Five years after the Bargersville Police Department unveiled the first Tesla police vehicle inIndiana department officials say they've saved nearly half a million dollars over time in car upkeep and repair costs Despite the negative perception and controversy over the vehicle and its owner police chief Todd Bertram said nothing has changed the department's commitment to their Tesla models He said they haven't had major issues with their makes and models and are happy with how cost-effective the vehicles have proved to be "I couldn't even begin to say how much" money the department has saved I'd say we've been saving about $70-80,000.00 a year from having our vehicles started with one car in 2019 and has since added another dozen Bertram remembers getting a monthly gas bill in June 2024 that was more than $3,100 for four Ford gas cars it cost $300 to charge all 13 electric vehicles Bargersville Police Department: Police chief turns heads in Indiana's first Tesla police car "That's a lot of taxpayer money," Bertram said We tend to do that when it hits closer to 100,000 miles or if it gets closer to the warranty That's based on the decisions made by the city council." The police chief also said they've never had to replace any brakes on the Teslas That repair on gas cars can run between $1,200 and $1,500 He said the department hasn't experienced any issues or concerns with the electric cars except one that needed a battery pack changed time down means another car is getting worked twice as hard," Bertram said "That Tesla's turn-around time was only three days and it was covered under warranty which means we didn't have to pay Compare that to a gas vehicle that had to stay in the shop for a week." Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X (WISH) — You know the old Ben Franklin saying: “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” For Hoosiers Taxman Brewing Company is once again bringing the heat, and the hops, with its annual Death and Taxes Beer Release and Tasting Festival says the brewery releases a special stout every year to mark the occasion broke down the lineup of limited-edition barrel-aged brews “Then we decide to do four variants that change every year.” This year’s flavors include Hoosier Honey aged in honey barrels from Hunter’s Honey Farm; Double Barrels aged in both bourbon and rye barrels; Blackberry Brandy Barrels; and Smoked Vanilla But the event is about more than just beer It’s a celebration of community and local flavor “It’s a really awesome time to kind of support local You’re getting an opportunity to support so many local vendors all in one place while simultaneously having a blast,” Silva said The event will feature more than 40 vendors Attendees can also enjoy live music from four bands plus food from four on-site restaurants and three food vendors Huelsebusch says the event always lands the Saturday after the tax filing deadline Silva added that a portion of the event’s proceeds will go toward Bargersville Main Street a local nonprofit that supports community events like farmers markets The Death and Taxes Beer Release and Tasting Festival will be at South Baldwin Street in Bargersville on Saturday BARGERSVILLE — Bargersville Fire Chief Eric Funkhouser has devoted 25 years of his life to saving others He now knows how it feels to have his own life saved Doctors found a tumor in Funkhouser's brain after he had a seizure while driving on Labor Day Weekend He is now back at the fire department after two weeks in the hospital and three months of recovery "The seizure basically saved my life," Funkhouser said this tumor has been growing for years in there." His 19-year-old twin sons Dylan and Caleb are both firefighters with the department They both say their father has worked hard to put on the Bargersville badge again "He's been eager since day one to get back into this job," Dylan Funkhouser said our family always has," Caleb Funkhouser said "Having the tables turned on you like that leaves a feeling that you can't describe." Chief Funkhouser is only working part-time right now but hopes to have the strength to get back to full-time duty next month He said he is thankful to be here at all after the scare of his life and they were the longest 13 days of my life," Funkhouser said "I wasn't able to get out and do the things I wanted to do or come and go as I please I was trying to get through the rehab and everything else I can't thank everybody enough for what they did to push me to get me where I'm at today." JOHNSON COUNTY — Grain bins are a common sight in rural Indiana but the crushing weight of agriculture can be deadly if you end up inside one Firefighters are often the first to respond to grain bin accidents which means their strategies could save lives Firefighters from the Bargersville and Indianapolis fire departments simulated a grain bin accident on a Johnson County farm and worked together to find a solution The two departments would likely serve side-by-side if a real grain bin emergency happened "This is hands-on training with live silos and grain bin rescues," said Kaleb Buchanan of the Bargersville Fire Department Bargersville firefighters know the risk through experience 80-year-old farmer Dick Henderson fell in his grain bin and died in 2007 Buchanan has served on the Bargersville Fire Department for four years and has already responded to one grain bin accident "It is a high-stress event because you just don't know what you're walking into when you get there," Buchanan said Firefighters are hoping people stay as safe as possible around grain bins they are now prepared if the worst-case scenario takes place "When they show up and we have an incident we're going to run like a well-oiled machine," Buchanan said BARGERSVILLE — In a remarkable display of teamwork a beloved horse received a much-needed rescue in Bargersville on Thursday and the Morgantown Fire Large Animal Rescue Team joined forces to save Flash an aging gelding who was stuck in the mud after the recent thaw Flash was freed and relocated to a nearby barn to rest and recover BARGERSVILLE— The community of Bargersville is coming together to support and pray for its fire chief It comes after Chief Eric Funkhouser was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor two weeks ago dozens gathered as he underwent surgery at St Francis hospital and they cheered him on as he entered the hospital doors "He means the world to us because he always has our backs," said Battalion Chief David Porter "There was four or five different fire departments at the hospital and outcries from all departments wanting to help." Porter says the chief is still hospitalized