Hamilton Southeastern Schools will place a new operating referendum on the November 3 ballot following a school board vote Wednesday night. The measure passed 6-0, with board President Tiffany Pascoe abstaining.

In other welcome news for the district, Superintendent Matt Kegley announced that attrition has opened enough positions that all 18 teachers who received Reduction in Force notices this spring will have jobs, meaning no teacher layoffs for the coming school year.

Pascoe explains her abstention

Pascoe also abstained in 2023, when the board voted to place the district’s previous referendum on the ballot. She said Wednesday that abstention came because financial questions she had at the time “went unanswered.”

She expressed confidence in the current administrative team, but raised concerns about committing to an eight-year referendum without knowing who will serve on the board in the years ahead. Her abstention this time, she said, is “in deference to the community that the board serves.”

Why another referendum so soon?

Kegley walked the board through a detailed explanation of why the district is returning to voters now. The 2023 referendum, approved with 70% support, was intended to run for eight years. But property tax legislation passed by Indiana lawmakers in the 2025 session changed how property taxes are computed, and the referendum rate now yields far less revenue than under the previous system.

The referendum is only part of the district’s financial response. Kegley noted HSE enrolls roughly 1,500 fewer students than it did six years ago, and the district’s budget reduction committee is recommending $7.8 million in spending cuts to compensate.

Even where assessed property values are rising, Kegley explained, the deductions the state now allows under the 2025 changes reduce the amount of valuation actually subject to the tax rate.

What the ballot language means for taxpayers

As required by state law, the ballot language will cite a maximum rate increase of 36 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Kegley emphasized the district does not expect to levy that maximum rate in any year of the eight-year referendum.

The ballot language also cites a roughly $700 annual figure based on a median home valuation rounded up, as statute requires, to $400,000. Because district staff will recommend a rate well below the maximum, Kegley said, the median homeowner would actually see an increase of about $3 a month on their property tax bill in 2027 if the referendum passes.

The full presentation Superintendent Kegley delivered to the school board is available at this link.

Multi-platinum country artist Sam Barber will bring his “The American Route Tour” to the Fishers Event Center later this year.

Barber is scheduled to perform at the Fishers venue on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, as part of an extension of the tour through the end of the year.

Tickets will be available first through a venue presale beginning Wednesday, June 17, at 10 a.m. The presale password is BROKENVIEW. The general public sale begins Thursday, June 18, at 10 a.m. local time through FishersEventCenter.com.

The tour announcement comes during a breakout period for Barber, who released his sophomore album, “Broken View,” earlier this year through Atlantic Outpost. The album was co-written and co-produced by Barber and Joe Becker, with additional songs co-produced with Aaron Dessner, whose credits include work with Taylor Swift and Noah Kahan.

“Broken View” explores themes of love, loss and self-discovery, continuing Barber’s reputation for deeply personal songwriting. The album has drawn praise from country music outlets, with All Country News calling it “a sophomore record that doesn’t just meet expectations,” and Whiskey Riff describing the 13-song collection as “incredibly impressive.”

Barber has quickly become one of country music’s rising names. Raised on a farm in southeast Missouri, he began playing music as a teenager after picking up his great-grandfather’s Gibson guitar. He now lives in Bozeman, Montana.

His 2024 debut album, “Restless Mind,” earned widespread attention and RIAA Gold certification. The album includes the 2x Platinum-certified single “Straight and Narrow” and the Platinum-certified “Indigo,” featuring Avery Anna. “Indigo” has generated more than 728 million global streams and helped Barber reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Barber has accumulated more than 3.4 billion global streams and has shared stages with Bruce Springsteen and Ed Sheeran. He has also performed on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and “CBS Saturday Morning,” and his song “Tear Us Apart” was featured on the soundtrack for the movie “Twisters.”

The Fishers stop adds another nationally known touring act to the Fishers Event Center calendar as the venue continues building its concert schedule.

A brand familiar to generations of Central Indiana shoppers is getting a new name — and a new hometown.

