One hundred and seventy-five years ago, on February 22, 1851, Johann Frederich Closterman purchased 80 acres of land from Herman Henry Reutepohler, who had received the original patent to the land from the United States of America General Land Office signed by President John Tyler on August 1, 1844. Johann and his family built a…
In 2022, Jasper was the winner of the Strong Town Contest. I nominated Jasper in the contest because I believe that Jasper is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Here is what the Strong Town organization wrote about Jasper after we won. A place that gets things done. Nestled in the…
We are not angry at the landowners who chose to lease their property for solar panels and battery energy storage systems. They made a private business decision on land they own, and that right deserves respect. What concerns many residents is not the landowner’s choice, but the expectation that the rest of the county should…
For more than a year, residents of Dubois County have been asking a simple question: Who is responsible for keeping our communities safe when massive industrial energy projects move in? The troubling answer, as the Crossvine Solar and Battery Energy Storage project has shown, is that no level of government seems willing to take responsibility….
If I decide to build a new house, the cost is mine. If I overspend, choose a bad contractor, or the project doesn’t deliver what I promised, my neighbors are not forced to pay for it. Yet that is exactly how Indiana’s utility system works today. Investor-owned utilities are allowed to build massive solar and…
A bill authored by State Sen. Daryl Schmitt (R-Jasper) that would automatically update voter registration for candidates who withdraw from elections if the address on their withdrawal form is different from their registration passed the House today by a vote of 72-24 with bipartisan support. Senate Enrolled Act 112 would help to ensure Hoosiers are voting…
When residents raise concerns about large battery energy storage systems being placed near homes, schools, and churches, we are often told, “It’s no different than a Tesla car battery.” That comparison is misleading. A Tesla vehicle battery typically stores around 70 to 100 kilowatt-hours of energy. The battery system proposed for the Crossvine project uses…
Hoosiers are opening their utility bills and asking the same question: Why does electricity keep getting more expensive? We are told that large solar and battery energy storage projects will lower costs, yet rates across Indiana continue to rise. Utility companies are spending billions on new infrastructure—solar fields, massive battery systems, transmission upgrades, and substations,…
The Indiana General Assembly has reached the halfway point of this year’s legislative session, which means bills must have passed out of their original chamber in order to continue through the legislative process. In the Senate, 290 bills were filed this year, and 112 were passed by the chamber. More than 90% of these bills…
House Bill 1333 is being presented as a technical land-use and economic development bill, but its real impact deserves closer attention from Hoosiers—especially those in rural communities. HB 1333 makes certain large developments on agricultural land a “permitted use,” meaning they can move forward without rezoning, special exceptions, or meaningful local approval. This strips counties…
