The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the sentence of the Plymouth man accused of beating his girlfriend’s toddler to death with a hairbrush after she wet the bed in their motel room. Shane Weedling received the maximum 65-year sentence for murder in connection with Serenity Wilson’s 25-year death after pleading guilty. His sentence was left to the discretion of Marshall Superior Court Judge Robert O. Bowen. Continue reading
U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly is the co-sponsor of a bipartisan suicide prevention bill. It looks especially at veterans and young people. Continue reading
Hoosiers are urged to protect themselves against ticks when taking part in outdoor activities. The small, insect-like creatures are found in grassy, wooded areas throughout the state. Ticks tend to be most active during the late spring and early summer.
State health officials warn they can transmit a variety of diseases, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Last year more than 200 cases of tick-borne illness were reported in Indiana. Continue reading
Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly is pleased with the Justice Department’s appointment of a special counsel to investigate alleged ties between President Trump’s campaign and the Russians. During an interview on WKVI’s “Grossman in the Morning” Thursday, Donnelly said it’s important to find out what the facts are. Continue reading
Crop farmers are keeping an eye on the sky this week as they attempt to finish planting. The Indiana Farm Bureau estimates half of corn and soybean crops have been planted statewide. President Randy Kron says weather was ideal for most of April, but heavy rains at the end of the month, followed by cooler temperatures halted them in their tracks. Continue reading
Nominations are now open for the 2017 Golden Hoosier Award. It honors senior citizens for their lifetime of service and commitment to their communities and is considered one of highest honors the state gives. Continue reading
State officials from several agencies are warning of an extremely potent and potentially deadly mix of heroin that has made its way into Indiana.
It’s known as Gray Death and is a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil and other synthetic opioids. At least one person has overdosed in central Indiana this week. Continue reading
Many tax-exempt organizations need to file annual reports with the IRS by Monday or risk losing their status.
Form 990-series information returns are due on the 15th day of the fifth month after an organization’s tax year ends. That means organizations that use the calendar year as their tax year need to file for 2016. Continue reading
State officials want to hear from homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations that sustained uninsured damage from the recent severe storms and flooding. Continue reading
City, town and county officials are invited to a meeting later this month at the INDOT LaPorte District office to learn more about available sources of road funding.
House Enrolled Act 1002 invests hundreds of millions of dollars of new funding annually in state and local road and bridge projects across Indiana. Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill last month. Continue reading
May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, healthymd.com/stds and state health officials are encouraging Hoosiers to get tested for the disease and learn how to prevent it. They say more than 7,000 cases of viral hepatitis were reported in Indiana in 2015. Additionally the number of reported acute Hepatitis C cases has risen by 400 percent since 2010. Continue reading
A Bremen man is jailed on a $25,000 cash bond following his Friday arrest on drug and other charges. Continue reading
Several local high schools are ranked among the best in Indiana by “U.S. News and World Report.” The publication reviewed more than 28,000 schools nationwide for its 2017 rankings, and 136 schools in Indiana made their “Best High Schools” rankings. The publication ranks schools based on their performance on state-required tests and how well they prepare students for college.
All of the local schools on the list offer students an opportunity to take Advance Placement ® (AP) coursework and exams. Continue reading
Indiana’s March unemployment rate is at its lowest point since 2001, according to state officials. They note the 3.9 percent rate is also well below the national average of 4.5 percent. The unemployment rate reflects the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labor force. Indiana’s labor force increased by more than 6,000 over the past month, according to Indiana Department of Workforce Development Commissioners Steven J. Braun. Statewide employment saw a 12,322 increase, and a 6,229 decrease in unemployment. Continue reading
U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski says President Donald Trump has accomplished quite a bit since taking office in January, including the successful confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Continue reading
Producers of a popular cable television show are looking for locations in northern Indiana to possibly tape upcoming episodes. “American Pickers” Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz travel the countryside in search of what they call “rusty gold.” Continue reading
Grant funds are available from the state for gas stations looking to add ethanol to their product offerings. Continue reading
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has increased the daily lake trout limit from two to three fish per day in Lake Michigan. Continue reading
Indiana is gearing up for highway construction season as Work Zone Awareness Week wraps up. The goal is to raise awareness of both motorist and worker safety in work zones. Continue reading
The Internal Revenue Service is preparing to turn seriously delinquent accounts over to private-sector collection agencies. The agency notes these are unpaid individual tax obligations that are not currently being worked by IRS collection employees and often were assessed by the tax agency several years ago. Continue reading
