How do you get started with artificial intelligence, and how do you know when to question the answers it gives you?

Those are two of the questions I explore with George Dubec on this edition of Fridays With Larry.

George is an author, entrepreneur and podcaster whose career has taken him from engineering at General Motors to broadcasting and technology businesses. He also has a local connection, with a son and daughter-in-law living in Carmel.

Our conversation covers the practical side of AI: where a beginner might start, how the wording of a question can affect the response, and how these tools can help compare products before making a purchase.

We also discuss the concerns that come with those possibilities. AI can produce an answer that sounds convincing and still gets the facts wrong. I explain why I ask for original sources when using AI for research, so I can check the information myself.

George shares his concerns about relying too heavily on AI, protecting personal information and the emotional side of adapting to technology.

I open the podcast with some thoughts about how people adopt new technology. Remembering our family’s first computer in 1995, I consider why cost, privacy and ease of use can matter as much as someone’s willingness to learn.

In the final segment, I turn to holiday shopping, online purchases and buy now, pay later plans. Dividing a purchase into smaller payments can change when the bills arrive, but it does not reduce the total price.

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 below.

Indy Fuel owner Jim Hallett will serve as honorary chair of Fishers Rotary’s 16th annual WaterIsLife Charity Ball on Friday, Dec. 4, supporting efforts to provide clean water in Sierra Leone.

The event will run from 6 to 11 p.m. in the heated holiday pavilion behind Fishers City Hall, 1 Municipal Drive. Proceeds will help fund deep borehole wells for communities in the West African country.

Hallett is chairman of Hallett Sports & Entertainment and owner and chairman of the Indy Fuel. His community service includes supporting Mabel’s Ride, a partnership with Community Health Network that provides free transportation to health care for qualifying patients, according to the Rotary Club’s announcement.

The honorary chair designation recognizes community leaders whose service reflects Rotary’s “Service Above Self” ideal. Previous honorary chairs include Mayor Scott Fadness, Marissa Andretti, David Becker and John Wechsler.

“One of the best things about Fishers is that when people see a need, they step forward,” said James Thompson, Fishers Rotary president for 2026–27, in the announcement. “Jim reflects that spirit. Through WaterIsLife, our community is helping families we may never meet have something every family should be able to count on: clean water.”

WaterIsLife is a project led by the Rotary Clubs of Fishers and Freetown, Sierra Leone, with World Hope International serving as the implementing partner.

Organizers report that the project has funded 225 wells, completed more than 200 and reached more than 500,000 people. According to the club, the 2025 Charity Ball raised more than $200,000 in net proceeds and helped fund 23 additional wells.

This year’s event will include a three-course dinner, open bars, silent and live auctions, live big-band music and dancing. Organizers encourage guests to wear their holiday best.

Individual tickets cost $175, and a table for eight is $1,400. Tickets, sponsorship details and donation information are available at FishersWaterIsLife.com.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools will borrow $33 million through general obligation (GO) bonds in 2026. That is $7 million less than the ceiling the school board approved.

The board had authorized up to $40 million. But Tim Brown, assistant superintendent for finance, told the board’s Facilities & Finance Committee on Thursday that the district will not need the extra borrowing this year. Brown cautioned that may not be true every year, but it is the case in 2026.

The $40 million ceiling matched the estimated cost of the 2026 work in the district’s 10-year facilities plan, which the finance committee reviewed last December. HSE spent $42 million on projects under the plan in 2025.

Health trust needs internal loan

Brown also told the committee that the district’s health trust will need an internal loan to meet its current commitments.

HSE is selling land and will use the money to pay off some of the trust’s debt. However, that sale is not expected to close until well into 2027.

School offices moving for security

Three schools will move their main offices from the middle of the building up to the front entrance. Right now, visitors who are let in the front door walk through part of the building before they reach the office. The change addresses that security concern.

The projects are at Hamilton Southeastern High School’s Door 10 entrance and at the entrance vestibules of Thorpe Creek Elementary and Sand Creek Elementary. The total cost for all three is $2.5 million.

Director of Facilities Matt Rapp also gave board members a detailed update on the many projects underway as part of the 10-year facilities plan.

