Country-rock standout Koe Wetzel will bring his Night Champion World Tour to the Fishers Event Center on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, as part of a 45-city summer and fall headlining run.

Wetzel will be joined by special guests Corey Kent, Bayker Blankenship and Logan Jahnke.

Fans can register now for early access to tickets at TheNightChampionWorldTour.com. Artist presale begins March 10 at 10 a.m. local time, with general ticket sales opening March 13 at 10 a.m.

Pollstar has described Wetzel as a “firebrand live sensation,” and the East Texas native is known for concerts he calls “total chaos.” His rise from Texas dive bars to sold-out amphitheaters and arenas has been swift. More than 250,000 fans attended his 2024 Damn Near Normal Tour.

Wetzel said the Night Champion Tour reflects a new chapter in his life.

“It’s kind of crazy that I’m not dead or in jail with everything that’s gone on in my life,” he said in a release. “Coming into 2026 and this tour, I feel like I’m the best version of myself I’ve ever been. I survived the night side of me. I’m coming out of it a champion.”

The tour will feature new songs including “Surrounded” and “Time Goes On,” along with his 3x Platinum, five-week No. 1 country radio hit “High Road.” Fans can also expect favorites such as “February 28, 2016,” which has inspired the unofficial “Koe Wetzel Day” marking its 10th anniversary this week.

Wetzel’s 2024 album 9 Lives earned Gold certification and year-end recognition from major music publications. Over his career, he has blended country, rock and grunge influences, amassing more than 4 billion streams.

Opened in November 2024, the 7,500-seat Fishers Event Center has quickly become a hub for major touring acts in central Indiana.

More information and ticket details are available at KoeWetzelMusic.com.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools administrators delivered a mid-year academic update to the school board Wednesday night, offering a detailed review of student performance across the district.

Following adjournment of its regular meeting, where official action is taken, the board moved into a work session devoted to presentations.

Deputy Superintendent Matt Kegley, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Jason Urban and Assistant Superintendent of Foundational Learning Danielle Fetters Thompson outlined district data and trends, painting a largely positive picture of academic achievement.

While the full scope of the report is extensive — a link to the complete presentation is included at the end of this story — several key takeaways stood out:

• At nearly every grade level measured, HSE students are performing well above the Indiana state average on standardized assessments.

• The district’s graduation rate has held steady at approximately 98 percent over the past four years. Urban credited much of that success to the work of the HSE Academy, which serves students who may be struggling in a traditional high school setting and provides additional academic support to keep them on track for graduation.

• Participation and success in Advanced Placement (AP) coursework remain strong. A significant number of students are enrolling in AP classes — college-level courses offered in high school — and earning qualifying scores on end-of-course exams that can translate into college credit.

• The new “Networks” model for high school freshmen is receiving positive feedback. The program groups students into career-interest pathways early in their high school experience. Administrators reported that many students appear more engaged in their coursework once they are enrolled in a path aligned with their interests.

Student performance in HSE Schools has remained consistently strong for years. The data presented Wednesday suggest that trend is continuing, reflecting sustained effort by students, staff and families across the district.

You can review the entire, detailed presentation to the board at this link.

A procedural dispute at the close of the latest school board meeting has led to dueling public statements from a board member and the board president over governance and transparency.

As Board President Tiffany Pascoe adjourned the regular meeting, board member Latrica Schooley asked for a point of personal privilege to read a prepared statement. Schooley said the statement addressed what she described as a “serious governance issue” related to district contracts.

Schooley argued she should be allowed to speak at the end of the regular session. Pascoe responded that Schooley would need to make a separate motion in order to read her statement. No such motion was taken up, and Schooley was not permitted to speak before adjournment.

After the meeting, Schooley released her prepared remarks to LarryInFishers.

In her statement, Schooley said she attempted to address what she called “a severe breakdown in our board’s governance and financial oversight,” but was “interrupted by the Board President and prevented from speaking on the public record.”

