Formula 1 came back from its summer break Sunday with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, and for the Cadillac Formula 1 team — soon to call Fishers home once its headquarters under construction is completed — the weekend was a reminder of how steep the climb remains in the team’s first season.

Sergio Perez brought his Cadillac home 15th, two laps down, after starting the race from the pit lane. Teammate Valtteri Bottas retired late in the race, adding another did-not-finish to a season that has been defined by reliability trouble. Through 15 rounds, neither Cadillac driver has scored a championship point — the only team on the grid that can say that.

The weekend was uphill from the start. Zandvoort ran F1’s sprint format, and Perez’s car suffered a hydraulic problem Saturday morning that the crew scrambled to repair before the sprint race, where he finished 21st. Bottas took 19th. In qualifying for Sunday’s grand prix, Bottas managed only 21st and Perez 22nd, last on the grid.

That prompted a roll of the dice. Cadillac changed the suspension setup on Perez’s car overnight — a breach of F1’s parc fermé rules that meant he had to start from the pit lane — betting the change would pay off in the mixed conditions expected Sunday. He was one of 15 classified finishers in a chaotic race that saw home favorite Max Verstappen crash out on the opening lap on a damp track, bringing out red flags, with Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll and Ollie Bearman also failing to finish. McLaren’s Lando Norris won ahead of Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in what is scheduled to be the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

Cadillac’s team leadership has been frank about where the first-year outfit stands. “The pace we showed is representative of where we are at this stage,” chief racing officer Marc Hynes said after Saturday’s sessions, noting the team ran different approaches on the two cars to gather information.

The result extends a rough stretch for the American team, which suffered double retirements in both Austria and Hungary before the break, several of them tied to a recurring brake-cooling problem. Perez came closest to points back in Monaco, where he provisionally finished 10th before a procedural penalty dropped him out of the top 10.

Why does any of this matter in Hamilton County? Because this team’s long-term home is rising right here in Fishers. The headquarters remains under construction, and the team has signaled the facility will become increasingly central to its operations: United Kingdom-based employees have been told to relocate to Indiana by January 2027, and the team has said it plans to employ roughly 300 people at the Fishers campus, complementing operations in Silverstone, England; Concord, North Carolina; and Warren, Michigan. The team also shook up its leadership this summer, with Marcin Budkowski taking over from Graeme Lowdon as team principal.

Growing pains on the track, in other words, are part of a much larger project — one whose center of gravity is steadily shifting toward Fishers. Nine races remain in the 2026 season, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza up next on Sept. 6.

Small hands gripping a charged hose line, a cool mist drifting across the parking lot, and a steady line of kids waiting for a turn in the front seat of a fire engine — that was Saturday morning at Fishers Fire Department headquarters, where the city’s public safety agencies hosted their annual Safety Day.

The free, family-friendly event ran from 8 a.m. to noon at Station 91, 2 Municipal Drive, and turned the fire department campus into a walk-through lesson in staying safe. Firefighters and Fishers Police officers worked the crowd between demonstrations, answering questions from parents while their kids climbed on apparatus and met the crews who drive it.

Roughly 60 booths filled the grounds, staffed by more than 50 agencies and community organizations. Along with Fishers Fire and Fishers Police, the lineup has in past years included the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, MADD Indiana, Ascension St. Vincent and local Girl Scout troops, with Versiti Blood Center running a blood drive alongside the exhibits.

The hands-on stations are the draw. Children practiced dialing 911 inside a safety trailer, learned what smoke and heat actually do inside a house, and got a look at fire trucks and ambulances up close. Adults picked up practical skills of their own, including a tire-changing demonstration, and a vape awareness exhibit aimed at parents and teens. A live fire demonstration — the morning’s loudest, most-photographed moment — capped the schedule at 11 a.m.

Live entertainment and mascot appearances filled the gaps between demos, and the timing put Safety Day within easy walking distance of the Fishers Farmers Market, a pairing the departments have leaned on in past years to boost turnout.

