One notable example of an entity in Indiana utilizing geothermal is Ball State University.

When Ball State University, located in Muncie, Indiana, completed its geothermal energy system in 2012, it marked a first for Indiana college campuses. The project, one of the university's largest sustainability initiatives, created one of the nation's largest ground-source, closed-loop district geothermal systems and continues to operate today.

The heating and cooling geothermal system for buildings across the university's campus runs off the Earth's natural ability to maintain a stable temperature throughout the seasons. Because of this, Ball State's geothermal heat pumps absorb available heat from the ground in winter seasons while discarding excess heat back into the Earth in the warmer months. Simply put, these systems use the consistency of underground temperatures to regulate the indoor climate of 71% of the campus's buildings.

After the switch in 2012, the school reduced its carbon footprint by almost half. According to Ball State, the university now releases approximately 85,000 tons less carbon than before, when the heating and cooling systems ran on fossil fuels. This change offered a reduction in carbon emissions roughly equal to what a million trees would absorb in the same amount of time.

"[The system] is holding up quite well at this time as we performed several preventative maintenance projects over the last year," stated Pete Heuer, BSU director of operations.

According to Heuer, the change is significant because most heating systems, including what BSU used prior to the geothermal switch, work by burning finite fossil fuels. This one, however, uses the renewable source that the planet offers. By weaning off the older boilers that once heated the university, Ball State has said that it is keeping to its sustainability commitment.

In this statement, Ball State University pledges to "protect and enhance the environment through our learning, research, service and administrative operations."

In 2015, former President Paul Ferguson became a signatory to the Second Nature Climate Leadership Commitment program, which had made additional commitments on reducing the emissions of harmful greenhouse gases to zero and mitigating campuses' contribution to climate change.

By integrating the geothermal systems across its campus, the university continues to pursue this commitment.

With the transition to geothermal, the school created nearly 2,300 more career opportunities, both directly and indirectly related to the geothermal system, according to a study by Ball State's Center for Business and Economic Research. This increase allowed the community to broaden its horizons and created opportunities that did not exist before.

A press release from Ball State Foundation notes that the university saves about $2 million a year with this system.

What does that mean for the rest of Hoosiers across the state?

Ball State's large-scale project is a prime example of how these systems can work, but another Hoosier business has been helping roll the technology out across the state for the last two decades.

Indiana Geothermal, founded in 2000, aims to further public knowledge about geothermal systems, their impact on the environment and the benefit to one's home or business.

While not connected to Ball State's project specifically, Indiana Geothermal has helped roll out multiple residential geothermal loops in the Delaware County area that help the average homeowner reduce their carbon footprint.

Owner of Indiana Geothermal, Dona Kyler, said in an interview that several local businesses and homeowners have taken advantage of this innovative system. All of those customers are presented with the four different types of geothermal loops that their company provides, and they also offer homeowners the opportunity for a free quote and evaluation.

"We have been selling ClimateMaster geothermal systems and installing loops in Indiana and the surrounding states for over 30 years," explained Kyler. "There are no systems available that can come close to the efficiency of a geothermal system. AirSource heat pumps come the closest, but are half the efficiency. A geothermal system can be up to 500% efficient [compared to AirSource]."

When considering how technology has grown and progressed in the past years, Kyler reflected on how geothermal systems have also advanced.

"Geothermal efficiencies have gotten better over the past 50 years with new technologies and refrigerant changes."

Even further, as one of the leading companies in geothermal system installation, Indiana Geothermal is looking to reframe the conversation surrounding it.

Kyler stated, "Our industry is historically not good at telling the geothermal story. We are trying to change that."

One way Kyler plans on doing so is by creating education opportunities ranging from government to businesses, as well as homeowners, on the benefits of geothermal.

In addition to owning Geothermal Indiana, Kyler also sits on the International Ground Source Heat Pump board of directors. She has installed these systems in her home, her rental house and even her barn, as well as having installed multiple systems for friends and family.

According to Kyler, "we breathe geothermal around here."

To learn more about Indiana Geothermal's systems, reach out to them at 317-829-1490 or visit their website at www.indianageothermal.com.

To learn more about Ball State's geothermal system, visit www.bsu.edu/about/geothermal.

This story was produced in part with financial support from Carbon Neutral Indiana. The reporting and production of this piece were overseen by faculty and/or staff within the Department of Journalism at Ball State University to ensure adherence to professional and ethical standards.

The candidates from both tickets introduced themselves to the audience, explaining who they are and what they want to let the audience know.

Addy Morey, the vice presidential candidate on the Representation, Innovation, Support and Engagement [R.I.S.E] ticket, is a second-year criminology major concentrating in criminal justice. Morey has been a part of SGA since her first year at Ball State.

Finley Gay, the vice presidential candidate on the WORK ticket, is a second-year legal studies major. Gay is a senator for the SGA Off-Campus committee and was the secretary of Delta Cap fraternity from January 25 to December 2025.

The first question the candidates were asked was, "What do you see as the role of the vice president in your administration?"

Gay answered the question first, saying that with the vice president role that he would run for would be the senate, connecting the senators as they write legislation.

"I would be heading up legislation, connecting with senators who are actually drafting, making sure they have all the resources and support necessary to accomplish their goals and fix the problems that they see on campus brought to them by their constituents," Gay said.

Morey said that she would work as a bridge between the upper administration at Ball State and the student body to get work done.

"You're supposed to be that bridge in between administration and the students, so being able to connect on these different things, including different committees, but also on the student level. We have a whole entire thing with supporting senators and [the] student government on our platform, which would have to do with checking in with the individual senator." Morey said.

A question for the R.I.S.E ticket was a point of discussion from the presidential debate: "A huge point of conflict was like Greek life representation. Could you contextualize what this underrepresentation of Greek life looks like, and tangible harms that are occurring to Greek life that you would need to address that are unique to them?"

Morey responded to the question, saying that due to Greek life making up to 10 percent of the student population at Ball State university that has to go through other councils, such as the InterFraternity Council and PanHellenic Association, that no other clubs have to.

"I am not a Greek life member, so I cannot directly speak on how they feel, but I can say that if a certain group feels underrepresented, we will advocate for their voice, because that is our job," Morey said.

The next question was directed towards both tickets, asking, "What do you both personally see is the biggest issue currently facing the student body?"

