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Good morning, Hoosiers. Hopefully you’re reading this with power and dry basements, but we know many residents are still recovering from this week’s storms. More on that below.
What’s on your mind? Hit reply and let us know. |
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Under water and without power
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Lindsey Erdody, editor in chief |
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Flooding in Knightstown, as of Thursday. (Provided photo/Office of Gov. Mike Braun) |
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Intense storms rocked the state this week, with high winds knocking down trees and causing power outages and heavy rain causing historic flooding from Gary to Muncie to New Castle to Cambridge City.
Flooding was so intense in Wayne County that part of westbound I-70 buckled. Part of State Road 38 in the same county also washed away. Some good news: INDOT shared Friday that the interstate has reopened, and S.R. 38 has at least been temporarily repaired.
More than 60% of NIPSCO customers were without power at the worst point this week. The northwest Indiana utility described it as “one of the most significant outage events in company history.” As of midday Friday, approximately 185,000 customers remained without power.
Damage is so widespread that Gov. Mike Braun issued a state of emergency on Thursday and mobilized the Indiana National Guard to help provide manpower and resources in Gary, Munster and Hobart. He also has requested federal assistance.
More severe weather could hit parts of the state today.
We put together a resource guide on what you should do if your home flooded and where to find flood shelters.
Next week, we’ll be talking to residents and local officials about clean-up efforts and looking into what you should know about flood insurance.
➡️ Hit reply to this email and tell us what’s happening in your community. |
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Are these streets made for walking? |
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Dylan Peers McCoy, civic accountability reporter |
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Holland Town Council President Melanie Barrett showing off the town’s less-than-ideal sidewalks. (Dylan Peers McCoy/FPI News) |
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With a population of about 600, I wasn’t sure if there would be much to see in the southern Indiana town of Holland. But I was charmed the moment I arrived last week.
Town Council President Melanie Barrett showed me the new community center and a thriving park that attracts visitors from across the region. As we walked through downtown, everyone we passed seemed to know her. And there were lots of people out walking.
But people with strollers, wheelchairs and walkers are often forced to go in the street because the sidewalks are crumbled or there are none at all.
The challenge is that making streets safer for pedestrians is expensive. Holland won a federal grant to help plan those improvements. But actually making the changes may be unaffordable. |
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📲 Plus: Follow along as I walk the Holland sidewalks. |
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A message from our partner |
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(Doug McSchooler/AP) |
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State Sen. Spencer Deery is fighting back after the Indiana Recount Commission overturned the results of the Senate District 23 race between Deery and GOP challenger Paula Copenhaver. The decision changed the result from a three-vote victory for Deery to a three-vote victory for Copenhaver. But Deery is questioning the impartiality of a commission member and has said he’ll appeal. (Based in Lafayette)
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(Brett Phelps/Mirror Indy/CatchLight Local/Report for America) |
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Indy 500 attendees used the bathroom too many times, again. The Speedway Wastewater Plant exceeded the amount of pollutants (mainly ammonia from urine) its state permit allows it to discharge into the White River. It’s the fifth year in a row for this red flag. (Mirror Indy)
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(AJ Mast/AP) |
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Drama with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission continues. Former commissioner Andy Zay is suing Gov. Mike Braun for firing him. Zay says the firing was illegal because the governor can only oust a commissioner “for cause,” and that Braun provided no reason. The outcome could impact the ongoing dispute over AES rates. (WFYI)
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Struggling with homelessness in Clark, Floyd counties
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Laura Lane, rural communities reporter |
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(Laura Lane/FPI News) |
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Street homelessness isn't just a big-city problem. We’ve updated you on the situation in Bloomington, and I recently visited southeast Indiana to learn about efforts to help unhoused individuals there.
There’s a conflict between two groups — the Southern Indiana Homeless Coalition and the grassroots group Jesus Cares at Exit 0 that work with the homeless community in Clark and Floyd counties — that hinders progress toward helping people find stability and a place to live.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Department of Transportation had planned to evict dozens of people living in a homeless camp near the I-65 Jeffersonville exit ramp. They had until Thursday to get out before bulldozers were sent in. Volunteers helped people move.
But the day before the camp was to be cleared, Exit 0 founder Paul Stensrud heard from INDOT. The camp clearing had been postponed. The people he moved out could have stayed longer.
“We’ll be meeting with the Indiana State Police next week to discuss the best way forward and figure out the next steps in the vacate process,” the message from INDOT’s director of stakeholder services to Stensrud said. “I’ll keep you in the loop and share any important updates so we can stay aligned.”
“Same BS from the state,” said an exasperated Stensrud. |
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A message from our partner |
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🎈 Kiwanis Indiana Balloon Fest |
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This two-day fundraiser is jam-packed with evening hot air balloon glow events, tethered balloon rides, pony rides, a golf scramble benefiting Riley Children’s Hospital, a Jeep show, fireworks and more.
🗓️ Aug. 28-29
📍 Loogootee
🔗 Details
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🚘 Frog Follies |
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This event boasts about being the largest pre-1949 independent hot rod event in the nation with 3,000 registered street rods. Plus there’s a movie night, photos with a P-47 plane, a swap meet and games — including frog races.
🗓️ Aug. 28-30
📍 Evansville
🔗 Details |
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⚔️ Michiana Renaissance Festival |
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It’s time to celebrate the Caribbean and the Golden Age of Piracy — the time from the 1650s to the 1720s — with food, songs, sword fights, magic, glass blowing, metal forging, axe throwing, reenactments and more.
🗓️ Aug. 29-30
📍 South Bend
🔗 Details
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- Homeowners near the Amazon data center in New Carlisle have reported dry wells. The state says it’s due to drought conditions — but residents think it’s due to water demands from the data center, which an investigation found are actually higher than previously disclosed. (IndyStar)
- “The Cheese Lady,” who has made cheese sculptures at the Indiana State Fair for 20 years, included herself in the design this year. The final product included 1,600 pounds of cheese and took 250 hours of carving. (Hoosier Ag Today)
- After what feels like a lifetime (but has actually been four years), construction on the northeast side of I-465 in Indianapolis is almost done. (WTHR)
- Only about 8% of workers in Indiana belong to a union, according to a new report. Our biggest industries for union membership are manufacturing and automotive. (Public News Service)
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🏈 The Chicago Bears got Hoosiers talking again this week about their potential move to Indiana — but leaders still didn’t make an official commitments. Regardless of the outcome, I’m team “let’s make a decision already.”
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Lindsey Erdody, editor in chief |
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