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Duke Energy supports fellow first responders with more than $200,000 in grants for emergency preparedness in Indiana

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Duke Energy supports fellow first responders with more than 0,000 in grants for emergency preparedness in Indiana


  • Funding will support 34 nonprofit and government agencies across the company’s Indiana service territory

PLAINFIELD, Ind. – First responders across Indiana, including local police, fire and emergency management agencies (EMAs), will benefit from more than $200,000 in grants from the Duke Energy Foundation. The funding will help public safety agencies increase their response capabilities during severe weather and other emergencies through advanced preparation, planning, equipment and training.

“When severe weather strikes, we rely on strong partnerships with local emergency management and law enforcement agencies to effectively respond and restore power in affected communities,” said Stan Pinegar, president of Duke Energy Indiana. “These grants will help give first responders the tools and training they need to respond to any emergency.”

During major emergencies and natural disasters, local emergency management agencies play a critical role in providing information, resources and support that Duke Energy relies on to speed power restoration for its customers.

“Successful preparedness, response and recovery requires a community approach,” said Sean Stoops, chief of the Avon Police Department. “We envisioned equipping all of our patrol vehicles with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). With the support of Duke Energy and other community partners, we were able to bring that goal to fruition, purchasing 35 AEDs that our officers can use to deliver life-saving measures to a person in cardiac arrest.”

Grants were awarded to the following organizations:

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$8,000 to purchase new water rescue equipment, including a new motor for an airboat

 

  • Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office

$5,000 to support public safety measures and preparations ahead of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024

$5,500 to help equip a Brown County EMA emergency operations center with computers, monitors, software and other electrical components

$4,000 to sponsor a hazardous materials technician certification course

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  • City of Brazil Fire Department

$7,500 to support the department’s efforts to promote its “Free Smoke Detector Program”

  • City of Clinton Fire Department

$7,000 to support the department’s water rescue unit with the purchase of a sonar unit, anchors, throw bags and medical items

  • City of Delphi Police Department

$6,500 to support the purchase of a vehicle that can access trails and other confined areas in emergencies

  • City of Greencastle Fire Department

$7,500 to support emergency preparedness and training

$2,750 to purchase a rescue boat that can be used during water rescue emergencies

$2,750 to provide weather radios to local residents

$10,000 to purchase portable, two-way radios and firefighter breathing apparatus

$2,750 to provide weather radios to local residents

$2,205 to purchase safety cones that can be used to block restricted areas

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$10,000 to fund new equipment and training, including an unmanned aerial vehicle with thermal and infrared technology, water rescue equipment, and mass sheltering items such as cots and personal care kits

$5,000 to conduct a hazardous materials tabletop exercise

$11,000 to provide education and training for first responders

$10,000 to enhance community outreach and preparedness education

$2,750 to purchase an unmanned aerial vehicle that can be deployed in planning and response operations

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$5,000 to purchase various supplies and equipment, including uniforms

$2,799 to purchase an unmanned aerial vehicle

$5,000 to equip the department’s disaster response vehicle with a thermal imaging camera and provide weather alert radios to local residents

$11,000 to purchase cots and amenities for displaced residents during emergencies

$5,500 to purchase a generator that can provide back-up power to a Lawrence County EMA facility in an emergency

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$5,500 to provide weather radios to local residents

  • Montgomery County Emergency Response Team

$6,785 to support the purchase of a small, enclosed trailer equipped with thermal blankets, cooling towels, an electric kettle, instant hot packs, an electric heater and other supplies that support firefighter rehabilitation

$5,500 to provide weather radios to local residents

$2,750 to purchase an unmanned aerial vehicle

$9,000 to purchase firefighter equipment

  • Tippecanoe County Surveyor’s Office

$6,510 to purchase rescue helmets

  • Town of Avon Police Department

$22,000 to equip patrol vehicles with AEDs

  • Town of Cambridge City Fire Department

$3,500 to purchase new firefighter boots

  • Town of Converse Volunteer Fire Company

$10,000 to purchase a thermal imaging camera

  • Town of Dunreith Fire Department

$4,000 to purchase new firefighter boots

$2,750 to provide weather radios to local residents

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Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation contributes more than $2 million annually in charitable gifts to Indiana and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the Foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/Foundation.

Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 890,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.

Contact: McKenzie Barbknecht
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

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‘Foul play’ suspected in death investigation on Indiana-Ohio state line, Wayne County officials say

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‘Foul play’ suspected in death investigation on Indiana-Ohio state line, Wayne County officials say


WAYNE COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) — Police are investigating the death of a person who died in the emergency department of Reid Health in Richmond.

Wayne County Coroner Brent Meadows was notified of the death Wednesday evening, according to a media release. Evidence has reportedly indicated that foul play is involved.

Officials believe the incident may have occurred in the area of the Petro Travel Center in New Paris, Ohio, just across the Indiana-Ohio state line.

The coroner’s office said the deceased person has been transported to the Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, for a forensic autopsy and identification.

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The office is still working the locate and identify the victim’s family.

This remains an active investigation.

News 8’s Michaela Springer contributed to this report.



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Braden Smith to play for hometown Indiana Pacers after NBA draft selection, trade

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Braden Smith to play for hometown Indiana Pacers after NBA draft selection, trade


Braden Smith spent four seasons with Purdue basketball proving all the power conference programs who overlooked him missed out.

Now the former Boilermaker point guard has a chance to do the same in the NBA.

Smith, a Westfield native, is headed to the Pacers after Indiana traded for him when the Chicago Bulls selected him with the 38th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a source confirmed to IndyStar.

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Smith is Purdue’s third draft pick in five years, joining lottery picks Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey among a group of now 11 NBA draft selections to play at Purdue under Matt Painter.

Here’s a look at Smith’s Purdue career and what he brings to the Pacers.

Before capping a career that includes two Big Ten regular season and two Big Ten Tournament championships, along with helping Purdue end a 44-year Final Four drought, Smith broke former Duke guard Bobby Hurley’s all-time NCAA assists record.

Along the way, Smith took home the 2025 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard in a season where he also was the Big Ten Player of the Year. A two-time consensus first-team All-American, Smith finished his Purdue career eighth in career points (1,932), third in steals (249) and has the top three assist seasons in school history that helped add to his NCAA record total of 1,103.

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Smith’s knock is his 5-foot-10 1/2 height measurement, but that didn’t deter him from being one of college basketball’s top players.

What Smith lacked in height, he made up for in basketball IQ. He’s lethal with a midrange jump shot and showcased an unblockable fadeaway that allowed him to shoot over lengthier defenders. He mastered manipulating defenses while playing with marquee big men the last four seasons.

His role in the NBA likely will be not require him to be the team’s primary playmaker immediately. Smith’s awareness of that fact pushed a more defensive-minded approach in preparation for the next level. At the NBA Draft Combine in May, Smith showed he’s capable of defending elite guards.

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Smith is an elite competitor who never showed to shy away from the dirty work, which is something that can help him earn NBA minutes as a rookie while trying to find his footing in an unfamiliar backup role.

Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter.



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Body of teen recovered from Lake Michigan after search near Indiana beach

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Body of teen recovered from Lake Michigan after search near Indiana beach


The body of a 13-year-old boy was recovered from Lake Michigan during a multiple-day search near a beach in Michigan City, Indiana. 

Officials did not provide further details. 

A search has been underway since Monday night after witnesses reported seeing a child wearing red shorts enter the water. 

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Michigan City police said officers responded to a possible drowning just before 5:40 p.m. on Monday near Washington Park Beach. 

Police said the child disappeared underwater just south of the lighthouse and did not resurface. 

A search was initiated with dive efforts, a fishing boat, drone technology, and a medical helicopter deployed.

The Michigan City Fire Department said three divers suffered minor injuries during the search and are being treated at Franciscan Health. Fire officials said divers encountered “challenging water conditions” before the search was suspended. 

Officials have not identified the body recovered. 

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