School districts throughout Indiana are working to fill their bus driver positions, and our local Hamilton Southeaster (HSE) Schools, as the state’s 4th largest by enrollment, is no exception.

If you have considered driving a school bus, you can take a spin in an official HSE bus that transports students daily during the school year.  On Thursday, May 30th, 4-6pm, any potential bus driver can drive the bus just to get a feel for the job.

The job itself pays the driver $111.23 per day, plus there are opportunities to make even more.  Full time bus drivers are also eligible for a benefit package which includes participation in the Indiana Public Employees Retirement Fund (PERF) and 5% employer match for 403(b) based on gross wages.   403(b) plans are much like private sector 401(k) accounts.

The HSE Transportation team will be on hand for the event and can answer questions on any job opportunities in their department.  This is the first time HSE has put on such an event.

My twin daughters are 30 years of age now but still have fond memories of HSE school bus drivers they came to know as students.  This is a chance to make extra money, enjoy a benefit package and establish relationships with students and their families for years to come.

The Fishers Parks & Recreation Department recently announced the free concert lineup at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater this summer.  The city is now announcing two back-to-back ticketed performances at the Amp.

On Friday, August 23, Niko Moon will visit Fishers.  The country artist will take his show to the Amp.  Tickets for the Niko Moon concert go on sale this Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m. and will be available at npdamp.com and mokbpresents.com. For ticketed shows, the venue is an all ages facility and children ages two and under are permitted for free. Fans can also bring their own lawn chair and blankets.

The following night, August 24, Brett Dennen will be performing on the same Fishers stage.  Dennend has been described as  having “a singular gift for meditating on life’s most meaningful subject.”

Tickets for the Brett Dennen concert go on sale this Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m. and will be available at npdamp.com and mokbpresents.com. For ticketed shows, the venue is an all ages facility and children ages two and under are permitted for free. Fans can also bring their own lawn chair and blankets.

Both concerts are part of the annual summer concert series at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater.

It was the late 1970s.  I had worked in radio broadcasting for more then 10 years doing just about everything…disc jockey, music director, program director, sports, talks shows and news when needed.  I had experienced just about every aspect of radio broadcasting.

The one thing I had never done was news on a full time basis.  I had been hired as the morning news anchor and reporter at WCSI radio in Columbus, Indiana.  My news director was Sam Simmermaker.

Sam was more than a news director.  He was already a local sports legend.  He also knew Columbus.  As a reporter new in town he was a big help in my understanding the community and what was important news locally.

Sam became a valued colleague and a good friend.  The years I spent sharing the WCSI newsroom with Sam were the best years of my radio life.

All those memories came back when I recently learned that Sam plans to retire.  Think about this.  Sam is 92 years of age and has continued calling play-be-play of local sports and will through the local high schools’ baseball tournament run this season.  He has presented a daily local sportscast all these years, with his final installment due May 24th.

He has been working at WCSI for 64 years.  In that business, this must be a record.

Radio station WKKG, sister station to WCSI, listed on its Web site just a partial rundown on Sam’s many awards & recognitions:

* Indiana Sportscaster of the Year in 1976 and in 1997 by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
* Indiana Sportscaster of the Year in 1971 by the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
* Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame inductee in 1998.
* Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame inductee in 1991.
* Best Sports Play-by-Play award by Network Indiana in 2002 and 2004.
* Best Sports Play-by-Play award by Indiana Broadcasters Association in 2005.
* Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

I know of no one more deserving of retirement than Sam Simmermaker.  I wish him well.

Jane & I have had a lot to celebrate in recent days.  May 11th was our 33rd wedding anniversary.  May 12 was Mother’s Day, and both daughters were able to spend some quality time with their Mom.

This was the second Mother’s Day without my own Mom, who died in January of 2023 at the age of 92.  We were all so fortunate to have her with us for 92 years, but we still miss her nonetheless.

Best of wishes to all Moms on Mother’s Day!

The Fishers area road construction report is a very long one, as to be expected this time of year.

Below is the complete list, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Fishers area road construction update for the work week starting May 13 →

It was January, 2012.  I had been retired for a few months, looking for a project I could do in retirement.  I wanted to volunteer, but wasn’t sure how.  I could help the local schools, the library, local hospitals, parks….the list was endless.

I had just spent 28 years as a federal civil servant, but previous to that I was a journalist.  I missed being a reporter, so I thought, what if I started showing up at local meetings and write about what I heard and witnessed, as a volunteer?  Even in 2012, local news was often hard to find.

So, when I suggested this idea, my wife Jane had no objections.  I think she was happy I was doing something in retirement.  She also likely believed I would tire of the project after a few months.