The Fishers Plan Commission voted unanimously Wednesday night to send an unfavorable recommendation to the City Council on One Sixteen, a proposed 26-home development along East 116th Street.

Integra Builders is seeking to rezone 10.45 acres at 10401 E. 116th St. from the Legends at Geist planned unit development to a new planned unit development for the neighborhood.

Commission member and City Councilor Pete Peterson said he opposed the proposal for several reasons, particularly the brownstone design of the homes closest to 116th Street. Peterson said that style would fit well in downtown Fishers but would not fit well in the proposed location.

Several speakers opposed the proposal during the public hearing, most from neighboring communities.

The development’s concept plan calls for four narrow homes facing 116th Street with garage access from a private alley, along with 22 other single-family homes. Plans also include open space along 116th Street, a central stormwater detention area and perimeter landscaping buffers.

The commission’s recommendation differed from that of city planning staff, which supported the rezoning. According to the staff report, the proposal meets the suburban residential designation in the Fishers 2040 comprehensive plan, which calls for two to four homes per acre.

The report includes illustrative architectural images but says the proposed ordinance does not establish approved architectural designs.

At an August neighborhood meeting attended by dozens of nearby residents, concerns included traffic, preservation of mature trees, housing density and drainage, according to the report.

Written comments submitted before Wednesday’s hearing also raised questions about privacy, compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods and potential effects on property values. One resident supported the rezoning contingent on preserving the existing tree line between the development and homes along Spyglass Ridge Drive.

The unfavorable recommendation sends the rezoning request to the City Council for consideration. The staff report anticipates a final reading Nov. 16.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board voted 7-0 Wednesday night to approve a one-year contract with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA). The vote ends bargaining for the 2026-27 school year.

The vote came one day after voters approved HSE’s replacement operating referendum. Part of the teachers’ raise depended on that referendum passing.

Under the contract, eligible teachers get a $1,225 base salary increase. They also get the extra $603 that was tied to the referendum, for a total of $1,828. Starting pay for teachers hired after ratification goes up $750, plus $250 more now that the referendum has passed.

To qualify for the raise, teachers must have worked at least 120 days during the 2025-26 school year and still be employed by HSE when the contract is ratified. The agreement also includes:

• A $200 payment for teachers with an early literacy endorsement
• Extra pay for qualifying teachers with a master’s degree
• Starting in 2027, a $20,000 pool of extra health savings account contributions, shared by married couples who both teach at HSE

New insurance rates, which the board approved Oct. 14, include options that could lower premiums by about 10%.

HSEA members ratified the agreement last month, with 97% voting in favor.

“Tonight, with a vote of 7-0, our bargaining season has officially come to a close for the 2026–2027 school year,” the association said in a statement posted on Facebook after the meeting. “While this chapter of the process is ending, we recognize that our work is far from finished.”

The union said its bargaining team represented all 1,249 bargaining unit members. It said the agreement offers “meaningful financial and professional benefits that remain competitive with those offered by surrounding districts” at a time of rising living costs and insurance premiums.

The union also thanked Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley, Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown and Ryan Taylor for “fostering a collaborative and respectful environment throughout negotiations.”

HSEA said it will spend the rest of the school year gathering feedback from members and setting priorities for the next round of talks. “Now that the referendum has passed, it is our hope that our next bargaining cycle will result in a two-year contract,” the statement said. “This will provide stability for teachers and their families.”

During the meeting, the bargaining team read a statement thanking the community for approving the referendum. The team said it understands the responsibility to keep providing “a first-class education that is the envy of the state.” It said it looks forward to “more constructive dialogue” to make HSE “the most attractive destination for Hoosier students and educators.”

This year’s talks were much calmer than last year’s. In 2025, HSEA members rejected the first tentative agreement and the talks went to mediation. The final 2025-26 contract had no base or step pay increases, and higher insurance premiums cut take-home pay for many teachers.

The replacement referendum passed with 58.33% of the vote in unofficial results. It allows a maximum rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed value for eight years. The district’s 2027 budget uses a 22-cent rate, compared with the current 19.95 cents. HSE went back to voters because state property tax changes under Senate Enrolled Act 1 sharply cut the revenue from the 2023 referendum.

