The Indy Fuel opened their Halloween weekend on the road Friday night and fell 4-2 to the Bloomington Bison, who remain unbeaten in the 2026-27 ECHL season.

The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period. Bloomington pulled ahead in the second and third periods and finished it with an empty-net goal.

Grant Porter opened the scoring for the Bison with an unassisted goal at 9:57 of the first period. Twenty seconds later, Matt Petgrave went to the penalty box for holding and Killian Kiecker-Olson for unsportsmanlike conduct. Both penalties were killed off.

Cody Laskosky tied the game for Indy at 16:44, assisted by Paul Ludwinski and Aaron Bohlinger. About a minute later, Laskosky was called for slashing at 17:52, and Tommy Budnick followed six seconds later for high sticking. The Fuel killed off both penalties.

Bloomington outshot Indy 10-5 in the opening period.

Petgrave was called for high sticking at 5:23 of the second period, and the Fuel killed that penalty too. Raivis Ansons gave the Bison a 2-1 lead at 12:35. Less than a minute later, Bloomington’s Brenden Datema went off for tripping, but the score held. The Bison led 2-1 after two periods and had outshot the Fuel 19-12.

Michael Milne made it 3-1 for Bloomington at 2:20 of the third period. Less than three minutes later, Dean Loukus scored his first goal for the Fuel, cutting the lead to 3-2.

With just over five minutes left, Petgrave appeared to tie the game, but the goal was disallowed after a review.

Indy pulled goaltender Adam Gajan for an extra skater. Vladislav Kamenev then scored into the empty net to make it 4-2, and time ran out less than a minute later.

Bloomington outshot Indy 25-21 for the game. The Fuel had more shots in the third period, 9-6.

The Fuel are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. The Fuel next take on the Fort Wayne Komets at the Fishers Event Center Sunday at 4pm

Hamilton Southeastern extended its football season Friday night, Oct. 30, defeating crosstown rival Fishers 23-14 in the opening round of the Class 6A state tournament.

The victory at HSE sends the Royals into the Sectional 3 championship with a 5-5 record. Fishers finishes its season 0-10.

HSE is set to travel to Carmel on Friday, Nov. 6, following the Greyhounds’ reported victory over Westfield in the sectional’s other semifinal. The Indiana Football Digest’s pregame tournament preview specified that Carmel would host either Fishers or HSE with a victory. The IHSAA calendar places the Class 6A sectional championships on Nov. 6.

Friday’s result gives Southeastern a sweep of this season’s two meetings with Fishers. The Royals also won the regular-season Mudsock game 49-35 on Sept. 11, at the same venue.

The postseason rematch produced considerably fewer points: 37 combined, compared with 84 in September.

In that first meeting, special teams helped Southeastern establish control. The Royals blocked Fishers’ first two punts, turning one into a short-field touchdown opportunity and returning the other for a score. HSE built a 21-0 lead and held off the Tigers’ attempts to rally.

Friday’s victory also brings Southeastern back to .500 after an uneven regular season. The Royals entered the tournament 4-5, with victories over North Central, Fishers, Noblesville and Franklin Central. HSE won consecutive October games against Noblesville and Franklin Central before losing its regular-season finale 35-7 to Brownsburg.

For Fishers, the sectional loss closes a season in which the Tigers were unable to break through for a victory. They entered Friday’s game following a 45-7 loss to Zionsville in the regular-season finale.

Southeastern now stands one victory from a sectional championship. The winner on Nov. 6 advances to the regional round, scheduled for Nov. 13.

Construction at the Hamilton County Judicial Center will close part of Eighth Street in downtown Noblesville twice over the next several days, so election workers can drop off and pick up supplies for the Nov. 3 general election.

Eighth Street between Logan and Conner streets will be closed:

• Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., while election workers pick up voting equipment.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., while election workers return results and equipment after the polls close.

County officials said the closures are needed because construction on the west side of the Judicial Center has cut off access to the building’s former sally port. Election workers have traditionally used that entrance to pick up and return voting materials.

Drivers who are not part of election operations should avoid the area during the closures and use other routes.

