One wonders what it will take for the Indy Fuel to get their first win of this ECHL season.  They came up short in a Saturday night showdown at the Fishers Event Center, falling 5-4 in overtime to the Cincinnati Cyclones.

After rallying from a two-goal deficit and taking a late third-period lead, the Fuel were seconds away from victory before Cincinnati forced extra time — and quickly sealed the win.

Cincinnati opened the scoring midway through the first period when Luke Grainger converted on a power play at 8:49 after Indy’s Jordan Martin was called for high sticking. John Jaworski added another goal with just over a minute left in the period to make it 2-0 Cyclones. Tensions flared after the horn as both teams engaged in a brief scuffle before heading to the locker rooms. Shots were even at eight apiece after one.

The Fuel found their spark in the second period. Kevin Lombardi got Indy on the board at 4:50, assisted by Chris Cameron and Martin. Cincinnati extended its lead to 3-1 at 12:33 when Ben King’s goal stood after a video review. Indy answered back when Sahil Panwar netted his first goal of the season on the power play at 15:04, with assists from Holden Wale and Harrison Israels. The Fuel carried momentum into the break, outshooting the Cyclones 22-16 through two periods but still trailing 3-2.

Early in the third, the Fuel tied the game when Lee Lapid — playing against his former team — scored his first of the season on the power play, assisted by Jesse Tucker and Christian Berger. Lombardi struck again at 15:55, giving Indy a 4-3 lead with help from Matt Petgrave and Owen Robinson.

With less than 15 seconds remaining, the Cyclones pulled goaltender Kyle McClellan for an extra skater and were given a two-man advantage after a rare goaltender tripping penalty to Indy’s Owen Flores. The move paid off when Ryan Kirwan scored with just 4.7 seconds on the clock to tie the game 4-4 and send it to overtime.

Cincinnati needed only 40 seconds in the extra period to complete the comeback, as Elijah Vilio netted the game-winner to give the Cyclones a 5-4 victory.

The Fuel were less than 5 seconds away from their first win of this young season and fell short.  The Fuel are now 0-4 as they prepare to head down I-74 and face this same Cincy team on the road Thursday night.

There may be a chill in the air this week, but that does not indicate road construction in and around Fishers is slowing down much.  There is plenty of news to peruse in this week’s update.

Below is the full listing, as provided by the City of Fishers, for the work week starting Monday, October 27:

Continue reading Fishers area road construction news for the work week starting Monday, October 27 →

A section of 96th Street will be closed for more than a week in early November as construction crews complete one of the final steps in the Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian bridge project.

According to the City of Fishers, 96th Street will be fully closed between Hague Road and Masters Road beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 7, and will remain closed through Sunday, November 16. The closure will allow crews to finish roadway reconstruction work beneath the new bridge.

Work is scheduled to take place Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Detours will be clearly marked to guide drivers around the area, and access to all nearby businesses will remain open throughout the project.

City officials say this marks one of the final major milestones before the Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian bridge opens in December. The bridge will provide a safe crossing over 96th Street, connecting the Fishers section of the trail with Indianapolis to the south.

A detour map is posted above to assist drivers in navigating the closure area.

The construction project by the Hamilton County Highway Department continues at 146th Street and Allisonville Road.  Below is a statement about an overnight closures coming, starting Sunday night.

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Please be advised, beginning on or after, Sunday, October 26, 2025, during the hours of 7:00PM and 6:00AM, drivers should expect nightly lane closures and temporary ramp closures for milling and paving operations. The paving operations on 146^th Street and Allisonville Road are expected to be completed by Friday, November 7, 2025. Drivers should expect delays and are encouraged to seek an alternate route.

Please use extreme caution and follow the posted work zone speed limit while driving through this construction zone.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two separate fatal crashes that occurred Wednesday evening in different parts of the county.

The first crash happened around 6:40 p.m. on October 22, 2025, in the 25400 block of Gwinn Road. Deputies responding to the scene found a single-vehicle accident involving a white 2023 Toyota RAV4. According to preliminary findings, the vehicle was traveling northbound when it crossed into the southbound lane and struck a tree on the west side of the roadway.

The driver, 16-year-old Elizabeth Achenbach, was the only occupant of the vehicle. She was transported to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, where she was later pronounced dead.

About three hours later, at approximately 9:29 p.m., deputies were called to another serious crash on U.S. 31 in Westfield. The collision occurred in the 19000 block of the northbound lanes and involved a Chevrolet Cruze and a Dodge Ram.

Investigators said the Chevrolet Cruze was traveling southbound on U.S. 31 near 191st Street when it crossed the median and began traveling the wrong direction in the northbound lanes. As it approached the 191st Street off-ramp, the Cruze collided head-on with the Dodge Ram.

