‘School choice’ backers bankroll Indiana GOP
"Indiana Republicans have expanded school choice so aggressively since 2011 that you’d think there would be almost nothing left to do. We know there will be a push to make the voucher program “universal,” extending public funding for private school tuition to the wealthiest 3% of Hoosier families – a top priority for GOP gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun."
Remains of 19th century Indiana woman identified after being found in wall
"It is believed that Granger was 17 years old when she died in Merrillville, Indiana, in 1866. It is further believed that she died from complications during childbirth.
“Through dogged investigation and the use of modern DNA technology, we have finally put a name to the skull found so many decades ago,” Russell said. “This individual has her identity back.”
Happy Halloween!
Michael Hicks will keep warning us about our educational failures, and I'll keep tooting about it, I guess.
"Almost all the internal migration of people within the U.S. is from places with low levels of educational attainment to places with high levels...These four facts spell doom for most of Indiana. But there’s at least one more dimension to the problem: Many Hoosier cities host colleges and universities that are at significant risk."
Helene effect in Indiana
Jody Tishmack: "We have wind advisories for later today...This has been a rather unusual year for my area. Looking at the climate graph for the year thus far I see above normal precipitation. But if I look at the current drought monitor, I see abnormal and moderate dry conditions across our entire state. How could we be this dry when we've had above normal rainfall? Long story short, higher temperatures. "
Huge Hurricane Helene accelerates toward Florida » Yale Climate Connections
Duke: No More Coal
As a rule I don't link to Instagram, but it's cool that these kids made this video.
"Shut down all coal plants by 2030! Until then, young Hoosiers will continue to fight for our future"
Michael Hicks beating the drum again. Indiana's lack of education is destroying the economy.
"For the first time in history, Indiana has entered what will be a long period of declining educational attainment. The real funding cuts to state universities are now more than 15 years old and have left us with a 10-year cohort of declining attendance and graduation."
Either we support education, or we watch the state implode.
New Chief Executive Officer at Newfields in Indianapolis
This looks promising. The CFO of the Field Museum, Le Monte G. Booker, is taking over Newfields. The resume is right at least.
“I am thrilled to start my next chapter as the CEO of Newfields, which is an outstanding example of a cornerstone cultural institution in the unique position of having both a world-class art collection as well as important gardens and historic homes."
Indiana property tax plans
I was hard on Jennifer McCormick when she first put her plan out, but Michael Hicks knows a lot more than I do about the subject, and he says
"The Libertarian tax plan is a protest, not a tax plan. The Republican plan is a campaign talking point, not a tax plan. The Democratic tax plan is a good start on an honest, thoughtful way to deal with the property tax shock we just went through."
#HoosierMast #taxes #PropertyTax
The Republican candidate spoke today at Asheville's Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (capacity 2000). Here is a list of 10 Indiana high school gyms that are three times as large:
1. New Castle Fieldhouse (8,424)
2. Baratto Athletic Center East Chicago (8,054)
3. Richmond Tiernan Center (7,786)
3. Muncie Fieldhouse (7,635)
4. Marion Green Arena (7,560)
6. Elkhart North (7,373)
7. Wolves Den Michigan City (7,304)
8. Gary West Side (7,217 )
9. Jefferson (7,200)
10. Southport (7,124)
Indiana is only listed as light red on this site. Could a blue shift happen?
Indiana Ranked Ninth Worst State to Work in the U.S
"The state reported 156 work-related deaths in 2022, resulting in a fatality rate of 5%, earning a score of 3.2 in this category. Additionally, only 8.6% of Indiana’s workforce was represented by unions, which contributed to a score of 6.9 for union support."
"I-65 Safety and Efficiency is expected to include added capacity primarily using the existing shoulder, the widening of three bridges, the replacement of one bridge, pavement patching and resurfacing and improvements to multiple drainage structures."
This looks like an absolute disaster. I love how they keep throwing "safety" into it as if there was anything safe about pollution-spewing vehicles going 90 miles an hour.
#HoosierMast #Indianapolis #Highways
INDOT public involvement survey. One of those ones where you click a point on the map and say what's wrong with it. I assume you can fill it out as many times as you want.
Indiana woefully behind in using renewables. Quelle surprise.
#HoosierMast #ThePollutionState
4th Annual Midwest Railroad Fair to Be Held at Linden Depot Museum
"The Linden Depot Museum is set to host the 4th Annual Midwest Railroad Fair on Saturday, August 10th, from 10 AM to 4 PM. This eagerly anticipated event promises a day of family-friendly activities and a chance to immerse in the rich history of railroads.
A highlight of this year’s fair will be the operation of the museum’s historic 1837 steam engine."
Time to deprioritize cars going fast and make Indianapolis streets safer.
