Indiana
Watch Bob Dylan and the Heartbreakers Play a Surprise Set of Sixties Classics at Farm Aid
Around 10:20 pm on Saturday night, a shadowy group of figures walked onto the Farm Aid stage at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. This was supposed to be the moment where Wille Nelson wrapped up the night, but there was no sign of the Red Headed Stranger or his band. Instead, another act were plugging in their instruments on the darkened stage. There was no announcement of any kind, and the large screens on both sides of the stage went completely blank for the first time all day. It took about 15 seconds for the screams to start once the light hit the face of the guy in the middle.
Bob Dylan was back on the Farm Aid stage for the first time since the inaugural event in 1985, which was inspired by his off-hand comments at Live Aid a few months earlier about helping family farmers. Joining him were 3/5th of the Heartbreakers – guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboard Belmont Tench, and drummer Steve Ferrone – alongside members of Campbell’s other group, the Dirty Knobs. Dylan was playing electric guitar.
This was an extraordinary moment for many reasons. Dylan almost never makes unannounced appearances or performs without his own band; He hasn’t played with the Heartbreakers in 20 years; Campbell, Tench, and Ferrone have rarely performed together in public since Petty’s death; Dylan usually plays piano at his shows; There wasn’t even a tiny hint anywhere throughout the day that this might happen.
It became even more surreal once it became clear they were opening with “Maggie’s Farm,” which was their closer at the first Farm Aid. Dylan hadn’t played the song anywhere since 2009, but this wasn’t a rearranged Never Ending Tour rendition that was only recognizable by the lyrics. This was Dylan and the band largely recreating the sound of the original 1965 recording.
They followed it up with “Positively 4th Street,” another 1965 throwback. On this one, Campbell channeled guitarist Mike Bloomfield, Tench flawlessly executed Al Kooper’s organ parts, and the hardcore Dylan fans in the audience had to blink a few times to make sure they weren’t dreaming. Dylan last played the song in 2013, but it’s hard to remember a time it sounded anything like this. It was quite possibly sometime in early 1966 when the Hawks were backing him.
The mini-set wrapped up with “Ballad of a Thin Man.” This was yet another 1965 tune played to studio perfection. Before the crowd could fully process what happened, Dylan and the band walked off. They didn’t say a single word to the audience at any point. And since the screens remained off during the entire set, it’s quite possible some fans on the lawn didn’t even realize what had just taken place since they could barely see any of it.
What exactly brought about this un-billed set? Is there any scenario Dylan tours with them next year and plays sets centered around his Sixties catalog? That’s very hard to imagine, but so was this Farm Aid set before it happened. Dylan has east coast dates with his standard band throughout October and November. Beyond that, it’s impossible to guess what will happen.
The Dylan/Heartbreakers set is likely to dominate the coverage of this year’s Farm Aid, but it was just one of many amazing moments. Here are eight others.
The Owner of the Indianapolis Colts Covers Pink Floyd and Warren Zevon
When you have over $4 billion, you can basically do whatever the hell you want. And when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay decided he wanted to use some of his fortune to assemble a rock band that he’d front, he was able to lure drummer Kenny Aronoff, guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and other top pros into the project. Irsay gave Farm Aid a check for $1 million this year, which is likely why his band was allowed to perform at the show. But even though Irsay is far from a great vocalist, he poured his heart into Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers Guns and Money,” and Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.” Shepherd crushed David Gilmour’s guitar solo on the latter song, and the whole set was a lot more fun than anyone had a reasonable right to expect.
Ann Wilson Takes Charge
After singing just two songs, Irsay walked off the stage and handed his band over to Heart’s Ann Wilson. This was a smart move even though this was now the Jim Irsay Band Minus Jim Irsay. Wilson belted out the Who’s “Love Reign O’er Me” and Heart’s “Barracuda” was stunning power. Let’s hope she finds a way to reconnect with her sister Nancy at some point soon and get Heart back on the road. She remains one of the most gifted singers in rock.
