MORE TAKEAWAYS FROM SILVERIA’S INTRODUCTION AS PURDUE’S 14^TH PRESIDENT

Purdue on Thursday introduced Jay Silveria, president of the University of Arkansas system and retired Air Force lieutenant general, as the next president of the university, starting Feb. 1, 2027.

Here were a few of the takeaways from the 14^th Purdue president’s short, introductory session in the minutes after the trustees’ unanimous vote to bring Silveria to West Lafayette.

First up: Catching up with Silveria’s selection …

Here’s what Purdue trustees said about how they recruited Silveria to replace Mung Chiang, who left June 30 to be president at Northwestern University; terms of his contract, including a $1 million base salary, with another $500,000 in performance-based, “at-risk” pay; and his initial promises to the West Lafayette campus.

On his message to students

Silveria said he planned to be a president who would be visible on campus.

“I want the Purdue students to know that I want to meet each and every one of them,” Silveria said. “It’s going to take me a while, right? I am here to be approachable and accessible for the students.

“What that’s going to look like?” he said. “You’re going to see me in a lot of areas where the students are. You’re going to see me at a lot of events. You’re going to see me available to the students. That is the reason that we’re here, to make sure that our students have a wonderful experience, graduate, develop, and go off and do great things for our nation and for our world. And I want to be a part of that. And the way to be a part of that is to be right there with you, to be right there everywhere that you are. In the classrooms, on the fields, around everything that we do, I want to be with the students. This is what you tell the students: You need to stop me when you see me. Stop me. Tell me about yourself. Tell me about your story. Tell me about your journey and how you got there and what you want to do. I want to be part of that journey for everyone.”

On Purdue’s tuition freeze

Purdue has staked a marketing reputation on holding tuition at $9,992 a year, in a freeze started in 2013 as then-Purdue President Mitch Daniels recommended and that the university has kept in place through President Mung Chiang’s administration.

“I have spent a fair amount of time looking at the financials and trying to understand that,” Silveria said. “I know it’s an important point about the value of education. … The value of education has been important here, which is why you had the tuition freeze, and that is a principle that cannot change.”

On free speech on campus

Silveria was asked about his commitment to free speech on campus – something Purdue has pinned as a priority with the adoption of the “Chicago Principles” on freedom of expression in 2015 and its No. 3 rating among public universities in the most recent Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) College Free Speech Rankings.

In March 2026, Silveria fired Shirin Saeidi, a tenured University of Arkansas political science professor and director of the university’s King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies, over statements she made about Gaza, Israel and Iran, according to reports in Arkansas media. Saeidi had been suspended in December 2025 for a repost she shared on X regarding the conflict in Gaza, according a report by TV state KARK. In rejecting a faculty committee’s recommendation to reinstate Saeidi, Silveria issued a decision that said that “other institutions of higher education have endured funding losses at the federal level due to their insufficient responses to antisemitism under Title VI. Such an outcome could be devastating to the University of Arkansas, not just disruptive.”

On Tuesday, Silveria said:

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In the course of a six-month search for the 14^th president at Purdue, trustee Theresa Carter reached out to Jay B. Silveria, a fellow retired officer in the U.S. Air Force and currently president of the University of Arkansas System.

At one point, after catching up as colleagues do, the conversation turned on this question from Carter, a retired Air Force major general: “By the way, did you ever consider looking at Purdue University as being the president?”

“According to at least one side, it was dead silence for a while,” Gary Lehman, chair of the Purdue Trustees, said, recounting the story Thursday afternoon. “So, obviously, we caught him off guard. It wasn’t that he was ever looking for anything or ever knew that he would be coming here as president of Purdue University. But we’re so glad to have him.”

Purdue trustees voted unanimously during a special meeting Thursday to make Silveria the university’s 14^th president, replacing Mung Chiang, who left Purdue June 30 to take a similar role at Northwestern University.

Silveria will start Feb. 1, 2027, according to terms of a contract outlined by trustees.

Mitch Daniels, who retired at the end of 2022 after a decade as Purdue’s president, will remain in the interim president role he returned to do in July until Silveria arrives, Lehman said.

Silveria, decked in fresh black-and-gold tie and Purdue lapel pin he said he didn’t have before arriving on campus Thursday, walked into the trustees’ meeting room in the Stewart Center to a standing ovation from faculty, administrators and students who came to see the vote.

He thanked the trustees, assuring them that “every single day I will live up to the expectations that you set with that vote of confidence.” As of Thursday, he said he was just starting to figure out Purdue, including not being sure, yet, where his office would be.

“A lot of you … probably have a lot of questions for me – about me or what’s my direction or what’s my focus or what direction do I seek for the university or what’s next or what are the priorities?” Silveria said.

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Look for an announcement this afternoon about a new president for Purdue University.

Purdue trustees are scheduled to meet at 3:30 p.m. Thursday on the third floor of the Stewart Center for a special meeting called earlier this week.

University officials were not going much beyond a note provided with the announcement that “an agenda will be provided at the meeting.”

“All I have to share is it’s worth your time and there will be a full media availability immediately after the meeting,” Trevor Peters, a Purdue spokesman, said.

But several sources on campus told BiL that the news will be about the search for a replacement for Mung Chiang, Purdue’s 13th president who left June 30 for a similar role at Northwestern University after serving 3½ years in Hovde Hall and six years before that as engineering dean.

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And now, it’s …

By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette

Greg Lindberg and Adrian Gomez with David Teter, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, Sixth Street Dive, 827 N. Sixth St., Lafayette — Spearheaded by promoter David Teter and his Set & Signal production team, standup comedy is being spread throughout Lafayette, from downtown (Generation NA) to the south side (Painting with a Twist). Things are seemingly getting funnier by the week, including Thursday night when standup makes its debut at Sixth Street Dive. The first show at the bar and Tex-Mex restaurant will feature headliner Adrian Gomez, a seven-year Indianapolis funnyman who produced his own open mic at Fountain Square Brewing Company. He’s also performed in San Diego, Chicago, New York and even Montreal. Lafayette’s own Greg Lindberg is also on the bill doing traditional standup with some clowning mixed in. Teter will also host the show. The funny will move back to Main Street when Lindberg hosts KJ Weaver and Mya Smith Nov. 13 at Generation NA. Lindberg will be in character as Yuppie Jason Vorhees to commemorate the Friday the 13^th. $15. Tickets.

Bang on a Can All-Stars, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center, Purdue University — The unique Bang on a Can All-Stars will return to Purdue to celebrate the 90^th birthdays of composers Phillip Glass and Steve Reich. The New York ensemble that blends classical, jazz, rock and experimental music will present works from the pair of famed nonagenarian American composers in a way no one has ever heard. On the program will be Glass’ “Glassworks” and Reich’s “2x5” and “New York Counterpoint.” $22-$40. Tickets.

Stars & Steps, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, Long Center for the Performing Arts, 111 N. Sixth St., Lafayette — As “Dancing with the Stars” season 35 (!) rumbas toward the finals, Lafayette’s own “dance spectacular” of (local) celebrities and (semi) professional dancers will be properly showcased on the historic Long Center stage. The couples have been creating original ballroom dance routines to prove that when they aren’t leading the community, they can lead a salsa, cha-cha or waltz. The show will help celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Franciscan Health and proceeds from this event will benefit Franciscan’s Community Health Improvement initiatives. Signed on to dance: pilot Donna Beering, Greater Lafayette Commerce president Mikel Berger, deacon Dan Finn and many others. $35. Tickets.

“looky-loo Part II” screening, 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, Wabash Landing 9, 300 E. State St., West Lafayette — One of the creepiest movies I’ve seen in a long time did not come from Hollywood, New York or even Chicago. It was from right here in Lafayette (mostly) and it was called “Looky-loo.” The 2025 found footage, point-of-view horror movie directed by Lafayette’s own Jason Zink follows an unnamed, unknown voyeur who breaks into people’s homes through found spare keys or carelessly left-open doors. Things quickly escalate and so does the body count. The killer documents his break-ins with a handheld video camera and uploads the footage for his masterpiece film. The sequel, “looky-loo Part II” is out now doing the festival circuit and special screenings, including one this weekend at Wabash 9. There will also be giveaways and a cast and crew Q&A after the movie. $12.50. Tickets.

Lafayette Roller Derby, 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette — Your Lafayette Roller Derby Super Novas will close out its home schedule with a barnburner. Lafayette’s toughest and fastest skaters will welcome BWA, Black (skaters) With Attitudes, to the friendly Fairgrounds for one more night of hard-hitting action. BWA is a borderless travel team open to any skater of African descent. The event will have a Halloween theme, a bit of a hair of the werewolf from last weekend, and there will be food trucks and door prizes to add to the festivities. The Super Novas will finish out its 2026 season with a Nov. 14 bout against Auroara Roller Derby in Aurora, Illinois. $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Tickets.