"Vision Zero infrastructure updates including road diets, protected bike lanes, expanded transit and lower speed limits have demonstrated results nationwide...Officials have recently taken action through interventions like banning red-light turns downtown and converting major one-way avenues to two-way streets"
(Paywalled, sadly)
#HoosierMast #SafeStreets #Indianapolis
Car ownership increasingly unaffordable for many Hoosiers
"Indiana rose two places from seventh in 2022 to fifth in 2023. Auto loan balances in 90 days of delinquency or more increased from 4.72% in 2022 to 5.29% in 2023, 26% above the national average.
The study also found that the percentage of auto loan balances with at least 90 days of delinquency is increasing nationwide."
Level of education is the primary factor of economic performance
"We are in the first extended period of diverging educational attainment in U.S. history. And there is a very deep political divide around education policy that seems certain to exacerbate the economic and political divide.
The 15 states that have seen the biggest relative drop in educational attainment are all solidly Republican states—and poor. Indiana ranks 10th on this list."
Theocracy is alive and well in Indiana
"Beckwith, a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist, said he looks forward to working with Braun. He said he’s not going to be “divisive” or a “flamethrower.”
Pastor Micah Beckwith is Indiana GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, beating Mike Braun's pick
Spending money on making Indiana cities nice results in economic boom
"We tested the effects on total employment and on employment in construction, arts/entertainment/recreation, and accommodations/food services. We also compared wages in each of these industries as well as total population, gross domestic product and county home prices.
Across the board, we found positive effects on both overall employment and construction employment."
Indiana's Occupational Forecast Failures
"The Department of Workforce Development had an occupational forecast claiming that, between 2014 and 2024, there’d be a huge demand for high school-only graduates—that is, students who graduated high school and did not go to college...they weren’t at all interested in hearing analysis from anyone who actually knew anything about labor markets."
Reaction to Racist Indiana State University Nursing Student Video
"The commentary in the video is offensive and completely unacceptable and does not align with the professional values and standards of nursing. The inaccurate, dehumanizing, and insensitive remarks made about the horrific, colonizing institution of slavery are hurtful to students, faculty, and the community-at-large."
What Caused the Midwest to Thrive? Education
"We are in the midst of a gubernatorial election that will direct our economic development policy for most of the next decade. Thus far, much of the debate has been about how best to attract new jobs to Indiana. The real discussion should be how we make more cities people want to live in. Over the past century and a half, all our great economic successes in the Midwest have come from doing so."
Indiana Court Gives Win To Group Arguing Religious Freedom Grants Them Right To Abortion
"The ACLU’s lawsuit argues that the ban violates Jewish teaching that “a fetus attains the status of a living person only at birth” and that “Jewish law stresses the necessity of protecting the life and physical and mental health of the mother prior to birth as the fetus is not yet deemed to be a person.”
What Indianapolis’ BRT Mess Reveals About the Troubling Power of ‘State Preemption’ in Transportation
"While Republican-led state legislatures are vying (and succeeding) at preempting transit projects across the country, “Indiana has been the most aggressive in this regard,"...Perhaps Hoosier hostility toward transit stands out because of how broadly popular the state’s transit projects are with voters"
The Lasting Effect of the KKK in Indiana
"Having a Klan presence even 50 years ago is more damaging to quality of life than an EPA superfund site, near-Arctic climate or bottom-tier schools."
"Whatever may have caused Hoosiers to join the Klan—hate, fear, coercion or money—the KKK has been good at one thing only. It has helped keep places poor for a century, weakening local economies, reducing population growth and diminishing prosperity."
What Drives Republican Opposition to Transit?
Give credit to Aaron Freeman - This article on Urban-Rural divides in transit is full of "No Comments" and "Didn't Responds" but it seems Senator Freeman was willing to talk to them.
"GOP state lawmakers have often opposed new spending and infrastructure for public transit. The reasons have as much to do with the urban-rural divide as partisan ideology."
#transit #CarsRuinEverything #HoosierMast
Indiana municipalities must uphold their environmental policy goals
(This article feels a bit NIMBY-ish to me. Not sure if the developers have arguments on their side or not)
"Take for example an industrial development on the southside of Indianapolis, which will occur on 200 acres of agricultural land that contains about 45 acres of wetlands and forests. These natural spaces are home to state threatened species"
Indiana municipalities must uphold their environmental policy goals - Hoosier Environmental Council
Indiana Needs More Municipal Flexibility
"There are many causes to Indiana’s sluggish growth. Lower levels of educational attainment along with lower quality public services are the dominant causal factors in slow growth. For the most part, elected city leaders work very hard to remedy these problems...there is just too little flexibility for cities to boldly experiment with public policy options. That is a problem that begins and ends in the legislature"
Indiana Once Again Considering Ban on Dedicated Transit Lanes
"Critics of the bill like State Senator Andrea Hunley say it is obviously part of a campaign against the IndyGo Blue Line in Indianapolis, “a project years in the making.” The 24.5-mile-long Blue Line, the third phase of IndyGo’s bus rapid transit system connecting Cumberland on the east with the Indianapolis International Airport on the west side of the city"
His roof wasn’t suitable for solar panels. Here’s what he did instead.
