The beach and swimming area at Geist Waterfront Park will open for the season Thursday, June 4, following a delay caused by conditions at Geist Reservoir.
The swimming season was originally scheduled to begin May 23, but Fishers Parks postponed the opening because of cooler water temperatures, high rainfall, elevated water levels and an unfavorable weather forecast.
Fishers Parks is advising visitors to continue monitoring its social media channels for the latest announcements regarding beach and swimming conditions.
Geist Waterfront Park is a 70-acre public park on the east side of Fishers along Geist Reservoir. The park, which opened in 2023, includes a beach, swimming area, walking trails, a pirate-themed playground and public gathering spaces, including shelters available for rent.
The park also provides water access through a non-motorized boat launch and dock for kayaks, canoes and paddle boards.
The park is free for all visitors outside of peak hours. Peak hours are 1 to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and all day on July 4th and Labor Day. During peak hours, non-Fishers residents will pay $25 per car. No reservations required.
• Cashless facility. Card and mobile payment accepted.
• No smoking, vaping, or alcoholic beverages permitted on property.
Located at 10811 Olio Road, near 111th Street, Geist Waterfront Park is the only public parcel on the 1,900-acre Geist Reservoir.
The Fishers Plan Commission voted unanimously Wednesday evening to send a favorable recommendation to the City Council on ordinance changes governing the city’s impact fees.
The action is required by changes approved earlier this year by the Indiana General Assembly as part of House Enrolled Act 1001. The new state law places additional requirements on local governments that impose impact fees on new development to help pay for infrastructure needs created by that growth.
One of the key changes involves the membership of the city’s Impact Fee Advisory Committee. Although the mayor will appoint members of the committee, the new law gives industry organizations a major role in who is selected.
Under the new requirements, the committee must include community members representing a single-family builder, a multifamily builder and a realtor. Those members must be selected based on recommendations from the statewide trade associations representing each of those industries.
The ordinance change before the Plan Commission amends the city’s existing Impact Fee Advisory Committee provisions to bring Fishers into compliance with the new state membership requirements. The details of how the appointment process will work is not yet available from state officials.
HEA 1001 also places new limits and conditions on how impact fee zones are structured. For impact fees imposed and collected after June 30, 2026, local governments must ensure the impact zone has a functional relationship to the infrastructure being funded, provides a reasonably uniform benefit throughout the zone, and consists of contiguous areas.
The law also requires that the impact zone be connected to the new development, tied to certain utility service or distribution lines, or located within five miles of infrastructure related to road or drainage impact fees.
Impact fees are generally charged to new development to help pay for infrastructure improvements needed as a result of growth, such as roads, drainage and other public facilities. Cities such as Fishers have used those fees as one tool to help growth pay for some of the costs it creates.
The proposed Fishers ordinance is designed to update local language on impact zones and the advisory committee so the city may continue collecting impact fees under the revised state law after the June 30, 2026 deadline.
With the Plan Commission’s favorable recommendation, the ordinance change now moves to the Fishers City Council for final consideration.
There were no comments during the public hearing.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Plan Commission President Howard Stevenson praised Angie Frazier for her service on the Plan Commission, as well as the city Arts Commission. Mr. Frazier has served on the Plan Commission since 2024 as an appointee of Mayor Scott Fadness. Wednesday was her last session as a Plan Commission member.
Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) on Wednesday endorsed Gov. Mike Braun’s decision to extend the state’s gasoline tax suspension for another month, even as the prolonged holiday revives questions about lost road funding and the limits of the governor’s emergency powers.
Braun confirmed Wednesday that he is extending the suspension of both the 7% Gasoline Usage Tax and the Gasoline Excise Tax through July 7. The existing suspension had been set to expire June 7. The governor said the combined relief saves Hoosiers more than 62 cents per gallon.
