The Hamilton County Leadership Academy has announced 35 individuals selected for its Class of 2027.

The class includes people who live and/or work in Hamilton County and will begin the academy’s 10-month leadership program in August. The program is designed to give participants a closer look at issues facing communities throughout Hamilton County.

“Each year, we welcome an incredible group of leaders into the HCLA legacy, and this year is no different,” said HCLA Executive Director Maria Kanger. “The staff and leadership of HCLA are looking forward to watching the Class of 2027 learn, connect, and lead during their class year experience and into the future.”

Members of the HCLA Class of 2027 are:

Karl Ahlrichs, ExpertSpeaks

Jessica Barnett, Noblesville Chamber of Commerce

Nolan Barr, Abbott Laboratories

Keeton Bartol, Coverdale Consulting

Katt Boaz, Church Church Hittle + Antrim

Lisa Busse, CFRE, The Milk Bank

Whitney Carriger, Camptown

Sharon J. Coleman, Coleman Strategy and Experience Group, LLC

Bruce Cooley, Citizens Energy Group

Katherine Couch, Hamilton County Tourism

Parker Criswell, Ginovus

Rachel Firestone Mohammad, 9th Street Bistro

Blake Fogelsong, Clancy’s Hospitality

Scott Grady, Indianapolis Airport Police Department

Mary Gould, Gaylor Electric

Scott Higginson, American Structurepoint

Toni Holcombe, Independent Data & Process Analyst

Dr. Greg Hunt, Westfield Washington Schools

Dawn Lang, Life Centers

Tom MacDonald, City of Noblesville

Harrison Massonne, Meyer Najem Construction

Brandt McCoskey, ISC Sports Network

Jessica Metz, Ivy Tech Hamilton County

Nick Pease, Grace Church

Ryan M. Potter, REAP Development Group

Leslie Poynter, Indiana Department of Education

Emily Reynolds, Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad

Lauren Stafford, Noblesville Schools Education Foundation

Stacey Summitt-Mann, University High School

Maranda Taylor, The Hagerman Group

Sarah Tosh, Planwell

Andrew Upchurch, Hamilton County Legal Department

Mark Walker, Citizens State Bank

Regina L. Warren, MBA, Northwestern Mutual

Nakeisha Washington, Nyla Nova STEMversity

HCLA selects participants each year through what the organization describes as a highly competitive application process. Class members are chosen based on community engagement, interest in learning and growing through the program, commitment to leading and serving in Hamilton County, and the perspectives and knowledge they bring to the class.

Earlier this year, HCLA announced that Andrew Bradford would serve as dean for the Class of 2027.

Established in 1991, Hamilton County Leadership Academy is considered one of the county’s premier leadership development programs. The academy provides a 10-month immersive experience focused on civic, nonprofit, government and community issues.

HCLA graduates have gone on to serve in civic organizations, nonprofit groups, government agencies and elected office. The organization also hosts alumni events intended to help graduates stay connected and continue their leadership work after completing the program.

When writing a story that involves complex numbers, it takes some extra work to get it right.

That was the case for me after Wednesday’s work session of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board.

I came home with a mountain of numbers, charts and data to sort through, all tied to the complicated way Indiana funds its local school districts. My challenge was to write a story that could be understood by readers who do not spend their evenings digging through school finance presentations.

I did the best I could.

Now that I have had a few more days to digest what was presented, here is another look at where things stand.

Wednesday’s meeting was a work session, meaning no votes were taken. But a very involved issue was reviewed by HSE administrators and a consultant hired by the district. The subject was a likely new HSE operating referendum, which now appears headed for the Nov. 3 general election ballot, assuming the board takes formal action next month.

The reason this is coming up now is Senate Enrolled Act 1, approved by state lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session. The law made major changes to Indiana’s property tax system, and HSE officials say those changes will have a significant impact on the amount of money the district can collect under its existing referendum.

HSE voters approved the current operating referendum in 2023, with collections beginning in 2024. That referendum was approved by about 70 percent of voters and was expected to run through 2031.

The current referendum rate is .1995 per $100 of assessed property valuation. At the time voters approved that rate, the rules for calculating property values and homeowner deductions were known.

The 2025 action by state lawmakers changed the picture. Over a five-year period, additional homeowner deductions will be phased in, reducing the taxable assessed value available to local units of government, including school districts.

That matters because if HSE keeps the current .1995 referendum rate through 2031, the district projects it will collect much less money than anticipated when voters approved the referendum in 2023.

The operating referendum is used primarily to support teacher salaries and benefits. If the money generated by that rate declines, district officials say it could affect staffing levels, class sizes and HSE’s ability to attract and retain teachers while competing with other districts in the area.

