The Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA), the union representing teachers in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District, is planning an informational picket outside the district’s Central Office on Cumberland Road this Wednesday beginning at 4 p.m.

The union continues to encourage teachers to follow a “work to rule” approach, meaning educators perform only the duties explicitly required in their contracts. Teachers often put in additional unpaid time, and HSEA says the action is intended to highlight those extra efforts.

The dispute stems from the ongoing lack of a new contract agreement between HSEA and the district. As of November 15, negotiations have moved into mediation, during which a neutral mediator will be appointed, with both sides sharing the cost. If the two parties fail to reach a ratified agreement within 30 days, a state appointed fact-finder will review each side’s final offer, select one, and impose that contract on both parties.

Meanwhile, retired teacher Mike Fassold has weighed in on the situation in a post on his personal Facebook page. Fassold, who guided several Fishers Junior High “We the People” teams to national championships, wrote that while there are “valid considerations on both sides,” he is most concerned about maintaining civil discourse. Before becoming an educator, Fassold served for many years in the military, where he says he learned key lessons about leadership.

He encourages HSE officials to explore creative solutions to the impasse and also notes that low voter turnout can lead to the election of officials who may or may not reflect the broader community’s views on important issues.

You can read Mike Fassold’s entire Facebook post below:

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Continue reading HSEA plans informational picketing, retired teacher weighs-in on contract impasse →

ReCenter Indiana hosted three public meetings to gather input on proposals to redraw the state’s federal congressional districts. The first two sessions were held in Martinsville and Beech Grove, with the final meeting taking place last Thursday at Geist Christian Church on Promise Road in Fishers.

Although I had another commitment and could not attend in person, I watched the video recording afterward (the Indiana Citizen video is also available at this link). A live cell phone poll of attendees showed near-unanimous opposition to the redistricting proposal.

Shortly after the Fishers meeting, State Senator Kyle Walker, representing Fishers and Lawrence, announced he would not support the plan. Soon after that, Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray said the measure lacked sufficient support in the chamber, and senators would not convene in a special session to consider it.

University of Indianapolis political science professor Laura Merrifield Wilson led the discussion at the Fishers session and answered questions from the audience. The meeting concluded with an open-comment period, during which attendees voiced a wide range of concerns on various issues.

ReCenter Indiana is a nonprofit organization with a board made up of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Its bylaws prevent any one group from holding a majority, ensuring the organization’s actions remain nonpartisan.

The group initially supported candidates who aligned with its principles but has since shifted its focus to advocating for issues that polling shows have broad public support but are not being addressed by state elected officials.

ReCenter Indiana focuses its work around three core beliefs: People Over Parties, Results Over Rhetoric, and Patriotism Over Politics. About two months ago, I recorded a podcast interview with board president Don Knebel and executive director Jocelyn Vare, a former member of the Fishers City Council. You can listen at this link.

The Indy Fuel closed out their three-game set with Rapid City on Saturday night at the Fishers Event Center, falling 2-1 after surrendering a pair of third-period goals. Indy had taken the first two games of the week, including an overtime win Wednesday and a shutout Friday.

The night also featured the team’s third annual Sock Toss on Wizard Night, with fans throwing 4,267 pairs of socks onto the ice to benefit local charities.

After a scoreless first two periods, the Fuel broke through early in the third. Jadon Joseph scored at 6:09, assisted by Connor Joyce and Jacob Leguerrier, giving Indy a 1-0 lead. Rapid City answered midway through the period when captain Ryan Wagner tied the game.

The Rush took the lead for good with 3:09 remaining as Chaz Smedsrud scored following a video review that upheld the call on the ice. Indy had chances late, including a power play at 17:38 after a delay-of-game penalty on Rapid City’s Blake Bennett. The Fuel pulled goaltender Mitchell Weeks for an extra attacker, creating a two-man advantage, but could not find the equalizer.

Both teams traded unsuccessful power plays earlier in the night, and the goaltenders controlled much of the play through 40 minutes. Indy killed off two Rapid City man-advantages, while the Rush stopped the Fuel’s lone second-period power play.

