The City of Fishers is writing-off $75,914.70 in uncollectible accounts for sewer and stormwater operations.  The Board of Public Works and Safety voted in favor of the resolution at the Tuesday morning meeting.  City Controller Lisa Bradford told the board a number of the smaller amount items occur when people move out of a residence and call asking for a final bill, not knowing the billing cycle is in arrears and there is one more bill on the way.  Among the larger amounts owed are due to the changeover from HSE Utilities to the city sewer utility, but if those owing the accounts are no longer owners of the property, the ability of the city to collect is gone.

In other items before the board:

–The study recommending the location of a traffic signal for the Spyglass Falls neighborhood along 116th Street should be ready for the next Board of Works meeting, scheduled at this time for July 29.

–Also at the July 29 meeting, the board may begin approving streets subject to parking permits for certain days and times, in neighborhoods located near the Al Huda Mosque and King Jugg.  This presumes the City Council votes to enact the ordinance at the July 21 meeting.

–The Fishers Health Department has been awarded the Flexible Local Epidemiology for X-factor Emerging Diseases (FLEXED) Learning Community grant through the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) in the amount of $20,000.  The first  two agreements call for $3,331.03 to be spent initially.

The local IU Health facility has been undergoing a major expansion, and with that, a name change as well.

A story posted Sunday on the Current Publishing Web site cites an announcement from IU Health saying the facility, named IU Health Saxony since its inception, will now be known as IU Health Fishers.  This is happening alongside a $300 million hospital expansion.  The construction work should be complete by October of this year.

To read the entire story, use this link.

I had watched Don Hein on television for many years before I started coming into contact with him every morning.

It was late 1982 and working the morning news shift at Indianapolis radio station WNDE.  Don had taken on the extra gig of handling sports on the radio morning show in addition to his TV work.  So, I had the chance, for a few months, to talk with Mr. Hein each weekday morning.

Let’s just say I gained some inside scoop on what was happening behind the scenes of Indy area sports.  It was an eye-opening experience.

He was clearly not particularly diplomatic in his dealings with the executive-types at WTHR television.  I think his immediate boss often ran interference for him and Don, although dropped once by the TV station, and brought back by popular demand, managed to have a long and storied career covering the sports scene in Indianapolis.

I was saddened to learn of Don Hein’s death at the age of 85.  Although I did not know him well, I always enjoyed the times we were able to talk.  He was very easy to talk with and was quite personable.  Let’s just say not all television celebrities are that way.

Allow me to express my sincerest sympathies to his family.  Don Hein made a mark on Indy area media.  I am proud to have known him just a little.

After enduring a grueling nine-game losing streak marked by costly penalties, missed fourth-down conversions, and an abundance of turnovers, the Fishers Freight have found their rhythm in the Indoor Football League (IFL). The team, which struggled to stay competitive earlier in the season, has now strung together three consecutive victories, signaling a remarkable turnaround.

Harper Takes the Helm

Much of the Freight’s recent success can be attributed to stability at the quarterback position. Following a season of uncertainty under center, Felix Harper has emerged as the team’s leader on offense. With Harper at the helm, Fishers secured a hard-fought 58-50 victory over the Iowa Barnstormers in Des Moines Saturday night.

Game Recap: Freight Outlast Barnstormers

The matchup was a back-and-forth battle in the first half, with the lead changing hands multiple times. Fishers managed to take a 35-29 advantage into halftime and never relinquished the lead in the second half. Iowa threatened, closing the gap to just two points, but failed to convert a crucial two-point attempt in the third quarter that would have tied the game.

A pivotal moment came early in the fourth quarter when Josiah King ran a 55-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, extending Fishers’ lead to 51-42. The Barnstormers were unable to recover, and Fishers effectively sealed the win by recovering an onside kick in the final minute.

Standout Performances

• Josiah King: 55-yard kickoff return for a touchdown

• JT Stokes, Josiah King, and Isaiah Coulter: Each delivered big plays, with Coulter making an immediate impact in his debut week with the Freight

• Felix Harper: Provided steady leadership at quarterback and helped limit turnovers

The Freight’s improved ball security and disciplined play were key factors in their latest victory.

Looking Ahead

Although Fishers is not in contention for a playoff spot with a 5-9 record, the team is determined to finish the season on a high note. The final two games will be played at home, starting this Saturday against the San Diego Strike Force, one of the top teams in the IFL West. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Fishers Event Center, and tickets are now on sale.

Fishers fans have reason to be optimistic as the Freight look to build on their newfound momentum and close out the season strong.

July is the height of road construction season and there is plenty of it in and around Fishers.  There is a long list of items to know as you plan your trips.  Note changes in the Clear Path project as it impacts access to Binford Boulevard.  Lots of other items, including neighborhood road resurfacing.

Here is the official list, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers area road construction update for the work week of Monday, July 14 →

After a bye week over the July 4th holiday, the Fishers Freight are set to return to the field Saturday night in Des Moines, facing off against the Iowa Barnstormers. The Barnstormers currently sit at the bottom of the Indoor Football League’s Eastern Division with a 1-12 record—their lone win this season coming against the Freight.

Fishers holds a 4-9 record, just above Iowa in the standings, and will be looking to rebound from their earlier loss to the Barnstormers as the season winds down.