HSE Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown and Matt Parkinson of Policy Analytics, the district’s consultant, laid out what the state tax changes mean for the district. The proposal under consideration would place a question on the Nov. 3 ballot listing a maximum referendum rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, after allowable deductions.

Brown emphasized that the district must list the highest possible rate it may need over the eight-year life of the referendum. HSE could not exceed that 36-cent limit if voters approve the measure. But Brown also said he expects the actual rate to be lower.

The school board would vote each year on the actual rate to be used, as part of the district’s annual budget process.

For 2027, Brown is proposing a rate of .2275 per $100 of assessed valuation, assuming the board votes to place the item on the ballot and voters approve November 3. While that is higher than the current .1995 rate, district officials say it would still generate less revenue than HSE would have received under the old property tax structure, before the Legislature changed the rules.

That is one of the more confusing parts of this issue. The tax rate may go up, but because more assessed value is being deducted from the tax base, the district says the amount of money collected may still be less than originally expected.

Brown’s projections show that even with higher rates over the life of a new referendum, HSE would collect somewhat less money than it would have collected had the state not made the property tax changes approved in 2025, but would provide sufficient funding for HSE staffing.

The presentation also showed how the ballot language could appear to voters. Because state law requires the ballot question to use the maximum possible rate, the ballot would show the impact of the full 36-cent rate. For a median HSE residence, rounded up under state rules to $400,000 in assessed value, that would show an annual property tax bill increase of about $700.

District officials stressed that this does not mean the district expects to collect the full 36-cent rate in 2027. The 2027 rate would be set separately by the school board during the budget process.

The board is expected to decide at its June 10 regular meeting whether to place the new referendum proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot. If the board votes to move forward, a political action committee would likely be formed to advocate for passage of the referendum.

I have already seen some social media posts indicating that at least a few people plan to oppose the new referendum. If the school board places the question on the ballot, I expect the debate to be a spirited one in the months leading up to Election Day.

For now, the next key date is June 10, when the board is scheduled to consider the referendum resolution.

I plan to keep an eye on this issue and report on developments as they happen.

A blocked field goal in the closing seconds broke the hearts of Fishers Freight fans Saturday night, as the Jacksonville Sharks escaped with a 36-34 victory.

The Sunshine State has not been kind to the Freight this season. Just a few weeks ago, Orlando handed Fishers a loss on a last-second touchdown pass — and now Jacksonville has done the Freight in as well.

With three seconds left on the clock, kicker Calum Sutherland lined up for a 43-yard attempt that would have won the game. It never had a chance. The kick was blocked, and one has to wonder whether the absence of JT Stokes made the difference. Stokes, a wide receiver who doubles as the long snapper on field goal attempts, left the game injured.

There was plenty for Freight fans to be proud of. A rejuvenated defense held the Sharks’ high-powered offense to 36 points, but mistakes on offense — ill-timed penalties and costly interceptions — proved too much to overcome.

The injury to Stokes looms large. Freight Coach Dixie Wooten told Yahoo Sports during the game that it could be a torn ACL, which would cost Fishers a team leader at a critical point in the season.

The defeat is a major setback in the Freight’s quest for a playoff spot. The loss drops their record to 5-5 and marks their fourth straight defeat.

Controversy added to the heartbreak. As the Sharks marched downfield in the closing seconds, Coach Wooten appeared to argue that he had signaled for a timeout, but officials apparently never saw it, and valuable seconds ticked away. Fishers got the ball back with just nine seconds left. A quick pass along the boards stopped the clock at three seconds, setting up Sutherland’s ill-fated attempt.

The Freight will look to snap the skid when they return home to the Fishers Event Center on Saturday, June 6, for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Tulsa Oilers. It’s Youth Football Night, and tickets are available.

There is plenty of important information in the latest weekly Fishers area road construction report.

Cyntheanne Road & 96th Street will see a full closure…..a traffic configuration shift is coming on 136th Street….lane closures will begin at the 116th Street and Allisonville Road construction site….motorists will begin to see construction starting at Olio Road and Southeastern Parkway….and Lantern Road will be closed at Morgan Drive.  Those are just a few of the major developments.

Here is the full listing of road construction for the week beginning Sunday, May 31, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Road construction update for the week starting Sunday, May 31 →

The following is an update on water quality at Geist Waterfront Park, issued Friday afternoon by the Fishers Parks and Recreation Department:

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety unanimously approved every item on its agenda at its Thursday morning meeting, clearing a slate of nonprofit funding, neighborhood improvement grants, public-safety equipment and infrastructure purchases. Here’s a roundup of what the board approved.

The board signed off on three nonprofit contribution agreements totaling $275,000. The largest, $165,000, goes to the Fishers Youth Initiative, which connects young people with volunteer mentors. Conner Prairie Museum will receive $75,000 to support free admission and memberships for Fishers families, and Advocates for Children and Families Inc., the child advocacy organization known as CHERISH, will receive $35,000 for its work removing barriers to the investigation and treatment of child abuse. Each one-year agreement requires the organizations to file expenditure reports with the city and makes them subject to audit by the Indiana State Board of Accounts.

