Indiana

Solar belongs on rooftops, not Indiana farmland | Opinion

Published

5 months ago

June 18, 2025

Press Room

Solar belongs on rooftops, not Indiana farmland | Opinion

Solar farms depend on subsidies. It is hard to justify this corporate welfare while the state and federal governments take away similar benefits from homeowners.

While solar farms might not cross your mind as an issue that can decide elections, their development fills town halls in rural Indiana with angry locals. Tippecanoe and Clark counties passed new restrictions on solar farms this month, while more than 70 other counties have temporary bans, for good reason.

“The locations that solar companies want are in the best agricultural grounds in my district,” state Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, told me over the phone. Leising is the chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture. “[Some people are] worried about the valuation of their property. Then you have people that are saying, plus, I just don’t want to look at it in my backyard.”

Leising successfully pushed the state to study the loss of prime farmland last year. Indiana has lost 345,000 acres of farmland and over 3,050 farms since 2010. However, the farmland still in use has become more efficient and the state is producing more crops than ever before.

A bigger concern is that commercial-scale solar farms depend on government subsidies and tax abatements. It is hard to justify this corporate welfare while the state and federal governments take away similar benefits from individuals looking to make their homes more self-sufficient. If the state and federal governments are going to invest in solar somewhere, it should be on rooftops, not on Indiana farmland.

The state recently created the ultimate tax abatement for solar farms. Businesses won’t pay any personal property taxes if they have less than $2 million worth of equipment in 2026, and the personal property taxes paid for new equipment can lower to zero as the equipment fully depreciates in value. Some estimates show Indiana solar farms averaged about $50,000 in personal property per acre, meaning they will likely save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In the same bill, Indiana eliminated a property tax deduction for homeowners whose home values increase after installing solar panels. A study from Zillow showed that homes that installed solar panels increased in value by 4.1%, and the deduction was originally put in place to make sure they weren’t unfairly punished for making their homes more energy efficient.

Not to mention, the state recently eliminated net metering on behalf of energy companies. Rather than receiving full retail rates for excess electricity sent back to the grid, homeowners are now paid at a much lower rate. Meanwhile, new limits on tax credits for solar energy in the federal budget reconciliation bill are predicted to favor large companies that can pass on development costs and make it much harder for homeowners to invest in solar.

Not only do large solar corporations receive unfair advantages at the expense of homeowners, but also they’re getting these benefits despite being less efficient at producing energy.

“Some people say sun is free and wind is free, but they’re not … because there’s a huge transmission cost,” Leising said. “When you site a solar field in the middle of nowhere … then how are you going to get that power to where it needs to go? Right now, we don’t have enough battery storage to store the energy produced when the sun is shining.”

Solar panels on homes, on the other hand, are right next to where most of the energy produced is used.

If there is any benefit to solar energy, it is the possibility of seeing more self-sufficient homes and a more decentralized energy grid, where people aren’t dependent on government-granted monopolies to live their daily lives.

The benefit is almost entirely lost when it becomes another tool in the belts of those monopolies, because there are more efficient, reliable and cleaner forms of energy out there.

Any issue that involves personal property rights is going to be complicated, but when a community’s tax dollars are being stewarded poorly, it should surprise no one to see them mobilize like they have in rural Indiana.

Contact Jacob Stewart at 317-444-4683 or jacob.stewart@indystar.com. Follow him on X and Instagram.

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Indiana

This Indiana football coach was new to the staff and is ‘such a blessing’ to Heisman contender

Published

5 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

This Indiana football coach was new to the staff and is ‘such a blessing’ to Heisman contender

BLOOMINGTON — A Heisman frontrunner on the verge of leading his program to its first Big Ten championship game appearance, Fernando Mendoza on Wednesday singled out another one of his behind-the-scenes mentors as crucial to his success this season.

Mendoza — who has routinely praised Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti for his improvement since arriving from Cal — also lauded the importance these last several months of first-year quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer.

“I don’t think I can put it in words,” Mendoza said during a lengthy Zoom call, “how much coach Whitmer has meant to me.”

Hired in the winter to replace Tino Sunseri after he left for UCLA, Whitmer came to Indiana boasting an extensive background coaching and collaborating with high-level QBs.

Across college and NFL stops as a graduate assistant, quality control coach and passing game specialist, Whitmer has worked alongside quarterbacks including Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Justin Herbert, Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.

