Here’s what Hoosiers need to know ahead of the voter registration deadline, which is the end of the day on Oct. 7.

The easiest way to register or ensure your registration is still active is online at IndianaVoters.com. There, you can also request an absentee ballot, find your polling place and see who’s on your ballot.

You can also register by mail or in person at your local election administrator’s office.

If you need to register or update your registration, you have to provide some proof of residence. The quickest way to do that is by submitting your driver’s license or state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

You can also provide proof of residence via a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or government document that shows your name and address.

Indiana's law, which passed with bipartisan support, forbids students from using wireless communication devices during instructional time. There are exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies and students who need their phones for medical or disability reasons. It's up to schools to come up with their own discipline procedures for violations.

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Phones aren't only a distraction from academics; educators and students say they've also driven interpersonal conflicts and contributed to poor mental health.

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Students typically use their phones to listen to music, but that's no longer allowed during instructional time in Indiana. Grace says music helped her stay focused during quiet work time at school. Without it, she says, she's struggling to concentrate.

Since covid, I've seen more traffic violations than ever before and have seen 1 traffic stop (literally). People drive fast, pass in the bike lane or in the street parking, rarely stop at stop signs, and do not yield to pedestrian crossing. In Indianapolis, the police budget is 1/3 of the entire city tax revenue, so how do we have safer streets?

:edit: shared link is 100 pedestrians were reported hit in August 2024

Indiana State Parks will receive $50 million from the Lilly Endowment to improve and enhance facilities statewide.

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Half of the money will go towards Prophetstown State Park in Tippecanoe County. It will include the creation of a heritage area with a Native American village recreation.

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$25 million for the statewide system:

• Campground improvements, $10 million: More campsites will be upgraded to be full-service, with electricity, water, and sewer connections to better serve today’s campers.
• Playground replacements, $11 million: Playgrounds across Indiana State Parks will be renovated and repaired to address aging equipment and improve accessibility.
• Historic structure repairs, $3 million: Historic stone and log structures, retaining walls, and stone staircases that were built in the 1930s will receive masonry repairs and accessibility improvements.
• Motorized wheelchairs, $1 million: Motorized wheelchairs will enable individuals to access trails that might otherwise be inaccessible. Several state parks have these chairs, and some need to be replaced or repaired. Funding will place more motorized chairs across state parks.

Virtual schools in Indiana are seeing a boom in enrollment this year. Parents and administrators say online classes give some students more flexibility and opportunities for one-on-one learning.

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Hawf said students who switch to virtual school because they think it’s easier may be disappointed. He said Stride schools pride themselves on providing rigorous classes and coursework.

However, he added that virtual school can be a great option for students who want to work at their own pace or receive a more personalized education.

A new Indiana law that requires websites with adult content to have stricter age verification is now in effect — weeks after a federal judge previously put it on hold.

The law, SEA 17, said websites on which at least one-third of their images and videos are “material harmful to minors” must verify their users’ ages with a mobile driver’s license or government ID — which Indiana doesn’t provide — or through a third-party age verification service.

The Indiana Department of Education unveiled its second draft this morning at the State Board of Education meeting.

Instead of two diploma options to replace the current Core 40 diploma, the state is now proposing one Indiana diploma with an option for students to earn two tiers of readiness seals.

The base diploma would require a student to earn 42 credits.

Students can also choose to earn Readiness-Seals indicating they have taken courses, completed competencies, earned credentials, met attendance goals, or completed work-based learning opportunities that align with enrollment, employment or enlistment & service.

More clear version of the unlawful entry by Lafayette police Via Instagram

I don't even know where to begin with some of the quotes in this article, good or bad.

The topic of politics can be aggausting, but I wonder if there isn't merit to this idea?

If we'll have republican local reps regardless based on trends, should people jump party and vote for more moderate candidates, if any exist?

Even if you know your candidate isn't likely to win, do you vote them on principle to vote metrics and data, or do you vote for the lesser evil opponent, even if you feel dirty for it?

I'm not taking or endorsing a side or suggesting anyone should, just curious. Pretend it's the opposite parties than Indiana if it helps thinking through it.

INDIANAPOLIS – Angry reaction from community leaders continue to pour in after a controversial punishment was handed down to the man who was convicted of killing Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Breann Leath.

Dorsey was sentenced on Thursday to 25 years in prison after he was found guilty but mentally ill on the following charges:

One count of reckless homicide Three counts of criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon One count of attempted murder One count of criminal confinement Dorsey was not convicted of murder by the jury. That charge was reduced to the lesser reckless homicide charge.

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Snyder, who is the president of the Indianapolis FOP, said during a Friday afternoon news conference that residents of Indianapolis, as well as Indiana residents and those throughout the country, saw a “miscarriage of justice” through Stoner’s sentencing.

