Trump Administration Resumes Federal Executions In Terre Haute, Indiana:
Until last summer, the U.S. government hadn't carried out a single federal death sentence in 17 years. Then the Trump administration launched an unprecedented execution spree killing three times as many U.S. inmates in six months than in the previous six decades combined. Each one took place at a federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Our reporters told the story of the execution spree through the voices of the people who lived through it: prison staffers, defense attorneys, relatives of inmates as well as their victims, and the late inmates themselves. Our team spent six months reporting from inside federal death row and witnessed 12 executions firsthand. While reporting on the executions, they revealed logistical breakdowns that occurred throughout a rushed process.
As states stopped carrying out executions during the pandemic, the Trump administration accelerated them. The pandemic changed the way the U.S. conducted executions, leading to legal and ethical lapses. Included in this entry are a couple pieces previewing one of the executions, then following another exection.
Death Row Inmate’s Mother Pleads With President Trump To Spare Her Son
ACLU: U.S. Execution Plans During Prison Outbreak Put Indiana At Risk
Loved Ones Mourn Executed Federal Inmate Brandon Bernard At Service
The team also produced an audio and video documentary about Lisa Montgomery, the only female on federal death row.
WATCH NOW — A Mother's Justice: The Trials Of Lisa Montgomery
Black Activist Reports Racist Assault At Lake Monroe
A video that went viral shows a black activist from Bloomington being pinned to the ground while a group of White men surround him, yelling. The video is violent and the language is racist.
We broke the initial story and followed it for the remaining months of 2020. We interviewed people from all sides and not surprisingly the incident got complicated as people disputed each others accounts of what happened.
Protests went on for days, multiple people were charged and it's still ongoing. Included is a piece about one of the protests following the assault.
DNR Investigating After Black Man Reports Racist Assault At Lake Monroe
Car Speeds Into Protesters At Rally Against Racism In Bloomington
DNR Releases Details Of Lake Monroe Investigation, Possible Charges
What Happened Before The Incident At Lake Monroe? Here's What Vauhxx Booker Says
COVID-19 Cases Soar In Nursing Homes, As State Refuses To Release Data
About half of the state’s COVID-19 deaths can be traced back to long-term care residents. As states across the country realized the toll COVID-19 was taking on long-term care facilities and nursing homes, many started to release data publicly. Caregivers and elder groups supported the move because often it was the only way to know whether the coronavirus was present in a facility. For months, Indiana was not one of those states.
The state’s department of health first incorrectly cited HIPAA as the reason it could not release facility-level data. Then, it admitted the data was housed at local health departments, but the state’s department didn’t have access. This entry includes audio from our two part investigation into long term care facilities.
State Told Local Health Departments How To Hide Long-Term Care Data: Here's What We Found
‘It Is Abuse:’ Indiana Caregivers Say Nursing Home Visitation Policies Don’t Put Residents First
City Limits: Coronavirus
City Limits is a people-powered project. Our audience submits questions about the community and then can participate in the process as we do the reporting to find the answer. This project is our answer to the decline of the local newspaper. Gannett bought the local newspaper and immediately began laying off staff. Our response was creating new positions and expanding our Bloomington coverage. In addition to audio and digital some of these stories also have video components.
Many of the questions our audience submitted in 2020 were about the coronavirus. This entry shows feature reporting, writing, series reporting and importantly, our efforts to engage with the community.
Your 'Stay-At-Home' Questions Answered: Yes, You Can Do Yardwork
Doctor's Orders Needed For Coronavirus Testing; Free Screenings Available, Too
Health Data Expert Says Indiana Isn't Showing Consistent Downward Trends In Spread Of COVID-19
Why Those Harmed By Coal Pollution Need To Be Heard As Coal Plants Shut Down
Within the next decade, nine coal plants in Indiana are expected to close or partially shut down. While that may mean cleaner air, it can also have repercussions for the towns that host these plants.