"Indiana resident John Smillie...realized that solar panels might not work for his house, but they might work for a nearby youth-focused nonprofit with a flat, sunny roof.
So he donated the funds and helped find a vendor to install solar panels — which now help the nonprofit save money on their energy bills."
(No word on where 'bouts Mr. Smillie actually lives)
His roof wasn’t suitable for solar panels. Here’s what he did instead. » Yale Climate Connections
Indiana wetlands
Wetlands are areas of land that are saturated with water, either seasonally or permanently. Swamps, bogs, and marshes are all wetlands. Here are examples of each in Indiana:
* Twin Swamps Nature Preserve located in Mt. Vernon
* Pinhook Bog is a bog located in northwest Indiana. It is home to one third of Indiana’s rare or endangered plants.
* Celery Bog (which is actually a marsh) in West Lafayette
What is a wetland and why are they important? - Hoosier Environmental Council
Will happy hour return for Hoosiers?
Indiana is one of only eight states in the country that bans all and any happy hour deals. Lisa Hutcheson testified against the bill, pointing out “In 2023 in Indiana, there were 817 deaths due to impaired driving – that is 19% of all traffic crash deaths"...better alternatives to driving I think would be the solution there. More bike shares, bike lanes, and buses.
For the third time in two years, the future IndyGo Blue Line project is on the chopping block at the Indiana Statehouse due to its use of dedicated bus lanes.
The hearing on Senate Bill 52 drew dozens of business owners, transit advocates and city leaders on both sides of the issue to the Statehouse, though the crowd leaned heavily toward opposing the bill.
#HoosierMast #Indianapolis #BusRapidTransit
What's the future of the IndyGo Blue Line? Here's what to know.
Indiana: Made for High-Speed Rail
"Indiana is special for two main reasons.
1) Indianapolis is centrally located, surrounded by many nearby cities and towns.
2) The Fort Wayne Line, running next to Route 30, is a critical link between the Midwest and East Coast in a national, high-speed rail network.
Indiana has made a first step towards a modern passenger rail network by expanding the South Shore. It’s time for a statewide program."
Wetlands Threatened by I-65 & County Line Road Development
"Developers submitted a request to rezone nearly 200 acres of farmland that contained historic wetlands and old forests along County Line Road and I-65 to construct a large industrial complex along the I-65 corridor. Many of the natural areas are not incorporated into the proposed development, contrary to the principles of the I-65 & County Line Road Strategic Plan."
State Senator Aaron Freeman is a big supporter of local governments, unless they don't do what he wants
#HoosierMast #INLegis
Republican state senator moves to void Indy’s no-turn-on-red ordinance
Population growth restricted to just a few counties
"From 2000 to 2022, Hamilton, Hendricks and Marion County alone accounted for half the state’s population growth...the other counties that accounted for more than 5 percent of the state’s population growth were Allen, Johnson, Boone, Clark, Hancock and Tippecanoe."
What is it about these counties that have made them so successful in attracting new residents?
#HoosierMast #economy
Commentaries - Weekly Commentary with Michael Hicks
Indiana Workers Logged 1 Billion Extra Unpaid Hours in 2023
Talk about your violent crime epidemics...
"According to the survey, Indiana employees contributed a striking 213% more unpaid overtime in 2023 than in 2022. The data, compiled from a study of 3,000 workers, unveiled significant increases in labor hours without compensation across the state.
On average, Indiana workers devoted an additional 4.7 hours per week to unpaid overtime during 2023"
Study: Poverty drove learning loss
"A new analysis of so-called learning loss in Indiana schools tells a familiar story: Students in high-poverty schools have seen the biggest declines in test scores since the COVID-19 pandemic...a significant correlation between learning loss and the percentage of students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals, a measure of poverty"
Activists urge Indiana to act on pollution violations at coal plant that's no longer closing
"The Merom coal plant in Sullivan was supposed to shut down in May 2023. Now that a coal mining subsidiary has purchased the plant, activists say it could run indefinitely and needs to be held accountable for water, air and solid waste violations."
#HoosierMast #coal #environment
Activists urge Indiana to act on pollution violations at coal plant that's no longer closing
Highway Boondoggles 2023: Habitat Devastation in the Hoosier State
"The controversial Mid-States Corridor is a proposed 54-mile new-build highway connecting I-69 near Crane Naval Depot in Martin County, Ind., to I-64 near Dale, Ind. Slicing through a largely rural part of the state, the highway would devastate thousands of acres of farmland, wetlands and forests and destroy or degrade critical wildlife habitats"
Highway Boondoggles 2023: Habitat Devastation in the Hoosier State — Streetsblog USA
Education After High School Is the Path to Middle-Class Life
"For young people, I think the evidence points heavily towards continuing education after high school. I recognize there are loud voices in the state saying “you don’t need to go to college.” I think these voices are terribly misinformed, or they have the interests of someone other than the student in mind."