In response, Snyder said the maximum sentence of 63 years should have been implemented for Dorsey in this case, which Snyder called an attempt of “cold blooded murder.”

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“As mayor and as a father, I’m shocked and disappointed in the decision that was handed down yesterday,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.

INDIANAPOLIS — A traffic stop ended up leading investigators to a restaurant on Indy’s east side where police uncovered cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, fentanyl and enough firepower for a shootout.

William Collins, 45, was arrested by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on Monday for his role in the alleged drug trafficking. Collins also isn’t permitted to own a firearm due to being a convicted felon.

Police said Collins was arrested during a traffic stop after detectives witnessed a “hand-to-hand drug transaction” in a parking lot in the 3200 block of N. Emerson. During the traffic stop, police found a handgun in Collins’ possession.

The investigation eventually led police to 1313 Eatery, a chicken wing shop located at 5299 E. 38th Street. Detectives searched the business and seized approximately 600 grams of cocaine, five pounds of meth, one pound of marijuana and 70 grams of fentanyl pills.

Also found in the restaurant were three firearms, two of which were reported stolen, and nearly 900 rounds of live ammunition.

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana State Police troopers made 120 traffic stops and cited a majority of those drivers for speeding during a two-hour ticket-writing blitz on the west side of Indianapolis Wednesday.

More than a dozen troopers, warned by lawmen with handheld laser speed detectors, pulled over drivers exceeding the 55-mile-per-hour limits on I-465 between 56th and 38th streets for two hours in the afternoon.

Sgt. John Perrine said troopers were stopping only drivers topping out at 75 MPH and above.

”We’re certainly not out here looking for the people who are minor speeding. We’re looking for the most egregious, most aggressive drivers who are really causing problems,” he said. ”We would like to lower that threshold but it’s really hard to go out and stop the people doing 10 over when we know a few seconds later there is somebody coming who is doing thirty over.”

Perrine said excessive speed is often to blame for road rage incidents.

”We have a group of drivers who want to drive slow in the left lane and say, ‘Hey, you’re not passing me. If I’m gonna drive the speed limit, you’re gonna drive the speed limit.’ And the other side of the selfish driver is, ‘I don’t care about anybody else. I’m gonna drive the way I want as fast as I want.’ We really need to get a handle on both of those.”

Perrine said troopers from across the state will be patrolling Indianapolis area interstates through the rest of this year engaging in occasional blitzes. ...

Why can't we go faster?

Why cant the speed limit of Indiana's 465 beltway be increased over 55 mph?

Copilot

The speed limit on I-465, despite most drivers exceeding it, remains at 55 mph due to Indiana state law. Specifically, because I-465 is considered to be within an urban area, its speed limit cannot exceed 55 mph. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has the authority to lower the speed limit if an engineering study demonstrates that a lower speed is necessary for safety or traffic reasons1. So, even though many drivers find the current limit too low, it remains in place due to legal constraints.

Interestingly, the real-world data supports the notion that drivers consistently exceed the speed limit on I-465. For instance:

96.3% of vehicles recorded at one spot on the northwest side of I-465 were going over the speed limit. More than half of the vehicles were recorded at speeds exceeding 65 mph, which is more than 10 mph over the limit1. While there have been discussions about implementing variable speed limits on parts of I-465, the existing legal framework keeps the maximum speed at 55 mph2. So, despite the bustling traffic and the urge to go faster, the beltway remains a place where the Racing Capital of the World meets the 55 mph speed limit1! 🏎️🚗

southbendtribune.com indystar.com aaroads.com

Let's Play Date, Marry, Kill...with Roundabouts.

What are your thoughts as Indiana starts adopting these modern traffic control measures (Europe has been doing them since...forever)?

Most people I talk to either love or hate these intersections. For some reason, I can't find people who are indifferent to them very often.

According to the Carmel's city webpage: "Carmel is internationally known for its roundabout network. Since the late 1990’s Carmel has been building and replacing signalized intersections with roundabouts. Carmel now has more than 150 roundabouts, more than any other city in the United States."

"The number of injury accidents in Carmel have reduced by about 80 percent and the number of accidents overall by about 40 percent."

https://www.carmel.in.gov/government/departments-services/engineering/roundabouts#:~:text=Carmel%20is%20internationally%20known%20for,city%20in%20the%20United%20States.

