Fishers City Councilor At-Large Tiffanie A. Hill Ditlevson has formed an exploratory committee as she considers entering the race for the Indiana State Senate District 31 seat. The seat is currently held by Sen. Kyle Walker, who announced he will not seek another term.

Ditlevson, a decorated Air Force combat veteran, entrepreneur, and community advocate, said she was surprised by Walker’s decision and praised his time in office.

“Kyle Walker has served with integrity, thoughtfulness, and a deep commitment to delivering real results for Hoosier families,” Ditlevson said in her announcement. “I’m deeply surprised and saddened to see him step away, and I honor his service to our community. After the November 2020 caucus for this seat, Senator Walker encouraged me to stay active in politics, and I remain grateful for his guidance and kindness.”

Ditlevson said she is weighing a run after receiving encouragement from residents and community leaders throughout the district, which includes portions of Fishers and Indianapolis.

She emphasized a desire to offer “strong, relatable, service-driven leadership that reflects [the district’s] diversity.”

“Serving District 31 has been a goal since 2020,” she said. “My entire 18 years in Indiana have been rooted in living in Fishers, being a working mom, attending church at St. Matthew in Indianapolis, helping families in crisis, and making connections with Cathedral High School families during my daughter’s cheerleading career. I’m committed to learning, listening, and continuing to improve the lives of Hoosiers.”

Ditlevson is the second Fishers official to express interest in the seat. Hamilton Southeastern School Board President Juanita Albright announced her candidacy shortly after Walker said he would not run again.

When I first heard about the financial situation at Martin University, my mind went back to my family’s connection to the Brightwood neighborhood on Avondale Place. My brother Tom and I grew up in half a double with our parents until I was about 5, directly across the street from my mother’s parents.

Just a short walk from my grandparents’ home was St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church. My grandfather counted the collection money on Sundays, and my grandmother handled the cash at the parish’s fundraising bingo games—clear signs of how much the priests trusted them. Only a select few were asked to manage parish finances.

My grandmother also cooked meals, did laundry, and handled a variety of domestic tasks for the priests living at the parish. My mother graduated from the parish elementary school.

By the mid-1950s, my parents had saved enough to buy a house, and we moved out of the double. My grandparents stayed until construction of Interstate 70 forced the demolition of their home. St. Francis de Sales, however, survived the highway project and remained standing just yards away.

As manufacturing jobs disappeared, the working-class neighborhood changed, and St. Francis de Sales struggled. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis ultimately closed the church and school on June 30, 1983.

The church building itself is stunning, known for its German and French Gothic architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Today, it serves as the Father Boniface Hardin Gathertorium at Martin University.

Martin University began at 35th Street and College Avenue before moving in 1987 to the former St. Francis de Sales Church and school campus in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, where it remains at 2171 N. Avondale Place/N. Sherman Drive. I was always pleased to see the church and school buildings put to meaningful use.

The university is named for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and St. Martin de Porres. It was founded by Reverend Father Boniface Hardin and Sister Jane Schilling to serve low-income, minority, and adult learners who faced barriers to traditional higher education.

That mission is why I was disheartened to learn from recent news reports that Martin University will be forced to “pause” operations at the end of the current semester. School leaders say the institution needs additional community and financial support to continue.

Martin University is Indiana’s only Predominantly Black Institution (PBI). It serves nontraditional students striving to improve their lives and their communities. The university has even provided day care services to ensure students have a safe place for their children while attending class.

I understand the Indianapolis metropolitan area has many pressing needs, and philanthropic dollars are stretched. Still, I hope the community can find a way to keep Martin University operating, serving those who rely on its mission and opportunities.

My family’s connection to this area dates to 1951. Now we will see whether Indianapolis responds.

When the Fishers Freight were announced as a new franchise joining the Indoor Football League (IFL) for the 2025 season, I wanted to learn more about the league—its rules, its style of play, and how fans followed the action. In 2024, every IFL game was available for free on YouTube, giving anyone with an Internet connection easy access and significantly boosting the league’s visibility.

For 2025, the league shifted its media strategy. Partnering with a San Diego tech firm, the IFL launched the subscription-based IFL Network. While putting games behind a paywall reduced the league’s casual reach, it also added value to its content. By April of last year, the league announced it had attracted 15,000 subscribers—a solid start for a brand-new platform.

Before the Freight’s inaugural season, I interviewed IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon, who emphasized the league’s long-term objective: securing broadcast and streaming contracts to elevate the IFL’s national profile. Two recent announcements show how the league plans to expand its television presence beginning in 2026.

On November 20, the IFL and FanDuel revealed a major deal to stream 60 games on the FanDuel streaming service next season, including a weekly Sunday night matchup. FanDuel will also carry the league’s championship game and the Western Conference title game.

That left 59 additional games to be placed elsewhere. On December 9, the IFL announced a second partnership—this time with Yahoo!Sports. The league will produce those remaining games for distribution on the new Yahoo!Sports streaming network, which will also broadcast the Eastern Conference Championship.

Yahoo!Sports is a relatively new streaming platform available on numerous services, including Amazon Fire TV, Fubo, LG Channels, Plex, Prime Video, Sling Freestream, and The Roku Channel.

A full game-by-game broadcast schedule has not yet been released, but the league has time before the 2026 season kicks off in March. The Fishers Freight open their season at home on Saturday, March 14, against the Quad City Steamwheelers.