@TransportationHistorian Aaron Freeman is giving Todd Rokita a run for his money as the worst person in Indiana.
Manufacturing Matters, but Not for Creating Jobs
"The only factory job growth Indiana has seen in 23 years is among high school dropouts. So, after almost a quarter century of focus on advanced manufacturing, and more than $10 Billion in tax incentives, we have a less well-educated factory job force than we had in 2000. Advanced manufacturing jobs require a better, not less well-educated workforce. We have squandered that chance."
Planning will get underway for a daily run of the Amtrak Cardinal route through Indiana. The Cardinal runs from Cincinnati to Chicago with stops in Indianapolis, Lafayette, and other towns.
"Daily Cardinal Service, increasing service frequency from three days per week to daily on Amtrak’s current service to Cincinnati between New York City, Washington, DC and Chicago, IL via the States of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois."
Dec. 9th: Don't miss the Bicycle Garage Indy Toy Ride to and through the Christmas Nights of Lights!
The 7-mile ride starts at the Avondale Meadows YMCA and goes via 39th St. and the Fall Creek Trail to the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Toys will be collected at the event for the 23rd Annual YMCA Holiday Toy Drive.
Open to bicyclists of all ages and decorated bicycles are encouraged!
#cycling #HoosierMast #Indianapolis
https://www.bgindy.com/about/bicycle-garage-indy-toy-ride-pg2048.htm
Mid-States Corridor makes list of top highway boondoggles
It's a proposed 54-mile new-build highway connecting I-69 near Crane Naval Depot in Martin County to I-64 near Dale. It will cost around a billion dollars and threaten thousands of acres of forests, farmland and wildlife habitat.
Highway Boondoggles 2023: This Year's Poster Children for Bad Projects — Streetsblog USA
Indiana's focus on attracting low-paying and unskilled jobs is causing issues attracting other kinds of workers
Attorney shortages in Indiana create 'access to justice problem'
Indiana University, a professional sports franchise with side hustles in research and education, looks set to pay Tom Allen $20M to not coach #IUHoosiers #HoosierMast
@WesternWayneNews "Scientists project that Indiana’s seasons, agriculture, and economy will continue to be affected by extreme weather, droughts and flooding without action in response to climate change." Well said!
#WikiLoc trails in Indiana
The Indiana Black Expo and the Indianapolis Urban League ask leadership at Newfields to explain the resignation of Dr. Colette Burnette.
"Dr. Burnette opened the Newfields doors to many African American organizations and the entire community...we were looking forward to expanding the partnership with Newfields in 2024, which has now come to a complete halt."
As a big fan of art museums, I am really disappointed in the Newfields leadership.
"The truth is, we aren’t different than everyone around us. The people of this state disagree with Indiana government on both issues. Hoosiers oppose the abortion ban the Indiana General Assembly passed last year. Hoosiers also oppose the ban on marijuana. If the question were asked here like it was in Ohio, the result would have gone straight-up Buckeye. "
Indiana law now allows open beverages in designated areas.
Hoosier cities have to create their own Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas, or DORAs.
Jasper and Mishawaka are eyeing some new DORA's.
Michigan and Ohio already allow this, so it's good that Indiana is hopping on board too.
#HoosierMast #UrbanPlanning #beer
https://stateline.org/2023/11/06/i-felt-so-naughty-new-open-carry-alcohol-laws-boost-downtowns/
Pacers Bikeshare to bring Electric Bicycles to Indianapolis in 2024
"The e-bikes are funded by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant of $1.2 million through the City’s Department of Public Works."
"Pacers Bikeshare bikes are available at 50 stations via the BCycle mobile app, by walking up to a station kiosk or by purchasing an annual pass."
Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia ask Supreme Court to halt Biden cross-state smog plan
"The rule, announced in March, requires 23 states to reduce emissions in power generation and other industries to help reduce smog and other air pollution in neighboring states. The plan covers much of the country, including California and several Western states and a large swath of the country from Texas to New York."
Group of GOP-led states asks Supreme Court to halt Biden cross-state smog plan - Roll Call
Indiana redistricting earns ‘D’ grade in national report card
Common Cause Indiana leader Julie Vaughn: “Moving forward, it is critical that we not only make it easier for Hoosiers to make their voices heard in redistricting but also pass redistricting standards that make it more difficult for lawmakers to draw maps driven by political concerns instead of the public interest.”
"IDEM asks for feedback on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in series of public meetings"
Low-hanging fruit would be to shut down the coal plants and build high-speed commuter rail from Louisville to Chicago.
After that the steelmakers would be the worst offenders. Not sure what to do about them though.
#HoosierMast #environment #transit
IDEM asks for feedback on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in series of public meetings
Michael Hicks: By 2021, Indiana's cuts to higher education reached almost $600M a year. Meanwhile, Mississippi was bumping their higher ed spending by $750M a year.
