With a new school board in office for more than a year and a new school superintendent hired, many top administrators have chosen to leave the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District, which means new administrators come on board.  HSE Schools announced 3 major hires this week.

Tige Butts will be the new principal at Fishers Junior High School.  He replaces Crystal Thorpe, who left HSE for a central office position with nearby Washington Township Schools.  Butts has played an integral part at FJH since its inception in 1999, starting as a health educator and advancing to assistant principal in 2005.

Drew Tower has been hired as Athletic Director of Hamilton Southeastern High School. Tower is replacing Greg Habegger, who is retiring at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Habegger has served as Athletic Director alongside Jim Self for the past 19 years.  Tower comes to HSE from Brownsburg High School where he has served as Athletic Director since 2018.

Finally, Bryan Rausch is poised to take the HSE Assistant Superintendent of Operations post in July.  Since 2008, Rausch has served as superintendent of Liberty-Perry Community Schools located in Selma, Indiana. During his tenure, Rausch implemented systems and procedures to manage changing student demographics and increases in enrollment.

The City of Fishers will once again offer free Tuesday night concerts at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater in 2024.

There were two major election contests on the May 7 ballot – Indiana state governor and the 5th Congressional District.  The outcomes may have an impact on Fishers.

Our Mayor, Scott Fadness, was a big supporter of gubernatorial candidate Brad Chambers, even hosting fund-raising events for him.  In a crowded Republican primary, Mike Braun was the winner.  Chambers finished third in the vote count, behind second-place finisher Suzanne Crouch.

Fadness was also a supporter of Chuck Goodrich, an area business owner and member of the Indiana General Assembly, in his campaign for the Republican nomination in the 5th Congressional District.  This race was a bit strange, because incumbent Victoria Spartz had stated for months she would not seek another term.  Then, a day before the filing deadline, Spartz announced she would run for re-election after all.  Spartz won by about 6 percentage points.

How does this impact Fishers?  Our fair city depends on actions (and sometimes, inactions) at the Indiana Statehouse and on Capitol Hill.  Mayor Fadness took a gamble by backing specific candidates in the primary election.  This time, he lost.

I want to say emphatically I do not fault Mayor Fadness for backing those hopefuls.  Had his candidates taken office, Fishers would have more influence in important decisions made in downtown Indianapolis and Washington D.C.

It was a calculated risk on behalf of the mayor and he is known to be a risk taker.  But, risk takers do not win every time.

No doubt, as a suburb of Indianapolis with a population likely well over 100,000, Fishers will have a say in actions taken by state and federal governments.  It just won’t be as strong as it might have been following these primary election results.

One other post-primary thought.  James Briggs has a provocative commentary posted election night on the IndyStar Web site, essentially saying the campaigns and election  results should be a source of concern for the Republican Party in Indiana.  You can read the piece at this link, but you may need to be a paid IndyStar subscriber to access it.

This coming November is a presidential general election.  I expect long lines at the polls, much like past presidential elections.

I did vote in today’s primary election.  There was no line at all at my polling place.  Based on what the poll workers were saying, things were not very busy when I arrived at about 9:30am.

I have seen numbers showing early voting is up this year compared to the last primary election cycle in Hamilton County.  In the governor and U.S. local congressional races, the direct mailings and TV ads were all over the place.

We will receive a respite of a few months before the political ads hit the airwaves and mailboxes, probably in late August.  The candidates will be determined, in many cases, based on the primary election results.

I had one Republican voter tell me that person is not voting in this primary because there are no candidates that voter can support….that is a sad commentary on the state of our politics in Indiana.

The only way to increase primary voting, in my view, is to enact an open primary, where your primary vote is not totally tied to declaring a political party.  It would be an improvement, but don’t hold your breath, that is not likely to happen anytime soon.

Indiana continues to have one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the nation.  Is anybody talking about how that could be improved?

As the warm weather surrounds us, the Fishers Parks & Recreation Department is poised for another busy summer season.  Director Marissa Deckert and Assistant Director Jordan Brouillard talk about those plans, including our first peek into acts that will be appearing on the Nickel Plate Amphitheater stage in weekly concerts and Spark Fishers.

Listen to the podcast at the link below.

