WARSAW — President Donald Trump has endorsed State Rep. Craig Snow in his upcoming primary race for state House District 22.

Snow, of Warsaw, is one of ten candidates recently endorsed by Trump as the president continues to take a keen interest in races in the Hoosier state after many Republican and Democratic lawmakers voted against Congressional redistricting in Indiana in December.

[caption id="attachment_129594" align="alignright" width="220"] List provided by Indiana Capital Chronicle.[/caption]

Most of Trump’s campaign efforts in Indiana have focused on supporting Republican challengers running against incumbent Republican state Senators who voted against redistricting in December.

Endorsing Republicans in the House seems to be an extension of that strategy.

The story did not include any comments about Snow directed by Trump.

Snow is facing a primary challenge from Daniel R. Koors, who resides in North Manchester. 

According to his Facebook page, Koors attended Purdue University and is the owner of DWK Trucking LLC.

A list of recent endorsements was the basis for an update by the Indiana Capital Chronicle on Trump's most recent endorsements, which you can read here.

Snow was first elected in 2020 and succeeded Dave Wolkins, who retired.

Endorsements by the White House involving local races have been exceedingly rare, but much more common under Trump.

Snow is likely the first local state representative to be endorsed by a sitting president in recent memory.

News Now Warsaw reached out to Snow for comment on the endorsement, but did not immediately hear back.

Snow was one of many Republican House members who voted to drastically redistrict congressional lines in December.

The state senate rejected the legislation, ending the debate.

Trump then promised to campaign against those who opposed the legislation.

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WARSAW — A candidate for Kosciusko County Council’s District 1 seat says he has sold his house in North Webster and is in the process of buying one south of Warsaw.

Thaddeus Du Bois admits that moving outside of the district he seeks to represent makes him ineligible to hold that seat, should he happen to win the May 5 primary.

Du Bois faces incumbent Republican Kimberly Cates for the seat in the primary.

In an interview with News Now Warsaw, Du Bois was asked if he plans to withdraw from the race and he laughed it off.

"Maybe some people don't think that's very funny, but no, I don't (plan to withdraw).

He said the sale of the future home won't happen until late May, but added that has not had time to research the issue.

His name will still be on the primary ballot.

Du Bois lives on the east side of Webster Lake, which is part of the Chapman-Tippecanoe Regional Sewer District.

His opposition to hooking up to the sewer district is the main reason he had been seeking the seat and is now the reason he’s moving.

"I feel that it's just so ethically and morally wrong that I'm not going to comply with it. I really, really don't agree with it," he said.

Du Bois said he has not fully researched his status as a candidate because he’s been busy. 

Kosciusko County Clerk Melissa Boggs, who oversees elections in the county, said nothing is required at this point if Du Bois loses in the  primary, but if he would win on May 5, and then move out of the district, he would need to sign withdrawal paperwork by July 15.

Du Bois also expressed concern with the lack of challengers in the primary. If he would win the primary and then withdraw, he said he hopes somebody else could still step in ahead of the general election and run.

Whether that is possible under Indiana election law was unclear.

"If I were to win, and I think everyone knows it's a longshot anyways, but jeez-o-pete, let's compete!" he said.

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TIPTON — Two Kokomo residents are facing drug charges after they were pulled over for a traffic stop on US 31 in Tipton.

The driver, 40-year-old Dion C. Jones, and a passenger, 35-year-old Travian I. White, were pulled over at about 10 p.m. Wednesday near Division Road, Indiana State Police said in a news release.

A State Trooper then then relied on his K-9 partner which alerted police to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. 

Police then found approximately 2.8 pounds of suspected methamphetamine. Cocaine and  paraphernalia were also allegedly found.

Both men were taken into custody to the Tipton County Jail.

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HOUSTON (AP) — Artemis II’s astronauts closed out humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century with a Pacific splashdown on Friday, blazing new records near the moon with grace and joy.

It was a dramatic grand finale to a mission that revealed not only swaths of the lunar far side never seen before by human eyes, but a total solar eclipse and a parade of planets, most notably our own shimmering Earth against the endless black void of space.

