Hamilton Southeastern’s football season ended Friday night as host Carmel held on for a 17-14 win in the Class 6A Sectional 3 championship game at Greyhound Stadium.

The Greyhounds, now 7-4, take the sectional title and advance to next Friday’s regional. They will play at No. 8 Fort Wayne Carroll, which routed Homestead 56-0 in the Sectional 4 final. The Royals finish the season 5-6.

HSE’s defense held Carmel to its lowest point total of the season. The Greyhounds had put up 48 points a week earlier against Westfield. The three-point final was also much closer than most pregame forecasts. Indiana Football Digest had picked Carmel to win 30-13.

Still, the loss was the Royals’ third straight against Carmel, according to MaxPreps.

HSE reached the title game by beating Fishers 23-14 on Oct. 30 in the latest Mudsock game. Carter Reed ran for 114 yards and two touchdowns in that win. Bennett Foster caught a touchdown pass, and Tristan and Zachary Christopherson each had an interception.

Carmel got to the final with one of the biggest upsets of the postseason, outlasting then-No. 3 Westfield 48-45. Chris Harris had 150 receiving yards and three touchdowns in that game. The win moved the Greyhounds up to No. 6 in a statewide Top 25 published by Yahoo Sports. HSE was No. 20.

This was the first year of the IHSAA’s new sectional alignment, which puts four Hamilton County programs, Carmel, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern and Westfield, in the same 6A sectional. The draw guaranteed that only one county team would move on.

Michael Kelly just finished his seventh season as HSE’s coach. Before the game, he said his team would need “a complete team effort” to win the sectional. Kevin Wright is in his seventh season at Carmel.

Carmel also won the last postseason meeting between the two schools, beating HSE 28-14 in a 2019 sectional semifinal.

The Indy Fuel let a three-goal lead get away in the third period Friday night, then won it late. Jacob Perreault scored on the power play with 2:44 left to give the Fuel a 5-3 win over the Cincinnati Cyclones at Heritage Bank Center.

Perreault scored twice and was named the game’s first star. Both of his goals came with the man advantage, and they were his fourth and fifth of the season.

The Fuel controlled the first 40 minutes. Owen Robinson scored the only goal of the first period at 12:11, his second of the season, even though Cincinnati outshot Indy 13-9 in the period.

Anthony Petruzzelli made it 2-0 at 2:27 of the second period, with assists from Jadon Joseph and Jackson Desouza. Late in the period, Perreault scored on the power play at 18:41 to make it 3-0. Mitchell Hoelscher and Paul Ludwinski assisted.

The Cyclones came back in the third with three goals in 3 minutes, 50 seconds. Nathan Burke scored at 7:57. Max Smolinski followed 56 seconds later with his first goal of the season. Adam Kydd tied it 3-3 at 11:47, assisted by Burke and Mitchell Wolfe.

The Fuel went back on top after Cincinnati’s R. Mitton was called for boarding at 15:23. Perreault converted at 17:16, with assists from Kyler Kupka and Hoelscher. Dustin Manz finished it with an empty-net goal at 19:22.

Indy went 2-for-2 on the power play. Cincinnati went 0-for-3.

Hoelscher had two assists and finished plus-2. For Cincinnati, Burke had a goal and an assist and Matt Anderson had two assists. They were the second and third stars.

Fuel goalie Adam Gajan made 23 saves on 26 shots and got the win. Cincinnati’s Kaidan Mbereko stopped 32 of 36 and took the loss. Indy outshot the Cyclones 37-26, including 28-13 over the last two periods.

The game included a fight 59 seconds into the second period between Indy’s C. Dafoe and Cincinnati’s K. Henry. Both got fighting majors.

The announced crowd was 3,955.

The Fuel play the Kalamazoo Wings Saturday at Fishers Event Center for Military Night.  Puck drops at 7pm

Three major Fishers road projects are now open to traffic, the city announced Friday afternoon, Nov. 6, although drivers should expect intermittent lane restrictions as crews finish remaining work.