The Freight announced Friday the signing of wide receiver Isaiah Coulter. The 6-foot-2 pass catcher was most recently with the Massachusetts Pirates and was released on June 26. He is expected to join the team in Iowa for Saturday’s matchup.

Earlier this week, the Freight released quarterback Victor Espinoza. Quarterback Carlos Davis was placed on  short-term injured reserve June 25.

Dr. Craig McCaffrey started his career in education as a chemistry teacher. A mentor of his encouraged Dr. McCaffrey to pursue school administration.  After a number of years experience, many of those years at Noblesville High School, he has taken the reins of leadership at Hamilton Southeastern High School this school year as the new principal.

I sat down with Dr. McCaffrey Wednesday afternoon for a podcast discussion.  We talked about his background and his vision of leading HSE High School.

Listen to the podcast at the link below.

As I approached the Wednesday afternoon ground-breaking ceremony for the new project on the grounds of the Delaware Township Center on 131st Street, just west of the Nickel Plate Trail, I saw Township Trustee Debbie Driskell was smiling ear-to-ear.  This is a development Debbie and her township board have been pursuing for some time and construction is finally about to start.

Assembled were people from the township, city and county government.

“It took us 7 years to get here, but we are here,” Driskell told those at the groundbreaking.

When it was Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness’ turn to take the microphone, he spoke of intersections, but not the type you see on the street grid.

“I mean the intersections between the township, county government, city government – when we all come together, when we put our collective resources toward a common goal, it is amazing what we can do on behalf of our residents,” Fadness said.

This ambitious project will include a Nickel Plate Trailhead, a pocket park, restrooms and an expansion of the township government building.

It has been several years since Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools have undergone a major redistricting effort. That will soon change.

Superintendent Patrick Mapes announced at Wednesday night’s school board meeting that the process of redrawing school attendance boundaries will begin at the board’s August meeting. The redistricting effort is prompted in part by the ongoing construction of Fishers Elementary School. Once completed, redrawing the district lines will help balance student enrollment across school buildings.

Other Highlights from the July Board Meeting:

• High School Infrastructure Improvements:
  DC Construction Services was awarded a $496,424.14 contract to reconstruct the south parking lot and replace the north drive at Hamilton Southeastern High School. The winning bid came in well below original cost projections.

• New Furniture for Brooks School Elementary:
  The board approved a total of $598,756.04 in bids from Sharps School Services and Purposeful Design to replace furniture at Brooks School Elementary.

• Before the Bell Celebration Set for July 31:
  The annual “Before the Bell” event kicking off the school year will take place Wednesday, July 31, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the downtown Nickel Plate Amphitheater, 6 Municipal Drive in Fishers. Last year’s event was canceled due to bad weather, but Superintendent Mapes says contingency plans are in place to move this year’s festivities indoors if necessary.

• Key Back-to-School Dates:
  Teachers report for the new school year on Monday, August 4, and students return to class on Wednesday, August 6.

• Back-to-School Resources:
  HSE Schools has published a comprehensive back-to-school information page on the district website. Families are encouraged to visit the site for important updates and resources.  Find it at this link.

• Student Recognition – Jude Bozarth:
  The board honored Fishers Junior High 8th grader Jude Bozarth for his remarkable achievements in taekwondo. Jude is a 2nd Degree Black Belt, junior instructor, and three-time national champion with the North Indy Taekwondo Club. In 2025, he became one of the first Indiana youth in decades to be named to the USA Taekwondo National Olympic Sparring Team. He represented the U.S. at the Pan American Championships in Mexico and competed at the World Championships in the United Arab Emirates, where he finished tied for 5th in the world. Jude has trained and competed in 16 states and four countries—all while maintaining honor roll status at Fishers Junior High.

I recently posted a podcast interview with Braydyn Bear-Lents, a recent Indiana University journalism graduate who launched an online news site to serve the small southwestern Indiana city of Loogootee. His effort highlights a growing concern across the country—especially in rural areas—about the rise of “news deserts,” where access to reliable local news is scarce or nonexistent.

Now, Indiana is bracing for another hit to its already fragile local journalism landscape.

Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations (IPBS) announced this week that it will eliminate its entire statewide team of reporters and editors at the end of the year. The move comes after the Indiana General Assembly eliminated state funding for IPBS, and as federal support for public media also appears to be in jeopardy.

Mark Newman, executive director of IPBS, issued a statement Tuesday confirming the cuts and calling them a direct result of being defunded by the legislature. IPBS has long maintained a Statehouse bureau and a team of statewide reporters whose work is shared across Indiana’s network of public broadcasting stations.

According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, the following journalists are among those affected:

• Brandon Smith, longtime Statehouse reporter and co-host of Indiana Week in Review on WFYI

• Abigail Ruhman, health reporter

• Rebecca Thiele, energy and environmental reporter

• Lauren Chapman, digital editor

• Timoria Cunningham, labor and employment reporter

These journalists are among the best in the field, known for their in-depth, nonpartisan reporting on issues that matter to all Hoosiers.

With state and likely federal support disappearing, IPBS says individual member stations will do their best to maintain local reporting capacity. But there is little doubt that the loss of a centralized, statewide news team will leave a major gap in coverage.

This is a sad day—not only for Indiana journalism but for the public that depends on accurate, thoughtful reporting. The reporters affected by these cuts are top-notch professionals. Losing them is a loss for all of us.