Gay said the biggest issue in his eyes is student safety, and that many students have expressed concerns about not feeling safe at all.

"It's very clear that a lot of students just don't feel college is a safe place for them anymore, which I think is a huge problem," Gay said.

Morey answered next, saying that it depends on who you ask and that R.I.S.K will campaign for "everyone's" problems.

"We've adapted different platform points, because if you're not adapting platform points as you're campaigning, are you really campaigning for the students, or are you campaigning for yourself? So we want to make sure that we're always advocating through those different things." Morey said.

The two tickets were then asked, "Can you identify one minority group that you guys are kind of talking about in your campaign, and how you plan for future legislation to help uplift it?"

Morey said that as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and being a survivor of sexual assault that she will "uplift" these communities by focusing on their safety.

"There's different things that are happening off campus that are also not shown here as a representation of those two minorities on campus, it's really easy for people just to like, generalize people. So you want to make sure that their voices are heard, and being a part of those groups, I especially want to make sure that their voices are heard." Morey said.

Gay said that while he is "not a part of any minority groups", he will work for any minority group.

"I do also want to emphasize that although your group might not be literally represented in our ticket, we will still work as hard as we can to address any issues or interests that you guys, any minority presents to us, or any group on campus presents to us, we'll work as hard as we can to evaluate that and implement it into the campus," Gay said.

One of the final questions asked of both tickets said, "Say you were to encounter someone that isn't as involved or as knowledgeable about either of your campaigns, and maybe even so apathetic, but still a part of the student body. What would be one thing you want to make sure they take away from this encounter with you about your campaign?"

Gay said that he would want the people walking away from their campaign to understand what SGA is structurally and organizationally.

"I want them to know that we are somebody they can go to me personally, but also SGA as an organization, somebody they can go to if they're having a problem, because there are honestly so many blind spots within our current SGA structure," Gay said.

Morey answered by agreeing with Gay on introducing what SGA is and that she would want them walking away with knowing what the R.I.S.E ticket will be adding.

"I think it's also really important that when we're talking to the student, not only are we giving them a viable definition of what student government is, but also the ways that we're going to integrate student government into a more approachable association, rather than just a body that's randomly there," Morey said.

The next SGA candidate debate will be held on Feb. 12 in the Teachers College building, room 120 at 5:30 p.m.

Contact Landon Jones via email at landon.jones2@bsu.edu.

Tonight: Clouds decreasing in the early evening. Temperatures dropping below the freezing point, with 22 degrees being the low. Calm winds remain throughout the night.

Tomorrow: Below freezing start to the morning. Warming up to 44 degrees by noon, and reaching our peak temperature of 45 degrees in the late afternoon. Clouds increasing in the evening.

Seven-Day Forecast: High temperatures in the mid-40s for Friday and Saturday. Overcast skies on Saturday leading to rain showers Sunday morning. Temperatures trending in the low-to-mid 50s after Saturday. Low temperatures will stay above that freezing point after Friday night. Peak temperature of the week is 61 degrees for Wednesday!

- Weather Forecaster Elia Stowers

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X @NLIWeather for breaking weather updates.

NewsLink Indiana is a proud Ambassador for the NOAA Weather-Ready Nation program.

For more information about the Weather-Ready Nation program please click HERE

This past year, Zion became the head coach for the eighth-grade basketball team at Northside Middle School. A year ago, during an event at Lincoln Park with the Indiana Black Expo, a woman approached him and suggested he take the job. At first, he said no. She reached out again, and he changed his mind.

"I believe that God needed me to be in this role," Strong said.

The team has improved since he took over in November. Many of the kids were getting into trouble at the start. Strong made it his goal to teach them more than just the game of basketball. He focused on manners and helping them grow into young men.

"I told the kids that we could lose every game this year, but if I don't help you guys become a better person every day then my job has failed." Strong said.

He views the players as young leaders who can do great things for the community in the future. While coaching, Strong got help from supporters and was able to hand out 82 pairs of basketball shoes to the boys and girls teams in grades six through eight at Northside at no cost to the players.

Strong's motivation comes from his late father, Marwin Strong. Marwin worked for the Muncie Housing Authority, and he was all about giving back to the community. The father and son had previously planned to launch a clothing brand based on Marwin's book "Back from the Shadow of Death." Zion tore his ACL and meniscus twice while playing basketball at Muncie Central, and soon after, his dad passed away.

Out of that difficult time, Strong created "4everLasting" to honor his dad and to continue his legacy, a clothing line that launched in 2023. The idea is to show people how to inspire, overcome and persevere.

"God taught me where I can tell people how to inspire, overcome, and persevere forever everlasting," Strong said.

It's been a strong way for him to share that message.

He also started Superator Inc, a nonprofit organization. The name is Latin for "overcomer," and it ties the clothing brand and the nonprofit together.

He first renovated the basketball court at Heekin Park. Then, the CEO of the Housing Authority asked Strong to handle another job, creating the Marwin Strong Park. To fund it, they held a charity game at Ball State University, raising $10,000. Every dollar will go into rebuilding Munsyana Park and turning it into the Marwin Strong Park, providing things such as new concrete, a parking lot, basketball goals, street lights and so much more.

"It's an investment to the youth," Strong said. "The park will be a youth development campus, not just a park. There will be so much to help uplift this community."

Strong's vision is to make Muncie a stronger place, like the cities such as Fishers and Noblesville. He thinks local talent can shine if given the right support. With 4everLasting and Superator Inc, he wants to go big.

"The goal is to be able to teach people how to inspire, overcome, and persevere," he said. "We are going to shock the world."

A major event is set for July 23 to July 26 at Marwin Strong Park and Heekin Park called Summer Showdown 2026, where it will be one of the biggest basketball tournaments this summer. Zion Strong is proving that one person's efforts can lift up a whole community.

Contact Jacksen White with comments at jacksen.white@bsu.edu

Q: What is Randolph Farms, and how did it begin?

A: Randolph Farms is a family-owned landfill and recycling center in Randolph County. Our company [Best Way Disposal] has owned it for about 30 years, but the landfill has actually been there longer than that.

Q: What is landfill leachate, and what are its effects on the environment?

