Ed Gebhart is preparing to handle a parking permit system in two specific Fishers neighborhoods at specific days and times.  The chief talks about that and much more in this podcast.  He discusses police bodycams, the crime lab and much more in the podcast linked below.

Four Ascension St. Vincent hospitals in Indiana have earned national recognition as 2025-2026 Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, a distinction awarded to only 160 hospitals across 49 states and 95 metro areas.

Recognized for demonstrating superior outcomes in at least one specialty, the honored Ascension St. Vincent facilities include:

• Ascension St. Vincent Hospital (Indianapolis)

• Ascension St. Vincent Heart Center (Indianapolis)

• Ascension St. Vincent Evansville (Evansville)

• Ascension St. Vincent Carmel (Carmel)

Although not included in this year’s rankings, Ascension St. Vincent also operates a hospital in Fishers, continuing to provide local residents with access to comprehensive care and medical services.

“What sets Ascension St. Vincent hospitals apart is our unwavering commitment to our Mission and the relentless dedication of our physicians and caregivers to provide compassionate, high-quality care to every patient we serve,” said Stephan Masconcup, JD, Chief Strategy Officer for Ascension St. Vincent. “We are extremely proud of our associates and honored to be recognized among the nation’s ‘Best Hospitals,’ a reflection of the healing ministry we live out each day.”

This year, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,400 hospitals nationwide across 15 adult specialties and 22 procedures and conditions. Only about 13% of those hospitals earned a Best Hospitals designation. The rankings are based on objective performance measures including risk-adjusted mortality rates, preventable complications, and nursing care levels, drawing from over 800 million records of patient care.

Ascension St. Vincent operates 19 hospitals across Indiana and a broad network of affiliated medical practices, clinics, and joint ventures. The health system employs more than 13,000 associates statewide. In Fiscal Year 2024, Ascension St. Vincent contributed over $357 million in community benefit programs and care for people living in poverty throughout Indiana.

Ascension St. Vincent is part of Ascension, one of the nation’s largest non-profit Catholic health systems, with 140 hospitals in 18 states and the District of Columbia. In Fiscal Year 2023, Ascension provided $2.2 billion in care for the poor and other community programs.

For more information, visit www.ascension.org.

It had been a long time since I last covered football, so when news broke in October 2023 that the ownership group behind the Indy Fuel hockey team would launch a franchise in the Indoor Football League (IFL), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

Like many sports fans, my exposure to indoor football was limited. I remembered the Arena Football League’s struggles with bankruptcy and attempts at revival, but the IFL was largely new territory for me.

To get up to speed, I began watching 2024 IFL games—available for free on YouTube at the time—and quickly found myself drawn in. While visiting family in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, I attended a game in person during the 2024 season. It was fast-paced, exciting, and featured a wide range of fan engagement activities. The experience sold me.

When the new team unveiled its name—Fishers Freight—my interest grew even more. Unlike the Indy Fuel and the Ignite volleyball team, both of which also call the new Fishers Event Center home, the Freight became the only professional sports team to carry the Fishers name.

The hiring of Dixie Wooten as head coach and general manager further underscored the franchise’s commitment to winning. Wooten brought a strong track record and high energy, and in an early video interview I conducted with him, he made it clear he was ready to build this team from the ground up.

While I had to miss the home opener in April due to a prior family trip, I caught the game on video. After that, I didn’t miss another home game all season, covering each one with media credentials. I also tuned in to the road games online.

Ahead of the season, I interviewed IFL Commissioner Todd Tryon, who discussed the league’s decision to move from free YouTube broadcasts to a paid streaming model, the IFL Network. In April, the league announced it had already reached 15,000 subscribers—a number that, I am certain, exceeded expectations.

On the field, the Freight got off to a thrilling start, opening the season with a road win over Northern Arizona followed by a home victory against Tulsa. As the IFL’s only expansion franchise, Fishers made an early splash with a 2-0 record.

But the momentum didn’t last.

Injuries and instability at quarterback led to a rash of turnovers and penalties, sparking a nine-game losing streak that ultimately dashed any playoff hopes. Yet even during the downturn, the Freight never lost their fight—or their fans.

The season took a hopeful turn late, thanks to the emergence of quarterback Felix Harper, who helped the team close the year with five straight wins. Harper’s leadership gave the team new life, and during a video message to fans at the final home game, Coach Wooten declared, “The best is yet to come.”

