Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has announced a new initiative aimed at encouraging young residents to get involved in their community through volunteer service.

The Mayor’s Youth Service Awards program is designed for junior high and high school students who live in Fishers and are enrolled in public, private or home school programs. The program recognizes students for completing volunteer hours with approved nonprofits, schools, and community organizations.

Under the program, students can begin accumulating service hours at age 13 and continue through high school graduation. Those hours translate into award levels, with increasing recognition as students reach higher milestones.

Students earning 50 to 99 hours will receive a Certificate of Civic Leadership. Additional recognition is offered at higher levels, including lapel pins, graduation cords, and a letter of commendation from the mayor. At the highest level—300 or more hours—students will also be recognized on city social media and invited to a breakfast with the mayor.

“Serving others is one of the most impactful ways our young residents can shape their community,” Fadness said in a statement announcing the program. “This program not only recognizes that commitment but also helps instill a lifelong passion for civic engagement.”

The initiative is tied to the city’s broader volunteer efforts through Volunteer Fishers, which connects residents with service opportunities and provides training and support.

Students can register for the program through the city’s website and track their hours using the Volunteer Fishers platform. Those already participating in Volunteer Fishers can apply previously completed service hours toward award recognition.

The city is also highlighting several upcoming volunteer opportunities for students looking to get started.

At the Fishers AgriPark, volunteers assist with planting, tending livestock, and helping visitors. The annual Touch-a-Truck event at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater in May will need help with setup and operations. Spark!Fishers, the city’s summer festival in late June, offers a wide range of roles, from vendor assistance to shuttle coordination. Later in the year, the Geist Half Race Series will rely on volunteers for course support, parking, and finish-line activities.

City officials say the program is intended not only to recognize student contributions, but also to build long-term habits of civic involvement among Fishers youth.

Mayor Fadness and the city’s Volunteer Coordinator Amy Crell talked about volunteerism in this recent podcast.

A full list of opportunities is available at VolunteerFishers.com.

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees is scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote Wednesday, April 29, on a contract for the district’s next superintendent.

District officials have not publicly identified the candidate, but key terms of the proposed contract have been released through a required public notice.

The agreement calls for a base salary of $205,000 annually, with a term running through June 30, 2028. The contract also allows for potential annual increases of up to $20,000 based on performance and board approval.

The salary is slightly lower than that of former Superintendent Patrick Mapes, whose annual pay was $215,000.

Under the proposed contract, the superintendent would receive a retirement contribution equal to 10 percent of salary into a 403(b) plan, a tax-deferred retirement account commonly used by public education employees and similar to a private-sector 401(k).

Additional compensation includes a $500 monthly automobile allowance and a $100 monthly technology allowance.

The public hearing is set for 5:30 p.m. April 29 at the HSE Central Office, with the board expected to vote on the contract following the hearing.

Read the public notice at this link.

Issues involving press freedom, the changing job market and the growing use of technology in everyday life are all part of this week’s Fridays with Larry podcast.

In the April 24 episode, I open with commentary on reports that a New York Times journalist was investigated by the FBI for alleged “stalking” while working on a story involving the FBI director’s girlfriend. The situation raises broader questions about the role of journalists and the potential chilling effect such investigations could have on reporting, particularly when covering sensitive subjects.

My guest this week is my brother, Tony Lannan, who is widely recognized for his expertise in hiring and job seeking. He shares practical advice on how job seekers can navigate a labor market that continues to evolve, including what applicants should be doing now to improve their chances in a competitive environment.

The podcast also includes a story out of Anderson, Indiana, where a woman was flagged for fraud by facial recognition software after being misidentified as someone else in the Bureau of Motor Vehicles database. The case highlights concerns about the accuracy and real-world consequences of biometric identification systems.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can listen to the April 24 edition of Fridays with Larry at the links below.

The League of Women Voters of Hamilton County is urging local residents to use Vote411.org as they prepare for Indiana’s May 5 primary election, promoting the website as a nonpartisan tool for checking candidate information, polling places and other voting details. The local league says the site is designed to help voters build a plan before heading to the polls. Vote411 is operated by the League of Women Voters Education Fund and includes ballot, registration, polling place and early-voting information.

In a local news release, League of Women Voters of Hamilton County President Lisa Dick said the group considers Vote411 “the best online election resource” for getting ready to vote. The league said it launched its local push in time for early voting, added a Vote411 banner on the courthouse lawn in Noblesville and placed yard signs with QR codes at early-voting sites so voters can review ballots and candidate information on their phones while waiting in line.

