The Hamilton County Democratic Party said Thursday that four new candidates have filed to run for county office this fall, giving voters contested Democratic choices in several countywide races in a county long dominated by Republicans.

The candidates filed their paperwork Thursday morning at the Hamilton County Clerk’s Office. They are Ti’Gre McNear for Hamilton County Commissioner, District 1; Charles Hollowell for Hamilton County Sheriff; Alexandra Wilson for Hamilton County Clerk; and Doug May for Hamilton County Council, District 3.

“Across Hamilton County, Democratic candidates are stepping forward because they believe our communities deserve thoughtful, accountable leadership and real choices at the ballot box,” said Josh Lowry, chair of the Hamilton County Democratic Party. “The enthusiasm we’re seeing from candidates, volunteers, and voters reflects the momentum building across our county. Every office matters, and we’re proud to offer strong candidates who are committed to serving their neighbors.”

Each Democrat will face a Republican who advanced through the party’s May 5 primary or ran unopposed, in a county where the GOP has held every countywide office for years.

In the race for Commissioner, District 1 — which covers Carmel and Clay Township — McNear will challenge longtime Republican incumbent Christine Altman. Altman was first elected to the board of commissioners in 2003 and previously served on the county council, making her one of the county’s most established officeholders.

For sheriff, Hollowell will face Republican Dustin K. Dixon, a 25-year veteran of the sheriff’s office who won a competitive GOP primary in May, defeating chief deputy John Lowes with about 63 percent of the vote. The seat is open because Republican Sheriff Dennis Quakenbush is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

In the clerk’s race, Wilson will run against Republican Beth Sheller, who currently serves as Hamilton County Election Administrator and secured the GOP nomination for clerk in the spring primary.

And in County Council, District 3 — which takes in Noblesville, Jackson and White River townships — May will face Republican Mark F. Hall.

The party framed the filings as part of a multi-cycle effort to compete more broadly across Hamilton County. Democrats said they have expanded candidate recruitment, increased volunteer engagement, and built what the party described as a year-round grassroots organization.

Residents interested in volunteering, supporting candidates, or learning more about the 2026 campaign can visit hamcodemsin.org.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

Democrat J.D. Ford’s congressional campaign announced it raised more than $365,000 in the second quarter of 2026, a haul the campaign says came overwhelmingly from Hoosiers as he challenges Republican incumbent Victoria Spartz in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District.

The campaign said more than 90 percent of donors were based in Indiana. The figures are self-reported and cannot be independently verified until quarterly reports are filed with the Federal Election Commission, due July 15.

“I’m honored and grateful for the support of our friends and neighbors,” Ford said in a statement. “This outpouring of energy shows that Hoosiers are ready for a leader in Washington who will fight for affordability and accountability.”

Ford, a state senator from Carmel serving his second term, won a crowded seven-way Democratic primary on May 5. He has said his run was motivated by Indiana Republicans’ failed effort to redraw the state’s congressional maps, which Spartz supported.

Spartz’s finances

If accurate, Ford’s quarter would far outpace the incumbent’s recent fundraising. FEC records show Spartz’s campaign raised about $1.09 million from January 2025 through April 15, 2026 — but only about $57,700 of that came in the first quarter of 2026, according to her April filing.

Her campaign has also been spending faster than it takes money in. It reported roughly $56,000 in cash on hand as of April 15, down from $258,000 at the start of the cycle, and carried $200,000 in debt. Much of the spending went to repaying $525,000 in loans Spartz had made to her own campaign. Spartz’s second-quarter numbers, covering the period after her primary win over Scott King, are not yet public.

A poll with caveats

Ford’s campaign paired the fundraising announcement with an internal poll it commissioned, which it says shows nearly two-thirds of district voters want new representation and shows Ford leading Spartz “after messaging” — that is, after respondents heard campaign arguments, a technique that typically produces more favorable results for the sponsoring candidate than an initial head-to-head. Internal polls released by campaigns should be viewed cautiously; no independent public polling of the race has been released.

An uphill district

Despite Spartz’s thin bank account, Ford faces difficult terrain. The 5th District — covering Hamilton, Madison, Delaware, Grant, Howard and Tipton counties in Indianapolis’ northern suburbs and beyond — has not elected a Democrat since Jim Jontz in 1990. After Spartz won her first race by a narrow margin in 2020, the district was redrawn to strengthen its Republican lean, and she won reelection comfortably in 2022 and 2024, most recently defeating Democrat Deborah Pickett, who took about 38 percent of the vote.