The Illinois native, Mendoza said, has been crucial to not just his development, but the growth of Indiana’s entire quarterback room.

“He’s been such a blessing, and honestly one of the huge reasons that I’ve been having the season I’ve had so far,” Mendoza said. “It’s been such a blessing for my brother (Alberto) and I, and the entire quarterback room, to have coach Whitmer. … He’s such a great coach.”

Mendoza compared the 34-year-old Whitmer — who played collegiately at Illinois and UConn, as well as in junior college — to Rams coach Sean McVay.

McVay broke through as a position coach and coordinator at the NFL level in his late 20s, and landed the Rams job at 31. He led Los Angeles to victory in Super Bowl LVI.

Mendoza said he sees similar qualities in Whitmer, who he credited for help him with everything from footwork and timing, to mentality and small details.

So far this season, Mendoza has passed for 2,641 yards, completing 73% of his passes. His 30 passing touchdowns and 35 total touchdowns are both best among Power Four quarterbacks, and he’s second narrowly behind fellow Heisman contender Julian Sayin in passer rating, per CFBStats.com.

“To have him there be my quarterbacks coach and to help have his input in the offense, along with coach Cignetti and (offensive coordinator Mike) Shanahan, coach Whitmer has stepped up above and beyond to help me,” Mendoza said. “It’s still a long journey, a long season to go, and a lot of improvement to do, but to have him has been truly special.”

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College Football Playoff rankings: Ohio State and Indiana on top (again) as SEC teams dominate the top 10

Published

24 hours ago

November 18, 2025

Press Room

College Football Playoff rankings: Ohio State and Indiana on top (again) as SEC teams dominate the top 10

The third College Football Playoff rankings propelled the event closer to an endgame guaranteed to roil the masses.

Are you ready for five SEC teams?

The conference took a giant leap toward gobbling almost half the bids to the 12-team event when the rankings were unveiled Tuesday evening.

Oklahoma vaulted three spots, to No. 8, following its victory at Alabama. But critically, the 10th-ranked Crimson Tide did not drop below the cut line for CFP inclusion despite sustaining their second loss.

Add No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Georgia and No. 6 Mississippi to the Sooners and Crimson Tide, and the SEC would have five participants if the field were selected today: one automatic qualifier (the conference champion) plus four at-large teams.

Last year, in the first year of the 12-team event, the Big Ten led all conferences with four bids (one automatic and three at-large).

With two Saturdays remaining in the regular season, plus championship weekend, there is time for tumult.

But at this point, the SEC has a firm grasp on the pole position — at the expense of everyone else:

— The Big 12 is staring at another disappointing outcome if No. 5 Texas Tech wins the conference championship.

Both No. 11 BYU and No. 12 Utah are precariously positioned given the lack of schedule juice remaining (e.g., no ranked opponents) and the potential for teams just below them to move up.

The likelihood of the Big 12 collecting a single bid, as it did last year (Arizona State), is increasing by the week.

— The ACC faces a comparable fate with No. 13 Miami as the conference’s highest-ranked team.

Notably, the Hurricanes are four spots below Notre Dame even though they have the same record (8-2) and Miami won the head-to-head matchup.

But committee chair Hunter Yurachek, the Arkansas athletic director who took over as chair last week when Baylor AD Mack Rhoades stepped down, said the teams were not close enough for the head-to-head result to be considered.

The difference in resumes, he said, is rooted in the quality of their losses: The Irish lost to No. 13 Miami and No. 3 Texas A&M, while the Hurricanes lost to two unranked teams, SMU and Louisville.

— And what of the Big Ten? The third installment of the CFP rankings wasn’t much more encouraging for the conference than either of the first two.

Yes, No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana held their ground and are effectively locks for the CFP. But Oregon is No. 7, a tad too close to the current cut line (between No. 10 and 11) for comfort.

If the Ducks (9-1) lose at home to USC this weekend — or at Washington in the season finale — they could fall out of the field.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy noted the precedent set by the committee’s treatment of Alabama, which fell six spots after losing at home to Oklahoma.

“If you’re Oregon, you better win out,” McEloy said, “because a six-slot slide will have you out of the field.

“They just did it to Alabama. They can do it to you.”

The Trojans (8-2) are currently on the outside looking in. Yes, they moved up two spots, to No. 15, after beating Iowa, but they are behind six teams with two losses.

A victory in Eugene would polish their resume, but would it be enough to climb five positions and gain a foothold in the field?