The Black Opry Wows The Crowd
Early in the day, the Black Opry featuring Lori Rayne, Tyler Bryant, and Kyshona took the stage. They had a tough task since many fans were still shuffling in and the crowd was largely unfamiliar with their work. Their set was also delayed by audio problems. But once they started singing, the crowd was wowed into a hushed silence. The three singers took turns signing their own country-tinged tunes and cheering each other on. They left to a huge standing ovation. Hopefully this is the start of a new Farm Aid tradition.
The Nelson Boys Deliver
Just days after playing the Roxy with Neil Young, Micah Nelson played a solo set early in the day at Farm Aid that climaxed with a splendid “Everything Is Bullshit.” He’s still battling the viral infection Vestibular Neuritis and had to utilize a walking stick, but was otherwise in fine form. Later in the afternoon, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real had the entire amphitheater singing along to “Find Yourself.” They’ve been Farm Aid regulars for quite a while, and they’re better and better every single year.
Bob Weir Teams Up With Margo Price and Sturgill Simpson
Bob Weir brought out Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price for his brief set with Wolf Bros. They opened with “Truckin,” transitioned into “Dark Star,” and closed out with “Not Fade Away.” Margo Price joined them on the last one. Dead and Co. may be a thing of the past after their farewell tour this summer, but it’s clear that Weir is nowhere ready to retire himself.
Margo Price Covers Tom Petty
Margo Price officially joined the Farm Aid board in 2021, but she became part of the family long before that. Her high-energy set, which featured Sturgill Simpson on four songs, climaxed with a cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Last Dance With Mary Jane.” If Belmont Tench and Mike Campbell weren’t trying to keep their set a secret, they could have come out and joined her.
Neil Young Unplugs
Anyone hoping that Neil Young was going to bring the Santa Monica Flyers to Indianapolis and play a mini version of his Tonight’s The Night set from the earlier this week at the Roxy was disappointed. He took the stage solo acoustic and played a mere four songs: “Comes a Time,” “Are There Any More Real Cowboys?,” “Love Earth,” and “Heart of Gold,” pausing between each one to talk about the importance of protecting family farms. This would have been more fun if he decided to play with Promise of the Real like at many Farm Aids of the past, but he surely knew his friend Bob was coming on next, and wanted to give him some of his time. That’s a compromise we can accept. Next year, however, it’s time for a reunion with the Real. It’s been way too long.
John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews Play the Hits
It wouldn’t be Farm Aid without John Mellencamp breaking out “Scarecrow,” “Small Town,” and “Pink Houses.” After spending much of the year on the road, his band was extremely tight. And John was in extremely good spirits as he played to what’s basically a hometown crowd. Directly before his set, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds had the entire place singing along to “Satellite,” “Crush,” and other old favorites. The full Dave Matthews Band still put on a great show, but it’s often more satisfying to see Dave in this mode.
Willie Nelson Sends Everyone Home Smiling
Months after his 90th birthday, and in the middle of a pretty grueling tour, Willie Nelson somehow still had the energy to close out the show with an 18-song set. Lukas Nelson took over lead vocals for a killer rendition of “Texas Flood,” Micah Nelson revived “Everything Is Bullshit” from earlier in the show, and many of the day’s performers – including Young, Weir, Matthews, Price, and Mellencamp – came out for “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” “I’ll Fly Away,” and “It’s Hard to Be Humble.” Even without a surprise Bob Dylan set, this would have been one of the finest Farm Aids in recent memory. When you factor in Dylan, it was certainly one of the very best Farm Aids since this whole thing began in 1985. Topping it next year will be very hard.
Indiana
Indiana pizza delivery driver tipped $2 after hiking through snowstorm in ‘affluent’ neighborhood — then police officer steps in to help
A dedicated Indiana pizza delivery driver walked half a mile through a dangerous snowstorm in a “very affluent” neighborhood before he was met with a $2 tip.
