The Hamilton Southeastern School Board Policy Committee reviewed several policies Tuesday morning that are expected to come before the full board for a vote at its July 8 meeting.

One policy deals with when outside governmental agencies may question or interview students on school property. As a general rule, HSE does not permit outside agencies to come onto school property and question students. The revised policy outlines exceptions under Indiana law.

Those exceptions include properly identified representatives of the Indiana Department of Child Services investigating suspected child abuse or neglect, law enforcement officers with a valid court order, or situations involving exigent circumstances. The policy also states that parental permission is normally required, but there are limited circumstances when the law allows interviews without parental notification or consent.

The language also makes clear that students retain their legal rights during any interaction with law enforcement and that nothing in the policy should be interpreted to limit those rights. The superintendent or a designee would be responsible for developing administrative guidelines, including documentation practices and procedures for responding to agency requests.

Another policy reviewed by the committee deals with student clubs and organizations.  Under the policy, student groups or clubs must be sponsored by school personnel, composed of current students, hold a majority of their meetings at school and have educational aims.

The policy also references the federal Equal Access Act, which requires secondary schools to provide equal access to student groups that meet for religious, political or philosophical purposes if other non-curriculum-related groups are allowed to meet. The policy states that allowing such groups to meet does not mean Hamilton Southeastern Schools or the school board endorses the group’s beliefs.

The committee also reviewed fundraising and solicitation rules. The policy allows fundraising by students, school-sponsored organizations or school-related groups when approved by school administration and when proceeds are used for school purposes or activities connected with the school. The policy also aligns with Indiana charity gaming laws, stating that no student under age 18 may participate in games of chance, such as bingo, raffles, charity game nights, pull tabs, punchboards or similar activities.

The policy further states that students may not be required to participate in fundraising and may not be penalized for choosing not to take part. HSE also discourages door-to-door sales and encourages fundraisers involving the sale of items to retain a majority of profits for the school or a school-related organization.

The committee also discussed policies on acceleration, promotion, retention and “redshirting.” School officials noted that retaining a student in a grade, particularly at the elementary level, is generally not viewed as educationally healthy except in limited circumstances. IREAD-3 requirements are also a factor in elementary grade-level decisions. The policy does not allow students to repeat a grade for athletic “redshirting” purposes.

A rewritten policy on extracurricular academic standards was also reviewed. The language states that extracurricular activities are an important part of the student experience, but academics remain the primary focus. Participation is described as a privilege tied, in part, to meeting academic standards, with the district expected to apply those standards fairly and consistently.

Dangerously hot conditions have prompted the National Weather Service in Indianapolis to issue an Extreme Heat Warning covering a large swath of Indiana, including Fishers and the rest of Hamilton County. The warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. EDT Thursday.

Forecasters say heat index values — a measure of how hot it actually feels when humidity is factored in — could climb as high as 109 degrees. The warning stretches across portions of central, east central, north central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Indiana.

“Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events,” the Weather Service said, urging residents to take the conditions seriously. Officials recommend drinking plenty of fluids, staying in air-conditioned spaces, avoiding the sun, and checking up on relatives and neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat.

Hamilton County Emergency Management Urges Caution

Hamilton County has been upgraded to an Extreme Heat Warning that runs until 8 p.m. Thursday. With heat index values potentially reaching 109 degrees, county emergency management officials are echoing the call to drink plenty of water, stay in air-conditioned spaces, avoid the sun, and check on loved ones.

For those staying indoors, officials offered several tips to keep cool: keep blinds or curtains closed to block out the sun, use fans or portable air conditioners to improve circulation, and wear light, breathable clothing while cooling down with damp cloths.

Emergency management also recognized that not everyone has the option of staying inside. For those who must be outdoors, officials advise planning outdoor time for the early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler, taking frequent breaks in shaded or cooled areas, and carrying water or electrolyte drinks to sip often. Residents are reminded to never leave children, older adults, or pets in parked cars.

Know the Signs of Heat Illness

Officials are urging everyone to stay alert for signs of heat illness, which can include headache, faintness, nausea, dizziness, or cramps. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should move to a cooler area and hydrate. Call 911 if needed.

