It was Chicago Blackhawks Night at the Fishers Event Center Saturday, complete with a booming rendition of the national anthem by longtime Blackhawks anthem singer Jim Cornelison and a sellout crowd of 6,572.

But the pageantry did not translate into goals for the home team.

Iowa Heartlanders goaltender William Rousseau turned aside every shot he faced, lifting Iowa to a 2-0 victory over the Indy Fuel. Both goals came in the opening period, and the Fuel were unable to recover.

Jonny Sorenson opened the scoring for the Heartlanders a little more than six minutes into the first period, giving Iowa an early 1-0 edge. Jaxon Nelson added to the lead with just over four minutes remaining in the period.

That was all the offense Iowa would need.

The Fuel generated chances over the final 40 minutes, but Rousseau was steady in net, preserving the shutout. Indy pulled goaltender Owen Flores with under three minutes remaining in regulation in favor of an extra attacker, but the move failed to produce a late breakthrough.

Despite the loss, the atmosphere was playoff-like. The building was loud throughout the night. The Fuel, however, could not convert that energy into offense.

With the defeat, Indy remains in the thick of the ECHL playoff race, where every point is critical down the stretch.  The Fuel remain in third place in the Western Conference Central Division.

The Fuel continue their homestand at the Fishers Event Center in the coming week when the Wichita Thunder visit for a three-game series. The teams meet Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

The Indiana General Assembly has approved legislation that would prohibit cities and towns from enforcing rental home caps — a move that directly affects Fishers, which adopted a 10 percent cap on single-family rentals in certain subdivisions last year.

The measure, House Bill 1210, now heads to the governor for signature.

If signed into law, the bill would bar local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances, policies or regulations that “prohibit or restrict” a homeowner from renting a residential property — or that have the effect of doing so. That language is widely viewed as preempting municipal rental-cap ordinances like the one in Fishers.

What it means for Fishers

Fishers’ ordinance limits rental properties in certain neighborhoods to 10 percent of homes within a subdivision. The stated goal was to maintain owner-occupied stability while addressing concerns about investor-owned properties.

Under HB 1210, cities would no longer be allowed to impose that type of percentage cap. If the governor signs the bill, Fishers would likely be required to stop enforcing its rental-cap framework.

The legislation does allow local governments to continue enforcing:

• Building and fire codes
• Health and safety standards
• Reasonable occupancy limits
• Registration and inspection programs — so long as those measures do not function as a de facto rental cap

In other words, Fishers could still require rental registration or inspections, but it could not limit the number of homes in a neighborhood that may be rented.

The law includes a delayed compliance provision for ordinances adopted before January 1, 2026, but ultimately requires local governments to bring those ordinances into compliance.

What the bill does not change

Importantly, the legislation applies only to local governments — not to homeowners associations.

HOAs in Fishers may still adopt or enforce covenants restricting rentals within their communities.

However, the conference committee report for HEA 1210 adds a significant limitation on who can vote on those issues.

Under new language on page 218 of the report:

Beginning after the law takes effect, only HOA members who use their property as a homestead — as defined under Indiana’s property tax homestead deduction statute (IC 6-1.1-12-37) — may vote on:

1. A prohibition or restriction on an owner using a residential property as a rental property, or

2. Any restriction regarding the use of property as a rental property.

In practical terms, “homestead” status generally means the property is the owner’s primary residence and qualifies for Indiana’s homestead property tax deduction.

What that means

In Fishers subdivisions governed by HOAs:

• Investor-owners who do not live in the home would not be allowed to vote on rental-cap amendments or new rental restrictions.
• Only resident homeowners who claim the property as their primary residence could cast votes on rental policy questions.

The law also restricts eligibility for HOA board service in the same manner, meaning board members must use the property as their homestead.

There is one exception: developers are not subject to this limitation while they still own lots within the subdivision. The statute defines a developer as a person or entity engaged in acquiring and improving land for residential construction and sale or lease.

Broader housing policy shift

HB 1210 is part of a broader package of housing-related legislation aimed at increasing housing supply and reducing costs statewide. Lawmakers argued that local rental caps limit property rights and restrict housing availability.

Supporters say the bill protects homeowners’ rights to use their property as they see fit. Critics argue it strips cities like Fishers of local control to address neighborhood concerns.

If signed, the law would represent a significant shift in housing policy for Fishers, moving rental regulation authority away from City Hall and leaving most rental limitation decisions to private HOAs and the market itself.

The effective date of the legislation is July 1, 2026, if signed into law by Governor Mike Braun.

(Note:  this story was revised to include language in the final conference report dealing with HOA governance and developers)

The weather has recently seen temperatures go up and down, but a sure sign spring is on the way is a longer road construction update for the week starting Monday, March 2.  Note lane restrictions along 116th Street in the area east of Hague Road.  Also, look for preliminary work on the coming improvements at the 116th Street and Allisonville Road intersection.