Tim Brouk is a longtime arts and entertainment reporter. He writes here (almost) weekly, tracking things to do for Based in Lafayette.

Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.

MORE ELECTION NIGHT TAKEAWAYS …

Tippecanoe County election officials finished counting roughly 1,600 mail-in and other absentee ballots Wednesday afternoon, shoring up final – though unofficial – results and a few storylines from the 2026 midterms.

Could a special election be in play for Tippecanoe Township?

The Tippecanoe County Election Board considered it might be a possibility, given an error that left Democrat Holden Mugford’s name off 424 ballots during nearly two weeks of early voting in the Tippecanoe Township trustee race against incumbent Republican Bill Jones.

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Tippecanoe County still has roughly 1,600 absentee ballots that beat the 6 p.m. Tuesday deadline to be counted but hadn’t been processed by the time election officials called it a night.

The Tippecanoe County Election Board is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in downtown Lafayette, to resume counting, County Clerk Julie Roush said.

As of Tuesday night, election officials had counted 43,821 ballots – a figure that was already 9% ahead of the 39,932 voters who turned out in November 2022, the most recent midterm election, per county records.

The ballots still uncounted won’t be enough to sway the races included in this round of Election Night takeaways:

Baker ends Alting’s career in Senate District 22

Natasha Baker, a high school teacher from Battle Ground, left no doubt Tuesday, flipping Indiana Senate District 22 and ending the political career of state Sen. Ron Alting, who first won the seat in 1998 and who had been prepared to resign the seat if he’d won under a cloud of shoplifting allegations that brewed in the final month of the campaign.

Baker, who had never run for public office, beat Alting with 58.8% of the vote across a district that includes Lafayette, the eastern portion of Tippecanoe County and all of Carroll County.

“I truly believe that this is the trajectory that we were already on,” Baker said. “It was about mid-September when it started to hit me that this could really happen, when the first round of polling data came back and I saw how much I was overperforming then. … When Sen. Alting dropped, I just was leaving it up to the voters at that point. I think that this is more of people are tired of the status quo. They’re ready for someone new, and we’re ready to see a change.”

Alting announced shortly after early, in-person voting started Oct. 6 that he was stepping back from his campaign as he was “experiencing concerning changes in my judgment and cognitive functioning,” that “I did things that were wrong and completely out of character for me,” and that he had sought medical help “and am now undergoing further evaluation.”

As of Election Day, a special prosecutor from Elkhart County assigned to look into a series of police cases of alleged shoplifting from a Lafayette Walmart and linked to Alting had not made a report to the court, according to Tippecanoe Circuit Court records. And no charges had been filed, according to online court records.

Despite announcing his withdrawal from the campaign trail, Alting wasn’t allowed by law to get off the ballot, unless he moved from the district or died, among a limited number of reasons laid out in Indiana election code.

Still, Alting’s campaign marched on, even if his appearances stopped. His face showed up daily in a series of commercials that played in heavy rotation on local TV, and large, red campaign signs dotted Lafayette and the rest of the district. Alting campaign signs were part of the arrays outside vote centers Tuesday.

Dale Seward, Carroll County Republican Party chairman, had said Alting getting out of the race clarified the stakes for some who found it tough to vote for him with the allegations hanging over the seven-term senator. With a promise to resign put out there, Seward had said, it allowed a new framing for the race: A vote for Alting was now a vote to keep a Republican in the Senate District 22 seat. An Alting win, followed by a resignation, would have triggered a Republican caucus of more than 80 precinct committee men and women. At least four Republicans announced in recent weeks that they’d put their names in to replace Alting, if he won, including Richard Bagsby, who ran against and lost to Alting in the May 2026 Republican primary.

But Baker, who won a primary in May to win the Democratic nomination, leaned into the situation, pulling in increased campaign donations and getting a boost of TV ads in the final weeks. One made a point of saying that Alting “literally told us he’s not up to the job. Let’s elect someone who is.” (In a Based in Lafayette Q&A, Baker listed this for a question about what separated her from her opponent: “The second profound difference between the two of us is that when I leave Walmart, everything in my cart has been paid for.”)

During the campaign, Baker also positioned herself as an alternative to a longtime senator who had garnered an endorsement from President Donald Trump ahead of the May primary for his vote for a failed mid-decade redistricting plan during the 2026 General Assembly.

Tuesday night, when the race was settled, Alting came to the Tippecanoe County Office Building in downtown Lafayette, making his first public appearance since he’d withdrawn from campaigning to concede to Baker. He also essentially said farewell to political life in a short speech in the County Office Building’s foyer, as Baker, state Rep. Sheila Klinker and others looked on.

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WHAT’S IN THE NEW RESTRICTIONS ON LARGE-SCALE DATA CENTERS IN TIPPECANOE COUNTY

Four pages of new zoning regulations intended to make it as difficult as possible to build a warehouse-style, hyperscale data center in Tippecanoe County, without banning them completely, won unanimous approval Monday from county commissioners and city councils in Lafayette and West Lafayette.

In the works for a year, the new zoning codes replace a stopgap, one-year measure – one that pigeonholed large-scale data centers into a little-used zoning designation in hopes of fending them off – approved in 2025 and that was set to expire at the end of November.

With it, Tippecanoe County joined more than half of Indiana’s counties – at least 50 of the 92 with some sort of regulatory ordinances, moratoriums or bans, according to IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute – making moves to restrict large-scale server farms designed to handle the needs of artificial intelligence, streaming services and cloud computing.

“I appreciate (the Area Plan Commission) stepping up to this, because it’s better to deal with it now than try to put the pin back in the grenade,” Perry Brown, a Lafayette City Council member, said Monday night.

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Polls are open: A last-minute Election 2026 primer

Vote centers will be open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. today, Nov. 3, across Tippecanoe County for the 2026 general election.

Do you need a last-minute rundown about where to vote on Election Day, who’s on your ballot and Q&As with candidates in contested local races?

Here you go …

CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION/YOUR BALLOT

To check your voter registration and to see candidates and public questions that will be on your specific ballot, go to the Secretary of State’s portal at www.indianavoters.com.

GET ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS

Our friends at The Indiana Citizen have a great tool to track results as counties report them from across the state. Check it out here.

ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS

Voting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, will be 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Registered voters in Tippecanoe County may choose any of these sites.

Lafayette

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road

• Lafayette Community Church of the Nazarene, 3801 Union St

• The Grove Covenant Church, 3600 S. Ninth St.

• Tippecanoe County Historical Association History Center, 522 Columbia St.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South

• Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave.

West Lafayette

• Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave.

• Córdova Recreation Center, 355 N. Martin Jischke Drive, Purdue

• Connection Point Church, 2541 Cumberland Ave.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road

Outside Lafayette/West Lafayette

• Shadeland Town Hall, 2485 Indiana 25 West, Shadeland

• Tippecanoe Township Volunteer Fire Station No. 2, 448 W. County Road 650 North, West Lafayette

• Sheffield Township Fire Station, 285 Market St., Dayton

• Battle Ground Fire Station, 112 North St., Battle Ground

ON THE BALLOT

Here are candidates who will be on Tippecanoe County ballots in the Nov. 3 general election. (* = incumbent)

Congress

• U.S. House, District 4: Jim Baird*, R; Drew Cox, D.

