of those seats has, in effect, already been decided.

Stephanie Braden is the lone candidate in District 4. Barring an unlikely legal complication, that makes her the winner by default, set to take the seat without opposition. The remaining three districts will be contested, including a District 2 race that grew to three candidates and a District 1 contest that now spans three different ballot labels.

This is the first HSE election held under Indiana’s new partisan-races law. Under Senate Enrolled Act 287, signed this spring, school board candidates may run with a party label or with none at all; previously, every HSE board race was strictly nonpartisan. Of the nine candidates, two filed as Republicans (Greg Wright in District 1 and David Turk in District 3), one filed as a Libertarian (Anthony Jason Wren in District 1), one as an independent (Braden), and the remaining five chose no party affiliation. Indiana is the 10th state to allow partisan school board elections, making this fall’s vote an early test of how — or whether — party labels reshape these traditionally low-key local races.

The candidates

District 1 (1 seat) is the only three-way race with three different labels on the ballot.

Faiza Maqsood (No Party) is a 20-year Fishers resident whose three children all graduated from HSE; she has held leadership and treasurer roles with organizations supporting students and families, including IPS Sidener Academy, the Julian Center and Wheeler Mission.

Greg Wright (Republican), a dentist and small-business owner, says he is running at a pivotal time as the district navigates budget pressure, staffing and enrollment changes; his campaign site is wrightforhse.com.

Anthony Jason Wren (Libertarian), one of the last to file, is the first third-party candidate in the field and had no findable campaign web presence as of this writing.

District 2 (1 seat) drew three no-party candidates.

Josh Perry is a 2007 HSE High School graduate and Purdue alumnus who now works as a commercial underwriting manager for Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance; he and his wife are raising two children who attend Harrison Parkway Elementary, and his campaign emphasizes steady, balanced leadership and purposeful spending.

Cyrus Keck, also a Harrison Parkway parent, has been a regular school-board-meeting watcher and is running on financial accountability and administrative oversight, citing concerns over the district’s charter-school rollout; he says he filed without a party because “our school board should not be about politics.”

Ferras B. Abdalla was among the final filers and, like Wren, had no findable campaign web presence as of this writing.

District 3 (1 seat) is a contest between a newcomer and a veteran.

David Turk (Republican) is a real estate developer and father of three who moved his family to Fishers in 2021; his platform centers on protecting HSE’s special-education programs, retaining teachers and responsible budgeting.

Michelle Fullhart (No Party) is no newcomer — first elected in 2014, she served two terms and was board president in 2019. A longtime district educator, she has been an outspoken voice on the recent teacher contract, saying teachers “feel disrespected” by the agreement.

District 4 (1 seat) is settled.

Stephanie Braden (independent), a registered nurse of more than 16 years and a 25-year member of the U.S. Army Reserve, is unopposed. A mother of five whose children have all attended HSE schools, she has campaigned on academic excellence, fiscal responsibility and empowering educators.

Reminder: each candidate runs only within their own district, and voters cast a ballot only in the district where they live.  View a map of the four districts at this link.  

The Hallett Sports Foundation is making a long-term investment in local education, announcing a $1 million pledge to the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation.

The commitment will provide at least $100,000 annually over the next 10 years. Funding will be generated through fundraising efforts led by the Indy Fuel hockey team and the Fishers Freight indoor football team, including a portion of ticket proceeds from selected home games, along with in-game fundraising initiatives and community engagement activities.

Both teams play their home games at the Fishers Event Center, giving local fans a direct way to support Hamilton Southeastern Schools while attending sporting events.

The money will support the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation’s work to strengthen educational programming, create innovative opportunities and enhance initiatives aimed at student success across HSE Schools.

“We believe meaningful change is created through long-term commitment and community participation,” said Sean Hallett, CEO of Hallett Sports. “This pledge creates an opportunity for fans, partners, and supporters to directly contribute to educational impact through experiences that bring our community together. We are excited to support the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation and invest in opportunities that will benefit students for years to come.”

The Hallett Sports Foundation says the pledge fits with its mission of strengthening communities through investments in education, youth development and programs designed to create lasting outcomes.