Here is the full listing , as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Road construction update for the work week starting Monday, March 2 →

Eighteen-time Grammy Award winner CeCe Winans will bring her largest headlining tour to date to Fishers this fall.

Winans’ “Come Worship!” Tour stops at the Fishers Event Center on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. The evening will feature special guests Charity Gayle, Red Worship and Terrian. Tickets are on sale now through the Fishers Event Center website.

Organizers describe the tour as a multi-generational call to unity, inviting people of all ages and backgrounds for a night centered on worship and community. The concert will blend gospel classics, contemporary worship favorites and spontaneous moments designed to create what promoters call a unified, arena-scale worship experience.

Winans is widely regarded as the best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time. Over a career spanning decades, she has earned 18 Grammy Awards, 31 Dove Awards and 19 Stellar Awards. She has been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Nashville Music City Walk of Fame. Her crossover hit “Count on Me,” a duet with Whitney Houston from the “Waiting to Exhale” soundtrack, reached the Top 10 across multiple charts.

Her recent albums, Believe For It and More Than This, have generated more than 1 billion streams and downloads worldwide and fueled a global tour run of more than 100 shows over the past two years.

Joining Winans in Fishers, Charity Gayle is known for worship anthems such as “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” and “I Speak Jesus,” while Red Worship is the musical collective of Redemption Church in San Jose, California. Terrian, a Memphis native and former member of TobyMac’s Diverse City band, has emerged as one of Christian music’s rising voices, earning Dove Award and K-LOVE Fan Award nominations.

The Fishers Event Center, which opened in November 2024 with a capacity of 7,500, hosts concerts and sporting events and serves as home to several professional teams.

A plea agreement has been reached in the case of Trey Williams, 18, in connection with a fatal crash on March 1, 2025.

According to a report by television station WTHR, attorneys for Williams and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office have agreed that Williams will plead guilty to reckless homicide. In exchange, prosecutors will dismiss charges of reckless driving and false informing.

The case stems from a crash that claimed the life of Mason Alexander, 18, a graduate of Hamilton Southeastern High School. The crash occurred in the 10000 block of Florida Road near Geist Park.

Under the terms of the plea agreement as reported by WTHR, Williams would receive a six-year sentence, with no more than three years to be served at the Indiana Department of Correction. The judge would have discretion to suspend part or all of the sentence and to apply credit for time already served.

The agreement also calls for Williams to serve two years of probation and have his driving privileges suspended for five years.

A change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 11.

Read the WTHR story at this link

Several major pieces of legislation affecting Fishers and communities across Indiana are now law, and they are the focus of this week’s Fridays With Larry podcast.

In the February 27 edition, I review the swift passage of Hailey’s Law at the Indiana General Assembly. Named for Fishers teen Hailey Buzzbee, the new law expands the scope for law enforcement to issue Amber and Silver Alerts in cases involving missing children and vulnerable individuals. Lawmakers approved the measure with broad bipartisan support.

Another law is a statewide policy restricting student cell phone use during the school day inside school buildings, with limited exceptions. I outline what the new requirements mean for local school districts and families.

In addition, I touch on recently approved state incentives designed to position Indiana as a potential landing spot for the Chicago Bears. The governor has already signed the incentive framework into law, raising questions about whether Northwest Indiana could become home to an NFL franchise.

My guest this week is John Wechsler, CEO of the Fishers-based company Spokenote. We discuss his firm’s development of “dynamic video” technology, designed to help nonprofits, sports organizations and other groups communicate in a more personalized way at scale.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can watch and/or listen to the February 27 edition of Fridays With Larry at this link and this link if you just want to listen….or use the links below.

As the Fishers Freight prepare to open their second season in the Indoor Football League, Head Coach and General Manager Dixie Wooten says this year feels much different from the first.

In this podcast conversation, Wooten reflects on how last season ended — with the Freight winning their final five games — and why that late surge created momentum heading into 2026. He discusses the importance of continuity, noting that 15 players from that strong finishing squad are returning for year two.

Wooten also explains the difference between building an expansion franchise from scratch and managing expectations in a second season, when systems are in place and competition intensifies. Training camp, he says, will feature spirited battles at some positions, particularly on defense.

We also asked Wooten about developments around the league, including the Bay Area franchise going dormant. Having previously been on the coaching staff of a Bay Area team that won an IFL championship, Wooten offers perspective on the challenges franchises face in today’s indoor football landscape.

Finally, Wooten addresses the league’s new television arrangements for the upcoming season and what fans can expect in terms of broadcast coverage.

The Freight open training camp soon, with the regular season home opener set for Saturday, March 14 at 5 p.m.

This podcast series is sponsored by Citizens Sate Bank.

Listen to the podcast at this link or the link below.