Friday night was the first time the Indy Fuel ever had a female referee, Sydney Harris. That was the most memorable thing Fuel fans can take away from this game against the Kalamazoo Wings.  The final score was 6-2, Wings.

The Fuel were never in this game, as Kalamazoo tallied 3 goals in period 1, including a short handed score.

Nathan Burke did pick up his 18th goal of the season in Period 2, but the Wings found the back of the net twice.  It was Wings 5 Fuel 2, at the end of 2.

In Period 3 Lucas Brenton lit the lamp for the Fuel, bringing the score to 5-2.  4 minutes later, the Wings scored again, bringing the score to 6-2, which ended up being the final tally.

This loss will not make it easier for the Fuel as they battle the Wings, Bloomington and Cincinnati for the final playoff spot in the ECHL Central Division.

Indy travels to Cincinnati to take on the Cyclones tomorrow (Saturday) night.  The Fuel return to the Fishers Event Center for their third game in 3 days Sunday at 4pm, facing the Fort Wayne Komets.

Before last Wednesday’s Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meeting, the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) provided teachers with an update on a pending Unfair Labor Practice filing  (see this link).

The Hamilton Southeastern Schools have issued a response, saying they are willing to work on the issues raised by HSEA.

Below is the full text of the statement issued Friday by HSE Schools:

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The School Corporation was very surprised to see the recent statements made by the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association regarding the unfair labor practice, and in particular how it mischaracterized the School Corporation’s willingness and effort to settle and resolve this matter. The School Corporation has worked in good faith to not only address the allegations raised in the complaint but has also spent considerable time and attention addressing several ancillary issues raised by HSEA which have no nexus with the unfair labor practice. In fact, we spent much of our last mediation session addressing these ancillary issues, including some of those raised by HSEA in their recent statements. While we were equally frustrated that the merits of the Complaint were not the focus of our last mediation session, we were happy and willing to collaborate on these additional issues, all in an attempt to resolve these matters in good faith.

 Moreover, the School Corporation was surprised to see HSEA’s statement regarding teacher re-assignment. While Indiana law allows the School Corporation to direct and assign its employees, these re-assignment efforts prevented serious RIF conversations and allowed the district to preserve over 20 teaching positions.  

 The School Corporation has been at the table ready and willing to resolve this matter which involves allegations against a former school employee. We are not here to fight. We are not here to threaten additional lawsuits committing needless time and resources away from our mission of providing a world-class education to the 21,000 students and families that we have the privilege of serving. Resolution takes two willing parties. We can set a positive example for our entire school district by ending senseless fighting. As always, the School Corporation is ready and willing to meet to resolve this matter. 

The Indianapolis Star has sponsored an all-star high school series each year for a long time, pitting players from Indiana against an all-star squad from Kentucky.  The coaches and players for Indiana’s girls team were announced Friday morning by the Star, and Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) High School has an assistant coach and player on the team.

Royal Maya Makalusky averaged 22.1 points in her senior season with HSE.  She is one of 13 ladies named to the Indiana squad.

HSE girls coach Brian Satterfield will be an assistant coach to head coach Stacy Mitchell from Warren Central.  Kristi Sigler from Jennings County was also named an assistant coach.

The all-star series features double-headers with girls and boys teams from the Hoosier state taking on all-stars from Kentucky.

You can read the IndyStar story at this link, but may need an IndyStar subscription to access.

The Fishers Homeowners Association (HOA) Alliance was formed three years ago to deal with plans by Verizon Wireless to erect 5G Internet towers in the city’s  neighborhoods.  Verizon has stopped plans for new towers in Fishers for about two years, but the Alliance has continued.

The group held a meeting Wednesday night with Jordin Alexander, Chief of Staff for Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, to ask questions about the proposed city ordinance capping the number of rental properties allowed in a given subdivision at 10%.  So-called “legacy” homes, those rental properties in place as of December 31, 2025, may remain rental properties even if the subdivision is over the 10% cap, and would no longer be allowed to be a rental once the home is sold (assuming the subdivision is over the 10% threshold at the time of sale).  The proposed ordinance language also provides a list of other exceptions to the 10% cap.

HOA Alliance President Geoff Tease, in opening remarks, revealed results of a survey taken of HOA Alliance members.  According to Tease, 59% of the membership supports the home rental cap and 24% oppose the ordinance.  Also, 60% of Alliance members have rental caps in their bylaws, 41% do not.

