Indiana reports second death from COVID-19
A Johnson County patient who had been hospitalized has died from COVID-19. It is the second death in Indiana.
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Adams County drug court judge abused office, discipline charges say
A northeastern Indiana judge who intervened on behalf of an employee of his drug court in a dispute with other county officials over her benefits committed judicial misconduct, an agency of the Indiana Supreme Court alleged Friday.
Tax Court affirms Evansville rehab center falls under 3% tax cap
An Evansville temporary inpatient rehab center is not considered to be either a long-term care property or a residential property, the Indiana Tax Court affirmed Tuesday. As such, the property owner’s tax liability was required to be computed using the 3% property tax cap.
Conviction upheld for ex-Gary city employee who ordered, sold iPads
A former employee of the City of Gary who purchased more than $1.3 million in computer equipment and resold it for cash lost an appeal of her conviction and sentence before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday.
Housing amendment that would bar local ordinances protested at Legislature
Pushing what legislators have so far not been able to stop, housing advocates arrived at the Statehouse Monday hoping to derail an amendment that opponents say would not only further disadvantage Indiana renters but also possibly preempt cities from regulating rental properties.
COA reverses for Madison County commissioners in redistricting ordinance dispute
A redistricting dispute initially resolved in favor of two citizens has been reversed in favor of the local Madison County government after the Indiana Court of Appeals found that an ordinance meant to more evenly distribute the population did not run afoul of the controlling redistricting statute. The ruling comes as Indiana prepares for the 2020 election season.
Justice center’s first building — addictions, mental health center — nears completion
City leaders can look southeast out the top floors of the City-County Building and see the Community Justice Campus taking shape in the Twin Aire neighborhood. Today, officials are just six months from a tentative opening for the first piece of the project, the 37,000-square-foot Assessment and Intervention Center.
Tax Court: Length of stay does not change character of hotel
A property owner could not convince the Indiana Tax Court that because its business offered rooms for extended stays, the property should be classified as residential and subjected to the lower 2% tax cap credit.
Domestic battery charges against Lake County official dismissed
Six domestic battery charges have been dismissed against Lake County Recorder Michael B. Brown after his attorneys provided prosecutors with videos showing the alleged victim hitting him in front of children several times and defecating on his personal belongings.
Right to Farm case ends with denial from Indiana Supreme Court
In ultimately denying transfer, a divided Indiana Supreme Court ended a dispute that pitted neighbor against neighbor and raised questions about whether the state’s Right to Farm Act was meant to cover an 8,000-head hog operation in Hendricks County.
Kokomo councilman ‘sorry’ for Islamophobic posts won’t resign
An Indiana city councilman whose predecessor resigned after posting Islamophobic comments online says he will not step down after he was also criticized for sharing similar views on Facebook.
Lawmakers considering central Indiana regionalism legislation
Indiana lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow the communities in central Indiana to create a regional development authority, but the framework isn’t exactly what advocates initially proposed.
COA reverses for state against ex-Crawford County payroll clerk
A panel of appellate judges has reversed and remanded the grant of a former Crawford County employee’s untimely motion for extension in a lawsuit alleging that she failed to withhold employee insurance contributions from her own paycheck.
Judge who resigned appointed pro tem of Lowell Town Court
A judge pro tempore has been appointed to a northwestern Indiana town court after its sitting judge resigned and no local attorney was available to serve as judge, according to an Indiana Supreme Court order.
Fort Wayne gets future fire tax revenues for annexed area, divided COA rules
The city of Fort Wayne is entitled to tax revenues for providing fire protection services to annexed land in Allen County, but past revenues will stay with the original fire protection district that served the area before the annexation, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Friday. A dissenting judge, however, questioned whether the case should have proceeded in the Indiana Tax Court instead.
Reversal: Tax liability can’t exceed 1% of property’s gross assessed value
The Indiana Tax Court has reversed an Indiana Board of Tax Review’s final determination, answering the dispositive issue of whether an assessor should have capped a homeowner’s 2013 property tax liability at 1% instead of 2% of her property’s gross assessed value.
Northwest Indiana official charged with domestic battery
An elected northwest Indiana official has been arrested on six domestic battery charges alleging he battered his pregnant girlfriend several times dating back to last June.
Judges Crawford, Moores not seeking Marion Superior Court retention
Marion Superior Judges Barbara Cook Crawford and Marilyn Moores will not stand for retention in the 2020 general election. A total of 13 other judges, however, have filed to be included on the November 2020 ballot.
Indianapolis committee OKs Hogsett’s tenant-protection initiative
A City-County Council committee has advanced two proposals that support Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s tenant-protections initiative, despite opposition from landlords and organizations that represent them.
Prosecutor fighting discipline over role in police sex investigation
The elected prosecutor of Knox County in southwestern Indiana faces an attorney discipline case related to his conduct stemming from a local police investigation into his former chief deputy prosecutor’s relationship with a woman who was serving time on drug charges. An attorney for the prosecutor, however, is contesting the discipline case and says the prosecutor is the victim of a vendetta born of the small-town rumor mill.