Hamilton Southeastern Schools are in the midst of a process aimed at redrawing the district’s school boundaries, grades kindergarten through 8th grade, for the start of the 2019-2020 school year, beginning in August of next year.  If you have been reading social media in the Fishers area, there are plenty of comments about what is happening so far, and some of the comments are not complimentary.

The new Southeastern Elementary, currently under construction near Southeastern Parkway and Cyntheanne Road, will be welcoming students in August of 2019.  Hence, the need to redistrict school boundary lines.

Mike Fassold, long-time teacher in the HSE system, currently at Fishers Junior High School, has served on redistricting committees in the past but has chosen not to take on that role this time around.  Mr. Fassold made some very pertinent comments recently on his Facebook page.

Here is part of that post:

Each plan has Fishers Junior High/Sand Creek Intermediate School between 80 and 85% capacity. This should have been a show-stopper for each plan. The growth is on the eastern side of our district. FJH/SCIS and Riverside JH/IS should be filled to 105% each so that redistricting can be delayed as much as possible for those schools. Fall Creek Junior High/Intermediate School and HSE Intermediate School/Junior High should be the schools with enrollment at the 80 to 85% level so that they can adapt to growth easier.

It should be noted there are two community dialogue sessions scheduled…the first is set for October 24th at Fishers High School, the second the following evening, October 25th, at HSE High School.  Each begins at 6:00pm in the cafeteria.

The HSE School Board plans a work session on November 20th to review the work of the various groups and the options they have offered.  Superintendent Allen Bourff will present the administration’s proposed boundaries at the November 28th school board session.  The board is scheduled to vote on the final redistricting plan December 12th.

The Fishers Fire Department welcomed a new piece of equipment at the station on 116th Street near Brooks School Road.  A shiny, new Pierce 105’ ladder truck arrived Monday.

Companies and their families followed rich fire service tradition by “wetting down” the truck, praying over it for the protection of firefighters and all they serve, and “pushing” the truck into its bay.  The traditions date back to the days when fires were fought using carts.

Local firefighters took time to remember Assistant Chief Raymond “Bud” Moulders death, which happened Oct 13, 1967.

The new fire truck will replace a 2002 ladder, which will still serve in a reserve and training capacity.

Hamilton Counter Reporter

Fishers nearly pulled off an upset at Zionsville on Friday before falling to the Class
5A No. 7 Eagles 13-12 Friday in the Tigers’ Hoosier Crossroads Conference and
regular-season finale.

The Eagles got on the board first with a first-quarter touchdown. Fishers worked
its way back to a 6-6 tie in the third quarter thanks to field goals from Jack Phillips,
who hit a 29-yarder in the beginning of the second quarter and a 35-yard kick late in
the third period.

Zionsville scored on a long running touchdown in the fourth. The Tigers answered
with a 5-yard run by Dylan Scally with 19 seconds left, but the Eagles held on for the
win.

Scally rushed for 152 yards on 35 carries, while Matt Noble added 55 yards. Lucas
Prewitt completed 8 of 20 passes for 109 yards, with Collin Statz making four receptions.

Fishers finished HCC play 2-5 and the regular season 3-6. The Tigers will play at
Pike on Oct. 26 in the semi-finals of 6A Sectional 5.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern gave a good fight to Class 6A No. 2 Brownsburg on Friday
before falling to the undefeated Bulldogs 10-9 at Reynolds Royals Stadium.

Both teams scored their points in the first and fourth quarters. Mitch Hebenstreit
kicked a 35-yard field goal to start, after which Brownsburg’s Donny Marcus scored
on a 10-yard rushing touchdown.

The Royals scored a huge touchdown in the fourth quarter, when DeAndre Rhodes
caught a 75-yard pass from Andrew Hobson. But the Bulldogs held on for the win.
Matt Harris led the Southeastern rushing with 81 yards, including a 36-yard run
during the game. Hobson was 6-of-24 for 105 yards, with Jackson Lantz making three
catches.

