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$2.25M Lilly Endowment grant to Indy Chamber Foundation to expand Life in Indy talent platform

The Indy Chamber Foundation announced Aug. 31, 2026 that Lilly Endowment awarded $2.25 million to scale and modernize its Life in Indy regional storytelling platform, funding digital updates, talent-attraction initiatives, community storytelling and expanded research capacity to support regional recruitment efforts.

Purdue launches Indianapolis degree programs in construction, hospitality and athletic training to target city workforce needs

Purdue began offering new undergraduate and graduate programs in Indianapolis this fall focused on construction management, hospitality and tourism, and athletic training, and will require AI-focused coursework for all undergraduates after Board approval in December 2025.

Proposed Costco would bring 166,739‑sq‑ft warehouse and 32‑pump fueling station to Westfield; council review set for Sept. 28

A formal proposal for a new Costco and adjacent fueling facility has been filed with Westfield for the northwest corner of 191st Street and East Street. The project would advance through city review beginning Sept. 28, with construction anticipated to begin in 2027 if approved.

Noblesville nonprofit launches Hamilton County animal‑science career pathway linking students with local farms

Ben’s Ranch Foundation is rolling out a work-based Large Animal Science pathway for Hamilton County high school students, combining animal-science instruction with social-emotional learning and workforce-development content and offering classes at Koteewi Stables and other area farms.

Zionsville breaks ground on Fire Station 295; Hagerman, GM Development and Bell Architecture named for project

Zionsville held a groundbreaking Aug. 25 for Fire Station 295 at 3440 E. 550 S., a project tied to the consolidation of Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department with Zionsville. Construction companies named for the job include Hagerman Construction, GM Development and Bell Architecture; completion is scheduled for July 2027.

Surplus eyed to cover road losses

Cummins Joins Emerald to Advance Customer-Focused Innovation Across Power, Mobility and Energy

Indiana approves $1M to jumpstart Fort Wayne 122nd Fighter Wing modernization amid F-35 basing bid

The State Budget Committee approved $1 million to help the Indiana Air National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne compete to host F‑35A aircraft. Lawmakers were told the money will fund final design work for a squadron operations building and a comprehensive area development plan.

Indiana Humanities takes over National History Day, preserving program for 5,000+ Indiana students after Historical Society cuts

Indiana Humanities will serve as Indiana’s affiliate for the National History Day student competition after the Indiana Historical Society ended its longtime sponsorship and cut 11 positions. The program reaches more than 5,000 Indiana students annually; organizers say details for the 2026-27 season will be released later.

SK hynix breaks ground on $4B Purdue Research Park AI-memory plant; project slated to support about 1,000 jobs

Purdue said on Aug. 27, 2026 SK hynix held a ceremonial groundbreaking at Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette for an over $4 billion advanced packaging fabrication and R&D facility for AI memory — the company’s first U.S. high-bandwidth memory production hub — slated to support approximately 1,000 employees when production begins.

Purdue unveils online dual MS (engineering) and MBT with Indianapolis in-person component

Purdue’s College of Engineering and the Mitch Daniels School of Business are launching an online dual-degree program that awards an MS in engineering and an MBT in a 54-credit pathway, with applications open for fall 2026 and an Indianapolis in-person experience added to the MBT.

Utility investment analysts ding Indiana amid ‘political intervention,’ potential profit cuts

Wolfe Research and Jefferies told clients in Aug. 10 reports that Indiana’s regulatory environment has become riskier for investor-owned utilities following Gov. Mike Braun’s Aug. 3 removal of commissioner Andy Zay and ongoing regulator reviews of allowed profits, prompting warnings that investor confidence has fallen.

Indiana prison population climbs as local corrections programs face funding cuts

Indiana’s adult prison population reached about 26,640—roughly 2,300 more than summer 2024—while Community Corrections and Justice Reinvestment grant funding is projected to fall about 27% from $72.5 million in 2025 to $52.9 million in 2027, officials told a legislative study committee. Corrections and local leaders warned those trends could raise state and county incarceration costs and strain alternatives to prison.

IU Kokomo honors faculty; awards spotlight course redesigns, curriculum changes that affect student programs

Indiana University Kokomo presented teaching, research and service awards at its annual fall convocation, recognizing faculty whose work includes curriculum realignment, course redesigns, peer-mentoring program revisions and new program learning outcomes. Recipients included Nicholas Baxter, Paul Cook, Karen Sallee and five Trustees Teaching Award winners.

SK hynix breaks ground in West Lafayette; >$4B HBM packaging plant aims for cleanroom by Oct. 2028

SK hynix held a groundbreaking in West Lafayette, Indiana on August 27, 2026, for an advanced-packaging facility for High Bandwidth Memory with a reported investment of more than $4 billion, a cleanroom scheduled for October 2028 and mass production targeted in the second half of 2029.

Rolls‑Royce and Gov. Braun cut ribbon on $1B, decade‑long upgrade of Indianapolis engine manufacturing and test campus

On Aug. 27, 2026 Gov. Mike Braun joined Rolls‑Royce executives to cut the ribbon on the company's $1 billion, decade‑long investment to modernize its Indianapolis manufacturing and add full‑engine test capability, including an altitude test facility in West Lafayette. The company employs about 3,500 people in Indianapolis.

Gov. Braun Announces $173 Million RayzeBio Investment, 100 New Jobs as Indiana's Life Sciences Sector Grows

Shops at Swartz Crossing to bring new retail, dining to Greenwood

Indiana to receive at least $300M in settlement with Meta

Indiana will receive a guaranteed $296 million—and as much as $419 million—under a proposed $17.1 billion nationwide settlement with Meta resolving claims over harms to youth. The agreement, filed by Attorney General Todd Rokita, requires new Instagram and Facebook safety features and awaits federal court approval.

Indiana in-state tuition freeze continues for second year

Danville’s new mural festival will temporarily close Washington Street and spotlight downtown businesses

Danville will host the inaugural Merge Mural Fest in September 2026, with nine artists painting walls in a parking lot east of Washington Street and a public unveiling and reception set for Sept. 19. Organizers and several downtown merchants are backing the event.

Edinburgh Courier (Aug. 26, 2026)

Lawmakers study Indiana’s sexual assault response

At an Aug. 25 interim study hearing, advocates and law-enforcement officials told lawmakers a backlog of untested rape kits, a shortage of forensic nurses and trauma-trained investigators, plus an expected 40% federal VOCA grant reduction in October are weakening Indiana’s sexual-assault response and prompting requests for state budget increases.

New Whiteland town council adopts wheel tax, excise tax to qualify for funding