The event lands at a moment when emergency response is fresh on a lot of local minds. Fishers and Hamilton County crews spent much of August working through historic flooding, and county curbside debris collection was still underway this week. Saturday’s crowd got a look at the same departments in a much lighter setting.

Safety Day is organized by Fishers Fire & Emergency Services as part of its community engagement program. More information is at fire.fishersin.gov.

The Indy Fuel continue to build their roster for the upcoming ECHL season, announcing Friday they have re-signed defenseman Will Ennis to a standard player contract for the 2026-27 campaign.

Ennis, 26, appeared in 63 games for the Fuel during the 2025-26 season, recording four points while providing a steady defensive presence. He also accumulated 22 penalty minutes during his first season with the club.

Before turning professional, Ennis played four seasons at the University of Windsor, where he totaled eight goals and 34 assists in 97 games while earning a degree in mechanical engineering. He also recorded 50 penalty minutes during his collegiate career.

The Russell, Ontario, native spent four seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals before attending Windsor. Serving as an alternate captain during his final junior season, Ennis developed a reputation as a reliable shutdown defenseman, finishing his OHL career with eight goals, 33 assists and 89 penalty minutes in 239 games.

His play earned him Oshawa’s Top Defenseman Award for the 2018-19 season. Off the ice, Ennis also was recognized for his academic achievements, becoming a finalist for the OHL’s 2019-20 Roger Neilson Memorial Award, presented annually to the league’s top post-secondary academic player.

Ennis was also a four-time Oshawa Generals Scholastic Player of the Year and a two-time team fitness award winner.

The re-signing is the latest offseason move for the Fuel as the organization prepares for the 2026-27 season under new head coach Jesse Messier, who was hired earlier this week. The Fuel are expected to continue announcing player signings in the coming weeks as training camp approaches.

Fishers road construction picks up this week, with a major detour on 136th Street, lane restrictions along several corridors and paving crews moving into four neighborhoods.

The 136th Street Widening Project has entered Phase 2, closing 136th Street to through traffic between Southeastern Parkway and Prairie Baptist Road. Drivers should follow the signed detour using Southeastern Parkway and Prairie Baptist Road. The project will convert the rural two-lane road into a boulevard with raised medians, multi-use paths on both sides, new pavement, curb and gutter, and upgraded storm sewers.

At 116th Street and Allisonville Road, outside lanes remain closed with traffic shifted to inside through lanes and turn lanes — a pattern expected to last through early October. The west leg of Fishers Crossing Boulevard at Allisonville Road closed Aug. 5 and should reopen after roughly three weeks. Sidewalks within the project area are closed, though the city says all businesses remain open and accessible. Crews are replacing driveway approaches, painting streetlights, installing temporary signals and rebuilding the west side of Allisonville Road.

Resurfacing work starts Aug. 24 with milling in Weaver Woods and Weaver Woods North, followed by Fawnsbrook on Aug. 25 and Westmoreland Drive in Somerset on Aug. 27. Base repairs follow, with paving beginning Aug. 30 in Weaver Woods and finishing on Westmoreland Drive around Sept. 3. Residents should expect equipment, temporary parking restrictions and short delays. Signs will be posted before parking restrictions take effect.

Elsewhere, USA Parkway north of 106th Street has lane restrictions through October; the Southeastern Parkway and Olio Road roundabout has periodic restrictions with Olio reduced to one lane; utility relocation continues at 131st Street and Brooks School Road ahead of a new roundabout; and Duke Energy work restricts Cumberland Road lanes between 106th and 116th streets from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. AT&T and Brightspeed crews are also beginning fiber installation in several neighborhoods.

One bright spot: 96th Street and Cyntheanne Road is now fully open in all directions.

Drivers should plan around the Geist Waterfront Triathlon on Sunday, Aug. 30, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Geist Waterfront Park. Police will stop traffic at intersections for cyclists, and runners will use trails and neighborhood streets near the reservoir.

