Being named Teacher of the Year in Indiana’s fourth-largest school district is a significant honor, and on Thursday morning, Hamilton Southeastern Schools officials gathered at Riverside Junior High School to recognize this year’s recipient.

Jordan Teeple, a mathematics teacher at Riverside Junior High, was named the 2025-26 Hamilton Southeastern Schools Teacher of the Year during a surprise ceremony attended by students, family members, administrators and district leaders.

Teeple has taught in HSE Schools for the past 10 years, but his impact extends well beyond the classroom. In addition to teaching math, he serves on Riverside’s School Improvement Plan leadership team, co-sponsors the school’s Student Council, coordinates the annual Camp Tecumseh program and supports a variety of student involvement activities.

HSE Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley joined school and district officials for the announcement. Kegley revealed that Teeple had first been selected as the district’s Junior High Teacher of the Year before being chosen as the overall Teacher of the Year for Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

The announcement drew an enthusiastic response from students gathered in the school’s auxiliary gymnasium, who greeted the news with loud applause and cheers.

Teeple’s parents were also present to witness the surprise recognition.

As part of the honor, Teeple received a $1,000 award from the HSE Schools Foundation, presented by Executive Director Justin Hirnisey. Riverside Junior High Principal Rob Huesing joined district administrators and school staff in celebrating the achievement.

The annual Teacher of the Year award recognizes educators who demonstrate excellence in the classroom, leadership within their schools and a commitment to making a positive impact on students and the broader school community.

White’s Ace Hardware in Fishers will kick off Memorial Day weekend with a community barbecue event honoring veterans and first responders while raising money for military and first responder families.

The “Grill for Heroes” event will be held Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fishers White’s Ace Hardware location, 11881 Lakeside Drive. Veterans and first responders attending the event will receive complimentary meals.

The themed barbecue fundraiser will support two organizations — Folds of Honor Indiana and The Smoking Pastor Project.

Event organizers say a $5 donation will help “honor heroes and feed families.” Each donation also includes a raffle entry and a 20 percent off coupon for White’s Ace Hardware.

Raffle prizes include a Weber 30-inch Slate Griddle, Yeti products and White’s Ace Hardware gift cards.

According to organizers, Folds of Honor Indiana provides educational scholarships to spouses and children of fallen or disabled military personnel and first responders. Since 2007, the national Folds of Honor organization has awarded nearly 73,000 scholarships totaling more than $340 million across the United States.

Leaders of the Alhuda Islamic Center of Indiana in Fishers have issued a public statement condemning the recent deadly attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego and announced they are reviewing security procedures locally in response to the tragedy.

In a statement released Tuesday, Alhuda leaders said they were “deeply saddened and heartbroken” by the attack and strongly condemned “all forms of hatred, extremism, and intolerance.”

“Our hearts and prayers are with the victims, those injured, their families, and the entire San Diego community during this painful time,” the statement said. “An attack on any house of worship is an attack on our shared humanity and the values of peace, safety, and dignity that all communities deserve.”

The Fishers-based mosque and community center also said the tragedy serves as “a sobering reminder of the importance of vigilance, unity, and taking the necessary means to protect our communities.”

The statement said leadership of the Alhuda Islamic Center of Indiana and Eman School are “actively reviewing and strengthening security measures” for both the mosque and school facilities. Officials said meetings and discussions are underway to assess community needs and determine “the best path forward.”

The attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego has drawn national attention and condemnation from religious and civic leaders across the country.

Alhuda, located in Fishers, is widely regarded as the largest Islamic congregation in Indiana and one of the state’s largest mosque facilities. The current mosque and community center opened in 2021 and serves worshippers from throughout Central Indiana.

The statement concluded with prayers for protection and unity.

“May Allah protect our communities, our children, and all places of worship, and grant us wisdom, unity, strength, and steadfastness in the face of these challenges around the world,” the statement said.

Only two candidates have officially filed so far for the Hamilton Southeastern School Board as the 2026 filing period gets underway.

In District 1, Faiza Maqsood has filed to run with no political party designation.

In District 3, David Turk has filed as a Republican candidate.

As of now, no candidates have filed in Districts 2 or 4.

The filing deadline for school board candidates is noon on June 18, leaving nearly a month remaining for additional candidates to enter the race.

Under our HSE district-based system, candidates run only within their individual districts, and voters cast ballots only for candidates representing the district in which they reside.

This election cycle also marks the first time Indiana school board candidates may identify a political party affiliation on the ballot if they choose to do so. Candidates also have the option of running without a party designation.

You can review the HSE School Board district map at this link.

The Fishers City Council has approved a sweeping overhaul of the city’s regulations governing bicycles, e-bikes, scooters and other motorized devices, consolidating the rules into a single ordinance aimed at improving safety on roads, sidewalks and trails.

The ordinance creates updated definitions and operating rules for e-bicycles, e-scooters, electric personal assistive mobility devices such as Segways and hoverboards, and electric dirt bikes or motorcycles referred to in the ordinance as “E-Motos.”

Following discussion at first reading, the council adopted significant amendments tightening restrictions on E-Motos. Under the final version, E-Motos are prohibited on the Nickel Plate Trail, Geist Greenway Trail, all multi-use trails, sidewalks and bicycle lanes, and may operate only on roadways. Operators of E-Motos must be at least 15 years old, carry identification, wear helmets, obey all traffic laws and ride near the right-hand edge of the roadway except when passing or preparing for a left turn. Speed is limited to the posted speed limit or 35 mph, whichever is lower.

The ordinance allows e-bikes, including faster Class 3 e-bikes, to continue operating on greenway trails, multi-use trails and sidewalks, while e-scooters are permitted on multi-use trails, sidewalks and bicycle lanes, but not on roadways.

Council members also approved an amendment requiring helmets for all operators age 18 and younger, expanding the original language that required helmets only for operators younger than 16.

The ordinance establishes behavioral and safety standards for all users, including prohibitions against reckless riding, wheelies, burnouts, weaving through traffic and unsafe passing of pedestrians. Operators must yield to pedestrians and maintain at least three feet of clearance when passing on trails or sidewalks.

The measure also outlines responsibilities for motorists when sharing the road with bicycles and motorized devices, including maintaining at least three feet when passing riders and yielding when turning across bicycle lanes.

Violations of the ordinance carry a $150 fine, increasing to $300 if unpaid after 30 days. The ordinance also allows for parental or guardian involvement when minors violate the rules and permits police to impound motorized devices in certain situations.

City officials said enforcement will focus more on unsafe behavior than on the type of device being used, with the goal of keeping trails, sidewalks and roadways safe for all users.