The announcement covers improvements at 116th Street and Allisonville Road, the widening of 136th Street between Southeastern Parkway and Prairie Baptist Road, and USA Parkway.

The city celebrated the openings in a social media post, saying the projects are intended to help the road network keep pace with Fishers’ growth. Crews will continue working on final touches, and motorists should use caution in the construction areas.

At 116th Street and Allisonville Road, the project included longer left-turn lanes in each direction, sidewalk and accessible ramp replacements, and traffic signal upgrades. Fishers originally planned a roundabout at the intersection but changed course after further analysis, opting for modifications to the existing intersection. The work is part of the city’s broader Allisonville Road corridor revitalization effort, according to its construction-season overview.

On 136th Street, the project between Southeastern Parkway and Prairie Baptist Road was designed to replace a rural two-lane road with a boulevard featuring raised medians, multi-use paths on both sides, new pavement and curbs, and storm sewer improvements. The road had been closed to through traffic during construction, with drivers detoured onto Southeastern Parkway and Prairie Baptist Road, according to the city’s Drive Fishers updates.

The USA Parkway expansion adds roadway capacity north of 106th Street toward IKEA. The city’s project description called for two lanes in each direction, using a narrower median to accommodate the additional lanes. The work also includes trail improvements.

Friday’s announcement establishes that all three project areas are open to traffic, but work zones remain active. Drivers can check the Drive Fishers construction page for continuing restrictions and updates.

Five more Hamilton Southeastern Schools have earned the Indiana Purple Star School designation. HSE now has 18 schools recognized for supporting military-connected students and families.

The schools receiving the 2026 designation are:

• Deer Creek Elementary School
• Fall Creek Elementary School
• Fall Creek Intermediate School
• Hoosier Road Elementary School
• Riverside Intermediate School

“Military families make incredible sacrifices, and their children deserve to feel supported and connected when they walk through our doors,” said HSE Superintendent Matt Kegley. “We’re proud to see five more of our schools earn this recognition. It’s a reflection of the care our staff puts into making sure every student and family feels welcome and valued.”

The announcement comes ahead of Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11. Gov. Mike Braun and the Indiana Department of Education are honoring 76 schools across the state for their work supporting military families and recognizing those who serve.

Schools have to meet several requirements to earn the Purple Star. They must provide dedicated resources and a trained point of contact for military families. They must also hold an annual program honoring military service, keep public displays recognizing service members and show school board support for military-connected students and families.

The designation lasts three years. The five new schools join 13 HSE schools recognized in 2025.

Families can learn more about HSE’s support for military-connected students at hseschools.org/community/military-children-and-families.

How do you get started with artificial intelligence, and how do you know when to question the answers it gives you?

Those are two of the questions I explore with George Dubec on this edition of Fridays With Larry.

George is an author, entrepreneur and podcaster whose career has taken him from engineering at General Motors to broadcasting and technology businesses. He also has a local connection, with a son and daughter-in-law living in Carmel.

Our conversation covers the practical side of AI: where a beginner might start, how the wording of a question can affect the response, and how these tools can help compare products before making a purchase.

We also discuss the concerns that come with those possibilities. AI can produce an answer that sounds convincing and still gets the facts wrong. I explain why I ask for original sources when using AI for research, so I can check the information myself.

George shares his concerns about relying too heavily on AI, protecting personal information and the emotional side of adapting to technology.

I open the podcast with some thoughts about how people adopt new technology. Remembering our family’s first computer in 1995, I consider why cost, privacy and ease of use can matter as much as someone’s willingness to learn.

In the final segment, I turn to holiday shopping, online purchases and buy now, pay later plans. Dividing a purchase into smaller payments can change when the bills arrive, but it does not reduce the total price.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can watch the video edition or listen to the audio version of this week’s Fridays With Larry below.

Indy Fuel owner Jim Hallett will serve as honorary chair of Fishers Rotary’s 16th annual WaterIsLife Charity Ball on Friday, Dec. 4, supporting efforts to provide clean water in Sierra Leone.