The board also approved nine 2026 Neighborhood Vibrancy Grants totaling $126,067. Most fund entrance and common-area landscaping refreshes, including projects in Hillsborough, Pleasantview, Fox Run, Limestone Springs Condominiums, Graystone at Fishers, Waterford Gardens, Brookston Place and Delaware Crossing. The Whelchel Springs grant, the smallest at $2,680, will install a public bike repair station near the trail at Southeastern Parkway and Florida Road. Several projects address landscaping disrupted by nearby roundabout construction or new development such as Fishers District and the Fishers Event Center.

In a move tied to the city’s youth sports strategy, the board approved a facility use agreement allowing Indy Premier Soccer Club to operate and use the six soccer fields at Cyntheanne Park for league games and practices. Under Chapter 96 of the city code, partner organizations must be nonprofits offering competitive youth sports and maintain a roster that is at least 60% Fishers residents. Indy Premier SC currently reports 69%.

The Fishers Fire Department received approval to buy 30 masks and 15 regulators from Hoosier Fire, the sole vendor for equipment compatible with the department’s self-contained breathing apparatus. The vendor’s price of $74,430 reflects a discount of $36,280.05 off the $110,710.05 retail cost.

The board also approved the purchase of nine new streetlights — poles, bases, luminaires and hardware — to replace aging lights in the Nickel Plate District and bring them in line with the district’s standard. The budgeted cost is $64,808.

Finally, the board accepted an amended Indiana Department of Health Public Health Emergency Preparedness agreement, a federal grant passed through the state to help fund local emergency-response personnel and 14 grant deliverables. The amended award totals $100,340 over a period running July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, adding $52,670 for the second grant year. That figure restores a $5,000 reduction from the original $47,670 agreement the board approved in August.

The Humane Society for Hamilton County is launching its annual June Matching Campaign, with the goal of raising $300,000 in 30 days to support the thousands of animals that come through the shelter each year.

From June 1 through June 30, every online or in-person donation to HSHC will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $150,000. The matching funds are being provided through the shelter’s Advisory Board, Board of Directors and other individual donors.

That means a $5 gift becomes $10, a $20 gift becomes $40, and a $50 gift becomes $100 during the campaign.

“Every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $150,000,” said Emma Nobbe, HSHC community engagement manager. “For the month of June, your $5 donation will become $10, $20 will become $40, $50 will become $100 — with all proceeds providing essential care, medical treatment, and shelter for the 4,000 animals who come through our doors each year.”

The shelter says the campaign supports animals such as Asher, one of the many animals arriving at the facility each year in critical need of medical care. Money raised through the June campaign will help provide shelter, medical treatment and daily care for animals in need.

Community members may donate online at hamiltonhumane.com or in person at the shelter, located at 10501 Hague Road in Fishers.

The Humane Society for Hamilton County is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It serves as both the animal control facility and humane society for Hamilton County. According to HSHC, county funding covers about 21 percent of its operating needs, including the first 10 days of basic care for animals. The remainder of the shelter’s annual budget is funded largely through individual donations.

HSHC describes itself as an open-admission, “no-kill” shelter. The organization says it does not euthanize animals because of time, space, treatable injuries, illnesses or most behavior issues. The shelter reports it has maintained an average live placement rate of 98 percent since 2014.

The Fishers Freight return to the field this weekend looking to do something they couldn’t manage two weeks ago — beat the Jacksonville Sharks.

The Freight (5-4) travel to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena for a 7 p.m. Saturday rematch with the Sharks, the same team that handed Fishers a 68-50 loss at the Fishers Event Center on May 16. A bye week followed, giving the Freight time to regroup before a stretch run that will decide whether they reach the playoffs in just their second Indoor Football League season.

Fishers currently sits fourth in the Eastern Conference, holding the final playoff spot with nearly half the season still to play. A win in Jacksonville would help the Freight keep their grip on that position; a loss would leave them vulnerable as the teams behind them jockey for postseason berths.

The first meeting was anything but lopsided for three quarters. The Freight jumped to an early 11-0 lead and carried a 42-41 advantage into the fourth quarter before the Sharks took over. Jacksonville quarterback James Cahoon threw five touchdown passes and Sammy Edwards ran for three more. Freight running back Dominic Roberto answered with three touchdowns of his own.

Roberto remains the engine of the Freight offense and one of the most productive players in the league. He leads the IFL in rushing yards and ranks first in touchdowns, giving Fishers a ground game capable of keeping pace with Jacksonville’s high-scoring attack. Quarterback Felix Harper has been a dual threat, ranking among the league’s top rushers while running the offense.