Indiana General Assembly

• House District 13: Matt Commons*, R; Brenna Geswein, D; Ben Davis, Socialist

• House District 26: Chris Campbell*, D; Magdalaine Davis, R

• House District 27: Sheila Klinker*, D; Tracy Brown, R

• House District 38: Heath VanNatter*, R; and Nate Stout, D

• House District 41: Mark Genda*, R; Jackson Hayes, D

• Senate District 22: Ron Alting*, R; Natasha Baker, D

• Senate District 23: Spencer Deery*, R; David Sanders, D; Joshua Brant, independent

State offices

• Secretary of State: Beau Bayh, D; Max Engling, R; Lauri Schillings, Libertarian; Greg Ballard, Lincoln Party

• State auditor: Jessica Bailey, D; Elise Nieshalla, R; John Schick, Libertarian

• State treasurer: Coumba Kebe, D; Daniel Elliott*, R

Tippecanoe County

• Commissioner, District 1: Julie Roush, R; Andrea Burniske, D

• County Council, District 1: Ben Murray*, D; Trent Richter, R

• County Council, District 2: Jody Hamilton*, R

• County Council, District 3: Lynn Beck, R

• County Council, District 4: Lisa Dullum*, D

• County Clerk: Carrie Sanders, R; Karan Benner, D

• Assessor: Anthony Hustedt-Mai, R; Kaitlyn Butler, D

• Auditor: Jennifer Weston*, R; Eric Grossman, D

• Recorder: Kristy Martin*, R; Monica Casanova, D

• Prosecutor: Jason Biss, R

• Judge, Superior Court 1: Kevin McDaniel*, R

• Judge, Superior Court 2: Sarah Wyatt, R

• Judge, Superior Court 4: Matt Sandy*, R

• Judge, Superior Court 5: Kristen McVey*, R

• Judge, Superior Court 7: Dan Moore*, R

School boards

• Lafayette School Corp.: District A, Gary Mueller; District B, Brent Clemenz*; District D, Oscar Trujillo Jr.* (all non-partisan)

• Tippecanoe School Corp.: District 1, Holly Keckler*; District 2, Josh Loggins*; District 3, William Sondgerath* (all non-partisan)

• West Lafayette Community School Corp. (vote for 3): Maria Koliantz, Dacia Mumford*, John Robinson and Laurence Wang* (all non-partisan)

Township offices

• Fairfield Township trustee: Ted Hardesty, D; Ray Williams, R

• Fairfield Township board (vote for 3): Jessica Holsinger, Amy Paget and Susan Schechter*, D; Perry Barbee and Justice Amos, R

• Jackson Township trustee: James Stafford, R

• Jackson Township board (vote for 3): Christian Gamble, Tami Greer Minniear and Christine Wise*, R

• Lauramie Township trustee: Harold Tull, R

• Lauramie Township board (vote for 3): Butch Hammond, D; Jeffery Tull Jr.*, Hal Graham and Joe Sturm*, R

• Perry Township trustee: Frank Cedarquist*, R

• Perry Township board (vote for 3): Greg Brown*, Joseph Daubenmier* and Dan Huff, R

• Randolph Township trustee: Jeanne Benjamin*, R

• Randolph Township board (vote for 3): Fred Inskeep*, Natalie Kanaby* and William Kitterman*, R

• Sheffield Township trustee: Pamela Crum*, R

• Sheffield Township board (vote for 3): Jerry Arvin*, Jane Coleman* and Terry Thayer, R

• Shelby Township trustee: Treeva Sarles, R

• Shelby Township board (vote for 3): Susan Rowe, D; Heather Beasley, Steve Lange* and Donald Nesbitt*, R

• Tippecanoe Township trustee: Bill Jones*, R; Holden Mugford, D

• Tippecanoe Township board: John Muller, Barbara Whitlock and Dean Whitlock, D; Jim Fields*, Dan Haan* and Sam Richardson*, R

• Union Township trustee: Jo Ritchie*, R

• Union Township board (vote for 3): Mary Grace Gish*, Steve Plantenga* and Paul Sietsma*, R

• Wabash Township trustee: Angel Valentin*, D; John W. Wilson, R

• Wabash Township board (vote for 3): Ian Pytlarz*, David Tate* and Briton Weise, D; Frank Hannan, Eric Hoppenjans and Jeffery Stefancic, R

• Washington Township trustee: Karen Cadle, R

• Washington Township board (vote for 3): Tom Davidson*, Nate Hofmann* and Kevin Riggenbach, R

• Wayne Township trustee: Norman Hayman*, R

• Wayne Township board (vote for 3): Larry Guentert, D; Mark Christian*, Phil Katter* and Pam Rosen, R

• Wea Township trustee: Alfonso Salazar Jr., D; Alan Williams, R

• Wea Township board (vote for 3): Dennise Grater, Talitha Huber and Jesse Washburn, D; Andrea Moore*, Susan Pfeifer and Aaron Slagel*, R

Towns

• Dayton town clerk-treasurer: Stephen Parks, independent

• Dayton Town Council: Steven Schuhle*, Marc Buhrmester*, Vickie Beavers, Robert Hainje and Mike Harris, independent

• Otterbein clerk-treasurer: Deandra Pritchett, R

• Otterbein Town Council: Jackey Apache* and Craig Martin*, R

• Shadeland Town Council: Ken Stacy, D; Tim Balensiefer*, David Downey* and David Vanderkleed*, R

Ballot questions

West Lafayette Community School Corp. property tax referendum: “Shall West Lafayette Community School Corporation increase property taxes paid to the school corporation for no more than eight (8) years for the purpose of funding academic programming and operating expenditures and sustaining educational and operational stability in response to reductions in property tax revenue by imposing a property tax rate that does not exceed $0.5706 and results in a maximum annual amount that does not exceed $16,100,000. If this operating referendum public question is approved by the voters, for a median residence of $350,000, the property’s annual property tax bill would increase by $956 per year. The most recent operating referendum public question proposed by the school corporation was held in 2023 and passed.”

For more background

Based in Lafayette, Sept. 15: “As school referendum heads to ballot, West Lafayette anticipates rate will stay flat in first year.”

Public question No. 1 (statewide): “Currently, under the Constitution of the State of Indiana, a person charged with murder or treason is not entitled to be released on bail if the proof is evident or the presumption strong. Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to provide that a person charged with an offense other than murder or treason is not entitled to bail if: (1) the proof is evident or the presumption strong; and (2) the state proves by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions will reasonably protect the safety of any other person or the community. (This question concerns Article 1, Section 17 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.)”

Public question No. 2 (statewide): “Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to permit the judge of a city or town court to reside in: (1) the county in which the court is located; or (2) the bordering county closest to the city or town in which the court is located? (This question concerns Article 6, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.)”

CANDIDATE Q&AS

Based in Lafayette asked a series of questions and gathered bios of candidates in contested races that will be on Tippecanoe County ballots.

U.S. House, 4^th District

U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, seeking a fifth term in Congress, will face Democrat Drew Cox on the November ballot in Indiana’s 4^th District. The 4th District takes in much of west-central Indiana, including Tippecanoe and surrounding counties.

Indiana Senate, District 22

State Sen. Ron Alting, a Republican on the ballot for an eighth term, faces Democrat Natasha Baker, a teacher from Battle Ground, in Indiana Senate District 22. In October, Alting, facing allegations of shoplifting and admitting “concerning changes” in his cognitive function, announced he planned to resign if he wins the general election Nov. 3. (As of Monday, Nov. 2, Alting had not been charged.) That would trigger a caucus of Republican precinct committee men and women across a district that includes Lafayette, an eastern portion of Tippecanoe County and all of Carroll County.

Indiana Senate, District 23

State Sen. Spencer Deery, after prevailing in an extended recount in the May Republican primary, faces a rematch from the 2022 general election with Democrat David Sanders, along with independent candidate Joshua Brant in Senate District 23. Indiana Senate District 23 includes six counties, including parts of Tippecanoe and Montgomery counties, and all of Fountain, Warren, Parke and Vermillion counties.

Indiana House, District 13

State Rep. Matt Commons, a high school teacher and first term Republican in the Indiana House, faces Democratic candidate Brenna Geswein and Socialist Ben Davis for the Indiana House District 13 seat. The district includes a large part of southern and northern Tippecanoe County, along with all of Benton and Warren counties, and portions of Fountain, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton and White counties.

Indiana House, District 26

State Rep. Chris Campbell, a West Lafayette Democrat, is looking for her fifth two-year term in Indiana House District 26, challenged by West Lafayette Republican Magdalaine Davis. House District 26 covers West Lafayette and a section west of the city to the Tippecanoe County line.

Indiana House, District 27

State Rep. Sheila Klinker, a Lafayette Democrat first elected to the Indiana House in 1982, faces a challenge from Republican Tracy Brown, a Tippecanoe County commission and former county sheriff, in House District 27. Indiana House District 27 includes the northern portions of Lafayette, and parts of Tippecanoe County.

Indiana House, District 38

State Rep. Heath VanNatter, a Howard County Republican first elected in 2010, faces Democratic candidate Nate Stout in the Nov. 3 election in Indiana House District 38. The district includes the northeastern portion of Tippecanoe County, along with all of Carroll and Tipton counties, and portions of Cass, Clinton and Howard counties.

Indiana House, District 41

State Rep. Mark Genda, a Republican from Frankfort first elected to the General Assembly in 2022, faces Democrat Jackson Hayes in Indiana House District 41. The district includes a large part of southeastern Tippecanoe County, along with parts of Clinton and Boone counties.

Tippecanoe County commissioner, District 1

Republican County Clerk Julie Roush and Democratic candidate Andrea Burniske face each other for the Tippecanoe County commissioner District 1 seat, now held by commissioner Tracy Brown. Commissioner candidates run in districts according to where they live, but voters across the county will have this race on their ballots.