In Carmel, a hard closure is in effect on Hazel Dell Parkway south of 106th Street after sinkholes opened near Blue Woods Creek. Officials urge residents to avoid the area entirely.

Here is the full listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers Road Construction Update: 136th Street Detour, Neighborhood Paving Begin This Week →

Friday night football returned to Indiana, and it was not kind to our local high schools.

Fishers made the short trip to Carmel and never got going, falling 47-0 to the Greyhounds in a season opener that was over long before the fourth quarter. Roughly 130 miles north, Hamilton Southeastern opened at Fort Wayne Carroll and gave up more than 50 points in a 54-23 loss.

Carmel 47, Fishers 0

The two programs went in ranked among the top 10 in the state — Carmel No. 5 and Fishers No. 8 in the MaxPreps state rankings — and the matchup had been circled all summer as one of the marquee openers in Indiana. It did not play like one.

Carmel’s defense pitched a shutout against a Fishers offense that scored 24 points in last year’s meeting between the schools, a 49-24 Greyhound win. The Tigers were held off the scoreboard entirely on Friday, and Carmel’s 47 points marked the second straight year the Greyhounds have cleared 45 against their county rival.

For Fishers, the loss puts an early dent in a season that opened with high expectations after last fall’s run to the Class 6A regional round. The Tigers get a chance to reset quickly: they host Lawrence North next Friday at 7 p.m.

Fort Wayne Carroll 54, Hamilton Southeastern 23

Hamilton Southeastern’s night in Fort Wayne unraveled in a hurry. The Royals surrendered 54 points to a Carroll team that returned a deep offensive group, and the final margin of 31 was a sharp reversal from last season, when HSE beat these same Chargers 14-7 in Fishers.

Carroll, ranked No. 14 in the state and No. 10 in Class 6A by MaxPreps, improves to 1-0 and heads to Center Grove next Friday in what will be one of the toughest tests on its non-conference schedule.

The Royals scored 23 points, enough to suggest the offense found some rhythm, but the defense never slowed a Carroll attack that scored in every phase of the night.

Hamilton Southeastern opens its home schedule next Friday against North Central at 7 p.m.

What it means

Week 1 rarely decides a season in Indiana — the state tournament takes everyone, and there is a lot of football between now and sectional week. But Friday was a reminder of how quickly the ground shifts in one of the state’s deepest football corridors.

The historic flooding that struck Fishers and surrounding communities in August tested every part of the city’s emergency response system. In this special edition of the Larry In Fishers podcast, Mayor Scott Fadness joins Fire Chief Ky Ragsdale and Police Chief Ed Gebhart for an in-depth conversation about how city leaders prepared for and responded to the crisis.

The three discuss when they realized the flooding would become a record-setting event, how emergency decisions were made in real time, the difficult process of evacuating residents from flooded neighborhoods, and the teamwork that brought together police, fire, public works and other city departments. They also talk about the recovery effort, lessons learned and the long road ahead for residents whose homes suffered extensive damage.

The second half of the podcast takes listeners to the front lines of the emergency response. Fishers Police Major Mike Janes and Fishers Fire Battalion Chief Chad Abel describe what it was like conducting dangerous water rescues, the hazards hidden beneath floodwaters, and how specialized training helped first responders safely evacuate residents and their pets from rising water. They also share personal reflections on an operation unlike anything many of them had experienced in their careers.

Also deserving recognition are the volunteers of the Fishers Fire Corps, who provided food, drinks and logistical support for first responders working long hours throughout the emergency, allowing police officers, firefighters and rescue crews to remain focused on protecting lives.

It’s a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most significant emergency responses in Fishers history, told by the people who led it and those who carried out the rescues.

The LarryInFishers Podcast series is sponsored by Citizens State Bank

Listen at this link or the link below.

Hamilton County will begin curbside collection of flood debris Monday, and officials are asking residents in flood-damaged neighborhoods to spend the weekend dragging ruined material out to the curb and sorting it as they go.