Finish Line, the athletic retailer long headquartered on the far east side of Indianapolis, merged with British retail giant JD Sports and is rebranding as JD. On Wednesday, city and company officials announced JD North America will move its corporate headquarters to Fishers, anchoring a $169 million sixth phase of the Fishers District.

The move brings more than 400 corporate employees to Fishers, with plans to add 200 more jobs in the next few years. The JD Finish Line distribution center will remain in Indianapolis.

JD North America will acquire and remodel the 350,000-square-foot building at 11100 USA Parkway known as The Link — the former headquarters of USA Funds and later Navient. Renovations will begin in 2027.

“We love this building. We love this city,” said John Hall, CEO and managing director of JD North America. Hall said many of his current 425 employees already live in Fishers, and when they heard the news of the move, “the response was a resounding success.”

The headquarters is one piece of a much larger plan for the area around the Fishers District, the Fishers Event Center and The Link.

The City of Fishers will build the $65 million, 180,000-square-foot Fishers Fieldhouse, which will serve as the official training facility and headquarters for Major League Volleyball’s Indy Ignite. The team gets a 29,000-square-foot home base for practice, training and front office operations, just steps from its home court at the Fishers Event Center.

“Incredibly exciting,” said Ignite President and General Manager Mary Kay Huse. “Today is just another huge milestone for this franchise and also for our community. This new state-of-the-art practice facility will be the first of its kind for Major League Volleyball.”

The fieldhouse will also include flex space for 10 basketball or 20 volleyball courts aimed at youth sports leagues and tournaments. Pro Net Sports will make the facility home to a new Indy Hoops Academy girls basketball program and a new AAU boys basketball program. The fieldhouse will break ground in fall 2026 and is expected to open in late 2027 or early 2028.

Buckingham Companies will serve as master developer of the expansion and is planning Contrast | Fishers, a 50-acre mixed-use development with 167 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and 98 three- and four-bedroom townhomes. Groundbreaking is expected this year, with completion anticipated in late 2028.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness said that when The Yard was first developed, he had no idea future development would come to this.

“This marks just shy of a billion dollars of investment in the Fishers District,” Fadness said. “It represents 40 restaurants either here today or have committed to being in the Fishers District, 1,400 multi-family homes, 70,000 square feet of office and nearly 500 hotel rooms have been committed to be a part of this entertainment district.”

Economic Development Director Megan Baumgartner said the Fishers City Council will consider the economic development package at its June 15 meeting. The agreement includes clawback provisions allowing the city to recover incentives if the terms are not met. Details of the incentives are expected to be posted online later this week.

If approved, the area around the Fishers District, the Fishers Event Center and The Link will see a great deal of construction in the coming years.

Stephanie Braden, a registered nurse and longtime Fishers resident, has announced her candidacy for the Hamilton Southeastern School Board in District 4.

Braden, who has lived in the community for more than a decade, said her decision grows out of both her family’s experience in Hamilton Southeastern Schools and a career built around service. She has worked as a registered nurse for over 16 years, including as a charge nurse leading teams, coordinating patient care and mentoring staff.

She is also a member of the United States Army Reserve, where she has served for more than 25 years and held a number of leadership positions. “These experiences have strengthened my commitment to service, accountability, teamwork, and leading with integrity,” she said in her announcement.

A mother of five, Braden said all of her children have attended HSE schools. Three have graduated — including one who recently earned an engineering degree and another now serving as a cadet at West Point — while her two younger children remain in the district. She pointed to her family’s experience as the reason she wants to focus on keeping and recruiting strong teachers and welcoming new families to HSE.

“Strong teacher support and community investment are essential to maintaining the academic excellence that attracts families to our district and strengthens our public school system,” she said.

Braden noted a history of community involvement, including health education for mothers, volunteering as an elementary math tutor, and serving as a room parent and classroom volunteer.

If elected, she said her priorities would include supporting academic excellence, investing in public schools, fiscal responsibility and empowering educators. She framed her approach as collaborative, emphasizing input from families, students, staff, taxpayers and community leaders.

