With Labor Day behind us, attention is turning to the November 3 general election. For Fishers-area voters, this year’s ballot includes school board, congressional, state legislative and local government races.

The Hamilton Southeastern School Board will undergo a substantial change. Four of its seven seats are up for election, and none of the incumbents holding those seats — Tiffany Pascoe, Juanita Albright, Dawn Lang and Ben Orr — appears on the candidate list. That means a majority of the board’s seats will change hands when the next terms begin in January 2027.

That does not necessarily mean four first-time board members. Former trustee Michelle Fullhart, who previously served two terms, is seeking the District 3 seat.

I plan to cover the school board election in more detail as the campaign progresses, so I will save a closer look at the candidates for that reporting.

For now, one distinction matters: these are district elections. Voters cast a ballot for the HSE seat in the district where they live, rather than voting in all four races. Nine candidates are listed across the four districts, with Stephanie Braden the sole candidate in District 4.

Another race involves a current HSE board member. Albright won the Republican nomination for Indiana Senate District 31, while Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal won the Democratic nomination. They are seeking the seat held by Republican Kyle Walker, who announced that he would not seek reelection.

In Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, incumbent Republican Victoria Spartz faces Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford. Both advanced from their parties’ May primaries.

There are also Indiana House and township offices on the ballot, along with county races. The contested Hamilton County sheriff’s election features Republican Dustin Dixon and Democrat Charles Hollowell. The offices and candidates appearing on an individual voter’s ballot depend on where that voter lives.

As a one-person news operation, I will do my best to cover as much of this election as I can in the weeks ahead.

For readers planning their participation, Indiana’s voter registration deadline is Monday, October 5. Early in-person voting begins Tuesday, October 6, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

The state’s IndianaVoters portal provides registration status checks and registration services. Readers who have moved or changed their names can also find instructions for updating their records.

It is your right, and I would argue, your civic responsibility, to cast a vote.

Perez retires, Bottas finishes last at Spanish Grand Prix; team still winless as Indiana factory nears completion

The Formula 1 team building its world headquarters in Fishers had another hard afternoon Sunday, this time on a brand-new circuit in Spain.

The Cadillac Formula 1 Team left the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s Madring circuit with nothing to show for it. Sergio Perez retired on lap 31 with what the team described as a suspected water system issue. Valtteri Bottas was classified 18th and last among the cars still running at the finish, three laps behind the leader after two pit stops.

Italian driver Kimi Antonelli won the race for Mercedes, holding off Max Verstappen by 4.351 seconds. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who started from the pole, finished third after a Virtual Safety Car period caught him just past the pit entrance and cost him the lead.

The result leaves Cadillac 11th and last in the constructors’ championship with zero points through 14 rounds. Mercedes leads with 503.

For Fishers residents, the more consequential story is unfolding at East 96th Street and Hague Road, near the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport. The team’s 400,000-square-foot, $200 million headquarters remains under construction, and it is designed to eventually house roughly 300 engineers and technicians who will build Formula 1 chassis in Hamilton County.

That work is not happening here yet. Through the 2026 season, Cadillac has run its race operation out of Silverstone, England, with additional facilities in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Warren, Michigan. The Fishers campus is meant to pull that scattered operation together under one roof.

As LarryInFishers reported in August, some of the team’s United Kingdom-based employees have been told they will need to relocate to Indiana by January 2027 or risk losing their positions. Team leadership has said staffing decisions will not turn on nationality, and that Cadillac intends to keep recruiting from British motorsport talent while developing American engineers.

The team also changed leadership this season, with Marcin Budkowski replacing Graeme Lowdon as team principal for what executives have described as the operation’s U.S.-centered phase.

None of that changes the scoreboard in the short term. A first-year Formula 1 team competing against Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren was never expected to score much, and Cadillac has not. But the investment being poured into the ground on the east side of Fishers is a long-term bet, and city officials have pointed to it as an anchor for further development near the airport.

Cadillac’s next chance comes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Sept. 24-26. The season runs through Abu Dhabi in December.

A fire on Lamarque Place displaced three family members and killed their two dogs and two cats, according to the Fishers Fire Department.

Crews arrived to find the home fully engulfed in flames. The three residents were away when the fire started. The department said the family has a safe place to stay.

During firefighting efforts, a partial structural collapse occurred. A Fishers firefighter declared a mayday and was able to free himself. He was evaluated at the scene and released back to work, according to the department.

The Fishers Fire Prevention Bureau is investigating the cause of the fire.

Fishers drivers face continuing construction detours and lane restrictions, with Saturday’s Geist Half Marathon adding temporary road closures to the mix, according to the city’s latest weekly construction report.