We had a decent weather weekend May 4-5 in Fishers.  Here are some brief thoughts on what is going-on news-wise in our fair city.

–Visited the first Farmer’s Market at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater Saturday.  Skies were overcast but the temperature was comfortable.  There was a large crowd at the event, with many vendors seeing lines of customers waiting to buy.  It looks like this year’s market is getting out to a good start.

–It appears Gaylor Electric has opened a new headquarters office in Fishers.  I write it “appears” because I never received a release from Gaylor.  But, I am sure the Crosspoint office complex will welcome Gaylor to the neighborhood.

–This is not exactly Fishers, but major road work has begun on State Road 32 in Noblesville, which runs in the middle of the city’s downtown.  Businesses in downtown Noblesville remind everyone they are all open during this construction.  County government is also part of the Noblesville downtown.

–Fishers city departments are gradually moving into the new City Hall.  Construction continues and the building is closer to completion.  An open house is being planned. No word on when the open house will happen, but look for June at the earliest.

Finally, X (formally Twitter) is not what it once was, but I continue to post there because so many people follow me on X (Twitter).  But I have added two platforms where you can find a heads-up anytime I post a story here – Mastodon and Threads.  Just search within those platforms for “LarryInFishers.”

Also, if you want an e-mail alert each time I post on this blog, check near the top of the page on the right.  You will see an area titled “Subscribe to Blog via Email.”  Just enter your e-mail address in the block provided, click subscribe, and you will receive an a-mail alert each time I post a new story here.

Thanks for reading!

Road construction season is in full swing, as exemplified by the long list of project updates here.

Below is the list of road construction projects in & around Fishers for the work week starting Monday, May 6:

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Continue reading Fishers Road Construction weekly update →

In honor of National Mental Health Awareness Month, Fishers Arts Council has opened its latest exhibit, “Art That Heals: Focusing on Mental Health,” showcasing the therapeutic and expressive power of art for individuals grappling with a variety of emotions and experiences. The exhibit, open to the public through May 31, aims to inspire attendees to explore creative ways to process thoughts and calm their minds through the medium of art.

“Art That Heals: Focusing on Mental Health” features work from 16 artists hailing from Fishers, Indianapolis, Noblesville, and Greenwood. Many of the participating artists share their personal journeys, demonstrating how art has positively impacted their mental health and provided an outlet for their emotions. The exhibit’s works vary in style and medium, offering an eclectic mix of small sculptures, vivid oil paintings, and watercolors with an emphasis on the healing properties of water. Portraits of admired individuals and large, textured acrylic pieces in an array of colors also grace the gallery.

Visitors will also have the chance to participate in the exhibit, as two artists have created interactive pieces that invite viewers to contribute their own thoughts and comments directly onto the canvas.

Fishers Arts Council’s FAC Hub Gallery, located inside the Hamilton County Community Foundation at 11810 Technology Drive in Fishers, will host a special free all-ages event on Second Friday, May 10, from 6-8 p.m. The celebration includes live music from Scrapper & Skelton, artist talks, and an opportunity to meet and connect with the artists themselves. Mark Rouse, a Fishers artist, will join the event with his interactive artwork.

The following artists, some of whom are mental health and health care professionals, are on display in May, hailing from Fishers, Indianapolis, Noblesville, and Greenwood: John Anderson, Caitlin Bischoff, Sydney Brink, Krista Darrow, Shakila Garugu, Liz Hamstra, Ashley Marie Meyers, Caroline Pyle, Elaina Robins, Karissa Rumsey, Mansoureh Sameni, Sven Schumacher, Carolyn Springer, Skye VanWinkle, Ruth Williams, and Tania Michelle Wineglass.

Fishers artist Mark Rouse joins us for our Second Friday reception with his own interactive artwork.

Focus on the Artist programming will take place at 6:45 p.m., led by board member Pat Grabill. Artists Karissa Rumsey, ATR-BC, LPC, and Caroline Pyle will discuss their work and the therapeutic value art brings to their lives.

The FAC Hub Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday visits can be scheduled by appointment. For more information, contact Fishers Arts Council directly at 317-537-1670 or visit their website at fishersartscouncil.org.