Her concerns center on what she described as an admitted administrative oversight involving a contract that violated district policy D08.01. She said she formally requested a review of the matter and asked for access to all 2025 contracts exceeding $150,000 to ensure compliance with State Board of Accounts guidelines. Schooley noted that while state guidelines reference a $50,000 limit, district policy was amended in 2024 to raise the threshold to $150,000.

Schooley further alleged that the board president unilaterally removed the D08.01 contract violation from a committee agenda without full board review and claimed she faced hostility and retaliation, including removal from committee assignments, after requesting broader board participation on the district’s upcoming Budget Task Force.

She said she would “continue to fulfill my fiduciary duties to the taxpayers, staff, and students of this district.”

On Wednesday morning, Pascoe addressed the incident in a social media post, citing parliamentary procedure.

“Under Robert’s Rules, a point of privilege must relate to the rights or ability of the board to conduct its business,” Pascoe wrote. “When asked whether the matter was related to the agenda, as it was clear there was nothing prohibiting the meeting to proceed, the clarification was not established from Ms. Schooley.”

Pascoe added that because the meeting was already running over its anticipated time and was in the midst of recognizing staff and student achievements, she ruled that the request did not qualify as a point of privilege.

“Board updates at our next scheduled meeting would be the appropriate time for Ms. Schooley to share her statement,” Pascoe wrote.

Here is the Latrica Schooley statement in full, followed by Tifany Pascoe’s social media post:

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

Continue reading School Board Member Blocked from Reading Statement, Releases Allegations to Media →

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools will contract with Ascension St. Vincent to provide behavioral health services beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

Community Health Network, which provides those services during the current school year, has notified the district it does not plan to renew its one-year agreement. Community will continue to provide nursing and athletic health services under a separate contract that runs through 2030.

Under the new agreement approved by the school board Wednesday, Ascension will provide 13 licensed therapists at a cost of $672,000 for the 2026-27 school year. The current Community contract costs the district $400,000 for 22 therapists.

Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown said that because of staff turnover, the district typically had 17 to 18 therapists available under the Community contract. He added that Community’s behavioral health services were part of a broader package of services provided to the district, which contributed to a lower overall cost for mental health care.

Brown told board members the Ascension proposal was the strongest of four bids considered by the administration.

Therapists currently employed by Community and working in HSE schools may apply for positions under the new Ascension contract.

The board approved the Ascension contract unanimously, with Juanita Albright abstaining.

The full contract is available at this link.

In other business Wednesday:

— Dr. Matt Kegley reviewed capacity for transfer students from other districts. A total of 914 seats are available across grade levels and buildings, although some schools are at capacity and unable to accept transfers. Students who transfer into HSE from another district generate just under $7,000 per student in state funding.  In the current school year, HSE has 99 transfer students. Details are available at this link.

— The district reminded residents that contributions to the Angel Fund are accepted year-round. The fund is used to eliminate school lunch debt for students and families at the end of the school year. Donations may be made at this link.

Fishers continues to position itself as a player in the fast-growing life sciences sector, and in this podcast conversation, Director of Economic and Community Development Megan Baumgartner explains how and why.

Baumgartner discusses the city’s efforts to attract and retain high-tech, high-wage employers, including companies such as INCOG BioPharma Services and the Italian-based Stevanato Group, both of which have established significant operations in Fishers. She outlines what makes the community competitive in the life sciences space — from infrastructure and workforce to strategic location — and how those assets fit into the city’s long-term economic development plans.

The conversation also takes listeners inside the process Fishers uses to evaluate requests for economic development incentives. Baumgartner explains what factors weigh most heavily in those decisions, how the city measures return on investment for taxpayers, and how accountability is built into incentive agreements.

Quality of life, she says, is not just a talking point but a central part of Fishers’ economic strategy. From parks and trails to schools and public safety, Baumgartner details how community amenities play a direct role in helping local companies recruit and retain talent.

The discussion also turns to the Indiana Statehouse, where lawmakers are considering proposals that could limit local control over land use and zoning decisions. Baumgartner shares her perspective on how such changes might affect growing communities like Fishers.

