Below is a data-driven op-ed from Dr. Addie Angelov urging lawmakers to finish social media legislation this session. It foregrounds peer-reviewed research, national surveillance data, and Indiana-specific law enforcement statistics, and it explicitly acknowledges that the first version will not be perfect. In my role as an independent researcher with federally approved access to highly…

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…

Last week’s winter storm offered a real-world test of large-scale solar and battery energy storage systems proposed for Dubois County. We received about 10 inches of snow, followed by very cold temperatures and heavy cloud cover. During that time, solar panels were largely unable to produce electricity. Snow-covered panels do not generate power, and in…

The recent government shutdown exposed a critical problem: air traffic controllers went without paychecks while doing essential work. This only amplified existing personnel and technology constraints in ATC. For manufacturers in rural Indiana, this kind of disruption threatens operations and the jobs we support. OFS Brands and companies like ours depend on a functioning aviation…

My comments in response to Governor Braun’s recent post. If you truly cared about the sanctity of life, why do you never talk about the public health effects of your policies on prenatal development and maternal health? Where does Indiana rank in air and water quality, and what are the logical effects upon our children…

Residents of Dubois County deserve to understand how large energy projects can affect their electric bills. While solar fields and battery storage systems are often promoted as “clean energy” (when the sun is not shining, coal-fired power plants will charge the batteries), what is rarely discussed is who actually pays for them. These facilities require…