Tippecanoe County Council, District 1

Only one for four Tippecanoe County Council seats on the Nov. 3 ballot is being contested, with Republican Trent Richter challenging incumbent Democrat Ben Murray. Candidates, including two incumbents, are running unopposed in the three other districts on the ballot, including: District 2: Incumbent Republican Jody Hamilton; District 3: Republican Lynn Beck, who is running to replace council member Kathy Vernon; and District 4: Democratic incumbent Lisa Dullum. Council members are selected by voters in their districts, so not every voter in the county will see county council on their ballots. District 1 includes much of Lafayette and some surrounding areas.

Tippecanoe County clerk

Republican Carrie Sanders and Democrat Karan Benner face each other to be Tippecanoe County’s next county clerk, replacing Republican Julie Roush.

Tippecanoe County auditor

Incumbent Tippecanoe County Auditor Jennifer Weston, a Republican, is being challenged by Democratic candidate Eric Grossman, the county’s current assessor.

Tippecanoe County assessor

Democrat Kaitlyn Butler faces Republican Anthony Hustedt-Mai in the Nov. 3 election to replace County Assessor Eric Grossman.

Tippecanoe County recorder

Incumbent Tippecanoe County Recorder Kristy Martin is being challenged by Democratic candidate Monica Casanova, the current Fairfield Township trustee.

West Lafayette school board

Four candidates – including incumbents Dacia Mumford and Laurence Wang, along with Maria Koliantz and John Robinson – will be on the ballot, running for three at-large seats on the West Lafayette school board.

Fairfield Township trustee

Democrat Ted Hardesty and Republican Ray Williams are competing to replace Fairfield Township Trustee Monica Casanova, who is running for Tippecanoe County recorder.

Tippecanoe Township trustee

Republican Bill Jones, Tippecanoe Township trustee for the past 20 years, is being challenged by Democratic candidate Holden Mugford.

Wabash Township trustee

Wabash Township Trustee Angel Valentin, a West Lafayette Democrat running for a second four-year term, faces Republican John Wilson in the Nov. 3 election.

Wea Township trustee

Alan Williams, a Republican who beat incumbent Jim Slaven in the primary, faces Democratic candidate Alfonso Salazar Jr. for Wea Township trustee.

Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.

EARLY VOTING CLOSES, TURNOUT UP 54% OVER LAST MIDTERM IN TIPPECANOE COUNTY

The line outside the Tippecanoe County Office Building stretched more than 100 people deep much of Monday morning on the final day of a month’s worth of early voting in the 2026 general election.

Jordan Smith, a Lafayette resident, was tucked into the line ahead of Monday’s noon cutoff at the downtown Lafayette polling place, grabbing that last chance to vote early and in-person ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day.

“Better late than never,” Smith said. “Well, still early. But I’m not sure I’m going to be free to get it done Tuesday. So, you know what I mean.”

By the end, including people who were in line by noon and allowed to stay in line to vote, 596 people had voted over the four hours scheduled Monday at the County Office Building, according to county election office figures.

In all, 26,490 ballots had been cast in-person or by mail in Tippecanoe County since early voting started Oct. 6, according to county numbers.

Of those, 24,911 voted in-person over the past month. That was up 54% over that 16,103 who voted early and in-person in 2022, the most recent midterm election.

In 2022, the most recent midterm election, 39,932 people voted for a 32.1% turnout, according to county records. Of those, 46.6% voted early.

ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS

Voting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, will be 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Registered voters in Tippecanoe County may choose any of these sites.

Lafayette

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road

• Lafayette Community Church of the Nazarene, 3801 Union St

• The Grove Covenant Church, 3600 S. Ninth St.

• Tippecanoe County Historical Association History Center, 522 Columbia St.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South

• Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave.

West Lafayette

• Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave.

• Córdova Recreation Center, 355 N. Martin Jischke Drive

• Connection Point Church, 2541 Cumberland Ave.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road

Outside Lafayette/West Lafayette

• Shadeland Town Hall, 2485 Indiana 25 West, Shadeland

• Tippecanoe Township Volunteer Fire Station No. 2, 448 W. County Road 650 North, West Lafayette

• Sheffield Township Fire Station, 285 Market St., Dayton

• Battle Ground Fire Station, 112 North St., Battle Ground

YOUR VOTER GUIDE

For a look at who will be on your ballot, along with Q&As with candidates in contested races on Tippecanoe County ballots, check this BiL voter guide:

TRIAL THAT SET OFF ALLEGED PLOT TO KILL A TIPPECANOE COUNTY JUDGE POSTPONED, AGAIN

A trial in a domestic violence case that investigators say Thomas Moss conspired with others to sidetrack – allegedly leading to an attempt to kill a Tippecanoe County judge in January 2026 – on Monday was pushed back to April 2027.

Cass County Superior Court 2 Judge Lisa Swaim – assigned to cases involving Moss, a 44-year-old Lafayette man, and those of others accused of being co-conspirators in the judge’s shooting – granted a motion from Moss’ attorney and the prosecutor to hold off on the original case until the attempted murder charges go to trial.

“These two cases are very much interwoven together,” Cassidy Laux, a deputy prosecutor, told Swaim during a Monday morning hearing held in the Tippecanoe Circuit Court courtroom.

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DATA CENTER RESTRICTIONS, LOCAL HOUSING REGS UP FOR REVIEW MONDAY

A few notes looking ahead to a typically crowded First Monday for Lafayette and West Lafayette city councils and the Tippecanoe County commissioners …

HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER ZONING REGULATION UP FOR FINAL VOTES: Proposed zoning restrictions designed to be just shy of an all-out ban on large-scale data centers in Tippecanoe County face a round of final votes Monday, with county commissioners getting the first crack at them that afternoon.

Lafayette and West Lafayette city councils will discuss and vote on the four pages of regulations at their monthly meetings Monday evening.

The proposal aimed at large-scale data centers – those massive warehouse-style server farms looking to set up to support artificial intelligence, streaming services and cloud computing – has been in the works since county commissioners installed stopgap zoning regulations in 2025 with a one-year expiration.

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The Caretaker’s Cottage at Grand View Cemetery, a 123-year-old landmark at the crest of Salisbury Street and for the past three years a local history outpost for the West Lafayette Public Library, will close Nov. 15.

The move comes after the library board voted unanimously two weeks ago to not renew a $1-a-year lease for 2027 with the city, which bought the property in 2017 and renovated it in the years that followed.

Instead, the West Lafayette Public Library will consolidate its local history collections and displays at the main library at the corner of Chauncey Avenue and Columbia Street, as it deals with uncertain revenue under property tax reforms approved by the Indiana General Assembly in Senate Bill 1 in 2025 continue to roll out.

Marra Honeywell, West Lafayette Public Library director, said that at a time when staffing was being scaled back over the past few years, among other operational cuts she said have been done quietly, the library board decided it couldn’t justify staffing and keeping the lights on at a second location for another year.

“This has just been so hard,” Honeywell said. “It’s an amazing space, a really special place. But it was just stretching us. … We’ve been working on right sizing our budget into our building for a while now, and we had a long way to go. We had to ask: Can we keep the cottage going?”

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POSTAL SERVICE: ‘DEPLOYING EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES’ FOR ON-TIME MAIL-IN BALLOTS

The U.S. Postal Service pushed back this week after warnings from the Tippecanoe County Election Board about slow mail service that had local election officials urging voters to hand-deliver their mail-in ballots rather than risk having them arrive after a 6 p.m. Nov. 3 Election Night cutoff to count.

Susan Wright, a U.S. Postal Service spokesperson, told Based in Lafayette that the local system was working to keep election-related mail moving on time.

“Postal Service management in the Lafayette area has confirmed that there are no reported ballot delays,” Wright said.

“Along with other postal facilities across the country, Lafayette retail and delivery operations has been deploying extraordinary measures since Oct. 24 to expedite ballots to election offices,” she said. “These measures include, but are not limited to, extra deliveries and collections, special pick-ups, and localized handling and transportation of ballots.”

During a hastily called meeting Tuesday, the Tippecanoe County Election Board issued a series of recommendations for voters who might have still had election ballots in their hands, after a report that one mail-in ballot took three weeks to get to a resident preparing to vote from Alabama.

“I can only guess how long it will take that voter to get the ballot to Tippecanoe County,” Randy Vonderheide, a Republican appointee to the three-member election board, said Tuesday.

By the Oct. 22 application deadline for mail-ins, Tippecanoe County’s election office sent 2,176 ballots, Tippecanoe County Clerk Julie Roush said. As of Wednesday, 1,365 of those – or 62% a – had been returned, according to county records.

