The City of Fishers is ushering in the holiday season with a packed lineup of events, highlighted by the debut of Jingle Bell Junction at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater.

Jingle Bell Junction, running December 5–14, transforms the amphitheater into a weeklong destination featuring themed nights, hands-on activities, live music, and special programming inside a heated, clear-top tent. Events include DIY wrapping paper, Santa’s Workshop, Reindeer Games, a jazz improv workshop and lounge, and holiday movie festivities in partnership with the Heartland Film Festival.

The city’s annual tree-lighting celebration, Night Lights, takes place December 5 from 5–7 p.m. The free event includes live music, fire pits, ice carving, reindeer, igloos, food trucks, and the lighting of the city Christmas tree with Santa and Mayor Scott Fadness at 6:30 p.m.

Several long-standing traditions return this year, including Santa’s Mailbox, available through December 12 at City Hall and the Fishers Parks headquarters. Children who include their address will receive a reply from Santa.

Holiday programming also extends across the community. Conner Prairie’s A Merry Prairie Holiday runs select nights November 28 through December 23, offering thousands of lights and historic holiday experiences in Prairietown. The Hamilton East Public Library will host its Season of Giving through January 11, with donation drives and gift-making opportunities.

The Fishers Arts Council will present its Winter Art Market on three Thursday evenings in December at Peace Water Winery, featuring rotating local artists and artisans. The group will also host its Second Friday Art Reception on December 12 at City Hall.

Several family events round out the month, including two Cookies with Characters programs—featuring the Grinch on December 13 and Bluey on December 14. Tickets are required.

The Fishers Event Center is also offering a full holiday lineup, including a Christmas Together concert with Amy Grant, Cece Winans and Michael W. Smith on December 4, Indy Fuel home games throughout the season, and the Mudsock Rivalry boys basketball game on December 19.

Other community activities include the Fishers Police Department’s Winter Wonderland Walkthrough on December 12–13, the Fishers Art Center’s Crafts & Carols programs on select dates, and the Rotary Club’s Water is Life Charity Gala on December 5.

For families needing child care during the holidays, the city will offer Winter Break Camp at Holland Park from December 22 to January 2.

Holiday light displays around the Nickel Plate District and Municipal Complex will be available nightly throughout December, and the city’s annual Christmas tree recycling program will run December 26 through February 1 at three park locations.

The Fishers Event Center has added a second Professional Championship Bull Riders (PCBR) show in January after strong ticket demand, facility officials announced Wednesday.

The bull riding event will now take place twice over the weekend, with the originally scheduled performance set for Saturday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. A newly added show is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m.

Organizers say the weekend will feature top-ranked bull riders competing against some of the toughest bulls in the country, along with barrel-racing cowgirls aiming for the fastest times.

The event will include several promotions. The first 300 children through the doors each day will receive a free cowboy hat and autographed poster. Meet-and-greet opportunities with the riders will also be available.

Tickets for the Sunday show are on sale now at FishersEventCenter.com.

Most of us think about winter weather when we have snow and ice, but the Fishers Department of Public Works plans year round to keep the roads open and safe even in the worst weather conditions.  And that is just one of many responsibilities of the department.

I spoke with DPW Director Jonathan Valenta and Assistant Director Nick Powell about all that and more in the podcast linked below.

The Indy Fuel fell behind early and never recovered Wednesday night, dropping a 4–1 decision to the Bloomington Bison at the Fishers Event Center.

Bloomington took control with a dominant first period, striking just three minutes into the game on a goal by Parker Gavlas. Twenty-eight seconds later, Daniel Tedesco doubled the lead, and the Bison continued to capitalize as Indy’s penalty trouble mounted. Nikita Sedov scored on the power play at 13:25 to make it 3–0, and captain Eddie Matsushima added another power-play tally less than two minutes later.

The Fuel generated multiple power-play chances of their own, including a lengthy 5-on-3 early in the period, but came up empty. Bloomington outshot Indy 13–7 in the opening frame and carried a 4–0 advantage into intermission.

Indy pushed back in the second period, outshooting the Bison and drawing several penalties, but Bloomington’s penalty kill continued to hold firm. Despite a 19–15 shots-on-goal advantage through two periods, the Fuel still trailed by four.

The third period brought more special-teams action, with Indy killing off three penalties to keep the deficit from growing. The Fuel finally broke through with 2:43 remaining when Jordan Martin scored, assisted by Tyler Kobryn and Dustin Manz, but the late surge wasn’t enough to threaten Bloomington’s lead.

