HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Fort Wayne-based Indiana Michigan Power has donated its former service center building in downtown Hartford City. The utility says the building will now serve as the permanent home for the Hartford City Police Department, as well as a senior citizens center.
I&M moved out of the facility in 2012, and the building has housed the police department and senior center since that time. Now, the city will own and operate the building and has plans for growth.
“The generous donation of this building from Indiana Michigan Power is going to unlock a number of opportunities for Hartford City, and we could see the benefits for decades to come,” said Hartford City Mayor Dan Eckstein. “We are extremely thankful for I&M and proud to call the company a community partner.”
The city says it has plans for renovations to expand services at the building and create a large gathering space for community events. Those plans, according to city officials, will serve as a catalyst for economic development.
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is continuing to distribute food in “tailgate” events, with new dates confirmed for the coming week.
The group expanded its tailgate events in April on the coronavirus began taking a toll on Indiana. Gov. Eric Holcomb dispatched 30 Army National Guard members to help with the efforts to expand the food distribution.
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is the region’s largest hunger-relief organization serving over 100 pantries and meal programs in eight counties: Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph and Wabash.
Here are upcoming food distributions:
- Wabash County: 11 a.m. Monday, North Manchester Junior-Senior High School, 1 Squire Drive, North Manchester.
- Grant County: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Five Points Mall, 1129 N. Baldwin Ave., Marion.
- Henry County: 10 a.m. Tuesday, First Baptist Church, 709 S. Memorial Drive, New Castle.
- Jay County: 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jay County Fairgrounds, 806 E. Votaw St., Portland.
- Wabash County: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Living Well in Wabash County, 239 Bond St., Wabash.
- Blackford County: 10 a.m. Thursday, Blackford County Fairgrounds, 409 E. Park Ave., Hartford City.
- Delaware County: 10 a.m. Thursday, Muncie Mall, 3401 N. Granville Ave., Muncie
- Madison County: 10 a.m. June 26, parking lot of former Kmart, 2811 E. Nichol Ave., Anderson.
- Randolph County: 10 a.m. June 26, Goodrich Park, 701 N. Union St., Winchester
- More dates are online.
No IDs or proof of address or need are required; all are welcome. Distribution is while supplies last. If you are walking up or coming via a vehicle too small to carry a load of food, please arrive an hour after the tailgate starts.
Coronavirus links
- Indiana State Department of Health coronavirus information (includes phone number to state hotline)
- Sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations in Indiana
- WISH-TV coronavirus coverage
- WISH-TV’s “Gr8 Comeback”
- Original Indiana Back on Track plan
- Revised Stage 3 of Indiana Back on Track plan (May 12-June 13)
- Revised Stage 4 of Indiana Back on Track plan (June 12-July 3)
- Governor’s order, July 1: Stage 4.5 of Indiana Back on Track plan
- Governor’s order, Aug. 26: Extension of Stage 4.5 of Indiana Back on Track plan
- Governor’s order, Sept. 24: Revised Stage 5 of Indiana Back on Track plan
- Governor’s order, Jan. 28, 2021: 11th renewal of statewide emergency
- Governor’s order, Feb. 25, 2021: 12th renewal of statewide emergency
- Indianapolis government’s COVID-19 Community Resources page
- Gleaners Food Bank distribution sites in Indianapolis area, south central Indiana
- Second Harvest of East Central Indiana “tailgate” food distribution sites
- Food Finders distribution sites in west and north central Indiana
- Coronavirus COVID-19 global cases map from John Hopkins University
- CDC’s coronavirus page
- Marion County Public Health Department coronavirus information
- U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program
- Indiana PPE Directory (for businesses, nonprofits and schools only)
Indiana coronavirus timeline
With information from the Indiana Department of Health through March 4, 2021, this timeline reflects updated tallies of deaths and positive tests prior to that date.
- March 6, 2020: Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) confirms the first case in Indiana. Officials say the Marion County resident had recently traveled to Boston to attend a BioGen conference as a contractor.
- March 8: ISDH confirms a second case. A Hendricks County adult who had also traveled to the BioGen conference was placed in isolation. Noblesville Schools says a parent and that parent’s children will self-quarantine after attending an out-of-state event where someone tested positive.
- March 9: Avon Community School Corp. says a student on March 8 tested positive.
