Good morning, Lafayette.

Lafayette firefighters Sgt. Dave Rose and Lt. Ben Shultz have returned home after nearly three weeks of search work for flood victims in Kerr County, Texas—both said their monthly training with Indiana Task Force One prepared them to handle long hours and tough conditions.

Popular mall store Claire's filed on Wednesday for bankruptcy to allow the chain to sell around 700 stores nationwide—dozens of its Indiana locations, including the Icing store at Tippecanoe Mall and the store on 240 Mall Road in Logansport, will close soon.

A Lafayette man, Christopher Burdine-Davies, 24, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and was sentenced to 70 months in prison — he sold the drug six times in 2022 and will serve three years of supervised release after his term.

Purdue University opened a new Discovery Park District housing complex with over 900 units to offer modern living options for students.

The development features amenities such as in-unit laundry and study rooms, and student move-in is expected to begin this fall.

Purdue University will subsidize CityBus passes this fall by paying $50 of the $99 cost for up to 10,000 students, faculty + staff after last year Purdue fully covered 7,000 passes.

SP+ Corp will operate a new campus transit system with fixed weekday routes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and an on-demand shuttle service launching by late July or August.

The Family and Social Services Administration will use a new budget method to control Medicaid costs that are set to rise 43% for lower-income enrollees and 72% for the elderly by 2027.

The agency is cutting child care funding and vendor contracts (including stopping Medicaid advertising) to meet a new state directive that limits contributions to 2%.

Mayor Erin Easter said the city is updating roads, sidewalks, and park projects to prepare for Purdue students with repaving near South Campus and a plan to improve Soldiers Home Road by adding a full-length sidewalk and trail—public input will be held Tuesday, August 12th at 6 p.m.

Charles Ross, a receiver with 70 catches, was expected to boost Purdue’s offense but left the team because of health issues.

Coach Barry Odom said on Thursday that Ross is no longer with the team—he does not know when he might return.

Lauren Daigle Concert

7-9:30 p.m. — Elliott Hall of Music — Ticket prices vary — Experience the soulful sounds of Lauren Daigle live in concert.

Clave Caribe Concert

7-10 p.m. — People's Brewing Company & Taproom — Cost Info Not Provided — Shake to the vibrant sounds of Lafayette's Latin groove machine Clave Caribe.

Indiana LTAP Expo 2025

8 AM–5 PM — Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds — Free entry — Experience live equipment demonstrations and attend leadership courses in an exciting expo setting.

Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias, directed by John D. Collier, opens on Sept 4th and runs until Sept 13th!