The local league said Hamilton County voters who go to Vote411.org can enter their home address and receive a ballot guide tailored to their area. According to the release, voters can then see offices on their ballot along with candidate biographies and responses submitted directly by campaigns. The league said it contacted all candidates running in this year’s primary and does not edit the responses before they are posted.

The timing is important for Hamilton County voters. The county’s 2026 primary election is Tuesday, May 5, and Hamilton County officials say polls on Election Day will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The county also notes that ballots vary by precinct, so voters should confirm their exact polling place or review a sample ballot before Election Day.

For Fishers-area voters who want to cast ballots before May 5, Hamilton County offers early voting at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park Building and the Billericay Park Building in Fishers. Those sites are open April 22-23 and April 29-30 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and April 24-25 and May 1-2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hamilton County voters may also vote early at county sites in Noblesville, Carmel and Westfield. County officials say no application is required for in-person early voting, but voters must bring an acceptable photo ID.

Hamilton County’s Elections Office says the May primary ballot includes a long list of federal, state and county contests, including U.S. House District 5, several Indiana House and Senate districts, sheriff, prosecutor, clerk, assessor, coroner, county commissioner and county council races, along with township offices in some parts of the county. School board races, including Hamilton Southeastern board seats, are listed for the November general election rather than the May primary.

The voter registration deadline for the primary was April 6, according to Hamilton County, so unregistered residents can no longer sign up in time for the May 5 election. Voters who qualify to cast an absentee ballot by mail had until April 23 to submit an application online by midnight, or by 4:30 p.m. if submitting it in person or by mail to the Elections Office.

Indiana’s primary is effectively a party-ballot election, meaning voters choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot for the primary. In the general election in November, voters are not limited to one party’s nominees on the ballot. Vote411 and the county election website both offer tools that can help voters review what will appear on their ballot before they cast it.

A Hamilton Southeastern Schools bus driver is facing misdemeanor charges after allegedly consuming alcohol while operating a school bus with students on board.

According to reporting by Current Publishing journalist Leila Kheiry, Terri Shore, 61, of Noblesville, was charged April 22 in Hamilton County Court with criminal recklessness and driving a bus after or while consuming alcohol. She has not been charged with operating while intoxicated.

A probable cause affidavit filed by School Resource Officer Matthew Madden states the incident began April 1, when a student on Shore’s bus reportedly saw a vodka bottle inside a grocery bag hanging from the driver’s armrest. The student photographed the bottle and sent the image to a Hamilton Southeastern High School dean, who forwarded it to district transportation officials.

Transportation Director Zach McKinney and another employee contacted Shore and instructed her to stop the bus. She pulled over at Brooks School Elementary, where students were transferred to another bus.

During questioning, Shore allegedly admitted to consuming alcohol earlier in the day, according to the affidavit.

Madden wrote that he later reviewed bus camera footage, which reportedly showed Shore drinking from a vodka bottle shortly before 2 p.m. and pouring liquid into an orange juice container. The affidavit alleges she continued drinking from that container while driving and transporting students.

The report also states Shore appeared to brush her teeth around that time, which investigators believe may have been an attempt to mask the odor of alcohol.

Authorities said testing confirmed the bottle contained vodka.

In a statement, Hamilton Southeastern Schools said Shore was removed from duty April 2 and is no longer employed by the district.

“We do not tolerate any behavior that compromises the safety of our students,” the district said. “Student safety remains the district’s highest priority.”

Online court records do not yet list an attorney for Shore. She has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Read Leila Kheiry’s story at this link.

The Indy Fuel slipped into the Kelly Cup Playoffs on the final day of the ECHL regular season. Their reward is a first-round series against the team that won the Western Conference Central Division.

Indy, the No. 4 seed at 34-27-11, opens a best-of-seven division semifinal against the Fort Wayne Komets, who finished 45-17-10 and claimed their first regular-season division title in 10 years. The Komets also reached the 100-point mark for the first time since 2015.

Games 1 and 2 are set for Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 at Fort Wayne, both with 7:35 p.m. puck drops. The series then shifts to Fishers Event Center for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29, both at 7:05 p.m. If necessary, Game 5 would be May 3 in Fort Wayne, Game 6 on May 5 in Fishers and Game 7 on May 6 in Fort Wayne.

On paper, Fort Wayne carries the edge. The Komets dominated the 12-game regular-season series, going 9-2-1 against Indy. Kirill Tyutyayev hurt the Fuel repeatedly, posting 13 points in those meetings, while goaltender Nathaniel Day went 5-0-0 against Indy in the season series.

