Here is a link to the audio version of my podcast with Loogootee Times Editor Braydyn Bear-Lents.  We talk about news deserts and his effort to fill a news gap in a small southern Indiana city.

News deserts are defined as areas with no local news coverage.  It is mostly common in rural areas.

One rural area that has been a news desert is a small town in southwest Indiana, Martin County and Loogootee.  The city of Loogootee has a population of about 2,600.  The local weekly newspaper, the Loogootee Tribune, began publishing in 1866, but could not survive the downturn in the print media.

Braydyn Bear-Lents recently graduated from Indiana University with a journalism degree.  He has family connections to Loogootee and saw a need for local news.  In September of 2024, he launched the online news Web site, The Loogootee Times.

I talked with Braydyn about his decision to start the Times and how operations such as his are working to fill the gap created by news deserts.

You can find the Loogootee Times at this link.

You can watch the video version of my discussion with Braydyn at the link below.

If you’ve visited the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools website (hseschools.org) recently, you may have noticed the “Board” section—a popular destination for community members seeking information about school board meetings and committee sessions. Traditionally, this information has been accessed through the Board Docs platform.

At Wednesday morning’s HSE Schools Policy Committee meeting, officials explained a significant upgrade to this system. The company behind Board Docs, Diligent, is rebranding the platform simply as “Diligent” and rolling out a completely redesigned interface for accessing board documents. The new Diligent system is expected to be more user-friendly and intuitive, with its official debut set for the regular school board meeting on July 9. To ensure a smooth transition, both the old and new systems will be available for that meeting.

One of the most notable new features is the ability for community members to sign up for automatic email alerts. This will allow anyone to receive notifications about upcoming school board meetings, agendas, and committee sessions—making it easier than ever to stay informed and engaged with district governance.

Additional Policy Updates on the July 9 Agenda

In addition to the technology upgrade, the Policy Committee discussed two other items slated for consideration at the July 9 board meeting:

• Tax Anticipation Loans: The board will review updated policy language to provide greater clarity regarding Tax Anticipation Loans. Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown emphasized that while this mechanism exists for situations when the district cannot meet its financial obligations and must borrow funds in anticipation of future revenue, he hopes it will never be needed.

• Behavioral Threat Assessment Management: In compliance with new state law, the board will update policy language to reflect the requirement for Behavioral Threat Assessment Management in every school district. Superintendent Patrick Mapes noted that this change will have no substantive impact on HSE, as the district has maintained such a safety system for many years.

Formstack was one of those firms Fishers wanted to attract  and watch grow in the city.  It started in Indianapolis and moved its headquarters to the second floor of the downtown Fishers building housing Four Day Ray.

John Tuohy of the Indianapolis Star posted a story on the newspaper’s Web site Tuesday afternoon, reporting that Formstack, now calling itself Intellistack, is moving its headquarters from Fishers to Colorado. According to the IndyStar story, Intellistack, a company specializing in digital documents, will continue to have an office in Fishers.

You can read John Tuohy’s story at this link.  (NOTE: At the time I post this story early Wednesday morning, the IndyStar does not have a paywall on this story.  You should be able to access the piece without a Star subscription)

Fishers residents are invited to celebrate Independence Day with a spectacular display of fireworks at three locations across the city on Friday, July 4, 2025. Organized by Fishers Parks, the events promise safe, family-friendly festivities and multiple viewing options for the community, with all fireworks shows scheduled to begin at approximately 10 p.m.

Where to Watch the Fireworks

• Nickel Plate District Amphitheater (6 Municipal Drive):
  The heart of downtown Fishers will light up with fireworks launched from the north parking lot of the Hamilton East Public Library, which will be closed for safety. The primary viewing area is the NPD AMP lawn. Festivities kick off with a free concert by local favorite My Yellow Rickshaw at 8 p.m., followed by the fireworks show. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages are welcome, and food trucks will be available. Please note that outside alcohol is not permitted.

• Cyntheanne Park (12383 Cyntheanne Road):
  Fireworks will be launched from Cyntheanne Park, with viewing available both at the park and in the HSE Intermediate/Jr. High parking lots.

• Geist Reservoir:
  This show can be enjoyed by boat or from nearby residences. Fireworks will be launched from a barge at Geist Marina, near the south end of the Fall Creek Bridge. For safety, there will be no fireworks viewing or pedestrian access allowed on the Fall Creek Bridge or its walkway. The bridge will remain open to vehicle traffic. Please note: Fireworks will not be viewable from Geist Waterfront Park, and viewing from park property is not permitted.

Fireworks Ordinance Reminder

According to Fishers City Ordinance, residents may set off fireworks within municipal boundaries between 5 p.m. and two hours after sunset from June 29 to July 3 and July 5 to July 9. On July 4, fireworks are permitted from 10 a.m. until midnight. Residents are encouraged to review the full fireworks ordinance for details.

For more information about the Independence Day celebrations, visit FishersParks.com/Fireworks.