The nearly 90-minute session had Ms. Alexander fielding a number of questions, many detailed and technical, but one that raised more than once was enforcement.  How will this ordinance, if enacted, be enforced?

If the HOA has the 10% cap (the ordinance would not allow a higher number) the city would be enforcing any violations and assessing penalties.  However, under the proposed ordinance language, a subdivision HOA that chooses a lower percentage or allows no rental properties (which the ordinance would allow) would likely require the HOA to enforce that violation.

There were a number of other questions raised at the meeting that Chief of Staff Alexander needs to follow-up on and Tease indicated one more session with the city and HOA Alliance will be scheduled to clear up any questions left unanswered before an expected second reading vote by the City Council in April. If Councilors pass the ordinance on second reading, the third and final reading vote would come in May.

The City of Fishers has established a page on their Web site devoted to this proposal, and can be accessed at this link.

The language of the proposed ordinance presented to the City Council in February can be found at this link.

The name Manning is well known in Indiana after Peyton Manning won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts.  His brother Eli won some Super Bowl rings as well.  But before either Manning brother took to an NFL field, their dad, Archie, was a star quarterback.

More than 100 residents of The Reserve at Hamilton Trace gathered last week for an inspiring discussion on healthy aging, led by a panel of Ascension St. Vincent medical experts and legendary NFL quarterback Archie Manning.

Manning, now 75, shared personal insights on how he stays fit and mobile despite the wear and tear of his football career. “I’m not as active as I used to be, but the key is that I try, every day, to work out and eat healthy,” Manning told the audience. “Remember, it’s all up here,” he added, pointing to his head. “We need to stay motivated and stay moving as much as we can.”

Dr. Peter Bustamante, Chief Medical Officer for Ascension St. Vincent’s North Region, praised Manning’s commitment to wellness. “Archie Manning is an exceptional example of proactive, preventative health care. As a pro athlete and a ‘pro-dad,’ he’s a powerful advocate for living a healthy, thriving life,” said Bustamante. “Aging requires maintenance and education, and Ascension St. Vincent is grateful he’s helping us share those important messages today.”

With Indiana’s senior citizen population projected to grow significantly—by 2030, nearly 23 percent of the state’s residents will be 60 or older—the panel emphasized the importance of accessible healthcare, healthy eating, regular exercise, and proactive medical screenings.

Manning and the medical experts underscored the importance of staying engaged in personal health and encouraged attendees to take small but consistent steps toward wellness. The event provided attendees with actionable strategies to support longevity and quality of life.

The discussion was part of Ascension St. Vincent’s ongoing commitment to community health education, particularly for aging populations. As the state’s senior demographic expands, events like this continue to play a crucial role in promoting preventative care and healthy living habits.

Ascension has more helpful information at this link.

It appears the relationship between the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) and the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District is not improving, at least as the leadership of HSEA sees it.

In a gathering of teachers held prior to the Wednesday school board meeting, HSEA President Abby Taylor said the pending Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) filed against the HSE District is taking “an exponentially long time” to settle.  She also said the local teachers’ union will be filing another ULP and a lawsuit against the HSE School Corporation.

According to Taylor, the pending ULP relates to the union asking questions about a move by the HSE administration, taking teachers with special education certification from general education classrooms to the special ed program.  Asking questions about this led to HSE Schools HR Director Brian Butler “blasting’ Ms. Taylor, as she explains it.  Mr. Butler has since resigned.

HSEA, in its ULP filing, asked that school board members be trained in how to deal with the local teachers’ association, and the District to publish a letter to the public “accepting and owning responsibility” for its part in the situation.  Taylor says HSE has refused.  “We did nothing wrong,” Taylor told teachers.

HSEA is planning a lawsuit over adding time to the work day of elementary teachers without it being included in the contract between HSEA and the HSE Schools.  Taylor says this is required under Indiana law.

Taylor also says HSEA plans to file yet another ULP against the HSEA District, but provided no details on that planned action.

In May of 2013, voters in the Hamilton Southeastern School (HSE) District approved a referendum to finance building projects at both high schools.  They are now called College and Career Academies.

The municipal bonds issued to finance those buildings have a “call date” July 15 of this year.  Unlike most other debt, municipal bonds cannot be refinanced at any time, only on a specified  “call date” as part of the bond issuance.

