Indiana

Clark County CARES, a grassroots community group in Southern Indiana, is gearing up for its annual Drug Facts Week. The weeklong event focuses on education, outreach and support for anyone impacted by substance use.

Charlestown, Indiana’s holiday lights bring in around 60,000 from across the region each year. But for one local couple, the twinkling displays hold a special magic.

Lawmakers tasked the Indiana Department of Education with creating new graduation requirements by the end of this year. Those requirements were unanimously approved by the Indiana State Board of Education this week, but there is still a lot of work to do before they are fully implemented by schools.

Last fall, the Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana secured a more permanent location for its emergency white flag shelter. The group's director said that’s providing more stability for the program’s clients, at a time of increased need.

A federal court recently blocked an Indiana law that allows state utilities to get dibs on interstate power line projects — saying it violates interstate commerce laws.

A temporary block of Indiana’s near-total abortion ban will remain in place for just a few women who filed a religious freedom lawsuit challenging the law after a split Indiana Supreme Court chose not to hear an appeal in the case.

Indiana is one of 12 states that are vulnerable to Medicaid coverage loss if federal funding is reduced under the upcoming Trump administration.

Indiana has been appropriating state funds for nearly a decade to increase the number of physician training opportunities. The state’s Graduate Medical Education Board plans to ask lawmakers for more money following a record number of applications for funding this year.

A new teacher apprenticeship program led by Indiana University could help schools that are struggling to fill open positions. The statewide program allows students to work in school districts while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in education at Indiana University campuses.

A regional development authority in Southern Indiana has announced 21 projects to receive $45 million in this round of state READI grants. More than $6 million is tapped to go toward kick starting redevelopment at the former JeffBoat shipyard in Jeffersonville.