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Indiana aspires to become next great tech center

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Indiana aspires to become next great tech center


Semiconductors, or microchips, are critical to almost everything electronic used in the modern world. In 1990, the United States produced about 40% of the world’s semiconductors. As manufacturing migrated to Asia, U.S. production fell to about 12%.

“During COVID, we got a wake-up call. It was like [a] Sputnik moment,” explained Mark Lundstrom, an engineer who has worked with microchips much of his life.

The 2020 global coronavirus pandemic slowed production in Asia, creating a ripple through the global supply chain and leading to shortages of everything from phones to vehicles. Lundstrom said increasing U.S. reliance on foreign chip manufacturers exposed a major weakness.

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“We know that AI is going to transform society in the next several years, it requires extremely powerful chips. The most powerful leading-edge chips.”

Today, Lundstrom is the acting dean of engineering at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, a leader in cutting-edge semiconductor development, which has new importance amid the emerging field of artificial intelligence.

“If we fall behind in AI, the consequences are enormous for the defense of our country, for our economic future,” Lundstrom told VOA.

Amid the buzz of activity in a laboratory on Purdue’s campus, visitors can get a vision of what the future might look like in microchip technology.

“The key metrics of the performance of the chips actually are the size of the transistors, the devices, which is the building block of the computer chips,” said Zhihong Chen, director of Purdue’s Birck Nanotechnology Center, where engineers work around the clock to push microchip technology into the future.

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“We are talking about a few atoms in each silicon transistor these days. And this is what this whole facility is about,” Chen said. “We are trying to make the next generation transistors better devices than current technologies. More powerful and more energy-efficient computer chips of the future.”

Not just RVs anymore

Because of Purdue’s efforts, along with those on other university campuses in the state, Indiana believes it’s an attractive location for manufacturers looking to build new microchip facilities.

“Purdue University alone, a top four-ranked engineering school, offers more engineers every year than the next top three,” said Eric Holcomb, Indiana’s Republican governor. “When you have access to that kind of talent, when you have access to the cost of doing business in the state of Indiana, that’s why people are increasingly saying, Indiana.”

Holcomb is in the final year of his eight-year tenure in the state’s top position. He wants to transform Indiana beyond the recreational vehicle, or “RV capital” of the country.

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“We produce about plus-80% of all the RV production in North America in one state,” he told VOA. “We are not just living up to our reputation as being the number one manufacturing state per capita in America, but we are increasingly embracing the future of mobility in America.”

Holcomb is spearheading an effort to make Indiana the next great technology center as the U.S. ramps up investment in domestic microchip development and manufacturing. “If we want to compete globally, we have to get smarter and healthier and more equipped, and we have to continue to invest in our quality of place,” Holcomb told VOA in an interview.

His vision is shared by other lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Todd Young of Indiana, who co-sponsored the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which commits more than $50 billion in federal funding for domestic microchip development.

‘We are committed’

Indiana is now home to one of 31 designated U.S. technology and innovation hubs, helping it qualify for hundreds of millions of dollars in grants designed to attract technology-driven businesses.

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“The signal that it sends to the rest of the world [is] that we are in it, we are committed, and we are focused,” said Holcomb. “We understand that economic development, economic security and national security complement one another.”

Indiana’s efforts are paying off.

In April, South Korean microchip manufacturer SK Hynix announced it was planning to build a $4 billion facility near Purdue University that would produce next-generation, high-bandwidth memory, or HBM chips, critical for artificial intelligence applications.

The facility, slated to start operating in 2028, could create more than 1,000 new jobs. While U.S. chip manufacturer SkyWater also plans to invest nearly $2 billion in Indiana’s new LEAP Innovation District near Purdue, the state recently lost bidding to host chipmaker Intel, which selected Ohio for two new factories.

“Companies tend to like to go to locations where there is already that infrastructure, where that supply chain is in place,” Purdue’s Lundstrom said. “That’s a challenge for us, because this is a new industry for us. So, we have a chicken-and- egg problem that we have to address, and we are beginning to address that.”

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Lundstrom said the CHIPS and Science Act and the federal money that comes with it are helping Indiana ramp up to compete with other U.S. locations already known for microchip development, such as Silicon Valley in California and Arizona.

What could help Indiana gain an edge is its natural resources — plenty of land and water, and regular weather patterns, all crucial for the sensitive processes needed to manufacture microchips at large manufacturing centers.



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Indiana

Indiana man charged with murder in I-94 shooting

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Indiana man charged with murder in I-94 shooting


Herman Yancey | Illinois State Police

A Gary man was charged with murder in connection with a shooting last summer on Interstate 94 near Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood.

