All schools within the Hamilton Southeastern School District recently received Gold Star recognition from the Indiana Department of Education.  According to my news gathering partners at the Hamilton County Reporter, that news was announced by local State Representative Todd Huston (R-Fishers).

Former Fishers Police Chief Mitch Thompson has pleaded guilty to one count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person.  According to a news report from WISH-TV in Indianapolis, Thompson was sentenced to probation after entering his guilty plea.

The Fishers Police Department tells LarryInFishers former Chief Thompson officially resigned as a Fishers police officer earlier this week.  Mr. Thompson resigned as chief days after the July incident but left open the option of asking for reinstatement at a lower rank.  The former chief had been on paid leave while his criminal case was pending.

The WISH-TV story also says the former chief must also submit to random drug and alcohol testing, and avoid consuming alcohol for one year as part of the probation sentence.

The charge and now sentence stem from a July 2018 three-vehicle crash in the intersection of 96th Street and Keystone Avenue. At the time of the incident, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Thompson got behind the wheel, causing the crash.

In addition to 363 days of probation, Thompson’s license was also suspended for 90 days, retroactive back to Aug. 1. His license was restored on Oct. 16.

You can read the WISH-TV story at this link.

My series of podcasts featuring candidates for Hamilton Southeastern School Board continues.  This time, I talk with Brad Banks, on the ballot in District 4

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.