INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A suspicious letter with a powdery substance was sent to the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office.

That’s according to Secretary of State Diego Morales.

Field testing showed the substance in the envelop was not hazardous.

The envelop and its contents were being sent to an FBI laboratory for further testing.

Nobody was hurt.

News release

“INDIANAPOLIS – (September 17, 2024) – Today, employees at the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office reported delivery of suspicious envelope containing a powdery substance. Public safety and law enforcement agencies were called to the State Government Center to secure the immediate area, conduct tests, and remove the suspicious material. Responding agencies included the Indiana Capital Police, Indiana State Police, State Fire Marshall, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, State and Post Office hazardous materials units, and the FBI.

“After field testing by local, state, and federal authorities the contents in the envelope were preliminarily determined to be non-hazardous. The mail piece and contents are being transported to an FBI laboratory for forensic testing.  No injuries resulted from the incident. 

“The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office has received alerts from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and federal law enforcement agencies to be alert for suspicious, potentially dangerous election mail. Other states have reported receiving suspicious is aware of several other Secretary of State Offices across the country recently receiving suspicious election mail.

“‘We take every precaution to ensure the safety of our employees and the public.  I want to especially thank members of my team; our law enforcement partners and other first responders for their swift and professional response. We are relieved that everyone is safe,’ said Diego Morales, Indiana Secretary of State.

“Earlier this year, Secretary Morales hand delivered instructions on spotting and handling suspicious email, along with doses of Narcan nasal spray to county clerks’ offices throughout the state. In July and August, the Secretary of State and Indiana Department of Homeland Security conducted a series of regional election security and safety conferences for county election administrators, emergency management offices and local law enforcement agencies.”

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Lindsey Eaton, communications director for Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales

(WISH) — With gas prices always a concern for motorists, Thursday is shaping up to be an ideal day for Hoosiers to go Car-free or “Car-lite.”

The global event invites people to reduce their reliance on cars, offering a fun, free way to save money, alleviate stress, and contribute to a cleaner, more vibrant community.

World Car Free Day, celebrated every September since its inception in 2000, aims to lessen the impact of car-dominated societies by encouraging alternative modes of transportation. On this special day, drivers are urged to leave their vehicles at home and opt for biking, vanpooling, carpooling, teleworking, walking, or taking the bus.

In downtown Indianapolis, employees have been encouraged to join in by choosing alternative transportation methods for their commutes on Thursday for Car Free Day Indy. The day will feature live music from The DOO! Band at Monument Circle, with performances scheduled from 7-9 a.m. and from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Additionally, the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority will be on Monument Circle to offer transportation resources, free food, and live music to help spread the word about the global observance.

Join the movement and help make Central Indiana a cleaner, more sustainable place to live!

INDIANAPOLIS — Immigration remains a major topic heading into the November election. Jenny Bojang thinks about the immigration process every day.

She and her Husband Harun met while she was serving in the Peace Corp. Their love started as a friendship. He was a driver and at the time they met, married. His wife died due to complication during child birth, not long after he got in a car accident.

After knowing each other for a while they ended up having feelings for each other. Harun introduced Jenny to his mother and the rest is history.

“It was obvious that he had the same feelings for me that I had for him,” Jenny said.

Jenny stayed overseas for a few years to help her husband raise his kids along with his mother, while they were just dating. Then in 2018 they decided to marry in a cultural ceremony. Six days later she left for a government job in Indianapolis, where she has lived since.

Provided

Now she has two bedrooms that are move in ready for her husband’s kids who she considers her own. They started all the paperwork that was needed in 2020.

“Things were being approved things were moving to the right places,” Jenny said. “The all of the sudden COVID hit and everything all the immigration got shut down embassy’s got shut down.”

Due to the pandemic, her original petition for her husband and their children expired. She tried to expedite the process so her family could meet her dad before he passed. That request was denied.

“That didn’t get to happen and that is heart breaking,” Megan Pastrana an Attorney and CEO of Immigration for couples said. “That’s irreparable harm that happened because of the immigration system.

Provided

Pastrana says navigating the immigration process can take years, which isn’t fair to couples trying to do everything correctly.

“They say that they have a high volume of cases, and they don’t have enough immigration officers to review the cases,” Pastrana said.

The process requires couples to prove their love to the government something Jenny detailed in stacks of papers and notes dedicated to the process. While she knows she isn’t alone she hopes sharing her story can show people a different side of the immigration system.

“See us and not just look at these cases as a case number but look at each one of these cases as if you know this is their family member,” Jenny said.

Jenny and her husband are waiting for their interview with immigration officials. She says, they haven’t gotten a timeline yet for when that interview will take place. Once it does, that’s when the system will decide whether he can and his children get to come to the states on Visa’s. Then the process of applying for a green card begins.

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We reached out to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office for comment. They didn’t share information about Jenny’s case specifically but they sent the information below on how they make decisions.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office:

USCIS adjudicates each request for immigration benefits fairly, humanely, and efficiently on a case-by-case basis to determine if it meets established eligibility criteria required under applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The agency remains committed to breaking down barriers in the immigration system, reducing undue burdens on those eligible for benefits, and upholding America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve.

The length of the application process may vary depending on biometrics submission requirements, reliance on the grant of an underlying benefit requested, and whether applicants have demonstrated they’ve met the established criteria for approval. If an applicant has not initially provided sufficient evidence to establish eligibility, then USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence, which can extend processing times in individual cases. Each case is reviewed based on the totality of the evidence and there may be variations on how long they take to adjudicate. USCIS posts national median processing times for certain forms on the Historical National Median Processing Timewebpage.

Applicants can check and track the status of their case by going to Case Status Online on our website. This feature allows applicants to keep up with the progress of their immigration application, petition or request. Applicants can access it by creating a free account online. Applicants have the ability to file an expedited processing request. USCIS will review each request for expedited processing to determine if the case meets established eligibility criteria to qualify. More details are available here: How to Make an Expedite Request.

Applicants with questions about the status of their case can reach out to our Contact Centereither by phone or onlineto request an appointment at a local field office for assistance.