Following the season finale, reporter Eva Hallman spoke with Coach Wooten, who acknowledged the adversity but emphasized the team’s potential.  He praised his team for persevering during the 9-game losing streak.

“We have the best ownership, best front office—and at the end of the day, we have the best city as well,.” said Coach Wooten

Indeed, fan support has been one of the biggest success stories of the season. The Freight drew 5,600 fans on opening night, and even during the height of the losing streak, attendance remained strong, based on my observations, not dropping below 3,800. The final home game, despite having no playoff implications, drew more than 5,000 fans—a testament to the community’s enthusiasm.

As the offseason begins, Coach Wooten and his staff will get to work building a roster capable of contending in 2026. Based on what I’ve seen, the IFL offers a high-energy, professional product that’s both entertaining and accessible. Covering the Fishers Freight in their inaugural season has been a joy—and I can’t wait to see what next year brings.

If you’re a relatively new resident of Fishers, you may not be familiar with the long-running controversy surrounding one of the city’s oldest structures—the Kincaid House. Also known as the Flanagan-Kincaid House, and sometimes referred to as the Morris-Flanagan-Kincaid House, this historic home dates back to 1861 and stands as a testament to Fishers’ agricultural roots.

The house originally stood near 106th Street and Lantern Road, but as development surged in the area, the historic structure was threatened with demolition. Thanks to the efforts of local preservationists, the Kincaid House was saved—at least for a time. In 2018, it was painstakingly relocated to a site visible from I-69, south of 116th Street.

At the time, I asked those involved in the relocation what the long-term plans were for the house. No one had a clear answer. One proposal even considered moving the house again to the center of a city roundabout, but the logistics never worked out. Since then, the house has sat at its current site without access to utilities or a proper access road. It has slowly deteriorated, largely untouched and increasingly neglected.

On July 22, the City of Fishers announced that the Kincaid House will be “deconstructed.” In other words, the structure will be dismantled, with materials such as its original clay bricks to be “repurposed” for a future project at the Fishers Agripark—though that project has yet to take shape.

Randy Kincaid, speaking on behalf of the family, expressed mixed emotions in a city news release: “We are sad to see it go. We are pleased it can continue in another form to honor the farming heritage of Fishers.”

(You can listen to a podcast with Gail & Randy Kincaid, along with Ashley Elrod from the City of Fishers, about the Kincaid House & Fishers history, recorded in August of 2022, at this link.)

When the house was moved in 2018, there was an expectation that it would become part of a privately operated park. That never materialized.

In the days since the city’s announcement, social media has lit up with criticism directed at city leaders, including Mayor Scott Fadness, for allowing this outcome. But having followed this saga for years, I believe the situation is more complex.

Yes, the city committed to maintaining the house when it took over from the organization then known as Nickel Plate Arts. But preserving the Kincaid House was always a shared responsibility. Since the relocation, no corporations doing business in Fishers—despite benefiting from the area’s growth—stepped up to fund preservation. No nonprofit took ownership of the effort, financially or otherwise. The community at large failed to rally around the cause.

The loss of the Kincaid House in its original form is not just a failure of municipal leadership. It’s a collective failure—a missed opportunity for us all. Before pointing fingers, perhaps we should each take a moment to reflect and ask: What could I have done to help preserve this piece of Fishers history?

The work seek starting Monday, July 28, is another very busy one in and around Fishers.  Lots of resurfacing projects and plenty of activity in the Clear Path project at I-69 & I-465.

Below is a full listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Road construction update for the week of Monday, July 28 →

The Fishers Freight wrapped up their inaugural Indoor Football League (IFL) season in dramatic fashion Friday night, overwhelming the Iowa Barnstormers 81-40 at the Fishers Event Center.

The Freight finished their first campaign with a 7-9 record, riding a five-game winning streak to close out the season. That strong finish, however, couldn’t fully offset a difficult midseason stretch that included nine consecutive losses following two opening wins. Iowa ends its season at 1-15.

The game began with early miscues, as Fishers turned the ball over on downs after receiving the opening kickoff. Iowa capitalized quickly, scoring on a touchdown pass from quarterback James Cahoon. The Barnstormers held a brief 10-7 lead early in the second quarter, but that would be their last advantage of the night.

Fishers’ Jerron McGaw electrified the home crowd with a kickoff return for a touchdown, sparking a surge that put the Freight in control for good. From that point on, the Freight dominated on both sides of the ball, much to the delight of the more than 5,000 fans in attendance.