The state is grappling with how to help workers and local governments in Indiana with that transition.
In the first story in our two-part series, we look at how the transition away from coal could play out in the southern Indiana town of Petersburg. This is an example of series reporting, best writing and best sound.
How A Coal Plant's Closures Could Affect One Indiana Town And What It Plans To Do About It
Why Those Harmed By Coal Pollution Need To Be Heard As Coal Plants Shut Down
Will Indiana Work To Legalize Cannabis?
As its Midwestern neighbors approved legal marijuana sales, Indiana has resisted pressure. The reporter connected with all sides to investigate why legislators were hesitant to debate a topic a majority of the population supports.
It led back to Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. Members of his own party said on record he was limiting the conversation.
The reporter connected with legal sellers in neighboring Illinois and statehouse advocates, but the most compelling sound was from a father and military veteran. Worried about overdosing on prescription drugs, the veteran received medicinal cannabis like the rest of his VA prescriptions, and started a group of fellow Hoosier veterans advocating for medical cannabis. This entry is an example of series reporting – the first of two reports is included here.
Legal Marijuana Sales In Neighboring States Won't Move Indiana Closer
Will Money Sway Indiana Lawmakers To Consider Cannabis Legalization?
Thousands Of Hoosiers Face Eviction During Pandemic
The COVID pandemic is leading to an eviction crisis. More than 24,000 Hoosiers have applied for the state's COVID rental assistance program, but not everyone is eligible. Experts describe the rental assistance program as a patchwork that is full of holes. This is an example of hard news and in-depth reporting.
With Eviction Moratorium Set To Expire Next Week, Local Legal Project Prepares For Spike
2020 Coverage of Indiana’s Legislative Session
Lawmakers pass dozens of bills each year when the legislature meets for its annual session. We are committed to covering the session and send multiple reporters every day the session meets.
In addition to daily newscast spots, we produce in-depth features so people understand the issues and the debate before proposals become law. Included is an example of statehouse reporting; a feature wrapping up all that happened during the “short session.”
'Weird' Sums Up 2020 Session For Many
Changing Evaluation Law Spurs Questions On Testing, Teacher Accountability
Holcomb Signs Bill To Spend Money On College Buildings Over Teacher Pay
Legislative Leaders Split On Good And Bad Of 2020 Session
Weekly Statehouse Update: Curtis Hill’s Future, Accountability For Virtual Charter Schools
Weekly Statehouse Update: Syringe Exchange Extension Possible, State Of Higher Education
Indiana's Marching Hundred Still Practicing, Ready For Halftime Shows On Big Screen
The Big Ten postponed the start of the 2020 football season to October because of the pandemic. The marching band however, continued to practice. The music and marching was recorded separately and edited together for the stadium big screen.
This sports entry also shows good use of sound and feature writing.
Indiana's Marching Hundred Still Practicing, Ready For Halftime Shows On Big Screen
2020 Election Coverage
Amid the ongoing pandemic, Indiana was one of only four states in the country that did not allow vote-by-mail in the 2020 general election. We explained who could vote by mail and how in stories for radio and web. This is one of many stories we did about voting in 2020 and how COVID was impacting the election.
Indiana Vote-By-Mail Advocates Look Ahead To Continued Fight
We also did profiles of the candidates for all the major races, a voter’s guide and live election night coverage.
A Conversation With Republican 9th District Rep. Trey Hollingsworth
2020 Election Preview: MCCSC School Board Candidates
June 3, 2020 Morning Newscast
A live morning newscast from June 3, 2020 that shows our commitment to covering a variety of stories across the state. Our newscasts contain a variety of local, state and regional news.
Digital Content
Daily Coverage:
- Bloomington Has About 15,000 Traffic Signs. Some Go Missing Often.