A: This is the wastewater that comes from the landfill - all of the water that filters its way down through the waste and gets captured at the liner. Before this project at Randolph Farms, we didn't have a lot of good disposal options, so they evaporated the leachate to reduce the volume using landfill gas. However, this was a waste of an energy source and put more pollution in the air.

Q: Why is Randolph Farms different from other landfills?

A: In 2018, we put in a system to upgrade the landfill gas to make it usable as a fuel for vehicles. Randolph Farms is kind of a neat project because it's what they call a closed-loop system. The landfill produces the gas, then processes that gas and makes it similar to natural gas that comes from the pipeline. Then, Best Way Disposal, which is also family-owned, has trucks on site, and so we use that fuel in those trucks.

Q: How has this switch impacted the environment?

A: Landfill gas is a natural byproduct of the decomposition of the waste that gets put into the landfill. Everything that gets thrown away and goes into the landfill, the organic material in there is going to break down, and through biological processes, it breaks down and creates a gas, and by regulation, that gas has to be collected and at least flared. So a lot of landfills in the past, that's what they would do, just flare that gas and burn it off.

One of the reasons that has to be captured is because that landfill gas is about 50% methane. Methane is like a really potent greenhouse gas, so that has to be captured; however, if it's burned, you're losing an energy opportunity. Also, by burning that highly concentrated greenhouse gas, it is just turning it into [carbon dioxide] and releasing it into the atmosphere, which is not great.

Q: How does the landfill convert the gases to make them usable?

A: By using our system, we take these gases that were once about 50% methane, 45% [carbon dioxide] and 5% others, then process them to be the 90% methane that is usable for vehicle fuel.

The primary process that does that is a membrane process. If you think about it, it's similar to reverse osmosis with water, where the water passes through the membrane, and everything that's not water doesn't go through the membrane. For gases, there are similar kinds of membranes that separate the [carbon dioxide] on one side and the methane on the other side.

Q: How have those methods progressed since?

A: When we started, we had one upgrading machine, and we were producing fuel for about 10 trucks. Then, around 2020, we added another upgrading machine and some more fueling equipment, and more trucks. Over time, it's grown.

Now we have three machines out there fueling about 42 trucks.

Q: Have you experienced anything unexpected since beginning this project?

A: This is a kind of special project because of it being a closed loop, so the things we're doing are a bit unique. With that, we have to figure out how to address these challenges that no one else has seen before.

Sometimes the upgrading process can be a bit finicky when it comes to the quality of the gas, because what comes out of the landfill can vary. Due to that variation, it can be difficult to continue to make the gas every day.

In addressing that, there's a couple of folks who work really hard, trying to maximize that gas collection quality, so we're really thankful for them.

Q: How much carbon emission has been reduced since beginning these projects?

A: The renewable natural gas, or RNG, the fuel that we're making here at Randolph Farms, is the equivalent of about 450,000 gallons of diesel fuel. We're removing that consumption and replacing it with the RNG.

Also, if we didn't do that, we would be flaring that gas as a source of combustion, sending even more bad into the air. So in this project, we avoid both that and burning 450,000 gallons of diesel. I think that's a key reduction right there.

More about Randolph Farms and its family-run company, Best Way, is on the way! Stay tuned with Cardinal Media for an additional story on how this family business grew to cover much of the Midwest.

This story was produced in part with financial support from Carbon Neutral Indiana. The reporting and production of this piece were overseen by faculty and/or staff within the Department of Journalism at Ball State University to ensure adherence to professional and ethical standards.

Today: Expect a high of 38 degrees with the winds staying steady throughout the day, not reaching above the 5 mph threshold until later in the evening. Melting snow should be our main concern throughout the day as temperatures will be above freezing and may cause some slick spots. Conditions will be rather cloudy and chilly throughout the day.

Tomorrow: A coat will definitely still be needed at the bus stop in the morning, even though we are starting to warm up slightly; it is still going to be below freezing in the early hours. Heading into noon, expect winds to pick up, reaching 10 mph coming in from the south southwest, along with rapidly increasing temperatures reaching 42 degrees by noon. Conditions throughout the day will stay persistent with partly cloudy skies. Approaching rush hour, temperatures will be at their peak, 45 degrees, and will soon start to steadily decrease to our low of 31 degrees for the night. 

Seven-Day Forecast: Overall, we are seeing some hope and relief of the very chilly temperatures that we have been experiencing the past few weeks for our region. Today, temperatures will stay chilly, but as we head into the weekend, we are seeing above average temperatures reaching the upper 50's next week. Although Sunday and Wednesday both bring chances of rain, fair conditions remain throughout the rest of the week with consistent increasing temperatures in the forecast. Looking forward to seeing some warmer weather and the grass peeking out again!

- Weather Forecaster Kendra Heath

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X @NLIWeather for breaking weather updates.

NewsLink Indiana is a proud Ambassador for the NOAA Weather-Ready Nation program.

For more information about the Weather-Ready Nation program please click HERE

The business's story starts in the 1920s, with D. Henry Roller's recipe originating in Muncie. Roller guided Dee Lowrey, Lowery's founder, teaching him his skills. Through generations, the business stayed within the family. The current president of the operation, Charles Joseph, is the grandson of Dee Lowery's first cousin. Joseph is determined to maintain the family's original recipe.

"We still hand dip every single piece individually. Where everyone else has switched over to modern equipment, and rovers like the chocolate waterfall, " Joseph said. "By continuing the old fashioned tradition of hand-dipping, our chocolates contain no preservatives, no extra oils or minerals so that taste shines through and the quality of the ingredients."

Behind the scenes, multiple employees can be seen dipping ingredients such as peanuts or caramels into melted chocolate. Chocolatier Cheryl Brown has been with the business for more than 12 years, and she believes still more to learn about the technique each day.

"Learning all the temperatures and ins and outs, all the different marks we make, there's a lot to it," Brown said. "There's a lot to be learned."

One of their most popular items sold for this time of year is the chocolate covered strawberry which is also decorated individually. Customers can choose between making a custom chocolate box with their favorites or pick out a pre-arranged Valentine's Day assortment.

If you're in need of a last minute gift idea, Lowery's also offers online orders which can be delivered straight to your loved ones.

If you're interested in placing an order or learning more about the shop's history, you can visit their website for more information.

Contact Allison Branecki with comments at allison.branecki@bsu.edu.

