In their inaugural Indoor Football League (IFL) season, one thing has become clear about the Fishers Freight: Head Coach and General Manager Dixie Wooten isn’t afraid to make bold roster moves.
When kicker Mike Baloga struggled early in the season, Wooten made a swift decision to release him and bring in Victor Leventritt. Now, following a three-game losing streak, Wooten has once again reshuffled the roster—this time releasing three players: wide receiver Jaelin Carter, defensive lineman Izaiah Reed, and defensive back Kareen Gaulden.
To help bolster the defense, the Fuel have signed linebacker Cam Hunt, a former Carmel High School standout who most recently played for the Omaha Beef of the National Arena League (NAL).
The Fuel face a major challenge this Saturday night at the Fishers Event Center as they take on the undefeated Quad City Steamwheelers, who currently lead the Eastern Division. Adding to the excitement, the game will feature a special Star Wars Night theme. Tickets are available.
Summer is arriving early in Fishers as two of the city’s most beloved seasonal attractions — the Fishers AgriPark and Fishers Farmers Market — kick off the season with new features and programming.
Fishers AgriPark Reopens with Major Upgrades
Beginning Wednesday, May 1, the Fishers AgriPark reopens to the public with several enhancements designed to improve the visitor experience and extend the park’s impact throughout the year. The 33-acre urban farm at 11171 Florida Road, known for its family-friendly atmosphere and agricultural education, has received over $900,000 in upgrades heading into the 2025 season.
Among the most notable additions is a brand-new multi-purpose building, which includes indoor restrooms and expanded space for community events and programs. A nature-themed playground constructed from Indiana black locust wood also makes its debut, offering children a natural and imaginative play space.
In a major shift, the AgriPark will now operate year-round — a change from its traditional May-through-October season. Visitors can expect seasonal hours, with expanded summer hours as follows:
Sunday: Noon – 4 PM
Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Friday: 10 AM – 6 PM
Saturday: Noon – 4 PM
Later this year, the park will introduce a new country store and coffee shop that will serve as a hub for local goods and vendors during the winter months.
Fishers Farmers Market Returns May 3
Just days later, the Fishers Farmers Market will return to the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater (6 Municipal Drive) on Saturday, May 3. The market will run every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon through September and will feature over 90 local vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, and more.
Known for its welcoming atmosphere — including being one of the only dog-friendly farmers markets in the Indianapolis area — the market was recently ranked 6th in Indiana by the American Farmland Trust’s Farmers Market Coalition.
With expanded offerings, enhanced facilities, and continued community support, Fishers is primed for another vibrant summer season that begins even before the calendar says so.
The much-delayed lane widening project on Cumberland Road, between 106th and 116th Streets, will be bid no later than February of 2027. That’s the word from the City of Fishers Engineering Department Director Hatem Mekky. The Board of Public Works and Safety voted Tuesday morning to extend the arrangement with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to widen the road and rehabilitate the bridge over Sand Creek. Utility work required along this stretch of road has delayed the project. Mekky says if utilities finish their work before February of 2027, the bidding could be conducted earlier.
In other items before the Board of Works:
–The Board has promised action on where to locate a traffic signal between Cumberland and Hoosier Roads along 116th Street, servicing residents in the Spyglass and Spyglass Falls neighborhoods. The board entered into a contract with A&F Engineering to study the best location for the traffic signal. A recommendation is expected by July. Also, a similar contract with A&F will study improvements needed along Brooks School Road from 141st Street to Fall Creek Road.
–The board accepted a bid of just under $1.7 million to connect the following trail segments – 106th St between Quaker Ridge and Fall Rd, on Hoosier Rd between 116th St and 121st St, and on 131st St. connecting Lantern Rd and the Nickel Plate Trail. These sections of trail will run approximately .85 miles, including crossing over 4 creeks and streams. “These are three pretty important connection points for the city,” Mayor Scott Fadness said. Surplus funds from 2024 will be utilized for these projects.
–The board approved additions to the public-private partnership with Hageman Group to construct the Community Center. Cardio equipment will be procured earlier than planned to avoid any tariff impact. Also, certain outdoor improvements to the exterior of the
Community Center will be added, providing more readily usable exterior space for childcare and outdoor camps.
Breakout rap artist Ken Carson has announced his upcoming “The Lord of Chaos” arena tour in support of his new album More Chaos, which recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—Carson’s first chart-topping release.
Presented by Live Nation, the North American tour will include a stop at the new Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Indiana, on Friday, August 15, 2025.
More Chaos, released April 11, marks a major milestone for the Atlanta-born artist, showcasing a bold evolution of the genre-blending “chaos” sound he first introduced with A Great Chaos. The album also reached No. 1 on Apple Music’s All-Genre chart, Spotify’s Global and U.S. charts, and HITS Top 50, racking up over 21 million streams on its release day.
Artist presale tickets will be available starting Wednesday, April 30, at 10 a.m. local time via www.kencarson.xyz/tour, with general sales beginning Friday, May 2, at 10 a.m.
The new Principal of Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) High School will not have far to travel – he is leaving Noblesville, where he currently serves as Principal. Dr. Craig McCaffrey was formally approved by the HSE School Board in an early morning board session Tuesday as the new HSE High School leader.
Also officially hired at that meeting were:
–Nawla Williams, current Dean at Fishers High School, will be moving to the Directorship of Alternative Education at the Hamilton Southeastern Fishers Academy.
–Danielle Chastain moves from Instructional Coach at Deer Creek Elementary to Principal at Deer Creek. Ms. Chastain was the principal at Southeastern Elementary when it initially opened.
Interestingly, all three told the board they never had being a school administrator on their radar until recently.
