Kokomo, Howard County considering broader smoking ban
Local leaders are expected to vote Monday on proposals that would end smoking in all bars and restaurants.
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Indiana House sends gun-carry legislation to Senate
The Indiana House has approved a bill to allow those protected by an order of protection to carry handguns without a license.
Audit: Anderson police department misplaces $16.2K in 2015
The state audit says the department didn’t have sufficient internal policies to ensure funds used for confidential drug buys were secure from loss.
Lawmakers weigh requiring helmets for minors on ATVs
An 11-year-old Indiana girl died in an all-terrain vehicle crash in 2015, and her mother has been pushing to change laws on helmets and safety education.
Jury still out on Marion County courts going to proposed jail location
Judges have an aggressive timeline for making the decision whether to move courts to the Twin Aire neighborhood with the city’s proposed criminal justice complex.
Citizens coke plant site has its share of ‘challenges,’ Hogsett says
Transforming the site to a criminal justice complex would take years of contaminant cleanup, officials said Tuesday, but construction could overlap with that work.
Former Indy police chief takes job with local think tank
Troy Riggs earlier this month became a vice president for the Sagamore Institute. He left his job with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in December, citing the need to make more money.
Senate panel votes to drop ban on drug felons receiving food stamps
Indiana lawmakers on Monday took a preliminary step that would allow people with felony drug convictions to be able to receive food and nutrition assistance—part of one lawmaker’s plan to curb the state’s opioid problem.
Indiana prison medical chief works for private Illinois firm
The chief medical officer for Indiana's prison system held an overlapping position with a for-profit Illinois company that provides health care to correctional facilities in more than a dozen states, according to a published report.
Lawmakers hear bill to establish ‘hemp oil registry’ for seizure patients
One of the bill’s author said it is designed to help parents who are “up against a wall,” and he stressed that it should not be confused as a first step to medical marijuana legalization in the state.
Indiana GOP leaders pledge vaping law overhaul
Republican legislative leaders say they want to unwind stiff regulations they imposed on Indiana's vaping industry, which created a stranglehold on the burgeoning market for one company and prompted an FBI investigation.
Veteran officer named new Indianapolis police chief
New Chief Bryan Roach ascends from the position of assistant chief of administration. In that role, he led a streamlining of department processes and cost-cutting.
Drug czar position one of Holcomb’s first executive orders
Newly-inaugurated Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb made good on his plan to establish a drug czar position Monday when he signed an executive order on his first official day in office.
House Republicans’ road plan includes gas-tax increase, user fees
The proposal calls to raise three taxes and implement new user fees. House Speaker Brian Bosma said he expects the plan to cost most Hoosiers about $4 per month.
City shifts approach to homeless services, lands $5M in federal funding
Advocates last year described funding cuts from the federal government as a “self-inflicted” wound. This year Mayor Joe Hogsett’s team is celebrating a funding increase.
Indianapolis police force veteran named temporary chief
Valerie Cunningham temporarily takes over for Troy Riggs, who announced Dec. 21 he would be stepping down.
Critics decry Pence team for letting state fair stage collapse rule expire
Regulators had more than three years to approve permanent rules establishing stricter design and construction requirements for outdoor event equipment but did not do so before the emergency rules expired this year.
Troy Riggs stepping down as IMPD chief
Mayor Joe Hogsett said Riggs is leaving "to pursue other opportunities." But the mayor, who praised Riggs for bringing "innovative ideas" to the job, did not provide details.
City to scrutinize Ballard’s contenders for justice center site
Mayor Joe Hogsett and his task force are examining potential locations that former Mayor Greg Ballard identified for a criminal justice complex, projected to cost $500 million to $600 million to construct.
Perceived rise in aggressive panhandling downtown inspires cooperative effort
The first pieces of the new initiative involving businesses, social-service groups and the police are launching this month.