Those ballots must be received by the county by 6 p.m. Nov. 3 to be counted.

In an Oct. 20 release, the U.S. Postal Service recommended mailing ballots at least a week before Election Day. That date – Oct. 27 – has passed.

“Because election office rules and deadlines differ across the country, we recommend that voters learn the requirements that apply to them and follow their election office’s recommendations,” the USPS said.

In this case, the Tippecanoe County Election Board laid out these options:

• Voters with mail-in ballots may hand deliver them to the Tippecanoe County Elections Office, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette, by 6 p.m. Nov. 3 on Election Day. Mail-in ballots also may be delivered by hand to any of the county’s vote centers.

• Mail-in ballots also may be returned to the county’s election office by a family member or someone in the voter’s household.

• Voters who applied for a mail-in ballot but decide later to vote in person may do that by surrendering the mail-in ballot at a polling place or the county election office. If the mail-in ballot did not arrive, the voter may declare that when going to vote in person. In each case, the voter is required to sign a form explaining the reason for not voting with the mail-in ballot they applied for.

EARLY VOTER TURNOUT UP 42.5%, SO FAR, OVER LAST MIDTERM: Early voting in Tippecanoe County continued to outpace turnout for the same period in 2022, the most recent midterm election, county election officials say.

As of Wednesday, 17,849 ballots – both in-person and mail-in – had been cast since the start of early voting Oct. 6. That’s up 42.5% from the 12,521 votes cast by the same point in early voting, according to the county election office.

Those numbers show a drop in mail-in ballots received at this point – 1,365 this year compared to 2,144 in 2022. But in-person voting is up 58.8% this year over 2022.

In 2022, the most recent midterm election, 39,932 people voted for a 32.1% turnout, according to county records. Of those, 46.6% voted early.

Compared to 2024, during the most recent presidential year election, the early voting total is down 41% from the 30,291 ballots cast by the same time two years ago, according to county records.

LAST CALL EARLY VOTING OPTIONS: Here’s a schedule for early voting sites in Tippecanoe County through the noon Monday, Nov. 2, deadline:

Friday, Oct. 30

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. Hours 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. Hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 2

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette. Hours: 8 a.m.-noon.

YOUR VOTER GUIDE: Looking for a hand unraveling the names and issues on the ballot? Here’s a look at your early polling options, vote centers open on and before Election Day and Q&As with candidates in contested races on Tippecanoe County ballots.

COUNTY LIBRARIAN RETIRING AFTER 24 YEARS LEADING TIPPECANOE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

Jos Holman, who helped lead Tippecanoe County Public Library through more than two decades of growth with branches outside Lafayette, announced in October to the library’s board that he will retire as a county librarian and library director.

Holman said this week that he plans to wrap up by mid-December. And the library board is planning a retirement celebration for him 4-7 p.m. Dec. 10 at Tippecanoe County Public Library’s downtown location, renamed the Holman Branch in 2024.

“Yes, I am ready,” Holman said this week.

Holman has been county librarian since 2002, when he came from a similar position in Mt. Vernon, Indiana. In the past 24 years, the Tippecanoe County Public Library has added several outlying branches, including the Wea Prairie Branch on South 18th Street, the Wyandotte Branch on County Road 50 South in Lafayette and the Klondike Branch on 3062 Lindberg Road, just west of West Lafayette. The library expanded downtown facilities when it took in the neighboring Walter Gray building, a former auto dealership and garage, renaming it the Stein Family Building in 2012. In 2024, the library cut the ribbon on a $6 million renovation to its downtown branch, renaming a facility opened at 627 South St. in 1989 for its director.

Marlene Darnell, divisional librarian, will be interim library director while the TCPL board conducts a national search for Holman’s replacement, the board announced this week.

THE REASON FOR NEW ADDRESSES FOR WEST LAFAYETTE FIRE STATION AND WELLNESS CENTER

When West Lafayette breaks ground Friday afternoon on an expanded Fire Station No. 3, the city will be saying farewell to the address numbers that show it at 1100 Kalberer Road. The new address, as of Sunday, Nov. 1: 900 Kalberer Road.

Across the street, the John Dennis Wellness Center will be recalibrated to 901 Kalberer Road, ditching its 1101 Kalberer Road address its had since it opened in the past decade.

The reason? City officials say that, generally, addresses west of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse should increase as you travel from east to west. The numbers assigned to the two West Lafayette facilities were out of sequence with other addresses, creating inconsistencies with neighboring properties. The city said the Area Plan Commission, which helps determine addresses for new development, was working to right the east-to-west sequencing on Kalberer Road as the area continues to develop.

In this case, one example: Walt’s Pub & Grill, which is west of Fire Station No. 3, is at 1050 Kalberer Road. The numbers continue to climb as Kalberer Road heads toward Morehouse Road.

“This has been on our radar for a number of years, but had wanted to get this squared away prior to pulling final permits on the expansion of Fire Station 3,” Jen Van Schuyver, West Lafayette’s development direction, said. “With the development occurring on the northside it’s easier to correct two municipal addresses now than a number of other established businesses later.”

Work is expected to start on an expansion of West Lafayette Fire Station No. 3 in November, with a groundbreaking event set for 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.

Last week, the West Lafayette Redevelopment Commission agreed to a guaranteed maximum price for the first phase of the project at $5.58 million for the first phase. Another $5.75 million has been set aside in 2027 for a second phase. The fire station expansion, in the works to handle growth in the northern portion of the city, is expected to include room for a second crew at Fire Station No. 3, two new drive-through bays for trucks, additional living quarters, training space, HazMat vehicle and trailer storage, decontamination and airlock systems that separate gear zones from living quarters, and expanded parking, according to city documents.

Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.

A new mural tucked away in a downtown Lafayette alley, commissioned as a 570-square-foot tribute to a Dutch still life and an early Lafayette family business, took shape on the back of the former Mulhaupt’s building in recent weeks.

Painted by an Indianapolis-based mural artist whose work includes giant portraits of author Kurt Vonnegut, Pacers legend Reggie Miller and the Indiana Avenue jazz scene spread across downtown Indianapolis, the work was conceived by Jason Tennenhouse, owner of 10 in House Strategy and Design and in on the founding of Greyhouse Coffee and MatchBOX Coworking Studio.

Here, Tennenhouse talks about the motivation and the meaning behind the mural, now appearing in an alley stretching from Main and Ferry streets, in the block between Fifth and Sixth streets.

Question: How did this project come about? How did you select the wall in that alley?

Jason Tennenhouse: It’s a wall that I’ve had my eye on for years, and now that I live in town more often I’ve decided to just do it. This alley sort of opens up in the middle, and the idea of coming upon an unexpected and hopefully inspiring piece seems like something that would happen in the sort of city I’d like to live in. Public art has an immediate beautifying and property value increasing effect, but over time it reduces crime and graffiti and leads to local pride. I’d hope this piece inspires the neighbors and those passing through to continue to further refine this little hidden enclave into something unexpected and beautiful.

Question: What’s the story about the design? What was the inspiration for that?

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No use hiding, it’s …

By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette

Halloween Bash, 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, 102 S. 10^th St., Lafayette — Bash No. 1: Make an artful start to your Halloween weekend by checking out the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette’s big Halloween Bash, which will feature live music from local cover bands No Rest 4 the Weekend and WKFC the Rock Band; eats from Odie Boy’s Kettle Corn, Pretty Prairie Pizza, and Wea Creek Orchard; and scary good adult beverages from Lafayette’s own People’s Brewing Company and Cellar Wine Bistro. Attendees are also encouraged to check out nearby Fowler House and the Tippecanoe County Historical Association facilities. Costumes are encouraged for this free event. “It’s a great entry point to the arts, even if we have to give out a little candy to sweeten the deal,” said Olivia Frazer, marketing and events coordinator for the Art Museum. “We hope that all feel welcome to stop by and that each attendee takes the time to enjoy our galleries along with the festivities.”

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CONCERNS RAISED OVER SLOW SERVICE FOR MAIL-IN BALLOTS: The Tippecanoe County Election Board raised a flag Tuesday, encouraging people who haven’t returned mail-in ballots to deliver them by hand, if possible, before Election Day, Nov. 3, given the board’s mounting concerns about delayed mail service.

During a meeting called and held Tuesday, the advice stemmed from a report from Randy Vonderheide, a Republican appointee to the three-member election board, that a Tippecanoe County absentee voter in Alabama told him that it took 21 days from the day a requested mail-in ballot was sent and when they received it.

“I can only guess how long it will take that voter to get the ballot to Tippecanoe County,” Vonderheide said. “The purpose here is to advise the public, if you’re local and you can do it, you may want to hand deliver your absentee ballot, because if you drop it in the mail, we have no control over that.”

