After covering the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board for over 13 years, I’ve witnessed many boards and board members come and go. While most meetings are routine and many votes are unanimous, a couple of incidents during Wednesday night’s session stood out.

Debate Over HSEA Participation

First, during a discussion on proposed changes to student textbooks, board member Sarah Parks-Reese asked the leadership of the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) to comment on teacher involvement in the textbook selection process.

Because Board President Juanita Albright was attending virtually, Vice President Tiffany Pascoe chaired the meeting. Pascoe intervened, stating that Robert’s Rules of Order requires a board vote before HSEA representatives can address the board.

While I’m no expert on Robert’s Rules, I can say that in the past 13 years, I don’t recall any board vote being required when a member asked HSEA to speak. If a board member had a question for HSEA, they were typically allowed to ask it directly.

Parks-Reese appeared surprised by the procedural objection but proceeded to make a motion to allow HSEA to address the board. Ben Orr seconded the motion. The board voted 5–2 in favor, allowing HSEA representatives to speak. Pascoe and Albright voted no.

Disagreement Over New Administrative Position

The board also voted on a list of personnel actions, which included the creation of a new central office role: Executive Director for Elementary Education.

Board member Suzanne Thomas raised concerns, pointing to the district’s current budget uncertainty and stating she did not have enough information to support the creation of the new position. Parks-Reese agreed, also citing a lack of clarity on the financial impact.

Ben Orr acknowledged having similar questions but said his concerns had been addressed and that the elimination of other positions justified the addition of the new role. At the close of the meeting, board member Dawn Lang voiced her support, saying one assistant superintendent overseeing all 17 elementary schools was too much for one person to manage effectively.

The personnel actions passed on a 4–3 vote. Thomas, Parks-Reese, and Latricia Schooley voted against the measure.

Final Thoughts

School board members are elected to represent the public and will naturally have disagreements on important matters. That’s nothing new. What I’m noticing lately, however, is that these disagreements are becoming more pronounced—and more frequent.

Indiana State Representative Victoria Garcia-Wilburn has scheduled a town hall meeting in Fishers.  The town hall is set for Thursday, May 22, 6:00pm-7:30pm, at the Hamilton East Library in downtown Fishers.

UPDATE:  In a previous version of this post, I cited the representative’s staff as saying media would not be allowed to cover the town hall in Fishers.  HEPL Library Director Melissa Loiselle tells LarryInFishers there was a miscommunication at the staff level and assures me media is welcome to cover Representative Garcia Wilburn’s May 22 town hall at the Fishers Library.

The Fishers Freight Indoor Football League team is coming off a bye week.  However, the  club has been busy with player moves, announcing four signings Wednesday.

Here is the list:

Defensive Back JUSTIC’E KING

King has experience in the IFL, two seasons with the Iowa Barnstormers and one with the San Diego Strikeforce. During his time with the Strikeforce, he had 60 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 1 touchdown.

Defensive Lineman AKEEM SMITH

This will be Smith’s second season with the IFL. He has played for the San Antonio Gunslingers and Iowa Barnstormers. With the Gunslingers, he had two tackles, one forced fumble, and a blocked kick.

Offensive Lineman DARIUS LONG

This will be Long’s first year in the IFL. He graduated college in 2023 from the University of California. While at Cal, he played in 27 games, had 16 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble.

Defensive Lineman EYABI OKIE

This will be Okie’s first year in the IFL. He graduated college in 2023 from the University of Charlotte. While there, he was the 2023 team leader in sacks and tackles for loss with 56 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

The Freight travel to Jacksonville this Saturday, May 17,  with their new roster additions, taking on the Sharks.

Centier Bank has announced the appointment of Lora Lemon as Branch Manager of its Fishers Crossing location at 11684 Allisonville Road.

Lemon brings nearly four decades of banking experience to the role, having held a range of positions with major national and regional institutions. Her background includes leadership in corporate sales, operations, and recruitment, in addition to expertise in retail banking.

“As a proud Indiana native, I’m excited to join Centier Bank—an institution deeply rooted in serving Hoosiers first,” Lemon said. “I’m eager to lead and grow a team of dedicated, skilled, and enthusiastic banking professionals.”

In her new role, Lemon will focus on team development, client service, and business growth as Centier continues to expand its presence in Central Indiana.

“Lora will make an immediate impact at Fishers Crossing,” said Ben Studebaker, Vice President and Regional Sales Manager. “Her decades of experience and leadership will guide the branch toward continued success.”

Originally from Fort Wayne, Lemon has lived in Indianapolis since 2019. She and her husband, Mark, enjoy exploring the city and spending time with their two grandsons.

Thompson Thrift has officially broken ground on The Union at Fishers District, marking the final phase of the $750 million Fishers District master-planned development in one of Indiana’s fastest-growing cities.

