SPEAKER_02 0:00

This week on Beyond the Headlines. See what new laws went into effect this week. Greenwood High School creates a virtual academy. Local experts offer fireworks safety tips ahead of the 4th of July. And know what's closed and open this weekend as the country enters the holiday weekend. From the Daily Journal, this is Beyond the Headlines, a local news podcast focused on story shaping Johnson County.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

I'm pretty good. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Good, doing very good. We're recording this early, but um this is gonna come out during 4th of July weekend. So happy 4th.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Yeah, happy 4th.

SPEAKER_02 0:52

I'm excited. It's gonna be America's birthday and uh lots of fireworks are gonna happen. But before we get into that, how about we uh talk about some new laws that went into effect

New Laws

SPEAKER_02 1:02

uh this week on July 1st? And uh to kind of speed run through this because there were a lot, we're gonna kind of tag team this story a little bit. So I'll get us started. So Indiana Lawmakers, they enacted several laws um that took into effect July 1st, um impacting taxes, education, homelessness, immigration enforcement utilities, higher education, all that kind of stuff. And I'll start off with SNAP, because that was a big uh that was a big one that happened. Uh SNAP recipients can no longer use benefits uh to buy candy or soft drinks. So if you have a sweet tooth and you use SNAP, uh unfortunately you won't be able to use your benefits for that anymore. The restriction was previously implemented through Governor Mike Braun's executive order and was codified July 1st by Senate Enrolled Act 1. Uh the USDA uh issued waivers to 23 states to restrict SNAP benefit use. However, it has faced some lawsuits from organizations alleging it violates federal statutes, which a federal district court recently sided with uh plaintiffs and five of those states. But since Indiana was not included in that lawsuit, uh the law is still in effect.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Senate Enrolled Act 76 now mandates local law enforcement and educational institutions, uh, and they must comply with federal immigration detainer requests. And uh local officials that do not comply with the law could face a fine up to ten thousand dollars.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

That's a hefty fine.

SPEAKER_00 2:25

That is a hefty fine. Government agencies and employees cannot be held liable for any actions that take to comply with an immigration detainer request as long as those actions do not violate state or federal laws. State agencies will also expand training and cooperation between county jails in ICE.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

Okay, and uh we have some new school laws that passed as well. So school laws must adopt policies that either ban students from bringing wireless devices to school or require devices to be turned off and stored during the school day. Uh this is defined through SCA 78. And the law covers phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, and gaming devices. However, it does not cover recorders, which I did find out, so we're safe. The exception is any wireless communication device that is issued or approved by the school. This could be devices that are used for medical use or translation use. And another law, SCA 88, changed some public school requirements, and now students can use the classic learning test alongside SAT, ACT, AP, and Cambridge uh exams. And the CLT emphasizes classic literature, history, critical thinking, and logic. Um, the law also makes changes to uh quote unquote good citizenship instruction in public schools and requires schools to teach students that waiting until marriage to have children will result in economic prosperity, among other lessons as well. And then lastly, uh SEA 199, state officials must review college degree programs that produce low earnings for graduates. And colleges they can seek permission to keep these programs, but programs that are denied approval must be eliminated. What do you got?

SPEAKER_00 4:05

Uh the SEA 285 mandates camping or sleeping on government-owned property, not designed for camping a Class C misdemeanor. Uh, people must first receive a warning and information about shelter services. Uh certain exceptions do apply, including when nearby shelters are full. This also allows people who have been charged with street camping to participate in diverse programs, and local governments uh cannot adopt policies that prevent enforcement of the law.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

So this one was uh largely about um cracking down on homelessness. So what else is next?

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Through House Bill 1002, electrical utilities must automatically offer levelized billing, spreading costs more evenly throughout the year while allowing customers to opt out. Utilities must also create low-income assistance program to help customers pay energy bills. Under HB 1210, a sprawling 417-page law allows large data center projects receiving state tax breaks on electricity must send 1% of that unpaid tax amount to local governments. Supporters say the measure will help communities benefit financially from future data center developments.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Okay, so uh I think we covered that pretty well. And uh a lot of uh new laws, some controversial, some uh interesting to look at and see how it develops over the next year. So we're gonna take a quick break and be right back. Want your business to reach our listeners in Johnson County and beyond? Reach out to the Daily Journal by calling 317-736-2730 to ask about our advertising opportunities. And we're back and uh we got some uh school news for you, some more school news. Uh Greenwood Virtual Academy,

Woodmen Virtual Academy

SPEAKER_02 5:49

uh, Greenwood High School. They are launching Woodman Virtual Academy this fall, giving students a new online learning option while still remaining part of Greenwood Schools. And the school board actually approved this at their June 15th meeting.