“Weekend warriors, this is your chance to help us move this recovery forward,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman. “Get the debris out of your homes and yards, get it to the curb, and most importantly, keep it separated. The better job we do on the front end, the faster these crews can move through our neighborhoods and get this material out of here.”

Residents should stack debris in separate piles by category:

• Electronics — televisions, computers and other electronic equipment
• Vegetative debris — trees, limbs, bushes, leaves and other vegetation
• Construction debris — drywall, lumber, carpet, furniture and other building materials
• Sandbags — kept apart from everything else
• Large appliances — refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves and similar units
• Household hazardous waste — paint, oil, batteries, pesticides and cleaning supplies

Crews cannot come onto private property to retrieve debris, so everything must be placed along the public right-of-way. Piles should not block the roadway, utility boxes, poles, fire hydrants, meters or other structures.

CrowderGulf, an Alabama-based disaster recovery and debris management company, has been contracted to handle the collection. Trucks and crews are traveling to Hamilton County and are expected to arrive throughout the weekend.

The county has also hired Tidal Basin Group to monitor and document the removal, tracking debris from the curb through delivery to the appropriate disposal facility. That paperwork matters: it is the basis for Hamilton County’s reimbursement claim under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program.

“We are being very deliberate about how we do this,” said Chad Knecht, executive director of Hamilton County Emergency Operations. “We want the cleanup done quickly, but we also have a responsibility to taxpayers to document these costs properly and recover every federal dollar for which Hamilton County may be eligible.”

Debris that residents haul off and dispose of on their own will not be reimbursed through the county program.

CrowderGulf will work in specific zones beginning on or after Monday, Aug. 24. Residents who believe they were missed by Thursday, Aug. 27, or who need help getting flood debris to the curb, can call 317-645-3261.

Meanwhile, private relief efforts are adding to the recovery. Delta Faucet Company, the Indianapolis-based kitchen and bath products manufacturer, is donating $50,000 to the American Red Cross Indiana Region, which serves more than 6.9 million people across 104 counties with shelter, hot meals, emergency supplies and emotional support after disasters. “Our efforts won’t end with this donation,” said Stacy Mowrer, the company’s senior vice president of human resources, noting that Delta Faucet is starting its annual September Month of Service early so employees can volunteer on flood recovery. Terry Stigdon, CEO of the American Red Cross Indiana Region, said the gift “empowers Red Cross volunteers to deliver critical help to people who need it.”

The county said additional information on collection schedules and recovery efforts will be released as the operation progresses.

The Indy Fuel have turned to a coach with experience developing players and building winning teams to lead the franchise into the 2026-27 ECHL season.

The Fuel announced Friday that Jesse Messier has been named the fifth head coach in franchise history. He succeeds Duncan Dalmao, who departed after the 2025-26 season.

Messier brings more than two decades of hockey experience as both a player and coach, with stops in the ECHL, Ontario Hockey League, university hockey and junior hockey. His background includes player development, special teams, recruiting and roster management.

“We are excited to welcome Jesse as the next Head Coach of the Indy Fuel,” owner Jim Hallett said. “Jesse has spent his career developing players and building winning hockey teams. He knows this league, understands what it takes to win and shares our expectations for what the Indy Fuel should be.”

Most recently, Messier served as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison, where he worked with the team’s defense, penalty kill, player development, special teams and pre-scouting while also assisting with player recruitment and roster administration.

Before joining Bloomington, he spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. During that stretch, Saginaw captured the 2019 OHL West Division championship, and 11 Spirit players advanced to professional hockey.

Messier also spent four seasons as an assistant coach at York University, helping guide the program to the 2017 Queen’s Cup championship. York posted a 63-37-12 regular-season record during his tenure and became a consistent playoff contender.

His coaching résumé also includes a successful season as head coach of the Kam River Fighting Walleye in 2023-24. Under Messier, the team compiled a 39-9-1 record, won the regular-season championship and reached the league finals while leading the league in offense and power-play efficiency.