Justin Hirnisey, executive director of the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation, called the commitment transformational.

“We are incredibly grateful for this transformational commitment,” Hirnisey said. “A partnership built around sustained community engagement and long-term support creates meaningful opportunities for our students and schools.”

The Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation supports educational excellence throughout the district by investing in innovative programs, expanding access to opportunities and enriching the student experience.

Additional details on designated games, specific fundraising initiatives and annual funding allocations are expected to be announced jointly by the Hallett Sports Foundation and the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation.

Gov. Mike Braun has tapped Chuck Goodrich — the Noblesville businessman, former state lawmaker and onetime congressional candidate — to serve as Indiana’s next secretary of commerce, putting a Hamilton County entrepreneur in charge of the state’s economic development efforts.

Goodrich, the CEO and owner of Gaylor Electric Inc., will take over the post on July 1. As secretary of commerce, he will also lead the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC), the state’s lead agency for attracting jobs and investment. He succeeds David Adams, who is stepping down June 30 after roughly a year and a half on the job and will stay on through the end of 2026 as a senior adviser to the governor on Indiana’s life sciences initiative.

For many in Noblesville, Goodrich is a familiar name. He and his wife, Trisha, are longtime residents and parents of four. A Purdue University graduate, Goodrich spent nearly three decades at Gaylor Electric before buying the company in 2014. He was honored as the City of Noblesville’s Business Person of the Year with the James J. Leonard Memorial Award.

Under Goodrich’s leadership, Gaylor has grown into one of the region’s largest electrical design-build contractors, employing more than 1,300 people across 11 offices in five states, including seven Indiana locations. The company’s revenue has surged amid the data center construction boom, climbing roughly 97% over the past two fiscal years to about $859.7 million in 2025.

Goodrich also brings statehouse experience to the role. He represented Indiana House District 29 from 2018 to 2024, where he focused heavily on workforce and education issues. In 2024, he ran for the Republican nomination in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District but fell short in the May primary.

His appointment drew praise from fellow Hamilton County Republican Todd Huston, the Indiana House speaker from Fishers.

“Chuck is an exceptional choice to lead Indiana’s economic development efforts,” Huston said in a statement. “Chuck is a successful and visionary business leader who knows what it takes to start and grow a company. He’s also a passionate public servant who comes to the table with innovative ideas and the energy and determination to act on them.”

Huston pointed in particular to Goodrich’s work in the legislature on connecting classrooms to careers. “When he served in the House, Chuck was instrumental in the effort to make high school more relevant to today’s jobs and inject career experiences into the classroom,” he said.

“I am excited to work with Chuck in this new capacity to build on Indiana’s strong economic progress, attract new investment and expand opportunity for Hoosiers across our state,” Huston added.

Goodrich steps into the role at a pivotal moment for Indiana’s economic development apparatus. The IEDC has faced scrutiny over its transparency and its large-scale development plans, and the agency has seen leadership and board changes under the Braun administration. Goodrich’s background running a fast-growing company through the current building boom — particularly the wave of data center projects reshaping the state’s energy and construction landscape — is likely to shape his approach to the job.

Adams, the outgoing secretary, was brought on at the start of Braun’s administration in January 2025 and had signaled he intended to serve about two years. His salary as secretary was $275,000; in his new advisory role he will be paid $90,000.

A community bank founded in New Castle 150 years ago has come out on top of a statewide list usually led by names many times its size.

Citizens State Bank is being recognized as the No. 1 504/Third-Party Lender in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Indiana District for the 2025 federal fiscal year. The honor comes jointly from the SBA’s Indiana District Office and Indiana Statewide CDC, the nonprofit that ran the most SBA 504 deals in the state last year. A brief ceremony was held at the Ball State University center in downtown Fishers, in the Nickel Plate District.

According to the SBA’s year-end report, Citizens State Bank backed 10 of these loans worth $12,676,053 between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025 — more deals than any other bank in Indiana. First Merchants Bank was close behind with nine loans, and 1st Source Bank ranked third with eight.