A 63-year-old Fishers man faces 20 felony charges following an investigation that police say uncovered child sexual abuse material, including images altered with artificial intelligence.

Charles Coriaty was charged Nov. 2, according to a Nov. 4 news release from the Hamilton County Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The task force said he was being held at the Hamilton County Jail on a $2.5 million cash-only bond.

Investigators said the case began with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after the center received information from SmugMug, a photo-sharing service.

The tip included approximately 175 images. Police said many depicted juveniles in swimsuit or sports advertisements whose photos had been altered with an AI application to make them appear nude.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Coriaty’s SmugMug account and reported finding additional child sexual abuse material created by using AI to alter clothed photos from websites and advertisements. A search of his residence also uncovered additional child sexual abuse material in computer folders, according to the release.

The charges listed by the task force are:

• Ten counts of child exploitation, each a Level 5 felony.
• Seven counts of possession of child pornography, each a Level 6 felony.
• Three counts of possession of child sex abuse material, each a Level 6 felony.

The task force is headquartered at the Fishers Police Department and includes investigators from local police departments, sheriff’s offices and Homeland Security Investigations. It investigates internet crimes against children in Hamilton, Hancock, Madison and Tipton counties.

State Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, conceded his House District 88 seat Wednesday morning to Democrat Stephanie Jo Yocum. The loss ends a six-year Statehouse career that included chairing the House Judiciary Committee.

“Last night, the voters of House District 88 made a clear decision to take their representation in a different direction,” Jeter said in a written statement. “While this is certainly not the outcome we hoped for, I accept that decision with humility and respect.”

Unofficial Hamilton County results with all 234 precincts reporting show Yocum with 4,359 votes (53.07%) to Jeter’s 3,854 (46.93%), according to the Hamilton County Election Office. The district also includes parts of Hancock, Madison and Marion counties, and district-wide totals remain unofficial.

The result reverses 2024, when Jeter beat Yocum 57.8% to 42.2%. The district has usually been safe for Republicans. It includes parts of Fishers, the Geist area, Lawrence, McCordsville and Fortville. This year it became a battleground, with the Democratic and Republican House campaign committees each spending more than $40,000 on the race, The Daily Reporter in Greenfield reported.

Jeter’s loss was part of a wider Democratic surge in Hamilton County Tuesday. Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, appears to have lost House District 37 to Democrat Lauren Cole. Democrats also broke the Republican supermajority in the Indiana House, which the GOP had held since 2012.

In his statement, Jeter congratulated Yocum on “a hard-fought and successful campaign” but said the two still disagree on policy.

“I believe elements of the broader Democratic agenda represent a radical departure from the limited government, parental choice, and fiscal restraint that have guided my service,” he said. “But respecting the voters’ decision is a fundamental obligation of anyone privileged to hold public office.”

Jeter is a Hamilton Southeastern High School graduate, a Navy veteran and a Fishers attorney. He joined the House in August 2020 after winning a Republican caucus to finish the term of former House Speaker Brian Bosma. He won full terms in 2020, 2022 and 2024 and has chaired the Judiciary Committee since the 2024 session.

He pointed to his work on criminal justice laws, constitutional bail reform and tax relief. “Not every effort was successful, but every day I tried to approach this responsibility with conviction and purpose,” he said.

Jeter thanked his wife, Karen, and their three children. He said he will return his focus to his law firm and is not making any political announcements.

“What I do know is that my commitment to serving others did not begin with elected office, and it will not end with it,” he said.

Yocum chairs Serve Indiana, the governor-appointed commission on volunteerism and service, and is vice president of external affairs with a national youth nonprofit. She campaigned on protecting public schools and affordability.

One of the biggest surprises of the 2026 election was the defeat of Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers.

Democrat Lauren Cole unseated Huston in House District 37. Hamilton County’s final election-night report showed Cole with 13,318 votes, or 51.5%, to Huston’s 12,532, or 48.5%. That is a margin of 786 votes. The results are unofficial.

The district runs from Fishers north to Cicero and Arcadia and has long been considered Republican territory. This will be Cole’s first time holding public office.