- March 10: ISDH launches an online tracker. Ball State University basketball fans learn the Mid-American Conference tourney will have no fans in the stands. Three businesses operating nursing homes in Indiana announce they will no longer allow visitors.
- March 11: The Indianapolis-based NCAA announces the Final Four basketball tournaments will happen with essential staff and limited family attendance. The Big Ten announces all sports events, including the men’s basketball tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, will have no fans starting March 12. Ball State University suspends in-person classes the rest of the spring semester. NBA suspends all games, including the Indiana Pacers, until further notice. Butler University and the University of Indianapolis extend spring break, after which they will have virtual classes.
- March 12: Gov. Eric Holcomb announces new protections that led to extended public school closings and the cancellation of large events across the state. The NCAA cancels its basketball tournaments. The Big Ten suspends all sporting events through the winter and spring seasons. The league including the Indy Fuel hockey team suspends its season. Indy Eleven says it will reschedule four matches. Indianapolis’ annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is canceled.
- March 13: The Indiana High School Athletic Association postpones the boys basketball tournament. Wayzata Home Products, a Connersville cabinet maker, shuts down and lays off its entire workforce due to market uncertainty. Holcomb announces actions including the elimination of Medicaid co-pays for COVID-19 testing and the lifting of limits on the number of work hours per day for drivers of commercial vehicles. Franklin College says it will begin online classes March 18 and empty residence halls of students in two days. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis closes indefinitely. The Indianapolis Public Library joins other libraries across Indiana and closes all facilities indefinitely.
- March 14: The Indiana Gaming Commission says all licensed gaming and racing operations will close in two days for an indefinite period.
- March 15: Indiana had its first death. St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis announces it will suspend all elective, non-urgent surgeries.
- March 16: Indiana had its second death. Gov. Holcomb announced the first Hoosier death. He closes bars, restaurants and nightclubs to in-person patrons, but maintains carryout and delivery services.
- March 17: Indiana had its third and fourth deaths. ISDH announces Indiana’s second death. Gov. Holcomb activates the National Guard. Purdue, Butler and Indiana State universities cancel May commencement ceremonies.
- March 18: Indiana had its fifth death. Eli Lilly and Co. says it will use its labs to speed up testing in Indiana. The 500 Festival suspends all events. Simon Property Group closes all malls and retail properties.
- March 19: Holcomb extends Indiana’s state of emergency into May. Holcomb says he’ll close all K-12 public and nonpublic schools; standardized testing was canceled. The state’s income-tax and corporate-tax payment deadline was extended to July 15. Holcomb says the state will waive job search requirements for people applying for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Indiana’s high school boys basketball tournament was canceled.
- March 20: Indiana’s death toll rose to 9. ISDH announces Indiana’s third death. Holcomb moves the state’s primary election to June 2. Indiana University says it is postponing May commencement ceremonies on all campuses.
- March 21: Indiana’s death toll rises to 14. ISDH announces Indiana’s fourth death. Indiana National Guard says it and the state Department of Transportation are distributing medical supplies to hospitals.
- March 22: Indiana’s death toll rises to 18. ISDH announces seven deaths.
- March 23: Indiana’s death toll rises to 23. Holcomb orders nonessential Hoosiers to “stay at home” from March 24-April 7. Eli Lilly & Co. begins drive-thru testing for the coronavirus for health care workers with a doctor’s order. Ball State University cancels the May commencement.
- March 24: Indiana’s death toll rises to 28. Fred Payne of Indiana Workforce Development says any Hoosiers out of work, including temporary layoffs, are eligible to apply for unemployment benefits.
- March 25: Indiana’s death toll rises to 33. Indianapolis Motor Speedway announces the Indianapolis 500 is moved to Aug. 23.
- March 26: Indiana’s death toll rises to 42.
- March 27: Indiana’s death toll rises to 45.
- March 28: Indiana’s death toll rises to 58.
- March 29: Indiana’s death toll rises to 77.
- March 30: Indiana’s death toll rises to 91.
- March 31: Indiana’s death toll rises above 100, to 113. Holcomb extends the limits of bars and restaurants to offer only “to go” and “carryout” through April 6.
- April 1: Officials extend Marion County’s “stay at home” order through May 1. Marion County health officials say they will start COVID-19 testing services for front-line employees.
- April 2: The state announces K-12 schools will be closed for the rest of the school year. Indiana High School Athletic Association cancels spring sports seasons.
