Selina Stoller has served on the Fishers City Council since Fishers became a city in 2015.  She seeks another 4-year Council term.  She spoke with Larry about her campaign in this podcast.

Bill Stuart has lived in Fishers for 30 years and has served in a number of different roles locally, including the Plan Commission.  He now seeks a seat on the Fishers City Council.  Mr. Stuart spoke with Larry in this podcast about his campaign.

The Fishers Arts Council, in collaboration with the Hamilton County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), and The Fishers Historical Society, is set to celebrate Hamilton County’s Bicentennial in grand style this October. The celebration takes place in the FAC Hub Gallery, located within the Collaboration Hub at the Hamilton County Community Foundation, 11810 Technology Drive, Fishers.

The exhibit, aptly named “Fishers & Small Town Indiana,” is now open and will run through November 3. The gallery is open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Thursday, and by appointment with the Fishers Arts Council on Fridays. To kick off the celebration, a free public reception will be held on October 13, also known as “Second Friday,” from 6 pm to 8 pm at the FAC Hub Gallery.

One of the standout features of this “Second Friday” reception will be the opportunity to view historical documents, photos, and items, courtesy of The Fishers Historical Society. Attendees can also enjoy a demonstration of traditional spinning techniques by the Conner Prairie Youth Spinners. The event will be further enriched with musical performances by students and teachers from Bach 2 Rock Fishers, highlighting the talents of Indiana composers, including Carmel composer Frederick Hunt.

For those with a keen interest in the history of Fishers, a special interview segment will be conducted by FAC board member Pat Grabill, featuring life-long Fishers residents, Martha Rouse and Bob Kincaid, at 6:45 pm. Complementing the evening, there will be free refreshments and a cash bar available, making this an all-ages event. Additionally, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit.

The exhibit will showcase works from fourteen incredible local artists: Kathy Bowen, Regina Bunting, John Dierdorf, Shelley Feeney, Karen Fehr, Alexa Litchfield, Sue Payne, Joanne Roeder, Mark Rouse, Michael Rouse, Randy Swaim, Walt Thacker, Dave Voelpel, and Philip Worrall. Many of these pieces will be available for sale, offering a unique opportunity to own a part of Fishers’ history.

In addition to the contemporary artwork, the exhibit will feature historic copies of works provided by county historian David Heighway. The goal of the exhibit is to detail the history of Fishers and provide insights into life in small-town Indiana.

“We’re proud to partner with The Fishers Historical Society for this exhibit. This partnership is special to us as historical society board member, Mark Rouse, is a Fishers Artist and is our guest curator for the exhibit. Mark has a passion for history along with a great creative eye and has done an excellent job of bringing these artists together to showcase the beauty and history of Fishers. We’re also thankful to the Hamilton County Bicentennial Commission for sponsoring this reception and all of the fantastic celebrations in Hamilton County this year,” said Fishers Arts Council Executive Director, Les Reinhardt.

The “Fishers & Small Town Indiana” exhibit promises a unique blend of artistic creativity, historical insight, and the rich tapestry of Hamilton County’s bicentennial celebration. Don’t miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the history and culture of Fishers and small-town Indiana.

For more information and appointments, contact the Fishers Arts Council at this link.

As the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board wrapped up its Wednesday night meeting, board President Dawn Lang provided an update on the search for a superintendent.  The vacancy will be announced in all the places such job searches are listed as of October 16.

The board is contracting with an outside firm, Administrative Assistance, to conduct the search.

“The search will continue until the position is filled,” said Lang.  Applications should be submitted no later than December 1 of this year.

The HSE District wants the new superintendent to assume the position as soon as possible, but no later than July 1, 2024.

According to Lang, there will be a community forum on the search for a superintendent, but no other details were provided.

Superintendent Yvonne Stokes submitted her resignation and the board approved her separation agreement September 13.  Matt Kegley is serving as interim superintendent.

Imagine for a moment you leave your home country and enter an entirely new place in another nation.  You may have some language skills in your new home, maybe not.  Life can be complicated learning a new language.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board gave special recognition to English as a New Language (ENL) teacher Becky Schroeder, whom has been helping new English learners in the local school district.  She started her career as a science teacher, but later transitioned into teaching ENL, winning several distinguished awards. Most recently, she was given the English Learner Educator Excellence Award by the Indiana Department of Education.

A video about Ms. Schroeder was presented to the board Wednesday.  Watch the video at the link below.

In January of 2022, Ryan Taylor bid farewell to the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools, retiring after years of service to the district.  He entered the private sector, serving as Vice President at Safe School Solutions, a division of Safe Hiring Solutions.

However, it appears Ryan Taylor couldn’t resist a return to public education.  The HSE School Board formally approved his appointment Wednesday night as the new Executive Director of Staff and Student Services, essentially the same job he had when retiring in 2022.

“I am very excited to be returning to the school community I have called ‘home’ for more than two decades, and I look forward to continuing to serve our students and staff.” said Taylor in as written statement.

Interim HSE Superintendent Matt Kegley appears pleased with Taylor’s return to HSE Schools.

“We are confident that Ryan Taylor’s extensive experience and dedication to the safety and well-being of both staff and students at HSE will contribute significantly to the continued success of the school district,” said Kegley.

Taylor is wasting no time getting down to work, he starts October 13.

He replaces Kim Lippe, who left the position to become principal at Brownsburg High School.

During the board session public comment Wednesday, Stephanie Hunt and HSEA President Abby Taylor reminded the board that Taylor was given a 2-year contract, but 3 top administrators with HSE did not have their contracts renewed, as has been the custom.  Abby Taylor gave special attention to Katy Dowling, one of the 3 without a contract extension, praising Dowling for her work in bargaining with the local teachers’ union.

Now that the voter registration deadline has passed for this year’s general election, the Hamilton County Election office has announced locations and hours for early voting.

Early voting in Fishers will happen at Billericay and Holland Parks, the days and times are at the bottom of the post

Here is the early voting information, as available the morning of October 11:

Continue reading Early voting begins today, October 11 →

Voters living within the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District (including all of Delaware, Fall Creek & Wayne Townships) will have a school funding referendum on the ballot – yes or no.  Advance HSE is a Political Action Committee formed to argue for voters to say “yes.”  Laura Smoots is the chairperson of Advance HSE and Matt Kegley is the interim superintendent of HSE Schools.  They join Larry In this podcast to talk about issues surrounding that referendum vote.

Tiffanie Ditlevson seeks an at-large seat on the Fishers City Council.  She sits down with Larry and talks about her views on a variety of issues.

There is a gap in access to the Nickel Plate Trail and the City of Fishers, along with Delaware Township, are teaming-up to correct that problem.

Monday night, the Fishers City Council officially entered into an interlocal agreement with Delaware Township to fill-in the gaps to access the trail from Lantern Road to the trail along 131st Street.

The City of Fishers will take on the responsibilities of design, construction and inspection of the project, while Delaware Township will contribute $400,000 toward completion of the construction work.  The total cost of the plan is estimated to be $482,490.