Indy outshot Rapid City 24-22 in the loss.  This breaks the Fuel 4 game winning streak.

The Fuel take on the Bloomington Bison Wednesday night at the Fishers Event Center.  It’s 317 night, featuring special deals on food and drink offerings.

Watch for the ongoing 96th Street closures between Hague and Masters Roads as work on the Nickel Plate Trail continues.  There will also be work on Christmas decorations around the Nickel Plate District.

Those are just two of a long list of road construction updates available.  Here is the full listing for the work week starting Monday, November 17, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Road construction update for work week starting Monday, November 17 →

The Indy Fuel earned a series win Friday night at the Fishers Event Center, shutting out the Rapid City Rush 3–0 as goaltender Owen Flores recorded his first professional clean sheet.

Indy struck early in the opening period. Jesse Tucker put the Fuel on the board at 7:43 off assists from Owen Robinson and Matt Petgrave. Jadon Joseph added a second goal six minutes later, set up by Brett Moravec and Connor Joyce. The Fuel carried a 2–0 lead into the first intermission while outshooting the Rush 10–6.

Rapid City had its best chance to climb back in during the second period after Joyce was whistled for hooking at 10:57, followed by a tripping call on Will Ennis that left Indy defending an extended 5-on-3. The Fuel penalty kill unit held firm, and the teams skated through a scoreless middle frame with Indy leading in shots 23–16.

The third period featured strong goaltending on both ends until a skirmish near the Fuel net led to multiple roughing penalties and another Indy penalty kill. Rapid City pulled goaltender Arsenii Sergeev with just over two minutes left, and a Fuel penalty moments later gave the Rush a 6-on-4 advantage.

But Indy sealed the win at 18:34 when Dustin Manz scored into the empty net, assisted by Christian Berger. Flores and the Fuel closed out the final minutes to secure the shutout.

Indy finished with a 29–22 edge in shots and improved their week’s series record to 2–0 against the Rush.

The Fuel have won 4 straight after a tough start to the season, Indy has a record of 6 wins, 4 losses and 1 overtime loss.  The Fuel take on Rapid City once again here in Fishers Saturday night.

Motorists that use the 146th Street and Allisonville Road area should be aware of temporary lane closures ahead.

Here is the full statement, as provided by the Hamilton County Highway Department:

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Please be advised, beginning Friday, November 14, 2025, drivers should anticipate temporary lane closures and intermittent ramp closures for pavement marking placement. The work is scheduled to take place on:

• Friday, November 14, 2025
• Saturday, November 15, 2025
• Monday, November 17, 2025

Paving operations and striping will be ongoing. As we near the completion of this project, please use extreme caution and follow the posted work zone speed limit while driving through this construction zone.

Contract talks between Hamilton Southeastern Schools (HSE) and the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) ended without an agreement this week, as both sides continue to clash over compensation and district finances.

In a statement, district leaders said they could not meet the union’s pay proposals “while maintaining long-term fiscal stability,” pointing to declining enrollment, new state funding laws, and an ongoing budget deficit.

“We at HSE Schools remain committed to negotiating in good faith and are disappointed by the false narratives being promoted and the unproductive path by which the HSEA representatives have chosen to approach this process,” Superintendent Patrick Mapes said. He added that the school board must protect the district from “long-term deficits” while preserving classroom instruction.

According to the district, changes under Senate Enrolled Act 1 (SEA-1), combined with falling enrollment, are expected to reduce the Education Fund cash balance by about $10.7 million by early 2027. Without corrective action, HSE projects the fund could fall to a negative balance of about $6.2 million by January 2028.

HSE highlighted its current investments in teacher pay, including what it says is the highest starting teacher salary in Hamilton County and directing 84% of Education Fund revenue toward teacher salaries and benefits—well above the state-required 62%. The district also said 96% of referendum dollars go directly toward classroom instruction and educator positions.

The district’s statement emphasized that state law limits how teacher raises can be awarded and prohibits school corporations from bargaining agreements that could lead to deficit spending.

The teachers union issued a sharply different assessment of the day’s negotiations, accusing the administration of offering “an old, tired solution” that would require educators to give up hard-earned contributions toward their health savings accounts in exchange for minimal insurance relief.