Spartz, a Ukrainian-born certified public accountant from Carmel first elected in 2020, announced in 2023 that she would retire, then reversed course. She has said she is seeking a fourth term “to help get our Republic back on track fiscally.”

The general election is November 3.

The Fishers Planned Unit Development (PUD) Committee approved two projects Wednesday, while plans for a new hotel were pulled from the agenda shortly before the meeting began.

The proposed Fishers Fieldhouse drew the most discussion, with committee members raising questions on several details of the project. In the end, the committee was complimentary of representatives of the developer, Buckingham Companies, and gave the plans its approval.

The Fieldhouse, first announced by the city in June as part of a $169 million sixth-phase expansion of the Fishers District, will serve as the new headquarters and practice facility for the Indy Ignite, the Major League Volleyball franchise that has played its home matches at the nearby Fishers Event Center since the team’s 2025 debut. The $65 million, 180,000-square-foot building will include the 29,000-square-foot Ignite headquarters and practice facility, flex space that can be configured for 10 basketball courts or 20 volleyball courts, and 20,000 square feet of additional user space.

City officials view the Fieldhouse as a further investment in youth sports, positioning Fishers to attract large-scale basketball and volleyball tournaments. Groundbreaking is expected this fall, with the facility anticipated to open in late 2027 or early 2028.

The Crossing Curio Hotel, planned in the same general area of the Fishers District, was removed from the agenda shortly before the session began. No new date was announced for when the proposal will return.

In the committee’s other action Wednesday, plans were approved for the Story Cottage facility on Brooks School Road, a proposed 6,600-square-foot memory care facility. The proposal had been before city officials once before and is now being submitted a second time.

The Fishers Plan Commission had also been scheduled to meet Wednesday night, but the session was canceled for lack of a quorum. The next Plan Commission meeting is expected in early August.

The Extreme Heat Warning covering Fishers and the rest of Hamilton County has been extended and now remains in effect until 8 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service in Indianapolis says, as a stubborn stretch of dangerous heat and humidity continues to grip central Indiana.

The warning had originally been set to expire Thursday evening, but forecasters extended it as the oppressive heat pattern showed no signs of breaking down on schedule. Heat index values — how hot it actually feels once humidity is factored in — are expected to reach as high as 109 to 110 degrees through the warning period. Confidence is slightly lower for Friday itself, since a chance of afternoon showers and storms could offer some relief, but the Weather Service says the risk of dangerous heat remains high enough to keep the warning in place through the evening.

“Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events,” the Weather Service said, urging residents across the warned area to take the conditions seriously.

Hamilton County Emergency Management Urges Continued Caution

Hamilton County Emergency Management is echoing the Weather Service’s call for residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, avoid direct sun during peak hours, and check on relatives and neighbors — especially older adults, young children, and those without reliable air conditioning — who may be more vulnerable to the heat.

For those staying indoors, officials recommend keeping blinds or curtains closed to block out the sun, using fans or portable air conditioners to improve circulation, wearing light and breathable clothing, and cooling down with damp cloths as needed.

Not everyone has the option to stay inside. For those who must be outdoors, emergency management officials advise planning activity for early morning or evening hours when temperatures are cooler, taking frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas, and carrying water or an electrolyte drink to sip throughout the day. Residents are reminded to never leave children, older adults, or pets in a parked car, even briefly.

Know the Signs of Heat Illness

Officials are urging everyone to stay alert for symptoms of heat illness, including headache, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, and general weakness. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should move to a cooler area and hydrate right away. If someone stops sweating, becomes confused, or loses consciousness, it could be heat stroke — call 911 immediately.

The Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect for a large swath of Indiana, including central, east central, north central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central portions of the state, until 8 p.m. Friday.

Thousands of people pass through the Thomas A. Weaver Municipal Complex every year — for a city court date, a library card and many other reasons  — without ever asking who Thomas A. Weaver was. I wanted to find out, so I went looking through the public record.

What emerged is the story of a small-circle civic official who helped guide Fishers through a pivotal growth period, just before the town’s modern suburban boom, and whose sudden death turned a routine act of local government into a lasting memorial.

