Two Indianapolis men have been arrested in connection with a home burglary that occurred Thursday in a Fishers neighborhood.

According to the Fishers Police Department, officers responded to a call shortly after a woman reported being attacked during a home invasion in the 16000 block of Brookmere Avenue on June 12. The victim told officers that two men entered her home, assaulted her, and stole property before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.

The victim was able to call 911 following the incident and was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation. She was later released.

Fishers Police Detectives began their investigation immediately and quickly identified two suspects. After several hours of investigative work, police located and arrested Elijah J. Oates, 24, of Indianapolis on the afternoon of June 12. During an interview with detectives, Oates admitted to his involvement in the crime.

The second suspect, Daquez Stockdale, 25, also of Indianapolis, was arrested the following morning, June 13, by Fishers Police Officers.

Both suspects are currently being held at the Hamilton County Jail.

The Fishers Police Department emphasized that officers and detectives utilized every available resource to bring the suspects into custody and reiterated the city’s commitment to public safety.

The Future Black Leaders Of Fishers High School will handle the 2025 Juneteenth celebration in Fishers.  It all happens Thursday, June 19, 5-8pm, at Conner Prairie.

I invited four members of the club to appear on this podcast to talk about Juneteenth and other subjects.  Ther are:  Jayden Rucker, Chandler Philips, Mawaddah (Mowie) Aregbe and Gianna Fowler.

My thanks for the faculty sponsor for the Future Black Leaders, Renee Isom, and Les Reinhardt of the Fishers Arts Council, for helping to arrange this podcast.

Below are links to the video and audio versions of this podcast.

If you drive along Cumberland Road between 126th & 112th Streets, you have likely seen the building with the large SG on that structure.  That stands for Stevanato Group, an Italian firm that located a pharmaceutical container and syringe production facility here in Fishers.

Based on a story posted Thursday afternoon on the Indianapolis Business Journal Web site, a construction company has filed a nearly $1.6 million lawsuit against the primary contractor involved with constructing the Stevanato facility in Fishers.

IBJ reporter Greg Weaver writes that BMWC Construction claims it did not receive payment from Pepper Construction in the amount of $1.59 million.  Weaver cites the legal documents, but none of the parties involved in the dispute would comment on the allegations contained in the lawsuit.

For more on the story, use this link to read Greg Weaver’s story.  (You will likely need an IBJ subscription to access this story).

The Fishers Health Department (FHD) has opened its 2025 Community Health & Wellbeing Survey, offering residents an opportunity to share their experiences and concerns about a range of health-related issues in the city.

The anonymous survey is now available to all Fishers residents ages 18 and older. It takes approximately 15–20 minutes to complete and can be accessed in both English and Spanish.

According to FHD, the survey is a vital tool used to better understand the community’s health needs, priorities, and challenges. Insights gathered from the responses will help guide decisions related to public health services and policies in Fishers. Areas of focus include mental health support, access to healthcare, nutrition and fitness programs, emergency preparedness, and chronic disease prevention.

The survey results will be used to:

• Identify urgent health needs and barriers to care

• Improve and expand local health services

• Track the effectiveness of local public health initiatives

The department emphasizes the importance of wide community participation, encouraging all eligible residents to take part in shaping the future of public health efforts in Fishers.

Take the survey by using this link.

During a recent presentation to the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board on the district’s Innovation 2028 program, administrators stated that HSE is the third-largest school district in Indiana, based on student enrollment. However, some publicly available sources list HSE as the fourth-largest district in the state. So which is correct?

The answer depends on how student enrollment is calculated for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS).

HSE currently enrolls just over 21,000 students. Two districts clearly have higher enrollment figures: Fort Wayne Community Schools reports 29,843 students, and the Evansville‑Vanderburgh School Corporation lists approximately 22,299.

The question of ranking hinges on IPS. If you count only the students enrolled in district-run IPS schools, the total comes to 20,219—placing HSE ahead. But if you include students attending the district’s Innovation Network Charter Schools, the IPS enrollment rises to 31,255, making it larger than both Evansville and HSE.

So, by one method of counting, HSE ranks third. By another, it’s fourth.

Which number should you use? That’s up to you.

There were a number of announcements at Wednesday’s regular session of the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board.  Two new administrators were hired through the board’s action.

Tilmon Clark is a new Athletic Director at Hamilton Southeastern High School.  Lauren Doran is the next Assistant Principal at Cumberland Road Elementary School.