HSE Chief Financial Officer Tim Brown presented what is technically described as a “refund,” or refinancing of those two bonds.  If interest rates remain at or near their current level, the board was told savings for the two bonds combined can be as much a $1.8 million.

The board voted unanimously to refinance the debt.

In another financial issue that received a unanimous approval vote from the board, Skillman Construction was awarded a $34 million contract for renovations at Fall Creek Intermediate.  The District was able to save about $1.5 million in handling the bids for this project.

Finally, the board voted to purchase playground equipment for Hoosier Road and Lantern Road Elementary Schools.  The Lantern Road playground will be moved away from the roundabout at 106th Street and Lantern Road for safety reasons.

Two Hamilton Southeastern District schools were crowned state champions at this year’s Indiana Academic Science Bowl.  The school board honored the state champs at Wednesday’s meeting.

Yellow Class Results:

– Southeastern Elementary: STATE CHAMPIONS

– Brooks School: State Runner-Up

– Geist Elementary: Top 10

– Deer Creek: Top 10

Blue Class Results:

– Hamilton Southeastern Int./Jr. High: STATE CHAMPIONS

– Fall Creek Intermediate: Third Place

– Riverside Intermediate: Top 10

– Sand Creek Intermediate: Top 10

Also, at the Wednesday session the board put its stamp of approval on the hiring of a new Assistant Principal at Fall Creek Intermediate, Tim Hull.

The community had been waiting for the decision by Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) administrators and board members – would the contracts of administrators at the building level be extended?  The board approved a list of contract renewals at the Wednesday night  meeting.

However, an item on the personnel report also created public comment – the listing that Hamilton Southeastern High School Principal Reggie Simmons would be resigning, effective June 30 of this year.  Mr. Simmons was hired by the school board for the HSE High School principal position on June 14, 2023.

Janet Chandler, former President of the HSE Education Association (HSEA), and a long-time teacher at HSE High School, expressed the concerns among school staff about the uncertainty arising from the long and unprecedented delay in renewing administrator contracts, asking what message the board was sending to those administrators.  “Do you want them to leave?” Chandler asked the board.

Tyler Zerbe from HSEA also addressed the board, welcoming the administrator contract extensions, hoping it will continue what he described as a “thriving relationship” between staff and administration at the building level.  He also urged the board to settle the long-standing Unfair Labor Practice filed by HSEA.

Stephanie White told the board their changes in administrators has impacted the reputation of the HSE School District.  “Outside of the lines of this district, educators, administrators, and school staff already had the impression that HSE is not a safe place for people of color,” White told the board. “I am thankful that our student body has continued to evolve even with these rumors floating around. However, the mass exodus of administrators, with only 2 being white, in the last 2 years due to the behavior and decisions of this board, and now this administration, is unacceptable and reprehensible. ”

Howard Stevenson, former HSE Board member and currently President of the Fishers Plan Commission, posted on his Facebook account a message of thanks for the service of Reggie Simmons.  However, he also touched on the issue of race.  “…as a 25 year resident of Fishers, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that we’ve had our last 3 Black principals leave our district in the last year,” Stevenson wrote.   “This is not good. I hope the school board members ask the right questions to ascertain why this is the case.”

Superintendent Patrick Mapes told the board a number of administrator contracts have been renewed through June 30, 2027, although some have one year left on their contracts and their renewals will be considered later.

Below is a listing of the administrator contracts renewed by board vote Wednesday:

Continue reading HSE Schools and Administrators →

The Fishers Event Center is projected to book more events in the first year than originally expected.  That’s the word from General Manager Mitch List in a Monday appearance before the Town Hall Building corporation.

The original hope was that the facility would fill up 125 dates the first year of operation.  The Event Center has 120 dates booked now with an expectation that there will be more than 140 once the year is over.

The Indy Fuel are drawing good crowds and the touring shows have all been at our near sellouts, according to List.

There were some initial glitches with bills sent by the parking vendor, but that has been cleared-up and overcharges have been corrected.  List says people are becoming more familiar with how to pay for the parking under the system with no collection booths.

An indoor venue normally sees busy months January through April, then things pick up in October through the end of the calendar year, List told city officials.

Food and beverage sales have been good in the first months of operation.