Recycling benefits the environment by diverting hundreds of millions of pounds of valuable materials from landfills and avoiding millions of metric tons of greenhouse emissions annually, creating healthier air and cleaner waterways. Recycling also reduces the need for sourcing new raw materials through mining and logging, which can create water pollution and emit greenhouse gases…. Continue reading.

Earth Day organizers encourage everyone to plant trees wherever they can: in parks, in their neighborhoods or in their own yards. If you plant a tree in your yard, choose a strategic location that will allow the tree to shade your home from the hot summer sun. As it grows, the tree will help reduce… Continue reading.

Start by participating. Half of what American households throw away is recyclable. Check locally to know what’s accepted in your curbside recycling and what day it’s picked up, or find a nearby drop-off site. Know what to throw. Recycling is a global issue that requires local solutions. Many communities accept different materials. Visit your local… Continue reading.

April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. It is a good time to save some energy around your home. You can start by: Caulking around windows and doors to seal air leaks, and adding insulation to your attic. Both will prevent air-conditioned air from getting out of your house through the roof this… Continue reading.

While Statehouse politics were underway early this year, your Indiana Connection team hounded out a behind-the-scenes interview with a Holcomb administration insider that’s not just another shaggy-dog story. What follows is an edited portion of our hot-diggity conversation with mover and shaker (especially when he’s wet) Henry Holcomb, First Pooch of Indiana.  INDIANA CONNECTION: Tell… Continue reading.

Hoosier musical artist John Mellencamp has achieved international fame for over 40 years punching out a unique brand of rootsy rock’n’roll. Mellencamp’s radio-station standards — like “Hurts So Good,” “Jack and Diane,” “Pink Houses,” “Small Town,” and “Rain on the Scarecrow” — have ranged from catchy Top 40 tunes about teenage romance and rebellion to… Continue reading.

Photos and story by Richard G. Biever Nate Heck works in the world’s greatest office space. But it’s not the cozy insulated and energized tree house in his backyard. Though editing video beneath a giant live oak limb that passes through definitely makes a unique and awesome studio. It’s not the New York City museums,… Continue reading.

Vigo County has been home to a celebrated array of people. But let’s meet three: a songsmith, a saint, and Holocaust survivor. Paul Dresser. Whenever Hoosiers sing about “the moonlight … along the Wabash,” they honor all Indiana homesteads. But really, that home gleaming with candlelight was that of Dresser, a Terre Haute native and… Continue reading.

A new coat of paint on your home’s interior walls can create lighter mood and a fresh, new look.   Choose a warm color in the red, orange or brown family to add drama to a room. Cool colors like blue, green and lavender are calming and soothing.   An energy-saving tip: Before you start… Continue reading.

Some older homes don’t have exhaust fans in the bathroom or kitchen. Others have old fans that are so noisy nobody ever turns them on. Adding or upgrading exhaust fans can make a home safer and more comfortable. An exhaust fan’s primary purpose is to remove moisture from the room. But they also remove bathroom… Continue reading.

You can do more than wear green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year. You can “go” green — all through your home.  The best way to start is simply to waste less. Here are four ways to do that:  Save energy. Use the energy you need — wisely, so you don’t waste any. It’s… Continue reading.

The second Sunday in March will trigger Daylight Saving Time, when we “spring ahead” and set our clocks one hour later. That’s also the best day to change the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors — even if the batteries aren’t dead. If you don’t have fire alarms and CO detectors, your family… Continue reading.