“I am incredibly grateful to Jim and Sean Hallett for the opportunity to lead the Indy Fuel,” Messier said. “This is an organization with high expectations and a passionate fan base. I’m excited to get to Indianapolis, get to work with our players and staff, and build a team that competes every night with the goal of bringing a championship to our fans.”

As a player, Messier won a Kelly Cup championship with the Allen Americans in 2015 after playing in the ECHL with Allen and the Toledo Walleye. Prior to turning professional, he starred at York University, where he was a three-time team MVP, served as team captain and finished among the program’s top 10 all-time scorers.

According to the Fuel, 19 players coached by Messier have gone on to play professionally.

“Jesse has experienced winning from several different perspectives—as a player, assistant coach and head coach,” Hallett said. “We believe his combination of leadership, player development and attention to detail makes him an excellent fit for where we want to take this organization. Our objective is clear: we want to compete for a Kelly Cup championship.”

The Fuel play their home games at the Fishers Event Center, making the coaching hire one of the organization’s most significant moves as it prepares for the upcoming ECHL season. Messier will begin work immediately in assembling the roster and coaching staff for the 2026-27 campaign.

Fishers drivers heading into Indianapolis this weekend should plan extra time.

The Indiana Department of Transportation says a series of I-69 weekend ramp closures begins Saturday night in northeast Indianapolis as crews shift traffic and open a new ramp to 82nd Street.

The work is part of Clear Path 465, the long-running reconstruction of the I-465/I-69 interchange that Fishers motorists pass through on nearly every trip to Indianapolis. Opening the new ramp is one of the final steps needed to finish construction at the interchange, INDOT said.

What closes, and when

From 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, until 6 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, the ramp from northbound I-465 to northbound I-69 will be reduced to one lane.

From 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, until 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, three ramps will be closed:

• Eastbound I-465 to northbound I-69
• Northbound Binford Boulevard to northbound I-69
• 82nd Street to northbound I-69

Drivers on eastbound I-465 will be sent on a signed detour to southbound I-465, turning around at Pendleton Pike (U.S. 36).

INDOT expects delays and is urging drivers to plan ahead and use alternate routes when possible.

What happens next week

The new ramp is scheduled to open around 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24. It will give drivers traveling east on I-465 and north on Binford Boulevard direct access to 82nd Street — a change that mainly affects motorists coming from the south and east rather than those approaching from Fishers.

There is a trade-off. Once the new ramp opens, the 82nd Street exit will temporarily close for drivers who enter northbound I-69 from northbound I-465. That is the movement many Fishers-bound and Fishers-based drivers use to reach the Castleton-area retail corridor from the west side of the interchange, and it will stay closed for several months.

INDOT expects that exit to reopen in late 2026, after additional I-69 lanes and ramps are finished and more traffic shifts occur.

As with all construction work, the agency cautioned that dates and planned work could change because of weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

Esports has grown far beyond kids playing video games in the basement. Today, high school students compete on organized teams, travel to tournaments, earn college scholarships, and develop skills in communication, teamwork and strategic thinking.

On this week’s edition of Fridays with Larry, I talk with Keaton Squires, mathematics teacher and esports coach at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Keaton explains how competitive esports works at the high school level, the games students play, why participation continues to grow, and how esports is opening new opportunities for students who may not have found their place in traditional athletics.

We also discuss the club’s fundraising efforts to expand its gaming lab, the increasing number of college scholarship opportunities, and how artificial intelligence is beginning to influence classroom instruction.

Following the interview, I offer commentary on the surge in new business startups across America and what that trend could mean for communities like Fishers. The podcast concludes with an unusual news story involving two BASE jumpers who parachuted from Seattle’s iconic Space Needle.

Fridays With Larry is sponsored by Citizens State Bank.

If you would like to learn more about or support the Hamilton Southeastern High School esports program, you may contact:

Keaton Squires: ksquires@hse.k12.in.us
Craig McCaffrey, Principal, Hamilton Southeastern High School: cmccaffrey@hse.k12.in.us

You can use these links to watch or listen or use the links below.