Huston’s loss came on a night when Indiana Democrats broke the Republican supermajority in the House, which had held since 2012.

Huston was first elected to the House in 2012. He became speaker in March 2020, succeeding Brian Bosma. Before going to the Statehouse, he served on the Hamilton Southeastern School Board and the Fishers Planning Commission.

Huston issued this statement Wednesday morning:

“This was an incredibly challenging midterm election and ultimately the national headwinds were too difficult to overcome in a number of our races. We’re so proud of our team and all our candidates who stepped up to serve and spent countless hours in their communities, listening to voters and talking about the issues that matter to Hoosiers.

“While I’m disappointed by the results, I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made in Indiana to grow our economy, bring good-paying jobs to our state, lower taxes and create thriving communities where people want to live, work, start a business and raise their family.

“It’s been the honor of my life serving Hoosiers in Hamilton County and across our great state. I’m grateful for the opportunity and all that we’ve accomplished together.”

In her own emailed statement, Cole said she was honored that voters chose her. She noted that Huston had represented the district for 14 years and served as speaker for six. She also thanked her campaign manager, Lexxa LaPointe, and her supporters.

What it means for Fishers

One part of this story isn’t about party politics. It’s about influence at the Statehouse.

The speaker is one of the most powerful people in Indiana government and largely decides which bills the House takes up. For six years, Fishers had a hometown representative in that chair. With Huston gone, Fishers loses a major champion in the General Assembly. The House will now have to choose a new speaker, and that person will not be from Fishers.

That doesn’t take anything away from Lauren Cole’s win. You have to run a very good campaign to unseat the Speaker of the House, and she did.

Still, this change will affect Fishers, and residents should be aware of it.

When I moved to Hamilton County in 1991, I could not have imagined an election like the one we have experienced in 2026.

If the unofficial vote tally becomes official, Democrats will hold several countywide offices. Democrat Charles Hollowell defeated Republican Dustin Dixon for sheriff by 2,743 votes. Democrat Alexandra Wilson defeated Republican Beth Sheller for Circuit Court clerk. Democrat Emily Angel Shaw defeated Republican Danica Eyler for Superior Court 8 judge.

With a Democratic clerk, Democrats will control the county election board. Under Indiana law, the clerk sits on the three-member board with one appointee from each major party.

Republican County Commissioner Christine Altman won re-election by 323 votes out of nearly 145,000 cast, edging Democrat Ti’Gre McNear. Democrats won three of four County Council seats: Christopher Daniel in District 1, Nathan Bullock in District 2 and Jason Frank in District 4. Republican Mark Hall held District 3.

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston of Fishers appears to have lost re-election in House District 37. Democrat Lauren Cole beat him 51.5% to 48.5%. In Senate District 31, the Fishers-area seat held by retiring Republican Kyle Walker, Democrat Kerry Forestal took 57% of the Hamilton County vote against Republican Juanita Albright.  That district extends into northern Marion County.

State Rep. Chris Jeter appears to have lost his House District 88 seat to Democrat Stephanie Jo Yocum, who won 53% of the Hamilton County vote, but that district extends to other counties and is still considered too close to call this morning.

Closer to home, the Fall Creek Township trustee’s office will go from a Republican to a Democrat. Stephanie Hunt defeated Doug Allman with 55% of the vote. Fall Creek and Delaware townships will each have three new board members, all Democrats. In Fall Creek, Mulalo Rikhotso edged Republican Susan Davis by 109 votes for the third seat.

Republicans have had solid control of most county and township governments in the Fishers area for a very long time. This election appears to change all that.

In Congress, Democrat J.D. Ford defeated incumbent Republican Victoria Spartz in the 5th District. He carried Hamilton County with 55% of the vote. Spartz was defiant in her election night statement:

“This election is a wake-up call for Indiana. An influx of liberal voters has turned Hamilton County, once one of the top 20 most conservative counties in the country, blue – with not enough rural Indiana voters to offset those numbers. Democrats significantly outspent us and ran a very dishonest campaign, but I urge my supporters not to get discouraged. We may not win every battle, but WE WILL WIN THE WAR!”

