We have had a bad case of the winter blues in and around Fishers, starting early Sunday morning.  We received snow in varying depths, not a lot (an inch or two in most places) but enough to cause driving problems.  The biggest issue with the local road crews was the rain that fell Saturday, making it impossible to effectively pre-treat area roads.

That led to snow covered and very slick conditions Sunday morning.  Conditions have improved as Sunday morning turned to afternoon, but the snow may not be done.

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory until 7pm Sunday.

“Scattered snow showers and slick conditions” are possible during the Advisory period, according to National Weather Service forecasters.  We could see up to an inch of additional snow.

But the snow is not the biggest issue we face.  We may see winds gusting as high as 40 miles per hour.  The temperature early Monday morning is forecast to be about 6 degrees here in Fishers.  The high winds will make things that much worse.

Bottom line, be careful driving Sunday and be prepared for very cold temperatures the next 5-6 days.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 6,647 fans at the Fishers Event Center, the Indy Fuel battled the Florida Everblades to a nail-biting finish, ultimately falling 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday night. The matchup concluded a three-game series between the Fuel and the Everblades, with Indy securing one hard-earned point in the standings.

Indy came out firing, generating early offensive pressure against Florida. However, a penalty against Nick Grima at 15:15 for interference momentarily shifted momentum. The Fuel penalty kill stood tall, successfully neutralizing the Everblades’ power play.

Despite Indy’s strong start, Florida struck first. At 17:56, Dillon Hamaliuk found the back of the net, putting the Everblades ahead 1-0 as the first period came to a close.

Indy had its first power-play opportunity at 6:07 after a high-sticking minor by Florida’s Cole Moberg, but the Everblades’ killed that penalty. The Fuel remained persistent, and their efforts paid off when Lucas Brenton netted his first professional goal at 14:54, assisted by Bryan Lemos and Colin Bilek, tying the game at 1-1.

As the intensity ramped up, tempers flared between the two squads, though no additional penalties were called during the period. Florida’s Jordan Sambrook was assessed an interference penalty at the 20:00 mark, giving Indy a power play to start the third.

Through two periods, the Fuel held a slight edge in shots, outshooting Florida 16-13.

Both teams pushed the pace in search of the go-ahead goal, but stellar goaltending at both ends kept the game deadlocked. At 13:57, Carson Gicewicz broke through for the Everblades, reclaiming the lead at 2-1.

With just over two minutes left in regulation, Indy pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker, a gamble that paid off. Colin Bilek buried the equalizer, assisted by Lemos and Nathan Burke, at 18:32, forcing overtime.

The five-minute three-on-three overtime saw back-and-forth action, with Florida outshooting Indy 3-1, but neither team could find the game-winner, sending the contest to a shootout.

Indy sent Maksimovich, Bilek, and Burke to face Florida’s Cam Johnson in net, but all three were denied. Florida’s shootout trio consisted of Hargrove, Fizer, and Kile, with Kile breaking through in the final round to secure the 3-2 victory for the Everblades.

The Fuel travel to Cincinnati and take on the Cyclones for a 3pm Sunday contest.  They return home Wednesday, February 19, facing the in-state rival Fort Wayne Komets.

Very cold winter temperatures are not stopping area construction projects.  Along with updates on ongoing projects, watch for daytime road closures on South Street in downtown Fishers, along with some other localized work.

Below is the road construction update for the work week beginning Monday, February 17, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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Continue reading Fishers area road construction update – work week starting Monday, Feb. 17 →

It was Valentine’s Day but there was no love for the Indy Fuel Friday night, as they once again lost to the team with the best record in the league, the Florida Everblades, 7-3, before a crowd of 5,248 at the Fishers Event Center.

The team from the Sunshine State demonstrated why they have the East Coast Hockey League’s best record of 33-9.  The Fuel fall below .500 with a record of 19-20.

The game started on the right foot as Chris Cameron notched a goal about 4 minutes into the contest.  Nearly halfway through period 1, Florida scored 2 quick goals within seconds of each other and took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

About 6 minutes into the second stanza the Everblades scored 3 quick goals within a few minutes to take a 5-1 lead at the end of period 2.

