Top 3 responsibilities in a day: Manage all IT-related operations for the cooperative. Oversee infrastructure for the tower, radio and metering. Manage vendors to keep projects on task, on time and on budget.  What’s a typical day like? My “day-to-day” changes often, but I like to check in with all departments first thing in the morning… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Haunted houses and creepy corn mazes are crawling with chain-saw slinging Jasons, razor-fingered Freddy Kruegers, and other gory ghouls from Hollywood this time of year. But as you might expect from a living history museum, Conner Prairie digs a little deeper into American fright night folklore to scare up its brand… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever The west-central Indiana county named after Benjamin Parke, a founding father of Indiana, ends with an “e.” But the county’s cornucopia of well-preserved natural and man-made historical features gives Parke a larger-than-life “park-like” personality. Parke County is best known for its 31 quaint covered bridges. But it’s also home to two… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Halloween is supposed to be a fun time of make believe. But if Fido and Fluffy make believe the bite-sized morsels for trick-or-treaters momentarily left unattended by the front door were for them, Halloween can turn into a true fright night. Holidays, with their special decorations and treats, are fraught with… Continue reading.

Photos and Story By Richard G. Biever Going the extra mile is what makes Sarah Mahnesmith smile … and tick. In track and field, instead of the one-mile, the Rensselaer Central High senior prefers running the two-mile. In 4-H, she wasn’t just a local leader; she represented Indiana at the National 4-H Congress. In high… Continue reading.

Two-lane highways steadily brought people to Dillsboro over the first half of the 20th century. Then interstates sped them away. What remains of the small southeastern Indiana town, like so many rural towns everywhere, are empty buildings, fading photos, memories — and dreams for a revival that still flicker within. Now, a Smithsonian-curated traveling exhibit,… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever For a county as renowned for its genealogy research center as Allen County, it’s no surprise it traces its own cultural and economic impact back long before the county’s 1824 founding.  The confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Mary rivers, where the Maumee River begins, created a natural crossroads that… Continue reading.

Top 3 responsibilities in a day • Answer questions from consumers about power quality or general engineering issues. • Check the outages from the previous day to make sure the system’s coordination worked as planned. • Communicate with my co-workers about various ongoing projects. What part of your job do you find most fulfilling? I… Continue reading.

BY NICK ROGERS A 19th-century description of Indiana’s 13,000-acre Limberlost Swamp advised visitors against a “treacherous … quagmire, filled with every plant, animal and human danger known.” Such strong words would warn off most. Thankfully, Gene Stratton-Porter had quite a few of her own to write about Limberlost. In its environs, the Wabash County native… Continue reading.

BY BRIAN D. SMITH It’s a day made for the outdoors, with temperatures in the mid-70s and a balmy breeze stirring the humid Indiana air. Even your 10-year-old bulldog Max seems invigorated, bolting into your fenced backyard when you open the door.  But when you check on him a half hour later, Max looks anything… Continue reading.

BY NICK ROGERS Brown County, just an hour’s drive south of Indianapolis, has become a multifaceted mecca for live music, noteworthy artwork and outdoor recreation. Pick-and-grin pilgrimages don’t get bigger than those to the Bill Monroe Music Park & Campground in Bean Blossom. Founded by the Father of Bluegrass, the park will host the 21st… Continue reading.

BY BRIAN D. SMITH Fifty years ago this month, a man on the moon joined the man in the moon, pressing a human footprint onto the grainy gray lunar surface for the first time in history. Neil Armstrong’s July 20, 1969 milestone step (he was soon accompanied by fellow astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin) came 6½… Continue reading.