By Niki Kelly | Editor-in-Chief
On this day in 1859, future president Abraham Lincoln visited South Bend and delivered a speech at Wheeler Hall regarding slavery and Republican principles during his Midwestern speaking tour.
We made it to the end of the week, all! Now it’s time to take a breath and catch up.
Experts suggest possible reasons for Tennessee’s botched execution while Indiana officials say they are moving forward with one scheduled for Nov. 5 — using the same lethal injection drug.
Gov. Mike Braun expands off-road diesel use to aid farmers.
The CDC vastly changes a longtime youth survey.
Plus, property taxes take center stage and more.
Emergency vehicles at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison in Nashville on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. The execution of death row inmate Christa Pike was halted nearly two hours after the state of Tennessee began the lethal injection protocol. (Photo by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Indiana plans to proceed with execution after botched Tennessee attempt
By Casey Smith
Indiana prison officials plan to proceed with Jeffrey Weisheit’s Nov. 5 execution after a botched lethal injection in Tennessee prompted that state’s governor to halt executions and order an independent review.
The Indiana Department of Correction said Thursday that it remains confident in its procedures despite using the same protocol as Tennessee. Agency officials offered no additional details about the training of those administering lethal injections, the role of medical personnel or safeguards for execution drugs.
A gas station in Indianapolis advertises diesel at $6.99 a gallon on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. Diesel hit a record high price in September. (Photo by Mackenzi Klemann/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Braun renews gas tax suspension, broadens untaxed diesel use for farmers
By Mackenzi Klemann
Gov. Mike Braun on Wednesday renewed Indiana’s gas tax suspension for another 30 days — until early November — and issued a new order lifting restrictions on the sale of untaxed diesel fuel for trucks operated by farmers and timber harvesters on public roads.
The order cited continued disruption to global oil supply as diesel hit a record high $6.92 average in Indiana in September.
COMMENTARY
Hundreds of Hoosiers attended a property tax rally on March 17, 2025, urging lawmakers to provide relief after back-to-back increases. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Property tax debate should focus on addressing assessed value
By Niki Kelly
Property taxes are a perennial thorn in the side of Indiana lawmakers. The state doesn’t receive any of the revenue, but legislators write the rules that infuriate citizens.
Many residents agree on one thing: the assessment system for properties needs to be revamped. Hoosiers deserve some stability in these values that play dramatically into their tax bills.
NATIONAL NEWS
Students leave William H. Wells Community High School at the end of the school day in Chicago. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest national survey of high school students focuses on diet, physical activity, sleep, digital behavior and mental health. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
CDC’s latest youth behavior report offers a narrower look at teen health
By Amanda Watford
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, established in 1991, draws a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12 at public and private schools. Over the years, it has tracked a broad range of issues affecting teenagers, from substance use and sexual behavior to violence, mental health and other health risks.
But the CDC’s latest national report, a full-color publication with photos, graphics and high school success stories, offers a markedly different portrait of adolescent health than the one it published two years ago.
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