The 60-second version
Fort Wayne City Council unanimously canceled its Flock automatic license-plate-reader contract after months of delays and public criticism.
Indiana now has a major-disaster declaration from President Trump, opening individual and public assistance for storm-hit counties.
NIPSCO says 99% of its northern Indiana customers had power restored as of Tuesday evening after roughly 375,000 customers lost service.
Berrien-Cass-Van Buren workforce board chairman George Saleeby handed chair functions to Luke Barber as the Kinexus inquiry widens.
Elkhart City Council meets Thursday for public comment and final readings on a moratorium covering data centers and battery-storage projects.
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Allen County
UPDATE: Did Fort Wayne finally end the Flock contract?
Fort Wayne City Council voted unanimously to cancel the city’s contract with Flock, the company behind its automatic license-plate readers. The contract had already expired earlier in the summer, and recent public comments opposing the cameras crossed political lines.
The Fort Wayne Police Department and Allen County Prosecutor’s Office had supported the technology as a crime-fighting tool. Council members cited surveillance, data-sharing and the risk of oversurveillance in explaining the decision.
Source: WBOI
Show angle: The vote is over; now Fort Wayne owes residents a clear accounting of what data exists and what happens to it.
UPDATE: What did the Anchor hearing actually change?
Mayor Sharon Tucker held the public hearing on the proposed Anchor Resource Center at the Grand Wayne Center, drawing a few hundred people and most of the council. Most speakers supported the low-barrier facility, while Councilman Russ Jehl — who had led calls for a formal hearing — did not attend.
The proposed site is 333 E. Washington Blvd., and the council is expected to vote on purchasing the building next month. No funding vote occurred at the hearing.
Source: WBOI
Show angle: A majority of speakers favored the project, but the real test is whether the final vote answers the operating and accountability questions.
Can $144,000 in new grants move Northeast Indiana nonprofits?
The Do it Best Foundation is awarding more than $144,000 to 21 nonprofits, including nine organizations in Northeast Indiana. The grants cover youth services, health care, food security, education, addiction recovery, arts and other community needs.
The foundation said its next grant cycle remains open through Sept. 25, 2026. The awards follow a Cookin’ Fort Wayne fundraiser that generated a $100,000 gift for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Indiana.
Source: WOWO
Show angle: Private grants can fill real gaps, but they also raise the question of which needs public budgets are leaving behind.
St. Joseph County
What does the Bendix Drive bridge closure mean for South Bend drivers?
The northbound Bendix Drive bridge over the Indiana Toll Road closes at 7:00 a.m. Wednesday for routine maintenance and repairs. Southbound traffic stays open, while northbound drivers must follow a detour through Nimitz Parkway, Olive Road, Brick Road and Cleveland Road.
The closure is scheduled through Sept. 5, with the project expected to finish Sept. 9 at 5:00 p.m. Drivers should follow posted signs and allow extra time.
Source: WIMS
Show angle: A routine bridge repair becomes a daily test of whether the detour and completion schedule hold.
Elkhart County
UPDATE: Is Thursday’s moratorium vote a pause or a policy?
The special Elkhart City Council meeting begins Thursday with public comment and the second and third readings of a temporary moratorium on data centers and battery storage. The council unanimously advanced the proposal on first reading, stopping short of a final vote.
A moratorium would pause processing applications while the city considers how to handle projects that can affect electricity demand, water use, noise and surrounding land. The direct article confirms the meeting and the measure’s status, but not a final vote outcome.
Source: ABC57
Show angle: “Temporary” is doing a lot of work here; residents should ask what rule replaces the pause and when.
Berrien County, MI
Why did the workforce board chairman hand off his duties?
George Saleeby, chairman of the Berrien-Cass-Van Buren Workforce Development Board, transferred chair functions to vice chairman Luke Barber while remaining on the board. Saleeby’s term is due to expire Sept. 30, and Barber said he is performing the chair’s functions rather than formally assuming the position.
The change came as Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties continue examining Kinexus Group. Kinexus CEO Todd Gustafson is scheduled to leave Sept. 8; the counties have issued a records-preservation directive and agreed with the agency on a Sept. 11 deadline for a second records request.
Source: WSJM
Show angle: A public workforce agency can change leaders, but it cannot change the paper trail the counties are asking to see.
UPDATE: Will St. Joseph write a decibel ordinance?
Residents near the Sandbar Grille told St. Joseph City Commissioners that late outdoor music and bass are harming their quality of life. Commissioners had allowed live music on several Fridays through 11:30 p.m., but the city still has no ordinance setting acceptable decibel levels.
City staff are researching a formal ordinance, and Commissioner Michael Fernandez said the issue will return to the agenda. The next steps and any proposed limit have not been announced.
Source: WSJM
Show angle: Property rights cut both ways: homeowners deserve quiet, and businesses deserve rules they can actually follow.
Can Niles repeat as the Wolverine Conference favorite?
WSJM’s 2026 preview says Niles enters as the defending Wolverine Conference champion after going 9-1 overall and 7-0 in conference play last season. The team returns five offensive starters and three defensive starters.
Edwardsburg returns 10 starters on both offense and defense, while the eight-team conference plays a round-robin schedule. Paw Paw, Three Rivers and Vicksburg are listed among the potential challengers.
Source: WSJM
Show angle: The season preview is a reminder that local institutions still live or die by what they return — and what they replace.