Florida picked up another goal early in the third period, then the Fuel picked up 2 quick goals, bringing the score to 6-3.  The Everblades found the net with a little over a minute to go in the game and the final score was 7-2.

There were penalties galore in this contest and both teams were not shy about being physical.

The Fuel are back against this same Florida team Saturday night for Jurassic Puck night.  Faceoff is 7pm.

The Republican Party of Hamilton County remains in solid control of most government entities in Hamilton County.  For example, in Fishers, the City Council has 8 Republicans and 1 Democrat, our mayor and city clerk are Republicans.  County government is dominated by the GOP.

I can still recall at least one Fishers Town Council general election that was cancelled since I moved here in 1991.  That was because there were no Democrats on the local town council ballot, so no election was necessary.

However, Democrats in Fishers and parts of Hamilton County have made gains in recent elections.  The current Hamilton County Democratic Chair is a former Fishers City Councilor, Jocelyn Vare.  She has authored an opinion piece pointing out advances local Democrats are making.

You can read that opinion piece below:  (NOTE:  I have invited the local Republican Party to submit a similar piece for this blog)

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Continue reading Commentary from the HAMCO Democrats →

I have covered the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board for 13 years.  The consent agenda, for most of that time, was relegated to routine items, such as approving minutes,  basic personnel and payroll matters.

Wednesday night featured a debate about the consent agenda when Sarah Parks-Reese asked that the board vote on each consent agenda item, 7 in all.  Suzanne Thomas pointed out that $2.9 million in spending was part of those consent agenda items.  She argued these are not all routine items in this case.

Dawn Lange responded that each item had been discussed in a board committee and minutes of those meetings are available online.

The board voted 4-3 not to separate the consent agenda items, with Suzanne Thomas, Sarah Parks-Reese and Latrica Schooley voting no.  The vote to approve the consent agenda itself was approved on a 5-2 vote, with Parks-Reese and Schooley voting no.

The consent agenda items listed for Wednesday night’s meeting included meeting minutes, personnel reports, claims, a contract for legal work with Barnes & Thornburg, award of a contract for phase 2 renovation of Durbin, telecom purchases and a contract with Moss Telecom.

Principals formally approved

The Board also officially approved Kyle Goodwin as permanent Principal at Fishers High School and Chrissie Sturgill as Associate Principal.  Janie Ulmer was named permanent Principal at HSE Intermediate & Junior High.

Two years of calendars in place

The Board unanimously voted for two years worth of school calendars, listed below.

Supt. Mapes on pending legislation

Superintendent Patrick Mapes cited the property tax relief bill before the Indiana Senate, saying the original version of that measure would have “a negative impact on our schools.”  He described revisions in the legislation as “helpful.”  It is expected the bill will have moved from the Senate to the Indiana House by the time the board meets again in March.

The Indy Fuel fell to the first-place Florida Everblades 6-3 on Wednesday night at the Fishers Event Center, in the first of a three-game home series this week. Despite an early deficit, the Fuel battled back but couldn’t overcome Florida’s offensive surge.

The Everblades wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Craig Needham netted an unassisted goal just over two minutes into the contest. Florida extended its lead minutes later when Alex Kile capitalized to make it 2-0.

Indy responded midway through the first period, with Adam McCormick cutting the deficit to 2-1 off a setup from Cam Hausinger. However, Florida struck back quickly as Isaac Nurse restored the two-goal cushion at 10:44. A late high-sticking penalty against Indy’s Zach Bannister gave the Everblades an extended power play opportunity, carrying into the second period.

Indy showed resilience in the second, as Darby Llewellyn brought the home team within one at 8:54, marking his fifth goal of the season. McCormick notched his second point of the night with the assist, while Colin Bilek also contributed.

Florida, however, took control from there. A holding penalty on Lucas Brenton set up Colin Theisen for a power-play goal at 12:03, and just over a minute later, Tarun Fizer extended the Everblades’ lead to 5-2. By the end of two periods, Florida held a dominant 25-15 advantage in shots.

