The Fishers Freight’s road matchup against the Quad City Steamwheelers Saturday night was anything but typical, even by Indoor Football League standards. The first quarter ended in an unusual 5-5 tie, and the game quickly turned chaotic from there.

Two Quad City offensive linemen were each flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, meaning they had to leave the game, forcing the team to shift two defensive linemen to offensive duty—something rarely seen at any level of football.

The Freight ultimately fell 45-28, marking their ninth consecutive loss after opening the season with two wins. The contest was defined by constant penalties, with both teams repeatedly flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct in what turned into a highly physical matchup. Whether the game was out of control or the officiating crew was simply overzealous, penalties played a central role in the night’s action.

After the first-quarter tie, the Steamwheelers took control early in the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown run and never looked back. Fishers failed to regain the lead at any point for the remainder of the game.

All-too-familiar struggles continued to plague the Freight: failed fourth-down conversions, costly fumbles, and key interceptions all contributed to the loss.

The Freight will return home on Saturday, June 21, for “Summer Camp Night,” hoping to find a bright spot and end their inaugural Indoor Football League season on a more positive note.

Now that we are into the summer road construction season, the listing of projects has grown.  Note the lane restrictions in place along Olio Road and Geist Reservoir, now until July 2.

Here is the complete listing of area road construction projects, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Here is the Fishers-area road construction update for the week beginning Monday, June 16 →

As the Fishers Freight prepare to travel to Quad City for their upcoming Indoor Football League game on Saturday, the team has announced several roster changes.

Running back Dominic Roberto and defensive back Justin Terry have officially signed with the team. Wide receiver Shavarez Smith has been activated from the injured list and is now available to play.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Jordan Kress has suffered a season-ending injury and has been placed on the Injured Reserve list.

The Freight have released defensive back AJ Fenton and wide receiver Vincent Gregory.

In addition, quarterback Jiya Wright, who started the season as the team’s signal caller, remains on the “Refused to Report” list. Reports indicate Wright is currently playing football in Mexico.

This is not about Fishers per se, but allow me a point of personal privilege to plug a new podcast series I am producing with my friend Duncan Giles.  We call it Lannan & Giles: Unscripted. We talk about news stories others may have missed.  We discuss one major topic, which in our first episode, centers on public demonstrations and how they are part of America’s history.  We do a critic’s corner and do a top ten list.  We talk about serious subjects, but have some fun at the same time.

Feel free to like and subscribe to our podcast.  Find the video & audio versions linked below.

Two Indianapolis men have been arrested in connection with a home burglary that occurred Thursday in a Fishers neighborhood.

According to the Fishers Police Department, officers responded to a call shortly after a woman reported being attacked during a home invasion in the 16000 block of Brookmere Avenue on June 12. The victim told officers that two men entered her home, assaulted her, and stole property before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.

The victim was able to call 911 following the incident and was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation. She was later released.

Fishers Police Detectives began their investigation immediately and quickly identified two suspects. After several hours of investigative work, police located and arrested Elijah J. Oates, 24, of Indianapolis on the afternoon of June 12. During an interview with detectives, Oates admitted to his involvement in the crime.

The second suspect, Daquez Stockdale, 25, also of Indianapolis, was arrested the following morning, June 13, by Fishers Police Officers.

Both suspects are currently being held at the Hamilton County Jail.

The Fishers Police Department emphasized that officers and detectives utilized every available resource to bring the suspects into custody and reiterated the city’s commitment to public safety.

The Future Black Leaders Of Fishers High School will handle the 2025 Juneteenth celebration in Fishers.  It all happens Thursday, June 19, 5-8pm, at Conner Prairie.

I invited four members of the club to appear on this podcast to talk about Juneteenth and other subjects.  Ther are:  Jayden Rucker, Chandler Philips, Mawaddah (Mowie) Aregbe and Gianna Fowler.

My thanks for the faculty sponsor for the Future Black Leaders, Renee Isom, and Les Reinhardt of the Fishers Arts Council, for helping to arrange this podcast.

Below are links to the video and audio versions of this podcast.

If you drive along Cumberland Road between 126th & 112th Streets, you have likely seen the building with the large SG on that structure.  That stands for Stevanato Group, an Italian firm that located a pharmaceutical container and syringe production facility here in Fishers.

Based on a story posted Thursday afternoon on the Indianapolis Business Journal Web site, a construction company has filed a nearly $1.6 million lawsuit against the primary contractor involved with constructing the Stevanato facility in Fishers.

IBJ reporter Greg Weaver writes that BMWC Construction claims it did not receive payment from Pepper Construction in the amount of $1.59 million.  Weaver cites the legal documents, but none of the parties involved in the dispute would comment on the allegations contained in the lawsuit.

For more on the story, use this link to read Greg Weaver’s story.  (You will likely need an IBJ subscription to access this story).

The Fishers Health Department (FHD) has opened its 2025 Community Health & Wellbeing Survey, offering residents an opportunity to share their experiences and concerns about a range of health-related issues in the city.

The anonymous survey is now available to all Fishers residents ages 18 and older. It takes approximately 15–20 minutes to complete and can be accessed in both English and Spanish.

According to FHD, the survey is a vital tool used to better understand the community’s health needs, priorities, and challenges. Insights gathered from the responses will help guide decisions related to public health services and policies in Fishers. Areas of focus include mental health support, access to healthcare, nutrition and fitness programs, emergency preparedness, and chronic disease prevention.

The survey results will be used to:

• Identify urgent health needs and barriers to care

• Improve and expand local health services

• Track the effectiveness of local public health initiatives

The department emphasizes the importance of wide community participation, encouraging all eligible residents to take part in shaping the future of public health efforts in Fishers.

Take the survey by using this link.

During a recent presentation to the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board on the district’s Innovation 2028 program, administrators stated that HSE is the third-largest school district in Indiana, based on student enrollment. However, some publicly available sources list HSE as the fourth-largest district in the state. So which is correct?

The answer depends on how student enrollment is calculated for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS).

HSE currently enrolls just over 21,000 students. Two districts clearly have higher enrollment figures: Fort Wayne Community Schools reports 29,843 students, and the Evansville‑Vanderburgh School Corporation lists approximately 22,299.

The question of ranking hinges on IPS. If you count only the students enrolled in district-run IPS schools, the total comes to 20,219—placing HSE ahead. But if you include students attending the district’s Innovation Network Charter Schools, the IPS enrollment rises to 31,255, making it larger than both Evansville and HSE.

So, by one method of counting, HSE ranks third. By another, it’s fourth.

Which number should you use? That’s up to you.

There were a number of announcements at Wednesday’s regular session of the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board.  Two new administrators were hired through the board’s action.

Tilmon Clark is a new Athletic Director at Hamilton Southeastern High School.  Lauren Doran is the next Assistant Principal at Cumberland Road Elementary School.

Also, HSE District Teacher of the Year, Michael Teal, accepted a certificate from the board for his award.