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Yeah, and what does this online school even look like?

SPEAKER_02 6:04

Yeah, so the program uh it's gonna begin with a partnership through Indiana Online, which is a nationally accredited online education provider. And uh district leaders say the academy is designed for students who need that flexibility uh in an alternative education setting instead of maybe a brick and mortar classroom. Uh Greenwood officials, they plan to start small, target targeting about 25 to 50 students for the first year who live in the school boundaries. Eventually, the district hopes to develop more of a virtual learning platform in-house using their own district teachers and uh Canvas. Indiana uh currently limits schools to 100 virtual students within an existing school, but beyond that, the district would need to apply for a separate school code through the State Department of Education. Um, and a couple things with virtual schools, uh students cannot participate in IHSAA athletics, but they can join clubs in intramural sports, participate in choir and ban, and attend Central Nine Career Center if they have transportation. And Greenwood's not the only one. They are joining a growing trend in virtual education options following Franklin's K-12 uh virtual program and Whiteland's uh virtual academy, which is going to start this fall, actually.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

It's very interesting because I, of course, graduated from Whiteland. If I remember, you know, the last time that we had something like a virtual option was back during COVID. Yeah. And, you know, 2020 and 2021. So that's actually very interesting.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

Yeah. Do you think if um this school existed when you were in high school, do you think you would do the virtual academy? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

I I just I don't know, I like social interaction a lot. Like too much to not do that.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Um I think definitely in the pandemic, I definitely considered it. I think I think I just like staying at home.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

Yeah, it is nice.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Um, but uh I know that we just went over all this info um about you know the online uh virtual academy, but where can people get more info?

SPEAKER_02 8:01

So there's actually gonna be a parent information meeting scheduled July 9th. Uh so coming up at 6 p.m. at Greenwood High School. Parents who live in the Greenwood area and you go to the if your kids go to district uh go to Greenwood schools, you can find more information on that. So with it being for the July weekend, we also uh wanna keep

Firework Safety Tips

SPEAKER_02 8:19

people informed about firework safety tips. Um make sure you uh don't get yourself on fire and or like blow anything off.

SPEAKER_00 8:27

Um set uh firework off in a house.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

Yeah, yeah. Let's let's be responsible uh and enjoy this weekend. So uh and Nathan, you did a story on this, so uh talk a little bit about it.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

I did. So um my story was on local fire departments um already, you know, responding to um 4th of July into incidents um just ahead of time, you know, uh just the week before, and I already know like a couple weeks before as well. I know there's some people um in my neighborhood who were setting off fireworks like one or two um you know, once a day. Yeah. And so um people were just already getting ready and stuff like that. And so in you know, how many you set off, there's still a risk for um injury and uh just uh property damage and fires. Um so uh Barger V Bargersville firefighters say that Fourth of July is typically one of their busiest days of the year, with calls ranging from house fires, grass fires, burn injuries, routine medical emergencies, and fire alarms.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 9:33

Officials say firework-related house fires are common enough that they expect at least one every holiday season.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

Yeah. Well, uh, what kind of injuries are they seeing um during this time?

SPEAKER_00 9:45

So the fireworks can cause injuries ranging from minor burns to severe third degree burns. Um officials warn the sparklers are not as harmless as many people think. Uh they burn at roughly two thousand degrees Fahrenheit.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

Um, hot enough to cause serious burns and ignite clothing.

