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Free Press Indiana News

@fpinews.bsky.social
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Free Press Indiana News covers all of Indiana, connecting policy decisions to the businesses, families and futures being built here.

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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A Henry County man got a $1 fine and $140 in court fees for squealing his tires at a green light. He appealed, arguing squealing tires doesn’t equal unsafe driving. The Indiana Court of Appeals agreed and threw out the conviction: bit.ly/3VMN3ix
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Northeast Indiana's Tri-Share+ program splits daycare costs among parents, employers and the state. As of August, 148 children were enrolled. State leaders say the issue is a priority for the next legislative session: bit.ly/3TgBFLd
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How Northeast Indiana got businesses to help pay for daycare
State leaders are looking to employers to help make childcare affordable.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Planning to come to ArcFest on Saturday? Here's some important info to Know Before You Go! Registration is still open! Learn more - fpinews.org/arcfest
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
FPI News has already shared stories from more than 50 Indiana counties. During our fall membership drive, support journalism that treats Indiana like the newsworthy place it is. Your gift by Oct. 3 can help us unlock a $2,000 match. Donate here: bit.ly/4htUjHq
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Music filled the stage across the 325-acre Hard Truth Distilling Co. campus on Sept. 26 during their third annual Harvest Fest. Sights, sounds and tastes of fall in Brown County give visitors a chance to get away without traveling far: bit.ly/46Qo8gA
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What it was like at Hard Truth’s third annual Harvest Festival
The Brown County event attracted visitors from outside the area for music, drinks and family-friendly activities.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Jennings County Sheriff was indicted on June 4 felony charges of official misconduct, obstruction of justice and perjury, plus two misdemeanor counts of theft He had allegedly stolen campaign yard signs and tossed them in the trash at his home. : bit.ly/4xWEQpv
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Are you a Hoosier facing eviction? We put together a list of everything you need to know before, during and after eviction court: bit.ly/4hNeilD
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You're facing eviction in Indiana. Here’s what to know
Go to court, tell the judge about your situation and make a plan for if you are evicted.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A Quaker meeting house near Pendleton, Indiana found a hidden crawl space under its floor years ago. It was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. You can go see the house from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 27.https://bit.ly/4xNcgXw
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Hidden beneath a Quaker meeting house: A link to the Underground Railroad
Fall Creek Friends Meeting House hosting free event Sunday explaining the congregation's role in helping slaves find freedom
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Can a Big Sister match last your entire life? A Fort Wayne match made in 1976 is still going strong. Dawn Caldwell, now 58, and her Big Sister Marsi Lawson, now 79, have been part of each other's lives for 50 years. Read more about their sisterhood: bit.ly/4rrx0Th
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
4-year-old Waylon Moore from North Vernon was the youngest person in Indiana who died from the August storms. The community is rallying to support his family through the Wheelin’ for Waylon fundraiser on Oct. 10 at Vernon Gym, 29 Washington St. bit.ly/4iKoXi6
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Indiana ranks ninth in the nation for the most automated license plate reading cameras. Many Hoosiers across the state are opposed to these cameras and their elected officials are responding. bit.ly/4yaEwV8
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Indiana sees surge of cities, counties ending Flock camera contracts
As pushback grows, other community leaders say they fully support license plate readers.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A Tolkien fan outside Connersville set out to build one Hobbit house. Seven years later, it is an 11-building fantasy village. The Hobbit Festival happens Sept. 26-27. Admission is $5 cash: bit.ly/4xuk28w
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
The annual count of Indiana’s unhoused population has been made public. The state conducts the count in January. There were 5,192 unhoused people, not including those in Indianapolis. Overall, the unhoused population increased by 7%. Check out the data, here:, bit.ly/4yJhJQ2
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The Supreme Court voted 7-2 to block a Trump order requiring last-minute changes to mail-in ballots. Indiana county clerks said the changes would have been impossible to carry out because they are beginning to send out mail-in ballots Sept. 19. bit.ly/4xvP2oN
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Local election officials relieved by SCOTUS’ mail-in ballot ruling
Justices say USPS can’t implement last-minute changes to mailed ballots
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
More than 29,000 Indiana kids are on the childcare voucher waitlist. Allen and St. Joseph counties are using local funds to help families while the state works through the backlog. $200 million in state emergency funding covers about 14,000 children:https://bit.ly/3ULSVs8
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
FEMA has approved 3,630 of more than 25,000 Indiana flood applications, paying out $47.7M. For some, the process moved quickly. For others, it has been complicated. More than 40,000 Hoosiers also applied for up to $5,000 from the state disaster fund: bit.ly/4inLSj6
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FEMA aid arrives for some Hoosiers, but others left in limbo
$17M approved so far for individual assistance, but many applications still not processed
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
You just had a baby and you’re slowly getting back out there, but where do you go to pump? Here are some tips on how to find private pumping and nursing spots in public. bit.ly/4xgX7gO
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How to find private places to pump breast milk in Indiana
Check large venues and local libraries for dedicated spaces for lactating parents.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
A Grant County commissioner has been accused of dozens of allegations of intimidation, illegal surveillance, wiretapping and more. An internal investigation into Commissioner Chuck Poling was shared this week. Here’s what we know: bit.ly/4xL0qhC
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Grant County official accused of intimidation, abuse of power
County workers say Commissioner Chuck Poling scared, threatened and spied on them.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Six LGBTQ+ and allied candidates are on the ballot in Owen County this November, backed by the Stonewall Democrats of South Central Indiana. It is the first time the group has endorsed candidates in the rural county, where 75% voted for Trump in 2024:https://bit.ly/4gQHZ3O
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Queer political candidates introduced on Owen County billboards
Six people who identify as non-binary, bisexual, gay, transgender and straight are seeking voters’ support in township races this November.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Indiana has more than 20,000 cemeteries and many are abandoned. State law requires township trustees to maintain them, but many trustees do not know the sites exist. Allen McCloskey, 92, has maintained one near Galveston solo for 15 years:https://bit.ly/4yeFYVT
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Do you live in Indiana and need help navigating what to do after the August floods? Gov. Mike Braun announced that multiple state and federal agencies will partner to host one‑stop shops in communities impacted by recent flooding events.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Historic Metamora lost its canal boat four years ago. This month the canal flooded, hitting more than 40 businesses and 40 homes. Volunteers arrived quickly and shops are racing to reopen.https://bit.ly/4coLzAK
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Benton County residents say they had less than three weeks' notice before planners approved three hog farms that would house 26,000 hogs near Remington. Nine property owners filed a legal challenge. Court hearing is Dec. 23. bit.ly/45Y4nDe
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Plans for three giant hog farms cause uproar in Benton County
Local planners OK’d three concentrated hog operations despite quality-of-life concerns from people living nearby.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Electricity has been restored for nearly all of the 375,000 customers in northwest Indiana who lost power Aug. 11 following severe weather. Aid applications are open for those impacted: bit.ly/3SlllZ7
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Six months after Indiana banned Hoosiers on SNAP from buying candy and soda, 69% said their diet had not changed. Nearly 60% are buying soft drinks with their own money:https://bit.ly/3T0D740
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Indiana asked about a new SNAP rule. Here’s what people said.
Most say a restriction on buying soda and candy hasn’t changed their diets.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
If your home or property was damaged during Indiana’s severe storms and floods last week, you can get help. Apply for money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, online or call 800-621-3362 .
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Former Indiana lawyer and deputy secretary of state Brad Gerstner helped create Trump Accounts. A program that provides $1,000 to kids born between 2025 and 2028. He says his upbringing in Indiana inspired him to contribute.:https://bit.ly/4xr7Hmt
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Gov. Mike Braun has ordered a state investigation into NIPSCO after severe storms left thousands without power for two weeks. Residents have also filed a class-action lawsuit. bit.ly/3SzROe5
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dozens of Indiana 4-H students competed in the State Fair Fashion Revue on Aug. 20, modeling clothes they made themselves. We spoke to some of the young women who say 4-H and sewing are multigenerational traditions.https://bit.ly/4qypZPS
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Anderson will give $1,000 in emergency aid to about 600 households hit by historic flooding. The money will go to renters and homeowners who live in or near floodplains and were displaced or are in need of emergency assistance after historic flooding this month.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced a $1 billion campaign to give money to communities that have a Meta data center. Lebanon and Jeffersonville are set to receive some of the money but there aren’t a lot of details at this time. bit.ly/4irUBR6
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Lebanon, Jeffersonville expected to receive part of $1B Meta campaign
‘Future is For Everyone Fund’ is for communities with Meta data centers.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
11 days after storms hit northwest Indiana, causing the largest power outage in NIPSCO’s history, Gary residents still don’t have power. Power isn’t expected to be restored until Tuesday. City officials believe the damage could’ve been avoided if NIPSCO had maintained trees. bit.ly/3U0qUwB
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
6% of eligible Indiana families received TANF cash assistance in 2023. The national average is 21%. Only 59% of eligible Hoosiers were enrolled in SNAP. Hundreds of thousands qualify but are not enrolling:https://bit.ly/4wJsLDz
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Thousands of Hoosiers not enrolling in federal safety net programs
Recent study reveals large gaps in eligible families receiving benefits.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
