IPB

Road salt can reduce car accidents on icy winter days. But it often doesn't stay on the road — and that runoff can harm aquatic life in rivers and lakes as well as damage plants and soil.

The average salary for teachers in Indiana is over $60,000, according to last year's teacher compensation report. Although teacher pay is up from previous years, the state still pays less than most others.

A central Indiana youth advocacy group wants the state to invest in more affordable housing for Hoosier families. The Marion County Commission on Youth said lack of housing and other basic needs can cause a negative domino effect for children.

Since it launched in May, only about 1,400 Indiana residents have completed applications to save money on things like water heaters and insulation.

Gov. Mike Braun picked three new members of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. The agency decides whether a utility can charge its customers for the cost of things like new power plants and lines.

House Republicans and the Trump administration have proposed significant cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency next fiscal year. They say it's an effort to reduce "wasteful spending" and give more environmental oversight back to states like Indiana.

Indiana's infant mortality rate was at a historic low last year, according to the Indiana Department of Health.

This comes after a nearly two-year with the environmental group Save the Dunes. Fights over whether to harden the Lake Michigan shoreline have been going on for years and are likely to continue.

Indiana schools would need to notify parents if their child was a victim of bullying, or expressing suicidal thoughts, under a bill one House lawmaker plans to reintroduce during the legislative session.

AI data centers need a massive amount of energy to operate 24/7. Multiple Indiana utilities plan to serve them with new natural gas plants or by keeping coal plants open — leading to more air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.