Within ten years, Indiana will be a poorer and less well-educated state than Mississippi.
Mike Braun, Republican senator from Indiana, is one of just nine senators to vote against sending checks to our soldiers, sailors and Marines. Vote him out. #shutdown #HoosierMast
Chronic absenteeism reflects COVID’s harm
"One in five Indiana K-12 students were chronically absent from school in 2022-23...The rate was down from the previous year, but only slightly.
"It’s no surprise that chronic absenteeism nearly doubled in Indiana during the COVID-19 pandemic, when illness, quarantines and caution kept many students home. But the slow rebound in attendance suggests missing school has become the new normal."
A new EPA Rule would require coal and natural gas plants to store 90 percent of their carbon dioxide emissions underground in about a decade. A committee of the state legislature listened to utility lobbyist arguments against the rule this week. They didn't invite anyone to speak who supported the rule.
#HoosierMast #INLegis #Environment
Indiana regulators concerned about technology, speed needed to comply with power plant rule
@wfyi_unofficial Indiana could do more to prioritize attracting, retaining diverse teachers? 🤔 Yes, yes, for example we could stop putting old white guys in the state legislature. #HoosierMast #INLegis
"Make no mistake, American migration is being driven by the quest for nice places to live. Families are willing to pay more to live in places with good schools, parks, safe streets, and expensive housing. Indiana should be able to succeed in this environment. Right now, most of the state isn’t."
DNR biologists discover young Hellbender in Blue River
(Personally, I deny everything)
"This discovery is significant because over the past three to four decades, only adult hellbenders have been documented in the Blue River. The presence of a young salamander suggests that conservation efforts and rearing programs are accomplishing their goals for the recovery of this endangered species."
#HoosierMast #BlueRiver #biology
https://bloomingtonian.com/2023/07/31/dnr-biologists-discover-young-hellbender-in-blue-river/
Carmel right-wing group stymied in attempt to steal #LGBTQ books from library
New Albany - Louisville bridge closed temporarily
"Late on Wednesday, the Sherman Minton Bridge, which has been undergoing a long-term repair and rehabilitation project, was closed when engineers discovered necessary repairs to a bearing and pier supporting the upper deck. The issue had not been previously visible during routine inspections."
I suggest they close the upper deck to cars completely and leave it for bikes and pedestrians 👍
Indiana House Rep. Robert Behning, who received an "F" grade from the Sierra Club for his lack of support of democracy and justice, is insisting that IPS sell two of their closed school buildings to charter schools for $1. Vote him out.
#HoosierMast #CharterSchools #INLegis
IPS says they don't have to sell closed school for $1, lawmaker disagrees
Your 2023 USL W League champions #IndyEleven #MastodonFC #HoosierMast
@TonyStark Read this #WestLafayette #BloomingtonIN College towns can drive the change. #hoosiermast
Lax ethics rules allow Indiana lawmakers to ignore potential conflicts of interest
"The Indiana General Assembly is passing more laws tied to environmental matters, while many of those same lawmakers have economic interests in the building trades, utility companies and real estate firms, and receive large sums of campaign donations from the industries that stand to benefit most from the laws."
Lax ethics rules allow Indiana lawmakers to ignore potential conflicts of interest
Just two Indiana state legislators received an "F" grade from the Sierra Club for their work in destroying the environment, encouraging pollution, and toadying up to Big Oil interests: Senator Travis Holdman of district 19, and Representative Todd Huston of district 37.
Seven Oaks Classical School in Ellettsville received a 5-year extension to its operating charter from Grace Charters LLC, a nonprofit formed by Grace College and Theological Seminary to authorize charter schools, which are publicly funded and privately operated. The board met on the Grace College campus in Winona Lake, Indiana, nearly 200 miles from Ellettsville.
#HoosierMast #Education #CharterSchools
@e_urq This happened in Fort Wayne
Educational Attainment, the 21st Century Fund and the Future of Schooling
"It is true that you don’t need a college degree to be successful. If you are very smart, industrious and lucky, you’ll do just fine without one. For the rest of us, a middle-class income mostly means finishing college. We’d all be wise to ignore folks who say otherwise."
State Pols Make Safe Streets Activists in Indianapolis See Red over Right Turns
"State leaders in Indiana have blocked the state’s largest city from banning right turns on red even though it would help increase safety for the city’s most vulnerable road users — just the latest example of a state bigfooting city officials over basic street safety...drivers turning right pose a clear danger for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users."
State Pols Make Safe Streets Activists in Indianapolis See Red over Right Turns — Streetsblog USA
@atrupar Definitely something we see here at home too - the state has told Bloomington they can't annex property and told Indianapolis they can't outlaw right turns on red.
Michael Hicks writes great stuff, but he never provides links so it's next to impossible to follow up on it.