- April 3: Holcomb extends the “stay at home” order through April 20. The Indiana National Guard says it, the Army Corps of Engineers and state health officials will begin to assess sites for alternate health care facilities.
- April 6: The state reports a Madison County nursing home has had 11 deaths. Holcomb extends the “stay at home” order through April 20. He also limits additional businesses to carry-out only.
- April 7: Indiana health commissioner Box says four long-term care facilities have 22 deaths that appear to be related to COVID-19.
- April 10: ISDH said 24 residents of a long-term care facility in Madison County have died from COVID-related illness.
- April 14: Indiana’s death toll rises above 500.
- April 16: Indiana records more than 10,000 positive coronavirus tests. The governor says he expects Indiana to experience a reopening in early May.
- April 20: Holcomb extends the “stay at home” order to May 1. The governor also says if the medical supply chain is in good shape, other elective medical procedures can resume April 27.
- April 22: The Tyson facility in Logansport voluntarily closes so 2,200 employees can be tested for COVID-19.
- April 24: The Indianapolis City-County Council approves $25 million to help small businesses. Fishers City Council creates a city health department.
- April 25: ISDH says it will launch an antibody testing study for Hoosiers; thousands of residents were randomly selected to participate in the study.
- April 27: Indiana’s death toll rises above 1,000.
- April 28: Indiana officials say they will open COVID-19 testing to more Hoosiers, with expanded criteria and new testing services at 20 sites around the state.
- April 29: The state says it will spent $43 million on contact tracing.
- April 30: Indianapolis extends its stay-at-home order through May 15.
- May 1: Gov. Holcomb announces a phased reopening plan for the state of Indiana. He also extends the “stay at home” order to May 4.
- May 3: Indiana records more than 20,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- May 4: Indiana enters Stage 2 of its Back on Track plan, which excludes Cass County until May 18, and Lake and Marion counties until May 11.
- May 6:The state begins testing for all Hoosiers at 20 sites, with plans to expand the number of sites to 50 in a week. Ivy Tech Community College says it will continue virtual classes when summer courses begin in June.
- May 8: Cris Johnston, director of the Office of Budget and Management, says the state missed out on nearly $1 billion in anticipated April revenues; all state agencies will be given budget-cutting goals. Purdue University OKs plans to reopen for the fall semester with social distancing and other safety measures.
- May 13: The first phase of a state-sponsored study of the coronavirus estimated about 186,000 Hoosiers had COVID-19 or the antibodies for the novel virus by May 1. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced plans for limited reopenings of worship services, retail establishments, libraries and restaurants.
- May 15: Simon Property Group reopens Castleton Square Mall, Circle Centre Mall, and Fashion Mall at Keystone
- May 18: Indiana reports its first case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a child. The Farbest Foods turkey-processing plant in Huntingburg is closed for three days; 91 people had tested positive there.
- May 21: Indiana records more than 30,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- May 22: Indiana advances to Stage 3 of the Back on Track reopening plan. Indianapolis closes portions of five streets to allow restaurants to reopen with outdoor dining only.
- May 26: Indiana’s death toll rises above 2,000.
- May 27: Indiana University says the fall semester will have in-person and online courses, plus an adjusted calendar through May 2021. Ball State University says the fall semester will be 13 straight weeks of in-person classes with no day off on Labor Day and no fall break.
- May 29: Places of worship in Marion County can begin holding indoor services at 50% capacity with proper social distancing. Jim Schellinger, Indiana secretary of commerce, said the federal Paycheck Protection Program has made 73,430 loans in Indiana totaling $9,379,164,461, the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loan program has made 5,070 loans in Indiana totaling $445,428,500, and the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans Advance program has made 38,365 grants in Indiana totaling $136,554,000.
- June 1: Marion County restaurants begins serving customers indoors and outdoors with 50% capacity. Marion County salons, tattoo parlors reopen by appointment only. Marion County gyms, fitness centers and pools reopen with 50% capacity and no contact sports. However, a Marion County curfew that began the night of May 31 and continued into the morning of June 3 after rioting impacted the reopening of some businesses.
- June 3: Phase 2 of statewide testing of random Hoosiers by the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI and the Indiana State Department of Health begins.
- June 5: Indiana reports May tax revenues were 20% short of projections made before the coronavirus closings started.
- June 8: Indianapolis leaders agree to spend $79 million in coronavirus relief funding on contact tracing, rent relief, personal protective equipment and support for small businesses.
