Many restaurants haven’t survived the last 14 months, and those that did are now struggling to reopen. Ahead more on the economics that are leaving many restaurants searching for workers.
Get ready, you soon won’t be able to escape the sounds of cicadas. Coming up, answers to your questions – how to prepare your trees for cicadas, how long the singing bugs will stick around, and how you can help scientists track them.
Plus, nearly two years of work pays off in Owen County. How a new public restroom means festivals are back in downtown Spencer.
Those stories and the latest news headlines from across the state, right now onIndiana Newsdesk.
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Restaurants that survived the last 14 months, are now struggling to find workers. Get ready – here come the cicadas, we’ll answer your questions. And how new public restrooms means festivals are back in Spencer.
Brood X (pronounced "Brood Ten"), is the group of periodical cicadas that emerges from the dirt once every 17 years to shed their crunchy exoskeletons, sing, mate and usher their babies back into the dirt before the cycle starts anew.
In 2015, Scott County was the epicenter of a severe HIV outbreak spurred by intravenous drug use. A syringe service program helped slow the epidemic, but county commissioners feel it might be time to end them.
Residents and local officials gathered in Spencer Monday to celebrate the grand opening of the town’s new public restroom facility – complete with a “ribbon cutting” of a roll of toilet paper.
State health officials are redoubling their efforts to make it easier to get COVID-19 shots. Bloomington is resuming its annexation process. And we talk to experts about how to handle the invasive emerald ash borer.
Instead of the traditional April race dates, the men’s and women’s races will be on a Wednesday, May 26. And because the race will come well after the end of IU’s spring semester, and graduation - some teams had to drop out.
The Indiana Department of Health called a news conference Wednesday to provide updates on the vaccine rollout and discuss trends. It began with a literal plea from the health commissioner for Hoosiers to get vaccinated.
A look at the state’s spending priorities. Graduation ceremonies are just a couple weeks away, why it’s important to read the fine print before booking a hotel. And one of the greatest threats to native plant species.
Midwestern springtime is heralded by the return of birdsong and sunshine, but warmer temperatures also mark new growth cycles for invasive – and sometimes stinky – plant species.
One of the most controversial measures being considered is legalizing duplexes in most of the core neighborhoods, where they are currently not allowed.
The FDA’s decision Monday to pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine over fears of blood clotting was met with a flurry of activity.
Indiana paused its use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine – ahead, the potential blow to public confidence in all of the vaccines. More on a tax program aimed a reducing child poverty. And the challenge getting broadband internet to all Hoosiers.
Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett says the city’s first deposit of The American Rescue Plan Act fund is supposed to arrive by May 11. The problem is, he can’t start working on what to do with it.
The federal COVID relief package includes an expanded child tax credit for 2021 that for the first time will include direct payments to families. The IRS announced Tuesday payments will start July. Some have hailed the plan as a new direction for anti-poverty policy.
A controversial bill that would remove protections for Indiana’s wetlands is another step closer to becoming law. Crown Point residents welcomed home a police car that infamous gangster John Dillinger used in his jailbreak. And an exhibited dedicated to Bob Ross.
Legal experts agree private companies are not subject to the First Amendment, therefore can censor any voices they choose, but Rokita hopes to understand how companies craft policies and whether they break any Indiana laws.
Black vultures have been harassing and sometimes killing calves, costing Indiana cattle farmers money. Purdue University researchers need farmers’ help to study the problem so they can come up with solutions.
The bill change also alters mitigation requirements, which Republican Rep. Harold Slager, of Schererville, said is meant to help property owners cut down costs associated with wetlands upkeep.
The month-long hearing process has resulted in significant additions to the local zoning law. Most notably, legalizing duplexes in many of Bloomington’s core neighborhoods despite heavy community pushback.
Minorities wonder how Indiana’s GOP of all White people can represent the whole state. COVID cases rise as restrictions loosen. The Hoosier women’s historic NCAA Tournament run ends and the IU men’s team has a new coach.
In the 1950s, Second and Rogers was the type of neighborhood that no longer exists - a neighborhood where nobody locked their door, and kids spent every hour of sunlight in the park.
COVID-19 statistics have all been going in the wrong direction in recent days or weeks. And State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box said the state has identified the UK, Brazil, South Africa and California variants of the virus in Indiana.
The governor is lifting COVID restrictions. But is it too soon? Some caregiver families say they’re struggling with strict policies that make it hard to coordinate visits. And the pandemic’s toll on restaurants.
Throughout Indiana, long-term care visitation policies vary widely. Some are adhering to the guidance; others remain fully closed to unvaccinated outside visitors.
Indiana officials Wednesday defended the decision to end all statewide COVID-19 restrictions, weeks or months before all Hoosiers will get a chance to get vaccinated.
Arsenic naturally occurs in the ground, but long-term exposure to the metal in drinking water can increase your risk for all kinds of health problems — including bladder, lung, prostate, and skin cancers.
In January 2020, COVID-19 wasn’t an issue on most Americans’ minds. But IU history professor Ellen Wu said she had a feeling that something that could endanger the Asian American community – beyond just a virus – was coming.
Why Indiana is not expanding vaccine eligibility as quickly as other states. Proposed legislation makes it easier to send convicted juveniles to adult prisons. And how food delivery services are cashing in at the expense of local restaurants.
After splitting sales with food delivery services for a year, many restauranteurs are hoping the waning pandemic will bring business back to their physical locations.