The event will run from 6 to 11 p.m. in the heated holiday pavilion behind Fishers City Hall, 1 Municipal Drive. Proceeds will help fund deep borehole wells for communities in the West African country.

Hallett is chairman of Hallett Sports & Entertainment and owner and chairman of the Indy Fuel. His community service includes supporting Mabel’s Ride, a partnership with Community Health Network that provides free transportation to health care for qualifying patients, according to the Rotary Club’s announcement.

The honorary chair designation recognizes community leaders whose service reflects Rotary’s “Service Above Self” ideal. Previous honorary chairs include Mayor Scott Fadness, Marissa Andretti, David Becker and John Wechsler.

“One of the best things about Fishers is that when people see a need, they step forward,” said James Thompson, Fishers Rotary president for 2026–27, in the announcement. “Jim reflects that spirit. Through WaterIsLife, our community is helping families we may never meet have something every family should be able to count on: clean water.”

WaterIsLife is a project led by the Rotary Clubs of Fishers and Freetown, Sierra Leone, with World Hope International serving as the implementing partner.

Organizers report that the project has funded 225 wells, completed more than 200 and reached more than 500,000 people. According to the club, the 2025 Charity Ball raised more than $200,000 in net proceeds and helped fund 23 additional wells.

This year’s event will include a three-course dinner, open bars, silent and live auctions, live big-band music and dancing. Organizers encourage guests to wear their holiday best.

Individual tickets cost $175, and a table for eight is $1,400. Tickets, sponsorship details and donation information are available at FishersWaterIsLife.com.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools will borrow $33 million through general obligation (GO) bonds in 2026. That is $7 million less than the ceiling the school board approved.

The board had authorized up to $40 million. But Tim Brown, assistant superintendent for finance, told the board’s Facilities & Finance Committee on Thursday that the district will not need the extra borrowing this year. Brown cautioned that may not be true every year, but it is the case in 2026.

The $40 million ceiling matched the estimated cost of the 2026 work in the district’s 10-year facilities plan, which the finance committee reviewed last December. HSE spent $42 million on projects under the plan in 2025.

Health trust needs internal loan

Brown also told the committee that the district’s health trust will need an internal loan to meet its current commitments.

HSE is selling land and will use the money to pay off some of the trust’s debt. However, that sale is not expected to close until well into 2027.

School offices moving for security

Three schools will move their main offices from the middle of the building up to the front entrance. Right now, visitors who are let in the front door walk through part of the building before they reach the office. The change addresses that security concern.

The projects are at Hamilton Southeastern High School’s Door 10 entrance and at the entrance vestibules of Thorpe Creek Elementary and Sand Creek Elementary. The total cost for all three is $2.5 million.

Director of Facilities Matt Rapp also gave board members a detailed update on the many projects underway as part of the 10-year facilities plan.

The Fishers Plan Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to send an unfavorable recommendation to the City Council on One Sixteen, a proposed 26-home development along East 116th Street.

Integra Builders is seeking to rezone 10.45 acres at 10401 E. 116th St. from the Legends at Geist planned unit development to a new planned unit development for the neighborhood.

Commission member and City Councilor Pete Peterson said he opposed the proposal for several reasons, particularly the brownstone design of the homes closest to 116th Street. Peterson said that style would fit well in downtown Fishers but would not fit well in the proposed location.

Several speakers opposed the proposal during the public hearing, most from neighboring communities.

The development’s concept plan calls for four narrow homes facing 116th Street with garage access from a private alley, along with 22 other single-family homes. Plans also include open space along 116th Street, a central stormwater detention area and perimeter landscaping buffers.

The commission’s recommendation differed from that of city planning staff, which supported the rezoning. According to the staff report, the proposal meets the suburban residential designation in the Fishers 2040 comprehensive plan, which calls for two to four homes per acre.

The report includes illustrative architectural images but says the proposed ordinance does not establish approved architectural designs.

At an August neighborhood meeting attended by dozens of nearby residents, concerns included traffic, preservation of mature trees, housing density and drainage, according to the report.

