Man uses plastic bat to defend son from goose, gets ticket
An Indianapolis man says he shouldn't have been ticketed for using a plastic bat to protect his 4-year-old son from an aggressive Canada goose.
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AP: City pays Indiana congressman’s wife $20K/month for legal consulting
A burgeoning Indianapolis suburb has paid the wife of an influential congressman $580,000 since 2015 for legal consulting she largely does from the Washington area, an unusually large sum even in a state rife with highly paid government contractors, according to a review by The Associated Press.
Gary Airport sues Honeywell over contamination cleanup costs
The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority has filed a federal lawsuit against Honeywell International Inc. to recoup the cost of cleaning up contaminated groundwater.
At Wabash, 7th Circuit Chief Judge Wood calls for civic engagement
Despite the current atmosphere where politicians decry activist judges and presidential tweets assail court rulings, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Diane P. Wood is optimistic about the future of the judiciary.
Council panel OKs plan to reimburse city agencies for justice center planning
An Indianapolis City-County Council panel Tuesday evening unanimously approved a measure that would allow the city to be reimbursed with future bond proceeds for expenses related to the planned community justice campus.
Public Lawsuit Statute not applicable in Tipton Co. case
The Indiana Public Lawsuit Statute that requires litigants to post bond when bringing a public lawsuit did not apply in a Tipton County case in which a couple was seeking to protect their own private interests, rather than public interests, the Indiana Court of Appeals decided Wednesday.
20-year-old statute being increasingly used for public-private partnership agreements
Attorneys have noticed use of Indiana Code 5-23, or the Build-Operate-Transfer statute, becoming more popular. Not only is it being used for more public-private partnerships, but it also gives cities and developers a great deal of flexibility in design and implementation.
Indianapolis officials, landowner lock horns over Brightwood library branch plan
Thousands each day drive past a sign on Sherman Avenue near 25th Street in Indianapolis bearing an unequivocal statement of Sheena Schmidt’s sentiments and an irritant for some city officials — a billboard-like placard that reads, “Say no to eminent domain.”
Indianapolis to spend $400K on crime prevention plan
The Indianapolis City-County Council approved a $400,000 award to nonprofit organizations that patrol the city’s high-crime neighborhoods with a 22-1 vote Monday. The Central Indiana Community Foundation will give the money to nonprofits that work on conflict resolution as an alternative prevention approach.
City sues drugmaker for letting OxyContin flood black market
As deaths from painkillers and heroin abuse spiked and street crimes increased, the mayor of Everett, Washington, took major steps to tackle the opioid epidemic devastating this working-class city north of Seattle. He sued the maker of OxyContin.
Western Indiana police get training on handling mentally ill
Police officers in Terre Haute are among those taking a weeklong Crisis Intervention Training Program organized by local and state organizations to build stronger relationships between law enforcement, mental health agencies and the local chapter of National Association of Mental Illness.
West Lafayette council aims to make immigrants feel welcome
The West Lafayette City Council has passed a resolution that aims to make immigrants feel welcome and safe.
Kokomo, Howard County officials approve bar smoking ban
Officials in a central Indiana county have approved a ban on smoking in all bars and private clubs.
Fight over Knightstown demolition sent back to trial court
A man who owns a building on Knightstown’s Main Street can proceed with his lawsuit after the town lost some rulings in its favor on interlocutory appeal.
COA: All properties in stormwater district contribute to stormwater system
All property owners within a stormwater district “contribute to” the stormwater system, regardless of whether the property drains into the system, the Indiana Court of Appeals held Wednesday in a case that forces property owners in Richmond to pay a stormwater fee.
Judge affirms dead candidate winner in Allen County election
An Allen Superior judge decided Wednesday that the Republican candidate for an at-large seat on the Allen County Council who died four days before the General Election was properly left on the ballot and certified as a winner. The judge noted that Indiana Code doesn’t specifically address this unique situation.
Justices hold mayor lacked authority to fire utilities superintendent
A divided Indiana Supreme Court held Wednesday that a mayor did not have statutory authority to terminate his city’s utilities superintendent, writing in an opinion that “may well offend sound public policy” that only the utilities board can terminate the superintendent with cause, notice and a hearing.
Indicted Indiana sheriff seeks removal of special prosecutor
A northern Indiana sheriff's trial on bribery charges was postponed on the day it was to begin after his attorney questioned whether the special prosecutor should be removed from the case.
Ex-Indiana schools chief Bennett ineligible for county seat
Former state schools superintendent Tony Bennett can't fill a vacant Clark County Council seat because he hasn't lived there long enough.
Indiana mayor weighs ID program aimed at helping immigrants
A northern Indiana mayor may pursue a plan to begin issuing ID cards to immigrants living in the country without legal permission. Latino community leaders have been urging Goshen officials for months to issue such ID cards.