Indiana

Indiana students face stricter attendance rules, new reading requirements

Published

2 hours ago

July 24, 2024

Indiana students face stricter attendance rules, new reading requirements

The Indiana Youth Institute said enhancing educational opportunities means more resources for underfunded schools, to help bridge learning gaps for all Indiana students. Photo by Adobe Stock.

By Joe Ulery
Indiana News Service

As students in Indiana head back to school, they will encounter some stricter classroom rules, including new reading requirements and a tighter absenteeism policy.

Advocates believe the new laws, enacted this year, will enhance the lives of young people.

Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the nonprofit Indiana Youth Institute, said a notable new state law mandates students who fail a reading assessment must repeat the third grade.

“Senate Bill 1, ‘Every Child Learns to Read,’ and really thinking about that third-grade literacy,” Silverman explained. “How are we going to continue to build a foundation so that all of our kids — particularly our youngest ones — get those strong early reading skills?”

The 2024 Indiana Kids Count Data Book revealed only one-third of Indiana fourth-grade students were reading at or above proficiency levels, marking a four-percentage-point decrease from the 2019 rate of 37%.

Also starting this fall, schools are required to report students who have 10 or more unexcused absences to the local prosecutor’s office. The new law may result in legal action against parents whose kids miss too much school.

Looking ahead to the 2025 Indiana legislative session, Silverman noted there is discussion to improve mental health services to address growing concerns among students and educators.

“We’ll continue to look at youth mental health and the services that are needed,” Silverman emphasized. “Many of our kids are suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies or contemplation, so we do know there’s already a lot of discussion about that.”

Silverman believes the changes could have a profound impact on the future of Indiana’s youth, providing them with more tools and support to succeed. She added her organization will continue advocating for changes aimed at creating more equitable environments for all children in the state.

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Indiana

Northwestern’s ‘imperfect’ pop-up stadium will make for scenic Indiana football game

Published

9 hours ago

July 24, 2024

Press Room

Northwestern’s ‘imperfect’ pop-up stadium will make for scenic Indiana football game

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana football will be in for a unique experience when it heads to Evanston to play Northwestern in October.

The Hoosiers played at Ryan Field the last time they visited their Big Ten rival in 2016, but all that’s left of the venue is rubble.

Northwestern demolished the stadium over a four month-span starting in February as they started the process of an $800 million redevelopment project. That left the Wildcats in search of a temporary home until the 2026 season when construction will be completed on the new 35,000-seat venue.

Those new digs will be a temporary structure — a ”Lakeside pop up” as coach David Braun called it on Tuesday at Big Ten Media Days — built around its on-campus soccer/lacrosse stadium that sits right off the shores of Lake Michigan.

They will play five of their home games including the one against Indiana on Oct. 5 at the facility. The program’s other two games (Ohio State and Iillinois) will be played at Wrigley Field.

More: IU’s Curt Cignetti took shot at Purdue football. Boilermakers kept receipts.

“There have been so many moving parts,” Braun said. “So many experts in their space that have been involved in those conversations to make it best for Northwestern, best for the Big Ten and best for everyone involved.”

Northwestern considered a variety of options from playing its home games at Soldier Field to using the Chicago Fire’s former home, SeatGeek Stadium. Braun threw his support behind the temporary stadium after his interim tag was removed at the end of the 2023 season.

“I spoke with great conviction that I felt it was in the best interests of our student-athletes, best interests of our program and the best interests of our students on campus for our game day environment,” Braun said. “To be honest with you, this is the best case scenario to bridge the gap to the new Ryan Field.”

It will be a much smaller venue with a capacity of just 15,000, but Braun’s experience coaching a North Dakota State football program that plays at the vaunted Fargodome (18,700 fans) makes him think it could be an advantage.

“We got an opportunity to give our allotment to our other Big Ten opponent, but the rest of that pop up should be purple,” Braun said.

More: Why Rutgers coach Greg Schiano anticipates bright future for Indiana football

That doesn’t mean there won’t be any drawbacks including the weather. Braun didn’t know what the locker room situation would be for the visiting team, but campus staff is working through all those logistical hurdles.

There will be coaching boxes overlooking the field for both Northwestern and the visiting teams to have assistants view the game from a higher vantage point.

“It’s going to be really unique and I think it’s going to be something that everyone that’s a part of it will remember, it will be imperfect though,” Braun said.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

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Indiana

Indiana man sentenced for antisemitic voicemails left with Anti-Defamation League

Published

16 hours ago

July 23, 2024

Press Room

Indiana man sentenced for antisemitic voicemails left with Anti-Defamation League

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for making antisemitic threats.

An indictment in the Southern District of Indiana said Andrzej Boryga, 67, threatened to kill Jewish people in voicemail messages left at Anti-Defamation League offices in New York, Texas, Colorado, and Nevada.

Court records show Boryga left slur-filled voicemails for the Anti-Defamation League and threatened to assault of kill Jewish people.

The Justice Department says the sentencing was one of more than 30 in the past few months.

This story was created in part from a script aired on WISH-TV.

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These Big Lots stores in Indiana are closing. Find out if yours will stay open

Published

23 hours ago

July 23, 2024

Press Room

These Big Lots stores in Indiana are closing. Find out if yours will stay open

Big Lots’ plan to close as many as 40 stores includes two in Indiana, according to its website.

According to a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the retailer plans to close 35 to 40 stores this year and open three.

“In 2024, the U.S. economy has continued to face macroeconomic challenges including elevated inflation, which has adversely impacted the buying power of our customers,” the filing from Big Lots said.