“Indiana has the cheapest gas in the country because we are using every tool in the toolbox to save Hoosier families money. Affordability is my number one priority,” Braun said. The announcement coincided with AAA figures showing Indiana’s average price for regular at about $3.59 a gallon — the lowest statewide average in the nation and well below the national average of roughly $4.26.
The move marks the latest step in a relief effort that began April 8, when Braun first declared a 30-day suspension of the Gasoline Usage Tax under an energy emergency. He extended the order on May 6, adding the excise tax, and has now extended it again. Huston has said the governor possesses the authority to keep the taxes suspended for additional time before the General Assembly would need to act.
A question of authority
The speaker’s support comes with a legal backdrop that is not entirely settled. Under the energy emergency Braun declared in April, the governor can issue relief for a maximum of 120 days without convening lawmakers. Once that window closes, Braun would have to call a special session of the General Assembly to continue the suspension.
Complicating the picture, state law governing other emergency executive orders bars a governor from renewing or extending a proclamation more than once without legislative approval — a provision that has drawn attention as the suspensions stack up. Huston has suggested the gas tax statute’s wording gives Braun room to continue, but top Republican lawmakers have acknowledged that any further extension beyond the current legal declaration would ultimately require a special legislative session. Leaders have said there has been talk of legislative action but no decisions have been made.
The cost to roads
The relief is not free. Indiana’s gasoline taxes fund road and infrastructure work for state and local agencies, and the suspension represents a loss of more than $100 million a month. Local governments have raised concerns about the impact on roadwork budgets.
Braun has said he would support diverting money from the state’s cash reserves to substitute for the lost revenue, an approach that would protect drivers at the pump while drawing down savings the state has accumulated.
Reaction across the aisle
Republican legislative leaders largely lined up behind the governor. Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) said he backed the extension, citing constituent concerns about affordability. “Even though Indiana has one of the lowest costs of living in the country, high gas prices continue to be a major concern for many households across our state, which is why I support the governor’s move to temporarily extend the suspension,” Bray said.
Democrats offered a more critical take. Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder (D-Bloomington) said Hoosiers “deserve relief from rising gas prices” but argued the suspension treats a symptom rather than a cause. “Gas prices have risen and continue to rise because of instability in the Middle East and uncertainty in global energy markets,” Yoder said. “Governor Braun is trying to shield Hoosiers from the consequences of policies he and his political allies support. While temporary relief may help today, Hoosiers deserve more than a band-aid after the damage is done.”
What’s next
The current order runs through July 7, and Braun has signaled he is weighing whether to keep the taxes suspended into early August. Whether the relief can continue without lawmakers convening — and how the state will backfill lost road money — are likely to dominate the debate in the weeks ahead. At the federal level, Congress continues to weigh a suspension of the 18-cent federal gas tax, which would deliver additional savings if approved.
Many people in the busy Fishers District area may have seen smoke or flames earlier Wednesday morning after a moving truck caught fire at The Yard at Fishers District.
The Fishers Fire Department says crews were called to the scene after the truck caught fire. Everyone inside the vehicle was able to get out safely before firefighters arrived.
When fire crews reached the area, they found the truck heavily involved in flames. Firefighters quickly worked to bring the blaze under control.
No other vehicles or nearby structures were affected, according to the department.
The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time.
Fishers fire officials used the incident as a reminder that vehicle fires can spread quickly. Anyone who notices smoke, flames or a burning odor while driving should pull over safely, turn off the vehicle, move everyone a safe distance away and call 911.
Hamilton County Democrats are looking to build momentum heading into the November election, and County Party Chair Josh Lowry says that effort includes everything from opening a party headquarters in Fishers to supporting candidates up and down the ballot.
In this podcast interview, Lowry discusses the party’s new office at the Eller House in Fishers, the hiring of Raleigh Brown as executive director, and his efforts to help make Democratic candidates more competitive in Hamilton County. He also talks about how he will encourage local Democratic candidates to address President Donald Trump in their individual campaigns.