Florida’s power-play unit struck again in the third period, with Fizer tallying his second goal of the night at 14:42 to make it 6-2.

Indy found some late momentum when Kyle Maksimovich scored on the power play at 18:59, assisted by Bilek and Alex Lemos. However, it was too little, too late, as the Everblades secured the 6-3 victory, outshooting the Fuel 32-22.

The Fuel will look to bounce back in their next matchup against the Everblades as the two teams continue their series Friday.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools have been dealing with growing pains ever since I moved to Fishers 34 years ago.  There was no room for people to transfer into our district from outside the boundaries.

The most recent demographic report shows the district will be losing some students in the next few years, a very different situation for the local school district.  As a result, the HSE School Board gave final approval Wednesday night to a new policy allowing a limited number of families residing outside the HSE District to apply for available slots in buildings with room for them.

There will be a process to determine whether the student meets minimum eligibility criteria and whether there is space available for that student.  If there are more qualified requests than space available, a lottery will be conducted.

“This is an important moment for Hamilton Southeastern Schools,” said Superintendent Patrick Mapes, in a school district news release. “By welcoming students from outside our district, we are able to expand access to the high-quality educational opportunities that define HSE while strengthening our ability to serve the greater community.”

With state support determined by the student head count, HSE says it is now in a position to accept students living outside the HSE boundaries.  HSE Schools currently has over 21,000 students, the third-largest in Indiana based on enrollment.

“Our district has always been guided by its mission to provide excellence in education and
opportunities for all students,” added Superintendent Mapes. “By extending enrollment, we are able to equip the next generation with the skills needed to achieve their goals and contribute positively to an ever-changing world.”

For more details on the program, use this link.  Families may begin filing requests online as of Friday, February 21.

A speaker during public comment was critical of the district in handling her child’s request for a transfer of schools within the HSE District.

Kyle Goodwin will no longer have the moniker of Fishers High School Interim Principal if the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board puts its stamp of approval on the administration recommendation at tonight’s meeting.  Goodwin would assume the position of permanent Fishers High School Principal as of February 13.  Also, Interim Associate Principal Chrissie Sturgill will assume the permanent job if the board approves.

The board will also be asked to approve Janie Ulmer as Permanent Principal at HSE Intermediate & Junior High, where she has served in an interim capacity.

The board will also be asked to approve school calendars for the 2026-2027  and the 2027-2028 school years.  The proposed calendars before the board tonight are shown below.

(Updated at 11:50am)

The National Weather Service continues to have a Winter Weather Advisory in place for the Fishers area beginning at 1pm today through 4am Thursday.

The latest update from the forecasters indicates Fishers will be very close to the line between snow and rain in this weather system.  NWS says icy conditions are more likely in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis, which obviously includes Fishers.

Because the forecast is a bit uncertain, any movement of this weather system a little north or south can change everything. Stay in touch as you plan your evening rush hour and evening activities today.

Below is the latest update from the National Weather Service, issued at 10:36am today:

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EST
THURSDAY...

* WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Ice accumulations up to
  around a quarter of an inch. Total snow accumulations up to three
  inches in far North Central Indiana.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, north central, and west
  central Indiana.

* WHEN...Until 4 AM EST Thursday.

* IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will
  likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road
  conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday
  evening commute.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Greatest area of uncertainty exists along the
  I-70 corridor where the transition line from plain rain to
  freezing rain will set up. Impacts may widely vary over small
  south to north distances throughout the Indianapolis Metro area
  and along I-70. The northern Indy suburbs have a greater threat of
  freezing rain and icy conditions. A difference of just one degree
  can mean the difference between plain rain and significant ice.
  Stay tuned for updates as the latest winter storm evolves today.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road
conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by
calling 5 1 1.

Be prepared for slippery roads. Slow down and use caution while
driving. If you are going outside, watch your first few steps taken
on stairs, sidewalks, and driveways. These surfaces could be icy and
slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.