To answer, Does turning farmland into solar make sense for our future? I think it makes more sense than how farmland is used to grow crops for fuel today. Roughly 38% to 40% of the total U.S. corn crop, more than 30 million acres, is farm-to-fuel land dedicated to growing corn for ethanol production. Now,…
As residents of Dubois County watch more farmland being proposed for large-scale solar projects, we should pause and ask a very simple question: Does this make sense for our future? Southern Indiana has some of the most productive farmland in the state. For generations, these fields have produced corn, soybeans, hay, and livestock that support…
Is this what you voted for? In 2024, while running for office, Donald Trump said he would act immediately to lower food prices. Have you been to the grocery store lately? He said that he had a plan to reduce health care costs. Have you been to the doctor lately, the hospital, the drug store?…
I and three of my grandkids went to see the Disney movie “Hoppers” over the weekend. The movie is about a mean old mayor named Jerry who is trying to build a road over a pond and a beautiful nature area called the Glades. There is a young girl named Mabel, trying to save the…
We are being told that large-scale solar and Battery Energy Storage Systems are perfectly safe. That statement deserves serious scrutiny. High-density lithium-ion battery storage facilities are not passive infrastructure. When these systems fail, they fail in a way that is fundamentally different from most other industrial fires. The documented risk is thermal runaway, a cascading…
I wish to respond to a letter posted by Sue Elsperman on February 26 about the proposed Mid-States Corridor. She said “it is a generational investment in the long-term health, quality of life, and resilience of our communities. After decades of analysis, planning, and waiting, we now have an opportunity to secure transportation infrastructure that will…
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…
