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Jeff Brown

@documenterjeff.bsky.social
32 followers 61 following 615 posts

Newsgathering for Indianapolis Documenters. indianapolis-in.documenters.org

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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Check out Free Press Indiana's coverage of a Tolkien-inspired village near Connersville. The village's web site notes the village is available for booking overnight rentals and events, but next weekend's festival appears to be a rare two-day opportunity to visit unscheduled. www.rackshire.com
rackshire.com
Welcome to the Shire Experience
Welcome to the Rackshire Experience, a hand-built replica of the movies inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien. This hole-in-the Hill town is located just outside of Connersville, Indiana, USA.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Today marks the deadline for DHS and ICE to respond to Congressman André Carson's congressional inquiry. It notes: "I further request that DHS and ICE provide a written response and all records related to this request no later than September 9, 2026." carson.house.gov/media/press-...
carson.house.gov
Congressman Carson Launches Official Congressional Inquiry into Increased ICE Indianapolis Activity
INDIANAPOLIS—Today, amid reports of a surge in ICE arrests across Indianapolis, Congressman André Carson (IN-07) submitted an official Congressional inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security.Cong...
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The agenda for Friday's meeting of the Capital Improvement Board of Managers of Marion County lists a report "Signia Hotel and Podium" under its agenda item "Update on current construction projects". www.capitalimprovementboard.org/wp-content/u... www.hilton.com/en/hotels/in...
hilton.com
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
A report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression lists IU among the worst universities in the country for free speech, according to an article on the Indiana Daily Student's web site. (The IDS Bluesky account @idsnews.bsky.social seems inactive.) www.idsnews.com/article/2026...
idsnews.com
IU ranked 6th-worst university in country for free speech in FIRE report
IU was ranked 256 out of 261 schools in FIRE’s 2027 College Free Speech Rankings.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Looks like the MyCase link I posted is not working. Easy way to find the case online is to search MyCase mycase.in.gov and on the Case tab use the following Case Number: 53C06-2608-PL-002114
mycase.in.gov
Indiana Supreme Court public access case search
Indiana Supreme Court, Public Access
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
However, Bluesky's limitation of only promoting the first link in a post put my link to the Guinness article more prominent in my re-post of the FPI article, perhaps making it unclear that I was referring to the FPI article when I said "this story".
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
That Aug. 20, 2026 date is later than the Mar. 16, 2026 Guinness article that describes McCloskey as retired. Could Free Press Indiana's documentation of McCloskey's recent efforts help extend his Guinness record?
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The caption of the lead photo says: "Allen McCloskey, who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a gravedigger, scrapes off growth on one of the headstones in the Old Galveston Cemetery on Aug. 20, 2026, in Galveston."
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
To clarify, by asking if "this story" could help extend McCloskey's Guinness record, I was referring to the article mentioned in the Free Press Indiana @fpinews.bsky.social post I was re-posting. bit.ly/4yeFYVT
bit.ly
Indiana is home to thousands of abandoned cemeteries. Who’s responsible?
State law requires township trustees to maintain graveyards, but obstacles exist.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
This story notes the gravedigger mentioned is also a Guinness World Records holder. Did he come out of retirement for this story? A photo shows him scraping a headstone Aug. 20 this year. Could this story be used to extend his record further? www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2026/3/...
guinnessworldrecords.com
World's longest-serving grave digger finally retires after 73 years in job he treasured
The world’s longest-serving grave digger Allen McCloskey (USA) has finally retired after 73 years.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Scudder comes back to IU after received his master's degree in American studies at Southern Methodist University and becoming a journalism professor for its Meadows School of the Arts, according to his SMU profile. www.smu.edu/meadows/area...
smu.edu
Charlie Scudder
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Prior reporting by Charles Scudder between 2010 and 2014 is on the Indiana Daily Student web site. www.idsnews.com/staff/charle...
idsnews.com
Indiana Daily Student
Indiana Daily Student
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The announcement lists Scudder's start date as December 14 - the Monday beginning the week ending Friday, December 18, posted as last day of classes on the IU Registrar's calendar. calendars.registrar.indiana.edu/official-cal...
calendars.registrar.indiana.edu
IUB Official Academic Calendar
IUB Official Academic Calendar
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The new Director of Student Media Charlie Scudder is an IU alumnus, per announcement from IU. mediaschool.indiana.edu/news-events/...
mediaschool.indiana.edu
Charlie Scudder named director of student media
A former student media leader, Scudder, BAJ’14, will return to IU on Dec. 14 after building a distinguished career in professional journalism and higher education.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The Indiana Daily Student @idsnews.bsky.social is on Bluesky, but its most recent post is an October 2025 article on homecoming. bsky.app/profile/idsn...