One thing she had during those two seasons was familiar faces, and people she came into the program with, but 2026 looks completely different as Ball State welcomes 11 new players to the squad. But despite a lot of new faces, Coach Peña has more than enough confidence with what she saw during the pre-season.

"The team looks really good right now. They're really excited, and we're putting things together. Our message in the fall was "iron sharpens iron," so that's really been our theme throughout our training. Also, just competing one versus another, so that's what's fueling us right now. We're just really ready to get out there and beat up on someone else," Peña said.

The fire to go out and win does not just come from the intensity Peña has seen at practice, but also the play.

"But this year, it's a really different team than last year and the years before when it comes to our strengths," Peña said. "Offensively, we're gonna bring different things. We're going to be able to score in a lot of different ways."

As Peña shed light on the new squad, so did one of the returners, Redshirt Junior Grace Spencer, who was sidelined all but the first four games last year due to a season-ending injury.

"Everybody is bringing something different to this team, so it's a completely different team than we had last year, and I love it," Spencer said. "Just getting to know everybody and seeing what they get to contribute to this team and just making Ball State Softball better."

Along with her excitement about the team, Spencer is more than excited to finally be fully healthy and get back out on the diamond after almost a full year off.

"It was definitely hard getting back in the beginning. I wasn't with my teammates for a little while when I went back home to get my surgery, but once I was back with everybody, all of my teammates were really great at just lifting me up and keeping me in the loop with everything," Spencer said.

As Spencer is now fully healthy, she is looking forward to not only getting back out on the field, but also being able to be apart of road trips again

"I'm most excited to just be with the team and travel this year. That was one of the hardest things, being back in Muncie while everybody was out playing. So, I'm just excited to be back with the team and traveling with everyone."

With 11 new faces and 14 familiar ones, the key is building chemistry, not only with the returners, but with everyone on the team.

"The first day [the newcomers] stepped foot on campus, our main theme was connection. I think one of our separators this year is really going to be the bonds that they've developed all throughout the fall, [along with their] buy-in and commitment. That's truly one of our strengths and our separators," Peña said.

So far in the pre-season, the players have shown a true connection, even without playing a full length game together.

"They really have each other's back every single day. They lift each other up, they use each other to lean on. I'm really confident about what they've put in and [I'm] just really eager to see how it pays off on the field."

Peña said the team's focus has to be on themselves, as they still have 14 non-conference games before opening up MAC play against Akron Mar. 13. The head coach recognizes the team that plays in these non-conference games and tournaments will not be the same team that opens up MAC play, and her focus is on the team improving every day.

"We're just trying to get better every single day, and we're trying to execute our systems and our processes to the best of our ability," Peña said. "it's really just about continuing to build and strengthen ourselves when it comes to our systems and just trying to compete at an elite level every single day."

As the Cardinals season kicked off on Feb. 6 at the FGCU Kickoff Classic, they now sit with a record of 2-3 through their first five games. Ball State was able to outlast Long Island twice, winning 10-5 in game one, and 12-2 in game two. The Cardinals then fell to Charlotte, Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and Southern Illinois.

Looking forward, Ball State will travel down south for the 901 Classic (hosted by Memphis) which kicks off on Feb. 13. The other participating teams include Southern Indiana, Memphis, Kansas City and Evansville.

Contact Rylan Crum with questions via email at Rylan.Crum@bsu.edu or on X @RylanCrum.

Sean Lovelace, chair of the English department, confirmed there were five incidents during the university's 2025 fall semester involving five different individuals, all appearing to be male, who entered an English 103 class without permission.

This university core curriculum course, as described on the Ball State website, "introduces students to principles of diverse rhetorics and writing processes, as well as research processes and information literacy."

The Ball State Daily News has not received any confirmed reports of this happening at other colleges on campus, but is still investigating.

However, the incidents that did occur involved three instructors and occurred in three different campus buildings: the David Letterman Communication and Media Building, the Robert Bell Building and the Art and Journalism (AJ) Building. One instructor in particular experienced three of the five documented disruptions, including two that happened during the same class period in AJ 225.

During that class period, Lovelace said the first individual entered about 20 minutes in and refused to leave when asked.

"That person kept saying, 'Why won't you let me stay here? Why won't you let me learn?'" Lovelace said.

He said the individual eventually left, but it was "kind of unusual."

Minutes later, an "older gentleman" entered the same classroom through a side door in the lecture hall, "clutching a backpack." After that individual was asked to leave, the instructor locked the classroom doors and continued teaching as normal.

Lovelace said none of the instructors canceled class, and all of the individuals eventually left after being asked.

"I think the great thing has been, so far - and I hope there's no other incidents - they left," Lovelace said.

He said their main priority is "to look out for students' safety" and then provide "the best learning environment that they can have without all these disruptions."

According to Ball State policy, classrooms are not open to the public. In an October 2025 email statement, a university spokesperson confirmed that only students enrolled in or auditing a class, or individuals invited by an instructor, are permitted to attend.

"If anyone who fails to meet one of those characterizations attempts to sit in on a class, the instructor will ask that person to leave, and the university expects that person to comply," the spokesperson said.

Following the incidents, the dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities (CSH) distributed official guidance via email to department chairs on responding to classroom disruptions.

The guidance, titled "Response Guidance for Disruptions in Academic Spaces," references Ball State University's Non-Commercial Expressive Activity and Assembly on University Property policy, which states that "no person or group may disrupt teaching, research, administration, disciplinary procedures or any other university functions."

According to the document, instructors are advised to follow a three-step response process intended to "inform, de-escalate, and allow the person or group to comply" with university policy. The first response instructs officials to say, "Please be quiet. You are disrupting [insert university function]."

If the disruption continues, the second response directs instructors to warn the individual that while they "may have a right to express personal opinions," the classroom is "not the time, and this is not the place," and that continued disruption will result in being escorted from the area.

If the individual still does not comply, the guidance advises contacting the University Police Department (UPD) to escort them from the area.

However, the Ball State chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has expressed concern about the incidents and how instructors within the CSH department are being advised to handle them.

Alicia Van Duyn, co-secretary of the chapter and a psychology graduate student at Ball State, said faculty members are concerned the issue is not being addressed proactively.