Connor Stephanoff, an employee at Rock Star Pizza, was seen walking in the treacherous conditions in Brownsburg, Ind. as multiple plows filled the street to clear the snow last week, according to footage posted by Avon Police Department Lieutenant Richard Craig.
Stephanoff initially drove to complete the order, but a school bus crash blocked the road.
That’s when Stephanoff decided to complete the journey on foot – wearing a sweatpants, sweater, a beanie and sneakers.
Craig was outside helping residents navigate the dangerous road conditions when he noticed Stephanoff trekking through the snow-covered street and told him to get out of the street and onto the sidewalk.
Stephanoff revealed that he had to walk in the snow to complete the $40 pizza delivery.
“Did you get a good tip?” Craig asked.
“Two dollars,” Stephanoff replied.
Stephanoff looked at the receipt again and corrected the number to $2.15.
The officer was stunned.
“Two dollars?” Craig exclaimed. “Are you kidding me? Cold-blooded! Two dollars. Look at this man. This man walked through hell and high water to deliver a pizza.”
Craig was impressed by Stephanoff’s work ethic and dedication but was disgusted that a customer in a wealthy neighborhood would tip him so little during the terrible conditions.
“The delivery was about 1/4 mile past where the bus was blocking the street,” Craig captioned under his video. “This young man did not allow this to discourage him. He didn’t call his manager to complain, he didn’t call the customer and tell them their $40 pizza order could not be delivered. Oh no. THIS MAN IS BUILT DIFFERENT.”
Craig gave Stephanoff $15 bucks but set up a GoFundMe page with the goal of raising $500.
The fundraiser has raised over $16,000 as of Saturday morning.
“I think what makes this story resonate is that at one time or another, any of us who has worked in a customer service position, has been Connor,” Rockstar Pizza wrote in a Facebook post. “We’ve gone over & above what anyone could ever ask of us, and the effort wasn’t appreciated. If not for Officer Craig, this would have just been another delivery shift for Connor.”
The restaurant added that they gave workers the option to stay home during the storm if they didn’t feel safe.
Stephanoff decided to work.
“He’s a great kid who works hard & we’re so happy to have him,” the restaurant added.
“Any condition, anytime, anywhere. You will get your pizza,” Stephanoff told WRTV.
Indiana
Foster mom sentenced to prison time in 10-year-old NW Indiana boy's death
Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
The northwest Indiana woman who was charged in the death of her 10-year-old foster son was sentenced on Friday, according to authorities.
Jennifer Lee Wilson, 48, was sentenced to six years in the Indiana Department of Correction, with one year suspended to be served on probation, according to the Porter County Prosecutor’s Office.
Wilson was charged with reckless homicide in connection with the death of Dakota Levi Stevens, who died after experiencing a medical emergency in April, authorities said. Wilson was arrested by sheriff’s deputies approximately 25 miles away – more than two months later – after a license plate reader camera detected her vehicle.
The foster mother stated that she laid on his midsection for several minutes during an incident earlier this year, according to court documents.
“Wilson stated that when she attempted to stop him from leaving, she does not know if she tackled Dakota or they fell to the ground however her intention was to hold him,” the court filing stated.
As she held Dakota down, Wilson stated she had one hand holding her phone and the other bracing her, authorities said. Wilson later asked Dakota “Are you faking?” rolled him over and it appeared his eyelids were pale, court documents stated.
Wilson then began CPR and called 911.
Officers made contact with a neighbor who stated that Dakota ran to her house approximately 30 minutes before emergency vehicles arrived. The neighbor stated Dakota asked her to adopt him because his parents hit him in the face and didn’t let him call his caseworker, officials said. The neighbor said she didn’t observe any signs Dakota was injured.
An autopsy revealed the cause of death as mechanical asphyxia and the manner of death as homicide. Dakota was 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 91 pounds, filings revealed. Wilson is 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 340 pounds, according to driver license records.
Indiana
A-to-F letter grades likely returning for Indiana schools – Inside INdiana Business
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Indiana schools will once again be assigned A-to-F letter grades, reinstating an accountability measure that has been paused since the 2020-21 school year.