With their flight now complete, the four astronauts have set NASA up for a moon landing by another crew in just two years and a full-blown moon base within the decade.

The triumphant moon-farers — commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen — emerged from their bobbing capsule into the sunlight off the coast of San Diego.

In a scene reminiscent of NASA’s Apollo moonshots of yesteryear, military helicopters hoisted the astronauts one by one from an inflatable raft docked to the capsule, hauling them aboard for the short trip to the Navy’s awaiting recovery ship, the USS John P. Murtha.

“These were the ambassadors from humanity to the stars that we sent out there right now, and I can’t imagine a better crew,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said from the recovery ship.

NASA’s Mission Control erupted in celebration, with hundreds pouring in from the back support rooms. “We did it,” NASA’s Lori Glaze rejoiced at a news conference. “Welcome to our moonshot.”

Their Orion capsule, dubbed Integrity, made the entire plunge on automatic pilot. The lunar cruiser hit the atmosphere traveling Mach 33 — or 33 times the speed of sound — a blistering blur not seen since the 1960s and 1970s Apollo.

The tension in Mission Control mounted as the capsule became engulfed in red-hot plasma during peak heating and entered a planned communication blackout. All eyes were on the capsule’s life-protecting heat shield that had to withstand thousands of degrees during reentry.

Watching the drama unfold nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away, the astronauts’ families huddled in Mission Control’s viewing room, cheering when the capsule emerged from its six-minute blackout and again at splashdown.

The last time NASA and the Defense Department teamed up for a lunar crew’s reentry was Apollo 17 in 1972. Artemis II came screaming back at 36,174 feet (11,026 meters) per second — or 24,664 mph (39,693 kph) — just shy of the record before slowing to a 19 mph (30 kph) splashdown.

Until Artemis II, NASA’s fresh-from-the-moon homecomings starred only white male pilots. Intent on reflecting changes in society, NASA chose a diverse, multinational crew for its lunar comeback.

Koch became the first woman to fly to the moon, Glover the first Black astronaut and Hansen the first non-U.S. citizen, bursting Canada with pride. They laughed, cried and hugged all the way there and back, striving to take the entire world along with them.

Launched from Florida on April 1, the astronauts racked up one win after another as they deftly navigated NASA’s long-awaited lunar comeback, the first major step in establishing a sustainable moon base.

Artemis II didn’t land on the moon or even orbit it. But it broke Apollo 13’s distance record and marked the farthest that humans have ever journeyed from Earth when the crew reached 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers). Then in the mission’s most heart-tugging scene, the teary astronauts asked permission to name a pair of craters after their moonship and Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll.

During Monday’s record-breaking flyby, they documented scenes of the moon’s far side never seen before by the human eye along with a total solar eclipse. The eclipse, in particular, “just blew all of us away,” Glover said.

Their sense of wonder and love awed everyone, as did their breathtaking pictures of the moon and Earth. The Artemis II crew channeled Apollo 8’s first lunar explorers with Earthset, showing our Blue Marble setting behind the gray moon. It was reminiscent of Apollo 8’s famous Earthrise shot from 1968.

Born a decade after Apollo, Isaacman greeted the astronauts with hugs as they headed from the helicopters to the ship’s medical bay for routine checks. They walked by themselves, refusing the wheelchairs offered them.

“We are back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon, bringing them back safely and to set up for a series more,” Isaacman said. “This is just the beginning.”

Their moonshot drew global attention as well as star power, earning props from President Donald Trump; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney; Britain’s King Charles III; Ryan Gosling, star of the latest space flick “Project Hail Mary”; Scarlett Johansson of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and even Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner of TV’s original “Star Trek.”

Artemis II was a test flight 

Despite its rich scientific yield, the nearly 10-day flight was not without technical issues. Both the capsule’s drinking water and propellant systems were hit with valve problems. In perhaps the most high-profile predicament, the toilet kept malfunctioning, but the astronauts shrugged it all off.

As for the heat shield, military aircraft crews photographed it from afar during reentry, and divers checked it from underneath as the capsule floated in the Pacific. More detailed examinations are planned.

“We can’t explore deeper unless we are doing a few things that are inconvenient,” Koch said, “unless we’re making a few sacrifices, unless we’re taking a few risks, and those things are all worth it.”