The recognition is a bit of inside baseball, so here’s what it means. The SBA’s 504 program helps small businesses buy buildings or big equipment they couldn’t finance on ordinary terms. The money usually comes from three places: a bank covers about half the project, a CDC — a community lender backed by the SBA — covers roughly 40 percent, and the business owner puts in the rest. The bank in that arrangement is the “third-party lender.” Across Indiana last year, banks supplied about $184.6 million in this first-mortgage financing on 504 projects, and Citizens State Bank wrote more of those loans than anyone else.

That it did so against far larger institutions is what makes the award notable for a bank its size. Citizens State Bank, a fourth-generation, family-owned bank that has served central Indiana since 1873, finished ahead of regional and national lenders that operate dozens or hundreds of branches.

The bank’s SBA work isn’t limited to the 504 program. In the SBA’s larger 7(a) loan category — the agency’s main program for general small-business borrowing — Citizens State Bank ranked 14th in Indiana last year with 21 loans totaling about $11.3 million.

The numbers sit inside a busy year for SBA lending in Indiana. The district approved 1,366 loans in fiscal 2025, putting roughly $695 million of SBA-backed money to work and supporting nearly $880 million in total project financing once bank and borrower dollars are counted.

Citizens Bank sponsors the LarryInFishers Podcast series.

One more candidate joined the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board field on Wednesday, adding a third name to the District 1 contest.

Anthony Jason Wren filed to run in District 1 as a member of the Libertarian Party. His entry makes District 1 the most crowded of the four races on the November 3 ballot, with three candidates now spanning three different ballot designations: No Party, Republican and Libertarian.

The new filing also highlights one of the most visible effects of Indiana’s shift to partisan school board races. Under Senate Enrolled Act 287, signed into law this spring, candidates may run with a party label — Republican, Democrat or, as in Wren’s case, a third party such as the Libertarians — or with no label at all. In every previous HSE election, board races were strictly nonpartisan, with no party affiliation printed beside any candidate’s name. Indiana is the 10th state to allow partisan school board elections, and the November vote will be among the first statewide tests of how those labels play out at the local level.

The filing window closes at noon Thursday. Candidates have until then to enter, and District 4 remains the only seat with just a single candidate so far.

The candidates so far

The following is the listing of candidate filings as of the close of business Wednesday, according to the Hamilton County Election Office:

District 1 (1 seat)

• Faiza Maqsood — No Party
• Greg Wright — Republican
• Anthony Jason Wren — Libertarian

District 2 (1 seat)

• Josh Perry — No Party
• Cyrus Keck — No Party

District 3 (1 seat)

• David Turk — Republican
• Michelle Fullhart — No Party

District 4 (1 seat)

• Stephanie Braden — No Party

Here is the update from the Fishers Community Center Wednesday evening, following the water leak:

The Fishers Community Center is closed for the remainder of the day Wednesday after a water leak was discovered on the first floor of the facility, city officials announced.

In a notice posted online, the center said it “is currently closed and will remain closed for the rest of the day due to a water leak on the first floor.” Officials said they expect to share an update by 7 p.m. Wednesday regarding the facility’s hours for Thursday.

The disruption will not affect the center’s summer camp program. According to the notice, “Camp will take place as scheduled tomorrow (6/18).” Camp families can expect additional details by email Wednesday evening.

The Fishers Community Center opened to the public Nov. 1, 2025, as the city’s first municipal community center. The 105,000-square-foot facility at 11400 Johnson Farm Way — near Hoosier Road and 121st Street — features an aquatics center with Central Indiana’s first NinjaCross system, an 11,000-square-foot fitness center, a two-story indoor playground, and an indoor walking track. The building also houses the new headquarters and clinic for the Fishers Health Department.

IU Health Fishers serves as the official health and wellness partner for the City of Fishers, and the center is part of the city’s broader effort to support residents’ health and wellness.

No information was immediately available about the cause or extent of the leak, or whether any programming beyond Wednesday will be affected. Members and visitors are encouraged to watch the center’s website and social media channels for the promised 7 p.m. update.