NEW CARLISLE — A small workplace fire that broke out at the Amazon Web Services data center construction site last month is under the investigation by three agencies What we know about the fireThe New Carlisle Fire Department arrived on the scene at the 31100 block of Edison Road around 11:30 p.m. on April 24 after receiving the report of two victims injured in a construction incident, The Tribune's reporting partners at WNDU-TV said the fire department received reports indicating that Building 104 was filled with smoke and saw people evacuating the area The fire was out by the time fire crews arrived New Carlisle Fire Department's Assistant Chief Chad Hess said on April 29 describing the fire as "isolated" and the smoke as white we just had do deal with the patients and evacuating smoke," he said An Amazon spokesperson provided a statement by email saying “A small fire at the construction site of a non-operational facility was quickly contained today and we’re thankful to local first responders for their swift action.” More: Fire during Amazon construction Two Amazon construction workers airlifted to hospital for 'severe' injuries after fire Two workers who were injured in the incident were treated on the scene by responding medics but were airlifted to the hospital due the severity of their injuries He did not provide an update on their condition citing the inability to keep in contact with speciality hospitals outside their reach with whom they don't have an existing relationship When asked what the victims' injuries were on the scene whether the men suffered from burns or smoke inhalation Hess relayed only that their injuries were severe What we know about the investigationThe fire is under the investigation of the New Carlisle Fire Department, fire investigators with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security State Fire Marshal and the Indiana Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration Hess said the fire department is working with investigators with the State Fire Marshal because of the "scenario of the injuries," and have not had any conversations with IOSHA Hess couldn't determine how long the investigation will take He said there's specialized equipment in the facility that investigators aren't used to and they need subject matter experts A media spokesperson with the State Fire Marshal's office said on April 29 that the incident remains under investigation and no updates are available at this time IOSHA confirmed they have a safety compliance inspection in progress Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com by Tyonna Baxter WSBT 22 Reporter (WSBT) — There is concern about Amazon's controversial development proposal near New Carlisle which would permanently impact nearly 10 acres of wetlands and over 5,000 feet of streams for a massive data center project A public input meeting took place Wednesday night and it wasn’t about answering questions Indiana Department of Environmental Management officials made it clear that they were there to listen to residents and what they heard was a community deeply concerned about its future Amazon is asking the state for permission to permanently fill in over 9 acres of wetlands and reroute more than 5,000 feet of streams to expand its data facility project further south southwest of New Carlisle The land is near Bendix Woods and sits above a vital aquifer that feeds local farms and homes The project would support cooling and power needs for at least 18 data centers Amazon is rapidly building in the area Buying wetland and stream credits outside of St Many pointed out Amazon has the funds and alternatives The wetlands are just a mile from Bendix Woods Nature Preserve Environmentalists say they’re not just scenic Amazon argues the wetlands can’t be avoided if the campus is to stay connected But many here say short-term infrastructure gains aren’t worth long-term environmental loss Smoke filled a building at site of $11bn project Two workers were taken to hospital after a fire at the site of a new $11 billion Amazon data center in New Carlisle The incident took place on Thursday morning at the site of the data center on Edison Road Firefighters were called to the scene after reports of two victims sustaining injuries in a construction accident Further information then reached the crews that one of the buildings on the site A spokesperson for the New Carlisle Fire Department told local news network WNDU that fire fighters found a significant amount of smoke in the building and the surrounding area but two workers had sustained injuries and had to be airlifted from the scene and taken to hospital Fire crews found no active fire at the site and are investigating the cause of the incident Several buildings on the site have already been completed but the entire project is expected to take up to a decade to complete The campus could feature 22 buildings at full build-out A spokesperson for AWS said: "A small fire at the construction site of a non-operational facility was quickly contained today and we’re thankful to local first responders for their swift action." Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia by Gabbi Lumma There was a reported fire at the Amazon Data Control Center job site near New Carlisle this Thursday (WSBT) — Two people were airlifted after a fire at the Amazon data facility site near New Carlisle on Thursday The names of the two people injured are not being released by authorities yet Joseph County Dispatch happened on the job site off of Edison and Walnut Roads just before noon Firefighters said they were called to the scene just after 11:30 and arrived to find a significant amount of smoke in and around the building Initial reports were of a possible structure fire and those on scene requesting medical helicopters WSBT 22 was able to speak with multiple workers on the construction site who said they didn't see or hear anything regarding the incident but nothing of note regarding a possible fire WSBT 22 reached out several times to the New Carlisle Fire Department but have been told that units have not returned from the site yet We spoke with project managers on-site who asked us to leave and didn't give any information regarding the incident WSBT 22 also spoke with Amazon PR who sent a statement saying: “A small fire at the construction site of a non-operational facility was quickly contained today The cause of the incident remains under investigation (WSBT) — New Carlisle is seeking community input on a new community and athletic center Project officials holding a meeting on Thursday to hear what the community wants to see in the new