At Wednesday night’s Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meeting, members will receive a first reading on proposed changes to the district’s Teacher Appreciation Grant policy. Often known as TAG grants, these awards recognize teachers for their performance. The revised policy will move to the board’s Policy Committee for further review before returning to the full board for a final vote at a later meeting.

The proposed changes are required under new Indiana legislation passed during last year’s session of the General Assembly. Many educators statewide have expressed concerns about the new approach.

Previously, TAG grants were awarded to teachers rated “effective” or “highly effective” in their performance evaluations—criteria that resulted in a broad portion of classroom teachers receiving the bonuses. Under the new law, however, no more than 20% of a district’s teaching staff may receive a TAG award. By comparison, roughly 89% of teachers statewide qualified under the previous system.

Eligibility under the new rules is tied primarily to demonstrating a “significant impact on student outcomes” based on national, state, or local assessment data. Educators in areas without standardized testing—such as special education, counseling, and the arts—have raised concerns that they may be placed at a disadvantage when competing for the limited number of grants.

While fewer teachers will receive the grants, those who do will be awarded larger amounts. Payouts under the new structure will range from $3,500 to $7,500.

The Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) opposed the legislation, arguing that the competitive design of the program will “sow competition and division” rather than promote the collaboration encouraged by the previous model. Local teachers’ union president Tyler Zerbe told LarryInFishers that HSE teachers generally do not support the changes.

One question remains unanswered: What happens if more than 20% of teachers in a district meet the eligibility criteria? State guidance is unclear, and some districts are reportedly considering a lottery system as a last resort.

The HSE District  is now preparing to revise its policies to comply with the statewide mandate. This shift in TAG criteria was a state decision, not a local one.

The process of redrawing school boundary lines in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District began in August, launching months of online feedback, focus groups, and community meetings. Residents were invited to review proposed maps and share their concerns, and the HSE School Board is now preparing to take a final vote on the administrator and consultant recommended plan.

In November, board members received the first full proposal to adjust boundaries for elementary, intermediate, and junior high schools. The two high schools were not included in this round of redistricting, and no changes have been proposed for them.

When the maps were unveiled, some neighborhoods objected to the boundaries as drawn, with several communities noting they have been repeatedly affected by past redistricting efforts.

The district accepted public comments on its Redistricting webpage through the end of November. Based on recent conversations with administrators, the volume of feedback was substantial.

Woolpert, the district’s consultant, and HSE administrators have now released their final proposed map, which will be presented to the board Wednesday night. The board may approve the plan as submitted or make adjustments before taking final action.

Several changes have been made from the maps presented in November. Details of those revisions are included in an attachment to Wednesday’s board agenda at this link.  

The updated proposed districts, along with explanations of changes made in response to community input, are available at the link above. Readers should scroll through the document to view the original November proposals, area-by-area revisions, and the final map recommended for board approval.

We are headed into the film awards season as the Golden Globes announce their nominees this year.  A group of local film critics have also been at work screening and publishing their views on films this year.

That group is the Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA).  At  time when few, if any, film critics make a living at the craft, this gathering of critics has provided their views on the best films of the year since coming together in 2009.

I have tried my hand at film criticism on this platform but have not been able to continue that pursuit in recent years just due to a lack of time to devote to such an endeavor.

The IFJA has announced their nominees for their various award categories.  The winners will be announced later.

For anyone interested, here are the films and filmmakers nominated for IFJA awards in 2025:

Continue reading Indiana Film Journalists Association announces 2025 nominees →

When I launched this local news Web site in January 2012, the then–Town of Fishers had a population estimated at just under 82,000. That is sizable by Indiana standards, but still a small to mid-sized community on the national scale.

I expected plenty of local issues to cover, including that year’s referendum that ultimately transformed Fishers into a city with a strong mayor system. What I never imagined was that Fishers would one day find itself at the center of developments in international auto racing.

I was reminded of that last Wednesday while attending the Fishers Plat Committee meeting at City Hall. City Councilor Selina Stoller approached me, curious why I was there—after all, the committee typically handles technical matters related to local development projects. I told her I was hoping to speak with someone connected to the construction of the Cadillac Formula One headquarters rising just north of 96th Street.

I spoke with Aaron Hurt, Vice President at Civil & Environmental Consultants, who said construction is progressing well and that racing team staff should be able to begin moving into the new facility this spring.

Those thoughts were still with me as I watched ESPN’s broadcast of the Formula One season finale from Abu Dhabi. British driver Lando Norris clinched the World Driving Championship by finishing third, edging Dutchman Max Verstappen by just two points. It capped a dramatic season in which both the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Trophy—ultimately won by McLaren—came down to the final race.

I’m not sure many Fishers residents fully grasp how much international attention comes with hosting the only American team in Formula One. People from across the global motorsports world—including substantial international media—will be coming to Fishers simply because it will be home to the U.S. entry on the F-1 grid.

As a longtime racing fan, I remember when Formula One legends such as Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart competed in the Indianapolis 500. That crossover is rare now, largely due to scheduling. In fact, the Canadian Grand Prix and the 2026 Indy 500 are set to run on the same day.

Formula One’s decision to approve an American team is due in part to the growing popularity of the sport in the U.S., boosted by the three races now held here—Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. Roger Penske has said he would explore bringing Formula One back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the calendar and economics appear to be significant obstacles for the foreseeable future.

Nevertheless, Formula One is coming to Fishers. And when the Cadillac team settles into its new headquarters next year, our city should be prepared for the global spotlight that will follow.