Indy finished with a 31–24 edge in shots but went scoreless on the power play and could not overcome the early four-goal hole.

The Fuel and Bison, division rivals, have now met four times this season.

The Fuel have a two game series with the Adirondack Thunder Friday and Saturday night, both at the Fishers Event Center.

Chanting, whistles and car horns filled Cumberland Road Wednesday evening as teachers and supporters rallied outside the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools Central Office. The demonstration came as contract negotiations between the district and the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) entered mediation.

A large crowd of educators and community members — including supporters from outside the Fishers area — lined the sidewalk in front of the administration building to show solidarity with teachers.

In its most recent statement, the district said administrators remain “committed to negotiating in good faith and are disappointed by the false narratives being promoted and the unproductive path by which the HSEA representatives have chosen to approach this process.” Superintendent Patrick Mapes added that the school board must protect the district from “long-term deficits” while maintaining classroom instruction.

HSEA, in social media posts, pushed back against the district’s claims, saying teachers are being accused of “painting a false narrative,” yet neither administrators nor community members have challenged the accuracy of the data the union has provided. The union also maintains that no one has refuted its explanation of the district’s cash balances. HSEA argues that, under the district’s latest proposal — which teachers overwhelmingly rejected — educators would see no raise and higher health insurance premiums, resulting in reduced take-home pay.

With talks now in mediation, a state-appointed mediator will work with both sides to seek an agreement. If a contract is not approved within 30 days of November 15, the dispute will move to a state fact-finder, who will choose between the two proposals and impose a contract.

A video of the event, including a brief interview with HSEA President Tyler Zerbe, is linked above.

When the City of Fishers issued debt to finance the final phase of the State Road 37 project at 141^st Street, that bond issuance now has $23.6 million left over.  Based on a transfer of funds approved by the Fishers City Council Monday night, that money will be utilized to buy land in the city.

Many, but not all, of these land purchases will be in the areas of the downtown Nickel Plate District and areas near the Fishers Event Center.  The land will then come under the control of the Town Hall Building Corporation.

Established in 1989 as a nonprofit corporation, The Town Hall Building Corporation operates under the provisions of the Indiana Nonprofit Act. This mechanism allows the city to acquire or build essential public facilities, such as the new Arts & Municipal Complex, through a system that allows for project financing and avoids placing the full cost burden directly on taxpayers through immediate tax increases. The corporation handles the financing, and then leases the improvements back to the city.

City Economic Development Director Megan Baumgartner tells LarryInFishers the purchase of this land allows the city to provide potential development in areas of Fishers where land prices could stymie economic development projects.  In a recent meeting of the Town Hall Building Corporation Board, Baumgartner describes these land purchases as “a huge opportunity for us.”

At Monday’s Council meeting, Finance Committee Chair John Weingardt said the transfer approved Monday night is required by statute, “otherwise, the money is just going to set there.”

Here is the list of land to be acquired:

(1) north of 116th Street between Municipal
Drive and Commercial Drive;

(2) south of 116th Street between the Nickel Plate
Trail and Commercial Drive south to Morgan Drive;

(3) between Interstate 69 and Meadows Drive, south of Fishers Elementary School to Fishers Pointe Boulevard;

(4) in the vicinity of the area commonly known as the Fishers Life
Science and Innovation park;

(5) along the Allisonville Road corridor between 106th and 116th Street;

(6) along the Hague Road corridor from 96th Street to
106th Street,

(7) in the area commonly known as The Crossing at Fishers
District.

The Indiana General Assembly held its Organization Day on Tuesday at the Statehouse, but Republican leaders in the two chambers appear divided over whether to return for a special session on congressional redistricting later this year.

Governor Mike Braun has called lawmakers back to redraw Indiana’s nine congressional districts, but Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray announced his chamber will next meet on Jan. 5, the official start of the 2026 legislative session. That schedule ignores the governor’s request for a special session in December.

House Speaker Todd Huston, a Republican whose district includes part of Fishers, released a statement following Organization Day signaling his caucus remains prepared to return and pass a new map.

“Throughout the ongoing good-faith discussions over congressional redistricting in Indiana, I’ve made it clear that House Republicans have the necessary votes to address this issue, and we stand ready to get the job done,” Huston said.