The Freight will again lean on their defense to slow a Sharks team that hung 68 points on them in the first meeting. Linebacker Marcus Gray leads the IFL in total tackles and solo tackles, anchoring a unit that will need a stronger fourth quarter than it produced two weeks ago. Kicker Calum Sutherland ranks second in the league in scoring among kickers.

After struggling in their 2025 inaugural season, the chance to fight for a playoff berth in year two marks clear progress. But the schedule offers little margin. With roughly half the season ahead, every conference game carries weight, and a road test against the team that just beat them is exactly the kind of measuring stick the Freight will face repeatedly down the stretch.

Kickoff in Jacksonville is set for 7 p.m. Saturday.  You can watch the game on Yahoo Sports streaming service, available on a number of platforms, or just go to YahooSports.tv.

Hamilton Southeastern Schools is moving toward a possible early renewal of its operating referendum, with district officials saying recent changes in Indiana property tax law could significantly reduce future revenue.

At a Wednesday night work session, Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown and consultants from Policy Analytics presented the HSE Board of School Trustees with an early framework for a referendum question that could go before voters in November. The proposal includes a maximum rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed value over an eight-year term.

District officials emphasized that the 36-cent figure would be the maximum allowed over the life of the referendum, not necessarily the rate HSE would collect each year. Under state law, the district must ask voters for the highest rate it may need during the full term. HSE officials said the actual rate would be set annually through the budget process and would begin lower.

The district’s current operating referendum rate is .1995 per $100 of assessed value. Consultants told the board that keeping the current rate in place would likely generate less money in future years because of Senate Enrolled Act 1, the property tax measure approved by the Indiana General Assembly earlier this year.

The Policy Analytics presentation projected that changes under SEA 1 could reduce HSE’s expected referendum revenue by an estimated $45.3 million between 2026 and 2031. The district’s net assessed value, which has grown steadily over the past decade, is projected to decline over the next several years as new homestead deductions and other property tax changes are phased in.

District officials also pointed to broader school funding concerns. According to HSE’s presentation, the district ranks 370th out of 376 Indiana school districts in tuition support per student. HSE receives $7,121 per student in tuition support. If the district received the average public school, non-charter rate of $7,490, HSE officials said it would mean more than $7.4 million in additional annual revenue.

On the operations side, HSE is projected at $1,869 per student in net levy funding, placing it in the 38th percentile. The district said reaching the state average of $1,952 per student would generate more than $1.6 million in additional revenue.

The district’s proposed referendum spending plan totals about $31.3 million. The largest share, an estimated $29 million, would support salaries and benefits for certified teaching positions, equal to roughly 275 staff members or the staffing of about five school buildings. The plan also includes about $700,000 for behavioral health therapist services, providing 13 master’s-level therapists across the district, and about $1.6 million for school safety and security, including school resource officers, the director of school safety, traffic security, after-school event security and safety equipment.

Superintendent Dr. Matt Kegley said the district has already taken steps to reduce expenses before asking the board to consider an early referendum renewal. HSE says it has identified more than $7 million in potential ongoing reductions over the past two years, including staffing changes tied to enrollment, department and operational efficiencies, salary hold decisions, contract reviews and expanded partnerships.

“These steps were important before asking the Board to consider an early referendum renewal,” Kegley said in a district news release. “Even with these cost-cutting measures, the projected loss in expected revenue due to Senate Enrolled Act 1 would make it difficult for HSE Schools to maintain the level of programming, staffing and student support our community expects.”

One point likely to draw voter attention is the potential taxpayer impact. Because state law requires the ballot language to use the maximum rate, the question would show the effect of the full 36-cent rate. For a median residence, rounded up under state rules to $400,000 in assessed value, that would show an annual tax bill increase of about $700.

However, the district and consultants said that is not the expected initial tax impact. Their models show a lower estimated rate in the first year, with the rate potentially rising over time depending on assessed value, revenue needs and annual board budget decisions.  Brown says he will propose a 2027 referendum tax rate of .2275 for 2027, assuming the referendum passes.  That would mean the homeowner with a median home assessed valuation would pay $3 more per month in 2027 in property taxes

The board is expected to vote June 10 on a proposed maximum referendum rate and levy. If approved, community meetings and information sessions would follow through the summer and fall. Election Day is Nov. 3.

At Wednesday’s work session, school officials emphasized the proposal for a new 8-year referendum is projected to raise slightly less revenue over the 8 years, compared to the amount of tax that would have been collected under the current referendum rate with no change in the state law governing property taxes.

If voters approve the renewal, the board would set the 2027 referendum rate as part of the annual budget process. If the measure fails, district officials have said HSE would need to consider additional reductions to staffing, programming and student supports.