Indianapolis Public Schools pays teachers the highest starting salaries in Marion County, according to a new analysis from Chalkbeat and WFYI. An Indianapolis program at Hope Academy will serve kids with substance use disorders before they enter high school. An archeological excavation project is underway in Indianapolis at the site of the city’s first public burial ground. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on social media to get compre...
Jan 28, 2025•9 min
Indiana University President Pamela Whitten is facing accusations of plagiarism in her doctoral dissertation. A House committee approved a bill that would make several funding changes to Indiana’s Medicaid expansion program. Several bills that would make Hoosiers pay some of the cost of building small modular nuclear reactors are working their way through the Indiana Statehouse. A House committee unanimously advanced a bill last week to help eliminate a backlog on rape kits waiting to be tested....
Jan 27, 2025•6 min
Yvonda Bean will be the next CEO of the Indianapolis Housing Agency. The annual survey of people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis kicked off Wednesday night. President Donald Trump’s first day in office included taking action on some of his immigration campaign promises. A Republican-sponsored bill would prevent school districts from teaching or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on soc...
Jan 24, 2025•5 min
Home Repairs for Good is a nonprofit organization that repairs homes for low-income seniors and people with disabilities for free. Advocates want more resources to help people access food. Senate lawmakers are considering a measure that would address teacher shortages in STEM areas. Governor Mike Braun signed a series of executive orders Wednesday that aim to make health care more “affordable, accessible and transparent.” Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org...
Jan 23, 2025•6 min
Indianapolis extended the hours of an overnight warming center at Washington Park Family Center as a dangerously cold winter chill clamped down on the city Sunday night. To celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Indianapolis, Seeds of Caring held a youth service event on Monday. Companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon are building large data centers in Indiana for artificial intelligence. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us...
Jan 22, 2025•9 min
Indianapolis’ professional women’s basketball team, the Indiana Fever, announced plans to build a $78-million practice facility in the city’s downtown. Single-family rental homes in Central Indiana counties have been targeted by out-of-state investors. Nearly 90% of kids who go into cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, but less than half of Indiana schools are prepared to respond if it happens. Governor Mike Braun unveiled his education budget proposal that could significantly shape the fut...
Jan 21, 2025•6 min
What do pregnant patients and their loved ones who live in states with abortion restrictions or bans need to know to prepare in case of an emergency? A state Senate bill aims to address concerns over large water transfers like those planned to serve the controversial LEAP industrial district in Lebanon. Over 2.5 million Hoosiers lack access to paid family medical leave – some lawmakers are advocating to change that this session. Governor Mike Braun unveiled a state budget proposal Thursday that ...
Jan 17, 2025•12 min
A new TIF proposal will help create added housing units in Indianapolis. Approximately 200 Indiana school districts and schools are facing a major cybersecurity breach involving a widely used education software provider. The severe winter storm that swept through the region prompted a State of Emergency being called in several areas – a group of Jeep-driving volunteers in Evansville helped essential workers get to work. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/n...
Jan 16, 2025•8 min
A potential overhaul of the state’s Medicaid expansion program would include changes such as caps on enrollment and limits on lifetime eligibility. The Indiana House GOP’s 2025 legislative priorities hope to build on previous initiatives that aimed to bring down health care and housing costs. The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus says its focus in the session is making Indiana safer, healthier and more equitable. The futures of five Indiana school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools ...
Jan 15, 2025•6 min
Immigrants and refugees in Indianapolis grapple with the uncertainty of how the incoming Trump administration could impact their future. Mike Braun says, as governor, he wants to empower the next generation and “pursue freedom and opportunity without fear.” Micah Beckwith took the oath of office to become Indiana’s lieutenant governor, while Todd Rokita officially began his second term as attorney general. We find out how AI is being used in the classroom, the challenges it poses and the opportu...
Jan 14, 2025•9 min
Mike Braun will be sworn in as the 52nd governor of Indiana today, while Micah Beckwith will take the oath of office as lieutenant governor and Todd Rokita as attorney general. Republican state representative Alan Morrison has been tapped to head up Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources. And it's hardly a surprise, but the Gary Community School Corporation does not want to be dissolved. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis has not improved much in recent years. Want...