By the Oct. 22 application deadline for mail-ins, Tippecanoe County’s election office sent 2,176 ballots, Tippecanoe County Clerk Julie Roush said. As of Tuesday morning, 1,160 of those had been returned, according to county records.

Those ballots must be received by 6 p.m. Nov. 3 to be counted.

Roush said the election office is working with the local post office for Election Day pickups to meet that deadline.

She said the county typically gets about 40 mail-in ballots that arrive after that cutoff.

Representatives with the U.S. Postal Service did not immediately respond to questions.

Among the options:

• Voters with mail-in ballots may hand deliver them to the Tippecanoe County Elections Office, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette, by 6 p.m. Nov. 3 on Election Day. Mail-in ballots also may be delivered by hand to any of the county’s vote centers.

• Mail-in ballots also may be returned to the county’s election office by a family member or someone in the voter’s household.

• Voters who applied for a mail-in ballot but decide later to vote in person may do that by surrendering the mail-in ballot at a polling place or the county election office. If the mail-in ballot did not arrive, the voter may declare that when going to vote in person. In each case, the voter is required to sign a form explaining the reason for not voting with the mail-in ballot they applied for.

TIPPECANOE TOWNSHIP BALLOT FIX: AN UPDATE: About 40 of the 424 Tippecanoe Township residents who had already voted between Oct. 9 and Oct. 21 – a span that featured ballots missing the name of a township trustee candidate – had recast their ballots, as of Tuesday, County Clerk Julie Roush said.

The problem was discovered and then fixed Oct. 21 after nearly two weeks over early voting on ballots that didn’t include Democratic candidate Holden Mugford, who is challenging Republican incumbent Bill Jones for the trustee position in the township north of West Lafayette and in and around Battle Ground.

Mugford, who was selected a day before early voting started Oct. 6 by the county Democratic Party to fill a vacancy when another candidate moved out of Tippecanoe Township, was on ballots for the first three days of early voting. His name was left off by the county’s voting machine vendor, MicroVote, when it fixed problems found on ballots in two uncontested races in Wea Township.

Voters involved were contacted by mail and may cast new ballots:

• At the county elections office at the Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, through Oct. 30; and 8 a.m.-noon Nov. 2.

• 10 a.m.-2 .m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Battle Ground Fire Station, 112 North St. in Battle Ground. The site will be open only for those who voted Oct. 9-21 and want a new ballot. No other voting machines will be there that day.

Roush said voters who voted straight ticket Republican or voted for Jones and don’t intend to change that vote don’t have to revote. Those votes will count for Jones, she said.

Straight party Democratic ballots cast will be counted for Mugford, Roush said. Those voters don’t need to recast a ballot, either.

In both cases, though, voters among the 424 in Tippecanoe Township may recast their entire ballot.

Those who want to cast new ballots need to do that before noon Nov. 2, election officials said. Because they are considered early in-person absentee ballots, they can’t be redone on Election Day, Nov. 3, they said.

Last week, election officials said that once the county had unofficial results on Election Night – including results from Tippecanoe Township residents who come back to vote again – the Election Board would look at the margin between the candidates. If it’s greater than the number of uncorrected ballots affected by the error in the Tippecanoe Township trustee contest, then the winner will stand. If the winning margin is less than the uncorrected number of impacted voters, then the Tippecanoe County Election Board would need to consider the best remedy.

YOUR VOTER GUIDE: With less than a week until Election Day, are you looking for a hand unraveling the names and issues on the ballot? Here’s a look at your early polling options, vote centers open on and before Election Day and Q&As with candidates in contested races on Tippecanoe County ballots.

WHERE TO VOTE TODAY AND THE REST OF THE WEEK: Here’s a schedule for early voting sites in Tippecanoe County:

Through Friday, Oct. 30

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. Hours 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. Hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Nov. 2

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette. Hours: 8 a.m.-noon.

THIS AND THAT/OTHER READS …

PAINTER’S CONTRACT EXTENDED: Purdue men’s basketball coach Matt Painter agreed to contract extension that will keep him with the Boilermakers through the 2030-31 season, the university announced Tuesday. Financial terms weren’t released, pending final approval by Purdue’s trustees when they meet Dec. 11. But reporting for the Indianapolis Star, Nathan Baird wrote that the new contract included a raise in his base salary from $5.1 million to $7 million. Here’s more from the Indy Star: “Purdue makes Matt Painter a top-10 paid college basketball coach, source says.”

VETERANS STAND DOWN EVENT NOV. 1: The local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans will host a Veterans Stand Down event, followed by a resource fair, Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds.

The event is a designed to help homeless and at-risk veterans by bringing them together in one location to receive a range of supplies, services and support. More than 50 community partners will be there to offer information and services, including: Veterans Affairs benefits, wellness checks, mental health support, dental check-ups, haircuts, employment assistance, financial counseling, recovery/addiction counseling, educational opportunities, peer support, insurance education and gaming therapy.

The Veterans Stand Down will be 9:30-11:30 a.m. Sunday for those who register in advance at any of these locations: LTHC, Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM), Mental Health America (MHA) Wabash Valley Region, Mary T. Klinker Veteran Resource Center, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) West Central Indiana, the Outreach Advocacy Center, the West Lafayette Library, Valley Oaks, and the Social or Outreach teams at the Lafayette or West Lafayette Police Departments and the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office.

A resource fair open to the public will follow, from noon-2 p.m. Sunday at the Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road.

LAFAYETTE JEFF ANNOUNCES PERFORMING ARTS HALL OF FAME CLASS: Lafayette Jefferson High School this week named for alumni to its second class of its Performing Arts Hall of Fame. They include:

• Patrick Hession, class of 1986: Hession is a jazz trumpet player who has played with the Lionel Hampton Big Band, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson and Big Bop Nouveau, and Harry James Orchestra. During his time at Lafayette Jeff, he performed in concert, jazz and marching bands and was selected for the Indiana All-State Band in 1985 and 1986.

• Jack Klink, class of 2010: Now a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, Klink started by documenting school concerts, musicals and First Edition performances while in Lafayette Jeff’s Radio and Television program. His credits as a director, producer, cinematographer and editor include work with Saturday Night Live’s “At Home” episodes and executive producer for the second season of “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace,” as well as local productions, including Lafayette’s official Bicentennial video in 2025.

• Janet Priest, class of 1970: Over a 40-year career, Priest was director of orchestras and music department chair for the Community Schools of Frankfort, later spending eight years at Lafayette Jeff as assistant orchestra director, oboe specialist and woodwind sectional coach. Since retiring, she helped establish the Clinton County Orchestra.

• Cortney Wolfson Holbrook, class of 2003: Getting a start in First Edition, Varsity Concert Choir, Accents, concert bands and Jefferson Players at Lafayette Jeff, her Broadway credits include Eponine in “Les Miserables,” Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family” and Nicola in “Kinky Boots.” She also appeared in the first national tour of “Legally Blonde,” toured with “The Addams Family,” and played Romy in the world premiere of “Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion.”

The four will be part of an induction ceremony in conjunction with production of “The Little Mermaid,” 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Jefferson High School’s Richard Jaeger Theatre, following a day of workshops and clinics at the school Nov. 13 conducted by members of the Jeff Performing Arts Hall of Fame.

Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.

Early voting ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election runs until noon Nov. 2 with contested races on Tippecanoe County ballots for U.S. House, Indiana General Assembly seats, Tippecanoe County commissioner and Tippecanoe County Council seats, township positions and school boards.

Here’s a look at your early polling options, vote centers open on Election Day and Q&As with candidates in contested races on Tippecanoe County ballots.

CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION/YOUR BALLOT

To check your voter registration and to see candidates and public questions that will be on your specific ballot, go to the Secretary of State’s portal at www.indianavoters.com.

EARLY VOTING

Here’s a schedule for early voting sites in Tippecanoe County in the week ahead of Election Day:

Tuesday, Oct. 27-Friday, Oct. 30

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. Hours 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette. Hours: Noon-6 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. Hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Nov. 2

• Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette. Hours: 8 a.m.-noon.

ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS

Voting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, will be 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Registered voters in Tippecanoe County may choose any of these sites.

Lafayette

• Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road

• Lafayette Community Church of the Nazarene, 3801 Union St

• The Grove Covenant Church, 3600 S. Ninth St.

• Tippecanoe County Historical Association History Center, 522 Columbia St.

• Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South

• Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South

• Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave.

West Lafayette

• Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave.

• Córdova Recreation Center, 355 N. Martin Jischke Drive

• Connection Point Church, 2541 Cumberland Ave.

