It was opening night for the Indy Fuel Friday at the Fishers Event Center, as the team was introduced to a crowd of 6,530 fans. Team owner Jim Hallett welcomed the enthusiastic audience before the puck dropped to begin the 2025–2026 season.

This year’s opener marked a sharp contrast to last season, when the Fuel spent the first six weeks on the road while construction wrapped up on their new home. This time, the team started the season on home ice — but couldn’t come away with a win.

The rival Fort Wayne Komets spoiled the celebration, shutting out the Fuel 4–0. The game started on a tough note for the Fuel, as Michael Marcheson was called for a penalty less than three minutes into play. Seconds later, Jayden Joseph joined him in the penalty box, giving the Komets a two-man advantage. Fort Wayne capitalized quickly, with Blake Murray scoring the first goal of the night.

Komets goalie Nataniel Day kept the Fuel off the scoreboard for the rest of the game, earning a shutout in the season opener.

With only five returning players from last year’s roster, much of this year’s Fuel lineup is new, and it may take time for the squad to find its chemistry.

The Fuel will be back in action Saturday night, October 18, once again at home in the Fishers Event Center, facing one of the ECHL’s top teams in recent seasons — the Toledo Walleye.

The  Hamilton County Highway Department has yet another heads-up for motorists traveling at the 146th Street and Allisonville Road construction area.  See the message below from the county for more details:

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Please be advised, beginning on or after, Monday, October 20, 2025, between the hours of 7:00 PM and 6:00 AM the following morning, drivers should expect periodic ramp closures for paving operations. Only one ramp will be closed at a time during these operations. Drivers are encouraged to seek an alternate route during these operations to avoid ramp closures.

• Monday 10/20 – NE and NW ramps anticipated to be impacted
• Tuesday 10/21 – NE and NW ramps anticipated to be impacted
• Wednesday 10/22 – NE and NW ramps anticipated to be impacted
• Thursday 10/23 – SE and SW ramps anticipated to be impacted
• Friday 10/24 – SE and SW ramps anticipated to be impacted
• Saturday 10/25 – SE and SW ramps anticipated to be impacted

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District is continuing its months-long process to redraw school boundaries, a move that will affect students at all grade levels except the two high schools.

In an email to families this week, district officials said the redistricting effort is aimed at addressing current facility needs, balancing enrollment across schools, and planning for long-term growth and stability in the rapidly expanding district.

Since launching the process in August, HSE has gathered significant community input. More than 4,000 parents, staff members, and residents responded to an initial survey identifying their top priorities for new boundaries. The most common themes were assigning students to their closest school whenever possible, aligning feeder patterns from elementary through junior high, and keeping neighborhoods together.

More than 200 parents, staff, and community members later participated in focus groups to refine three potential boundary options. Those options are now available for public review, along with a video presentation (see the link above) explaining each scenario and a boundary locator tool that allows families to see how their home address could be affected.

District officials will also host two community meetings next week to share information and collect additional feedback. Both sessions will present identical material, and families are encouraged to attend only one:

• Monday, October 20 – 6 p.m. at Fishers High School, 13000 Promise Road (Café A & B, enter through Door 19)

• Tuesday, October 21 – 6 p.m. at Hamilton Southeastern High School, 12499 Olio Road (Café A & B, enter through Door 1)

Attendees will learn more about the boundary process, review the official options, and have the opportunity to submit feedback through the district’s online survey.

In its message to families, the district emphasized that while school assignments may change, “every student in Hamilton Southeastern Schools will continue to attend a world-class school with exceptional leadership, faculty, instructional resources, academic achievement, and facilities.”

The redistricting process will continue through the fall, with final recommendations expected later this year.

Drivers traveling on the northeast side of Indianapolis should prepare for major lane and ramp closures this weekend as part of ongoing Clear Path 465 construction.  This is a major way Fishers residents commute to and from downtown Indianapolis and other areas.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) announced that traffic on eastbound I-465 will be shifted to new pavement near the White River to allow crews to continue building new lanes and ramps in the median area. The change will move the exit from eastbound I-465 to northbound I-69 and southbound Binford Boulevard farther west.