Brownsburg’s victory gave it an undefeated Hoosier Crossroads Conference
championship at 7-0, and moved the Bulldogs to 9-0 for the regular season.

The Royals finished HCC play at 2-5, and were 3-6 for the regular season.

Southeastern will host North Central on Oct. 26 in the semi-finals of 6A Sectional 5.

In Hamilton Southeaster School Board District 3, Jennifer Reardon McSoley is a candidate.  Here is my conversation with her…

The Fishers Police Department announced promotions for two of its officers Friday.

Sergeant Ryan Jones has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, and Officer Jason Arnold assumes the rank of Sergeant.

Lieutenant Jones received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Spanish at Ball State University, then earned a Master’s Degree in Criminology at Indiana State University.  He was hired by Fishers Police in 2007, and will now serve as shift commander in the Patrol Division.

Sergeant Arnold has a Microbiology degree from Purdue.  He will be assuming his new job as a shift supervisor in the Patrol Division.

Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart held a public ceremony at the new police headquarters building to announce the promotions Thursday evening.

Police officials say these are merit promotions, requiring written examinations, oral interviews, assessment exercises, and a review of past performance.

Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk the moon’s surface and will be forever remembered for that feat.  But Armstrong was largely a quiet, private man.  A book written by James R. Hansen tells us much more about the man Neil Armstrong.  That book has been made into a film, First Man.  Here is my podcast review.

WTHR “13 Investigates” reporter Bob Segal says the television station has filed a lawsuit against HSE Schools because school officials have refused to provide a factual basis for why Fishers Football Coach Rick Wimmer was suspended.  Segal’s report says WTHR is asking a judge to force local school officials to disclose the factual basis for Wimmer’s suspension, which 13 Investigates argues is required by state law.

The lawsuit was mentioned in a story posted Thursday by Segal about a lawsuit filed by Jayden Bond and his mother Joniece Brooks alleging Wimmer and the HSE Schools did not handle a classroom situation in 2016 properly.

You can read the story at this link.

Emma Kate Fittes of the Indianapolis Star has written a story about a lawsuit filed in Indianapolis Federal District Court about an incident between Fishers Football Coach (and classroom teacher) Rick Wimmer, and a student in his class, Jayden Bond, in 2016.  The suit alleges that Bond was subjected to racial discrimination, denying Bond his civil right.

For more details, read the story posted on the IndyStar Web site at this link.

An idea raised at the September City Council Finance Committee may need to be postponed for consideration to next year.  Deputy Mayor Elliott Hultgren told the committee Wednesday that there is an issue with at least one current member of the Board of Works and Public Safety already holding what state law defines as a “lucrative position.”

The council panel mulled over the idea of paying members of the Board of Works at the last meeting.  Hultgren said he has discussed the issue with City Attorney Chris Greisl, and that could be a problem for one currently serving member of the Board of Works.

Jason Meyer is an elected member of the Fall Creek Township Board.  If Mayor Fadness wants Meyer to continue in his current role as a Board of Works member, and he would be eligible for a salary for his work on the city board, Meyer would need to choose between his elected position with Fall Creek Township and the appointed position with the city.

Currently, the City of Fishers does not pay members of the Board of Works.

In other matters before the committee….the city has received written objections to funding the Nickel Plate Trail as part of the 2019 budget.  City officials say 10-13 objections were filed from 6-7 different addresses in Fishers.  The city will issue written responses to these objections through the budget process.

On another issue, Hultgren told members of the Finance Committee that both the Fire Department headquarters building near City Hall and the fire station along Allisonville Road, near Metropolitan Airport, will both need to be demolished and rebuilt.  The issue was raised during discussion of bonds to be issued in order to pay for the fire stations to be rebuilt.

City Controller Lisa Bradford told the committee her operation is moving to the building that once housed the police department.  Her operation is also quickly adapting to new accounting software.