On Wednesday, state education leaders provided an early look at a new system for evaluating how well schools educate students. However, it remains unclear when schools will begin receiving grades under the updated system.
The overhaul follows years of debate about the future of high school diplomas, addressing a literacy crisis among elementary students, and assessing the pandemic’s impact on student achievement.
Work on a new accountability system has been underway for some time. A 2023 law tasked the State Board of Education with updating the way it evaluates public and state-accredited nonpublic schools.
The board is still required to use the A-to-F grading scale but must align it with metrics in the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard. The dashboard, launched more than two years ago, allows families to assess school quality.
Metrics include academic performance, such as third-grade reading proficiency, growth in math skills, and earning college credit.
State lawmakers could also push for further changes to the system during the legislative session, similar to recent discussions on high school diplomas.
New system this year
House Bill 1498, authored by Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, would strip back some of the older accountability framework so that a new A-F rule can be built up by the board.
However, if passed, developing a new accountability system would be placed on a tight deadline: establishing a new model by the end of 2025.
The bill outlines specific guidelines for measuring school performance. The new system would:
- Prioritize students earning diploma seals,
- Be based on data from the GPS dashboard,
- Include proficiency rates from state assessments, and
- Feature a high school “on-track to graduate” indicator.
HB 1498 also calls for null letter grades to continue through the 2024-25 school year.
State Department of Education staff shared potential changes to the system during a presentation Wednesday.
“This framework is to initiate a much broader critical discussion, to take us from a recommended framework to a final model,” said Ron Sandlin, the education department’s deputy chief strategy officer.
The department has spent around 17 months talking with Hoosiers and developing their proposal, Sandlin said. Sandlin said the state cannot rely on older models to measure this next era of education.
In 2011 the A-F system was created to replace more descriptive ratings with letter grades. Then, in 2014, the system was updated to prioritize student’s academic progress.
Under the new proposed priorities, updated ratings would consider more than just academic performance and graduation rates.
For 10th-grade indicators, the system would expand beyond academics to include attendance, advanced coursework, and reduced chronic absenteeism. Schools would also be credited for students who score above 860 on the PSAT — a benchmark achieved by more than 90% of test-takers.
“At 10th grade, where are our students,” Sandlin said. “Is everyone on a path? Does everyone have a plan, and do we have the capacity to support that plan? And our accountability model will incentivize, encourage and celebrate those schools that are effectively doing that, as opposed to now waiting until the very end and saying, ‘Well, you got there or you didn’t’”.
The changes in accountability for high schools would be paired with the state’s diploma model, so success for seniors would be measured by completing a diploma seal, work-based learning experience or credential of value. Students would be on their chosen path for either an education, employment or enlistment seal.
Board members expressed support for the initial themes of the department’s plan. Scott Bess said the older system put a lot of weight on growth, which resulted in leaving students behind.
“If you could get a kid to achieve and grow, you could get 125 points for that student, which means you didn’t have to worry about this other kid over here who’s only going to get 50 points,” Bess said. “Put those two together and it’s still a good grade, right? And so you can see people leaving groups of students behind, because from an accountability system, it didn’t matter.”
Board member B.J. Watts said the system should be kept simple and “a tool for getting better”.
“Are the students in our buildings getting better while they’re there,” Watt said.
The board plans to continue discussions in the coming months, engaging with Hoosier families and educators. The department will also seek public feedback throughout the process before finalizing the system.
The A-to-F accountability system was initially designed to force failing schools to improve. If a school received failing grades for too many consecutive years, the state could sever it from the district and appoint a new manager. In 2011, four schools in Indianapolis and one in Gary were taken over.
However, the years-long intervention was widely seen as a failure by local communities and some lawmakers.
In 2021, a state law ended the state takeover of underperforming public schools.
Rachel Fradette is the WFYI Statehouse education reporter. Contact Rachel at rfradette@wfyi.org.
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