Indiana Statehouse & Statewide
Will a statewide voter guide make elections clearer or government bigger?
Independent secretary of state candidate Greg Ballard is promising a statewide, nonpartisan voter guide if elected. His prototype includes voting instructions, voter rights, precinct-level races and statements from candidates.
Republican candidate Max Engling criticized the proposal as an unfunded expansion of state government. Ballard says about a dozen other states already have official voter guides, and Indiana’s general election is listed for Nov. 3.
Source: WFYI
Show angle: The practical question is simple: who pays, who writes the descriptions and who audits the claims?
What does the new NIPSCO storm update mean for northern Indiana?
NIPSCO reported that 99% of its northern Indiana customers had power restored as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. The Aug. 11 derecho and following storms cut service to approximately 375,000 customers, about 80% of the company’s electric customers.
More than 4,000 internal and contract workers from 14 states helped rebuild the system in less than two weeks. NIPSCO said remaining outages may involve damaged customer-owned equipment or routine outages unrelated to the storm.
Source: WIMS
Show angle: Restoration is nearly complete, but the next accountability question is whether the grid was prepared for the storm that broke the company’s records.
UPDATE: How much storm aid is now available to Hoosiers?
President Donald Trump approved Gov. Mike Braun’s request for a major-disaster declaration through FEMA. The declaration opens individual assistance for residents and public assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities in multiple counties.
The official release lists 21 counties for individual assistance, including Lake, LaPorte, Porter and Wayne, and says millions of federal dollars will now be available. Counties not yet included may still be eligible after additional review and data collection.
Source: State of Indiana
Show angle: Federal money is finally moving; the next fight is speed, eligibility and whether local residents can navigate the paperwork.
UPDATE: When will the final storm debris disappear?
Gov. Braun’s recovery plan sends state crews and contractors to help communities and local governments with debris removal and cleanup. Residents are told to place downed limbs, flood-damaged household items and other debris at the curb, while local governments route requests through county emergency-management agencies.
Eligible displaced households can seek temporary hotel vouchers or rental assistance by calling 211. The state also extended the deadline to request replacement SNAP benefits to Aug. 31, and Braun is making $5,000 available from the State Disaster Relief Fund for impacted Hoosiers.
Source: WIMS
Show angle: Disaster aid is only real when people can find the right phone number, form and deadline before the help runs out.
What is Indiana’s new flag order?
Gov. Braun ordered flags at all state facilities and the Indiana Statehouse to fly at half-staff beginning Wednesday, Aug. 26, in honor of music and film icon Dolly Parton. The order remains in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1.
The directive applies to state facilities and the Statehouse; the governor’s office did not make it a general requirement for every private flag in Indiana.
Source: WTHR
Show angle: A flag order is symbolic, but the wording matters: what is required, what is requested and who is covered?
How wide is Indiana’s data-center backlash?
An Indiana Capital Chronicle analysis says seven in ten Americans oppose AI data centers in their communities, citing concerns about electricity, water, subsidies, noise, pollution and grid pressure. The Citizens Action Coalition says it has been joined by 26 Hoosier organizations and that dozens of Indiana counties have passed moratoria or bans.
The analysis also says nearly as many individual proposals have been defeated or withdrawn over the past two years. Those figures are advocacy-group claims presented in the article, not a state tally.
Source: Indiana Capital Chronicle
Show angle: The common ground is real; the policy question is whether opposition produces better rules or simply stops every project.
UPDATE: Can an escapee make I-94 a five-hour manhunt?
An individual being transferred to an ICE holding facility escaped from restraints near I-94 Exit 22 in Burns Harbor and ran into a brush line. Indiana State Police and local agencies searched for several hours before finding the person hiding in marsh water and taking him into custody without further incident.
The report did not identify the individual. It said there was no ongoing threat to the public after the arrest.
Source: WIMS
Show angle: The public-safety question is not just how the escape ended, but how a restrained detainee got out of the transport in the first place.
On the Calendar
Today — Wednesday, Aug. 26
7:00 a.m. — Northbound Bendix Drive bridge closure. Routine maintenance closes the bridge over the Indiana Toll Road while southbound traffic remains open and a detour takes northbound drivers through local streets. → WIMS
10:00 a.m. — Paw Paw butterfly mural unveiling. Destination Paw Paw and its downtown authority unveil an interactive mural and preview a mini-mural scavenger hunt. → WSJM
Tomorrow — Thursday, Aug. 27
4:00 p.m. — Elkhart City Council special meeting. Public comment and second and third readings on the data-center and battery-storage moratorium will decide whether Elkhart keeps the pause moving. → ABC57
Friday, Aug. 28
7:00 p.m. — Benton Harbor at Berrien Springs football opener. Benton Harbor opens its season at home against Berrien Springs, the defending Lakeland Conference co-champion. → WSJM
No date set — watch these
St. Joseph City Commission — decibel ordinance. Staff are researching a formal limit for outdoor live music after residents complained about late-night noise. → WSJM
Kinexus oversight board — public special meeting. The counties expect a meeting next week as leadership changes and records requests continue; no exact date is posted. → WSJM
If one thing in here should get around, it’s Fort Wayne’s unanimous Flock cancellation and the data-retention questions that follow. Hit restack so residents see the paper trail.
Reply and tell me: should cities be allowed to deploy license-plate readers before state rules on data sharing are written?
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