About 600 Anderson homes were evacuated last week after the White River surpassed its 1913 flood record. Residents are now racing to gut their homes before mold sets in. Many have no insurance:https://bit.ly/4gJyioE
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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
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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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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
While Jennings County escaped the devastating flooding seen in central and eastern Indiana, residents were left stunned and sad over the death of a 4-year-old boy who died when a tree fell onto a mobile home near North Vernon:https://bit.ly/4wyrD5H
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Jennings County spared floods, mourns for child killed by tree
Muscatatuck River depth highest in at least 15 years but flooding was kept at bay.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
24 year old Katherine Gries is a long distance runner and four of Indiana athletes selected for the U.S team Special Olympics trials. The participating athletes will compete in the 2027 Special Olympics World Games in Santiago, Chile:https://bit.ly/3ScK2Xz
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Do not apply for FEMA assistance yet. Indiana needs a major disaster declaration before funding is available. The state is expecting an answer from FEMA within 7-10days:https://bit.ly/4hBR9Da
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Why you shouldn’t try to apply for FEMA aid yet
Governor warns individual assistance isn’t offered “very often,” but pledges state financial aid if federal dollars are denied.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Flood insurance is only required if you have a mortgage and live in an area that FEMA designates as high risk. Less than 1% of Indiana homeowners have it. You can get a free quote through the National Flood Insurance program. bit.ly/4x5RX81
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
There are historic floods happening in Indiana so we put together a list of Indiana-specific emergency resources. We also talk about what to do when you return to your house after a flood. bit.ly/4g8ghip
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9 tips for Indiana residents facing historic floods
How to find shelters, report damage and return home.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Southeast Indiana set a goal to end homelessness by 2025. It didn’t happen. There is still no year round shelter and INDOT plans to bulldoze a long time camp of I-65 in Jeffersonville on Aug. 13:https://bit.ly/4xX8N9x
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Rural homelessness presents challenges in southeast Indiana
Clark and Floyd counties work toward building a homeless shelter as bulldozers threaten a camp off I-65 in where dozens of people live.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Bloomington's Thomson property homeless camp has been issued an eviction notice. Dozens have until Sept. 1 to leave after a fight and reports of gunshots:https://bit.ly/4qvoAtH
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Bloomington homeless camp residents get eviction notice
Dozens in wooded camp notified by county to pack up belongings and leave property
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
A 144-year-old Indiana train depot sat empty for decades. A nonprofit has spent $470,000 restoring it into a tourist destination with train excursions across three states:https://bit.ly/45iPzik
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Indiana homeowners insurance is up 16% since 2021 and 2024. More storms, higher construction costs and reduced roof coverage are behind it. New rules also let insurers pay less when your roof needs replacing: bit.ly/3UkfQKx
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Indiana companies paid $3.3 billion in tariffs before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against them. Refunds are coming but smaller businesses say the process is hard to navigate:https://bit.ly/45KGJd9
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Tariff refunds arrive for some Indiana companies
But smaller companies are struggling to get their share of the $3.3B Indiana businesses paid.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
It’s been one month since sleeping outside on public property became illegal in Indiana. In Monroe County, dozens of unhoused people remain on county-owned land:https://bit.ly/3S6R3sR
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Homeless still sleeping outside despite new law making it a crime
Bloomington balances “the needs of our unhoused neighbors with public safety”
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Join our civic accountability reporter, Dylan Peers McCoy, in Lebanon at Just Love Coffee Cafe from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, July 31. Stop by to say hi, share a coffee and find out more about FPI News!
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Free tire recycling is available throughout the state thanks to a new round of grant funding. “It’s a big cost saver for people, especially farmers,” said Debby McGrath, director of the Clark County Recycling District. bit.ly/45bRx41
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$300K from IDEM helps pay for tire recycling
State makes a dent in environmental hazard with $300K for tire recycling.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Indiana is home to around 11,000 Haitians that have Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. Many face uncertainty as their TPS status, which allows them to live and work legally in the U.S., comes to an end. bit.ly/4fkPr7G
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Around 7,000 Haitian workers to be removed from Indiana’s workforce on Monday
Residents from Haiti can no longer legally live or work in U.S. after Temporary Protected Status ends.
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Free Press Indiana News @fpinews.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Indiana electric bills rose just $2.71 this July compared to a 17.6% jump last year. Some utilities dipped. Experts warn costs are still rising long term due to grid expansion for AI data centers. bit.ly/4vMsDCA
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