The Judicial Center is also a voting location. The county asks people who plan to vote there to allow extra time to park. Two public parking garages sit just north and south of the Judicial Center. More parking is available around the downtown square and in nearby public lots.

Fishers residents going to the county seat on either day, whether to vote or for other business, should plan for the closure.

The Indy Ignite will open their third season at Fishers Event Center on Sunday, Jan. 17, against the Vegas Thrill. It is the first of 13 home matches on the 2027 Major League Volleyball schedule.

Tickets go on sale to the public Thursday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m. Season tickets are already on sale at IndyIgniteVB.com.

2027 Ignite home schedule

• Sunday, Jan. 17 — Vegas Thrill
• Friday, Jan. 29
• Saturday, Feb. 6
• Saturday, Feb. 13
• Thursday, Feb. 18
• Sunday, Feb. 28
• Saturday, March 6
• Saturday, March 13
• Sunday, March 21
• Thursday, March 25
• Friday, April 9
• Saturday, April 17
• Thursday, April 22

The home schedule includes a March 21 visit from the expansion Minnesota Forge. On March 25 the Dallas Pulse come to Fishers as defending league champions.

The schedule is shorter than in the team’s first two seasons, when the Ignite played 14 home matches. The league is growing from eight teams to 12 in 2027, adding Los Angeles, Minnesota, Northern California and Washington, D.C. It is also splitting into two conferences, and each team will play 26 regular-season matches. The Ignite play in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Orlando and Washington, D.C.

The Ignite are coming off the best regular season in league history. Indy went 23-5 in 2026, breaking the league record for wins in a season, and won 13 of its 14 matches in Fishers. The team led the standings most of the year and was the first to clinch a playoff spot.

The season ended May 7 in Frisco, Texas. The fourth-seeded Omaha Supernovas beat the top-seeded Ignite in five sets in the championship semifinals. It was a reversal of 2025, when Indy beat Omaha in the semifinals before losing the title match to Orlando.

Head coach Lauren Bertolacci was named MLV Coach of the Year in her first season with the Ignite. She is under contract through 2029. Libero Elena Scott was the league’s Libero of the Year. The team says 12 players from the 2026 roster will return.

Fishers Event Center opened in late 2024 and seats 7,500. It is also home to the Indy Fuel hockey team and the Fishers Freight Indoor Football League squad.

The Indy Fuel have traded forward Jesse Tucker, one of the team’s most durable and popular players, to the Jacksonville Icemen.

The ECHL listed the deal in its transactions Thursday, Oct. 29. The Icemen announced the same day that they had acquired Tucker for future considerations. The Fuel had not issued an announcement as of Friday morning.

In minor-league hockey, “future considerations” often means nothing changes hands right away, and teams rarely make the terms public.

Tucker, 26, is from Longlac, Ontario. He signed with the Fuel in March 2025 after finishing his college career. He made his pro debut that spring and scored two goals in 19 games, then added an assist in four playoff games.

His breakout came last season. Tucker played in all 72 regular-season games in 2025-26, one of only two Indy players to do so. He finished with 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points. He also had 69 penalty minutes, which reflects the physical edge that made him a favorite with fans at the Fishers Event Center.

The Fuel re-signed Tucker on Sept. 8 for a third season. He had played in three games this season without a point.

Tucker leaves Indy with 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points in 94 regular-season ECHL games, all with the Fuel.

Before turning pro, Tucker played 135 NCAA games over four seasons, two at Michigan State and one each at Clarkson and Northern Michigan. He had 15 goals and 41 assists in college. Before that, he captained the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in 2020-21.

Hockey runs in the family. His twin brother, Tyler Tucker, plays defense for the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.

Jacksonville is the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. The Icemen opened their 10th season without a win in their first four games (0-2-2). Coached by Sean Teakle, they missed the playoffs last season for the first time in five years. Jacksonville plays its home opener Saturday, Oct. 31, against Atlanta.

The Fuel, the ECHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, won three of their first five games under head coach Jesse Messier. Indy plays at Bloomington on Friday night.

What happens when a community loses the reporters who attend public meetings, examine government records and ask questions?