To complete the traffic shift, INDOT plans the following closures beginning 9 p.m. Friday, October 17, through 6 a.m. Monday, October 20:

• Ramps from northbound and southbound Keystone Avenue to eastbound I-465 will be closed.

• The ramp from eastbound I-465 to Allisonville Road will be closed.

• Eastbound I-465 will be reduced to two lanes between River Road and the 82nd Street overpass, then to one lane through the Binford Boulevard/I-69 area.

In addition, from 9 p.m. Friday, October 17, to 6 a.m. Sunday, October 19:

• The ramp from eastbound I-465 to southbound Binford Boulevard will be closed.

• The ramp from eastbound I-465 to northbound I-69 will also be closed.

Drivers are urged to plan alternate routes and expect delays throughout the weekend. INDOT cautions that the schedule may change due to weather or other unforeseen factors.

The Indiana Safe Zones speed control program remains active in the Clear Path 465 construction area. Automated speed monitoring systems are in place to promote safety for both workers and motorists. INDOT reminds drivers to slow down, avoid distractions, and stay alert in construction zones.

The Clear Path 465 project is aimed at improving traffic flow and safety on the northeast side of Indianapolis, including new interchanges and added capacity along I-465 and I-69.

Fishers police have arrested a man in connection with a reported sexual assault at a local massage business earlier this week.

According to the Fishers Police Department, Xinjun Zhu was taken into custody on Thursday, October 16, and faces preliminary charges of rape, criminal confinement, sexual battery, and resisting law enforcement.

The arrest followed an investigation that began on October 13, when officers responded to a report of a sexual assault at Massage Finesse, located in the 11600 block of Olio Road. Police said a woman contacted them after alleging that a male masseuse, who went by the name “David,” sexually assaulted her during a massage.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the business and executed it three days later. When officers entered the premises, Zhu reportedly disobeyed commands and retreated toward the back of the building before being taken into custody.

During the search, police detained six individuals believed to be living inside the business. None of them were arrested, but authorities said the situation raised safety and code concerns. As a result, Fishers Code Enforcement closed the business, and the property owners changed the locks.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted the Fishers Police Department in a linguistic capacity during the investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations also provided support.

Zhu was booked into the Hamilton County Jail, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The process of redrawing school boundaries within Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools is moving forward. The district’s consultant, Woolpert, has been gathering input through public comments and focus groups throughout September and October, and the next phase will include two community meetings to present proposed maps.

The first meeting will take place Monday, October 20, at 6 p.m. at Fishers High School, in Cafés A & B. Attendees should enter through Door 19.  The second session will be held Tuesday, October 21, at 6 p.m. at Hamilton Southeastern High School, also in Cafés A & B, with entry through Door 1.

During these meetings, residents will have the opportunity to meet the Woolpert team leading the redistricting effort and view the first draft of proposed school boundary options. The district expects to present multiple scenarios for public review.

Community members will also be able to share feedback through a survey that opens at the meetings and will remain available for two weeks.

The redistricting process will review attendance boundaries for all schools serving students in pre-K through grade 8.

Superintendent Patrick Mapes noted during a recent school board meeting that redistricting could lead to cost savings by allowing for more efficient use of school facilities.

Following the community input period, Woolpert will work with HSE administrators to develop a final boundary recommendation. The proposal is expected to be presented to the HSE School Board for a final vote in December.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District has reached a tentative contract agreement with the local teachers union, the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, covering the 2025-2026 school year.  The new pact calls for no base salary increase for teachers.  There will be a public hearing on the pact at the October 22 school board meeting.

The contract must be ratified by the teachers then approved by the school board

See the contract language, with more details on the health insurance and leave provisions, available at this link.

After recently writing about how I do—and do not—use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in producing this local news site and my podcasts, I’ve learned that I may now be in the minority. New data shows that a growing share of online content is being created entirely by AI.

Graphite, a firm specializing in search engine optimization (SEO), reports that AI-generated articles have overtaken those written by humans on the web. The company notes two key trends:

• The quantity of AI-generated articles has surpassed the number of human-written pieces published online.