SPEAKER_02 10:01

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 10:02

Um, according to emergency room physician Dr. Jeremy Gagan, uh about seventy percent of fireworks-related eye injure injuries result in partial or total vision loss.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

So that's way more than half. Um, and about 40% of hand agent hand injuries result in the loss of part or all of a finger.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

That's crazy. And you know, actually this past weekend, uh, like I said, people are celebrating America's birthday ahead of time. Um, I I've saw I've seen a few people actually shoot fireworks at each other, you know, as like a game or as a joke. Uh I wouldn't recommend doing that because you could also, yeah, if and also it was in the middle of town, too. Uh so there are other people around. So maybe, maybe don't do that.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

But I think trying to aim a firework anywhere other than up is just not a good idea. No.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

Um, but what are some other safety tips that they gave um that they gave?

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Uh some more safety tips from the firefighters are uh uh to attend professional firework displays whenever possible inside it uh instead of lighting your own. Never use illegal fireworks or fireworks without proper safety precautions. Um do not relight a firework that fails to ignite. Wait at least 20 minutes and soak it thoroughly with water before disposal. Uh please use fireworks in a bucket of water before throwing them away to prevent trash fires. I think that's actually a really important because some people um might be too quick to throw away a firework that just went off, especially if it's like a big one. Yeah. And so, and that could always just it could still reignite. Yeah, it could still be like um lit even a little bit and it could still just cause um fire. And so um always maintain adult supervision when children are around fireworks, obviously. Um avoid handling fireworks while under the influence of alcohol or other substances, I think that's very common.

SPEAKER_02 11:59

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Um and uh call 911 quickly if a fire or injury occurs rather than trying to handle a growing emergency yourself.

SPEAKER_02 12:07

Yeah. Seems pretty pretty self-explanatory.

SPEAKER_00 12:10

Yeah, honest honestly, yeah. And I think um, especially for, you know, intoxication and um the uh trash fires, it's uh uh something that people might not consider because you know, Fourth of July is a lot of fun. Um I think it's a lot of fun, and like uh you just may not think of those things just because you are celebrating. Yeah, you're celebrating, yeah, you're having a lot of fun, and so I think a lot of people, I think it's good to have situational awareness of like, especially if s someone's having like an injury, or um if there's a house fire or property damage, it's just you gotta call them right away. Um another huge tip was to uh please be considerate of neighbors. Um fireworks can be stressful for veterans, pets, and people with sensory sensitivities. Uh and fire officials encourage residents to celebrate responsibly while respecting others and their community.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

Yeah, absolutely. And uh there's some uh there's some firework hours throughout the county, so share a little bit about um what those hours are throughout.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

The firework hours for Franklin and uh New Weyland um from June 29th, July 3rd, and July 5th to the 9th, uh is 5 p.m. until two hours after sunset. And then on July 4th, it's 10 a.m. to midnight. Okay. What about Greenwood? In Greenwood, uh from June 29th to July 3rd, and July 5th to the 9th, um you can set up fireworks from 5 p.m. until two hours after sunset. And then July 4th, um, it's 10 a.m. to midnight.

unknown 13:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

Um for Whiteland, uh it's from June 29th to July 9th, uh you can set up fireworks from 10 a.m. until two hours after s sunset. Um on July 4th, uh you can set them off 10 a.m. to midnight. And for other days, it is 10 a.m. to eleven p.m. And then additional limits are no more than three hours per day, no more than three days with within a seven-day period on the same property. And then for Edinburgh, it's June 29th to July 9th, um, from 5 p.m. until two hours after sunset. Um and on July 4th, it's 10 a.m. to midnight. And then other Johnson County communities um follow Indiana state law, uh, which are most days uh 9 a.m. to eleven p.m. and then July on July 4th, it's from 10 a.m. to midnight.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Interesting. Who is setting off fireworks at 10 a.m.? I have no idea.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

I don't know who is setting off fireworks that are last for three hours.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

That's that's just a lot.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

I mean, if you had a fireworks show, well, no, they're like 30 minutes. And also if I if you were to set off fireworks for three hours at a time, that's a lot of money.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

That's a lot of money. But also for the ones setting on fireworks uh in the morning, are you able to see them?