Despite a season without playoff implications, support for the team remained strong throughout the year. Fans continued to pack the stands—even during the rough patches—demonstrating their commitment to the city’s newest professional sports team.

With year one in the books, Head Coach Dixie Wooten and his staff are already looking ahead to 2026, with playoff aspirations and a strong foundation to build upon.

A group of students from Hamilton Southeastern High School spent this week at a unique summer camp experience—Health Camp at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Fishers—designed to inspire future careers in health care.

During my visit, students were participating in a demonstration of robotic surgery equipment, a cutting-edge technology that allows for minimally invasive procedures and significantly reduces patient recovery time.

Athziri Santiago-Lemus, who is entering her senior year at HSE, was especially impressed with the robotic tools. Her biggest takeaway from the camp so far? The importance of staying open to new possibilities.

“It’s a really great opportunity that has let me see a lot of what goes into a hospital and a lot of things that I didn’t even know existed,” Santiago-Lemus said.

The program was spearheaded by Kimberly Nealon, a registered nurse who serves as both Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operations Officer at Ascension St. Vincent in Fishers. Planning for the Health Camp began six months ago, and her efforts were key in bringing the idea to life.

While the hospital has hosted high school interns in the past, this structured, immersive camp experience was a new step forward.

“We knew we could already put on a good show and give them a great experience,” Nealon said.

Organizing a weeklong, hands-on program like this requires significant resources. But the hospital was all-in. Of the 85 to 90 HSE students who applied, 17 were selected to participate in this pilot program.

Nealon sees Health Camp as more than just an educational experience—it’s the starting point of a journey for students considering health care careers.

“I believe that this experience helps them develop a concrete path,” she said.

Special thanks to media relations guru Dan McFeely and Aleks Overby, President of Ascension St. Vincent in Fishers, for providing invaluable background information. I came away with far more insight than I can share in a single story—and I expect both will be continuing to share the hospital’s story with the broader community in the months to come.

The Fishers Health Department (FHD) is urging residents to take precautions after the Indiana Department of Health confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus (WNV) in mosquito samples collected within Hamilton County.

The detection comes as WNV activity typically spikes between July and September, especially during dawn and dusk hours when mosquitoes are most active. Health officials are advising the public to take preventive measures to protect against mosquito bites and reduce mosquito breeding grounds.

Preventive Recommendations:

• Eliminate standing water in items such as birdbaths, flowerpots, gutters, and other containers where mosquitoes can breed.

• Use EPA-registered insect repellents that contain DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.

• Wear protective clothing including long sleeves and pants, particularly during early morning and evening hours.

• Ensure window and door screens are intact to prevent mosquitoes from entering homes.

• Limit time outdoors during dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

“West Nile Virus is a serious health concern, especially for people over the age of 50 who are at greater risk for severe illness,” the FHD stated in a public advisory. “While many infected individuals may not show symptoms, some may experience moderate to severe illness.”

West Nile Virus is the leading mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Symptoms can range from mild flu-like illness to severe neurological complications. There is no specific treatment for WNV, making prevention the most effective strategy.

The Fishers Health Department will continue to monitor mosquito activity and work with the state health department to assess risk levels in the community.

Fans of Whitney Houston are in for a powerful musical experience this Friday, July 25, as Kroger Symphony on the Prairie welcomes internationally acclaimed vocalist Belinda Davids in The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston at Conner Prairie Amphitheatre.

Backed by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and led by Principal Pops Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez, the performance promises a stirring journey through Houston’s most iconic songs. The setlist includes favorites like “I Will Always Love You,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “I Have Nothing,” and “Greatest Love of All.”

Davids, a chart-topping artist from South Africa, has earned international acclaim for her stunning vocal resemblance to Houston. Her résumé includes performances alongside artists like Keyshia Cole and Monica, as well as appearances on Showtime at the Apollo and the BBC’s Even Better Than the Real Thing.

The concert begins at 8 p.m., with gates opening at 6 p.m. Attendees are welcome to bring food and drinks or purchase refreshments on site. Reserved seating, table rentals, and tickets to the exclusive Huntington National Bank Sunset Lounge are available in limited quantities.

Tickets can be purchased at IndianapolisSymphony.org, the Hilbert Circle Theatre Box Office, or most central Indiana Kroger stores. Discounts are available for groups and multi-show purchases.

This tribute is not affiliated with the Estate of Whitney Houston.