A councilman during a formative era

Contemporary reporting described Weaver as a member of the Fishers Town Council and president of Printed Wiring Inc., an electrical business. A 1992 Indiana Court of Appeals decision, Delph v. Town Council of Town of Fishers, ties him to a 1990 annexation dispute along I-69, listing Weaver alongside fellow council members Walter F. Kelly and Roy G. Holland. The case places him squarely among Fishers’ top leadership during a period when the town was beginning to annex land and lay the groundwork for the growth that would follow later in the decade.

Killed by lightning at Crooked Stick

Weaver died on Aug. 8, 1991, struck by lightning while walking from the course to his car during a rain delay at the PGA Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel. He was 39. Wire service reports at the time — including United Press International’s coverage of that day’s opening round — confirmed he was a member of his town council and president of a wiring company, and that rescue personnel at the scene were unable to revive him. Later accounts identified his wife as Dee and his daughters as Karen and Emily.

Why his name is on the municipal complex

The clearest public explanation comes from local historical and official records. The Hamilton East Public Library’s history of Fishers’ town & city halls says the complex was established in 1991 and named for “a notable town councilman” — one of several sites the town has occupied over the decades as it grew from a fire-station-and-clerk’s-office operation into a full city government. A Town of Fishers annual report preserved by the Indiana State Board of Accounts records a June 28, 1992 memorial “Key to the Town” presented to the Thomas Weaver family, praising Weaver for his “commitment and dedication” to “strong family values, neighborhood spirit, and civic pride.”

That combination — a sitting councilman, killed suddenly and publicly, at the height of a formative decade for the town — appears to be why Fishers chose to attach his name permanently to its seat of government rather than simply mourn and move on.

Some gaps remain

The complete paper trail is still incomplete online. The city’s current Agenda Center notes that older agendas and minutes not yet added to the portal must be requested separately, and no indexed record of the formal naming resolution turned up in available searches. But the surviving record is consistent on one point: Fishers remembered Weaver not just as a public official, but as a civic figure whose values the town wanted physically attached to the center of its government — a distinction that has outlasted the building itself. (The 1991 structure gave way to a new City Hall in 2015 with Fishers’ incorporation as a city, and the Weaver name was carried onto the Arts & Municipal Complex that replaced it in 2024, city officials confirmed at the time.)

Weaver was gone before I began writing about Fishers in January 2012, so I never knew him. I only wanted to look through the public record and find what I could about the man whose name is on our local municipal complex. He was, unmistakably, a man closely tied to the history of Fishers.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board Policy Committee reviewed several policies Tuesday morning that are expected to come before the full board for a vote at its July 8 meeting.

One policy deals with when outside governmental agencies may question or interview students on school property. As a general rule, HSE does not permit outside agencies to come onto school property and question students. The revised policy outlines exceptions under Indiana law.

Those exceptions include properly identified representatives of the Indiana Department of Child Services investigating suspected child abuse or neglect, law enforcement officers with a valid court order, or situations involving exigent circumstances. The policy also states that parental permission is normally required, but there are limited circumstances when the law allows interviews without parental notification or consent.

The language also makes clear that students retain their legal rights during any interaction with law enforcement and that nothing in the policy should be interpreted to limit those rights. The superintendent or a designee would be responsible for developing administrative guidelines, including documentation practices and procedures for responding to agency requests.

Another policy reviewed by the committee deals with student clubs and organizations.  Under the policy, student groups or clubs must be sponsored by school personnel, composed of current students, hold a majority of their meetings at school and have educational aims.

The policy also references the federal Equal Access Act, which requires secondary schools to provide equal access to student groups that meet for religious, political or philosophical purposes if other non-curriculum-related groups are allowed to meet. The policy states that allowing such groups to meet does not mean Hamilton Southeastern Schools or the school board endorses the group’s beliefs.

The committee also reviewed fundraising and solicitation rules. The policy allows fundraising by students, school-sponsored organizations or school-related groups when approved by school administration and when proceeds are used for school purposes or activities connected with the school. The policy also aligns with Indiana charity gaming laws, stating that no student under age 18 may participate in games of chance, such as bingo, raffles, charity game nights, pull tabs, punchboards or similar activities.

The policy further states that students may not be required to participate in fundraising and may not be penalized for choosing not to take part. HSE also discourages door-to-door sales and encourages fundraisers involving the sale of items to retain a majority of profits for the school or a school-related organization.

The committee also discussed policies on acceleration, promotion, retention and “redshirting.” School officials noted that retaining a student in a grade, particularly at the elementary level, is generally not viewed as educationally healthy except in limited circumstances. IREAD-3 requirements are also a factor in elementary grade-level decisions. The policy does not allow students to repeat a grade for athletic “redshirting” purposes.