Lowry also previews the upcoming Indiana Democratic Party convention and explains why the Hamilton County Democratic Party is not taking a position in the race for the party’s Secretary of State nomination.
The LarryInFishers podcast series is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.
Listen to the full podcast at this link, or the link below.
Jason Urban, leading the Policy Committee discussion
Students in Hamilton Southeastern Schools could soon be required to keep their cell phones and other wireless devices powered off and out of reach throughout the school day under a new policy the district’s Board of School Trustees is set to vote on June 10.
The proposed policy, discussed by the board’s Policy Committee Wednesday morning, chaired by Jason Urban, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, would require students to store their devices in lockers or backpacks during instructional hours. Phones, smartwatches, earbuds, tablets, gaming devices and similar internet- or cell-connected gadgets would all have to be turned off and inaccessible while school is in session.
The restrictions apply only to the school day. Students would still be allowed to use their devices before and after school and while riding the school bus.
District officials say the policy was crafted to align with recent changes in Indiana law. “Inappropriate use of cell phones and other wireless communication devices can be detrimental to the well-being of students and the academic climate of classrooms,” the proposed policy language states, noting that the devices “can disrupt the learning environment and take valuable time away from instruction.”
Under the policy, designated Code J13.00, students may still bring a wireless device to school but are prohibited from possessing or using it during the day. The measure defines a wireless electronic device broadly to include cellular phones, tablet and laptop computers, digital cameras, gaming devices, headphones and earbuds, smart glasses, smartwatches and any similar device connected to a phone, cell tower or the internet.
Students would still be permitted to use school-sanctioned devices that meet district specifications for instructional purposes.
The policy carves out several exceptions in which its restrictions would not apply. Students may use a device during an emergency when authorized to do so, to manage a documented medical condition under a health care provider’s order, as part of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan, or for language translation when no school-managed device is available.
Students who violate the policy could face discipline, up to and including suspension or expulsion. School administrators may confiscate a device, which would then be returned to a parent or guardian.
The policy also reminds families that students are solely responsible for the care and security of any devices they bring to school. Hamilton Southeastern Schools assumes no responsibility for theft, loss, damage or misuse of personal wireless devices on its property.
The Board of School Trustees is scheduled to take a vote on the policy at its June 10 meeting.
Hamilton Southeastern Schools will celebrate 1,754 graduates this week as Fishers High School and Hamilton Southeastern High School hold commencement ceremonies at the Fishers Event Center.
For the second consecutive year, both high schools will hold graduation at the Fishers Event Center, giving graduates and their families a shared community venue to mark the milestone.
Fishers High School will hold its commencement ceremony Wednesday, June 3, at 7 p.m. Hamilton Southeastern High School will follow Thursday, June 4, at 7 p.m.
District officials say the Class of 2026 leaves Hamilton Southeastern Schools with a strong record of academic achievement and preparation for the next step after high school.
Combined data from the two high schools shows a projected graduation rate of 99 percent, with an average GPA of 3.5. One in four graduates earned a GPA of 4.0 or higher.
The district reports that 91 percent of graduates plan to pursue post-secondary education, while 9 percent plan to enter the workforce or military. Students in the Class of 2026 also earned 380 industry certifications.
“This graduating class has demonstrated excellence both inside and outside the classroom,” Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley said. “Whether their next step is college, military service, the workforce, or another pathway, these students leave HSE prepared to make meaningful contributions to their communities. We are proud of all they have accomplished and excited to see what comes next.”
HSE officials said the Class of 2026 has built a legacy of academic success, leadership, service, athletic achievement, artistic excellence and community involvement throughout their time in the district.
Both graduation ceremonies will be livestreamed and recorded for those unable to attend in person.
The Fishers High School livestream is available at:
Soccer fans across central Indiana will have three chances this month to watch Team USA chase World Cup glory on the big screen — for free.