- June 12: Indiana, excluding Marion County, advances to Stage 4 of reopening plan.
- June 15: Casinos and parimutuel racing reopen in the state. Marion County’s public libraries begin a phased reopening. Indiana records more than 40,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- June 19: Marion County advances to Stage 4 of state’s reopening plan.
- June 24: Holcomb says the state’s moratorium on the eviction on renters will be extended through July. Indiana announces it will create a rental assistance program July 13. Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon says he has tested positive for COVID-19.
- June 27: Indiana hospitalizations for COVID-19 begin to increase, with about 33 new patients a day through July 1.
- July 1: The governor pauses Stage 5 final reopening plan, announces Stage 4.5 from July 4-17.
- July 4: Indiana’s Stage 4.5 reopening plan begins.
- July 9: Indiana records more than 50,000 positive coronavirus tests. Marion County mandates mask-wearing.
- July 10: Indianapolis Public Schools announces its reopening plans.
- July 11: Indy Eleven resumes 2020 season with victory at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis reopens.
- July 13: Indiana begins rental assistance program for all counties but Marion County. Marion County begins its own rental assistance program.
- July 15: Indiana announces the Stage 4.5 reopening plan will continue another two weeks. The WNBA season begins.
- July 16: Indianapolis suspends applications for its rental assistance program due to overwhelming demand.
- July 24: Bars, taverns and nightclubs in Indianapolis are shut down again. City officials also return to other previous restrictions.
- July 25: Indiana Fever begins WNBA season after delays.
- July 27: Indiana governor’s order to wear face coverings begins. Great Lakes Valley Conference, which including University of Indianapolis, postpones most fall sports, including football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball, until spring.
- July 30: NBA season resumes.
- Aug. 4: Indianapolis Motor Speedway announces the Aug. 23 Indianapolis 500 will be run without fans.
- Aug. 9: Indiana records more than 75,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- Aug. 11: Indiana’s death toll rises above 3,000.
- Aug. 17: Indianapolis Public Schools restarts with online-only classes. News 8 learns the 2021 NBA All-Star Game will not happen on Presidents Day weekend in 2021.
- Aug. 20: Purdue University suspends 36 students after a party at a cooperative house.
- Aug. 21: Indiana high school football season begins with some teams not playing due to COVID-19 concerns.
- Aug. 23: Butler University tells undergraduates that instruction will occur remotely for the first two weeks of the semester, starting Aug. 24, instead of in classrooms.
- Aug. 24: Purdue, Indiana, IUPUI and Ball State universities resume in-person classes.
- Aug. 25: Reports say a fraternity, a sorority and a cooperative house at Purdue University are under quarantines.
- Aug. 26: Gov. Holcomb extends the mask mandate through Sept. 25. Indiana’s rental assistance program will take applications for one last day.
- Aug. 27: Indiana University says eight Greek houses are under 14-day quarantines.
- Sept. 2: Indiana University tells 30 Greek houses in Bloomington to quarantine.
- Sept. 6: Indiana records more than 100,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- Sept. 8: Marion County allows bars and nightclubs to reopen with 25% capacity indoors and 50% capacity outdoors.
- Sept. 12: The Indianapolis Colts open their season with a loss in a Jacksonville stadium with a limited number of fans.
- Sept. 21: The Indianapolis Colts home opener is limited to 2,500 fans.
- Sept. 23: Gov. Eric Holcomb extends the mask mandate through Oct. 17.
- Sept. 24: The state’s mask mandate is extended through Oct. 17.
- Sept. 25: The Mid-American Conference announces it will start a six-game football season Nov. 4, with the championship game Dec. 18 or 19.
- Sept. 26: Indiana advances to a revised Stage 5 of Indiana Back on Track plan with relaxed limits on gatherings, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and more. Marion, Monroe and Tippecanoe counties decided to have more restrictive limits, however.
- Sept. 27: The Indianapolis Colts second home game is limited to 7,500 fans.
- Sept. 28: Purdue University says it’s suspended 14 students, including 13 student-athletes, for violations of a pledge designed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on campus.
- Sept. 30: The Indiana State Department of Health’s online coronavirus dashboard began showing data on positive coronavirus cases in Indiana schools.
- Oct. 1: IU’s website shows two additional fraternities and a sorority at the Bloomington campus have been issued “cease and desist” orders.