On 136th Street, widening work has moved into its second phase between Southeastern Parkway and Prairie Baptist Road. The stretch is closed to through traffic, with a signed detour using those two roads. The project includes raised medians, multi-use paths on both sides and drainage improvements.

At 116th Street and Allisonville Road, traffic remains reduced to one lane in each direction, with designated turn lanes. The current pattern is expected to continue through early October, weather permitting. The Fishers Crossing shopping center’s west-side connection to Allisonville Road is closed, requiring customers to use alternate entrances. Businesses remain open.

An additional restriction is scheduled for Sept. 14–16 on westbound 116th Street between Moore Street and Municipal Drive, near Barry’s Bagels. The outside lane will close from 3 to 7 a.m. each day; the inside lane will remain open.

In the Geist area, the Sept. 12 races will close Olio Road between 116th and 104th streets from approximately 4 a.m. to noon. Other roads and nearby neighborhoods will have rolling closures or temporary access restrictions. Reopening times depend on race conditions. Race organizers have posted detailed road and neighborhood access information.

The report also brings some relief: The intersection of 96th Street and Cyntheanne Road is open in all directions, although crews may return for finishing work.

Elsewhere, USA Parkway widening north of 106th Street will bring lane restrictions through October. Utility relocation at 131st Street and Brooks School Road may cause periodic restrictions as preparations continue for a new roundabout.

Resurfacing is substantially complete in several neighborhoods and on 131st Street, Howe Road and Promise Road. Upcoming work includes 96th Street between Carroll and Olio roads and the Springs of Cambridge neighborhood.

The city’s full report, including additional projects and traffic restrictions, follows:

Continue reading Fishers road update: 136th Street detour continues; Geist race adds Saturday closures →

For one night, the center of the Fishers community was HSE High School’s Everwise Field.

Under near-perfect September weather Friday night, thousands of fans packed the stadium to watch the latest edition of the Mudsock football rivalry, and it was Hamilton Southeastern that claimed the coveted Mudsock Trophy with a 49-35 victory over crosstown rival Fishers.

The Royals seized control almost immediately. Fishers had its first two punts of the game blocked, and Hamilton Southeastern converted both into touchdowns to build an early advantage.

To the Tigers’ credit, they never folded.

Fishers answered throughout the evening, cutting into the deficit more than once and forcing the Royals to continue matching scores. But Hamilton Southeastern had an answer each time and maintained enough separation to secure the victory.

The win gives the Royals an emotional boost after a difficult start to the season. Hamilton Southeastern entered the rivalry game looking to regain momentum, while Fishers was still searching for its first victory. Although the Tigers remain winless, Friday’s effort showed the resilience that coaches hope can carry into the remainder of the season.

As has become tradition, the stands was filled well before kickoff. Fans packed the seats, and many more lined the fences surrounding the stadium to catch a glimpse of one of Indiana’s premier high school football rivalries. The annual Mudsock game has grown well beyond a football contest, becoming one of Fishers’ signature community events each fall.

One familiar halftime tradition was missing this year. In previous Mudsock games, Hamilton Southeastern Schools’ Teachers of the Year have been recognized during halftime ceremonies. This year, however, the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation chose to move that recognition to a separate celebration scheduled for February.

The outcome was disappointing for Fishers supporters and a memorable night for Hamilton Southeastern fans, but the evening again demonstrated why the Mudsock rivalry has become such an important community tradition. Thousands of neighbors came together to cheer, reconnect with friends and celebrate two outstanding high schools in a spirited but respectful rivalry.

The Royals will enjoy possession of the Mudsock Trophy, while both teams now turn their attention to the remainder of the Hoosier Crossroads Conference season.

The Fishers Health Department released its 2025 Community Health Assessment Friday, identifying mental health across the lifespan, healthy living and aging well as the three areas where the department will focus its work in the coming years.

The report caps a year of data collection that included local, state and national health statistics, nearly 1,500 community survey responses and input from more than 60 focus group participants.

Residents generally rate their own health well. The assessment found 92.4% of Fishers adults report moderate, good or excellent overall well-being, and 86.5% said they are satisfied with life. But 36.4% reported anxiety and 25.2% reported depression, and mental health was the health concern residents named most often.

“The community’s desires for more focus on mental health, aging well and healthy living came through clearly in both the data and what residents told us,” said Monica Heltz, director and health officer of the Fishers Health Department.

Heltz said the goal is “connecting people to prevention measures before poor health outcomes become a reality.” The department said it will announce a free mental health navigation service in the coming days to help residents find resources and treatment.