Put another way: It’s not difficult to envision the Big Ten as a two-bid conference when the field is announced on Dec. 7.

Add the ACC and Big 12 champions, plus No. 9 Notre Dame and the highest-ranked team from the Group of Five (currently Tulane), and that’s six teams.

If the SEC gets five, there would be one bid remaining for a third team from the Big Ten, a second from either the ACC or Big 12 or … yes, we’ll say it … a sixth from the SEC.

There are too many possible permutations to evaluate at this point.

But the most likely outcome, by far, has the SEC owning the day when the field is announced.

*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716

*** Follow me on the social media platform X: @WilnerHotline

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State finalists & record-setters: Meet Central Indiana’s top sophomore volleyball players

Published

2 days ago

November 18, 2025

Press Room

State finalists & record-setters: Meet Central Indiana’s top sophomore volleyball players

Meet Central Indiana’s top performing volleyball players from the Class of 2028

The Class of 2028 was heavily involved in a number of deep volleyball state tournament runs this fall, including a pair of state finalists.

Let’s meet the top Indy-area sophomores from the 2025 IHSAA high school volleyball season.

FIRST TEAM

Blaine Adams, Cathedral, OH-OPP

The 5-9 attacker led the Irish with 276 kills. She reached double-digit kills in a dozen matches (14 in a five-set win over Roncalli) and tacked 110 digs and 25 blocks onto her season line.

Charlee Groninger, Plainfield, S

Groninger established herself among the area’s best at her position, piling up 1,249 assists — quadruple her total from a season ago — across 117 sets for the Class 4A state runner-up Quakers. She added 98 kills, 34 aces, 38 total blocks and 244 digs.

Caitlyn Gutt, Fishers, S

The 5-10 sophomore worked in tandem with senior Ava Tester, registering 416 assists with only 16 errors on 1,205 attempts. She also picked up 146 digs, 36 aces and 17 kills. Gutt reached 20 assists in five-set decisions vs. Hamilton Heights and Center Grove, and had 19 in three other outings.

Ryelle Koomler, Franklin Central, OH

The 5-10 attacker led the sectional runner-up Flashes with 382 kills on .226 hitting. She added 222 digs, 39 aces, 11 blocks and a couple aces to her season line. Koomler’s campaign was highlighted by a pair of 22-kill performances, and she had 19 terminations in a five-set loss to Center Grove in early September.

Sophie Orlando, Brownsburg, OPP

The right-side hitter shined in her first full varsity season. 36 of her 60 total blocks were solo efforts and she hit .253 en route to her 248 kills. Orlando, who rounded out her line with 51 digs, set a career-high with 20 kills on .293 hitting in a five-set loss to Roncalli.

Maggie Sliwa, Hamilton Southeastern, S

Sliwa split time running the Royals’ offense with senior Jasmine Daniels, recording 378 assists and 94 digs in 96 sets. The 6-2 setter clocked double-digit assists in 20 matches, including 25 against both Westfield and Center Grove.

Rosanna Spearing, Roncalli, OH

One of the state champion Royals’ top attackers, Spearing finished the year with 262 kills, plus 43 aces, 255 digs, 20 total blocks and 13 assists. The 5-8 rising standout cleared double-digit kills in 12 matches, including 17 vs. Brownsburg in October.

Audrey Utterback, Plainfield, OH

A prolific attacker, the 5-9 outside cleared 1,000 career kills, totaling 606 (.280 hit%) in her second varsity season. She also served 52 aces, blocked 42 shots, racked up 349 digs (591 career) and setting a career-high with 22 assists.

Amaya Zander, Lawrence North, OH

Zander enjoyed a record-setting fall, recording 449 kills (single-season record) on .222 hitting, leaving her with 582 for her career. She had 37 terminations (.301 hit%) in a five-set loss to Hamilton Heights in August, one of five matches with 20-plus kills. Zander recorded 17 aces, 18 blocks, 89 digs and 10 assists across 107 sets.

SECOND TEAM

Karis Barnes, Lawrence Central, OH

Barnes shined on the Bears’ attack, racking up 327 kills (3.4 per set) on .230 hitting. She also set career-highs in aces (87) and digs (244), and matched her previous high with 12 kills. Barnes set her season-high with 20 kills on .224 hitting against Warren Central, one of her eight outings with 15-plus kills.