Huston pointed to redistricting actions underway in other states, arguing that Indiana must respond to mid-decade map changes driven by national political battles. “Multiple states around the country—from California and Virginia to Texas and Missouri—have already drawn or are in the process of redrawing their maps,” he said, adding that Democrats in California and Virginia are pursuing new lines that could eliminate several Republican-held seats.

While Huston said he hopes Congress eventually bans mid-decade redistricting nationwide, he argued that Indiana should not “unilaterally disengage” from the process.

“This is not a question of whether we join the fight—the fight is already here,” he said. Huston added that he has instructed House Republicans to reserve the first two weeks of December in case lawmakers are called back. “My hope is that our great colleagues in the Senate embrace this political reality and that we all return for a special session to pass a 9-0 Republican map.”

The Senate has not indicated whether it will reconsider its current plan to wait until January.

Two years ago, the City of Fishers set aside $500,000 to fund innovative classroom projects proposed by teachers in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District. Since that initial investment, the City Council has continued to allocate $50,000 annually to support new teacher-driven ideas.

Retired HSE teacher Mike Fassold leads a group of retired educators and community members who review the proposals and determine which projects receive funding.

Fassold updated the City Council Monday night on the program’s progress. He also introduced Lili Perez, who guided a team of four HSE High School seniors in producing a video highlighting the program’s impact since its inception.

Council members viewed the video during the meeting.

In other business, Mayor Scott Fadness and the City Council recognized the HSE High School Girls Soccer Team, the 2025 Indiana state champions. Team member Lauren Kutoloski attended the meeting on behalf of the squad.

Fishers residential property owners will see a change in how they pay their stormwater fees following action Monday night by the Fishers City Council.

Currently, homeowners pay the $79.92 annual stormwater fee once a year. Beginning in March 2026, that amount will instead be billed monthly and combined with the city’s existing residential utility bill for sewer and trash service.

City Controller Lisa Bradford told council members the stormwater fee will appear on the March bill—the same month scheduled increases to sewer and trash rates will take effect.

For example, the city’s trash collection contract with Republic Services will rise from $16.39 to $17.33 per month next March. The new monthly stormwater charge is expected to fall between $6 and $7 per household.

Other council actions

Food Code Update:
The Fishers Health Department received approval to update the city’s food code to align with the Indiana Administrative Code revisions adopted in 2025. The update includes a revised fee schedule for food establishments to reflect increased city costs. Public Health Director Monica Heltz noted that a recent Zoom meeting with local restaurant operators generated no questions or concerns.

Memory Care Facility Proposal:
Council members gave first reading to a proposal for Story Cottage, a memory care facility planned for the 10900 block of Brooks School Road. The project will go before the Plan Commission for a public hearing on December 3.

Lynnwood Hills Annexation:
The Lynnwood Hills neighborhood at 131st Street and Allisonville Road is seeking voluntary annexation. The area is currently on septic systems, but more than 51% of property owners have signed remonstrance waivers. The city has secured a grant to cover most of the cost of extending sewer service. The Council approved the measure on first reading.

The Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA), the union representing teachers in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District, is planning an informational picket outside the district’s Central Office on Cumberland Road this Wednesday beginning at 4 p.m.

The union continues to encourage teachers to follow a “work to rule” approach, meaning educators perform only the duties explicitly required in their contracts. Teachers often put in additional unpaid time, and HSEA says the action is intended to highlight those extra efforts.

The dispute stems from the ongoing lack of a new contract agreement between HSEA and the district. As of November 15, negotiations have moved into mediation, during which a neutral mediator will be appointed, with both sides sharing the cost. If the two parties fail to reach a ratified agreement within 30 days, a state appointed fact-finder will review each side’s final offer, select one, and impose that contract on both parties.

Meanwhile, retired teacher Mike Fassold has weighed in on the situation in a post on his personal Facebook page. Fassold, who guided several Fishers Junior High “We the People” teams to national championships, wrote that while there are “valid considerations on both sides,” he is most concerned about maintaining civil discourse. Before becoming an educator, Fassold served for many years in the military, where he says he learned key lessons about leadership.

He encourages HSE officials to explore creative solutions to the impasse and also notes that low voter turnout can lead to the election of officials who may or may not reflect the broader community’s views on important issues.

You can read Mike Fassold’s entire Facebook post below:

=======================

Continue reading HSEA plans informational picketing, retired teacher weighs-in on contract impasse →