- 'Breaking Away' Quarry Partially Filled In: 'There Would Be 300 People Back There'
- No Injuries Reported After Fire Destroys 3 Homes, Damages 2
- Indiana University Investigating Professor Whose 'Repugnant' Tweets Caused National Backlash
- Coronavirus: Holcomb Tightens Restrictions, Indiana Hits New COVID-19 Milestones
Continuing Coverage:
Trump Resumes Federal Executions
- Death Row Inmate’s Mother Pleads With President Trump To Spare Her Son
- ACLU: U.S. Execution Plans During Prison Outbreak Put Indiana At Risk
- Loved Ones Mourn Executed Federal Inmate Brandon Bernard At Service
Civil Rights Activist Attacked At Lake Monroe
- DNR Investigating After Black Man Reports Racist Assault At Lake Monroe
- Hundreds March Through Bloomington Demanding Justice For Vauhxx Booker
- FBI Investigating Lake Monroe Incident As Possible Hate Crime
- Under Fire For Slow Response, DNR Questions Lake Monroe Assault Witnesses
- Monroe Co. Prosecutor: Reported Assault Investigation Not Taking An Unusually Long Time
- What Happened Before The Incident At Lake Monroe? Here's What Vauhxx Booker Says
- Attorneys Say Clients Involved In Reported Lake Monroe Assault Are Falsely Accused
- Ask The Mayor: Bloomington's Hamilton On Vauhxx Booker, Mandatory Masks
- Monroe County Prosecutor's Office Receives DNR Reports On Lake Monroe Incident
- DNR Releases Details Of Lake Monroe Investigation, Possible Charges
- Prosecutor To Charge Two Men With Criminal Confinement, Battery In Vauhxx Booker Case
- Initial Hearings Waived For Men Charged In Vauhxx Booker Incident
- Landowner Requests Special Prosecutor In Vauhxx Booker Case
- Sean Purdy Requests Special Prosecutor In Vauhxx Booker Case
- Prosecutor In Vauhxx Booker Case Recuses Herself
As Residents Die, State Works To Hide Long Term Care Data
- State Told Local Health Departments How To Hide Long-Term Care Data: Here's What We Found
- ‘It Is Abuse:’ Indiana Caregivers Say Nursing Home Visitation Policies Don’t Put Residents First
- After Months Of Pressure, State Releases Nursing Home Data
- COVID-19 Cases In Indiana Long-Term Care Facilities Have Tripled Since April
- More Than 200 Hoosiers Living In Nursing Homes Contracted COVID-19 Last Week
- New Data Reveals More Than Half Of Indiana Deaths Tied To Nursing Homes
- Now More Than 5,300 COVID-19 In Indiana Long-Term Care Facilities
- After Months Of Lockdown, Indiana Long-Term Care Facilities Starting To Allow Some Visitors
- As Visitation Begins, Nursing Homes See COVID-19 Increases
- Nearly Half Of Indiana's Nursing Homes Report At Least One Case Of COVID-19
- 400 Indiana National Guard Soldiers Prepare For Nursing Home Deployment Monday
Election Coverage:
- Meet The Candidates For Indiana's 9th Congressional District
- Meet The Candidates For Indiana's Gubernatorial Race
- Monroe Election Supervisor Confident In County's Mail-In Voting System
- Can I Vote By Mail? Here's What You Need To Know For Indiana's Elections
- Monroe County Voters Spend An Hour In Line for 2 Minutes In The Booth
Long-Term Projects:
- Searchable List: When Is Your Favorite Bloomington Restaurant Open Now?
- Changing Evaluation Law Spurs Questions On Testing, Teacher Accountability
- Workforce Partnership In North Vernon Creates Hope For Those Struggling With Opioids
- Vast Majority Of IU Fraternities & Sororities Disciplined Since 2016
Explainers:
- Stay-At-Home Orders: Indiana's Coronavirus Precautions Compared To Surrounding States
- Returning To Campus? Maybe. IU President Outlines 5 Scenarios For Fall Semester
- Here Is How Indiana Colleges And Universities Are Planning To Reopen This Fall
- Your Local Coronavirus Questions, Answered
