Thanks for being so patient as we worked out the bugs here on the blogs. Our good friends at Compendium have fixed the problem. Think of it as a winter cold…and the system just needed a good dose of Nyquil.

  • Alas, we’re back and onto bigger and better things. I’m going to go bullet-style today with some random stuff you may find informational and resourceful.
  • In case you haven’t noticed or we didn’t mention it enough, the December issue of HSSTM is out on newsstands around Central Indiana today. You can pick up a free copy (as always) at Marsh and Blockbuster locations. It’s also available for your viewing pleasure on our website (http://centralindiana.hsstm.com).
  • Lots of feedback on the cover already – many people commenting on the smiles. If you have a comment or would like to get in Rants & Raves, then hit us up at letters.centralindiana@hsstm.com
  • Speaking of the December issue, I’ve got to issue a mea culpa and apologize to our good friend and feature writer Mike Beas. His name was somehow inadvertently left off the byline on the Carmel-HSE girls swimming story “Catch 22.” Mike does a tremendous job for us each month and deserves more than a byline. I’ve apologized to him personally, but felt compelled to do so publicly as well. And as I said to him, it won’t happen again. If our blog had audio, it would be playing Brenda Lee’s hit song “I’m Sorry” right now.
  • If you’re heading out to a game this weekend, be sure to look for copies of the new December issue. We’ll have magazines at the Broad Ripple @ No. 11 North Central boys basketball game tonight, as well as the No. 8 Carmel @ No. 15 Fishers girls basketball contest. Both tips are set for 7:30 p.m.
  • As for what’s on tap with the December issue as it concerns the Web site – well, we’ve got some great things in the works. Over the next few weeks, you’ve get several “Editor’s Cuts” of stories featured in the magazine. As I’ve mentioned before, think of Editor’s Cuts as Director’s Cuts of movie DVD’s. We’ll make comments about the stories, the people we interviewed and throw in some unpublished quotes. Keep checking the Web site frequently for these to pop up on the main page “Showcase” section.
  • This feels like a good time to pat ourselves – and you, our readers – on the back. HSSTM, since launching the new Web site, is slowly crawling up the list of Web sites most visited. Two months ago, HSSTM.com was in the 1,000,000 range. Last week, it was 768,000th place (roughly). As of today, we sit at 715,605. Thanks for helping us grow in leaps and bounds!
  • Finally, in other news, like everyone else, I was stunned to see that Butler’s legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse will not host a tournament game this year. While I’m not privy to the information behind the scenes on this one, it’s certainly sad to see a tradition like Hinkle and Indiana high school basketball go this season.