As a retired federal employee, I have long been concerned about preserving the merit system that has given the American people one of the finest civil services in the world.

Was it perfect when I was there? Of course not. No system designed by human beings is perfect. But by and large, I worked with people who took their responsibilities seriously and did their best to serve the public, regardless of which political party controlled the White House.

That is why I was concerned when I learned of today’s Supreme Court decision in Trump v. Slaughter. My first question was simple: What does this mean for the federal workforce?

Time will ultimately tell. But after reading what the Court decided, looking at the law as it now stands, and reviewing some early legal analysis, here is what I have found so far.

What the Court decided

On June 29, the Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 decision in Trump v. Slaughter, a case involving President Trump’s 2025 firing of Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter without stating a cause under the statute.

For 91 years, the 1935 Supreme Court decision in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States had allowed Congress to protect members of independent, multi-member commissions from being removed by a president except for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”

The Court’s majority swept much of that precedent aside. The ruling holds that FTC commissioners exercise executive power and therefore must be removable by the president. In the majority’s view, Congress cannot insulate such officials from presidential control when they are carrying out executive functions.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented sharply. She warned that the majority had embraced a theory of sweeping presidential control that neither Congress nor the Constitution had granted.

Why federal retirees and employees should pay attention

The ruling does not directly repeal the merit-system protections that apply to most rank-and-file federal employees. Those protections remain in Title 5 of the U.S. Code.

That distinction is important.

The concern is not that every federal employee immediately lost civil-service protection. The concern is about who enforces those protections, and whether those enforcement bodies can remain independent enough to do their jobs.

One key agency is the Merit Systems Protection Board, commonly known as the MSPB. The board hears appeals when federal employees are fired, demoted, suspended, or retaliated against for whistleblowing. Its three members have traditionally had the same type of for-cause removal protection the Supreme Court just rejected in the FTC case.

A federal appeals court had already applied similar reasoning to the MSPB in Harris v. Bessent, involving the removal of MSPB Chair Cathy Harris. Today’s Supreme Court ruling appears to cement that direction.

As University of Minnesota law professor Nicholas Bednar wrote in Lawfare, the MSPB’s independence is now, for all practical purposes, gone. The statutory safeguards Congress created — including bipartisan balance and decisional independence — now survive only as long as the White House chooses to respect them.

The quorum problem

The most immediate practical danger may be the quorum issue.

The MSPB has three members, but it needs at least two to issue final board decisions. If a president can remove board members at will, the president can break that quorum. A president can also leave seats vacant, with the same result.

That is not a theoretical problem. From 2017 to 2022, the MSPB lacked a quorum for more than five years. During that period, the board could not issue final decisions on petitions for review. The backlog reached roughly 3,800 cases, leaving many federal employees in limbo.

Administrative judges could still issue initial decisions. But if either side appealed to the full board, the case could not receive a final board decision until a quorum was restored. For employees trying to challenge removals, suspensions or whistleblower retaliation, delay can become denial.

Because federal workers generally must go through the MSPB process before seeking judicial review, a paralyzed board can mean there is no meaningful review at all, at least not in any timely way.

Is this a return to the spoils system?

Not automatically. That distinction matters.

The civil-service laws enacted after the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 — passed in the aftermath of President James Garfield’s assassination by a disappointed office-seeker — remain on the books. The merit system has not been repealed.

But today’s decision weakens the institutional independence that helps make those laws enforceable.

That is where the concern lies. If the officials who decide federal employment appeals can be removed at will, if the board can be disabled by the loss of a quorum, and if legal interpretations can be pulled closer to presidential control, then merit protections may remain intact on paper while being weakened in practice.

Critics argue that this combination could hollow out the civil-service system without Congress ever formally repealing it.

Defenders of the ruling see it differently. They argue that the Constitution vests executive power in an elected president, and that those who exercise that power must be accountable to the president. In their view, accountability to voters is the appropriate check.

What comes next

The next move may need to come from Congress.

Lawmakers could create a more independent court or tribunal for federal employment disputes. They could also provide a direct path to federal court when the MSPB lacks a quorum and cannot issue final decisions.