Fort Wayne also brings more proven firepower into the postseason. Austin Magera scored 32 goals, tied for third-most in the league, and Tyutyayev led the club with 68 points. William Dufour heads into the playoffs after earning ECHL Player of the Week honors earlier this month, when he piled up six goals and two assists in a three-game stretch. In net, Samuel Jonsson posted a 21-8-2 record and led the ECHL with five shutouts, while Day gave the Komets another reliable option with 22 wins.

The Fuel counter with a group that has been battle-tested just to get here. Indy has reached the postseason for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in six seasons. Defenseman Matt Petgrave led the Fuel in scoring with 48 points, and goaltender Mitchell Weeks carried a heavy workload, finishing 20-15-7 with a 2.46 goals-against average and the third-most minutes played in the league. Jesse Tucker was Indy’s top scorer in the regular-season matchup with Fort Wayne, collecting eight points.

One number that favors Indy: the Fuel were second in the ECHL in shots allowed per game at 26.17, evidence that when they are structured and disciplined, they can make life difficult even for high-powered opponents. But discipline may be the key word in this series. Fort Wayne’s power play finished fourth in the league at 23.1 percent, and the Komets showed again in the final regular-season meeting with Indy that they can punish mistakes with the man advantage.

There is also a strong local angle once the series reaches Fishers. The Fuel’s playoff roster includes forwards Jesse Tucker, Tyler Paquette, Cody Laskosky and Lee Lapid – defensemen Matt Petgrave and Chris Cameron – goaltenders Weeks and Owen Flores. Games 3 and 4 will give Fishers Event Center its first home playoff dates for this year’s Fuel club, with Tuesday’s game also promoted by the team as a “317 Night.”

This is the first playoff meeting between the Komets and Fuel, and Fort Wayne says it is the franchise’s first postseason matchup with an Indianapolis team since 1991. That adds another chapter to one of Indiana minor-league hockey’s most familiar rivalries.

For Indy, the path to an upset is fairly clear: steal one of the first two games in Fort Wayne, keep the Komets’ power play off the ice, and let Weeks give the Fuel a chance to bring a tied or favorable series back to Fishers. If that happens, what looked like a tough draw could suddenly become a very live series.

I expect some Fuel fans to make the trip up I-69 and attend one or both of the first two matchups in Fort Wayne.  Tickets for games 3 and 4 at the Fishers Event Center are available at this link.

April is National Volunteer Month, and in Fishers, city leaders are placing a renewed emphasis on the role volunteers play in building community.

In this episode of the LarryInFishers.com podcast, I sit down with Mayor Scott Fadness and the city’s Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Crell, for an in-depth conversation about how volunteerism supports city services, strengthens neighborhoods, and connects residents to one another.

A key focus of the discussion is a new City of Fishers initiative aimed at expanding volunteer opportunities for young people. The program is designed to introduce youth to civic engagement early, while helping local organizations tap into a new generation of volunteers.

We also explore how the city recruits and manages volunteers, the impact those volunteers have across a wide range of programs and events, and why both guests believe volunteerism remains a cornerstone of a thriving community.

You can listen to the full podcast at this link for the link below.

The Hamilton County Leadership Academy has announced the speaker lineup for its 13th annual Leadership Summit, scheduled for June 18 at the Embassy Suites Conference Center.

The event, set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will focus on workplace culture—an issue organizers say is increasingly important as employers compete to attract and retain talent.

This year’s panel will feature three Hamilton County business leaders:

• Bethany Gremel, Director of Culture and Brand Experience at Beck’s Hybrids
• Mandy Haskett, Leadership Consultant with ADVISA
• Mike Pote, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Gaylor Electric

The discussion will be moderated by Heather Haas, CEO and owner of ADVISA.

According to HCLA Executive Director Maria Kanger, the panel will explore how organizations define and build strong workplace cultures, along with how emerging factors such as artificial intelligence are shaping those environments.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have this phenomenal panel of leaders from well-respected Hamilton County employers,” Kanger said in a statement. “Those who attend the Leadership Summit are bound to benefit from their wisdom and willingness to dig into key questions.”

In addition to the panel discussion, the summit will include the presentation of HCLA’s Distinguished Alumni and Honorary Alumni awards. Recipients have not yet been announced.

The event is open to the public, with individual tickets and sponsorships currently available. Registration is scheduled to close June 1.

Founded in 1991, the Hamilton County Leadership Academy provides leadership development opportunities for residents and professionals across the county. Its flagship Signature Program is a 10-month course that examines key community issues and prepares participants for leadership roles in civic organizations, nonprofits and government.