That is where I begin the October 30 edition of Fridays With Larry. I discuss the growth of news deserts and what the loss of local reporting can mean for taxpayers, local elections and government accountability.

My guest is Adam Wence, owner of Linton News, a local news operation covering communities in southwestern Indiana, including Greene and Sullivan counties.

Adam explains why public records and government transparency have become such an important part of his reporting. We discuss his efforts to obtain records related to a data center project in Sullivan County and why he believes residents need access to information early in the process.

We also talk about Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act, the Public Access Counselor’s office and changes Adam would like to see in the way transparency laws are enforced.

There is a practical side to this conversation as well. How does someone build a local news business while working another full-time job? Adam discusses the role subscriptions, advertising and community support play in keeping his operation going.

Those are questions I think about in my own work here in Fishers. Our communities are different, but we share an interest in making sure someone is paying attention to local government.

In the final segment, I turn to artificial intelligence. As AI tools move beyond answering questions to taking actions, who is responsible when something goes wrong? I discuss the accountability questions that businesses and individuals need to consider.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

You can watch the video edition or listen to the audio version of this week’s Fridays With Larry at these links or below.

Fishers High School students have a new place to share their artwork with the public, and visitors do not need a community center membership to see it.

An inaugural exhibition at the Fishers Community Center features approximately two dozen original works by the high school’s Advanced Placement Art students, along with student-created ceramics near the entrance, according to a City of Fishers news release.

The artwork is displayed in public hallways that are free and open to visitors regardless of membership.

The partnership began when Jasmine Osborne, visual arts department chair at Fishers High School, approached the center about creating a dedicated space for student artwork beyond the classroom and school hallways.

“Our students pour their heart into their art. It takes weeks and weeks of development, planning and refining,” Osborne said in the release. “I hope they can feel pride in seeing it here, and I hope they feel like they deserve to have others view their art.”

The exhibition includes drawings and mixed-media pieces. Some came from an assignment asking students to revisit earlier artwork and reimagine it through changes in composition, color and design.

Fishers High School senior Wil Lewandowski, who helped install the exhibition, said displaying work in a public setting gives students a different sense of accomplishment.

“It’s such a different feeling to have art that you make in school to have graded by a teacher versus having that in a real place where other people are coming and seeing it,” he said. “It makes you feel kind of professional.”

The first exhibition could lead to broader participation across Hamilton Southeastern Schools. Osborne and fellow art instructors are exploring rotating displays featuring additional schools and grade levels.

Plans also are underway to expand the partnership to the Fishers Health Department, where student artwork would be displayed in clinic rooms, according to the city.

“The Fishers Community Center was built to bring our community together and this partnership is another way we’re making it happen,” center director Mike Lindbloom said in the release. “We’re excited to give local students a place to showcase their creativity and add something special for our visitors to enjoy.”

The Fishers Community Center is at 11400 Johnson Farm Way. The city’s release did not specify an end date for the exhibition.

The City of Fishers has hired a consulting firm to study how the remaining undeveloped land in the Fishers District could be used, and how to attract developers to build on it.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety on Thursday approved a contract of up to $90,000 with Nelco Architecture, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation that refers to itself in contract documents as “Nelson.” The firm will prepare what the city calls the Fishers District Next-Generation Development Strategy.

According to the board’s agenda, the study is meant to identify development opportunities that complement what is already in the district and to set out a practical approach for drawing developers, operators and investment partners. City documents say the firm will draw on national development experience, market research and industry relationships to judge feasibility, identify potential barriers and recommend city actions and recruitment priorities.

The agenda notes the project had not previously come before the board.

Five phases

The firm’s fee schedule, dated Sept. 22, breaks the work into five phases, totaling $84,800 in basic fees:

• Discovery and development intelligence: $17,200
• A working session with city officials: $12,750
• Concept development: up to $16,750
• A developer strategy session: $25,550
• A final recommended development strategy: up to $12,550

Three phases are billed as lump sums and two are hourly with caps. The firm must notify the city as it approaches the cap, and it cannot go past that amount without written authorization.

