The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board approved updates to the district’s student handbook during its meeting Wednesday night but agreed to take a closer look at the policy regarding iPad use, particularly in the lower grades.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, two parents voiced concerns about the removal of language that previously allowed parents to request an exemption from iPad use for their children. However, Deputy Superintendent Matt Kegley explained that the opt-out language in the handbook originated from a form dating back to 2012.

“We haven’t had an opt-out policy since 2016, when we brought on one-to-one (devices) at all grade levels,” Kegley told board members.

While the board ultimately approved the revised student handbook, they added a condition that the Policy Committee re-examine the district’s iPad usage policy. Superintendent Patrick Mapes said staff would need about a month to review the issue and would present their findings to the Policy Committee once the evaluation is complete.

Other Actions Taken by the Board:

• Custodial Contract Approved: The board approved a new three-year custodial services contract worth $5.3 million, a shift from the district’s previous practice of one-year contracts. The agreement covers all 24 HSE buildings and increases service days from 220 to 247 annually. Matt Rapp, Director of Facilities and Maintenance, told the board the new deal will save the district approximately $400,000 compared to last year.

• Laptop Purchase: Board members approved the purchase of 678 new Dell laptops, which will replace devices currently used by staff and some students.

• Innovate 2028 Program: The board voted unanimously, 6-0, to adopt the Innovate 2028 program. Learn more about the program at this link.

• Chiller Upgrades at Fishers High School: The board approved a $378,000 expenditure to upgrade two chiller units at Fishers High School.

I had the chance to meet and talk with the Ballpark Hunter when he visited the Fishers Event Center for the third time, in this instance a Fishers Freight game.  As you will see in this video, he shot scenes from all around the building but he did spend some time with me in the press area and enjoyed meeting him.

The ballpark Hunter visits sports facilities throughout the United States, large and small, major league and minor league.

Below is a link to the video all about his time at the Fishers Freight game.  (Note:  I believe he misspelled ‘Freight” in the graphic)

The Art of Calligraphy, a new exhibit created by members of the Calligraphy Guild of Indiana (CGI), is now on display at the Art Gallery at City Hall in Fishers. The exhibition opened on May 24 and will remain on view through June 28.

A free public reception will be held as part of the city’s Second Friday series on Friday, June 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Fishers City Hall, located at 1 Municipal Drive. Due to a scheduled Pacers game viewing at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater at 8:30 p.m., attendees are encouraged to arrive closer to 6 p.m. to allow time for parking in nearby garages.

The reception will feature calligraphy demonstrations by Julia Fish Thompson, Vice President of the Calligraphy Guild of Indiana, along with live music by Scrapper & Skelton, refreshments, and the opportunity to meet several of the calligraphers whose work is on display. An ASL interpreter from GLOBO will also be present to assist with communication.

The exhibit includes more than 80 works representing a wide range of alphabets and artistic styles, showcasing the diversity and creativity within the art of modern calligraphy. The Calligraphy Guild of Indiana is comprised of artists from across the state, ranging in age from 14 to 84, with experience levels spanning from beginners to nationally recognized professionals.

The Guild meets bimonthly in Zionsville and offers additional educational sessions at local libraries. For more information about upcoming events or membership, visit calligin.org.

New Fishers Fire Chief Ky Ragsdale is proposing changes to how the department compiles its promotion list. With 40% of the current promotion list already having resulted in promotions, a new list is now required.

Chief Ragsdale is recommending a revised weighting system for the promotion process. Previously, the Fire Chief held 10% of the influence in determining promotions. Under the proposed changes, that 10% would be shared among the Chief and two additional members of the department, creating a more collaborative evaluation approach.

The assessment center would continue to carry the most weight at 40%. The new proposal also calls for increasing the weight assigned to both the oral interview and the written exam in the overall scoring process.

The Fishers Fire Department Merit Commission reviewed the proposed changes at its Tuesday meeting and responded positively. However, Commission member Mike Peterson noted several technical errors in the revised merit rules. As a result, the Commission voted to table final approval until those issues can be addressed. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for June 26 to take final action on the proposed changes.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the Commission elected officers for 2025. Bryan Babb will serve as president, Howard Stevenson as vice president, and Ron Wilson as secretary.

If all goes according to plan, a new piece of public art will soon join the landscape of downtown Fishers. A large tree sculpture is set to be installed this fall along the Nickel Plate Trail, adjacent to the Spark parking garage.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety approved $300,000 in funding for the sculpture at its Tuesday morning meeting. The money will come from bond proceeds designated for the Nickel Plate Trail project.

Bo-mar Industries will handle the construction and installation of the artwork. The sculpture will be as tall as the Spark garage and will include backlit Nickel Plate Trail lettering on the west side of the structure.

Additional Approvals by the Board

In other business Tuesday:

• The board approved a right-of-way dedication at 14500 E. 96th Street, part of the city’s Technical Advisory Committee review process for a proposed expansion of the Geist Community Center. The center, which serves as an Islamic mosque, is located within Fishers city limits but carries a McCordsville mailing address.

• The city also approved the purchase of turnout gear for a new class of firefighter recruits. The total cost is $61,098, reflecting a significant discount from the vendor, Hoosier Fire. The retail value of the gear is $127,347.

The Fishers Event Center brought in $741,207 for the City of Fishers during its first four months of operation, ending April 30. That total, reported to the Town Hall Building Corporation on Monday afternoon, is 22% higher than originally forecast.