On the school front, every Hamilton County district with a funding referendum on the ballot passed it except Sheridan, where it failed by 91 votes. The Hamilton Southeastern referendum passed with more than 58% of the vote. Carmel’s also drew 58%, Noblesville’s 57% and Westfield Washington’s 56%.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board will have four new members in 2027.  None of the incumbents ran again. The winners were Greg Wright in District 1, Josh Perry in District 2 and Michelle Fullhart in District 3. Stephanie Braden was unopposed in District 4.

Turnout reached 51.86%, with 150,804 ballots cast by 290,805 registered voters.

There will be a lot more to be written and said about this election cycle. For now, here are the unofficial results with all 234 Hamilton County precincts reporting:

Continue reading Democrats take key Hamilton County offices in historic 2026 election →

Hamilton Southeastern Schools’ referendum passed with 58.33% support, and Greg Wright, Josh Perry and Michelle Fullhart finished ahead in contested HSE school board races, according to Hamilton County’s final election-night report.

Republican Christine Altman finished 323 votes ahead of Democrat Ti’Gre McNear for county commissioner, while Democrat Charles Hollowell topped Republican Dustin K. Dixon for sheriff.

Democrats also finished ahead in three of the four county council races, the Fall Creek Township trustee race and all three board seats in both Delaware and Fall Creek townships.

House Speaker Todd Huston lost his seat to Democrat Lauren Cole.  Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal defeated HSE School Board member Juanita Albright for an Indians State Senate seat with a district that includes the Fishers area and a part of northern Marion County.

The county’s report, released at 10:27 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, included all 234 precincts. It listed 150,804 ballots counted and turnout of 51.86%. These are complete election-night returns, but results remain unofficial pending certification.

HSE public question

Voters supported the Hamilton Southeastern Schools referendum by 7,315 votes.

HSE school board

Wright finished ahead in District 1, Perry in District 2 and Fullhart in District 3. Stephanie Braden ran unopposed in District 4.

District 1

Wright finished 365 votes ahead of Faiza Maqsood in the three-candidate contest.

District 2

Perry received a majority of the vote and finished 1,915 votes ahead of Cyrus Keck.

District 3

Fullhart finished 659 votes ahead of David Turk.

District 4

Hamilton County sheriff

Hollowell finished 2,743 votes ahead of Dixon, receiving 50.94% of the vote.

Hamilton County commissioner — District 1

Altman finished ahead of McNear by 323 votes out of 144,775 votes cast in the race.

McNear had led by 706 votes in the 9:04 p.m. report. Altman moved ahead by 14 votes at 9:34 p.m. before expanding that margin in the final election-night count.

Hamilton County Council

Democrats Christopher Daniel, Nathan Bullock and Jason E. Frank finished ahead in districts 1, 2 and 4, respectively. Republican Mark F. Hall finished ahead in District 3.

District 1

Daniel finished 2,323 votes ahead of Republican Tim Griffin.

District 2

Bullock finished 4,223 votes ahead of Republican Amy Elizabeth Massillamany.

District 3

Hall finished 3,798 votes ahead of Democrat Doug May.

District 4

Frank finished 1,059 votes ahead of Republican Ken Alexander.

Fall Creek Township trustee

Democrat Stephanie Hunt finished 2,890 votes ahead of Republican Doug Allman.

Delaware Township Board

Democrats Patrick Schooley, Jennifer Dean Chaudhry and Bethann Buddenbaum took the top three positions in the race for three seats.

Fall Creek Township Board

Democrats Alex J. Hunt, Joe Weingarten and Mulalo Rikhotso took the top three positions in the race for three seats. Rikhotso finished 109 votes ahead of Republican Susan Davis for the third position.

In both township board contests, voters could select up to three candidates. The percentages represent each candidate’s share of all candidate votes cast, rather than the percentage of voters supporting that candidate.

State representative — District 37

Democrat Lauren S. Cole finished 786 votes ahead of Republican Todd Huston in Hamilton County’s final election-night report.

These figures reflect Hamilton County returns only. The county report does not establish results for any portion of a legislative district outside Hamilton County.

Source: Hamilton County election summary report dated Nov. 3, 2026, at 10:27:45 p.m. All 234 precincts reported; results remain unofficial pending certification.