A rewritten policy on extracurricular academic standards was also reviewed. The language states that extracurricular activities are an important part of the student experience, but academics remain the primary focus. Participation is described as a privilege tied, in part, to meeting academic standards, with the district expected to apply those standards fairly and consistently.

Dangerously hot conditions have prompted the National Weather Service in Indianapolis to issue an Extreme Heat Warning covering a large swath of Indiana, including Fishers and the rest of Hamilton County. The warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. EDT Thursday.

Forecasters say heat index values — a measure of how hot it actually feels when humidity is factored in — could climb as high as 109 degrees. The warning stretches across portions of central, east central, north central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Indiana.

“Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events,” the Weather Service said, urging residents to take the conditions seriously. Officials recommend drinking plenty of fluids, staying in air-conditioned spaces, avoiding the sun, and checking up on relatives and neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat.

Hamilton County Emergency Management Urges Caution

Hamilton County has been upgraded to an Extreme Heat Warning that runs until 8 p.m. Thursday. With heat index values potentially reaching 109 degrees, county emergency management officials are echoing the call to drink plenty of water, stay in air-conditioned spaces, avoid the sun, and check on loved ones.

For those staying indoors, officials offered several tips to keep cool: keep blinds or curtains closed to block out the sun, use fans or portable air conditioners to improve circulation, and wear light, breathable clothing while cooling down with damp cloths.

Emergency management also recognized that not everyone has the option of staying inside. For those who must be outdoors, officials advise planning outdoor time for the early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler, taking frequent breaks in shaded or cooled areas, and carrying water or electrolyte drinks to sip often. Residents are reminded to never leave children, older adults, or pets in parked cars.

Know the Signs of Heat Illness

Officials are urging everyone to stay alert for signs of heat illness, which can include headache, faintness, nausea, dizziness, or cramps. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should move to a cooler area and hydrate. Call 911 if needed.

As a retired federal employee, I have long been concerned about preserving the merit system that has given the American people one of the finest civil services in the world.

Was it perfect when I was there? Of course not. No system designed by human beings is perfect. But by and large, I worked with people who took their responsibilities seriously and did their best to serve the public, regardless of which political party controlled the White House.

That is why I was concerned when I learned of today’s Supreme Court decision in Trump v. Slaughter. My first question was simple: What does this mean for the federal workforce?

Time will ultimately tell. But after reading what the Court decided, looking at the law as it now stands, and reviewing some early legal analysis, here is what I have found so far.

What the Court decided

On June 29, the Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 decision in Trump v. Slaughter, a case involving President Trump’s 2025 firing of Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter without stating a cause under the statute.

For 91 years, the 1935 Supreme Court decision in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States had allowed Congress to protect members of independent, multi-member commissions from being removed by a president except for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.”

The Court’s majority swept much of that precedent aside. The ruling holds that FTC commissioners exercise executive power and therefore must be removable by the president. In the majority’s view, Congress cannot insulate such officials from presidential control when they are carrying out executive functions.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented sharply. She warned that the majority had embraced a theory of sweeping presidential control that neither Congress nor the Constitution had granted.

Why federal retirees and employees should pay attention

The ruling does not directly repeal the merit-system protections that apply to most rank-and-file federal employees. Those protections remain in Title 5 of the U.S. Code.

That distinction is important.

The concern is not that every federal employee immediately lost civil-service protection. The concern is about who enforces those protections, and whether those enforcement bodies can remain independent enough to do their jobs.

One key agency is the Merit Systems Protection Board, commonly known as the MSPB. The board hears appeals when federal employees are fired, demoted, suspended, or retaliated against for whistleblowing. Its three members have traditionally had the same type of for-cause removal protection the Supreme Court just rejected in the FTC case.

A federal appeals court had already applied similar reasoning to the MSPB in Harris v. Bessent, involving the removal of MSPB Chair Cathy Harris. Today’s Supreme Court ruling appears to cement that direction.

As University of Minnesota law professor Nicholas Bednar wrote in Lawfare, the MSPB’s independence is now, for all practical purposes, gone. The statutory safeguards Congress created — including bipartisan balance and decisional independence — now survive only as long as the White House chooses to respect them.

The quorum problem

The most immediate practical danger may be the quorum issue.

The MSPB has three members, but it needs at least two to issue final board decisions. If a president can remove board members at will, the president can break that quorum. A president can also leave seats vacant, with the same result.