- Oct. 2: Franklin College suspends classes and moves to virtual education and activities through Oct. 9 after a “concerning and unusual” increase in the positivity rate for COVID-19.
- Oct. 12: Franklin College returns to in-person classes.
- Oct. 13: Indianapolis-based drugmaker Lilly pauses its trial of a combination antibody treatment for coronavirus for safety reasons.
- Oct. 14: Indiana health commissioner Dr. Kristina Box announces she has tested positive for COVID-19.
- Oct. 15: Gov. Holcomb issues executive order to extend mask mandate and Stage 5 reopening plan.
- Oct. 16: Indiana’s death toll rises above 4,000.
- Oct. 18: The Indianapolis Colts third home game was limited to 12,500 fans.
- Oct. 23: The Big Ten begins its football season.
- Oct. 30: Gov. Holcomb extends the public health emergency through Dec. 1.
- Nov. 1: Indiana National Guard to begin deploying to long-term care facilities to provide coronavirus assistance. The Mid-American Conference football teams begins its six-game regular season.
- Nov. 5: Indiana records more than 200,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- Nov. 8: The Indianapolis Colts fourth home game was limited to 12,500 fans. .
- Nov. 10: Indiana’s death toll rises to 5,000.
- Nov. 12: Indianapolis calls for schools to go to virtual learning by Nov. 30.
- Nov. 15: Indiana adds coronavirus-control restrictions for all businesses and gatherings in counties with the highest number of new cases as part of an update to the statewide COVID-19 pandemic response.
- Nov. 16: Indianapolis limits capacity inside bars, private clubs, fraternal organizations and gyms to 25%; inside restaurants, libraries, funeral homes, swimming pools and shopping malls’ food courts to 50%; and inside religious services to 75%. Marion County Health Department requires preregistration for COVID-19 testing after increased demand at three drive-thru locations.
- Nov. 22: Indiana records more than 300,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- Nov. 23: Indianapolis Public Schools returns to virtual learning through Jan. 18.
- Nov. 24: The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball seasons begin; some games had no fans in the stands.
- Nov. 25: Indiana’s death toll rises above 6,000.
- Nov. 26: Butler University men’s basketball cancels Nov. 29 game against Eastern Illinois after a positive COVID-19 test.
- Nov. 28: Butler University men’s basketball team postponed two more games because of a positive COVID-19 test.
- Dec. 1: Bankers Life Fieldhouse hosts its first NCAA men’s basketball game, Kansas vs. Kentucky, since the start of the pandemic.
- Dec. 2: Indianapolis ends its rental assistance program.
- Dec. 5: The men’s basketball game of No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2, Baylor at Bankers Life Fieldhouse is postponed 90 minutes before tipoff after two Bulldogs test positive.
- Dec. 6: Indiana’s death toll rises above 7,000.
- Dec. 9: Indiana records more than 404,000 positive coronavirus tests. Holcomb says virus restrictions will now by county based on ratings that show the local virus spread. Indiana and Purdue universities cancel the Old Oaken Bucket football game set for Dec. 12.
- Dec. 10: Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston says he tested positive for COVID-19.
- Dec. 11: The Pacers lose to the Cavaliers as the NBA preseason begins. The Carmel Walmart in Westfield closes for nearly two days to sanitize the store.
- Dec. 12: Ball State University President Geoffrey Mearns tests positive for the coronavirus.
- Dec. 14: Health care workers receive the first coronavirus vaccinations in Indiana.
- Dec. 15: Vice President Mike Pence holds a roundtable in Bloomington at pharmaceutical maker Catalent on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Indiana and Purdue again cancel the Old Oaken Bucket football game that’d been reset for Dec. 18.
- Dec. 16: Indiana’s death toll rises above 8,000.
- Dec. 20: The Indianapolis Colts allows up to 10,000 attendees at Lucas Oil Stadium for the team’s game against the Houston Texans.
- Dec. 22: NBA starts league’s 75th season, delayed and shortened to a 72-game schedule because of the pandemic.
- Dec. 23: In response to the high volume of unemployment claims, Holcomb extends the suspension of certain requirements to expedite the hiring and training of temporary workers to more quickly resolve unemployment issues. Indiana Pacers to host first home game against New York Knicks with no fans present.
- Dec. 27: Indiana’s death toll rises above 9,000.
- Dec. 29: Indiana records more than 500,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- Dec. 31: Indiana’s death toll for 2020 is 9,459 (as recorded through March 4, 2021).