NOTE:  A previous post was linked to the wrong podcast and I apologize for the error.

You can listen to the full podcast conversation with Megan Baumgartner at this link or the link below.

The Indoor Football League has expanded its television partnership with Yahoo Sports Network just one day after announcing it had ended its broadcast agreement with FanDuel Sports Network.

The move affects all IFL teams, including the Fishers Freight.

On Tuesday, IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon announced the league had ended its relationship with FanDuel following what he described as a “thorough evaluation” of the league’s media strategy. Tryon said the league was prepared for a seamless transition and promised no disruption to 2026 broadcast plans.

Wednesday, the league and Yahoo Sports confirmed an expanded agreement that will bring 64 live IFL games to Yahoo Sports Network this season — up from the 59 originally announced in December.

The enhanced package includes the league’s premier events:

• IFL National Championship Game — August 16
• American Dream IFL Cup — May 18–24
• Two First-Round Playoff Games
• Western Conference Championship

Games will stream exclusively on Yahoo Sports Network, which is distributed across major free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platforms including Amazon Fire TV, Fubo, LG Channels, Plex, Prime Video, Samsung TV Plus and The Roku Channel, as well as directly through yahoosports.tv.

“We are excited to bring our Championship Game and the IFL Cup to the Yahoo Sports Network audience,” Tryon said. “This is a big step for both of us. We are giving our coaches and players more opportunities to show what they bring to the game, while our fans have more ways to take in the action with all the viewing options Yahoo offers.”

Yahoo Sports Network President Ryan Spoon called the addition of IFL games a strong fit with the network’s growing football programming lineup.

Despite the expanded agreement, questions remain about the league’s full 2026 broadcast slate. The original FanDuel deal had called for 60 games. With 64 games now committed to Yahoo Sports Network, the league has not yet detailed whether additional games will be televised or streamed elsewhere.

The IFL said it will release its full 2026 broadcast schedule at a later date.

For Fishers Freight fans, the announcement provides clarity that key league events — including the championship — will be nationally available, though it remains to be seen how many regular-season Freight games will appear on the Yahoo platform or other outlets.

The 2026 IFL season kicks off in March.  The Fishers Freight open the season March 14 at the Fishers Event Center.

The Indoor Football League has ended its broadcast partnership with FanDuel Sports Network ahead of the 2026 season, Commissioner Todd Tryon announced Tuesday.

In a statement released “from the Office of the Commissioner,” Tryon said the league made the move following “a thorough evaluation of our media strategy.”

“After a thorough evaluation of our media strategy, the Indoor Football League has ended its relationship with FanDuel Sports Network,” Tryon said. “We are grateful to the entire FanDuel Sports Network team for their collaboration, professionalism, and support of the IFL.”

The decision affects all IFL teams, including the Fishers Freight, who are preparing for their upcoming season in Fishers.

Tryon emphasized the league does not expect disruption to its 2026 broadcast schedule.

“Our focus continues to be on delivering the highest-quality product for our fans, partners, and players, and ensuring that every game is accessible on a national stage,” Tryon said. “We have been proactively preparing for this transition and are fully committed to a seamless shift with no disruption to our 2026 broadcast plans.”

FanDuel Sports Network had been slated to air IFL games as part of the league’s national television package. The commissioner did not provide details on why the partnership was ended.  However, it has been widely reported that FanDuel is planning to shut down in April.

Tryon said new media partners will be announced this week.

“This week, we will be announcing our media partners for the 2026 season, including new platforms that will expand our reach and enhance the viewing experience for fans nationwide,” he said.

For Fishers Freight fans, the key takeaway is that the league expects games to remain nationally accessible, with more information on exactly where Freight games will air expected soon.

The Indy Fuel skated to a 6-2 victory over the Kalamazoo Wings Tuesday in the club’s annual Education Day game, highlighted by two goals each from Lee Lapid and Sahil Panwar.

Lapid continued his recent scoring surge, opening the scoring at 7:41 of the first period with assists from Brandon Schultz and Matt Petgrave. It marked the third straight game Lapid has scored the game’s first goal — all against Kalamazoo.