The assessment also documents a sharp demographic shift. Adults 65 and older are the fastest-growing age group in Fishers, up 188% between 2010 and 2024. The department links that growth to rising demand for fall prevention, mobility and caregiver support, social connection and services that help older residents stay in their homes. The National Association of County and City Health Officials recently gave the department a Model Practice Award for its fall prevention program.

Under healthy living, the report notes that obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol still affect a significant share of Fishers adults, and that heart disease and cancer remain the leading causes of death.

On access to care, nearly 97% of adult residents have health insurance and about nine in 10 have a regular health care provider. Still, more than 12% said they delayed care in the past year, most often because of cost or trouble getting an appointment.

Mayor Scott Fadness said the city’s decision to form its own health department is what made the local detail possible.

“Creating a local health department gave Fishers the ability to better understand the health needs of our own community and respond in ways that make sense for our residents,” Fadness said.

The assessment will feed into a Community Health Improvement Plan laying out specific strategies for the next several years. Both documents are part of the department’s push for initial accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board, a national body that reviews health departments against a set of performance standards.

The full report is posted at Health.FishersIN.gov/CommunityHealthAssessment.

Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Hamilton County gathered Friday morning to remember the lives lost, recognize those still carrying the burdens of that day and reflect on the unity that followed.

County and Noblesville officials joined first responders and residents who packed the Silo Building at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Noblesville for the Sept. 11, 2026, commemoration.

A common theme emerged from remarks by Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman, Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen and other speakers: Remembering 9/11 means honoring those who died while continuing to care for the people whose lives were forever changed.

The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks killed 2,977 people at the World Trade Center in New York, at the Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The victims included airline passengers and crew members, people at work and first responders who rushed to help, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

The consequences extend beyond those lost that morning. The federal World Trade Center Health Program continues to provide medical monitoring and treatment for eligible responders and survivors with health conditions related to the attacks.

Friday’s ceremony also reflected the passage of a generation. Some of today’s first responders were not yet born in 2001; others were too young to remember the attacks. Keeping that history alive means sharing it with those who have no personal memory of the day.

Alongside the remembrance was a message of hope. Speakers recalled the sense of unity in the immediate aftermath — the spirit of Sept. 12, when Americans came together to support grieving families, help their neighbors and stand behind those responding to the devastation.

That spirit offered a continuing purpose for the gathering in Noblesville: to honor those lost, support those still suffering and carry forward the willingness to care for one another.

I am hardly alone in remembering exactly where I was on the morning of September 11, 2001.

Walking into the government building where I worked, I remarked to a coworker about what a beautiful, clear September day it was. Twenty-five years later, that ordinary observation remains tied to an extraordinary day.

I was preparing to teach one of the most complicated classes my agency offered and was meeting with the education specialist when a manager peeked into the room. A plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers, she told us.

A few minutes later, she returned. A second plane had struck the other tower.

We looked at each other. We knew what that meant.

Then came word that a plane had hit the Pentagon. The question now was: What would happen next?

Shortly afterward, our office closed, and we were sent home. I watched the news coverage while my wife worked at her desk at home.

We would also learn about United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers. Their actions prevented the plane from reaching its intended target in Washington.

The attacks killed 2,977 people in New York, at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93. Behind that number were individual lives, families and futures.

I remember telling a coworker that day that my twin daughters, very young at the time, would grow up in a different world from the one I had known.

My generation had lived through the tensions and frightening moments of the Cold War. We knew something about fear and uncertainty. But this felt different: commercial airliners turned into weapons, ordinary workplaces turned into targets, and no clear sense of where the danger might end.

Pearl Harbor offered a historical reference point for the shock of an attack on our country. When Japanese forces attacked on December 7, 1941, Hawaii was a U.S. territory, not yet a state. That distinction did not make the attack any less an attack on America.

In the aftermath of September 11, Americans responded with extraordinary generosity and courage. Many were inspired to join the armed forces.

Others found different ways to help.

I recall speaking with a nurse who had been working in Florida. She told her bosses she was going to New York to help. She did not wait for permission; she packed up and left.

Later, she shared harrowing accounts of what she encountered at the World Trade Center site—details I will not repeat here. Her story has stayed with me as a reminder of what people were willing to give, and what helping could cost them.

The suffering did not end when the immediate rescue and recovery work was over. Responders and survivors continue to need care for physical and mental health conditions related to the attacks and their aftermath.

As a nation, I believe we did some things very right after September 11 and other things very wrong. Historians and political scientists will continue to examine those decisions. Each of us can weigh that record as well.