The mixed-use project will introduce luxury apartments, vibrant retail and office space, and the state’s first AC Hotel by Marriott. Located near Interstate 69 and 116th Street, the commercial portion is slated for completion in late 2026 and will include 57,000 square feet of retail and entertainment, 70,000 square feet of Class A office space, and a 135-room hotel.

“This final phase brings together our deep expertise to deliver a high-quality destination that will serve the community for years to come,” said Dan Sink, president and CFO of Thompson Thrift Development.

The development will also feature a central event plaza, designed as a community gathering space year-round. Confirmed tenants include Piedra, Niku Sushi.Kitchen.Bar, Kitchen Social, Everbowl, and Racha Thai, along with wellness and beauty businesses like Renova Aesthetics and Sweathouz.

The Union Flats, a 251-unit Class A apartment community, will offer residents upscale living above ground-level retail. Amenities will include a resort-style pool, outdoor kitchen, dog park, fitness center, and modern apartment features like quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances.

“With thoughtfully designed homes and resort-style amenities just steps from restaurants and entertainment, we’re creating a community where convenience and lifestyle come together,” said Josh Purvis, managing partner for Thompson Thrift Residential.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness praised the development’s walkability and mixed-use design, calling it an example of the city’s commitment to innovation and quality of life.

Thompson Thrift began work on Fishers District in 2015 and received a Monumental Award in 2020 for its initial phase. Once completed, the 123-acre development will connect residential, retail, office, and entertainment spaces with pedestrian-friendly pathways.

The City of Fishers expects to award a construction bid this November for a planned roundabout at 96th Street and Cyntheanne Road, paving the way for work to begin in the summer of 2026. Fishers Director of Engineering Hatem Mekky shared the projected timeline with the Board of Public Works and Safety during its Tuesday morning meeting, where he also sought approval for a utility relocation reimbursement agreement with CenterPoint Energy. The board approved the request. While the final reimbursement cost is not yet known, Mekky estimates it will be around $154,000.

In other business, Department of Public Works Director John Valenta requested approval to contract with Forest Commodities for the installation of 1,500 yards of brown dyed mulch throughout city medians and roundabouts. The goal is to create a uniform look citywide. The board approved the $93,750 contract.

The lights are set to dim and the curtains to rise as Olio Road Productions, Hamilton Southeastern High School’s award-winning student-run film company, prepares to debut its 10th feature-length film, 11:17.  The film premier’s at the HSE High School Leonard Auditorium May 13, 3:30pm.  There will be a red carpet premier May 16, 7pm.  Get your tickets from purplepass.com

Written by HSE seniors Andrew Koleszar and Matthew Krohn, 11:17 tells the story of a high school senior grappling with the aftermath of a traumatic accident. As she drifts through a surreal psychological limbo, the character must choose between escape and confrontation—an emotional journey told through striking visuals and haunting narrative.

Directed by Koleszar and produced by Katie Follis, the film showcases the cinematography of Sam Loew and represents the culmination of over 1,000 hours of work by students, all outside of regular school hours. These young filmmakers take full creative control—writing the script, designing sets and costumes, acting, filming, editing, scoring, and promoting the final product.

Founded in 2014 by HSEHS teacher and professional filmmaker Jeremiah Follis, Olio Road Productions has become a beacon for aspiring artists and creatives within the school. Follis continues to serve as the Executive Producer, guiding students through the complexities of large-scale film production and fostering collaboration across diverse talents and disciplines.

The premiere of 11:17 marks a significant milestone for Olio Road Productions, which has now spent a decade empowering students to push artistic boundaries and tell compelling stories on the big screen.

View a preview of 11:17 at this link.

I’ve written before on this blog about my skepticism toward city livability rankings. Aside from Money Magazine, which I believe uses a sound methodology, I have little confidence in how most other organizations—particularly real estate websites—arrive at their scores.

My opinion was reinforced by an article in Monday’s edition of the Indianapolis Star, also posted on IndyStar.com. It focuses on the latest “Top 100 Best Places to Live” list from Livability.com. Fishers ranked fourth last year, yet didn’t even make the list this year.

Star reporter John Tuohy reached out to the City of Fishers for comment but received none—and it’s not hard to see why. The city likely had no idea why it was excluded, so what could they possibly say?

To get answers, Tuohy did what any good journalist should: he called Livability’s Editor-in-Chief, Amanda Ellis. Her explanation was surprising. Apparently, it’s all Carmel’s fault. Confused? Let me explain.

Ellis said Livability changed its ranking criteria this year. In an effort to feature a broader range of cities, they decided to limit their list to only one city per geographic area. According to Ellis, Carmel narrowly outscored Fishers, and under the new rules, that meant Fishers was bumped off the list entirely.

So, no, Fishers didn’t suddenly experience a decline in livability. It was simply the casualty of a rule change by Livability.com.

This isn’t an attack on Livability.com, but it does reaffirm my general policy of ignoring most of these rankings—Money Magazine being the exception.

John Tuohy’s article is a solid piece of journalism, and as of this writing, the Star does not have a paywall on the story. I encourage you to read it at this link.