Governor Holcomb signs bill to accelerate replacement of lead water lines
Governor Eric Holcomb recently signed into law a bill sponsored by State Rep. Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) to help accelerate the replacement of lead drinking water lines for thousands of Indiana property owners.
According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Indiana is estimated to have over 265,000 customer-owned lead water lines still in operation. Lead lines, which connect a home or business to a water main, along with brass and bronze faucets are known to be the most significant source of lead in tap water as the materials corrode over time. Soliday said while the state and utility companies continue to work together on lead line replacement, he sponsored legislation to help speed up the process and in a cost-effective way.
Despite the federal government banning the use of the lead lines in new plumbing systems nearly 40 years ago, Soliday said many older communities and homes have pipe networks that predate the ban. According to the EPA, lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels, and children, babies and fetuses are most at risk of being impacted.
Bloomington Parks schedules spring clean-up at Rose Hill and White Oak Cemetariues
Parks and Recreation will conduct routine spring cleanups of Rose Hill Cemetery, 1100 W. Fourth St., and White Oak Cemetery, 1200 W. Seventh St., beginning in late March, as weather permits.
Decorative items including flags, flowers, and figurines that are damaged, broken, faded, out of season, or do not meet grave decoration guidelines will be disposed of. Breakable items, such as glass or ceramic, will also be removed along with items attached to monuments in vases or as saddles.
Shepherd’s hooks are not permitted at either of the city-owned cemeteries. All hooks and hanging items will be removed from grave sites and disposed of. For more information about Rose Hill or White Oak Cemetery, or about the decorations policies or the spring cleanup, contact the cemetery office at 812-349-3498.
- Search cemetery burial records, or learn more about the history of Rose Hill and White Oak Cemeteries.
- Learn more about the new Scatter Garden at Rose Hill Cemetery.
Student Aid Application delays causes Indiana Colleges to push back enrollment deadlines
Several colleges and universities in Indiana are pushing back enrollment deadlines as the FEDERAL Government had had challenges getting out information on the updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Among the Indiana schools extending their enrollment dates, , Purdue University and Indiana University have provided an extra 2 weeks (May 15th), and Ball State University and Indiana University at Indianapolis are asking students to make their decisions by June 1.
Indiana students need to file their FAFSA by April 15 to be considered for state-based financial aid for the 2024-25 school year.
Indiana Department of Revenue outlines best ways to communicate with them during tax season
One of the most effective ways to contact the Indiana Department of Revenue is to send them a secure message through INTIME, their e-services portal.
To get started, log in to INTIME and choose “All Actions.” Under “Messages,” select “Send a message.” On the next screen, you’ll be asked what account, if any, the message concerns. Then choose the tax period and what your question is about. You can also add attachments before submitting. Limit your message to one subject or question for the best response.
Reply to a letter – You may also use INTIME to respond to a letter from DOR. Log in and choose “All Actions.” Under “Letters,” select “Respond to a letter, notice, or bill.”
Create INTIME logon – Create your INTIME logon to access this and several other INTIME features. For specific instructions, use their INTIME logon guide.
This Week in Hoosier History
1921 Madelyn Pugh, television writer with I Love Lucy, born in Indianapolis. Pugh became interested in writing while serving as Friday editor of the Shortridge High School daily newspaper in Indianapolis, Indiana with classmate Kurt Vonnegut. At Shortridge she also served as vice president of her senior class. Her first professional writing job was writing short radio spots for WIRE, an Indianapolis radio station.
When her family moved to California, she got work as a radio writer, first for NBC and then CBS, where she met Bob Carroll. Pugh credits some of her breakthrough as “the girl writer” to the war effort, which limited the pool of qualified male writers; she was frequently the only female writer on staff.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson