At Wednesday night’s Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meeting, members will receive a first reading on proposed changes to the district’s Teacher Appreciation Grant policy. Often known as TAG grants, these awards recognize teachers for their performance. The revised policy will move to the board’s Policy Committee for further review before returning to the full board for a final vote at a later meeting.

The proposed changes are required under new Indiana legislation passed during last year’s session of the General Assembly. Many educators statewide have expressed concerns about the new approach.

Previously, TAG grants were awarded to teachers rated “effective” or “highly effective” in their performance evaluations—criteria that resulted in a broad portion of classroom teachers receiving the bonuses. Under the new law, however, no more than 20% of a district’s teaching staff may receive a TAG award. By comparison, roughly 89% of teachers statewide qualified under the previous system.

Eligibility under the new rules is tied primarily to demonstrating a “significant impact on student outcomes” based on national, state, or local assessment data. Educators in areas without standardized testing—such as special education, counseling, and the arts—have raised concerns that they may be placed at a disadvantage when competing for the limited number of grants.

While fewer teachers will receive the grants, those who do will be awarded larger amounts. Payouts under the new structure will range from $3,500 to $7,500.

The Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) opposed the legislation, arguing that the competitive design of the program will “sow competition and division” rather than promote the collaboration encouraged by the previous model. Local teachers’ union president Tyler Zerbe told LarryInFishers that HSE teachers generally do not support the changes.

One question remains unanswered: What happens if more than 20% of teachers in a district meet the eligibility criteria? State guidance is unclear, and some districts are reportedly considering a lottery system as a last resort.

The HSE District  is now preparing to revise its policies to comply with the statewide mandate. This shift in TAG criteria was a state decision, not a local one.

The process of redrawing school boundary lines in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District began in August, launching months of online feedback, focus groups, and community meetings. Residents were invited to review proposed maps and share their concerns, and the HSE School Board is now preparing to take a final vote on the administrator and consultant recommended plan.

In November, board members received the first full proposal to adjust boundaries for elementary, intermediate, and junior high schools. The two high schools were not included in this round of redistricting, and no changes have been proposed for them.

When the maps were unveiled, some neighborhoods objected to the boundaries as drawn, with several communities noting they have been repeatedly affected by past redistricting efforts.

The district accepted public comments on its Redistricting webpage through the end of November. Based on recent conversations with administrators, the volume of feedback was substantial.

Woolpert, the district’s consultant, and HSE administrators have now released their final proposed map, which will be presented to the board Wednesday night. The board may approve the plan as submitted or make adjustments before taking final action.

Several changes have been made from the maps presented in November. Details of those revisions are included in an attachment to Wednesday’s board agenda at this link.  

The updated proposed districts, along with explanations of changes made in response to community input, are available at the link above. Readers should scroll through the document to view the original November proposals, area-by-area revisions, and the final map recommended for board approval.

We are headed into the film awards season as the Golden Globes announce their nominees this year.  A group of local film critics have also been at work screening and publishing their views on films this year.

That group is the Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA).  At  time when few, if any, film critics make a living at the craft, this gathering of critics has provided their views on the best films of the year since coming together in 2009.

I have tried my hand at film criticism on this platform but have not been able to continue that pursuit in recent years just due to a lack of time to devote to such an endeavor.

The IFJA has announced their nominees for their various award categories.  The winners will be announced later.

For anyone interested, here are the films and filmmakers nominated for IFJA awards in 2025:

Continue reading Indiana Film Journalists Association announces 2025 nominees →

When I launched this local news Web site in January 2012, the then–Town of Fishers had a population estimated at just under 82,000. That is sizable by Indiana standards, but still a small to mid-sized community on the national scale.

I expected plenty of local issues to cover, including that year’s referendum that ultimately transformed Fishers into a city with a strong mayor system. What I never imagined was that Fishers would one day find itself at the center of developments in international auto racing.

I was reminded of that last Wednesday while attending the Fishers Plat Committee meeting at City Hall. City Councilor Selina Stoller approached me, curious why I was there—after all, the committee typically handles technical matters related to local development projects. I told her I was hoping to speak with someone connected to the construction of the Cadillac Formula One headquarters rising just north of 96th Street.

I spoke with Aaron Hurt, Vice President at Civil & Environmental Consultants, who said construction is progressing well and that racing team staff should be able to begin moving into the new facility this spring.

Those thoughts were still with me as I watched ESPN’s broadcast of the Formula One season finale from Abu Dhabi. British driver Lando Norris clinched the World Driving Championship by finishing third, edging Dutchman Max Verstappen by just two points. It capped a dramatic season in which both the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Trophy—ultimately won by McLaren—came down to the final race.

I’m not sure many Fishers residents fully grasp how much international attention comes with hosting the only American team in Formula One. People from across the global motorsports world—including substantial international media—will be coming to Fishers simply because it will be home to the U.S. entry on the F-1 grid.

As a longtime racing fan, I remember when Formula One legends such as Jim Clark, Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart competed in the Indianapolis 500. That crossover is rare now, largely due to scheduling. In fact, the Canadian Grand Prix and the 2026 Indy 500 are set to run on the same day.

Formula One’s decision to approve an American team is due in part to the growing popularity of the sport in the U.S., boosted by the three races now held here—Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. Roger Penske has said he would explore bringing Formula One back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the calendar and economics appear to be significant obstacles for the foreseeable future.

Nevertheless, Formula One is coming to Fishers. And when the Cadillac team settles into its new headquarters next year, our city should be prepared for the global spotlight that will follow.

The Indy Fuel closed out their three-in-three weekend on the road Sunday in Toledo, where a strong start wasn’t enough to hold off a late Walleye surge in a 3–2 defeat.

Indy struck first despite sustained early pressure from Toledo. The Walleye controlled the opening minutes, but at 4:51 Sahil Panwar converted the Fuel’s first shot of the night, firing a top-right snipe off a feed from Cody Laskosky. Panwar later drew the game’s first penalty at 18:01 for high-sticking. Tempers flared in the final minutes of the period, but no further penalties were issued.

Goaltender Mitchell Weeks kept the Fuel in front through the first intermission, turning away all 12 Toledo shots. The Walleye outshot Indy 12–3 in the opening frame.

Panwar began the second period in the penalty box, finishing the remainder of his minor. Indy went to the power play just seconds into the period when Toledo’s Brandon Hawkins was called for tripping, but the Fuel were unable to extend their lead. The Walleye evened the score at 6:53 when Jordan Ernst buried Toledo’s first goal, assisted by defenseman Jed Pietila.

The game tightened again entering the third period, but penalties played a pivotal role in the final outcome. Just 17 seconds into the period, Hawkins took his second minor of the night, this time for delay of game. A series of calls midway through the frame created a 4-on-3 advantage for Toledo after penalties to Jesse Tucker and Pietila, followed by a tripping call on Indy’s Harrison Israels at 12:16.

The Walleye capitalized. Hawkins scored on the power play at 13:29 to tie the game. Forty-four seconds later, Will Hillman struck, giving Toledo its first lead.

The Fuel pulled Weeks with a minute remaining and used a timeout with 38.9 seconds left to plan a final push, but Indy couldn’t beat Toledo goaltender Jan Bednář with the extra skater.

The loss dropped Indy to 1–2 on the weekend. The Fuel return home later this week as they continue their December slate.

The Indy Fuel fell 7-1 to the Cincinnati Cyclones Saturday night at the Fishers Event Center, as Cincinnati controlled the game from the middle of the first period on.

After a quiet start in which both teams generated few chances, the Cyclones broke through at 9:38 of the first period on a goal by Zack Trott. Less than three minutes later, Aaron Bohlinger extended the lead to 2-0.

Tensions rose late in the opening frame when Fuel captain Chris Cameron and Cincinnati’s Nick Rhéaume exchanged roughing penalties at 18:41, with Cameron assessed a double minor. The Cyclones took advantage, adding a power-play goal by Ryan Kirwan to take a 3-0 lead into the first intermission.

Indy opened the second period with a power play but was unable to close the gap. Trott struck again at 4:27 for his second goal of the night, pushing Cincinnati ahead 4-0.

The period grew more physical at 6:15 when Indy’s Harrison Israels and Cincinnati’s Andrew Noel dropped the gloves, each earning five-minute fighting majors. Cameron later took a tripping penalty, but the Fuel penalty killers held strong.

Cincinnati added to its lead at 11:32 when Lincoln Griffin intercepted a pass and scored on a breakaway moments after leaving the penalty box, making it 5-0. Despite several overlapping penalties late in the period, neither team converted, and the Cyclones carried a 5-0 lead and a 16-11 shot advantage into the second intermission.

Just 1:34 into the third, Cameron and Cincinnati’s Cole Fraser fought, resulting in matching five-minute majors. The Cyclones added a sixth goal only seconds later, with Luke Grainger scoring at 1:48.

The penalties continued to pile up, including a roughing minor against Indy’s Kevin Lombardi, a delayed penalty against Cincinnati, and a tripping call to Ben King, but neither side converted on special teams.

Indy broke the shutout at 11:13 when Michael Marchesan scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Jordan Martin and Dustin Manz, cutting the deficit to 6-1.

Cincinnati answered at 14:54 with a goal from Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, closing out the 7-1 final. Despite the loss, the Fuel finished with a slight edge in shots, 25-24.

The weekly Fishers area road construction report is mostly updates on ongoing projects, as we are now well into the winter season.

Here is the full listing for the work week starting Monday, December 8, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Road Construction Report – Work Week Beginning Monday, December 8 →