In Tuesday’s general election, Republicans continued to control offices in Hamilton County.  County Commissioners Steve Dillinger and Mark Heirbrandt were unopposed.  In the at-large County Council election, GOP incumbents Brad Beaver, Sue Maki and Steve Nation all won re-election.  The only Democrat in the mix, Kelly Gladieux, was not able to garner enough votes to win a council seat.

Republican Gary Duncan won his race for County Surveyor, defeating Democrat Thomas William Davis.  County Auditor Todd Clevenger and County Treasurer Susan Byer, both Republicans, were unopposed.  All county judgeships up for election were unopposed.

In Indiana Statehouse races, Democrat Victoria Garcia-Wilburn won another term in House District 32.  Speaker Todd Huston was unopposed.  Republican Alaina Shonkwiler won House District 29, Chuck Goodrich’s former district.  Scott Baldwin was the winner in Indiana Senate District 20.

In Hamilton County, Indiana and nationally, it was a good night for the Republican Party.

The three women on the ballot all came up at-large election winners for Hamilton Southeastern School Board in the 2024 general election.  Latrica Schooley won over Greg Lannan in Delaware Township with just over 54% of the vote.  Suzanne Thomas won re-election against former board member Terry Tolle in Fall Creek Township with just under 61% of the ballots cast.  Sarah Parks-Reese earned a second term on the board, defeating John Stewart in Wayne Township with just over 58% of the vote.

All voters within the Hamilton Southeastern School District voted in each race, but each candidate ran in their home townships.

In this case, the 3 best-funded candidates were losers, based on pre-election finance reports.

“To all our supporters, you guys are the best of the best,” wrote Latrica Schooley in a social media post.

“Wow Hamilton Southeastern Community, I am once again humbled by your support and faith in me,” wrote Sarah Parks-Reese in a Facebook post. “I am honored and grateful to serve another 4 years!”

“While the outcome of the election was not what we had hoped, I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Sarah Parks-Reese on her reelection to the Hamilton Southeastern School Board,” wrote John Stewart in a Facebook post. “I know she works tirelessly and is committed to representing the families of Wayne Township.”

The Hamilton Southeastern Education Association endorsed the 3 winning candidates.  “HSEA congratulates Sarah Parks-Reese, Suzanne Thomas, and Latrica Schooley on their election to the school board!,” said the local teachers’ union in a social media post. “As we look to the future, we are excited to work with these women and the current members of the school board to do what is best for students and teachers!”

Fishers One, a conservative group locally, won 2 years ago, placing 4 candidates it backed on the board.  In this round, all 3 Fishers One endorsed candidates lost.

The three winning candidates will begin their 4-year terms in January of 2025.

Below lists the latest information on the election for Hamilton Southeastern School Board.  There are 3 seats up for election, one each for each of three townships.  The winner in each township will earn a seat on the board.

220 of 220 precincts reporting (all of Hamilton County)

Delaware Township  

Greg Lannan                                  21,614          45.86%

Latrica Schooley                          25,516          54.14%

Fall Creek Township

Suzanne Thomas                      29,411           60.90%

Terry Tolle                                    18,880          39.10%

Wayne Township

Sarah Parks-Reese                    27,965           58.14%

John Stewart                              20,132           41.86%

Hamilton County Democrats say a complaint will be filed with the Hamilton County Election Board over the late start of voting in “at least six” polling locations this election day, according to a news release.  Democrats say those polling sites did not open for voting until 6:15-6:30am.

“The polls in Hamilton County did not open on time at 6 AM local time as required by state law, and an unknown number of voters were disenfranchised and walked away. We want to make sure every registered Indiana voter has the ability to fairly and equally cast their ballot, and that was not the case this morning,” said Indiana Democratic Party Executive Director Dayna Colbert. “Everyone who was unable to vote this morning or because of the long lines the backup created throughout the day should not be disenfranchised of their constitutional right to cast a ballot and vote in this election because of a technical error.”

The release from the state Democratic Party says lines to vote remain long in Hamilton County today.

Comedienne Leanne Morgan was one of the initial bookings announced for the new Fishers Events Center for November 30.  A change in her schedule has required that performance to be rescheduled several months later, to July 26.

Ticket holders should retain their tickets as they will be honored at the rescheduled date. Fans unable to attend the rescheduled show can receive a refund at point of purchase.