• John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road

Outside Lafayette/West Lafayette

• Shadeland Town Hall, 2485 Indiana 25 West, Shadeland

• Tippecanoe Township Volunteer Fire Station No. 2, 448 W. County Road 650 North, West Lafayette

• Sheffield Township Fire Station, 285 Market St., Dayton

• Battle Ground Fire Station, 112 North St., Battle Ground

ON THE BALLOT

Here are candidates who will be on Tippecanoe County ballots in the Nov. 3 general election. (* = incumbent)

Congress

• U.S. House, District 4: Jim Baird*, R; Drew Cox, D.

Indiana General Assembly

• House District 13: Matt Commons*, R; Brenna Geswein, D; Ben Davis, Socialist

• House District 26: Chris Campbell*, D; Magdalaine Davis, R

• House District 27: Sheila Klinker*, D; Tracy Brown, R

• House District 38: Heath VanNatter*, R; and Nate Stout, D

• House District 41: Mark Genda*, R; Jackson Hayes, D

• Senate District 22: Ron Alting*, R; Natasha Baker, D

• Senate District 23: Spencer Deery*, R; David Sanders, D; Joshua Brant, independent

State offices

• Secretary of State: Beau Bayh, D; Max Engling, R; Lauri Schillings, Libertarian; Greg Ballard, Lincoln Party

• State auditor: Jessica Bailey, D; Elise Nieshalla, R; John Schick, Libertarian

• State treasurer: Coumba Kebe, D; Daniel Elliott*, R

Tippecanoe County

• Commissioner, District 1: Julie Roush, R; Andrea Burniske, D

• County Council, District 1: Ben Murray*, D; Trent Richter, R

• County Council, District 2: Jody Hamilton*, R

• County Council, District 3: Lynn Beck, R

• County Council, District 4: Lisa Dullum*, D

• County Clerk: Carrie Sanders, R; Karan Benner, D

• Assessor: Anthony Hustedt-Mai, R; Kaitlyn Butler, D

• Auditor: Jennifer Weston*, R; Eric Grossman, D

• Recorder: Kristy Martin*, R; Monica Casanova, D

• Prosecutor: Jason Biss, R

• Judge, Superior Court 1: Kevin McDaniel*, R

• Judge, Superior Court 2: Sarah Wyatt, R

• Judge, Superior Court 4: Matt Sandy*, R

• Judge, Superior Court 5: Kristen McVey*, R

• Judge, Superior Court 7: Dan Moore*, R

School boards

• Lafayette School Corp.: District A, Gary Mueller; District B, Brent Clemenz*; District D, Oscar Trujillo Jr.* (all non-partisan)

• Tippecanoe School Corp.: District 1, Holly Keckler*; District 2, Josh Loggins*; District 3, William Sondgerath* (all non-partisan)

• West Lafayette Community School Corp. (vote for 3): Maria Koliantz, Dacia Mumford*, John Robinson and Laurence Wang* (all non-partisan)

Township offices

• Fairfield Township trustee: Ted Hardesty, D; Ray Williams, R

• Fairfield Township board (vote for 3): Jessica Holsinger, Amy Paget and Susan Schechter*, D; Perry Barbee and Justice Amos, R

• Jackson Township trustee: James Stafford, R

• Jackson Township board (vote for 3): Christian Gamble, Tami Greer Minniear and Christine Wise*, R

• Lauramie Township trustee: Harold Tull, R

• Lauramie Township board (vote for 3): Butch Hammond, D; Jeffery Tull Jr.*, Hal Graham and Joe Sturm*, R

• Perry Township trustee: Frank Cedarquist*, R

• Perry Township board (vote for 3): Greg Brown*, Joseph Daubenmier* and Dan Huff, R

• Randolph Township trustee: Jeanne Benjamin*, R

• Randolph Township board (vote for 3): Fred Inskeep*, Natalie Kanaby* and William Kitterman*, R

• Sheffield Township trustee: Pamela Crum*, R

• Sheffield Township board (vote for 3): Jerry Arvin*, Jane Coleman* and Terry Thayer, R

• Shelby Township trustee: Treeva Sarles, R

• Shelby Township board (vote for 3): Susan Rowe, D; Heather Beasley, Steve Lange* and Donald Nesbitt*, R

• Tippecanoe Township trustee: Bill Jones*, R; Holden Mugford, D

• Tippecanoe Township board: John Muller, Barbara Whitlock and Dean Whitlock, D; Jim Fields*, Dan Haan* and Sam Richardson*, R

• Union Township trustee: Jo Ritchie*, R

• Union Township board (vote for 3): Mary Grace Gish*, Steve Plantenga* and Paul Sietsma*, R

• Wabash Township trustee: Angel Valentin*, D; John W. Wilson, R

• Wabash Township board (vote for 3): Ian Pytlarz*, David Tate* and Briton Weise, D; Frank Hannan, Eric Hoppenjans and Jeffery Stefancic, R

• Washington Township trustee: Karen Cadle, R

• Washington Township board (vote for 3): Tom Davidson*, Nate Hofmann* and Kevin Riggenbach, R

• Wayne Township trustee: Norman Hayman*, R

• Wayne Township board (vote for 3): Larry Guentert, D; Mark Christian*, Phil Katter* and Pam Rosen, R

• Wea Township trustee: Alfonso Salazar Jr., D; Alan Williams, R

• Wea Township board (vote for 3): Dennise Grater, Talitha Huber and Jesse Washburn, D; Andrea Moore*, Susan Pfeifer and Aaron Slagel*, R

Towns

• Dayton town clerk-treasurer: Stephen Parks, independent

• Dayton Town Council: Steven Schuhle*, Marc Buhrmester*, Vickie Beavers, Robert Hainje and Mike Harris, independent

• Otterbein clerk-treasurer: Deandra Pritchett, R

• Otterbein Town Council: Jackey Apache* and Craig Martin*, R

• Shadeland Town Council: Ken Stacy, D; Tim Balensiefer*, David Downey* and David Vanderkleed*, R

Ballot questions

• West Lafayette Community School Corp. property tax referendum: “Shall West Lafayette Community School Corporation increase property taxes paid to the school corporation for no more than eight (8) years for the purpose of funding academic programming and operating expenditures and sustaining educational and operational stability in response to reductions in property tax revenue by imposing a property tax rate that does not exceed $0.5706 and results in a maximum annual amount that does not exceed $16,100,000. If this operating referendum public question is approved by the voters, for a median residence of $350,000, the property’s annual property tax bill would increase by $956 per year. The most recent operating referendum public question proposed by the school corporation was held in 2023 and passed.”

• Public question No. 1 (statewide): “Currently, under the Constitution of the State of Indiana, a person charged with murder or treason is not entitled to be released on bail if the proof is evident or the presumption strong. Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to provide that a person charged with an offense other than murder or treason is not entitled to bail if: (1) the proof is evident or the presumption strong; and (2) the state proves by clear and convincing evidence that no release conditions will reasonably protect the safety of any other person or the community. (This question concerns Article 1, Section 17 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.)”

• Public question No. 2 (statewide): “Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to permit the judge of a city or town court to reside in: (1) the county in which the court is located; or (2) the bordering county closest to the city or town in which the court is located? (This question concerns Article 6, Section 6 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana.)”

CANDIDATE Q&AS

Based in Lafayette asked a series of questions and gathered bios of candidates in contested races that will be on Tippecanoe County ballots.

U.S. House, 4^th District

U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, seeking a fifth term in Congress, will face Democrat Drew Cox on the November ballot in Indiana’s 4^th District. The 4th District takes in much of west-central Indiana, including Tippecanoe and surrounding counties.

Indiana Senate, District 22

State Sen. Ron Alting, a Republican on the ballot for an eighth term, faces Democrat Natasha Baker, a teacher from Battle Ground, in Indiana Senate District 22. In October, Alting, facing allegations of shoplifting and admitting “concerning changes” in his cognitive function, announced he planned to resign if he wins the general election Nov. 3. That would trigger a caucus of Republican precinct committee men and women across a district that includes Lafayette, an eastern portion of Tippecanoe County and all of Carroll County.

Indiana Senate, District 23

State Sen. Spencer Deery, after prevailing in an extended recount in the May Republican primary, faces a rematch from the 2022 general election with Democrat David Sanders, along with independent candidate Joshua Brant in Senate District 23. Indiana Senate District 23 includes six counties, including parts of Tippecanoe and Montgomery counties, and all of Fountain, Warren, Parke and Vermillion counties.

Indiana House, District 13

State Rep. Matt Commons, a high school teacher and first term Republican in the Indiana House, faces Democratic candidate Brenna Geswein and Socialist Ben Davis for the Indiana House District 13 seat. The district includes a large part of southern and northern Tippecanoe County, along with all of Benton and Warren counties, and portions of Fountain, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton and White counties.