Fishers Event Center will host three World Cup Watch Parties at the FORUM Credit Union Plaza, the open-air space just outside the venue, as the United States men’s national team opens its tournament run. Each party features giant screens, interactive fan activations, giveaways, games, and food and beverages available for purchase, all in a stadium-inspired atmosphere built for cheering alongside fellow supporters.
The watch parties are presented in partnership with sponsor Michelob ULTRA, which is staging fan experiences nationwide as the World Cup returns to U.S. soil for the first time since 1994.
The schedule:
Friday, June 12 — Gates 8 p.m., kickoff 9 p.m. (USA vs. Paraguay)
Friday, June 19 — Gates 2 p.m., kickoff 3 p.m. (USA vs. Australia)
Thursday, June 25 — Gates 9 p.m., kickoff 10 p.m. (USA vs. Turkey)
Admission is free, with no tickets or registration required, and free surface parking is available. Because the plaza is an open-air venue, organizers encourage fans to bring lawn chairs or blankets and to dress for the weather — sunglasses, ponchos and similar gear depending on conditions.
Fishers Event Center, which opened in November 2024, seats 7,500 and hosts concerts, comedy, family shows and sporting events. It is home to three pro teams: the Indy Fuel (ECHL hockey), Indy Ignite (Major League Volleyball) and Fishers Freight (Indoor Football League).
Retiring Hamilton Southeastern High School social studies teacher Chad Janney received a surprise honor on the final day of school, capping a 28-year career with Hamilton Southeastern Schools.
Janney was presented with a Distinguished Hoosier proclamation from Gov. Mike Braun during a year-end gathering of his social studies department colleagues. The presentation was made by Jason Urban, HSE assistant superintendent of secondary education.
The Distinguished Hoosier award is one of Indiana’s highest honors, recognizing individuals whose service, leadership and contributions have made a lasting impact on their communities and the state.
Janney was nominated for the recognition in honor of his nearly three decades of dedication to students, his passion for history and civic education, and his work to create meaningful classroom experiences.
His efforts received additional attention earlier this school year during the U.S. Department of Education’s History Rocks! tour at Hamilton Southeastern High School, where Janney’s work to bring history to life for students was highlighted.
As Janney retires from teaching, the award serves as a tribute to a career devoted to helping students better understand history, citizenship and public service.
Josh Perry, a longtime Fishers resident, Hamilton Southeastern High School graduate and parent of two HSE students, has filed as a nonpartisan candidate for the Hamilton Southeastern School Board District 2 seat.
According to a news release issued by his campaign, Perry said his campaign will focus on steady and balanced leadership, practical problem solving, and what he describes as purposeful and thoughtful spending.
“I’m running for school board because I want to bring a nonpartisan, collaborative approach to give back to the schools and community that shaped who I am today,” Perry said in his campaign announcement. “As both a district graduate and parent, I’ve experienced our schools from both perspectives. I believe that our community is ready for steady, balanced leadership.”
Perry added that political division can distract from the work of the school district.
“I will listen carefully to the needs of our community, focus on practical solutions, and make decisions based on what’s best for students, families, and educators,” he said.
Perry grew up in Fishers’ Conner Knoll neighborhood and attended New Britton Elementary before graduating from Hamilton Southeastern High School in 2007. He later graduated from Purdue University in 2011, where he met his wife, Stephanie, who is also a Hamilton Southeastern High School graduate.
The couple now lives in West Fishers, raising their family in Stephanie’s childhood home. Their children, Parker and Caroline, attend Harrison Parkway Elementary and will be entering third grade and first grade this fall.
Professionally, Perry serves as Commercial Underwriting Manager for Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. In that role, he leads a team of 15 underwriters and oversees commercial property and casualty underwriting for the state of Indiana.
The District 2 seat is one of 4 Hamilton Southeastern School Board positions on the ballot this year. Candidates are allowed to name a party affiliation if so choosing, but Perry has chosen to run as nonpartisan.