Jan 13, 2025•9 min
The Indianapolis City-County Council convened for its first meeting of the year yesterday Wednesday after postponing it due to the winter storm on Monday. Indiana Senate Republicans say one of their top priorities in 2025 will be a major overhaul of the state’s Medicaid expansion program. Indiana Senate Democrats say their 2025 legislative agenda is focused on ensuring Hoosier families have support and children have opportunity. A Republican-sponsored education bill has quickly inspired a passio...
Jan 10, 2025•6 min
The Indianapolis Public Schools Board says it will fight against a bill that, if passed, would dissolve the district. Federal funding for IndyGo’s Blue Line is coming to Indianapolis. The Indiana Department of Transportation is shifting its speed cameras to a new highway work site as it continues to refine the system. Indianapolis Mayor and the chief of police announced the start of the city’s new Unified Mental Health Response Initiative, which combines police and other first responders like th...
Jan 09, 2025•6 min
Mayor Joe Hogsett says it may take the city of Indianapolis up to a week to clear all roads of snow after the winter storm. A flock of turkeys in eastern Indiana has tested positive for H5N1 or bird flu. Indiana is among the worst states for access to child care, and some lawmakers want to allocate more funding in the state budget to better support the industry and the Hoosiers who rely on it. The 2025 session of the Indiana General Assembly kicks off today – the roughly four-month-long session ...
Jan 08, 2025•5 min
As people bunkered down for the winter storm this weekend, some were unhoused and vulnerable to the bitter cold, snow and wind. By Monday morning certain areas in central Indiana reached over 9 inches of snow, marking the largest snowfall in Indianapolis in one day since February 2022. Indiana Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would dissolve the state’s largest public school district – Indianapolis Public Schools. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit w...
Jan 07, 2025•5 min
Indiana’s high school graduation rate reached a record high last year. Colleges and universities across Indiana will feel the impact of the state’s new high school graduation requirements. Efforts to make the Indiana Dunes more accessible to Region residents and visitors have gotten a $20 million boost. The Indiana School Boards Association’s first priority during the upcoming legislative session is to increase public school funding to keep pace with inflation. Want to go deeper on the stories y...
Jan 06, 2025•6 min
State lawmakers are listing education funding as one of their top priorities for the upcoming legislative session. State, local and national partners have teamed up to purchase nearly four thousand acres for a new fish and wildlife area in Sullivan County. Last year, fewer than three percent of full-time workers in Indiana experienced workplace injuries or illnesses, according to a federal estimate. Indiana University aims to be carbon neutral by the year 2040. Want to go deeper on the stories y...
Jan 03, 2025•6 min
Indianapolis ends the year with 17 police involved shootings. A coal producer and renewable energy company team up to put solar and battery storage on reclaimed mine land. “Buy now, pay later” products have become more common. The deadline for Indianapolis to obligate funds from the American Rescue Plan Act passes. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on social media to get comprehensive analysis and local news daily. Subscribe to WFYI New...
Jan 02, 2025•6 min
Indianapolis Fire Department officials said the cause of a fire that destroyed a historic church Christmas Eve is still unknown. U.S. colleges are accepting a greater percent of applicants. Marion County residents can apply for heat bill assistance starting January 1st. The number of police involved shootings in Indianapolis remained high in 2024. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on social media to get comprehensive analysis and local ...
Dec 30, 2024•5 min
Following the U-S November election results farmers are optimistic about their future, despite the threat of tariffs. A Christmas Day mass shooting on the northeast side of Indianapolis leaves one woman dead. The Indiana Supreme Court establishes a new task force to strengthen guardianship oversight. A free online program teaches Indiana residents how to use a life saving medication. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on social media to ...
Dec 27, 2024•5 min
Indiana’s Medicaid Director will resign in early 2025. President Joe Biden commutes the sentences of almost all prisoners on federal death row. The Family and Social Services Administration is adjusting how it covers a common behavioral treatment for people with autism. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is requiring more states, including Indiana, to test their unpasteurized milk for bird flu or H5N1. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us ...