Indiana House, District 26

State Rep. Chris Campbell, a West Lafayette Democrat, is looking for her fifth two-year term in Indiana House District 26, challenged by West Lafayette Republican Magdalaine Davis. House District 26 covers West Lafayette and a section west of the city to the Tippecanoe County line.

Indiana House, District 27

State Rep. Sheila Klinker, a Lafayette Democrat first elected to the Indiana House in 1982, faces a challenge from Republican Tracy Brown, a Tippecanoe County commission and former county sheriff, in House District 27. Indiana House District 27 includes the northern portions of Lafayette, and parts of Tippecanoe County.

Indiana House, District 38

State Rep. Heath VanNatter, a Howard County Republican first elected in 2010, faces Democratic candidate Nate Stout in the Nov. 3 election in Indiana House District 38. The district includes the northeastern portion of Tippecanoe County, along with all of Carroll and Tipton counties, and portions of Cass, Clinton and Howard counties.

Indiana House, District 41

State Rep. Mark Genda, a Republican from Frankfort first elected to the General Assembly in 2022, faces Democrat Jackson Hayes in Indiana House District 41. The district includes a large part of southeastern Tippecanoe County, along with parts of Clinton and Boone counties.

Tippecanoe County commissioner, District 1

Republican County Clerk Julie Roush and Democratic candidate Andrea Burniske face each other for the Tippecanoe County commissioner District 1 seat, now held by commissioner Tracy Brown. Commissioner candidates run in districts according to where they live, but voters across the county will have this race on their ballots.

Tippecanoe County Council, District 1

Only one for four Tippecanoe County Council seats on the Nov. 3 ballot is being contested, with Republican Trent Richter challenging incumbent Democrat Ben Murray. Candidates, including two incumbents, are running unopposed in the three other districts on the ballot, including: District 2: Incumbent Republican Jody Hamilton; District 3: Republican Lynn Beck, who is running to replace council member Kathy Vernon; and District 4: Democratic incumbent Lisa Dullum. Council members are selected by voters in their districts, so not every voter in the county will see county council on their ballots. District 1 includes much of Lafayette and some surrounding areas.

Tippecanoe County clerk

Republican Carrie Sanders and Democrat Karan Benner face each other to be Tippecanoe County’s next county clerk, replacing Republican Julie Roush.

Tippecanoe County auditor

Incumbent Tippecanoe County Auditor Jennifer Weston, a Republican, is being challenged by Democratic candidate Eric Grossman, the county’s current assessor.

Tippecanoe County assessor

Democrat Kaitlyn Butler faces Republican Anthony Hustedt-Mai in the Nov. 3 election to replace County Assessor Eric Grossman.

Tippecanoe County recorder

Incumbent Tippecanoe County Recorder Kristy Martin is being challenged by Democratic candidate Monica Casanova, the current Fairfield Township trustee.

West Lafayette school board

Four candidates – including incumbents Dacia Mumford and Laurence Wang, along with Maria Koliantz and John Robinson – will be on the ballot, running for three at-large seats on the West Lafayette school board.

Fairfield Township trustee

Democrat Ted Hardesty and Republican Ray Williams are competing to replace Fairfield Township Trustee Monica Casanova, who is running for Tippecanoe County recorder.

Tippecanoe Township trustee

Republican Bill Jones, Tippecanoe Township trustee for the past 20 years, is being challenged by Democratic candidate Holden Mugford.

Wabash Township trustee

Wabash Township Trustee Angel Valentin, a West Lafayette Democrat running for a second four-year term, faces Republican John Wilson in the Nov. 3 election.

Wea Township trustee

Alan Williams, a Republican who beat incumbent Jim Slaven in the primary, faces Democratic candidate Alfonso Salazar Jr. for Wea Township trustee.

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WABASH TOWNSHIP’S PICK FOR FUTURE FIRE STATION SITE UP FOR A ZONING VARIANCE VOTE

Wabash Township will take a step this week to put a new fire station northwest of West Lafayette, near the intersection of County Road 600 North and Morehouse Road.

The county’s Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday will review the location, where the township is considering a three-bay fire station with room for up to 12 firefighters, according to plans filed with the county.

Wabash Township Trustee Angel Valentin said this week that if approved first by the BZA and then by the Wabash Township Board, work could start in 2027 or 2028.

“With our run volume continuing to grow rapidly, we’re trying to get ahead of the curve,” Valentin said. “If the growth we understand is coming is already there by the time we get going on this, then it’s too late, if everything has materialized. So, we’re trying to plan ahead with that forecasted growth and to be able to better serve those residents.”

Wabash Township officials have been pointing to development in the unincorporated part of the township for a while now, where population has grown from 17,613 in 2011 to 20,735 in 2020 – or a 17.7% increase. In recent presentations based on Area Plan Commission projections, Valentin has said the population in the Wabash Township Fire Department’s service area was expected to grow to more than 32,000 by the early 2030s.

In those presentations, Valentin has said that growing population pushing out from the edges of West Lafayette had driven up fire calls by 18% in 2026 over the same time in 2025 and up 46% this year over the same period in 2024.

Valentin said the township expected plans to advance at some point for an extension of U.S. 231 through the northern portion of the township on its way to an eventual connection with Interstate 65.

“It’s not concrete or finalized, but we’re trying to get lined up in that area,” Valentin said.

Wabash Township has its main fire station on Klondike Road, between U.S. 52 and Lindberg Road. A second fire station is on Newman Road, between South River Road and Division Road, in the southern part of the township.

Valentin said a new station would be similar to the one on Klondike Road, without administration offices, with the goal to make it a staffed station. He said the plan would be to house an ambulance there, too.

He declined to give estimates on the cost of the project as they were still being worked out. He said construction would depend on securing funding.

The Wabash Township Board earlier in 2026 authorized a 10-year bond issue of up to $5.5 million to build a two-floor, 11,000-square-foot facility on the east side of the township’s property at 2899 Klondike Road. Part of that revenue also is being used to buy the land for a new fire station, he said.

• What’s next: The Area Board of Zoning Appeals will consider variances Wabash Township needs to put a fire station in an agricultural zone at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Lafayette City Hall, 20 N. Sixth St.

SETTLEMENT TALKS FLOATED IN LAWSUITS HOPING TO STOP $4 BILLION SK HYNIX PROJECT

Could a settlement be in the works in a pair of lawsuits aimed at stopping construction of SK hynix’s $4 billion high-bandwidth memory facility on the northern edge of West Lafayette?

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COURT DENIES SK HYNIX, CITY BID TO END LAWSUITS AIMED AT STOPPING $4B PROJECT IN WEST LAFAYETTE

An attempt by SK hynix and the city of West Lafayette to call “game over” before a trial started for a pair of lawsuits from West Lafayette residents fighting the placement of the South Korean company’s $4 billion semiconductor facility was rejected last week.

In an Oct. 22 ruling, Tippecanoe Circuit Judge Sean Persin denied a motion for summary judgment filed in late 2025 by attorneys for SK hynix, the city and Purdue Research Foundation, confirming a trial date.

Persin did not go into detail in last week’s order about the factors for his decision.

But in court filings and during a three-hour hearing Sept. 29, attorneys for the company and the city had argued that the West Lafayette City Council got it right when it voted 6-3 in May 2025 to rezone 121 acres north of Kalberer Road from single-family residential to heavy industrial uses.

The city council’s actions, they’d argued, met a rational basis test needed to justify the vote on a rezoning that cleared the way for SK hynix to build a facility expected to assemble semiconductor chips into high-bandwidth memory for the artificial intelligence market.

They’d argued that the court didn’t need to step into what amounted to a legislative decision, other than to grant summary judgment against the effort to stop construction and return the property to R1/single family zoning, just because the plaintiffs didn’t like the outcome.

Now, both sides are due in court Monday afternoon for a final pretrial hearing ahead of a bench trial starting Dec. 1. The trial is scheduled to go three days.

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TIGHTER DATA CENTER REGULATIONS ADVANCE, AS CALLS FOR A BAN IN TIPPECANOE COUNTY CONTINUE

Tippecanoe County’s maneuvers over the past year to install zoning restrictions meant to make it as difficult as possible to plant a hyperscale data center in the county moved toward final votes in the coming weeks, after a unanimous recommendation Wednesday from the Area Plan Commission.

But the vote came after a continued push from some residents who warned that as tight as the new proposed zoning regulations were, they didn’t amount to a ban on the sort of massive warehouse-style server farms looking to set up to support artificial intelligence, streaming services and cloud computing.

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