Added Hansen: “You do a lot of testing on the ground, but your final test is when you get this hardware to space and it’s a doozy.”

Under the revamped Artemis program, next year’s Artemis III will see astronauts practice docking their capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV will attempt to land a crew of two near the moon’s south pole in 2028.

The Artemis II astronauts’ allegiance was to those future crews, Wiseman said.

“But we really hoped in our soul is that we could for just for a moment have the world pause and remember that this is a beautiful planet and a very special place in our universe, and we should all cherish what we have been gifted,” he said.

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WARSAW — Whitko Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Amy Korus, a graduate of the school district, has seen career stop in Fort Wayne, the suburbs of Chicago and elsewhere before she eventually returned to where it all began.

After working in much larger school districts, with bigger classroom sizes and different budgeting constraints, she's happily embraced working in her office in Larwill, which she admits is essentially in the middle of nowhere.

Korus started her career as a first-grade teacher and then began a 14-year stint focusing on special education before eventually becoming the principal at Manchester Elementary — a job she said that she truly loved.

That passion to be an administrative leader led to more opportunities, and her most recent job was as an assistant superintendent at East Noble School Corporation.

In 2024, she accepted the job as superintendent at Whitko, replacing Tim Pivarnik.

Despite a steady decline in enrollment (currently 1,200 students) and pressures as a result of the state's property tax reform efforts, she said the district's finances are stable.

The district, despite changes, is not precipitously on the edge, and any such notions, she said, "are absolutely not true."

Enrollment has declined roughly 25 percent in the past ten years, but said she believes they've seen some reversal in that trend in the past year or so.

"We've lost students to homeschool. We've lost students to digital online learning. However, in the last, I would say, year we have started to see many of those students start to come back," Korus said.

She also thinks the district's emphasis on career and technical education at the Whitko Career Academy is making a difference.

"This is Whitko's flagship,” Korus said during an interview for In The Know, the pubic affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.

“I don't want to say it saved the district, but it definitely brought us into the running as one of the best CTE centers in northern Indiana.”

“We get districts from all over the state coming to visit our our school and not only do they come visit it because it's amazing, but we have such great partnerships with corporations in our area and just having that community connection is really important people need to know what kids are doing and in return We also need to hear from from manufacturers and and community members on what they need," she said.

The academy offers 11 pathways for students to choose from. Some of the most popular include construction trades, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and agriculture.

The program includes an agreement with Whitley Community Schools and Smith-Green Community Schools, which includes Churubusco High School.

“It's nice because instead of one school, one academy, now we have three menus to choose from ... and so we don't need to replicate 20 in Columbia City," Korus said. "If we have a student who's interested in something like fire, they can go to Columbia City and get the fire training that we don't offer."

The district also has childcare services that support both staff and the community.

Enrollment is around 60 children, with about 80 percent coming from the community.

"We are talking about adding another classroom at Pierceton Elementary for our four- and five-year-olds because that class is full. Our infant classroom is currently full, but we're looking for ... ways that we can grow and meet the needs of Pierceton, specifically, because that's where we've heard from community members that we need more," Korus said.

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By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Kosciusko County's Veteran Service Officer Darryl McDowell announced some good news for veterans — as well as some advice.

McDowell recapped new legislation passed into law known as the Veteran Property Tax Reform, which will provide Indiana veterans with some relief on property taxes beginning in 2027.

The legislation restructures the property tax for veterans.

The changes rely on four categories, depending on one's level of disability and other factors

The biggest change involves those who are 100 percent disabled and their widows, who will be exempt from paying any property taxes on their home.

“They will benefit more than any of the other veteran disability tax cuts. This has never (happened) before in the state of Indiana,” McDowell said during a presentation to the county commissioners on Tuesday.

“It is 100 percent property tax-free,” he said.

It also eliminates the assessed value, which penalized a lot of veterans because there was a catch — If you owned a home more than $240,000, you were not able to take advantage of this, particularly our peace-time veterans, McDowell said.

Paperwork is not yet available, but veterans will likely be able to begin signing up after July 1 and must do so by Dec. 30 to qualify.

