I am writing to urge Dubois County residents to educate themselves about the significant risks and costs associated with the AES Crossvine Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) proposed near the Southwest Dubois County School Corporation schools. The safety and well-being of our children and community must be our highest priority, and the placement of this…
Dubois County has a rich history and a strong sense of community rooted in hard work, faith, family, and innovation. As Lieutenant Governor and District 74 State Representative, I had the privilege of working alongside many of you to chart a course that positions our communities for generational success. Governor Braun joins a long line…
First, as we enter the season of Hoosier Hysteria and March Madness, I wish to congratulate all the basketball teams in the state for their dedication and loyalty, and the student bodies’ support of each and every school at every grade level. Good luck in the tournaments! Second, another madness that all Hoosiers of our…
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…