City officials receive $3 from every ticket sold at the venue, along with a share of revenue from parking and food and beverage sales. Event Center representatives cautioned, however, that summer tends to be a slower season for indoor facilities.

The number of events hosted also outpaced projections. The venue held 67 events during the four-month period—well above the anticipated 51—with total attendance reaching approximately 241,000, compared to the forecast of 202,000.

The Center’s adjusted net income came is just under $830,000, within 1% of the projected figure.

However, operating costs were higher than expected. Officials cited several contributing factors, including increased food, beverage, and security expenses. They added that efforts are underway to reduce labor costs associated with food and beverage operations going forward.

When I moved to Fishers in May of 1991, the town’s population was estimated at fewer than 8,000 residents. The 1990 U.S. Census put the number just over 7,500.

At the time, I had no idea that 34 years later I would be living in a city with a population now exceeding 104,000. That milestone was reached thanks to a recently finalized annexation that added more than 3,000 residents and extended the city’s boundary to the Hancock County line.

With this growth, Fishers is now officially Indiana’s fourth-largest city—trailing only Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Evansville. The annexation moved Fishers ahead of South Bend and even our neighbor to the west, Carmel.

Why has Fishers grown so quickly? As someone who has lived here for more than three decades and written a local news blog for the past 13 years, I have a few thoughts.

First, the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools have played a major role. My twin daughters, now 31 and both college graduates, received an excellent education through the HSE School District. Maintaining the strength of our schools is essential to the continued health of our city.

Fishers also made a pivotal decision in 2012, when residents voted to become a second-class city. In the 2014 election, Scott Fadness became our first—and so far, only—mayor. Over the years, he has pursued an aggressive strategy of economic development and has invested heavily in what he often calls “quality of life” initiatives. So far, those investments appear to be paying off.

And then, there’s something less tangible but just as important: the people. I always tell my friends who don’t live here that Fishers is full of genuinely good people. That doesn’t mean we don’t have our fair share of challenges, controversies, or problem individuals. But in my experience, this city is home to some of the best people I’ve ever known—a key ingredient in any thriving community.

So, to the new residents in the recently annexed area to the east: welcome. I hope your experience living in Indiana’s fourth-largest city is as positive and rewarding as mine has been.

It’s becoming a familiar—and frustrating—pattern for the Fishers Freight: a competitive first half, followed by a second-half unraveling. That trend continued Saturday night at the Fishers Event Center, where the Freight suffered a 40-23 loss to the Massachusetts Pirates.

“We have to make plays,” Head Coach Dixie Wooten told reporter Eva Hallman after the game. “Tonight, we didn’t.”

Things started well for the home team. Quarterback Carlos Davis got the Freight on the board with a 4-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. Kicker Calum Sutherland followed with a deuce—a two-point score under Indoor Football League rules awarded when a kickoff sails through the uprights—putting Fishers ahead 9-0.

However, momentum shifted after a fumble by Shane Simpson late in the first quarter gave Massachusetts a short field. The Pirates capitalized quickly with a touchdown.

A 20-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter gave the Pirates a 14-9 lead, but Fishers answered with a 21-yard strike from Davis to Simpson, reclaiming a slim 15-14 halftime advantage.

Then came another second-half collapse.

The Freight turned the ball over on downs early in the third quarter, setting up a Massachusetts touchdown that put the visitors ahead 21-15. Another turnover on downs led to another Pirates score, stretching the lead to 28-15. A Pirates deuce at the end of the third quarter extended their advantage to 30-15.

Fishers never recovered. Though they managed a late touchdown, the outcome was never in doubt.

With the loss, the Freight fall to 2-8, having dropped eight straight games after starting the season with two wins. The Pirates improved to 4-5.

Fishers now turns its attention to a road trip to Quad City, hoping to break their losing streak in what has become a trying inaugural season for the IFL’s only expansion team in 2025.

The temperature is warming as summer sinks into the Fishers area and we have a long list of road construction projects.  I recently recorded a podcast featuring city engineers on the road construction summer and information on the city’s sanitary sewer system.  Listen at this link.

Here is the full list of Fishers area road construction, as provided by the City of Fishers, for the week beginning June 9:

Continue reading Fishers area road construction update for the week of June 9 →

More than 200 adults gathered at the Noblesville Library on Friday, May 30, for A Night in the Stacks, an after-hours celebration hosted by the Hamilton East Public Library and presented by the newly established Hamilton East Public Library Foundation.

The 21+ event launched the library’s 2025 Summer Reading Program in an unexpected way—transforming the traditional space into a playground for adults. Activities included a silent disco, laser tag, book speed dating, trivia, crafts, video games, and even a bounce house. Tickets were $20 and included one drink ticket, with food and beverages available for purchase.

“The Foundation was proud to sponsor this sold-out event,” said Lisa Longo, Director of the Hamilton East Public Library Foundation. “Adults of all ages came to the library to have fun and participate in activities that adults usually step aside and leave for the kids. This is one of the many ways the library brings the community together, connects us, and reminds us of the value and joy a library can foster. We will continue to add events that strengthen the fabric of our community and raise funds to support library programs.”

Guests could also get a head start on Summer Reading Program registration, visit the Friends of the Library Bookstore during special hours, and spin a prize wheel for giveaways.

“We were so excited to host such a great party at the Library,” said Amber Wright, Director of Public Services. “Everywhere you turned, people seemed to be having a blast exploring the traditional library space in new ways. The atmosphere from the very start through last call was one of absolute fun. The feedback on the night of the event and since has been loud and clear: this is an event people are looking forward to seeing again!”