"I think it's particularly concerning that [Ball State is] pushing it on to the professors instead of trying to make some statement publicly as a university," she said. "That's putting a lot of responsibility on instructors, who already have a ton of responsibilities, and honestly don't necessarily get paid a ton, to also be policing their own classrooms and [be] vigilant."

Van Duyn said, in her opinion, dismissing class may be the safest option in some situations because it "puts the safety of the students as a priority."

While she said she loves that the CSH is encouraging instructors to use UPD as a resource when needed, she added that involving police "only aggravates some situations."

She especially worries that, given "the amount of violence that happens across the U.S., and especially on college campuses," continuing class during a disruption could become "a potential situation of danger" if students are left in the classroom while it's happening.

She believes the disruptions seem linked to Indiana's requirement that public universities post course syllabi online. The law, included in House Bill 1001 and now Public Law 213, requires public access to course syllabi but does not specify what information must be included.

"Instructors weren't necessarily taught or told … what exactly to include in their publicly posted syllabi, and so if you review syllabi, even from a single department, they vary so much between the amount of information that individuals include," Van Duyn said.

While Van Duyn agrees that publicly available syllabi can unintentionally expose classroom locations and meeting times, Lovelace said the English department has no evidence linking the disruptions directly to the requirement to post syllabi.

"This is the first [school year] that we've had to post … our policy and syllabi [online], because that's a state law. But we don't know if there's any connection between that and these people showing up in the class," he said.

Lovelace said he forwarded the CSH guidance to the English faculty when the incidents happened in the fall, but he confirmed via email that the department has not experienced any disturbances since.

He said the English department is tracking the situation "closely," explaining that they will "have to figure something out" if the incidents continue.

"It adds anxiety," Lovelace said. "If you don't feel you have a safe space, it's really hard to learn."

Still, Van Duyn said faculty members remain concerned the issue could eventually spread beyond English classes.

"This is an issue that could potentially impact just about every college on campus, and especially if it isn't dealt with early on," she said.

If you are a student or instructor who has experienced classroom disturbances similar to those described in this story, contact the Ball State Daily News at editor@bsudailynews.com.

Contact Meghan Braddy via email at meghan.braddy@bsu.edu.

The Indiana Senate voted 48-0 onHouse Bill 1035, one of the first of the 2026 session to reach the governor. It remained unchanged from the versionapproved 93-0 by the House in January.

Dubbed a "Let Kids Be Kids" measure, bill author Rep. Jake Teshka, R-North Liberty, said the goal is to draw clearer lines between ordinary, age-appropriate independence and actual neglect.

Under current state law, a minor can be alleged to be a child in need of services, or CHINS, based solely on lack of supervision - even when the activity is common and age-appropriate.

On the Senate floor Tuesday, bill sponsor Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, R-Indianapolis, emphasized the research and rationale behind the proposal.

"Research consistently shows that age-appropriate independence … strengthens decision-making, risk assessment and self control. It can improve social skills, increases resilience and confidence, and has been found to correlate with better academic engagement and problem solving," Carrasco said. "Children who are allowed sensible independence learn how to navigate minor risks, develop situational awareness and are less dependent on constant adult supervision."

She argued that over the past several decades "as a society, we have tended toward over protection in the physical realm, while allowing children access to every dark corner of the digital world."

The measure defines "independent activity" to include walking or traveling on foot or by bicycle, playing outdoors, remaining at home, or staying in a stationary vehicle without direct supervision.

It additionally specifies that a child is not a CHINS "solely because the child engages in an independent activity," unless a parent or guardian acted "so reckless as to endanger the health or safety of the child," taking into account the child's "maturity, condition and ability."

The legislation also creates an affirmative defense in criminal neglect cases, allowing a parent to argue they "reasonably believed that an independent activity was not dangerous," placing the burden on prosecutors to disprove that belief beyond a reasonable doubt.

Supporters testified in House and Senate committees that the changes will reduce subjective reporting and free Indiana's Department of Child Services to focus resources on true cases of danger -while still preserving state authority in instances where children are actually at risk.

"When the law is vague, three things happen: parents cannot reasonably know what conduct is lawful, agencies are forced to investigate low-risk situations, and courts are left to sort out cases that never should have been brought in the first place," Carrasco said, noting that DCS "ultimately closes many of these cases, but only after a family has endured repeated government intrusion."

"In my opinion, that amounts to process failure," she continued. "It's okay - and dare I say, preferred -for today's youth to have childhoods much like the ones that you and I experienced."

The Cardinals fell to the Bulls 63-53 and now sit 1.5 games behind the eighth seed.

"I thought we'd have a chance to win the game and could just never get over the hump," Head Coach Michael Lewis said.

The team only led twice in the game. 3-0 and 10-9. Since their last lead early in the first half, the closest the Cardinals got was three points. With just over five minutes to go in the game, the team cut the lead to only four.

But Ball State only managed to score two points after that, leading to their third consecutive conference loss.

"We weren't getting the shots we wanted to get tonight," redshirt sophomore guard Davion Hill said.

Offensive struggles have been the story of the Cardinals' recent woes. The team has failed to break 60 points in their last three conference losses. The team shot 35 percent from the field in the loss to Buffalo.

"Buffalo doesn't respect our ability to shoot," Lewis said.

A lot of the team's late game possessions consisted of a lot of dribbling and a lot of rushed shots late in the shot clock.

"Our reluctance to pass the basketball on offense really, really gave us problems tonight," Lewis said.

The Cardinals had a complete defensive performance, holding the Bulls to 44 percent shooting from the field. The team also forced one of Buffalo's best players, Ryan Sabol, to 12 points and 4-14 shooting from the field.

But despite holding the Buffalo star to 12 points, the team just could not buy the win.

"We got four consecutive stops late and we just couldn't come up with it," Lewis said. "We just couldn't make the plays."

Both Hill and senior guard Juwan Maxey said the team has to eliminate the small issues moving forward in order for the team to make a run at Cleveland. The team cut the lead to four late a couple of times, but Maxey said it was those little issues that caused them to not be able to capitalize.

Both players said fixing those issues starts with communicating the issues in practice. Not yelling at each other or pointing the finger, but calling each other out and fixing the small things.

"As soon as you start pointing the finger, it's over, I think all hell is gonna break loose after that," Hill said.