“It was a slap in the face to our dedication and ingenuity,” the union wrote, thanking members for “holding the line” and rejecting what it characterized as repackaged concessions.

The HSEA also referenced Wednesday night’s school board meeting, where teachers and supporters attempted to speak about ongoing bargaining but were ruled out of order because the issue was not listed on the agenda.

HSE said it will continue negotiations with the union within the state-mandated timeline.

The Fishers Freight are gearing up for their second season in the Indoor Football League, set to once again play at the Fishers Event Center. The team has released its 2026 season schedule.

Fishers will open the season at home on March 14 against the Quad City Steamwheelers. The full season schedule is available in the graphic above.

In their inaugural 2025 season, the Freight started strong, winning their first two games. However, a string of turnovers and instability at the quarterback position led to nine straight losses. The team closed out the season on a high note, winning five consecutive games to finish with momentum.

Head Coach and General Manager Dixie Wooten said in a post-season podcast interview that he plans to retain most of the players from that five-game winning stretch. Wooten has also announced several free-agent signings during the offseason as the Freight prepare for year two.

Note there are two games late in the season against the “Pirates.”  This team has been located in Massachusetts but it expected to move, however, the new location has not yet been announced.

Seventh- and eighth-grade students across Hamilton Southeastern Schools are learning to innovate one brick at a time through a new robotics elective now available at every junior high.

The hands-on course, developed in partnership with LEGO® Education, introduces students to engineering, coding, and design thinking using LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime kits. Working in teams, students design, build, and program robotic models to perform real-world tasks while strengthening their problem-solving, collaboration, and technical skills.

District officials say the elective connects directly to future-focused fields such as advanced manufacturing, engineering, and computer science.

All HSE robotics teachers—Theodore Villanyi at Fall Creek Junior High, Seth Zook at Fishers Junior High, Christopher Hamon at Riverside Junior High, and Eric Brown at Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate/Junior High—completed specialized LEGO® Education training to ensure consistent, high-quality instruction aligned with academic standards.

The initiative supports the district’s “Journey of a Student” vision by providing engaging and relevant learning experiences that help students think critically, create confidently, and prepare for the challenges of the future.

Watch the video about this program produced by HSE Schools at this link.

In other items before the school board Wednesday night:

–A new boiler will be installed at Harrison Parkway Elementary School.  The current unit is 27 years old and not energy efficient.

–The board voted to change language governing the 403(b) and 457 retirement plans for district employees, adhering to recent changes in federal tax law.  Starting in 2026, workers will have the option of saving for retirement in a Roth program, where contributions are not deductible but the earnings are not taxed in retirement if legal requirements are met.

–Assistant Superintendent Jason Urban presented several new course proposals, listed below.  The board is expected to approve the proposal at the December meeting.

The Indy Fuel stormed back from a three-goal deficit Wednesday night to defeat the Rapid City Rush 5–4 in overtime at the Fishers Event Center, taking the first of a three-game series this week.

After falling behind 4–1 midway through the second period, Indy responded with four unanswered goals to complete the comeback. Lee Lapid sealed the win just 1:02 into overtime with the Fuel’s only shot of the extra frame.

Rapid City jumped out to a 3–1 first-period lead on goals by Matt Hubbarde, Chaz Smedsrud, and Ryan Chyzowski, while Owen Robinson scored Indy’s lone goal of the opening frame. The Rush extended their lead to 4–1 in the second period on a goal from captain Ryan Wagner.

That’s when the Fuel took over. Sahil Panwar began the rally with his first goal at 14:26 of the second period, followed two minutes later by Kevin Lombardi’s tally that extended his point streak to six games. Panwar struck again early in the third, scoring on the power play to tie the game 4–4.

Indy outshot Rapid City 37–18 in regulation and 38–18 overall — their highest shot total of the season. Goaltender Owen Flores replaced starter Mitchell Weeks to begin the second period and stopped all shots he faced in relief.

The Fuel  will face the Rush again on Friday and Saturday here in Fishers to wrap up the three-game homestand.