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The lawsuit is a re-filing of an earlier lawsuit, as explained by continued reporting from the Indiana Daily Student. www.idsnews.com/article/2026...
idsnews.com
Former IDS student media director refiles lawsuit against IU over October firing
Jim Rodenbush refiled his lawsuit alleging IU violated his constitutional rights in his termination.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Aug. 24, defendants moved to delay formal response 'til Oct. 2: "The current due date of Defendants’ answer or other responsive document is September 2, 2026, and with 30-day enlargement the new deadline for Defendants to answer or otherwise respond to Plaintiff’s Complaint will be October 2, 2026."
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Documents associated with the case are available online on Indiana's MyCase site: public.courts.in.gov/mycase/#/vw/...
public.courts.in.gov
Indiana Courts Case Search - MyCase
Indiana Supreme Court, Public Access
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Rodenbush responded with a lawsuit, Case Number 53C06-2608-PL-002114 in Monroe County Circuit Court 6. It states in part, "IU fired James Rodenbush when he refused the directive to censor student work in the campus newspaper and print only fluff pieces about the upcoming homecoming festivities."
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Student press censorship issues are active in Indiana. IU Media School this week named a permanent replacement for student media director Jim Rodenbush, who was let go October 2025 allegedly for refusing to comply with administrator requests. www.idsnews.com/article/2026...
idsnews.com
Former IDS editor-in-chief Charlie Scudder hired as new student media director
Scudder will begin his role as student media director in December.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
SPLCs: Southern Poverty Law Center: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souther...
en.wikipedia.org
Southern Poverty Law Center - Wikipedia
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
SPLCs: Student Press Law Center: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student...
en.wikipedia.org
Student Press Law Center - Wikipedia
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
More student press news from the Student Press Law Center @splc.org (not to be confused with another SPLC, Southern Poverty Law Center @splcenter.org)
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Censorship issues are a timeless bane of student press. The Guardian's recent article detailing recent challenges is good reading for anyone interested in newsgathering. www.theguardian.com/law/ng-inter...
theguardian.com
Even high school reporters are facing censorship now
As teenage journalists deal with threats to their school newspapers, they’re calling in attorneys for back up
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Reposted by Jeff Brown
Mirror Indy @mirrorindy.org · 04/09/2026
Get free food and resources at an event Sept. 8 on Indy's west side. Attend a panel on housing and food assistance at Wayne Township Government Center from 2-3:30 p.m, then get free groceries next door from 4-6 p.m. No ID or registration is needed:https://bit.ly/4qQ1Jc8
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
On September 1, more hospitals in Indiana face increased compliance with a bill passed last year. Check out the NPR story further below for explanation, or the portal for the original legislation history: iga.in.gov/legislative/...
iga.in.gov
Indiana General Assembly
Website for Indiana's General Assembly
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Good info from Bluesky @bsky.app on new video limits. I'd recently posted videos while live reporting for Documenters @indydocumenters.bsky.social and Mirror Indy @mirrorindy.org - but without knowing limits on video length and file size. Been meaning to look this up, now here it is.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Update: As of today, @poweroutage.us is showing 688 outages in Lake County, Indiana, all NIPSCO territory. poweroutage.us/area/county/...
poweroutage.us
Lake County Power Outages
PowerOutage.us tracks and aggregates power outages across Lake County, Indiana. View real-time outage data and provider information.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Don't worry about possible pro-feline reporting bias, pooch people. Mirror Indy's article not only includes yet another Internet cat picture, but also includes a photo of a puppy at another mechanic. Check it out, you've clicked far less reputable places for worse reasons.
