Worst could be over for Indiana propane users
An estimated 500,000 Indiana residents who rely on propane to heat their mostly rural homes have faced weeks of propane shortages blamed on a combination of subzero cold and market forces.
Environment
Articles
Rockport plant might not be dead, after all
A controversial power plant planned for southern Indiana has quickly and quietly moved forward after developers said they no longer planned to pursue the project.
Bottleneck bedevils Indiana’s mighty wind turbines
Lack of transmission lines keeps green energy from flowing to the Midwest.
Industry group says Indiana added 960 solar jobs
Tuesday's annual report by The Solar Foundation said Indiana saw a 178-percent increase in solar-industry jobs from 2012 to 2013.
U.S. Senate sends massive farm bill to Obama
The sweeping farm bill that Congress sent to President Obama Tuesday has something for almost everyone, from the nation's 47 million food stamp recipients to Southern peanut growers, Midwest corn farmers and the maple syrup industry in the Northeast.
Indiana Senate OKs bill targeting efficiency program
The measure would allow industries that are Indiana's biggest energy users to pull out of the Energizing Indiana program, which provides energy-efficiency assessments and tips for saving energy and lowering utility bills.
House sends Indiana winery bill to Senate
HB 1387 would allow wineries to sell 5,000 gallons per year to retailers located within the same county as the winery or in neighboring counties.
Senate sends hemp-production bill to House for debate
The Senate voted unanimously Monday to pass legislation that would legalize the farming and production of industrial hemp in Indiana.
Tree trimmer must pay $140,000 to consumers for shoddy work
The Indiana attorney general's office said Thursday that Spaulding's Tree Experts of Indianapolis contracted with three older people—two with dementia—but provided inadequate work.
Plunging corn prices bring new strategies on farms
A December survey by ag publication Farm Futures indicated a coming 3-percent reduction in corn acreage from last year, with a nearly 8-percent hike in acreage for soybeans.
Bill limiting environmental rules heads to Indiana Senate
Indiana regulators would be barred from adopting environmental rules tougher than federal standards under a bill that's advancing in the General Assembly that has drawn criticism that it would hamper efforts to protect the state's environment and public health.
Proposed hunting, fishing amendment to start over
A Senate committee passed a proposed constitutional amendment Monday that would protect Hoosiers’ right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife – but without language to protect farming that was included three years ago.
Utility regulatory openings generate heavy interest
Twenty-one candidates are in the running to fill two openings on the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
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.
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.
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.