Whether a divided Congress will act is another question.

For now, the merit-system protections that have defined federal service for more than 140 years remain in law. But after today’s decision, their practical strength may depend more heavily on presidential restraint than on the independent enforcement structure Congress designed.

That should concern anyone who values a federal government staffed by competence, experience and service to the public — not personal loyalty to the president.

The Hamilton County Surveyor’s Office will temporarily relocate as part of the ongoing expansion and renovation of the Hamilton County Judicial Center.

Beginning Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 8 a.m., the Surveyor’s Office will serve the public from its temporary location at 9615 E. 148th Street, Suite 109, Noblesville.

The office will be closed Monday, July 6, to prepare for the move. It will reopen the following morning at the new location.

County officials say the relocation is one of several planned moves needed to allow construction crews to begin work on the Judicial Center expansion project. The project is intended to provide additional space for Hamilton County’s growing court system and county government operations.

Residents needing assistance from the Surveyor’s Office may call 317-776-8495 or email surveyor@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.

Hamilton County says additional information about future office relocations connected to the Judicial Center project will be announced as plans are finalized.

Fishers residents planning to watch fireworks on July 4 should take note of an update from Fishers Parks.

The city says the previously listed viewing location at Hamilton Southeastern High School has been changed. Instead, residents looking to view the east-side fireworks display from their vehicles should use designated parking lots along Olio Road.

Fishers Parks will again offer three fireworks shows throughout the community on Independence Day, coming one week after the annual Spark Fishers festival.

In the Nickel Plate District, residents may gather at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, 6 Municipal Drive, where fireworks will be launched from nearby Holland Park. The park itself will be closed for safety reasons.

Primary viewing will be on the lawn at the NPD AMP. A free concert by GrooveSmash is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., with fireworks to follow at approximately 10 p.m. No tickets or RSVP are required. Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages are allowed, and food trucks will also be on site. Outside alcohol is not permitted. Those attending should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets, as seating will not be provided.

For the Olio Road viewing area, Fishers Parks says residents may watch from their vehicles at three parking lots: Grace Church, 12450 Olio Road; Fall Creek Intermediate School, 12011 Olio Road; and Fall Creek Elementary School, 12131 Olio Road.

A third fireworks show will be available for viewing on Geist Reservoir. Fishers Parks says no viewing will be permitted from the Fall Creek Bridge or Geist Marina. Those wishing to watch from Geist should do so from a boat on the water or from a nearby residence.

Fireworks for the Geist show will be launched near the south end of Fall Creek Bridge from a barge at Geist Marina. The bridge will remain open to traffic, but the pedestrian walkway on the bridge will be closed for safety.

Fishers Parks says all three fireworks displays are scheduled to begin at dusk, approximately 10 p.m.

More information is available through Fishers Parks at fishersparks.com.

Summer is making its presence felt early this week. Hamilton County is under a Heat Advisory from noon Monday until 8 p.m. Thursday, and the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency (HCEMA) is urging residents to take the heat seriously as the season’s first prolonged hot stretch settles over central Indiana.

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis reports that heat index values — what the temperature actually feels like when humidity is factored in — could climb as high as 108 degrees. The advisory covers portions of central, east central, north central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Indiana, including Fishers and the rest of Hamilton County.

The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity can cause heat illnesses, and the danger builds over consecutive days as bodies have less time to recover overnight. The Weather Service recommends drinking plenty of fluids, staying in an air-conditioned room, staying out of the sun, and checking up on relatives and neighbors who may be more vulnerable to the heat.

Tips from Hamilton County Emergency Management

If you have to be outside this week, HCEMA encourages residents to plan carefully:

• Time it right. Schedule activities for early morning or evening, when temperatures are lower.
• Find shade and rest often. Seek shade whenever possible and take frequent breaks to give your body time to recover.
• Hydrate, and replace electrolytes. Bring water with you and sip often. If you are sweating heavily, choose drinks that replace electrolytes to stay balanced.
• Use evaporation to your advantage. Placing damp cloths on your neck or wearing lightly wet clothing can help cool you down as the moisture evaporates.
• Never leave anyone in a parked car. Never leave children, older adults, or pets in vehicles. Temperatures inside a car rise quickly and become life-threatening within minutes.

