EMS Leadership: Putnam County EMS Chief Kelly Russ was named 2026 Indiana EMS Association Leader of the Year, praising her team’s push for innovation and better tech and training. Flood Relief: U-Haul says 34 Indiana locations will offer 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box container use for residents hit by storms and flash flooding. School Tech & Literacy: Indiana lawmakers highlighted that 2026 third-grade IREAD pass rates rose for a fifth straight year, topping pre-pandemic levels, with “science of reading” supports cited as a driver. Cancer Care Delays: A UCLA study reports cancer patients are waiting longer to start treatment than a decade ago, with delays especially affecting Medicaid patients and those at large academic centers. Weather Science: A derecho—an organized, long-lived line of thunderstorms producing widespread straight-line wind damage—was identified as the cause behind this week’s destructive storms in Indiana and beyond. Public Health & Food Safety: FDA and CDC began onsite inspections at Taylor Farms’ Mexican plant tied to a Cyclospora outbreak reaching 17 states, while a separate salmonella pet food recall includes Indiana. Indiana Tech & Research: Purdue’s PUR-1 reactor is testing machine learning and AI in a reactor environment, aiming to make future nuclear systems easier to control and maintain. Higher Ed Funding: IU trustees approved $50M for Memorial Stadium renovations and requested $150M more from the state. Data Center Security: A report says thieves used a “bump-and-run” tactic to steal nearly $111M in data center freight, pointing to carrier verification failures.