Sophomore center Tim Oboh for Buffalo has given the Cardinals fits in both games played this season. The center scored 22 points in their first matchup and had 20 points in the second game.

"He loves to see Ball State roll in there because he had two career type games against us," Lewis said.

The Cardinals will have seven guaranteed games to go on the season, with each outcome factoring into if they will make the conference tournament in Cleveland or not. Hill said the team has to "put it all out there" in the team's remaining games.

The team sits in tenth place in the conference. But despite that, the players still have confidence in their ability to turn things around.

When asked if the team still has a chance at making it to Cleveland, Maxey had two words: 'Most definitely.'

The Cardinals will try and get back into the win column Feb. 14 back at Worthen Arena against Kent State.

Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdailyn.

On April 30, 2025, a jury deliberated for nine hours before convicting Trenton Patterson, 50, of the following charges:

• Two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon
• Two counts of resisting law enforcement
• One count of false informing

On Jan. 14, 2026, Patterson was convicted of attempted murder by a separate jury. He was sentenced Feb. 11, 2026.

According to court documents, a Daleville police officer pulled over a sedan just before 8 p.m. on Feb. 15, 2024. Patterson, the passenger, gave a fake name to the officer. The officer went back to his patrol car, verifying Patterson's name and his active felony warrants out of Madison County. The officer then called for backup.

When the officer tried to put Patterson in handcuffs, court documents say he ran from officers. The officer tased Patterson, but it was ineffective. As officers continued to chase him, they noticed Patterson pointing a handgun in their direction. Court documents say one or two shots were fired, and the officers took cover.

The next day, officers found Patterson holding a gun and barricaded inside a car. After trying to negotiate for some time, court documents say SWAT fired two chemical agents into the car.

As Patterson was being taken into custody, he told officers he had shot himself in the chest. Patterson was immediately taken to IU Ball Memorial Hospital in critical condition.

Contact Sophie Schick with comments at sophie.schick@bsu.edu.

Tonight: The temperature will drop tonight getting down to 22 degrees as our low. Cloud cover will start to grow throughout the early morning and the winds will stay pretty calm, coming out of the northwest at 5 mph.

Tomorrow: Temperatures won't increase too much as the day goes on getting up to 37 degrees tomorrow afternoon. Clouds will stick around through the morning but by the late afternoon they will start to clear out, finally allowing the sun to peak back through.

Seven-Day Forecast: Tomorrow starts off the next seven days at a chilly 37 degrees but it starts to climb as the week goes on. We'll have a mild Valentine's Day with temperatures reaching 47 degrees on that special day. The following day will be a cool, rainy Sunday with a 30% chance of showers in the morning and a high of 48 degrees. Those temperatures don't stop increasing getting all the way up to 60 degrees next Wednesday. That day will also include a 40% chance of rain throughout the day.

- Weather Forecaster Orion Lucas

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For more information about the Weather-Ready Nation program please click HERE

The candidates from both tickets introduced themselves to the audience to explain who they are and what they want to accomplish.

Quinn Davis, the presidential candidate on the Representation, Innovation, Support and Engagement [R.I.S.E] ticket, is a third-year supply chain management and marketing dual-major and current senator for the SGA. Davis is a part of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and was vice president for it in the past, him taking on that role was his reasoning for leaving the SGA after three semesters.

Caleb Trinoskey, the presidential candidate on the DEFINE [WORK] ticket, is a second-year mathematical economics and applied mathematics dual major, while also being the chief of staff for the current SGA executive board. Trinoskey was the senator of the year last year and was the chair of the academic affairs committee on SGA.

The first question of the night was not from an audience member but a message sent in to the Ball State Student Life Instagram page. The question was directed towards both tickets, asking "what is something that he wants to accomplish if he were president?"

Trinoskey said he wants to do 17 things and that the reason he is running for SGA president is because of all of the ideas he has and wants to enact.

"As I mentioned, five platform areas, 17 total platform points… The first way that it happens is through Senate reforms, adding things like public comment, petitioning to join the senate, as well as changing our outreach method from being this kind of antiquated," Trinoskey said.

Davis said that something that he is excited about is within R.I.S.E's engagement platform. He said one of the most important things for people to do is to go out and engage with each other and other groups and communities.

"We're going to do this by increasing attendance at student athletic events. At first glance, this might seem like just another way for students to go and have fun, but there really is more to it. Coming to student athletic events is a way for students to let loose and also just unwind and be in a social atmosphere that they might not feel comfortable in," Davis said.

The first question from the audience asks both candidates how they will ensure new senators will be committed to their goals.

Davis's expertise will make sure that the R.I.S.E executive branch will be a guide between the senators, and will make sure that work will be done. He shares that when he started in the SGA, he didn't really know where to start.

"I want to make it['s] an experience for new senators that they understand what their role is, and they understand more that we are here to help them," Davis said. "We're going to be doing this by having people from the executive branch coming and talking personally, one on one, with each of the new senators to make sure that there are no information barriers."

Trinoskey said that a fifth of WORK's entire platform is looking at how to make the senate better.

"We're aiming to get these people engaged, get them oriented toward the major issues on our campus,but I think we should do that effectively. We can't just say we're going to be good role models.," Trinoskey said.

Davis rebuttaled saying that within the past month of rejoining the SGA that no one on the executive board has reached out to him.

To which Trinoskey responded saying that right now that it is only for committee chairs that Vice President Shaina Miller reaches out to and that it is new this year.

"We want to, in our platform, expand that to make the parliamentarian and secretary of university governments do it with every single senator." Trinoskey said.

The next question was directed toward Trinoskey, asking since he is a part of the current executive branch of the student government, how would he differ from the current president and vice president about various issues important to students.

Trinoskey said that one disagreement he has had with the current executive board is the idea of staying away from politicized issues.

"What I've consistently said, and what I think is, kind of the principle behind our advocacy portion of our campaign is that these are not political issues, right? Firing somebody who has done sex based violence is not a political issue. Looking at, pressuring the resignation of somebody from [the university] board of trustees who has done sexual harassment is not political. It's a human issue." he said.

Davis rebuttaled, saying that as a student government president you have to adhere to all students, not just one group of people.

"There are some students who might think that this is a political issue. As student body president, you need to be in this position where you are able to cater to every single different group. What we are going to do is make sure that it is as transparent as possible," Davis said.