Travel, lodging, presentation materials and similar expenses will be billed separately at 1.15 times actual cost, with receipts required. Any work outside the agreed scope, such as additional site visits or original market research, also needs written approval from the city and a separately negotiated fee.

Who will be involved

City documents say adjacent landowners, selected developers and industry experts will take part in the process. The developer strategy session is the most expensive single phase of the work.

The professional services agreement allows either side to end the contract with 30 days’ written notice. It also requires the consultant to carry liability insurance and to keep any confidential city information private.

The agreement states that the city must comply with Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act and will disclose the contract’s contents.

The city documents do not specify a completion date for the study.

In other items gaining board approval:

–The Fishers Community Center entered into a 3-year contract with City Wide Facility Solutions at a cost not to exceed $830,000 total for the 3-year period.

–W.R. Logistics will once again handle snow removal duties at the Fishers Event Center for $113,544.04, the same contract price as the previous year.

–The city will purchase 4 additional Ford Police Interceptor SUVs from Don Hinds Ford for the Fishers Police Department at a total cost of $183,585.00.

Reconstruction of the Olio Road and Southeastern Parkway roundabout has not caused major traffic problems so far, according to Fishers Director of Engineering Hatem Mekky.

Speaking Thursday morning before the Board of Public Works and Safety meeting, Mekky said the roundabout should reopen to traffic later this year. He said the full project should be complete by spring 2027.

The roundabout sits near the Interstate 69 Exit 210 interchange and is one of the busiest intersections in the region. It also serves as a main route to Ascension St. Vincent Fishers hospital. The city approved the $6.7 million project to replace the current five-leg design. That design brings Olio Road, Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street together in a way many drivers have found confusing, and the intersection has a history of frequent crashes. The new roundabout will have four legs, and plans also call for a traffic signal on Olio Road north of the roundabout.

When the city opened its 2026 construction season in June, it projected the roundabout work would finish in November. Spring 2027 is now the target for the entire project.

Mekky also gave an update on the 116th Street and Allisonville Road intersection on the city’s west side. He said all lanes are now open there. The only work left is installing new traffic signals, which is the final step of the project.

Built in the late 1990s, the intersection has seen steadily heavier traffic as Fishers has grown. The city first planned a roundabout there but dropped that plan in favor of widening and reconfiguring the existing intersection. Construction began in the spring. Through much of the summer, drivers were limited to one lane in each direction, and the city had projected an October finish.

The Fishers Redevelopment Commission on Wednesday increased the amount it will cover for a planned 200,000-square-foot multi-sports complex from $15 million to $23 million, clearing the way for developer Buckingham Properties to buy the project site, near the Fishers Event Center.

The commission approved an amendment to its professional services agreement with Buckingham on a voice vote with no discussion from members.

Attorney Jennifer Messer told the commission the change was needed after a neighboring property owner, Sunbeam, declined to grant Buckingham an easement that would have allowed initial site work to begin before the land purchase. Messer said the city had worked for years to get an easement from Sunbeam.

With that option off the table, Messer said, Buckingham decided to close on the property now because the project is on a tight schedule. She said there are commitments to have a user in the building by a certain date.

The original agreement, approved around July 1, authorized up to $15 million for Buckingham to buy steel, complete design work and cover other soft costs, including engineering. The amended agreement raises that ceiling to $23 million, which Messer said includes a buffer, and adds the cost of buying the site to the list of reimbursable expenses. At least $11 million of the total is set aside for building materials.

Under the agreement, the commission will reimburse Buckingham’s documented costs if the developer cannot acquire the site, if the city and Buckingham do not sign a lease, or if project financing falls through for reasons beyond Buckingham’s control. Messer said that if the deal goes awry, the property would be transferred to the commission “because it’s our dime.”

The amendment also pushes back the deadline for acquiring the site and signing a lease from Sept. 30 to Nov. 30.

The planned facility, described at an earlier meeting as a field house with some office space, would be built and then leased to the city long term. The Fishers City Council has already approved the lease. Messer said the commission will hold a public hearing on the lease Nov. 17 before voting on it.

Commission members are President Brad Johnson, Tony Bonacuse, Damon Grothe, Dan Canan and Anderson Schoenrock.