"Indiana has a number of natural amenities, but we don’t do especially well in the characteristics that most Americans appear to prefer. We rank poorly for January temperatures and hilliness. We rank much higher on water frontage and on state/local recreational areas. Our trail systems receive special focus in many places."
Evansville man on a mission to make sure every child can have a bicycle
"A couple kids were riding bicycles, and there was a couple kids that didn’t have bicycles that started talking to me. I asked the two boys where their bicycles were, and they told me that mom couldn’t afford to buy them a bicycle. I told them to come back in a couple days, that I would get on Facebook and talk to my family and friends."
#cycling #HoosierMast #Evansville
Man on a mission to make sure every child can have a bicycle
Team Melanzana wins the 2023 Women’s Little 500 bicycle race for the second year in a row
#cycling #BloomingtonIN #HoosierMast #Little500
https://bloomingtonian.com/2023/04/21/melanzana-wins-the-2023-womens-little-500-bicycle-race/
Book banning planned by the state legislature
Disseminating to minors any matter that is “harmful to minors” is a felony, but if it's disseminated by educators, or with an educational purpose, it's legal. The Indiana State Legislature is considering removing those exceptions.
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them, by Timothy Egan.
"From the low-bank shores of Lake Michigan in the north to the fat bends of the Ohio River in the south, from the rural folds of a county where Abraham Lincoln grew up in a small house that nurtured big ideas, to the windowless shack along the tracks where Louis Armstrong cut his first jazz record, the Klan infested Indiana."
When the Klan Ruled Indiana – And Had Plans to Spread Its Empire of Hate Across America
A Bicycle Tour of Taiwan, in Bloomington
The Cycling Taiwan bicycle tour will begin at the IU Sample Gates on Kirkwood Ave. and end at the Ferguson International Center on Eagleson Ave. Cyclists will stop at four locations along the way, each representing a different region of Taiwan.
Kirkwood is closed to cars for the summer! Yay!
@harleygold Really an unbelievable story. Satan on the rampage at Huntington College. #HoosierMast #Huntington
A new regional alliance, Project 46, named for the state highway linking Bartholomew, Brown, and Monroe counties, will attempt to address climate change.
(I think a good first step might be to replace the highway with a passenger train)
Steve Hinnefeld drops this in as a by-the-way, but man 🤨
"Conflicts of interest are common Indiana’s citizen legislature, where many lawmakers have careers or businesses that may want favors from state government. There are builders on the regulatory committees, educators on the education committees, lawyers on the justice committees, etc."
Down on Indiana Avenue
Wes and Jimmy, man they played the blues.
I guess they were only passin' through
That's my window on the world.
Anyone catch the Wes Montgomery special on public TV this week?
Bloomington mayor asks city council to consider road closure in Lower Cascades Park. I don't see this happening. It's a nice idea but pretty unpopular; and the park isn't reachable in 15 minutes by foot from...anywhere, really.
#HoosierMast #BloomingtonIN #UrbanPlanning #RoadDiet
Hamilton asks city council to consider road closure in Lower Cascades Park
Contaminated waste from East Palestine train derailment coming to Putnam County landfill
"The Environmental Protection Agency also announced that two new hazardous waste sites will receive some of the shipments — an incinerator in Grafton, Ohio, and a landfill in Roachdale, Indiana.
According to its website, Roachdale has a population of around 1,000 people and is located in northeastern Putnam County."
#HoosierMast #EastPalestine #Environment
Contaminated waste from East Palestine train derailment coming to Putnam County landfill
A Indiana state Senate bill aims to ensure Indiana doesn’t transition away from coal “too quickly”.
Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) is sponsoring the bill, which prevents coal plants from closing down just because they're environmental disasters or way more expensive than renewables or even gas. She wants them to stay open as long as they have a useful life.
Indiana uses more coal than any state other than Texas.
#INLegis #HoosierMast #coal #ClimateCrisis
Bill aims to prevent reliability issues when coal plants close early
The Indiana State legislature is requiring public schools to make textbooks free, while not giving them any additional money to pay for them. Private schools, of course, can continue to charge as much as they like for books.
#HoosierMast #INLegis #PublicEducation
Indiana has two different housing problems: oversupply in rural counties; undersupply in the cities. Better transit would seem to be the ideal solution, but the legislature has plans to subsidize builders instead, because who ever heard of transit giving campaign contributions?
#HoosierMast #UrbanPlanning #INLegis
Indiana couldn't set stricter coal ash rules than federal ones under state House bill amendment
The bill would make it so the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation doesn’t have to follow new state rules for its ponds at its Clifty Creek coal plant until it can meet federal requirements.
The waste leftover from burning coal can have toxic heavy metals like mercury, cadmium and arsenic that can pollute local drinking water sources.
Indiana couldn't set stricter coal ash rules than federal ones under state House bill amendment
House Republicans vote to block public funding from Kinsey Institute at Indiana University
Rep. Lorissa Sweet (R-Wabash) offered the amendment to the state budget bill and alleged, without proof, that the institute and IU are currently sheltering sexual predators.