As most of you know, I am in my 13th year of writing this LarryInFishers.com local news blog and could not be doing this without the full support of my lovely wife Jane.  Neither of us knew this news blog would last over 12 years.

Jane began to realize how important my local news blog was to the Fishers community when I was nominated for Volunteer of the Year by the City of Fishers (I didn’t win but it was truly an honor to be nominated).  Then again when I was presented a Jefferson Award for my volunteer work.

Jane has always been supportive and an important sounding board for me.  She has truly talked me out of doing some very stupid things.

It all started on May 11, 1991.  Our wedding day was warm and sunny.  We began a life together.

Our beautiful daughters Allison & Mary came along a few years later.  We are so fortunate to have them and our precious grandkids.

Jane has been by my side through good times and tough times.  Having her there has been so special.  Without her, I am not sure LarryInFishers.com would be what it is today.

Jane, happy anniversary on this May 11, 2024, celebrating 33 years of marriage.  I love you very much!

When I began covering Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools in 2012, I often heard then-superintendent Brian Smith talk about his visits to other school districts.  He sometimes commented on the number of central office administrators he found in other school corporations, much smaller then HSE.  His point was this – HSE has always worked to keep central office administrative staff as small as possible.

HSE swore-in a new school board in January of 2023 and that board has hired a new superintendent.  Several administrators have left HSE and last Monday the board approved some new administrative staff.

Michelle Fullhart served 2 terms on the HSE School Board and chose not to seek a third term in the 2022 election cycle.  She had several comments to make before the board during Monday’s meeting, about how the central office staff is organized.

Her comments were focused on the consent agenda, which added an assistant superintendent for operations.  The district has moved from one superintendent and 2 assistant superintendents previously, to a situation now that features one superintendent, a deputy superintendent and 4 assistant superintendents.  Fullhart expressed concerns about how the changes have been communicated, or not communicated, by current Superintendent Patrick Mapes.

“I would love to know (Mapes’) assessment of our administrative system,”  Fullhart said.  “We have always been lean in administrators, despite what some people in the community had said, and what some people said during (the most recent school board) campaign.”

Fullhart did say she is not commenting on whether the new positions are now needed, but “it would be nice to know why they have been added.”

She made clear she does not consider an attachment to the board consent agenda as transparent.

She closed her remarks by saying the next HSE Schools funding referendum will likely happen after Superintendent Mapes retires.  These extra central office administrators were not part of the explanation to the community of how the recent referendum money would be spent.  Fullhart is concerned these administrative staffing changes could be used to oppose a future referendum.

Neither Superintendent Mapes nor the school board responded to Ms. Fullhart’s comments.

As motorists in the area already know, Allisonville Road at 146th Street is in the middle of a 90-day closure.  Hamilton County Highway officials have promised to keep 146th Street open during the construction.  However, lane restrictions  along 146th Street will be coming.

Here is the latest statement:

As of March 1st,  Allisonville Rd. is now under a 90-day closure. Eastbound and westbound 146th Street will not be closed at the intersection. However, lane restrictions will be needed from time-to-time along 146th Street. Allisonville Road between 146th Street and Kensington Drive (north of 146th Street), and between 146th Street and Helmsley Court (south of 146th Street) are the closure limits. The posted detour route will be 131st Street, SR-37, and Greenfield Avenue.

Beginning on or after Monday, May 13, drivers should expect more frequent short duration intermittent stoppages along 146^th street, so the contractor can place asphalt material within the center work area. Please watch for flaggers within the construction zone and use extreme caution while driving through this construction zone.

Once construction is complete, Allisonville Road will be a roundabout at ground level with 146th Street traffic unobstructed with an overpass.

With a new school board in office for more than a year and a new school superintendent hired, many top administrators have chosen to leave the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District, which means new administrators come on board.  HSE Schools announced 3 major hires this week.

Tige Butts will be the new principal at Fishers Junior High School.  He replaces Crystal Thorpe, who left HSE for a central office position with nearby Washington Township Schools.  Butts has played an integral part at FJH since its inception in 1999, starting as a health educator and advancing to assistant principal in 2005.

Drew Tower has been hired as Athletic Director of Hamilton Southeastern High School. Tower is replacing Greg Habegger, who is retiring at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Habegger has served as Athletic Director alongside Jim Self for the past 19 years.  Tower comes to HSE from Brownsburg High School where he has served as Athletic Director since 2018.

Finally, Bryan Rausch is poised to take the HSE Assistant Superintendent of Operations post in July.  Since 2008, Rausch has served as superintendent of Liberty-Perry Community Schools located in Selma, Indiana. During his tenure, Rausch implemented systems and procedures to manage changing student demographics and increases in enrollment.

The City of Fishers will once again offer free Tuesday night concerts at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater in 2024.