An audience member then asks how can the student body be confident that if either of them win, they will remain committed to their role in the organization despite other academic and extracurricular commitments.

Davis answered, saying that he had gone through this before with becoming the vice president within his fraternity and picking up another major.

"I had to work in line with my current schooling to make sure that I can get this done. In this role, I worked with people in my executive branch to make sure that they were getting things done and make sure that if they had any questions, they could reach out to me." Davis said.

Trinoskey said that ever since he had joined the SGA he had worked to do whatever he can do to make it better.

"Through my time with the Chief of Staff [and] as Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, I have done a bunch with SGA… This organization in the student body really means a lot to me." Trinoskey said.

Trinoskey had gone off question during his answer time to call Davis out saying that during his first-year when he sat next Davis saying that he would be working on other organizations during their SGA meetings.

"Quinn, respectfully, I sat next to you in senate last year for the entire spring semester while I was working with academic disparities, where I was chairing that committee, was doing all these things I saw you consistently walk into senate, sit next to me, do random things on your computer, like marketing for Sigma Chi, different assignments, while actively ignoring floor debates, ignoring guest speakers, ignoring applications only really logging back in to vote, which meant that your vote was grossly uninformed," Trinoskey said.

Jack Phenis, the moderator for the debates, had stopped Trinoskey from continuing, saying that he was drifting into the territory of attacking character rather than rebuttal.

Trinoskey returned after being warned about his comment saying that he is just frustrated with Davis for leaving the SGA to prioritize his role in Sigma Chi and to only return an hour before nominations.

"As somebody who has been invested in this organization continuously, who has made it a priority, I'm actively missing a debate tournament this weekend to do SGA stuff. I'm very passionate about the student body without advocating for it in this way, to see this ticket coming from a place that, in my mind, has not prioritized the student body through SGA to the same extent, to that same level, is very frustrating." Trinoskey said.

Davis responded back to Trinoskey saying that in the last debate he had mentioned he had put too much on his schedule, which was the reason he decided to leave.

"I'm not going to be in the senate, if I know I can't put 100 percent into my role. That is why I was the vice president of my fraternity, and now I can put my time into it." Davis said.

One audience member asked the R.I.S.E ticket on how they expect women, students of color and queer students to trust and feel protected by the stigma of sexism and racism found in fraternity culture.

Davis responded, saying that he understands the concern but to ask anyone who knows him about his character.

"I respect everybody equally and I do not agree with any of that. I would just like to say that, unfortunately, it's scary to generalize the entirety of the Greek life organization based on a couple of instances. Of course, that is going to happen, but I want people to know that I am here for you. You can come talk to me, ask anybody I know, and they will tell you that I'm a man of good character," Davis said.

Both tickets are then asked with greek life being 10% of students at Ball State University, how are they going to advocate for greek life.

Trinoskey answered saying that his Vice President Finley Gay, is a part of a fraternity and has informed him of the good that can be done in the community with Greek life.

"Greek life is ingrained in the student government association. They're always going to have that channel to voice themselves to the student government." Trinoskey said. "So while I can say that, yes, if there is an issue that Greek life is facing, let me know it, and I will do my best to solve it."

Davis said under their representation platform, they are wanting to show off Greek life as well as other clubs, to show the students the good work that they are doing.

"They're raising thousands of dollars for cancer research through sexual assault awareness. They're also doing community service events on campus that tend to go under the radar." Davis said. "I can tell you with 100% certainty, a lot of the ones I talked to said they do feel underrepresented, and part of being a student body president is adhering to every single student."

With the final question being dealt the presidential debate had concluded. The next debate will be Feb. 11 in Ball Communication room 103 at 5:30 p.m. for the vice president candidates.

Contact Landon Jones via email at landon.jones2@bsu.edu

Since then, she has continued to build momentum, earning multiple event wins and ranking among the top performers in the Mid-American Conference.

Stalder says her success began long before competition day, when she chose Ball State.

"What stood out to me was the team and the coaches," Stalder said. "It was everything I was looking for in a program. They made me feel comfortable right away, and I knew this was where I wanted to be."

Adjusting to college life has been a challenge, as she balances training, competitions, and her academic responsibilities.

"There is nothing like being a college athlete," she said. "It was as challenging as I expected, but I love the challenge. It motivates me to work even harder."

Earlier this season, Stalder earned her first MAC Gymnast of the Week honor. She tied her career-high score of 9.850 on vault. She also posted a career-best 9.875 on beam in a conference win.

She says the recognition came as a surprise.

"I didn't really expect it," Stalder said. "It was really special to be recognized."

Despite her early success, Stalder remains focused on improvement and team success.

"I just want to keep getting better every week and do whatever I can for the team," Stalder said.

With growing confidence and high goals, Stalder looks forward to continuing her breakout freshman season at Ball State.

Contact Sophie Korthuijs with comments at sophie.korthuijs@bsu.edu

Today: Not as warm as yesterday but we return to around normal today as we see a high of 37 degrees. Expect mostly sunny skies with those winds our of the northwest at 10 mph.

Tonight: A little chilly tonight as our low dips down to 21 degrees with partly cloudy skies. The winds early in the evening are expected to sit around 5-10 mph but will begin to die down throughout the night, resulting in our wind chill temperatures to sit around 15-20 degrees.

Tomorrow: A cloudy day is expected is expected tomorrow with our temperatures sitting in the low to mid thirties throughout much of the day. Expect a high of 38 degrees.

Seven-Day Forecast: No precipitation is expected over the next couple of days but a warmup is in play for Valentine's day weekend. Expect temperatures to consistently rise after Thursday through next week. A much needed warmup as we've been experiencing dangerously cold temperatures over the last few weeks. We are also tracking the potential for precipitation as we head into the middle of next week.

-Weather forecaster Zachary Alberson

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X @NLIWeather for breaking weather updates.

NewsLink Indiana is a proud Ambassador for the NOAA Weather-Ready Nation program.

For more information about the Weather-Ready Nation program please click HERE

After three years in the making, Iron Lung is finally here. Known in the YouTube space as Markiplier, Mark Fischbach and his team have created a visually stunning film that was so interesting to watch. The success of Iron Lung is a win for independent filmmakers everywhere.