• However, the proportion of AI-generated content has leveled off since May 2024.

Graphite also cautions that most AI-produced articles do not tend to appear prominently in Google search results or in ChatGPT responses—and that it remains difficult to determine exactly how many online articles are still authored by people.

AI’s impact extends beyond written content. The industry newsletter Podcast Tonight reports that artificial intelligence is transforming podcasting as well.

“Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing podcasting by enabling the mass production of shows with virtual hosts, making it cheaper and easier to create content,” the newsletter says. “Companies like Inception Point AI are producing thousands of AI-generated podcasts weekly and attracting advertisers even for niche topics. Some experts worry this will make it difficult for independent creators to compete and maintain quality. While some believe audiences will accept AI-hosted shows if they’re engaging, others argue that listeners still value authentic human connection in podcasts.”

As for me, I have never produced a podcast hosted or created by AI—and I don’t plan to start. It remains to be seen how podcast audiences will respond to this wave of AI-generated programming.

For now, my approach remains the same: I make limited use of AI tools in writing for this site and have never used AI-generated audio in any of my podcasts. I have no plans to change those policies.

It’s not exactly a quiet week in Fishers—this is a busy community most of the time—but things do tend to slow down a bit every October when Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools take a week off for fall break.

For 2025, HSE’s fall break begins Monday, October 13. Expect lighter traffic on local roads and shorter wait times at area restaurants throughout the week.

The Fishers City Council usually meets on the third Monday of each month, but this October’s regular meeting was moved to the first Monday to avoid overlapping with families returning from fall break travel.

HSE Schools has long made a point of releasing its district calendar well in advance so parents can plan ahead for fall, holiday, and spring breaks. The current calendar is available through May 2028.

If you and your family are heading out of town this week, travel safely and enjoy the break. For those staying close to home, take advantage of the slower pace and explore some local activities. And to the teachers—no encouragement needed—enjoy your well-earned time away from the classroom.

When classes resume, HSE will have plenty of work waiting. The district must finalize its budget, continue negotiations with the local teachers’ association, and move forward with the redistricting process—all in the weeks ahead.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the most talked-about topics everywhere these days. One profession still trying to determine how best to use — and not use — this new technology is journalism.

I began my career as a radio news reporter in the 1970s, left broadcasting to work in the federal civil service in the early 1980s, and later launched this local news site in 2012 after retiring from government service. Back in my days behind a microphone, I could never have imagined a tool like AI.

Today, newsrooms of all sizes are grappling with how to navigate this fast-changing technology. My goal in this piece is to explain how I use AI — and how I don’t.

First and foremost, I never ask AI to write stories for me. Every article you see on this site is the result of my own reporting and writing.

That said, I do find AI useful in limited ways. I sometimes use it to suggest headlines, offer alternative wording for a press release, or polish a story I’ve already written. Even then, I don’t always accept what AI produces — and every piece published here is reviewed by a human being: me.

I can’t recall a single instance where I’ve taken AI’s advice completely as-is. Those who design these systems even have a term, “hallucination,” for the times when AI confidently produces something that’s just plain wrong. It happens more often than you might think.

For example, just a few days ago, I asked an AI program for background information about government shutdowns. It responded that no federal shutdown was in place — even though there clearly was one. When I asked again, it apologized and corrected itself.

Experts warn that AI could one day replace human thinking and decision-making as it grows more sophisticated. In my humble opinion, though, no AI will ever attend a local government meeting, grasp the nuances of what happens, and accurately report it for the public. There’s a human element to journalism — context, judgment, empathy — that machines can’t replicate.

I may be proven wrong someday, but for now, I see AI as a useful yet limited tool in the reporting process. Like any new technology, it holds great promise — and real potential for harm.

Remember when social media was first promoted as a great way to stay connected and share ideas? It certainly does that, but we’ve also seen the unexpected downsides that came with it.

Across the country, newsrooms are developing policies to guide their use of AI. As for me, I’ll continue to use this technology carefully, ethically, and transparently — keeping human judgment at the heart of everything I publish.