Indy doubled its lead late in the period when Petgrave capitalized on a power play opportunity at 17:09. Terry Broadhurst and Cody Laskosky assisted on the goal, Petgrave’s second point of the morning, giving the Fuel a 2-0 edge.

Former Fuel forward Colin Bilek answered for Kalamazoo at 18:54, trimming the deficit to 2-1. Shots were even at 10-10 after one period.

In the second, the Fuel regained control. Dustin Manz scored his third goal of the season at 12:24, finishing a play set up by Jordan Martin to make it 3-1. Indy killed off an early Kalamazoo power play and carried the momentum into the locker room, outshooting the Wings 20-14 through two periods.

The Fuel broke the game open in the third.

Panwar extended the lead to 4-1 at 6:09, converting a feed from Tyler Paquette. Less than a minute later, Lapid struck again, finishing off assists from Schultz and Petgrave to push the advantage to 5-1.

The final period featured a string of penalties and physical play, including a fight between Paquette and Powell Connor. Despite the chippiness, Indy maintained control. Kalamazoo’s Hunter Strand added a late goal at 18:30, but the outcome was long decided.

The Fuel dominated the third period, outshooting the Wings 14-1, and secured the 6-2 win on home ice in front of a lively Education Day crowd.

The Fuel will host Iowa this Friday and Saturday night at the Fishers Event Center.

Fishers residents are invited to celebrate heart health and the outdoors at the annual Heart Hike on Saturday, February 28.

The free, all-ages event will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve, 10410 Hague Road. The event is hosted by Fishers Parks in partnership with the Fishers Health Department.

The Heart Hike is designed as a short, self-guided walk along the preserve’s natural trails. Participants will encounter posted images of heart shapes found in nature throughout the park, along with heart-healthy tips provided by the Fishers Health Department.

In addition to the hike, visitors can interact with Fishers Parks nature education staff to learn more about the preserve and the wildlife that calls Ritchey Woods home.

The event encourages residents of all ages to get outside, stay active and focus on cardiovascular health while enjoying one of the city’s natural areas.

Organizers are also seeking volunteers to serve as event ambassadors during the hike. Those interested in volunteering can learn more and sign up at this link.

Heart Hike is free and open to the public.

The Fishers City Council on Monday approved a rezoning request for the proposed Memory Story Cottage facility, despite opposition from nearby residents and several homeowners associations.

The measure passed on a 6-1-1 vote. Council President John DeLucia abstained, Cecilia Coble voted no, and Councilor Tiffany Ditlevson was absent.

Coble said she understands the need for memory care services, noting that close family members have required such care. However, she said her vote was based on safety concerns, specifically the grading of Brooks School Road at the proposed location, which she said has already contributed to traffic accidents.

The Memory Story Cottage will be a 7,500-square-foot facility housing no more than 12 residents at any given time. The residents will be individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related illnesses. Staffing levels are expected to range from two to three caregivers on site.

At the Plan Commission public hearing earlier this month, a handful of speakers supported the project, but most voiced opposition. The Plan Commission, which serves in an advisory capacity, declined to make a recommendation to the Council.

In other business Monday:

— The Fishers Health Department will begin offering sports physical exams for a $25 fee.

— The maximum hourly wage for part-time Health Department employees was set at $60.

— A proposal to modify land use at the IKEA site received first reading and will move to the Plan Commission for a public hearing in March.

— An update to the city’s thoroughfare plan also received first reading and will advance to the Plan Commission for a March public hearing.

— The Hamilton Southeastern High School We the People team was honored for winning the state championship and will advance to national finals. Coach Janet Chandler was recognized for her upcoming retirement, marking her final year leading the team.

— The city also recognized employees from several departments for years of service:

35 years
Anthony Holland
Jim Alderman
Greg Scheele
Stephen White

25 years
Michael Zajdel

20 years
Michael Hamilton
Robert Hackett
Jeffrey Stephenson
Thomas Brooks
Melissa Crowe