Sam Klemet

How to make Greater Lafayette more diverse and accepting is the topic of a forum this week. The Diversity Roundtable is hosting the event focused on improving the area for all people.

A $40,000 grant is helping Frankfort map its future. The money from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs will finance the city’s Economic Development Plan.

Mayor Chris McBarnes says input from residents is needed to create the document and set the foundation for a healthy financial outlook.

"That will enhance our city's competitiveness in strengthening existing industries, attracting new product-lines to our city, and creating not only jobs for our citizens, but careers."

Hoosiers are in the Nation’s Capital for Monday's Presidential Inauguration.

Crown Pointe-native and Purdue student Tuba Mirza made the trip. She says it’s an honor to be a part of the historic day.

"I'm so excited, I can't explain to you," she says with a laugh. "It's MLK Day too. I just want to be at the steps where he gave his speech. I just want to be there. I feel like it's going to be a great feeling."

The Lafayette police officers involved in a shooting last week are expected to return to duty in the next few days.

The Department’s Shooting Review Board ruled they were justified in firing shots at a homeless man who killed his employer and eventually took his own life.

Chief Deputy Payne says the way the officers handled the high-pressure situation points to the training and prep work done for these types of incidents.

"If you think about this situation, the short timeline, the unexpectedness of what happened, I was pretty impressed," he said.

The Tippecanoe Area Plan Commission is scheduled to present a proposal for the long term goals of West Lafayette’s New Chauncey Neighborhood.

Officials collaborated with residents during a series of meetings late last year to exchange ideas.

The plan lays out where there is potential to grow, but officials say about three-fourths of the neighborhood will be maintained as low-density residential.

Tippecanoe School Corporation is welcoming two new members to its board. Brian Defrese and Jane Smith were sworn in Wednesday night.

Defrese replaces former board president Kathy Dale in District Six. Smith fills in for Alan Kemper who did not seek re-election.  No one filed to fill the District Five seat, and the board chose Smith from a group of nine candidates who applied for the position.

The board elected Jim Slaven as its president.  He previously served as Vice President. Randy Bond becomes the new vice president of the TSC board.

The history of Montgomery County is highlighted in the Indiana Archeology journal.

A group from Ball State received a nearly 50-thousand-dollar grant from the Historic Preservation Fund to examine 915-acres of agricultural land northeast of Crawfordsville.

Archeologist Christine Keller says the information offers details on how early inhabitants of the area lived.

Purdue is hosting an annual event, with the focus this year on how to enhance the aviation industry.

The Indiana Biomass Energy Working Group is meeting to discuss the future of biofuels in planes.

Chad Martin is the Renewable Energy Specialist at Purdue.

He says it’s the first time in the event’s five year history looking at biofuels in aviation.

West Lafayette is proposing storm water fees to help pay for future projects.

If approved, residents will pay eight-dollars per 3,200 square feet of impervious surface a month starting next year.

Public Works Director Dave Buck says the funding is vital the city’s future.

"It gives us a mechanism to fix a lot of those fairly simply problems that occur because something just simply fails and we have no dedicated revenue stream to go out and fix a failed pipe underneath the roadway or an inlet that has collapsed.”

A new mixed housing complex in West Lafayette is set for construction.

The City Council gave unanimous approval for rezoning property to make way for a 266-unit complex on Cumberland Avenue west of U.S 52.

Todd May is the Vice President of J.C Hart, the company building the development.

He says the type of housing it will provide is unique to the area.

Some businesses and residents near the site are concerned about locating the complex on the 19-acre plot, but May says the company has worked to address any issues.