“Your safety comes first, so take every step to protect yourself outdoors,” the agency said in its advisory.

Working Outside? Take Extra Precautions

For those who work outdoors, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool, shaded location.

Know the warning signs of heat illness — heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, headache, and weakness. If someone stops sweating, becomes confused, or loses consciousness, it may be heat stroke. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately.

Check on Neighbors

Older adults, young children, people with chronic health conditions, and those without reliable air conditioning face the greatest risk during extended heat. A quick phone call or knock on the door to check on a neighbor or relative can make all the difference this week.

Residents looking for a place to cool off can take advantage of air-conditioned public spaces such as local libraries and community buildings during regular hours. For the latest forecast and any updates to the advisory, visit the National Weather Service at weather.gov/indianapolis.

The Heat Advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. EDT Thursday.

The Formula 1 team building its North American home right here in Fishers endured one of its worst afternoons of a difficult rookie season Sunday, as both Cadillac cars caught fire and retired in the opening laps of the Austrian Grand Prix.

On a scorching day at the Red Bull Ring — air temperatures around 34°C (93°F) and track temperatures reported as high as 61°C (142°F) — Cadillac’s overheating brakes proved its undoing. Finnish veteran Valtteri Bottas was first to report trouble just a handful of laps in, telling his team his brakes were on fire before pulling into the pits, where crews sprayed his car with extinguishing foam. Moments later, on lap five, teammate Sergio Pérez radioed that he had smoke in the cockpit and brought his car in too. The team quickly confirmed both retirements were caused by overheated brakes.

It was the kind of double DNF — “did not finish” — that no team wants, and a particularly bitter one for an outfit that had brought a substantial upgrade package to Austria hoping to close the gap to the rest of the field. Pérez and Bottas had qualified 19th and 20th on Saturday, ahead of only the two Aston Martins, and any chance to convert that into progress on Sunday went up in smoke before either driver completed five competitive laps. Pérez was also briefly noted by stewards for moving before the start signal, though he ultimately escaped punishment.

The fires were part of a wider theme of heat-related drama in Spielberg. Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson also reported a fire in his car during the same opening stint — “I’m still on fire,” he radioed on lap five — but carried on, and even race-winning machinery wasn’t immune, with Lewis Hamilton later instructed to change engine modes for temperature reasons.

At the front, Mercedes’ George Russell converted pole position into his second victory of the season, holding off an early challenge from Hamilton’s Ferrari and late pressure from Max Verstappen, who recovered to second. Rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third and continues to lead the drivers’ championship.

Why this one stings for Cadillac — and for Fishers

Cadillac arrived in Formula 1 this year as the grid’s 11th team and its only American constructor, and the early going has been every bit as hard as the racing world predicted for a brand-new operation. The team sits rock bottom of the constructors’ standings and is still chasing its first world championship point. It came agonizingly close at Monaco earlier this season, only for a late penalty to Pérez to hand that point to rivals Aston Martin instead.

For readers in Fishers, this is more than a far-away race result. Cadillac’s North American headquarters is rising right now off the east side of town, on the site near the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport between East 96th and East 106th streets, west of Hague Road. The roughly $200 million, 400,000-square-foot campus is expected to employ around 300 people in high-tech motorsport and engineering jobs and to become the team’s manufacturing and R&D base. While the facility is finished out — the team is currently running its 2026 race operation out of Silverstone in England — the Fishers campus is on track to be fully operational in early 2027.

In other words, the cars that limped into the Red Bull Ring pit lane on Sunday represent a program whose American heart will soon beat in our community. The growing pains are real: a winless, pointless first half of the season, reliability gremlins, and a pair of cars on fire on international television. But every established team on today’s grid started somewhere, and the people of Fishers will have a front-row seat as Cadillac tries to turn early adversity into the foundation of an American F1 contender.

