Lawmakers advance bill allowing industrial hemp crops
Hemp plants could start appearing in Indiana fields if a state Senate bill to allow growing the crop gains support from lawmakers.
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Senate passes bill to protect agricultural rights
Senate Bill 186 provides that it is the responsibility of the state to conserve, protect, and encourage the development and improvement of agriculture. The goal is to guide the courts to interpret state laws to be sympathetic toward farmers.
Investors seek payoff from Indiana oil wells that big players ignore
Indiana is experiencing a mini oil-boom, thanks to some big producers, but some small, private investors are also in on the game, through Indianapolis-based Midwest Energy Partners, formed four years ago by former CountryMark executive Bill Herrick.
Airport looking to solve runoff problem from de-icing
Indianapolis International Airport officials are looking for a way to cut their sewage-treatment bill, which topped $1 million last year because of the large volume of de-icing chemical that ends up in retention ponds.
Committee strips down, passes ag-gag bill
A Senate committee watered down a bill Tuesday that was meant to stop secret videography and photography of farming operations.
NiSource’s pipelines make it a prime takeover target
NiSource, which operates the largest natural gas distribution company and second largest electric distribution company in the state, could be acquired by a company seeking to profit from the shale-gas boom.
Gas leak prompts downtown evacuations
Streets were closed Monday morning near the Central Library as utility crews tried to suss out the cause of the leak.
Bill would bolster Hoosier homegrown products
House Bill 1039 – approved unanimously Thursday by the Agriculture and Rural Development committee – is meant to bolster a program that brands Indiana-grown produce and meat.
Two groups challenge Indiana coal-gasification permit
The Sierra Club and Valley Watch want an administrative law judge to strike down the Department of Environmental Management's December decision to extend Indiana Gasification's permit until June 27.
Changes to farm-trespassing bill delay vote
The Indiana Senate Criminal Law Committee delayed a vote that had been scheduled for Tuesday amid a flurry of proposed amendments.
Steele removes farming from proposed hunting, fishing amendment
Sen. Brent Steele’s proposed amendment passed its first round in 2011, but needed approval this year to go on the ballot for ratification by voters. Now, with new language, the process will start over.
Indiana considers amendment that could shield industrial farms
The bill’s sponsors say it’s a way to keep non-farmers, including national animal rights groups, from meddling in the state’s rural interests.
Baggott leaves Compendium, goes whole-hog on food industry
The local tech titan and co-founder of ExactTarget has cut ties with his latest software venture to concentrate on his livestock and corn operations, plus a restaurant he just purchased in Greenfield.
Storm a big blow to Indiana dairy operation’s finances
The cows are braving the cold at Fair Oaks Farms, but the milk they're producing is going down the drain because it couldn’t be delivered.
Fewer than 5,000 utility customers still without power
The combined outages were down from more than 40,000 power outages Monday after temperatures plunged into the negative teens.
Farmers push revised ag-gag bill; critics say problems remain
Senate Bill 101 would create a crime known as “agricultural mischief” and it’s aimed primarily at stopping secret videography and photography of farming operations.
Thousands still without power amid bitter cold
Indianapolis-area power companies called in hundreds of out-of-town workers, many from out of state, to repair downed lines amid Monday’s record-setting cold. About 20,000 customers still lacked power late Monday.
Government might deregulate corn, soybean seeds
The federal government on Friday proposed eliminating restrictions on corn and soybean seeds genetically engineered to resist a common weed killer. The new seeds, developed by Indianapolis-based Dow AgroSciences, would allow farmers to use the weed killer throughout the plants' lives.
Car guy falls in love with Tesla after visiting new local dealership—and taking a drive
The new electric-powered Tesla Model S corners a lot like a Lamborghini and has more than twice the range of a Nissan Leaf.
EPA fines Crawfordsville over Sugar Creek pollution
Crawfordsville will pay $96,000 in environmental fines because a city-owned wastewater treatment plant was putting too much copper into a creek, according to a federal court filing in Indianapolis.