Indiana

Meet Jayda Dawn, the Indiana 11th-grader who became America’s national poetry champion in her first year and won $20,000

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Meet Jayda Dawn, the Indiana 11th-grader who became America's national poetry champion in her first year and won $20,000

PC: James Kegley/ National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jayda Dawn, then an 11th grader at University High School of Indiana in Carmel, was named the 2026 Poetry Out Loud National Champion in April and won a $20,000 grand prize. She recited poems by Langston Hughes, Alice Duer Miller, and Albery Allson Whitman. Months after … Read more

An Indiana man planned one Hobbit house; seven years later, he had built an 11-building fantasy village from recycled and secondhand materials

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An Indiana man planned one Hobbit house; seven years later, he had built an 11-building fantasy village from recycled and secondhand materials

PC: Free Press Indiana News Rick Sparks never intended to build a village. The Tolkien fan originally planned a single Hobbit-inspired house on a 3½-acre property outside Connersville, Indiana, as a weekend getaway. Seven years later, that house has become his residence, and the site has grown into Rackshire, an 11-building fantasy village. Its Tolkienesque … Read more

An Indiana train depot built 144 years ago sat abandoned for decades; after a nonprofit bought it in 2023, the station is being restored as the centerpiece of a new railroad campus

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An Indiana train depot built 144 years ago sat abandoned for decades; after a nonprofit bought it in 2023, the station is being restored as the centerpiece of a new railroad campus

On a quiet corner in Steuben County, Indiana, a small brick train depot has stood watch over the tracks for 144 years. For much of the last half century, it watched in silence, its windows boarded, its platform empty, a relic of an era when railroads defined the rhythm of rural life. In 2023, a … Read more

In 1918, three Indiana brothers opened a bicycle and tire shop; 108 years later, the same family still runs it, with six employees retiring after 40+ years and tenures reaching 50 years

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In 1918, three Indiana brothers opened a bicycle and tire shop; 108 years later, the same family still runs it, with six employees retiring after 40+ years and tenures reaching 50 years

An Indiana tyre and bicycle business started by three brothers in 1918 is still operating under the same family ownership 108 years later. The business has also built an unusually loyal workforce, with several employees staying for more than four decades. A report published by local news outlet The Addison Times highlights the business’s long … Read more

At 16, an Indiana girl earned 5 cents a day working at a neighbourhood café; her family later bought it, and 100 years after it opened her daughter still runs it

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At 16, an Indiana girl earned 5 cents a day working at a neighbourhood café; her family later bought it, and 100 years after it opened her daughter still runs it

Photos inside 100-year-old Sunny Italy Café in South Bend When 16-year-old Frances began washing dishes and serving customers at a neighbourhood eatery along the St. Joseph River in South Bend, Indiana, she earned just five cents a day. A century later, the same restaurant is still in her family, serving its famous hand-rolled meatballs and … Read more

In 1941, US Steel built a summer camp lodge at Indiana Dunes; after about 50 years closed, it has reopened and workers found an original time capsule hidden in its walls

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In 1941, US Steel built a summer camp lodge at Indiana Dunes; after about 50 years closed, it has reopened and workers found an original time capsule hidden in its walls

According to the report, in 1941, the U.S. Steel Company built the lodge for the children of its employees. The Good Fellow Youth Camp, which ran from 1941 to 1975, provided generations of young people with an opportunity to get outdoors in what would later become Indiana Dunes National Park. Generations of Northwest Indiana children … Read more

Who is Brittany Fortinberry? Indiana teacher accused in underage sex case finalizes divorce as criminal case continues

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Brittany Fortinberry, who has 47 criminal charges, has finalized her divorce from husband Nicholas Fortinberry while awaiting trial. (Morgan County Jail)

Former Indiana teacher Brittany Fortinberry has finalized her divorce from husband Nicholas Fortinberry, according to TMZ. The development comes as she faces dozens of criminal charges in an alleged underage sex abuse case. Brittany Fortinberry, who has 47 criminal charges, has finalized her divorce from husband Nicholas Fortinberry while awaiting trial. (Morgan County Jail) The … Read more

In 1908, an unschooled Indiana widow began a 20-year fight to defend 120 acres of Lake Michigan dunes from a steel giant; 72 years later, 212 acres including part of her tract joined Indiana Dunes to remain open space forever

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In 1908, an unschooled Indiana widow began a 20-year fight to defend 120 acres of Lake Michigan dunes from a steel giant; 72 years later, 212 acres including part of her tract joined Indiana Dunes to remain open space forever

Carr remained determined to defend what she believed was hers (Photo: NPS) In the early 1900s, an Indiana widow spent more than two decades fighting to defend her claim to 120 acres along Lake Michigan. Drusilla Carr had lived on the land for decades before it became valuable. As the city of Gary, Indiana, grew … Read more

Hebron shooting update: Woman shot dead, another injured inside Indiana antique shop; suspect kills himself

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Hebron shooting update: Woman shot dead, another injured inside Indiana antique shop; suspect kills himself (Pexel - representational image)

A woman was killed and a suspect is dead following a shooting inside of a northwest Indiana antique shop Saturday night, August 22, NBC Chicago reported. A press release stated that Lake County police and the Indiana State Police were called to an antiques shop located in the 2900 block of West 181st Avenue in … Read more

Gary Indiana power outage: Over 25,000 without electricity as residents slam NIPSCO; ‘Every day I’m crying’

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Gary power outage (Unsplash/ Representational image)

Residents in Gary, Indianaare growing increasingly desperate as power outages stretch on for more than a week following deadly storms, with grocery shelves empty, insulin spoiling, and people on oxygen unable to use their tanks. Gary power outage (Unsplash/ Representational image) How many people are still without power? As per the latest outage tracker data25,830 … Read more