and in recovery "Bargersville is still a small town atmosphere and the support has just been overwhelming from the community," said one Bargersville firefighter RELATED | Bargersville is booming with new development The department continues to ask for prayers through this time "It's been kind of a whirlwind but here we are in the healing process and I hope everything goes great from here," said Porter The department is continuing to update his journey on it's Facebook page BARGERSVILLE — Cooking your turkey this Thanksgiving is important to do without blowing up your kitchen We talked with the Bargersville Fire Department about what could happen if you are not careful while frying your turkey “If you plan on frying your turkey this Thanksgiving there's a lot of ways that it could go wrong," said Deputy Chief Mike Pruitt "You need to make sure you cook the turkey outside and watch the temperature of your grease and oil." Pruitt says preparation is also key in keeping everyone safe someone fried their turkey on their porch leading to their whole house burning down “You need to do a nice inspection on your equipment and make sure that your hose going to your propane tank is good," said Pruitt "You also need to have enough fuel to cook the turkey because you don't want to be the Debbie Downer that runs out of this when you're cooking up a nice juicy turkey." Pruitt says to keep it away from the kids and the pets and to watch your oil level "When you're choosing your oil stay away from vegetable oil," said Pruitt "You also need to make sure no one has a nut allergy in the family if you choose to use peanut oil." He says following these tips will help prevent disasters The Bargersville Police Department made history in 2019 as the first in Indiana—and one of the first in the world—to add a Tesla Model 3 to its fleet the small-town force of just 16 officers has become a global leader in EV policing operating a fleet of 13 Tesla patrol vehicles and saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process According to recent comments from Bargersville Police Chief Todd Bertram to the Indy Star the department has saved “about $70,000 to $80,000 a year” since 2020 thanks to the Teslas’ lower operating and maintenance costs That adds up to nearly half a million dollars in savings over the last five years significantly reducing the town’s vehicle expenses “I couldn’t even begin to say how much money the department has saved The vehicle was retrofitted with a secure dog compartment and utilizes Tesla’s “Dog Mode” to keep police dog Dax comfortable between calls Bertram recalled receiving a $3,100 gas bill to fuel just four Ford patrol cars the cost to charge all 13 Teslas that same month “That’s a lot of taxpayer money,” he noted The department’s Teslas haven’t just saved on fuel—they’ve also significantly lowered maintenance expenses “We’ve never had to replace any brakes on the Teslas,” Bertram explained a repair that typically costs between $1,200 and $1,500 on gas-powered vehicles The only serious issue occurred when one Tesla required a battery replacement The car was back on the road in just three days a turnaround Bertram says is much faster than the week-long delays typical for internal combustion engine (ICE) repairs which served in the fleet until it neared 100,000 miles fetched $21,000 when sold—demonstrating strong resale value that further offsets the initial purchase price As Canada aims for net-zero emissions under its federal climate targets other EV models like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning have also joined police fleets for real-world testing across diverse terrains and climates Man Arrested for Arson Attack on Tesla Store in New Mexico Tesla Faces Class Action Lawsuit Alleging Odometer Manipulation Tesla has made some significant changes to its camera-based driver monitoring system to now watch the driver for drowsiness The improvement to the software is not limited to when Autopilot is engaged Elon Musk visited Giga Berlin to support employees after the recent attack on the factory Electricity was restored on Monday evening and production has now resumed The Tesla CEO arrived at the German factory on […] you also get access to the vast network of Superchargers Since Tesla makes the Supercharging experience so easy Enter your email address to subscribe to Drive Tesla and receive notifications of new articles by email Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Indiana to the late George and Rebecca Kapassakis Rachel was a member of Westside Apostolic Pentecostal Church for 44 years She was truly a dedicated soul winner and prayer warrior always trying to figure out new ways to save the lost at any cost The greatest joy she took in life was loving her family Rachel graduated from Greenwood High School and was a Patient Care Assistant at Riley Children's Hospital for 9 years before she decided to do her hardest work She loved talking with people and caring for them Most never knew she was hurting herself because she always prayed and cared for others first.  Tina Edwards; 3 grandchildren; mother-in-law Jennifer Tielking (Robert) and many nieces 2024 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at Westside Apostolic Pentecostal Church Funeral service will begin at 2:00 pm.  Funeral donations can be made to Go Fund Me at  https://gofund.me/d1897f44  Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A house was badly damaged but no one was seriously injured when a truck crashed into a house in Bargersville The accident happened early Wednesday evening near State Road 144 and Whiteland Road The Bargersville Fire Department says the driver of the truck lost control after colliding with a pickup but the driver of the truck was taken to a hospital for evaluation the two people inside the other vehicle were unhurt The collision left a large hole in the side of the home Video from Bargersville FD shows a team from the White River Township Fire Department shoring up an area where the ceiling had collapsed News & Reviews News Wire Indiana Rail Road’s Santa Train begins three-day journey INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Rail Road Santa Train begins its annual journey across the railroad today (Friday with stops scheduled in 12 communities over a three-day period is an all-volunteer event providing cold-weather gear to families in need visitors are invited aboard the train to meet Santa and Mrs Claus aboard the railroad’s vintage passenger cars sees Santa arrive by train for a visit with guests at Bargersville Town Hall The rest of the train’s schedule is below; 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