“Our community deserves transparent and honest leadership that values diverse perspectives, seeks common ground, and remains focused on what is best for students,” she said. “I would be honored to earn your support and serve our community as a member of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board.”

Candidate filing continues for the Hamilton Southeastern School Board election, with the deadline set for Thursday, June 18, at noon.

As of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, six candidates had filed with the Hamilton County Election Office in Noblesville. Four of the seven seats on the HSE School Board are on the ballot this year.

Voters will select a candidate to represent their individual district. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.

So far, I have received one candidate news release, from Josh Perry.

Here are the candidate filings as listed by the Hamilton County Election Office:

Hamilton Southeastern School Board, District 1
Faiza Maqsood — No Party
Greg Wright — Republican

Hamilton Southeastern School Board, District 2
Josh Perry — No Party
Cyrus Keck — No Party

Hamilton Southeastern School Board, District 3
David Turk — Republican

Hamilton Southeastern School Board, District 4
Stephanie Braden — No Party

Candidate filings remain open until noon June 18.

A major company is moving its corporate headquarters to Fishers, and city leaders are preparing to put a name to it Wednesday.

The City of Fishers will host a press conference at noon Wednesday, June 10, at FORUM Plaza outside the Fishers Event Center, to announce the relocation, along with a $170 million expansion of living and sporting amenities at Fishers District, the city said in a media advisory.

Mayor Scott Fadness will be joined by Indiana Economic Development Corporation President Josh Richardson, Buckingham Companies President and CEO Brad Chambers, and additional project partners. The company at the center of the announcement was not named ahead of the event — that reveal, along with details on the size of the investment and the jobs it could bring, is expected Wednesday.

The announcement ties the headquarters move to a fresh round of investment at Fishers District, the mixed-use development on the city’s north side anchored by the Fishers Event Center. Buckingham Companies, the Indianapolis-based real estate firm developing the district, has built it into a destination of restaurants, retail, apartments and entertainment. The new $170 million in “living and sporting amenities” signals the next phase of that buildout.

Chambers, who founded Buckingham as an Indiana University student in 1984 and grew it into a national firm with a portfolio topping $3 billion, previously served as Indiana Secretary of Commerce. Richardson, a Blackford County native appointed to lead the state’s economic development arm by Gov. Mike Braun, oversees Indiana’s efforts to attract new employers and help existing ones grow.

For Fishers, landing a corporate headquarters would mark another step in its push to pair residential growth with high-wage employers and regional draws like the Event Center, which opened in late 2024.

The press conference is scheduled for noon Wednesday.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety approved the second and final road resurfacing contract for 2026.

The board awarded the contract to Howard Companies on a bid of $1,954,855.34. A Community Crossings Matching Grant will cover up to $977,427.67 of the cost.

Roadways and neighborhoods are prioritized for resurfacing based on the PASER rating of their pavement. PASER, which stands for Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating, gauges road condition through visual inspection rather than expensive automated equipment. An evaluator drives or walks a road segment and assigns a score based on what can be seen — cracking, rutting, potholes, surface wear, drainage problems and similar distresses.

The following resurfacing projects are included in the contract:

In other board action:

Three Neighborhood Vibrancy Grants received final approval, for Royalwood, Sutton Crossing and Sunblest Farms.

The board also approved the pre-ordering of streetlights for a roundabout coming to 131st Street and Brooks School Road. City staff requested approval now because of the lead time needed to acquire the 10 lights the project requires. The total cost is $105,590.

Hamilton County residents looking to connect with the region’s past — and with each other — will have the chance later this month at the Hamilton East Public Library’s free Local History Fair.

Titled “Sharing Our Story,” the open-house event runs Saturday, June 20, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Noblesville Library. It’s designed to celebrate local history while marking the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, known as America250.

The fair brings together history organizations, preservation groups and community partners from across the county under one roof. Visitors can wander among booths and talk with representatives from groups dedicated to keeping Hamilton County’s stories alive. At check-in, each attendee receives a “history passport” and can collect stamps from participating booths throughout the afternoon. Completed passports earn a prize and an entry into a raffle drawing.