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Reposted by Jeff Brown
Mirror Indy @mirrorindy.org · 20/08/2026
You can apply for emergency assistance if you were impacted by the flood. See how you can apply for up to $5,000 in assistance from Indiana’s State Disaster Relief Fund and how to get refunds for damaged food. bit.ly/4wCQEwo
bit.ly
How to apply for Indiana’s emergency flood assistance, SNAP refunds
The state is offering up to $5,000 in funding for displaced families.
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Reposted by Jeff Brown
Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Experts say people who oversee flooded gardens or fields need to know about the possible risks posed by contaminated water and how to take action. Here are tips on what you should consider when harvesting crops that have been under floodwaters:https://bit.ly/4zybAri
bit.ly
What precautions you should take if your garden flooded
Floodwaters may contain contaminants ranging from pesticides to E. coli, so veggies may not be safe to eat.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Check out continuing coverage by Peter Blanchard @peterblanchard.bsky.social - Local Government Reporter for Mirror Indy ( email: peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org phone: 317-605-4836 ). His bio and recent articles are available at mirrorindy.org/author/peter...
mirrorindy.org
Peter Blanchard
As Mirror Indy's local government reporter, I report on city policies that impact the lives of Indy residents.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any questions on the meeting or these posts to @indydocumenters.bsky.social - or email us at documenters@mirrorindy.org
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The committee adjourned at 7:02 p.m. after no comment from the public and no other business. This concludes coverage of today's meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee of the Indianapolis City-County Council. For more meeting coverage, check out documenters.org
documenters.org
Documenters.org: Making Local Government More Accountable
All the info you need on public meetings in your town, in one easy-to-search place. Get TRAINED and PAID to hold your local government accountable. Powered by City Bureau.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
A speaker said "on the next slide" multiple times as monitors for the audience and for the committee did not show the presentation. Committee members were following along on paper copies in front of each of them, turning pages as the presentation continued.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The new budget reflects a $6,000 savings, speakers said. Other cost savings were obtained by Purdue absorbing some costs.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Continuing to diversify the workforce and to increase community engagement is a goal, the speaker said. The organization is also working to remove inefficiencies such as office phones costing thousands of dollars despite no one using them much.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
As the presentation began, speakers appeared to have technical difficulties and the presentation continued without being displayed on the monitor in the meeting room.
As the presentation began, speakers appeared to have technical difficulties and the presentation continued without being displayed on the monitor in the meeting room.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
With no comment from the public, the committee moved to its final budget hearing from the Marion County Cooperative Extension Service. The audience is mostly empty as speakers prepared to give a presentation before the committee.
The audience is mostly empty as the Marion County Cooperative Extension Service prepared to give its presentation for its budget hearing before the committee.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Have questions? Think we got something wrong? Send any questions on the meeting or these posts to @indydocumenters.bsky.social - or email us at documenters@mirrorindy.org
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
When asked about budgets for the canal, speakers clarified the cost was mostly for upkeep of existing grounds and facilities, not capital improvements.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The department is also developing an artificial intelligence system called Facilitate 360 to help replace existing paper-based processes with cloud-based systems.
The department is also developing an artificial intelligence system called Facilitate 360 to help replace existing paper-based processes with cloud-based systems.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
After the budget portion of the presentation, the speaker took the opportunity to present a list of strategic accomplishments including certifying 30 employees in diagnostic troubleshooting skills to improve proactively maintainance of equipment before it breaks down.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The bulk of the budget by properties stems from Criminal Justice Center facilities, the speaker said.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Three new properties are K9, horse barn and park ranger facilities for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
After a brief pause to set up presentation equipment, speakers began their presentation with an overview of the organisation's history, including information that the organization has no taxing authority and that its revenue comes from management of its properties.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The next presentation to begin was the Marion County Building Authority.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The presentation concluded with no public comment from the audience.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
About 71% of the budget was described as Character 1, consisting mostly of salaries, wages and benefits.
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Jeff Brown @documenterjeff.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Goals for 2027 are to maintain staff efficiency and to support voter registration opportunities, the speaker said.
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