Here is a statement from Ms. Morgan:

Y’all, it’s with a heavy heart that I must announce the rescheduling of my show in Fishers, IN on Saturday, November 30, 2024 at Fishers Event Center. I’ve been working hard on my TV series and the production schedule has shifted and I now need to be in LA that night.  My fans mean the world to me and I’m so appreciative of all your support.  I’m so sorry for any inconvenience.  I can’t wait to see you on the new date, Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 7pm. All tickets for the original performance will be honored, so please hold on to your tickets. For ticket inquiries, please contact your point of purchase. For tour information, please visit leannemorgan.com.

As of Monday afternoon, more than 1.5 million early votes have been cast in the State of Indiana through Sunday.  Early voting is now done.

All that is left is election day and the counting of the ballots.  As an FYI, the vote count normally takes longer here in Hamilton County because there are usually people in line to vote when the polls close, and all in line will be allowed to cast their ballots.

I will be watching the Hamilton Southeastern School Board election Tuesday night so watch this site and my social media for the latest updates on the three township school board races.  I will also keep an eye on some legislative and county races.

As a last minute reminder, even if you cast a straight-party ticket, remember you must select your chosen candidates for Hamilton County Council and school board before you press that button to finalize your ballot.

I will just say this – as someone that has covered news in Fishers for 13 years and resided in fishers for 23 years – elections matter.  Your vote impacts decisions to be made at the state, county and school district level.  Your vote matters.

Whenever I see Scott Fadness, there is no way of predicting what will happen.  We had just finished recording a podcast Friday morning when he asked his staff if the third-graders were ready for him, and they were.

The mayor invited me to join him.  Friday is third-grade day at City Hall, with Hamilton Southeastern students receiving an experience including experiencing several city departments and a mock city council meeting.  But the day starts with the mayor.

Mayor Fadness started the event by asking them a number of questions, such as, how is a mayor fired?  Answers from the third graders were the president, vice president, governor or a judge could fire the mayor, none were right.  The mayor told them their parents vote every four years and can choose to fire him with their votes.

The biggest surprise came when he asked the crowd how much a fire engine costs.  The first student responded $1.5 million, which was the correct answer!  Let’s say they adults in the room were amazed.

It was then the students’ turn to ask questions of the mayor.  Most were typical, such as, tell us about how long you work each day.  One student asked the mayor his net worth.  He didn’t get an answer.

Being a mayor certainly is a job that has its ups and downs.  Watching Scott Fadness handle a theater-full of third grade students led me to this conclusion – this is one of the most enjoyable experiences he has every week.

The Indy Fuel rebounded in their weekend series against the Kalamazoo Wings, securing a  1-0 victory on Saturday night to hand the K-Wings their first loss of the season. A second-period power-play goal by former Kalamazoo player Brandon Saigeon proved to be the difference, while rookie goaltender Ben Gaudreau shined in net, recording his first professional shutout.

The Fuel came out of the gates with a sense of urgency, unleashing an offensive assault in the first period. Indy piled on 22 shots in the opening frame, dominating puck possession and testing K-Wings’ rookie goaltender Ty Young early and often. Young, however, was up to the challenge, stopping all 22 shots to keep the game scoreless. Gaudreau, facing a lighter workload, turned aside all five shots he faced to ensure a tied game heading into the second period.

As the second period unfolded, Kalamazoo’s offense started to build momentum, outshooting the Fuel 12-11 in a more evenly matched frame. Indy finally broke the deadlock at 8:09, capitalizing on a power play after a Kalamazoo hooking penalty. Saigeon netted the Fuel’s first and only goal of the night, with assists from Bryan Lemos and Kevin Lombardi, giving Indy a 1-0 lead and marking their first regulation lead of the season.

The third period brought high drama as Kalamazoo pushed hard for the equalizer. Despite a relatively low shot count, the K-Wings generated dangerous scoring chances, including two goals that were disallowed in critical moments. The most dramatic moment came with just 23 seconds left, as the K-Wings appeared to score with an extra attacker on the ice. However, the goal was waved off, preserving Indy’s slim lead.

The Fuel’s defense and Gaudreau’s composure in net held strong until the final buzzer, sealing the 1-0 victory. Gaudreau’s shutout performance marked a milestone in his young career, helping Indy to a gritty road win.

The biggest news in local road construction the past week is the full opening of the roundabout at 96th Street and Allisonville Road.

There are plenty of other updates in area road construction.  Here is the latest update for the work week starting Monday, November 4, as provided by the City of Fishers:

============

Continue reading Road construction update for the work week starting Monday, November 4 →