“The Crossroads Discovery Center at HEPL is excited to welcome visitors to our Local History Fair,” said Jessica Layman, Local History and Genealogy Librarian at the library. “This event was inspired by the America250 anniversary and the idea of sharing stories. Whether you’ve been a Hamilton County resident for generations or just moved here, sharing stories is how community gets built.”

Beyond the exhibits, attendees can visit the Crossroads Discovery Center on the library’s second floor for demonstrations on how to research and share their own family stories and personal histories.

The afternoon’s keynote comes at 2 p.m., when local author, realtor and longtime storyteller Kurt Meyer presents “Story Telling: From Novels to Blogging to Social Media” in Meeting Room B. A lifelong Hoosier, Meyer has published nearly 300 newspaper columns and feature stories and wrote the novels “Noblesville” and “The Salvage Man,” both set in the city. His talk traces how storytelling has changed across formats while remaining a way to connect communities and preserve history.

“Story telling is the best way I know of to learn about history and the world around us,” Meyer said. “Even the retelling of our own personal stories helps us better see ourselves honestly. I’ve enjoyed doing that as a newspaper columnist, a blogger, and a social media content creator.”

Participating organizations include the Clay Township Military Museum and Library, Conner Prairie, Fishers Historical Society, Hamilton County Historical Society, Hamilton County Parks and Recreation, the Hamilton East Public Library Foundation, Roberts Settlement, Sheridan Historical Society, Westfield Preservation Alliance and Westfield Washington Historical Society.

Displays open at 1 p.m. and stay up through the close of the event. The fair continues after the keynote, with the exhibits and raffle wrapping up at 4 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public, and no registration is required. For more information, visit the Hamilton East Public Library event calendar or call the library at 317-770-3236.

Delaware Township is turning summer volunteering into a game. The township trustee’s office, together with 12 local organizations, has launched “Summer of Service Bingo,” a community-wide challenge running from June 8 through July 24 that invites residents of all ages to give back.

The concept is simple. Participants pick up a bingo card and complete the squares by taking part in service activities around the community over the seven-week window. Once a card is finished, participants submit it by scanning the Jotform QR code printed on the card.

Cards are available beginning June 8 at three locations: the Delaware Township Trustee’s Office, the Hamilton County Invasive Partnership, and the Hamilton County Master Gardeners Giving Garden. Residents who prefer to print their own can find a downloadable copy through a link posted in the comments of the township’s announcement.

Organizers designed the program to be accessible to participants of every age, making it a fit for individuals, families, and groups looking for a structured way to get involved with local causes during the summer months.

There are rewards waiting at the finish line. Anyone who completes the challenge will receive a Certificate of Community Care, a thank-you letter from the participating organizations, and a free doughnut courtesy of Parlor Doughnuts.

The initiative reflects a growing effort to connect residents with the wide range of service opportunities already active across the township and surrounding Hamilton County, from invasive species removal to community gardening. By packaging those efforts into a familiar, lighthearted format, organizers hope to lower the barrier to first-time volunteering and encourage repeat participation.

Residents interested in taking part can stop by any of the three pickup locations starting today, or download a card online, and begin working toward a completed board before the July 24 deadline.

For more information, visit the Delaware Township Trustee’s Office at this link.

Fishers has a new ordinance on the books governing e-bikes and other similar motorized vehicles, and city officials say the first goal is education, not tickets.

In this podcast, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and Police Chief Ed Gebhart join LarryInFishers to discuss why the city moved forward with the ordinance, what kinds of complaints and safety concerns led up to the new rules, and how police plan to handle enforcement.

The conversation covers how e-bikes and other motorized vehicles are being used around the city, the public reaction so far, and the city’s effort to balance safety with the growing popularity of these transportation options. Fadness and Gebhart emphasize that Fishers wants residents, parents and young riders to understand the rules before enforcement becomes necessary.

This podcast series is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

Listen to the full podcast at this link or the link below.