Herman Yancey, 37, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of first-degree murder.

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The backstory:

Yancey was identified as the suspect who shot and killed a man around 10 p.m. on June 7, 2024 in the northbound lanes of I-94 near 37th Street, according to Illinois State Police.

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The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as Tywuan Donald by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

No further information was provided.

The Source: The information in this report came from Illinois State Police.

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State budget cuts all funding for trails in Indiana

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State budget cuts all funding for trails in Indiana


FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – A change in Indiana’s state budget could have serious consequences for outdoor recreation and community connectivity across the state.

The budget eliminates all funding for trails, including the Next Level Trails program, which previously received $7 million in the past years.

Kent Castleman, executive director at Fort Wayne Trails, says this funding is critical – not only for expanding trail networks, but also for maintaining and improving the trails communities rely on.

Without funding, Castleman says local efforts to provide safe, accessible outdoor spaces could stall or disappear altogether.

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Castleman says trails play a major role in Indiana’s economy and quality of life.

He says in Fort Wayne, trails connect neighborhoods, parks, and business districts – helping build stronger, healthier, and more connected communities.

Castleman urges the community to take action by contacting state lawmakers through a web form.

To support, click here.

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Pacers vs Cavaliers Game 4 box score, stats: How Indiana absolutely rolled Cavs for 3-1 lead

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Pacers vs Cavaliers Game 4 box score, stats: How Indiana absolutely rolled Cavs for 3-1 lead


“80-39 is your halftime score. That’s right, 80-39 is your halftime score.”

That was TNT’s Ernie Johnson intro to the halftime break.

“Down 41” and “Up 41” were trending nationally on X.

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For the Pacers, it was the mother of all halves on a memorable Mother’s Day Sunday. Indiana blew out the Cavaliers, 129-109, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to take a commanding 3-1 series lead heading back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Here’s the box score from Sunday’s laugher.

Name Min FG 3FG FT REB AST PTS
Pascal Siakam 21 9-10 2-2 1-1 6 3 21
Aaron Nesmith 23 4-8 2-4 4-4 1 4 12
Myles Turner 22 7-13 4-4 2-3 7 3 20
Andrew Nembhard 30 3-7 1-2 0-0 4 7 7
Tyrese Haliburton 26 3-8 1-5 4-5 5 5 11
James Johnson 8 1-2 0-1 0-0 1 2 2
Obi Toppin 21 9-14 1-4 1-3 5 2 20
Johnny Furphy 10 0-2 0-1 0-0 1 1 0
Thomas Bryant 9 1-2 1-1 2-2 0 0 5
Tony Bradley 8 0-0 0-0 0-0 2 0 0
T.J. McConnell 18 5-9 1-2 2-2 2 8 13
Bennedict Mathurin 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Ben Sheppard 29 5-10 2-6 2-2 3 0 14
Totals 49-93 15-35 16-20 37 37 129
Name Min FG 3FG FT REB AST PTS
Evan Mobley 27 3-7 2-4 2-2 5 0 10
Jarrett Allen 20 0-1 0-0 2-2 2 1 2
Darius Garland 27 6-11 1-5 8-8 1 6 21
Donovan Mitchell 20 3-11 1-5 5-6 1 0 12
Max Strus 22 4-9 3-7 0-0 6 3 11
Dean Wade 11 1-2 1-2 0-0 3 0 3
Jaylon Tyson 12 2-6 2-3 5-6 2 3 11
De’Andre Hunter 16 0-4 0-2 5-6 4 1 5
Isaac Okoro 19 5-6 2-2 1-2 2 0 13
Tristan Thompson 12 1-2 0-0 1-2 6 0 3
Ty Jerome 18 2-3 1-1 2-2 2 0 7
Sam Merrill 14 0-2 0-2 2-2 3 1 2
Javonte Gree 7 0-1 0-0 2-2 2 0 2
Craig Porter Jr. 10 2-4 0-1 0-0 2 4 4
Chuma Okeke 5 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 1 3
Totals 30-70 14-35 35-40 41 20 109

Pacers vs Cavs Game 4 Scoring by quarter

Cavaliers 23 16 38 32 109
Pacers 38 42 29 20 129

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Pacers vs Cavs schedule: When is Game 5?

(All times ET; *-if necessary)

Game 1, May 4: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112

Game 2, May 6: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119

Game 3, Fri., May 9: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104

Game 4, Sun., May 11: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109

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Game 5, Tues., May 13: at Cavaliers, 7 p.m., Tuesday

*-Game 6, Thurs., May 15: at Pacers, TBA

*-Game 7, Sun., May 18: at Cavaliers, TBA



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