Dec 26, 2024•6 min
As lawmakers prepare to write a new Indiana budget, state agencies typically appear before the State Budget Committee to present funding requests. Lawmakers gathered at the Indiana Convention Center, to discuss their priorities ahead of the upcoming legislative session. Indiana’s unemployment rate for November stood at 4.4% for the second month in a row. Purdue University hosted its first ever artificial intelligence in education conference earlier this year. Want to go deeper on the stories you...
Dec 23, 2024•6 min
In the latest installment of The Checkup, our health reporting team looks into how mental illnesses are diagnosed. Hundreds more Indianapolis students will have automatic admission to Indiana University Indianapolis beginning with the 2026 school year. Just three initiatives under Indiana’s significant local public health funding program generated nearly 100 million dollars in savings for the state. Indy’s Teeny Statue of Liberty Museum will close at the end of this year. Want to go deeper on th...
Dec 20, 2024•10 min
A 14-year-old girl fatally stabbed Monday on the near east side was identified as Anabel Trujillo, a freshman at Arsenal Tech High School. Long-neglected apartments on Indianapolis’s far east side, called Towne and Terrace, will be razed. The parents of a 10-year-old boy who died by suicide earlier this year have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the fourth grader’s school district, Greenfield Central Community School Corporation. The term “excited delirium” has been used as a diagnosis to ...
Dec 19, 2024•10 min
Fifth District Indiana Congresswoman Victoria Spartz voiced her solidarity with President-elect Donald Trump this week. The growth of Medicare Advantage plans can create unique problems for rural hospitals and clinics, such as being excluded from provider networks. Indiana Democratic Party Chair Mike Schmuhl announced over the weekend that he will not seek reelection for the position at the end of his term in March. An Indiana native’s name is making headlines again – this time in a global searc...
Dec 18, 2024•8 min
Indianapolis Public Schools locked down three east side campuses Monday after a fatal stabbing nearby. Governor Eric Holcomb appointed Lake County Judge Stephen Scheele (SHE-lee) to the Indiana Court of Appeals Monday. Marion County hospitals are restricting visitors in response to a rise in flu and RSV cases. A recent fire at a transitional housing complex displaced 48 Indianapolis veterans – now, several of those veterans are finding permanent housing solutions. Want to go deeper on the storie...
Dec 17, 2024•5 min
President-elect Donald Trump praised Indiana schools as "well run" in a recent interview with Time magazine. President Joe Biden issued sweeping pardons last week to clear the records of more than 1,500 people – one Indianapolis woman was pardoned for a drug crime committed two decades ago. Washington Township Schools Board approved new rezoning in their district. A recent state law prompted by a WFYI investigation now requires the Indiana Commission on Seclusion and Restraint to meet twice per ...
Dec 16, 2024
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is the 2024 Times Athlete of the year. New revitalization efforts are coming to the north east side of Indianapolis. A federal court says Indiana utilities can’t have dibs on building and owning power lines that cross the state’s borders. In Indianapolis, monopolies have played a part in at least five independent grocery stores opening and closing in less than a decade. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us...
Dec 13, 2024•8 min
Indiana’s Class of 2029 will graduate with new high school diploma requirements after three drafts and thousands of public comments. A new report is out as part of an ongoing, extensive study on the highway system in Indianapolis. The state is re-implementing a waitlist for two of its child care voucher programs: the Child Care Development Fund and On My Way Pre-K. After one Indianapolis family lost their mother, Habitat for Humanity moved to foreclose on their home, ignoring federal law. Want t...
Dec 12, 2024•9 min
A dozen charter schools in and around Indianapolis will be considered for renewal this week. A team of civilians that responds to mental health calls in Indianapolis will expand in 2025. Indiana is one of 12 states that are vulnerable to Medicaid coverage loss if federal funding is reduced under the upcoming Trump administration. The state’s largest teachers’ union has a long list of changes they want to see happen for educators across the state. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI...
Dec 11, 2024•6 min
