Recount flips primary result for District 23, Zay sues Braun over firing, January 6 lawsuit, Council overrides Hogett's veto on wheel tax, Data center moratorium, Agave death bloom

WFYI Podcasts are brought to you by Gregory and Appel Insurance. Dedicated to helping people and businesses navigate the complexities of risk management, employee benefits, and private client insurance. More at GregoryAppel.com. WFYI podcasts are sponsored by Sun King Brewery, home of sunlight cream ale. More information at sunkingbrewing.com, fresh local beer. This is WFII News Now. It's Tuesday, August 11th, and I'm Barbong Gianno. Here are today's top stories around central Indiana. A new victor has been crowned in the Senate District 23 race. Ben Thorpe reports President Donald Trump backed candidate Paula Copenhaver pulled ahead of incumbent Senator Spencer Deary in the tight race following Deary's rejection of. After the May primaries, the initial count came down to a three-vote difference with incumbent Deary narrowly beating Copenhover. But the Indiana recount commission rejected a number of ballots from both candidates for technicality. that included missing signatures. That put Copenhagen over the top. She says she's declaring victory. My reaction is I'm ready for the general. In a statement, Deary said the commission had undermined the will of Indiana's voters. He said he plans to appeal their decision. I'm Ben Thorpe in Indianapolis. Former Indiana regulatory commissioner Andy Zay filed a lawsuit against Governor Mike Braun. Zay was recently removed from the commission by the governor. He's asking a court to reinstate him, saying the governor did not have cause to fire him. Zay's removal came after his vote to approve an AES Indiana utility rate increase that Braun has repeatedly expressed his disappointment in. Two Indiana women who participated in the January 6th riot at the US Capitol in 2021 are suing the federal government. George Hale has more. Anna Morgan Lloyd and Donna Sue Bissy are among more than a dozen former January 6 defendants seeking damages for alleged mistreatment during prosecution. The women, both from Bloomfield and Green County, were convicted on charges relating to the riot at the U.S. Capitol building after Joe Biden defeated President Trump in the 2020 election. Trump pardoned them along with most January 6 defendants last year. The lawsuit seeks damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act for a variety of alleged violations. Morgan Lloyd claims insufficient legal representation. Bissy alleges medical negligence by the U.S. Prison Bureau. Both claim malicious prosecution for supporting Trump. The lawsuit seeks damages of no less than a million dollars each, expungement of their records, and a declaration the U.S. government's actions were illegal.

Last week, the U.S. Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss a similar lawsuit, arguing the statute of limitations on such cases ended years ago. I'm George Hale. Last month, the Indianapolis City County Council approved a new vehicle tax to fund road repairs. Soon after, Mayor Joe Hogsett said vetoed it. Zach Castle reports last night, the council pushed back. Before Monday, Council Democratic leaders said they didn't have the votes to reverse the mayor's veto. But after some disagreement, they passed the override vote 17 to 7. The new ordinance uses higher vehicle registration fees to match a state fund to repair and maintain crumbling roads in Marion County. Next year, the combined funding will bring $100 million to the effort. Democrat Maggie Lewis is council president. We all recognize that the infrastructure in our community is absolutely horrible. And again, it required us to take a hard vote in order to secure $50 million. During the meeting, Hogs had also introduced his $1.9 billion proposed 2027 budget. The council will consider the budget before an October vote. I'm Zach Castle. For more than a year, several Indianapolis neighborhoods have pushed back against data centers planned nearby. Residents cite concerns about water, energy, and noise impacts. Last night, the Indianapolis City County Council advanced a plan to pause new data center approvals in Marion County through the end of 2027. The plan also calls for creating a committee to study data centers. City County counselor Brian Maury voted against an earlier version of the moratorium, but yes, Yesterday, he changed his mind. While this is a tricky subject, I think there's a good opportunity for us to put governance around data centers before we move any further forward with them. The council approved the pause 23 to 1. It won't affect three projects that already have city approval. The measure now heads to the Metropolitan Development Commission for possible final approval. Agave plants live for decades, then give out seeds in the last face of their life. This summer at Purdue University in West Lafayette, an agave plant has entered its so-called death bloom. Samantha Horton has more. Towering above a greenhouse, the agave death bloom now stands at more than 45 feet tall. Initially brought to the university in the 1990s from Mexico, the succulent has been used in many classes, including anatomy and taxonomy courses. Purdue University greenhouse lab coordinator Krista Kaltbiano says the deathblooms of flowering stock has brought former students back to see the plant one last time. The point has been a pre-fixed staple in our permanent collection and it's socialized with many people throughout its time here. Once the agave plant completes its death bloom, the seeds will be used to plant new agaves. I'm Samantha Horton.

That's all for today's episode of WFYI News Now. Our podcast is produced by Zach Bundy with support from the news team at WFYI and public media journalists across the state. Kendall Antron produced our music. If you liked today's episode, remember to subscribe and share and follow WFYI on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to get the latest updates from our newsroom. Thanks for listening. We'll be back tomorrow. WFYI Podcasts are sponsored by Sun King Brewery, home of sunlight cream ale. More information at sunkingbrewing.com, fresh local beer.