“Veterans must know, there is no grandfather clause, there is no rollover. If they don’t register for this, they are not gonna get any cut from the taxes,” McDowell warned.

He said he's working with the county auditor's office to help with paperwork and will announce more details when registration nears.

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By Niki Kelly and Mackenezi Klemann
Indiana Capital Chronicle

Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order Wednesday to enact a 30-day suspension of the 7% sales tax on gasoline — with the potential for extensions.

“I am declaring a gas tax holiday to give Hoosiers relief from the pain at the pump from high gas prices,” Braun said in a news release. “Affordability is my top priority.”

The order is in effect now through May 8. Braun called on retailers to pass savings directly to customers, noting the state will be monitoring prices to make sure.

Taxes on fuel in Indiana are made up of the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, the state excise tax of 36 cents per gallon and the 7% state sales tax.

The current average cost for a gallon of gas in Indiana, according to AAA, is $4.14 — of which about 17 cents is attributable to the sales tax.

Braun estimated savings for Hoosiers could reach $50 million a month. He will revisit the emergency declaration in 30 days.

Attorney General Todd Rokita also announced that his office will actively monitor fuel prices across the state and enforce price gouging protections.

“Hoosiers deserve the full relief intended by this emergency measure and we will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the removal of the tax translates into lower prices at the pump — and that consumers are not taken advantage of during this time,” Rokita said in a news release. “If a consumer suspects that a gas station in Indiana is still charging tax during the suspension, they should file a consumer complaint with our office.”

History of suspending gasoline sales tax

In 2000, then-Gov. Frank O’Bannon suspended the sales tax on gasoline for two 60-day periods heading into an election. It saved motorists more than $46 million.

At that time, gas was nearing $2 a gallon; the savings were between 8 and 10 cents per gallon.

O’Bannon cited a 1981 statute allowing him to declare an energy emergency if “an existing or projected shortfall of at least eight percent (8%) of motor fuel or of other energy sources that threatens to seriously disrupt or diminish energy supplies to the extent that life, health, or property may be jeopardized.”

The law doesn’t specifically mention fuel taxes, but it allows the governor to “suspend the provisions of any state statute regulating transportation or the orders or rules of any state agency if strict compliance with any of the provisions would prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with the energy emergency.”

Authority unclear

But in 2007, then-Gov. Mitch Daniels asked the Attorney General’s Office whether he had the authority to suspend the sales tax on gas.

The letter, signed by then Chief Deputy Attorney General Gregory Zoeller, said it was “clear that a suspension of a sales tax is not among those powers enumerated by this statute nor does it fall with the same category of those within the 1981 act.”

“Without further legislative action granting the governor the authority to suspend the gas tax, we agree that this authority is not within the intent of the 1981 statute,” the letter continued.

A message to Rokita’s office seeking clarity on authority wasn’t immediately returned. All AG opinions are non-binding.

“We feel this is within the latitude of what I’m able to do,” Braun told reporters Wednesday, citing the cumulative effect of inflation.

“The emergency was created by conditions outside our control,” he said, “and that was done in D.C. — not particularly on fuel, but in many of those years it was way above $4. We’ve been carrying that burden for a long time.”

The executive order said the ongoing war with Iran “has threatened the global supply of oil,” with 20% to 25% of the world’s crude oil production shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have blocked the strait in recent weeks.

When asked about the 8% shortage requirement, the governor’s office cited the executive order.

Braun praised President Donald Trump for negotiating a two-week ceasefire with Iran, which he said should lead to lower fuel prices over time.

“This is big news,” Braun said. “You can already see it in the markets. We’ll begin to see that peace dividend over time, and there’s now clarity in terms of what they’re doing.”

Legislative reaction

Half a dozen Senate Republicans released statements supporting the move, including the chamber’s leader.

“Senate Republicans have led on issues of affordability for years, resulting in one of the lowest costs of living in the country for Hoosiers, but the recent spike in gas prices is still leaving many Hoosiers feeling undue pressure on their budgets,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville. “With affordability top of mind right now, I’m supportive of temporarily suspending the state’s sales tax on gas.”