Caroline Brown, Lebanon, S

Brown recorded a career-high 893 assists in her second season running the Tigers’ offense, with only 14 errors on 2,174 attempts. That highlighted a well-rounded line by the sophomore setter, who also registered 58 aces, 145 digs, 19 blocks and 72 kills.

Alaina Darlage, Triton Central, L-DS

The sophomore libero was excellent in her first full varsity season, averaging 10.8 digs per match (336 total). She also served 56 aces and 246 points, and logged 92 assists. Darlage has 361 career digs entering her junior year.

Harper Drzakowski, Danville, L

Drzakowski accumulated 419 digs, 30 aces and 69 assists in her first full varsity season. She was charged with just 31 reception errors on 407 attempts, and set her season-high with 37 digs in a five-set loss to Hamilton Heights in early September.

Josie Hunt, Eastern Hancock, OH

The 5-7 pin scored 25 kills against Shenandoah, 23 vs. Greenfield-Central and 21 vs. Lapel. Those outings highlighted a strong sophomore campaign, wherein she racked up 375 kills, 195 digs, 51 aces and 15 blocks for the 25-win Royals.

Maddison Judge, Greenwood, MH

The 6-foot sophomore led the Woodmen with 320 kills on an impressive .384 hitting. She also blocked 81 shots, served 19 aces and dug out 61 shots. Judge set her season-high with 20 kills (.375 hit%) vs. Perry Meridian in late September, then eclipsed that mark with 22 (.553 hit%) in a four-set win over Southport in early October.

Adria Jump, Sheridan, S

The multi-sport athlete registered 599 assists to move past 1,200 for her career. She was also the sectional champions’ second-leading attacker with 126 kills on .261 hitting. Jump also recorded 95 aces, 26 blocks (15 solo) and a career-high 363 digs.

Lainey Mendenhall, Sheridan, OH-MB

Mendenhall set career-highs in kills (404), aces (46), digs (264) and assists (32), and notched 30 total blocks (18 solo). She matched her season-high in the sectional championship match vs. Lapel, accumulating 26 kills on .258 hitting (she also logged 20 digs).

Brooke Neale, Westfield, DS

The 5-6 defensive specialist averaged 8.4 digs per match, totaling 235 over 94 sets. She scored a kill for the consecutive season and exceeded her previous high for aces (44) and service points (202). Neale had 23 digs in a five-set win over HSE in the sectional semifinals.

Cecilia Prather, Danville, S

Prather totaled 820 assists over 95 sets in her first varsity season. She cleared 20 assists in all but five matches, with 40-plus in four. Prather set her season-high with 51 assists in a five-set win vs. Franklin, and rounded out her season line with 60 kills, 39 aces, 34 blocks and 251 digs.

Larkin Prosser, Mooresville, S

The second-year starter maintained her progression in year two, improving both her assists total (530) and efficiency (seven in 1,606 attempts). Prosser, who has 941 career assists, tallied 262 digs, 18 blocks, 75 aces and 87 kills across 85 sets played.

Krosley Riggs, Lapel, OH

Riggs clocked 208 kills and 304 digs in her second varsity season, leaving her with 400 kills and 567 digs for her career. She also added 72 aces (223 points), five blocks and 10 assists. Riggs had 34 digs and eight kills in the sectional championship match vs. Sheridan.

THIRD TEAM

Chloe Canada, Tri-West, OPP

Canada tallied 197 kills on .226 hitting and 36 blocks in her first varsity season (she played two sets as a freshman). She added 234 digs, two aces and seven assists. Canada recorded 21 digs at semistate vs. Jasper, and 11 kills on .333 hitting against Plainfield in September.

Myra Finnity, Greenwood Christian, MB

The 6-1 sophomore recorded 84 blocks, 35 of which were solo efforts. She reached seven blocks against Perry Meridian and Scecina, and logged five in both matches vs. 3A’s New Palestine. Finnity rounded out her line with 99 kills on .227 hitting, eight aces, 44 digs and 10 assists for the regional champions.

Evaana Galbreath, Lawrence Central, S-OPP

Galbreath accumulated 571 assists, 198 digs, 52 aces and 12 blocks over 92 sets. She had four matches with 30-plus assists, including a career-high 40 in a four-set win over Speedway in August.

Stella Hamood, Avon, L-DS

Hamood scored 466 digs across 88 sets, averaging 16.6 per match. She posted 30 aces and seven kills, as well, plus 69 assists – three more than her total from 2024. Hamood reached a season-high 31 digs in a four-set loss to Bellmont.