#HoosierMast #IndianaUniversity #InLegis
House Republicans vote to block public funding from Kinsey Institute at Indiana University
Indiana lawmakers sidestep climate solutions conversation yet again
I particularly like this line from the article: "The committee’s chair, Sen. Rick Niemeyer (R-Lowell), told youth activists with Confront the Climate Crisis not to get discouraged." Yes, youth activists, we in the legislature will be long dead by the time it's a real issue, so there's no need to worry at all!
#HoosierMast #InLegis #ClimateCrisis
Indiana lawmakers sidestep climate solutions conversation yet again
@eyebee In Bloomington, IN it is 60F. Biking without gloves today. We should also be in the middle of winter. #ClimateDiary #BloomingtonIN #HoosierMast
Five Simple Fixes for a Deadly Intersection in Indianapolis
They analyzed an intersection in Indianapolis, Indiana, where a cyclist was killed when a driver ran a red light.
A. Connect Shopping Centers
B. Close the Redundant Entrance
C. Close Redundant Entrances and Connect Properties—Yielding an Incubator
D. Widen Median—Resizing Travel Lanes
E. Reduce Excessive Entrance Widths
#UrbanPlanning #Indianapolis #HoosierMast
Ordered a Kerry Thomson yard sign a couple of weeks ago. Wonder if I'll get it.
Not sure if Thomson is really going to be on the right side of the density and transportation issues that Bloomington has, but anyone would be better than the horrible Susan Sandberg, and Don Griffin hasn't raised much cash yet.
@wayword@masthead.social @grammargirl I guess these dictionaries are in the Lilly Library now. #HoosierMast #LillyLibrary #IndianaUniversity
Michael Hicks on Indiana hospital monopolies
"Prices for routine medical procedures are among the highest in the world...The monopolization of Indiana’s healthcare industry is so extensive that the six biggest hospital systems are no longer really hospital systems. They are in fact, diverse conglomerates that have acquired so many physician practices, clinics and outpatient services that no new hospital system can enter the market."
#HoosierMast #hospitals #INLegis
@qag Hoosiers, wouldn't it be awesome if Indy took cars off Indiana and Massachusetts Avenues? #HoosierMast #indianapolis
Bloomington power grab by a bunch of NIMBY's
#BloomingtonIN #HoosierMast #cycling #UrbanPlanning
Referred to committee: Should city council remove member of Bloomington’s traffic commission for “posting obscene and inappropriate statements…”?
Indianapolis has won a grant to help fast-forward the build-out of their mobility networks.
"(Indy) will receive $50,000 in Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) technical assistance...this assistance includes a community-specific mobility audit of the city’s current state of practice and an action plan for improved implementation and partnership."
Sooo..Anyone know anything about this?
Activists Demand Change After Fatal Crash in Indianapolis
"The “No Turn on Red” signs erected...are routinely ignored. In fact, a citizen-led traffic report conducted at the site—on 86th Street by the Monon Trail entrance—revealed that within a 280 minute period, 86 vehicles turned right on red and one even turned left on red."
#HoosierMast #cycling #Indianapolis
The US Dept. of Transportation just announced Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grants. Not a penny for Indiana though. We prefer unsafe streets.
Bloomington's 7-line is on this list of the best new bike lanes.
#BloomingtonIN #cycling #BikeLanes #HoosierMast
via @broad
Indiana is failing to put enough money into its air pollution prevention program. Republicans love that!
If they don't put more money into it, the federal government will take it over. Republicans hate that!
How will they resolve the quandary???
NPR's Here and Now is reporting that fewer members of Gen-Z want careers in skilled trades: as electricians, construction workers and medical technicians. But Michael Hicks says 86.4 percent of all the net new jobs created in Indiana this century went to adults who’d been to college. Anyone understand the contradiction? Anyone know how to talk to Hicks?
@mobileharv There was discussion of a second loop around Indianapolis some years back. Died a quick death thankfully but with our crazy legislature you never know. #HoosierMast #Inlegis
Bloomington takng feedback on Hawthorne & Weatherstone Greenway
"(The Hawthorne Greenway) is meant to create a safer north-south connection between IU’s campus and the neighborhoods south of Hillside by installing traffic calming structures. The goal is to get people to drive around 15 miles per hour in neighborhoods."
Drop a note to the city if you live around. This is an important part of the Bloomington bike grid.
#HoosierMast #cycling #BloomingtonIN
Senate panel to consider ‘universal voucher’ bill
"An Indiana Senate committee will consider a proposal this week for a universal private school voucher program that would be open to any elementary or secondary-age student in the state."
Vouchers are terrible public policy.
#INLegis #HoosierMast #privateschool
This team has a legit shot at winning it all this year. Never felt like they've had the height to compete with the Connecticuts and Stanfords of the world before, but this team does, and when they're on it's like watching a buzzsaw cut through cheese. #iuwbb #HoosierMast
Indiana Lab Worker Fired Following Vicious Threats To Rep. Eric Swalwell, Family
"An Indiana lab worker has been fired by his company following threats he allegedly posted against Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and his family.