That is not a theoretical problem. From 2017 to 2022, the MSPB lacked a quorum for more than five years. During that period, the board could not issue final decisions on petitions for review. The backlog reached roughly 3,800 cases, leaving many federal employees in limbo.

Administrative judges could still issue initial decisions. But if either side appealed to the full board, the case could not receive a final board decision until a quorum was restored. For employees trying to challenge removals, suspensions or whistleblower retaliation, delay can become denial.

Because federal workers generally must go through the MSPB process before seeking judicial review, a paralyzed board can mean there is no meaningful review at all, at least not in any timely way.

Is this a return to the spoils system?

Not automatically. That distinction matters.

The civil-service laws enacted after the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 — passed in the aftermath of President James Garfield’s assassination by a disappointed office-seeker — remain on the books. The merit system has not been repealed.

But today’s decision weakens the institutional independence that helps make those laws enforceable.

That is where the concern lies. If the officials who decide federal employment appeals can be removed at will, if the board can be disabled by the loss of a quorum, and if legal interpretations can be pulled closer to presidential control, then merit protections may remain intact on paper while being weakened in practice.

Critics argue that this combination could hollow out the civil-service system without Congress ever formally repealing it.

Defenders of the ruling see it differently. They argue that the Constitution vests executive power in an elected president, and that those who exercise that power must be accountable to the president. In their view, accountability to voters is the appropriate check.

What comes next

The next move may need to come from Congress.

Lawmakers could create a more independent court or tribunal for federal employment disputes. They could also provide a direct path to federal court when the MSPB lacks a quorum and cannot issue final decisions.

Whether a divided Congress will act is another question.

For now, the merit-system protections that have defined federal service for more than 140 years remain in law. But after today’s decision, their practical strength may depend more heavily on presidential restraint than on the independent enforcement structure Congress designed.

That should concern anyone who values a federal government staffed by competence, experience and service to the public — not personal loyalty to the president.

The Hamilton County Surveyor’s Office will temporarily relocate as part of the ongoing expansion and renovation of the Hamilton County Judicial Center.

Beginning Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 8 a.m., the Surveyor’s Office will serve the public from its temporary location at 9615 E. 148th Street, Suite 109, Noblesville.

The office will be closed Monday, July 6, to prepare for the move. It will reopen the following morning at the new location.

County officials say the relocation is one of several planned moves needed to allow construction crews to begin work on the Judicial Center expansion project. The project is intended to provide additional space for Hamilton County’s growing court system and county government operations.

Residents needing assistance from the Surveyor’s Office may call 317-776-8495 or email surveyor@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.

Hamilton County says additional information about future office relocations connected to the Judicial Center project will be announced as plans are finalized.

Fishers residents planning to watch fireworks on July 4 should take note of an update from Fishers Parks.

The city says the previously listed viewing location at Hamilton Southeastern High School has been changed. Instead, residents looking to view the east-side fireworks display from their vehicles should use designated parking lots along Olio Road.

Fishers Parks will again offer three fireworks shows throughout the community on Independence Day, coming one week after the annual Spark Fishers festival.

In the Nickel Plate District, residents may gather at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater, 6 Municipal Drive, where fireworks will be launched from nearby Holland Park. The park itself will be closed for safety reasons.

Primary viewing will be on the lawn at the NPD AMP. A free concert by GrooveSmash is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., with fireworks to follow at approximately 10 p.m. No tickets or RSVP are required. Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages are allowed, and food trucks will also be on site. Outside alcohol is not permitted. Those attending should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets, as seating will not be provided.

For the Olio Road viewing area, Fishers Parks says residents may watch from their vehicles at three parking lots: Grace Church, 12450 Olio Road; Fall Creek Intermediate School, 12011 Olio Road; and Fall Creek Elementary School, 12131 Olio Road.

A third fireworks show will be available for viewing on Geist Reservoir. Fishers Parks says no viewing will be permitted from the Fall Creek Bridge or Geist Marina. Those wishing to watch from Geist should do so from a boat on the water or from a nearby residence.

Fireworks for the Geist show will be launched near the south end of Fall Creek Bridge from a barge at Geist Marina. The bridge will remain open to traffic, but the pedestrian walkway on the bridge will be closed for safety.

Fishers Parks says all three fireworks displays are scheduled to begin at dusk, approximately 10 p.m.

More information is available through Fishers Parks at fishersparks.com.