- Jan. 1, 2021: Indiana’s death toll rises above 9,500.
- Jan. 3: The Indianapolis Colts allow 10,000 attendees at Lucas Oil Stadium for the team’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Jan. 4: Grades 1-12 schools in Marion County are allowed reopen to in-person learning. Perry Township Schools is the only district to reopen to in-person learning.
- Jan. 5: Purdue and Nebraska postpone a men’s basketball game over health and safety concerns.
- Jan. 7: Indiana’s death toll rises above 10,000.
- Jan. 8: Hoosiers 80 and older start receiving the coronavirus vaccine.
- Jan. 13: Hoosiers 70 and older can get the coronavirus vaccine.
- Jan. 18: NFL announces the scouting combine will not happen in Indianapolis in February.
- Jan. 20: Indiana records more than 601,000 positive coronavirus tests. Indiana Pacers host up to 1,000 at a game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the first fans since the pandemic began.
- Jan. 21: Indiana’s death toll rises above 11,000.
- Feb. 1: Hoosiers 65 and older can get the coronavirus vaccine. The Indianapolis St. Patrick’s Day parade is canceled for the second year in a row.
- Feb. 4: More than 1,500 coronavirus deaths were added to the Indiana State Department of Health’s dashboard after an audit found they were not recorded. News 8 learns all games for the Big Ten men’s basketball tourney will move from Chicago to Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium.
- Feb. 7: Indiana to change school protocols for classroom quarantine and contact tracing.
- Feb. 14: Indiana’s death toll rises above 12,000. Indiana records more than 650,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- Feb. 17: Indiana officials announced plans for a $448 million program to give housing assistance to Hoosiers.
- Feb. 19: The NCAA says up to 25% capacity will be allowed for all rounds of the men’s basketball tourney including the Final Four. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announces the May 30 Indianapolis 500 will have fans.
- Feb. 19: Indiana’s death toll rises above 12,100.
- Feb. 23: Hoosiers 60 and older can get the coronavirus vaccine.
- Feb. 25: Indiana records more than 660,000 positive coronavirus tests. Capacity limits at bars, restaurants, gyms, and music venues in Marion County were adjusted after a consistent trend in the community’s COVID-19 positivity rate.
- Feb. 25: Indiana’s death toll rises to 12,200.
- Feb. 28: Indiana National Guardsmen to end assistance to long-term care facilities.
- March 1: The 500 Festival Mini-Marathon says it will be virtual for the second year in a row.
- March 2: Hoosiers 55 and older start receiving the coronavirus vaccine.
- March 3: Hoosiers 50 and older start receiving the coronavirus vaccine.
- March 4: News 8 learns up 8,000 fans will be allowed in Lucas Oil Stadium for Big Ten men’s basketball tournament games. Indiana records more than 665,000 positive coronavirus tests.
- March 5: A three-day, drive-thru, mass-vaccination clinic opens at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for 16,800 Hoosiers.
- March 12: A two-day, drive-thru, mass-vaccination clinic was set for Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg.
- March 18: NCAA men’s March Madness games, all of them at venues in Indiana, to start with First Four games in Bloomington and West Lafayette.
- March 26: A two-day, drive-thru, mass-vaccination clinic was set for Compton Family Ice Arena at the University of Notre Dame.
- March 31: Holcomb’s emergency declaration with county-based restrictions and a mask mandate set to end at 11:59 p.m.
- May 4: Indianapolis Indians set to begin delayed season with away game against Iowa Cubs.
BLACKFORD COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — A Blackford County woman fought unsuccessfully for years to drain a marsh-like field adjacent to her property she described as a “septic swamp,” she said.
Toddi Lamott had contacted county and state officials with her suspicions about the source of the water flowing into her yard.
A dye test conducted in May by county health department workers confirmed the presence of sewage on Lamott’s property in the 4400 block of East 100 South, officials said.
“Every single time they flush their toilet, it’s coming here,” Lamott told News 8, pointing to the pool of standing water on the empty lot beside her driveway. “It has broken this driveway down and you can see how far into my yard the water flows by following the trail of gravel.”
A “wet patch” in her lawn extended to 15 feet in front of her house, she said.
Rainy day videos provided by Lamott show water overflowing from the “marsh,” down her driveway and into her yard.
Friends said they avoided visiting because of the stench and mosquitoes.