General PROs / CONs

• Up to a 90 percent reduction in fatalities
• 76 percent reduction in injury crashes
• 30-40 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes
• Reduces the severity of crashes
• Keeps pedestrians safer
• Roundabouts reduce the number of potential accident points within an intersection, 75 percent fewer conflict points than four-way intersections
• No signal equipment to install and repair, savings estimated at an average of $5,000 per year in electricity and maintenance costs
• Service life of a roundabout is 25 years (vs. the 10-year service life of signal equipment)
• Reduces pollution and fuel use
• 30-50 percent increase in traffic capacity, improves traffic flow for intersections that handle a high number of left turns, reduces need for turn lanes
• While roundabouts can handle moderate to heavy traffic volumes more efficiently than traditional intersections, they may experience congestion and delays during periods of extremely high traffic volumes or if not designed properly for the anticipated traffic flow
• Pedestrians and cyclists may face challenges navigating roundabouts, particularly multi-lane roundabouts with higher traffic volumes. Proper design considerations, such as providing safe crossing points, adequate sight lines, and dedicated pedestrian/cyclist facilities, are crucial to ensure their safety.
• Drivers unfamiliar with roundabouts may initially experience confusion or hesitation when navigating them, potentially leading to increased risks or delays until they become accustomed to the traffic patterns.
• Roundabouts generally require a larger footprint and more land area

https://www.in.gov/indot/traffic-engineering/roundabouts/#:~:text=Up%20to%20a%2090%20percent,points%20than%20four%2Dway%20intersections (CONs came from general searching, LLM compilation)

Indianapolis and the surrounding suburbs are implementing them more frequently now, how about your city?

Did you know that traffic circles are different from roundabouts? PA has a little comparison chart that was interesting (If you're into that sort of thing): https://www.penndot.pa.gov/PennDOTWay/pages/Article.aspx?post=24

The actor, who just celebrated his 93rd birthday on March 22, shared his excitement about experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime event. When asked about what to expect from him during the celebration, he said “darkness” with laughter.

“The next one over Indiana will be like a hundred years from now," he said. "We’ll all be dead. I might not be, but you guys are going to be dead the next time. It’s an event, but when you ponder the mystery - if you ponder what’s taking place in the heavens - it’s gargantuan.”

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William Shatner, known for his iconic role as Captain William T. Kirk in the classic television series "Star Trek," is headed to Bloomington to take part in Indiana University’s “Hoosier Cosmic Celebration.”

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The pace of violations, recorded since the city restricted turns at 97 downtown intersections, amounts to an average of about seven tickets per month.

Two pedestrian advocates told Mirror Indy they would like to see more enforcement, but city officials said the number of tickets issued is only one metric — and not the most indicative of success when it comes to pedestrian safety measures.

“Their desired effect was not to increase (the) number of tickets issued by IMPD. It was to ensure the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in the Mile Square,” Vop Osili, the Democratic president of Indianapolis City-County Council, said in an emailed statement to Mirror Indy.

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The policy change followed a study from the Indianapolis Department of Public Works that looked at a five-year history of pedestrian-related crashes in the downtown area. It found that 57% of were the result of vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians at intersections with traffic signals.

Data also showed that downtown pedestrians were more than twice as likely to be involved in a crash compared to pedestrians in the rest of Marion County.

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Freeman, who was a city-county councilor from 2010 to 2016, argued that the policy would “create confusion and congestion” and “won’t stop distracted, reckless or aggressive driving.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Senator and Indiana Gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun reportedly missed a spending package vote early Saturday morning.

Braun’s officials also reported that he had a seat on a 9:35 p.m. flight to Washington D.C. The team added that Braun decided to skip the flight and stay in Indiana because no votes were scheduled at the time.

I'm trying to get better at recycling, mostly by finding places to bring my stuff. Do I have this right? This is mostly just based on searching earth911, but I'm not sure they are 100% up-to-date.

• Broken lightbulbs: Maybe Batteries + Bulbs
• Broken lightbulbs: Hamilton County dropoffs
• Alkaline batteries, pretty much all lightbulbs except maybe LEDs: Batteries + Bulbs
• Alkaline batteries, pretty much all lightbulbs except maybe halogen bulbs: ToxDrop
• Phones: Lowe's
• Phones: RecycleForce
• Tires: South Side Landfill and Recycling Center
• #5 plastic (rigid): Seems like a lot of people will take it but probably nobody actually recycles it
• #7 plastic (rigid): Seems like a lot of people will take it but probably nobody actually recycles it.

Indiana just passed legislation to require schools to ban phones.

They permit them for health reasons, emergencies, when part of lesson, and when part of a formal plan.

I personally don't like the idea of schools requiring locking them up. What would you do in that emergency they mentioned?

Why should kids not be able to use them at lunch?

If you want to control your kid's phone time, there's already apps for that.

Edit: additional comment from a teacher: she said the phone restrictions aren't going to be as effective as one would think with all the kids having watches with data plans. Dude...

Looks like Indiana is getting happy hour back.

Article says senators tried to kill carry out drink options.

Indiana allowed carry out drinks during COVID to help businesses during lockdown.

• Did you experience, or come across data that supports the claim that carry out will lead to increasing drunk driving?

• How do you feel about carry out?

• How do you feel about happy hour offerings and encouragement of more or just cheaper alcohol consumption?