Both vehicles sustained severe damage. The driver of the Chevrolet Cruze, identified as Edward Johnson, 62, of Sheridan, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office. The occupants of the Dodge Ram suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team is investigating both incidents.

After weeks of discussion, the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board has approved the district’s 2026 spending plan totaling more than $340 million.

The district’s share of the property tax rate will rise slightly to 1.1476, up from 1.1433 in 2025. HSE Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown told board members the small increase is due to changes in assessed property valuations.

State funding for local school districts is based on enrollment, and HSE saw a decline of 409 students this school year. The district reported an enrollment of 20,289 students to the state this month, compared to 20,698 a year ago.

As part of the new budget, HSE will replace 15 school buses out of its 320-vehicle fleet at a cost of $3 million, financed through general obligation bonds.

Brown also outlined details of a tentative agreement with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, the local teachers union. The proposed contract includes no base salary increases, but the district will make a one-time contribution to teachers’ Health Savings Accounts to help offset significant health insurance premium increases.

The agreement also revises the district’s leave policy. Previously, teachers received seven sick days and seven paid time off (PTO) days annually. Under the new arrangement, that will be consolidated into 14 PTO days per year.

The presentation on the tentative teacher contract can be viewed at this link.

In other business, the board received an update on the ongoing redistricting process. Consultant Andrew Bishop of Woolpert told members that a final redistricting map recommendation will be presented at the November 12 board meeting, with a final vote expected in December.

Bishop noted that an early proposal to repurpose one elementary school into a preschool was removed from consideration following negative community feedback.

The district and Woolpert hosted two community meetings this week to present three sets of proposed maps and gather public input. Residents can continue to submit comments online through November 6.

The Fishers Police Department conducted a targeted traffic enforcement blitz along and around Olio Road on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in 120 traffic stops over a four-hour period.

According to a social media post from the department, 15 officers participated in the operation, which ran from noon to 4 p.m. The highest recorded speed during the blitz was 25 miles per hour over the posted limit.

Police said the purpose of the effort was to promote road safety and engage with the community. Officers reported several positive conversations with drivers about safe driving practices.

“The good news is that many drivers were already following the posted speed limits,” the department said in its post. “Every stop is an opportunity to prevent crashes and protect our community.”

Fishers Police encouraged all motorists to continue driving responsibly, emphasizing that “slower speeds equal safer streets.”

The department thanked drivers who set a positive example by obeying traffic laws and contributing to safer roads in the city.

Hallett Sports & Entertainment announced Wednesday that President Larry McQueary will step down from his position effective October 31. McQueary, who has led the organization for the past 11 years, is leaving to pursue new opportunities outside the company.

“We thank Larry for his contributions and leadership during his time at Hallett Sports,” said CEO Sean Hallett. “He has played a pivotal role in growing the business to where it is today.”

McQueary expressed appreciation for his time with the organization, which oversees the Indy Fuel hockey team and the Fishers Freight indoor football team.

“It has been a privilege and honor to serve the community in this capacity over the past eleven years,” McQueary said. “I’m very proud of the tremendous growth the organization experienced during my tenure while working alongside our many talented staff members.”

Beginning November 1, Sean Hallett will assume the role of Team President for both the Indy Fuel and Fishers Freight. The company stated it remains committed to operational excellence, organizational growth, and advancing professional sports in Central Indiana.

Scott Fadness has always said a regional approach is the only way to develop.  His view is this – if an employer is looking to locate, it must first be sold on the region before selecting the specific site of any new operation.

An entity aimed at developing central Indiana is CIRDA – the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority – an organization supported by Mayor Fadness and is getting the support of cities and towns throughout this part of the state.

I sat down with Mayor Fadness and the Executive Director of CIRDA, Jennifer Messer, for a podcast discussion.  Listen to that podcast at the link below.

A new Little Free Courthouse Library has been added to the jury assembly room on the second floor of the Hamilton County Judicial Center, giving courthouse visitors a new way to pass the time while waiting for court proceedings.

Court of Appeals Judge Paul Felix and Hamilton County Court Administrator Jill Acklin stocked the shelves on Friday, October 17, with books donated by the Indiana Court of Appeals. The donation is part of a statewide effort to place free book collections in courthouses across Indiana, providing reading materials for children, teens, and adults.

“By donating books, we hope to make the courthouse a little less scary, and a bit more inviting,” Judge Felix said. “If the books can mitigate a little bit of the anxiety surrounding a child’s or their parent’s attendance at the courthouse, this endeavor will be well worth it.”

Visitors are invited to read the books while waiting or take one home. Organizers hope the collection will continue to grow as others contribute additional titles.

“We welcome anyone to stop by our Little Free Courthouse Library,” Acklin said. “There is truly something for everyone on our shelves, and we look forward to seeing the collection continue to expand and serve anyone in the building.”