Allie Kizzee, Monrovia, OPP-DS

Kizzee recorded 71 aces and 167 service points across 101 sets. She had seven aces in a three-set sweep of Beech Grove, and has 84 for her career. Kizzee picked up 221 digs, as well.

Mckenna Muncy, Danville, MB

The second-year middle reset her career-high with 231 kills on .351 hitting. She also racked up 49 blocks, 26 digs and eight assists. Muncy had nine matches with 10-plus kills, led by 17 on .400 hitting vs. Terre Haute North.

Malia Norfleet, Lawrence North, MB

The 5-9 middle averaged over a block per match, totaling 47 (15 solo) over 106 sets played. She also registered 145 kills, four aces, 12 digs and three assists. Norfleet had seven blocks in a three-set loss to two-time defending Class A state champion Trinity Lutheran in August.

Lillian Pass, Lutheran, OH-OPP

Pass built upon a strong freshman campaign, recording 277 kills on .209 hitting, 55 aces, 134 digs and eight assists — all career-highs. She completed her line with 24 blocks, two off her total from a year ago.

Kenleigh Raby, Western Boone, S

Raby ran the Stars’ retooled offense at a high-level, averaging 7.4 assists over 84 sets (620 total). She also notched 192 digs, 22 aces, 26 kills and 14 blocks. Raby tallied 45 assists in a five-set win over Frankfort and 40 in a five-set loss to Cascade.

Olivia Reeves, Greenfield-Central, OH-OPP

Reeves will be the Cougars’ top returning attacker next season. She scored 279 kills, second most on the team, as a sophomore, and rounded out her line with 38 aces, 107 digs, eight blocks and eight assists.

Olivia Schiffli, Hamilton Heights, OH

Schiffli shined alongside Macie Smith on the Huskies’ attack, piling up 279 kills in 95 sets. She also recorded 173 digs, 44 aces, 16 blocks and eight assists for the regional champions, and will be a cornerstone for this program entering next season.

Genevieve Schroeder, Greenwood, OH

Schroeder picked up 149 kills, 43 aces, eight blocks and 129 digs in her first full varsity season. She had four matches with 10-plus terminations, led by 12 in a four-set win over Southport. She also tallied 11 kills on .400 hitting in a three-set loss to New Palestine.

Micah Shanklin, Lawrence North, MB

Shanklin led the Wildcats with her 49 blocks, 14 of which were solo efforts. She set her season-high with six blocks against Warren Central and had four against Trinity Lutheran. Shanklin logged seven kills in three matches, and finished the season with 114 terminations (.303 hitting).

Stella Short, Pendleton Heights, L

The second-year libero averaged 6.5 digs per match and 2.2 per set, with 206 over 95 sets. She was among the team leaders with 61 aces and logged 75 assists. Short had five aces in two matches, and cleared 10 digs on eight occasions.

Tay Walker, Greenfield-Central, OH-OPP

Walker logged 218 terminations, 15 blocks, 13 aces and 118 digs in her first varsity season. She reached double-digit kills in four matches, tallying 15 apiece against Shelbyville (.429 hitting) and Lawrence Central.

Regan Ward, Pike, OH-MB

The 6-foot attacker put together a career year with the Red Devils, notching 229 kills on .251 hitting. She also collected 21 aces, 56 total blocks (19 solo), 98 digs and 14 assists. Ward had 10-plus kills in 10 matches, led by 13 on .500 hitting in a 2-1 loss to Rising Sun. She had a season-high five blocks against Seymour and logged four in three sets vs. Zionsville.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Brynn Baker, Fishers, MB; Izzy Bigelow, Speedway, S; Jordyn Blair, Westfield, MB; Anna Cope, Covenant Christian, DS; Addison Corn, Beech Grove, MB-DS; Emmi Custer, Pendleton Heights; Brooklyn Deppe, Danville, DS-OPP; Rachel Filimoeulie, Lawrence Central, OH-DS; Reagan Futa, Cathedral, DS; Amelia Hartman, Perry Meridian, RS; DeAsia John, Pike, OH-MB; Landry LePage, Lebanon, DS; Alexa Massingill, Western Boone, OPP-OH; Madelynn Matelic, Speedway, MH-fRS; Reese Morrow, Pendleton Heights; Sydney Reed, Pike, OH; Emily Shepherd, Western Boone, OH; Ava Stone, Roncalli, MB; Molly Tucker, Danville, OH

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.

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