Ky Ragsdale assumed the job of Fishers Fire & Emergency Services Chief in late January, when long-time Chief Steve Orusa retired. Now that he has been in this job for about 3 months, I sat down with Chief Ragsdale at his office in Fire Department Headquarters to record this podcast.
He talked about his new job and several issues facing fire protection and emergency services. Listen to the podcast at the link below.
There are true gems in the State of Indiana, and in my humble opinion, one of them is public broadcasting. I have been a proud member and supporter of our local public radio and television stations for as long as I can remember. Public broadcasting fills a vital need that cable, streaming, and YouTube simply cannot satisfy.
The Indiana General Assembly’s decision to eliminate the state’s $7.35 million annual contribution to public broadcasters will hurt — and it will hurt most in the places that can least afford it: small public broadcasters across the state.
The smaller the market, the harder the blow. As Indianapolis Business Journal reporter David Lindquist points out in an article on the IBJ website (subscription likely required), not every part of Indiana will feel this cut equally. Mark Newman, executive director of Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations Inc., tells Lindquist that while larger stations like WFYI in Indianapolis rely on state funding for about 5% of their annual budgets, smaller public TV and radio stations depend on it for 30% to 40% of their operating budgets.
“The elimination of funding is not insignificant for any station, but it’s considerably more significant for some,” Newman told the IBJ.
And the threat of lawmakers in Washington — including Indiana’s own Senator Jim Banks — cutting federal funding for public broadcasting could make an already bad situation even worse. Newman says his organization will work hard to find alternative sources of funding, but the task will be far from easy.
Penalizing the more rural areas of Indiana by stripping away all state support for public broadcasting makes no sense to me.
The Fishers Freight kicked off their inaugural Indoor Football League (IFL) season in style, winning their first two games and bringing plenty of excitement to the new Fishers Event Center. However, since that second win at their home opener, the season has taken a tougher turn.
The Freight hit the road for a close contest against the Massachusetts Pirates, falling by just three points. Back at home, they faced the Bay Area Panthers and suffered a more decisive defeat.
Looking to regroup, Coach Dixie Wooten’s squad traveled to Des Moines Saturday night to take on the Iowa Barnstormers. Unfortunately, it turned into the toughest loss in the young franchise’s short history. Iowa, previously winless at 0-3, dominated the Freight with a 68-37 victory.
The Barnstormers’ sudden turnaround was fueled by the arrival of new quarterback James Cahoon, who brought a passing attack that had been missing from Iowa’s offense. His impact was immediate and overwhelming. Meanwhile, turnovers plagued the Freight — including a costly pick-six — and penalties at critical moments further derailed their efforts.
Despite the setbacks, the Freight showed some fight. In the fourth quarter, quarterback Keegan Shoemaker connected with Jordan Kress for a touchdown, pulling Fishers within one score of tying the game. But momentum quickly shifted again when Iowa’s Caleb Streat intercepted a Shoemaker pass and returned it for a touchdown, making it 52-37. From there, the Barnstormers pulled away, adding two more scores to seal the final margin.
With the loss, the Freight fall to 2-3 in their first IFL season. The road ahead doesn’t get any easier: Fishers will host the Eastern Division-leading Quad City Steamwheelers on Saturday, May 3, back at the Fishers Event Center. The season is still young, and the Freight have a real opportunity to turn things around. How they respond against a top opponent like Quad City will tell us a lot about the character of this first-year team.
With the weather warming, look for more road construction projects underway in and around Fishers. There will be work starting on some new roundabouts and many other updates of interest in this latest message.
Here is the listing, for the work week beginning Monday, April 28, as provided by the City of Fishers:
As someone who writes a local news blog focused on Fishers, following the actions of the Indiana State Legislature isn’t optional—it’s essential. What state lawmakers decide in downtown Indianapolis can ripple directly into our community.
Public health is a core need for every local community. When COVID-19 hit in 2020 and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness couldn’t find support to launch a testing program, he took action—establishing the city’s own health department. That department just marked its fifth anniversary.
It’s worth remembering that Governor Eric Holcomb created the Governor’s Public Health Commission in 2022, co-chaired by former Noblesville State Senator Luke Kenley and former State Health Commissioner Dr. Judy Monroe. Their report delivered a sobering reality: Indiana ranked 48th in the nation in public health spending. The Commission recommended boosting that investment by $243 million annually to bring us closer to national norms.
While the General Assembly didn’t meet that full recommendation, lawmakers did approve a $350 million increase over the 2023–2025 budget cycle. It was a step forward.
But fast-forward to the end of the 2025 legislative session, and the outlook took a turn. A revised revenue forecast projected $2 billion less in state income than previously expected. That left Governor Mike Braun and legislative leaders with some tough decisions.
Their solution? A higher cigarette tax, elimination of funding for public broadcasting, and—most concerning—a major cut to public health spending.
The timing couldn’t have been more direct. The Fishers Board of Health met Thursday morning, just hours after the budget agreement was announced. Mayor Fadness broke the news: the state’s financial support for local health departments would be slashed by 73% from previously planned levels.
He did his best to frame the news constructively, saying the city would adapt as it builds the 2026 budget. Public Health Director Monica Heltz noted the department is funded through the end of 2025, but the impact will be felt in 2026.
Two years ago, former Senator Kenley stated plainly that Indiana’s chronic underfunding of public health had contributed to our poor health outcomes. Now, the very program designed to prevent those outcomes is on the chopping block.
If the expected Medicaid cuts materialize, Indiana’s emergency rooms could see a surge in patients with nowhere else to go. Others may simply delay care until minor health issues become major problems.
I understand the General Assembly faces difficult budget choices. But it’s disheartening to see them walk back support for public health—a need they acknowledged just two years ago. That need has not changed.