Written comments submitted before Wednesday’s hearing also raised questions about privacy, compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods and potential effects on property values. One resident supported the rezoning contingent on preserving the existing tree line between the development and homes along Spyglass Ridge Drive.

The unfavorable recommendation sends the rezoning request to the City Council for consideration. The staff report anticipates a final reading Nov. 16.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board voted 7-0 Wednesday night to approve a one-year contract with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA). The vote ends bargaining for the 2026-27 school year.

The vote came one day after voters approved HSE’s replacement operating referendum. Part of the teachers’ raise depended on that referendum passing.

Under the contract, eligible teachers get a $1,225 base salary increase. They also get the extra $603 that was tied to the referendum, for a total of $1,828. Starting pay for teachers hired after ratification goes up $750, plus $250 more now that the referendum has passed.

To qualify for the raise, teachers must have worked at least 120 days during the 2025-26 school year and still be employed by HSE when the contract is ratified. The agreement also includes:

• A $200 payment for teachers with an early literacy endorsement
• Extra pay for qualifying teachers with a master’s degree
• Starting in 2027, a $20,000 pool of extra health savings account contributions, shared by married couples who both teach at HSE

New insurance rates, which the board approved Oct. 14, include options that could lower premiums by about 10%.

HSEA members ratified the agreement last month, with 97% voting in favor.

“Tonight, with a vote of 7-0, our bargaining season has officially come to a close for the 2026–2027 school year,” the association said in a statement posted on Facebook after the meeting. “While this chapter of the process is ending, we recognize that our work is far from finished.”

The union said its bargaining team represented all 1,249 bargaining unit members. It said the agreement offers “meaningful financial and professional benefits that remain competitive with those offered by surrounding districts” at a time of rising living costs and insurance premiums.

The union also thanked Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley, Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown and Ryan Taylor for “fostering a collaborative and respectful environment throughout negotiations.”

HSEA said it will spend the rest of the school year gathering feedback from members and setting priorities for the next round of talks. “Now that the referendum has passed, it is our hope that our next bargaining cycle will result in a two-year contract,” the statement said. “This will provide stability for teachers and their families.”

During the meeting, the bargaining team read a statement thanking the community for approving the referendum. The team said it understands the responsibility to keep providing “a first-class education that is the envy of the state.” It said it looks forward to “more constructive dialogue” to make HSE “the most attractive destination for Hoosier students and educators.”

This year’s talks were much calmer than last year’s. In 2025, HSEA members rejected the first tentative agreement and the talks went to mediation. The final 2025-26 contract had no base or step pay increases, and higher insurance premiums cut take-home pay for many teachers.

The replacement referendum passed with 58.33% of the vote in unofficial results. It allows a maximum rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed value for eight years. The district’s 2027 budget uses a 22-cent rate, compared with the current 19.95 cents. HSE went back to voters because state property tax changes under Senate Enrolled Act 1 sharply cut the revenue from the 2023 referendum.

A 63-year-old Fishers man faces 20 felony charges following an investigation that police say uncovered child sexual abuse material, including images altered with artificial intelligence.

Charles Coriaty was charged Nov. 2, according to a Nov. 4 news release from the Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The task force said he was being held at the Hamilton County Jail on a $2.5 million cash-only bond.

Investigators said the case began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after the center received information from SmugMug, a photo-sharing service.

The tip included approximately 175 images. Police said many depicted juveniles in swimsuit or sports advertisements whose photos had been altered with an AI application to make them appear nude.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Coriaty’s SmugMug account and reported finding additional child sexual abuse material created by using AI to alter clothed photos from websites and advertisements. A search of his residence also uncovered additional child sexual abuse material in computer folders, according to the release.

The charges listed by the task force are:

• Ten counts of child exploitation, each a Level 5 felony.
• Seven counts of possession of child pornography, each a Level 6 felony.
• Three counts of possession of child sex abuse material, each a Level 6 felony.

The task force is headquartered at the Fishers Police Department and includes investigators from local police departments, sheriff’s offices and Homeland Security Investigations. It investigates internet crimes against children in Hamilton, Hancock, Madison and Tipton counties.