Those threats and others came hard on the heels of another attack on Swalwell by new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as he again vowed to bounce Swalwell off the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence."
Indiana Lab Worker Fired Following Vicious Threats To Rep. Eric Swalwell, Family
Sydney Parrish popping a 3 for the Hoosiers #iuwbb #HoosierMast
https://bloomingtonian.com/2023/01/12/gallery-indiana-womens-basketball-beats-maryland-68-61/
Boost my toots and butter my biscuits, Grace Berger is back in the Hoosier lineup! #iuwbb #HoosierMast
Very nice trail. I biked out 17th and Vernal to get to it, 17th is under construction but should have a nice bike lane before this time next year. Apparently you can pick up the Heritage trail at the Ellettsville end but I didn't see how to do that.
@chronicallydave A lovely bike route down 7th and Rollo wants to ruin it with stop signs every block. I sure hope he doesn't get reelected.
@Fuzzbizz Hey, when it comes to drivers on the canal, Indianapolis is the place to be. #HoosierMast
4 skaters rescue driver who plunges into ice on Indianapolis canal
The Undersupply of College Graduates Is Clobbering Indiana’s Economy
"...the state’s pipeline of college-educated workers is today about 27,000 per year. However, the net loss from brain drain is about 10 percent and growing. That means Indiana can expect only about 25,000 college graduates per year to finish college and live in Indiana. This is an economic development disaster."
Raising some awareness of walkability issues by framing it as a senior citizen's issue
"Many seniors may choose not to drive or be unable to drive due to various physical and mental challenges.
However, those seniors who are active and mobile – but do not have transportation – may experience more issues in these living communities."
#UrbanPlanning #Walkability #HoosierMast
What issues may senior living communities that lack transportation face?
@TCinIndy "The Indianapolis area has averaged around 12-24 hours a year with wind chills below -20°."
I'd like to see this charted out. I wonder how it's changed over the last 20 years. #HoosierMast #INwx
I can't believe I found out about this just as the storm hits.
"The opening of a newly completed segment of the Karst Farm Greenway in Monroe County.
The 2.67-mile asphalt extension accommodates both pedestrians and cyclists...the project extends the existing 4.5-mile trail north to Highway 46 in Ellettsville. The entire trail now covers approximately 7.3 uninterrupted miles.
Teddy bears tossed for charity (Hoosiers up 17 on Butler) #iuwbb #HoosierMast
"Bicycles, which were purchased by Bloomington attorney Ken Nunn, are given to children for Christmas at the Boys and Girls Club on December 15, 2022 in Bloomington, Ind. Retired Bloomington firefighter Lee Chapman helped organize the giveaway."
(Photo gallery at the link) #cycling #charity #BloomingtonIN #HoosierMast
Still looking for the Mastodon #Hoosiers as the men are going to overtime in the national championship game!
Not sure what I think about this. This police car is blocking the road so the car on the right can be gotten unstuck by a tow truck. But did they really have to block the bike lane too?
#BikeLanes #BikeLaneUprising #cycling #HoosierMast #BloomingtonIN
"Indianapolis Public Schools officials are planning a May 2023 referendum to raise property taxes to fund the district’s Rebuilding Stronger plan. Charter schools – and there are dozens of them in the IPS district – want a significant share. IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said that’s not going to happen."
#HoosierMast #Indianapolis #PublicSchools #CharterSchools
Indiana state government is in the pocket of big oil. But of course we knew that.
"(Public law 180) takes away the power of local governments to prevent the use of fossil fuels and to enact other energy-saving and energy-producing regulations."
Hey Hoosiers, what's the best way to monitor #INDOT and advocate to them for better bicycle infrastructure?
I don't know who is interested in toots like this...but go Hoosiers! #iuwbb #HoosierMast
Sales were almost definitely not helped by free parking downtown. Setting aside the attraction for drivers of cruising the streets to find that one perfect parking space, and whatever parking meter revenue was given up by the city, there's no telling how many people took advantage of the free parking to let their cars sit and take up space for several hours.
http://blog.benfulton.net/2022/11/the-high-cost-of-free-back-friday.html
@pleaseclap @pollak I can think of lots of good ways to do that; unfortunately since the only answer we're likely to get from the statehouse is to cut taxes on the rich, it's all academic anyway 🙃 #HoosierMast
@pollak Disproportionately harm middle-income households. Households that make less than $30K spend around 3.5% of their income on gas, $30K to $60K are closer to 4%. There are better ways to use the surplus to help the poor than lowering gas taxes. #HoosierMast
"Indiana gas taxes are some of the highest in the nation right now. "
At least we're doing something right. #HoosierMast
@foxyjewishmama Indiana doesn't do trains. #HoosierMast