Many of those in support are facing primary challenges and have been attacked for earlier votes to raise the gas tax.

Markle Republican Sen. Travis Holdman, who is locked in a tough reelection race, called on Braun to suspend the gas tax moments before he did so.

“Despite everything we have done at the Statehouse to maintain our state’s low cost of living, the current price of gas is adding too much pressure on Hoosiers and their wallets,” Holdman said. “Today, along with some of my colleagues, I am calling on Gov. Braun to provide relief at the pump for Hoosiers by using his legal authority to suspend the state’s tax on gas.”

House Democrats backed the suspension on Wednesday but questioned the timing.

House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, noted the caucus repeatedly called for a suspension back in 2022, when gas prices jumped amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I want to be clear: House Democrats support this suspension, but Gov. Braun and Statehouse Republicans are only cleaning up a mess that they helped create,” GiaQuinta said in a Wednesday news release. “Hoosiers are tired of unstrategic and unfocused foreign wars that cost American lives, drive up gas prices and raise the cost of living.”

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Indiana nursing homes are owed hundreds of millions in back payments for services provided under the state’s Medicaid program for long-term care.

The federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services hasn’t yet approved the methodology for the 2026 state fiscal year, which is nine months old. The data was originally submitted in June 2025, but the federal agency has responded with questions and seeking more data.

“The feds are in no hurry. So, we’ve now missed our December payment and our March payment heading into our June payment,” said Jeff Huffman, chief operations officer for The Strategies.

The Strategies operates five nursing home and rehabilitation facilities across the state in Muncie, Loogootee, and Vincennes and employs roughly 300 Hoosiers to care for 230 residents.

At issue are supplemental payments received up to the Medicare rate for long-term care under Indiana’s PathWays for Aging system. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress in July 2025, added some wrinkles to the internal calculations behind the payments.

These payments are about $1 billion a year, and at least two quarterly payments have already been stalled. State officials said $462 million in payments to 496 nursing homes have been delayed.

“We understand why nursing homes are concerned about delayed supplemental payments. The reality is that CMS has not yet approved Indiana’s payment structure for the current policy year, and federal approval is required before any payments can be issued,” a statement from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration said.

“The current model — developed jointly with nursing home associations — was designed to maximize funding, and everyone involved understood that CMS could later require changes. That is what has happened. The state is working closely with federal officials to resolve this quickly, including exploring a new CMS grandfathering option that may preserve existing funding levels.”

The providers have received their standard base rates for services provided but not the supplemental payments. It’s still causing problems for some entities with tighter business margins.

“The only people this is really hurting are folks that are smaller companies, newer companies. We don’t get paid, so we have to slow pay our vendors, and it kind of snowballs,” Huffman said.

The Indiana Health Care Association, which advocates for senior care facilities around the state, acknowledged the situation but said providers were aware that last year’s federal reconciliation bill might delay state submissions.

“That said, we are hopeful for their approval soon and appreciate FSSA’s continued leadership as they work with their federal partners,” President Paul Peaper said. “In the interim, our caregivers continue to provide high-quality care without impact to their payroll or services.”

A CMS spokesperson provided the Indiana Capital Chronicle with this statement: “States are responsible for making provider payments, and CMS works with states on an ongoing basis to review financing arrangements and ensure compliance with federal requirements. In some cases, CMS may request additional information from a state as part of routine program oversight.”

The latest issues are causing more concern for Indiana’s controversial PathWays for Aging program.

PathWays for Aging began enrolling members in 2024, moving most long-term services and supports for older Hoosiers and certain disabled adults into managed care.

Under the existing model, the state pays private managed care entities a set rate to coordinate medical care and long-term services, including nursing facility stays and in-home and community supports designed to help people remain outside institutional settings.

The shift was intended to better coordinate care and control Medicaid spending, but providers have raised concerns about payment delays, administrative complexities and the growing waitlist for home-based services.

Indiana lawmakers in February passed legislation to reform the program. House Enrolled Act 1277 attempts to address the shortcomings by moving long-stay nursing home residents out of the PathWays for Aging program and into a fee-for-service model that is not run by insurance companies, starting July 1, 2027.

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