Also, HSE District Teacher of the Year, Michael Teal, accepted a certificate from the board for his award.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board approved updates to the district’s student handbook during its meeting Wednesday night but agreed to take a closer look at the policy regarding iPad use, particularly in the lower grades.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, two parents voiced concerns about the removal of language that previously allowed parents to request an exemption from iPad use for their children. However, Deputy Superintendent Matt Kegley explained that the opt-out language in the handbook originated from a form dating back to 2012.

“We haven’t had an opt-out policy since 2016, when we brought on one-to-one (devices) at all grade levels,” Kegley told board members.

While the board ultimately approved the revised student handbook, they added a condition that the Policy Committee re-examine the district’s iPad usage policy. Superintendent Patrick Mapes said staff would need about a month to review the issue and would present their findings to the Policy Committee once the evaluation is complete.

Other Actions Taken by the Board:

• Custodial Contract Approved: The board approved a new three-year custodial services contract worth $5.3 million, a shift from the district’s previous practice of one-year contracts. The agreement covers all 24 HSE buildings and increases service days from 220 to 247 annually. Matt Rapp, Director of Facilities and Maintenance, told the board the new deal will save the district approximately $400,000 compared to last year.

• Laptop Purchase: Board members approved the purchase of 678 new Dell laptops, which will replace devices currently used by staff and some students.

• Innovate 2028 Program: The board voted unanimously, 6-0, to adopt the Innovate 2028 program. Learn more about the program at this link.

• Chiller Upgrades at Fishers High School: The board approved a $378,000 expenditure to upgrade two chiller units at Fishers High School.

I had the chance to meet and talk with the Ballpark Hunter when he visited the Fishers Event Center for the third time, in this instance a Fishers Freight game.  As you will see in this video, he shot scenes from all around the building but he did spend some time with me in the press area and enjoyed meeting him.

The ballpark Hunter visits sports facilities throughout the United States, large and small, major league and minor league.

Below is a link to the video all about his time at the Fishers Freight game.  (Note:  I believe he misspelled ‘Freight” in the graphic)

The Art of Calligraphy, a new exhibit created by members of the Calligraphy Guild of Indiana (CGI), is now on display at the Art Gallery at City Hall in Fishers. The exhibition opened on May 24 and will remain on view through June 28.

A free public reception will be held as part of the city’s Second Friday series on Friday, June 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Fishers City Hall, located at 1 Municipal Drive. Due to a scheduled Pacers game viewing at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater at 8:30 p.m., attendees are encouraged to arrive closer to 6 p.m. to allow time for parking in nearby garages.

The reception will feature calligraphy demonstrations by Julia Fish Thompson, Vice President of the Calligraphy Guild of Indiana, along with live music by Scrapper & Skelton, refreshments, and the opportunity to meet several of the calligraphers whose work is on display. An ASL interpreter from GLOBO will also be present to assist with communication.

The exhibit includes more than 80 works representing a wide range of alphabets and artistic styles, showcasing the diversity and creativity within the art of modern calligraphy. The Calligraphy Guild of Indiana is comprised of artists from across the state, ranging in age from 14 to 84, with experience levels spanning from beginners to nationally recognized professionals.

The Guild meets bimonthly in Zionsville and offers additional educational sessions at local libraries. For more information about upcoming events or membership, visit calligin.org.

New Fishers Fire Chief Ky Ragsdale is proposing changes to how the department compiles its promotion list. With 40% of the current promotion list already having resulted in promotions, a new list is now required.

Chief Ragsdale is recommending a revised weighting system for the promotion process. Previously, the Fire Chief held 10% of the influence in determining promotions. Under the proposed changes, that 10% would be shared among the Chief and two additional members of the department, creating a more collaborative evaluation approach.

The assessment center would continue to carry the most weight at 40%. The new proposal also calls for increasing the weight assigned to both the oral interview and the written exam in the overall scoring process.

The Fishers Fire Department Merit Commission reviewed the proposed changes at its Tuesday meeting and responded positively. However, Commission member Mike Peterson noted several technical errors in the revised merit rules. As a result, the Commission voted to table final approval until those issues can be addressed. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for June 26 to take final action on the proposed changes.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the Commission elected officers for 2025. Bryan Babb will serve as president, Howard Stevenson as vice president, and Ron Wilson as secretary.