From Game to Movie

The plot starts out slow and ramps up over the course of the film. The beginning can feel a bit long at first, but after seeing the whole film, it is clear that this slow beginning was meant to create a tension that is palpable throughout. By the time you are 30 minutes in, you can feel yourself getting dragged into the mystery of the story. Piecing together story elements was part of what made the experience so engaging.

Fischbach's Iron Lung took direct inspiration from David Szymanski's video game Iron Lung. As someone who had not played the game before watching the film, it was difficult at first to get a grasp of the full scope of the world and the context behind the story. Despite this, I still really enjoyed the film and was able to piece together elements of the broader world that Iron Lung is set in near the end. Playing the video game before seeing the film would undoubtedly enhance the viewing experience, but there are certainly elements that are impactful either way.

It can sometimes be difficult for films to keep audience attention when they are shot from one location. I was at first worried that this might be the case with Iron Lung, but was quickly proven wrong. The singular location contributes to the psychological horror of the film. It gives the impression that we-as viewers-are trapped in the submarine with the Convict (Mark Fischbach).

Clear Passion and Dedication

The passion that was put into Iron Lung is clear from every second of the film. From the music done by Andrew Hulshult to the incredible visuals done by the special effects and art departments, each element of the film comes together seamlessly to create an impressive immersive experience. Fischbach famously has a love for cameras and this is abundantly clear from the look of Iron Lung. Each shot is done in an incredibly artistic and unique way. It is apparent that the crew was not afraid to take risks here, and that definitely paid off.

There are multiple lines of dialogue throughout the film that are absolutely chilling. The moments can be somewhat subtle, but making each connection is both narratively satisfying and provides an exciting build up. The more that is revealed, the more the tension increases.

Independent Inspiration

Iron Lung was originally set to release for one weekend only to a limited number of theaters across the United States. Requests for the film to be played at more locations came in quickly and it is now available in 4,152 theaters across the world. Many theaters extended the release for the following week and second weekend as well.

In a world filled with corporate success in filmmaking, Iron Lung is a breath of fresh air. The success of an independent film such as this one is inspiring for those looking to create their own projects in whichever form that may take. Fischbach has long been an inspiration for young artists with his various projects over the years, and Iron Lung's place at number two on thebox officechartsfor its opening weekend gives hope for the success of independent projects like this one.

Sources: Iron Lung, YouTube, IMDb, IMDb, Steam, IMDb, Iron Lung, Box Office Mojo

Photos: Iron Lung, In-game screenshot, Iron Lung, Iron Lung

Contact Willow Emig with comments at willow.emig@bsu.edu.

An altered Indiana bill mandating local cooperation with federal immigration efforts emerged Monday from a marathon committee hearing and now heads to the House floor.

More than 60 witnesses testified during the five-hour meeting, with about a dozen in support and four dozen in opposition. The legislation advanced in a 9-4 vote.

Senate Bill 76 "makes it clear to those harboring and encouraging illegal aliens that Indiana will not have its laws ignored," said the bill's author, Sen. Liz Brown, in a statement.

"Universities, cities and employers, obey the law or face repercussions," continued Brown, R-Fort Wayne.

The legislation would block government bodies and public universities from enacting any policies that limit cooperation - including of their employees - with federal immigration authorities or laws, regardless of what level of government is doing the enforcement.

Senate Bill 76 would also empower the state's attorney general to seek civil penalties of $10,000 per knowing and intentional violation by government bodies and public universities. Only county jails would get a warning - and 30 days to make fixes - before facing legal action.

A provision allowing the governor to withhold funding from local units for up to a year was removed.

After the committee consented to a significant amendment to the "poor Senate version," Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita lauded the "substantially improved" bill.

"We can't afford half-measures on this issue, and no compromises should be made when it comes to mitigating the devastating effects of illegal immigration in our communities - only decisive, unequivocal action will protect public safety and put Hoosiers first," Rokita said in a news release.

Bad blood between Rokita and Brown - which includes a misconduct complaint against him - stems from Brown's refusal to hear a version of the proposal last year in her committee, killing that bill. Rokita called her pre-amendment take on the concept "toothless."

The bill would specifically require local units of government to comply with federal detainer requests. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement frequently asks local police and others to keep "potentially dangerous aliens" for 48 hours past when they would otherwise be released so ICE agents can take them into custody.

Government entities and their employees would be immune from both civil and criminal liability in lawsuits over actions they take to comply with the revamped legislation.

Supporters backed a hard-line approach.

"All it takes is one Democratic president to get back into the White House and open the flood gates like Biden did, and states are helpless to be able to defend themselves," said Nathan Roberts, co-founder of Save Heritage Indiana. "… (The bill) will make Indiana the model for common-sense immigration enforcement throughout the country."

Opponents decried the measure, pointing to Trump's ongoing deployment of federal immigration officers to Minnesota. Two U.S. citizens have been killed this month in "Operation Metro Surge" shootings, driving massive protests in and beyond the Twin Cities.

"How can it be that you're witnessing ICE's actions in Minneapolis - where they have attacked individuals only for exercising their rights, and who even took U.S. citizens' lives in broad daylight - (and) your response … is to demand cooperation with them?" asked Carmen Ramos, an Indianapolis educator. "… We need humane immigration reform, not lawless masked men."

Senate Bill 76 also takes aim at employers, banning them from knowingly or intentionally employing unauthorized workers, with protections for those who try to ensure eligibility through the federal E-Verify program or by other, Rokita-approved means.

The legislation lays out escalating punishments for employers who violate the ban. A court could suspend a company's operating authorization for five business days or order permanent revocations at all of the firm's locations in Indiana, depending on the number of violations and the employer's history.

State Business Affairs Secretary Mike Speedy threw his support behind the measure.

"Combating illegal immigration has been a top priority by the (President Donald) Trump administration, and one that Gov. (Mike) Braun wholeheartedly supports," said Speedy, who added that Braun wants "the strongest version of this bill that can get to his desk."

Other provisions would eye immigrant use of social safety net programs.

The Family and Social Services Administration would need to provide the number of non-citizens in Indiana receiving public benefits, and specify their immigration status, in annual reports to the legislative council. Hospitals would have to track the form of identification Medicaid patients present during intake in quarterly reports to the Indiana Department of Health.