Some families have called for the state to cancel standardized testing, while officials say learning loss due to remote schooling makes the tests more important than ever.
It’s been a year since COVID-19 arrived in Indiana. We reflect on the Hoosiers we’ve lost and those who became heroes. The pandemic ground the economy to a halt, a record number turned to foodbanks, and measuring student progress.
Statewide, overdose events increased by 50 percent in 2020, and administration of Naloxone, the drug used to reverse the effects of an overdose, increased by nearly 70 percent.
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 12,000 Hoosiers in the last year. It’s difficult to understand the magnitude of a number like that until you start talking to people who have lost loved ones.
Indiana and the federal government’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued new visitation guidance Wednesday for long-term care facility operators that effectively end year-long lockdowns in many facilities.
Almost one million Hoosiers were food insecure before 2020, about 15 percent of the state’s population. A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, that number has roughly doubled.
Hoosiers 50 and older can now get the COVID vaccine, and teachers can get the shot as well. Why are customers paying higher electric bills? And how state leaders are addressing racism, equity, and civility.
The measure would have offered certain protections to people experiencing homeless in the Bloomington community who are currently sleeping outside in public spaces.
Some rural communities are facing an uphill battle to administer the vaccine. How racially restrictive covenants limited access for African-Americans to get a home during the 20th century. And an Indiana Statehouse update.
The proposed law would ban the city from removing homeless encampments, like the ones seen in Seminary Park this winter, unless sufficient housing options are available.
Our look back at Black history in Southern Indiana stays right here in Bloomington, where reporter Mitch Legan tackles a City Limits question: What's the city's history of racially restrictive housing covenants?
Indiana officials announced Wednesday they’re cracking down on clinics that are vaccinating Hoosiers for COVID-19 who are not eligible under the state’s guidelines.
The COVID-19 vaccine age requirement is pushed back due to the winter storms. Some argue a bill expanding private school vouchers would divert funds from public education. And we visit a Tuskegee Airmen training ground in Seymour.
There are now almost 400 sites around the state for eligible individuals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. But just getting to a site can be an issue for some Hoosiers.
WFIU continues its look back on Black History in Southern Indiana by turning our attention to Seymour, where the city’s connection to the Tuskegee Airmen continues to inspire.
An independent committee will conduct a review of Newfields’ leadership, culture and boards. It will also expand exhibitions and programming for and by Black and other marginalized communities and conduct anti-racism training.
A bipartisan group of former Indiana education chiefs are speaking out against Republican-led legislation to expand the state’s private school voucher program.
The state still has no plans to vaccinate teachers and other essential workers. African-Americans are receiving the vaccine at a-lower rate than the rest of the population. And the latest from the Indiana Statehouse.
Last spring, the candy store had to sell Easter candy for 75% off as the pandemic hit. Although sales have bounced back, they are not up to pre-pandemic levels.
The latest on the state’s vaccine rollout plan. Indiana Senator Todd Young will be one of the jurors in next week’s Senate impeachment trial. And we spotlight the Town Clock Church in New Albany.
A Senate conviction could bar Trump from running for public office again. Trump’s legal team has argued he cannot be impeached because he no longer holds office.
Legislation approved by the Indiana Senate would require all nursing homes to allow at least some limited visitation for their residents – even during a pandemic.
Nine cities in Indiana will work on projects to reduce their impact on the planet: Bloomington, Carmel, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Gary, Goshen, Richmond, West Lafayette and Zionsville.
Two reporters from the WFIU/WTIU newsroom covering federal executions in Terre Haute tested positive for COVID-19. Why didn't the U.S. Prison Bureau notify other journalists that they might have been exposed?
More than 800 Hoosiers died in the first six months of 2020 from overdoses, according to Indiana Department of Health preliminary data. That’s a 41% increase compared to the first six months of 2019.
The state is expected to lower the age requirement for Hoosiers seeking to receive the COVID-19 vaccine sooner than later. Some worry if COVID-19 liability protections could strip the rights of workers. And an exhibition about opioid deaths.
While some stores allow customers to bring reusable bags, others don’t. The science on how the virus spreads has evolved — and some question the need to continue reusable bag bans.
While you may be partially protected after the first dose and even more so after the second, you still need to follow the CDC guidelines of using preventative measure against the virus – wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing.
The latest on who can sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine. What’s next after the city removed a homeless camp from a Bloomington park. And how the Libertarian Party is working to capitalize on last year’s momentum.
The inauguration of President Joe Biden this week officially brought an end to the 2020 election saga. Former President Donald Trump’s wave of lawsuits over results put the Electoral College in the spotlight once again.
After Donald Rainwater's performance in the 2020 gubernatorial election, Indiana Libertarians are working to ensure that a vote for the party in 2020 wasn’t just an opportunity to chide the state government over coronavirus emergency mandates.
“I think it’s time to consider using more protective masks. Surgical masks, isolation masks, N-95s and things like that that are more protective. Maybe those are more important than they were before.”
According to NASA, 2020 tied with 2016 for the hottest year on record globally. Though it was only the 14th the hottest year for Indiana, it marked the sixth year in a row that temperatures were above normal.
Gov. Eric Holcomb wants to create a new, regional development initiative that he says will help the state’s economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opened in late 2019, the venue was already turning a profit and hosted several shows. However, the coronavirus— which has halted shows at the 2,000-seat venue since March, left officials little choice.