“It smells like somebody just went to the bathroom but 50 times worse,” said Shelly Jenkins, a close friend who had known Lamott for 25 years.
Lamott inherited the property from her parents and claimed the septic leak had been problematic for at least a decade.
“I feel like nobody cares,” she said. “People act like I’m crazy but I need this cleaned up.”
Lamott suspected several of her chronic health issues, including recurrent hives, were linked to E. coli and other contaminants in the water.
Testing confirmed sewage was flowing from a neighbor’s home into the empty lot adjacent to Lamott’s property, according to Linda Briles, the Blackford County Health Department’s environmentalist.
Officials notified the property owner with a certified letter and referred the matter to an attorney after he failed to take action for more than a month, Briles told News 8.
She had personally addressed Lamott’s concerns by visiting the leakage site, conducting water testing and installing mosquito traps, she added.
The property owner was not available for comment.
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (AP) — A Hartford City woman whose 15-year-old son took a handgun to school has been sentenced to four years in prison.
The 40-year-old woman was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty last month to dangerous control of a child. The charge refers to cases where a parent or guardian permits a child to possess a firearm.
The Star Press in Muncie reports she acknowledged to investigators she was aware her son had a firearm, but never discussed the matter with him.
The boy had been in trouble related to guns before. He took the weapon to Blackford High School on Oct. 30, resulting in a lockdown and a delay in dismissal of students. News 8 reported no students or staff were injured in the gun incident.
The Associated Press isn’t identifying the woman to avoid identifying her son.
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — A 21-year-old Muncie man died Wednesday morning in a crash of his truck and another, Indiana State Police said.
Gary Lowe died at the scene from injuries received in the crash, said a news release from state police.
Troopers went just after 11:15 a.m. to the crash at the intersection of South Cowen Road and West Fuson Road just south of Muncie.
The release said Lowe was driving a 2002 Chevrolet pickup south on Cowan when he disregarded a red traffic light and was hit by an eastbound 2011 Mack straight truck. Police described the striaght truck as one used to haul dumpsters.
The driver of the Mack truck, John Rogers, 47, of Hartford City, was not hurt in the crash.
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (WISH) — A student and a gun are in police custody after a nearly three-hour lockdown at Blackford High School, authorities said.
School personnel were told about 2:10 p.m. Tuesday that a student had a gun at the high school, according to a news release issued Tuesday night by the school district superintendent, the Hartford City police chief and the Blackford County sheriff. About five minutes later, the Blackford County Sheriff’s Department had the student in custody. The release did not indicate whether the student is facing criminal charges or the student’s gender or age.
“Students remained in lock down well after the threat was neutralized, and as an additional precaution every student, every backpack and every classroom was searched to ensure student safety,” the release said. “This led to the prolonged after school dismissal.”
During the lockdown, another student suffered an injury in the industrial technology lab and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. The injury was not related to the gun threat, authorities said, but they did not indicate how serious the injuries were to the student in the lab or provide any other details.
No students or staff were injured in the gun incident.
Blackford County Schools will have normal Wednesday hours and will have counselors on hand if needed to help students.
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (WISH) — Five central Indiana sisters took a trip down memory lane on Historic Route 66, retracing their family’s 1964 journey to the West Coast.
Linda Briles, Donna Norton, Carma Reidy, Sandy Leer and Anita Langdon described their road trip this summer as “the experience of a lifetime” and said they became closer after spending 19 days together in an RV.
The Hartford City sisters set out on Route 66 in Springfield, Illinois and traveled to the “End of the Trail” in Santa Monica, California driving about 350 miles a day. Their parents had taken the same route 54 years prior, when the family briefly relocated to Santa Ana.
“My father wanted to be there before he was 40, so there we went,” said Briles. “We put everything that we owned in [the car] and we took off.”
Their mother was pregnant with Langdon, the youngest of the sisters and the only one born in California. She was a year old when the family moved back to Indiana and, unlike her elder siblings, has no memories of living in the Golden State.
“It just felt like part of me was missing, not knowing about the place I was born,” Langdon told News 8. “I’ve wanted to visit California as far back as I can remember.”
She said finding the two-bedroom house in Santa Ana where she had spent the first year of her life was “deeply emotional.” Finally visiting the places she had only heard about from her sisters and seen in family photos marked a personal turning point for Langdon.
“I feel complete now,” she explained, wiping away tears. “Certain things would make me cry [like] standing in front of the house.”