My hope, twenty-five years later, is that we approach the threats we face with sound judgment. America has enemies. Protecting people requires resolve, reliable information and a willingness to consider the consequences of our decisions.

We should ask whether a response will make us safer, what it will demand of those asked to carry it out, and what burdens it may leave for the next generation.

When I think back to that clear September morning, I remember my daughters and the different world I feared they would inherit. That concern still shapes how I think about our country’s choices.

We owe remembrance to those killed, compassion to those still suffering, and care to those who served. We also owe future generations our best judgment.

This is a difficult world. Meeting its dangers requires courage—and the wisdom to decide how that courage is used.

A new grocery store is about to enter a Central Indiana market that Walmart reshaped and Kroger is fighting to hold, and the woman who will run it sat down for this week’s Fridays with Larry podcast.

The Sept. 11 edition, available now in both audio and video, opens with a look at how grocery competition is changing here. Kroger led Indianapolis grocery sales with 34.4% in 2022, followed by Walmart at 25.3%, according to Chain Store Guide data reported by Axios. In May, Reuters reported Kroger was preparing price cuts on thousands of products to win back share from Walmart, Costco and Aldi.

Into that market comes Meijer Grocery at 15700 Southeastern Parkway, the first Meijer inside the Fishers city limits. The 75,000-square-foot store opens at 6 a.m. Sept. 30. It is a smaller, food-focused format than a Meijer Supercenter, with bakery, meat, seafood and deli departments plus a pharmacy.

Store Director Janice Thongvanh joined the podcast to talk about the opening. She started at Meijer in 2017 as a part-time member of the remodel crew and was made full time within two weeks. Her team has filled more than 200 team member positions and 15 leadership roles through a series of local job fairs.

Thongvanh said the response from residents along Southeastern Parkway, who have wanted a grocery in that part of town for years, has been enthusiastic. The Meijer Express fuel station that opened earlier drew a crowd, she said, and the message was consistent: “It’s about time.”

She also discussed her work on food insecurity and childhood hunger, and what surprised her about Hamilton County. Meeting with schools, food pantries, housing communities and youth mentorship groups, she learned how many local students qualify for free and reduced-price meals. In an affluent community, she said, hunger is often hidden.

Opening week will include giveaways, discounts and events beginning at 6 a.m. Sept. 30, along with some locally sourced products still being finalized.

Also this week: Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers high schools have logged roughly 50 phone infractions each a few weeks into the school year under Senate Enrolled Act 78, the state’s bell-to-bell phone ban that took effect July 1. About 20 of those came on the first day alone. The rule everyone braced for turned out to be a shrug — but as I argue in this week’s commentary, settling the classroom is the easy part. Nielsen reported YouTube accounted for 13.8% of all television watched in this country in May, more than any network or streaming service. The living room is the harder conversation, and no state law is coming for it.

The episode closes in Poland, where about 30 robots demonstrated outside the digital affairs ministry calling for tougher regulation of artificial intelligence.

Fridays with Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

Watch the podcast at this link, or just listen using this link.

The Geist Race Series returns to Geist Reservoir on Saturday for its 18th year, and for the first time since 2008 the half marathon is sold out, the City of Fishers announced.

Spots remain in the 10K, 5K and a new 1-mile race. Runners can register online at GeistHalf.com until 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, or in person until 8 p.m. Friday at packet pickup at Grace Church-Fishers, 12450 Olio Road.

The 1-mile run/walk is new this year and is aimed at families. All four races are open to walkers and to participants pushing jogging strollers, according to the city.

Gates open at 6 a.m. Saturday. Opening ceremonies begin at 7:20 a.m., with the half marathon, 10K and 5K starting at 7:30 a.m. The 1-mile race steps off at 9 a.m., and the event wraps up at 11:30 a.m.

The start and finish line sits at the north end of the Olio Road bridge over Geist Reservoir. The post-race party will take over Olio Road between 116th Street and 113th Street, and drivers should expect road closures in the area Saturday morning. The city has posted a closure map on its website.

Every participant receives a race shirt, a finisher medal and a ticket for one complimentary drink — alcoholic or non-alcoholic — at the post-race party. Vendors this year include MashCraft Brewing, Athletic Brewing, Java House, Pure Green, Eiffel Waffle Creamery and Ghost Mobile Kitchen.

The half marathon course, which loops runners across the reservoir, has long been the series’ signature event. A sellout after 17 years is a notable marker for a race that has weathered a crowded central Indiana running calendar.

More information is available at GeistHalf.com.