Next up is the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on July 5, where Cadillac will look to put a forgettable Austrian weekend behind it and finally chase down that elusive first point.

One of the highlights of every Spark Fishers Festival is the parade, and this year the weather cooperated. It was a bit warm, but the rain held off and the entire parade ran start to finish with no weather delays.

Every year I do my best to record the parade, and every year it’s a challenge. I have a new iPhone and I love the technology — though the technology doesn’t always love me back.

My sincere apologies to the Hamilton Southeastern High School Marching Band. I thought I had captured your moment as you passed my spot on 116th Street, but when I reviewed the footage I found a technical glitch on my end had cut it. You sounded fantastic, and you deserved better from my camera.

As a non-professional videographer, I recorded the parade without commentary — just the way anyone standing along the street would have seen and heard it. No narration, just the parade as it happened in the heart of Fishers.

So here it is: my video of the 2026 Spark Fishers Festival Parade. Thanks for watching, and enjoy. Use this link or the link below.

It did not rain on our parade Saturday as a large crowd gathered for the 2026 Spark!Fishers Festival.

The weather forecast had been a bit dicey, but in the end, nature cooperated and the rain stayed away from the Nickel Plate District.

As I made my rounds through the festival grounds in and around the Thomas A. Weaver Municipal Complex, I found families enjoying the many activities, attractions and entertainment the festival had to offer.

Here are some of the photos I took, providing just a flavor of what this year’s celebration was like.

Continue reading Scenes from the 2026 Spark!Fishers Festival →

The Fishers Freight saw their push for an Indoor Football League Eastern Conference playoff spot stall Saturday night, falling 83-50 to the Green Bay Blizzard in the teams’ third and final regular-season meeting.

The high-scoring affair never tilted the Freight’s way after the opening minutes, as Green Bay pulled away behind a relentless rushing attack and a flawless night from kicker Andrew Mevis. The loss leaves Fishers with ground to make up as the postseason picture comes into focus.

Fishers got off to the start it wanted. On the game’s opening drive, Josiah King punched in the first touchdown, and Calum Sutherland’s extra point gave the Freight a 7-0 lead.

The advantage was short-lived. Green Bay answered on its first possession when Kairee Robinson ran it in from two yards out, and Mevis followed the touchdown with a successful two-point conversion to put the Blizzard ahead 9-7. After Fishers turned the ball over on downs late in the first quarter, Green Bay tacked on another score and a second Mevis deuce to lead 16-7.

The second quarter brought more of the same. A Fishers fumble — recovered by Green Bay and upheld after a challenge from Freight head coach Dixie Wooten — set up an Isaac Ross touchdown that pushed the lead to 25-7. Fishers fought back through CJ Windham, who hauled in a pass from Harper and took it to the house to make it 25-13, but Green Bay quarterback Liam Thompson kept the pressure on with a rushing score of his own.

Windham found the end zone again to trim the deficit to 32-21, and Sutherland tried an onside kick, but the Blizzard recovered and Robinson quickly added another rushing touchdown for a 39-21 lead. Jordan Davis answered with a 17-yard touchdown for the Freight, and Sutherland’s extra point and two-point conversion cut it to 39-30. Robinson struck once more with six seconds left in the half, sending Green Bay into the break ahead 46-30.

The third quarter opened with a dagger. Fred Flavors took the kickoff back for a touchdown, and the Blizzard rolled from there — Robinson scored again, Mevis kept converting, and Green Bay built a 62-30 cushion. King answered with a rushing touchdown and Dominic Roberto added another in the closing seconds of the period, with Isaiah Coulter hauling in a two-point conversion to make it 69-44.

Green Bay closed it out in the fourth behind Cole Stenstrom, who scored twice to stretch the lead to 83-44. Coulter caught a late touchdown for the Freight inside the final minute, but a pair of failed two-point tries — including a penalty-forced redo — left the final at 83-50. The win was Green Bay’s eighth and final home game of the regular season, capping an undefeated record at home.

The Freight are now 7-7 and will look to regroup quickly. Fishers travels to face Quad City on the road July 11 before wrapping up the regular season at home July 27 against the Orlando Pirates.