SPEAKER_00 15:05

You can barely see them. Yeah. Like it's you know to each their own.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

But you know, if you want to celebrate that early in the morning, go right ahead. Um, but yeah, we're gonna take a quick uh quick break and be back with our round table. Like listening to this podcast, you can help support it. Subscribe to the Daily Journal at subscribe.dailyjournal.net to support your local newspaper and this podcast. Your support helps make everything we do possible. All right,

Roundtable

SPEAKER_02 15:35

and we're back with our round table, and uh there's some fun stuff happening this weekend. Uh so Nathan, take it away.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Yeah, so some uh things to do this weekend are uh on Saturday, uh July 4th. Um uh the Cluster Busters open car show at Ray Skinland Ford is uh from 8 a.m. to noon. Uh the Pioga Parade is uh at 2 p.m. Uh the Edinburgh Firecracker Festival uh is from 8 a.m. to 10 30 p.m. Uh fireworks uh will start shortly after 10 p.m. The Red, White, and Blueberry Festival at Mallow Run Winery starts uh from noon to nine p.m. Uh fireworks uh are after the evening concert. Um the Mount Pleasant annual fireworks show in Greenwood is from 6 to 10.15 p.m. Uh fireworks are at dark. And then on Sunday, July 5th, um the Red, White, and Blueberry Festival continues at Mellow Run Winery uh from noon to six p.m.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

Alright, and uh with it being the holiday weekend, there are some places that close, they're gonna be closed, and some places are gonna be open, so we'll let you know. Uh closed Friday, uh all uh federal, state, and local government offices, uh Johnson County offices, um all Johnson County Public Library locations are gonna be closed, uh, as well as the Johnson County Museum of History. Our office will also be closed on Friday. And uh some BMV branches will also be closed. Uh open Friday. Uh most banks are gonna be open as well as your grocery stores. Uh the inner church food pantry will be open, Franklin and Greenwood Community Centers, and the Franklin Family Aquatic Center and Freedom Springs will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. U.S. post offices will uh will remain open and deliver mail as normally. Closed Saturday is uh Greenwood Public Library, all JCPL branches. Um the Museum of History is also going to be closed, Greenwood Community Center. Um most pop most post offices for the federal holiday, so on July 4th, and some B BMV branches and Walgreen pharmacies. Um open Saturday, again, most grocery stores, CVS pharmacies, and uh Franklin uh family aquatic center and freedom springs will also be open um 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Awesome. Um especially for like I'm actually I I'm not surprised, but I still like with Freedom Springs and um the Franklin Aquatic Center being open, like that'd be an awesome day.

SPEAKER_02 18:01

That would be an awesome like way to celebrate 4th of July. But yeah, uh I'm excited for this weekend. Uh we hope everyone has a safe and happy uh 4th of July if you celebrate uh America's 250th birthday. Yeah, um I'm planning on going camping, so wish me luck. Yeah, I'm I'm not much of a camper. I'm going to turkey run. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna be in a camper, so I'm gonna be glamping per se, but like it's gonna be hot. So wish me luck. I'm not much of a camper.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

So I my friends were like, oh, do we need to get wood for the campfire? I was like, do we not just get that from nature? And they were like, uh no, you have to buy your you have to bring your own house. Firewood. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

I I haven't really camped either. I've always camped in an RB. I'm like out in the woods, so I haven't like naturally camped. Yeah. Um, but I've always wanted to go to Turkey Run because me and um one of my friends want to hike there really bad. And so we're just trying to find some day where you know we both aren't working or we don't both don't have something to do.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

So Yeah. Well, it should be fun. I'll let you know how it is. Do you have any plans?

SPEAKER_00 19:08

Um I am so I was going to go to um Petro to see the fireworks there um on Friday uh with my girlfriend and her family. Um and then I got the notification that I have to work.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 19:26

Um and so not for us, for yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

We wouldn't we wouldn't make you work on a payday doll.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

For for Ritters, and so um I'll be working by then, but then it doesn't really matter because the day after um I am going to um a firework show. Um, and it's gonna be with uh me and then my girlfriend as well. So, you know, we'll make up for it. Yes, and then um with my family, and then um with our old neighbor or you know, um our old neighbors from our old neighborhood.

SPEAKER_02 20:03

Um and so awesome, yeah. Well again, we hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend, and uh we hope you guys tune in next time. Um let us know what you'd like to hear by submitting your thoughts uh to news tips at dailyjournal.net and follow us wherever you get podcasts. So we will see you all next week. Bye.