The trip was also filled with lighthearted moments; a favorite memory for all the sisters was the panicked reaction of Norton when she mistakenly thought no one was behind the wheel of the moving RV.
“It was a senior moment!” she laughed. “I’m happy we were all able to do this before we get too old to enjoy it. I was the one that was kind of dragging my feet but I knew that I didn’t want to miss this. This was something that would never be the same with one of us missing.”
The sisters visited nearly every major landmark along Route 66, including the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest National Park, Badlands National Park, the Route 66 Museum, DeSoto’s Salon, trading posts in the southwest and Standin’ on the Corner Park in Winslow, Arizona.
“The best part of the trip was probably the people we met everywhere we stopped,” said Briles. “Or just getting to spend time with my sisters.”
The sisters’ advice to anyone with a family adventure or road trip on their bucket list? “Stop waiting. There’s never a convenient time to drop everything and travel. Just make it happen.”
HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (WISH) — Getting kids ready for school and on the bus every morning can be a big job.
But, it’s an even bigger job when children have special needs. One mom said her school district was making it even more difficult. She said they refused to treat her son with the same courtesies as other students with special needs, so she contacted I-Team 8.
“Chadd is 9, he was born premature, he’s still ‘diagnosis unknown,’ he doesn’t walk or talk,” said Chadd’s mom, Tabitha Fraze.
Chadd is in a wheelchair and fully depends on his mom for everything. Fraze said Chadd spent much of his life in Riley Hospital of Children at IU Health in Indianapolis and has a very weak immune system, which makes waiting outside in the cold for the bus very tough. So, Fraze asked repeatedly for the bus to pick him up at their door — as is stated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
“It makes me angry, but it also kind of upsets me because it’s like you can push and do all that you can and try to be the good parent and your child’s advocate and I feel like I’m not getting anywhere,” Fraze said.
Amber Bye, another mom who lives in the same apartment complex and also has a son with special needs, echoed Fraze’s concerns.
I-TEAM 8: “So other kids on this bus are getting door-to-door service?
BYE: “Yes, and my child is not because we live here.”
I-Team 8 called the Blackford County School District and reached out to Superintendent Chad Yencer to ask why they refused to pick Fraze’s son up at his door — or at least farther back inside the apartment complex.
“I think that they just don’t understand how much of a difference it would make,” Bye said.
After weeks of calls, a new small school bus arrived to pick Chadd up at his door!
“It’s upsetting that it took all of that to get something accomplished for our kids, but it let them know that we were serious, and WISH-TV stepped right in there and got it taken care of, and we’re very grateful for that,” Fraze said.
When we spoke with Superintendent Yencer, he said they were already planning to buy the smaller bus before we got involved as part of their annual bus replacement plan. But, he did not have an explanation as to why the district had previously refused to drive the existing bus farther into the complex. The new small bus picks up Chadd every day and is also used wherever else it’s needed throughout the district.
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HARTFORD CITY, Ind. (AP) – Indiana’s appeals court has overturned a man’s child molestation convictions after finding that a judge shouldn’t have considered incriminating statements the man made following an FBI search.
Thirty-two-year-old David A. Wright was sentenced to 60 years in prison in September 2016 by Blackford Circuit Court Judge Dean Young, who convicted him of four molestation counts following a bench trial.
The Star Press reports the appeals court overturned Wright’s convictions after finding that Young shouldn’t have considered statements Wright allegedly made admitting to sexually abusing two children.
The court found that Wright made those statements after an FBI agent made an unconstitutional search of his computers.
Senior Judge Carl Darden wrote that those statements “were thus the fruit of the poisonous tree.”
Prosecutors plan to retry Wright in the case.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – The Indiana Judicial Qualifications Commission has filed four misconduct charges against a northeastern Indiana judge over a dispute with his county’s clerk.
The commission said Wednesday the charges against Blackford Circuit Judge Dean A. Young allege he barred then-Blackford County Clerk Derinda Shady from the courthouse while she was hospitalized in August 2015 with chest pains she suffered after refusing to attend a meeting with Young and Superior Court Judge John N. Barry without a witness.
The charges allege, among other things, Young’s conduct didn’t promote public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary.
Young has 20 days to answer the charges. A telephone call to his Hartford City, Indiana, chambers for comment Wednesday afternoon rang unanswered.
Barry was publicly admonished for his involvement in the incident but isn’t facing disciplinary charges.