center Community members say this center is needed There are three main benefits being pushed in the proposal: Part of this project is an athletic complex similar to the new Mishawaka Fieldhouse It would be the first of its kind for New Carlisle a town that’s slowly seeing growth from the developments just a couple of miles down the road with the Amazon Data Control Center and GM Battery Plant The proposed community and athletic center is something Olive Township Trustee Will Miller says is needed The center would sit just west of the Crown Event Center off Timothy Road and Maple Lane A project that project manager Scott Falk says would be funded entirely by St would bring the area a space to collaborate but right now that's kind of constrained to our park Both Falk and Miller say the project is just an idea There is no idea how much the center would cost or even a timeline of when it could be built Project officials are hoping to get more of an idea after Thursday’s meeting “We’re just conducting a study at this point what it is for the community would like to have and then the feasibility of what it will cost to build it and to maintain it in the future,” said Falk After speaking with multiple community members it’s clear this is a project they’d like to see in New Carlisle especially with all the growth in the town and everything I think it should be great,” said Tricia Armstrong by Cicily Porter (WSBT) — A small-town tulip festival may soon get a very big crowd New Carlisle’s Field to Vase’s Tulip Fest has blown up in popularity as tens of thousands of people have shared an interest in coming the tulips are just now beginning to bloom More than 30,000 people responded on Facebook that they are interested in attending the event What started as a few rows of flowers has turned into an event attracting thousands because we can only hold a few hundred cars,” said Melissa Ripley The church down the road has offered parking Joseph County Police will assist if crowds become large and cause traffic issues Ripley has done everything she can to prepare but there is one big problem out of her control and it's kind of hard to do that with the weather we've had We're not sure if we're going to have the tulips ready or not so we kind of just roll with the punches and still hoping that we can pull Tulips for the festival,” said Ripley Ripley says she has seen Tulips bloom in just a few warmer days so she is hoping that will happen It's too late to make changes with the large number of people interested So even with the possibility of no tulips out of the 50,000 planted.. some people are probably going to come out and they're probably going to be a little bit disappointed all we can do is smile and make the best of it,” said Noel Hostetler the owner is charging $1 admission fee after dealing with theft last year “We're just going to charge a dollar at the gate and then you know Definitely watch people closer because last year was really bad,” said Ripley Ripley is grateful as she never imagined her business would turn into this “To think it was just a few rows of flowers even if they're interested is amazing The owner recommends coming early and having patience Here are some of our most read articles that might interest you Developer Pat Matthews is counting on housing demand from the growth of workers at Amazon’s data centers and the GM/Samsung SDI battery plant to support the Hedegcroft Village on 69 acres Our prior story: Housing 'village' with 500 units, split by ditch, could support Amazon, GM plant needs The council voted to rezone the land from agricultural to a planned unit development with Bryan Tanner and Jenn Shabazz voting against it Tanner raised concerns that it didn’t fit with a comprehensive plan for the area which calls for medium-density housing instead Council members also raised questions about the impact of traffic on U.S 20 and why the development is so removed from downtown New Carlisle Council members were also concerned that it might eventually attract a gas station or car wash which isn’t in the current plans for Hedgecroft Andrea Halpin read a statement on behalf of the New Carlisle town council listing the town's concerns about potential uses for the land As the planned unit development is currently written truck plaza and automotive service station even though none of these are in the developer's plans for Hedgecroft She said the town council is concerned about these particular uses and how they would affect traffic on U.S Last year, Matthews had also proposed building a hotel, gas station and travel plaza on 40 acres of farmland at Indiana 2 and Strawberry/Larrison Road That remains in limbo as the county officials haven't yet approved rezoning for it Prior plans: Developer balks, so county reconsiders conditions for hotel, travel plaza near Amazon/GM other development may eventually fill in around Hedgecroft While Hedgecroft would have some neighborhood businesses such as an ice cream shop and restaurants — billed as a walkable community with paths — Studer said the greater focus would be on housing who has family that works at a nearby steel plant urged the council to “stop the sprawl before it happens.”   She suggested moving the development closer to a town or city where it would have access to water and other services Finding enough water to support the new housing is a lingering issue New Carlisle town engineer Jared Huss told the council that the water main on U.S 20 doesn’t have enough capacity now to support the development Because that water main feeds the Cleveland Cliffs plant But Huss said officials are already discussing plans to provide water Options include making improvements to the Cleveland Cliffs water plant or connecting to the water plant at the St Studer said Hedgecroft would draw an estimated 180,000 gallons per day when fully built He added that it would take five to 10 years to fully build it out South Bend Tribune reporter Joseph Dits can be reached at 574-235-6158 or jdits@gannett.com by Nick Oudhoff Residents of New Carlisle voiced their frustrations today to St Joseph County officials over raised property taxes Questioning why they are seeing a significant increase Jim Taylor is one of many New Carlisle homeowners voicing frustrations over property taxes rising over the last year Taylor says his property taxes increased almost 13 hundred dollars "But you don't need to tax the resident I'm pretty sure Amazon has a few extra pennies in their pockets They don't need 10 - 20 year tax abatements or whatever they are going to be offered by the council or whoever" says Taylor" Stone Oaks Estates President says his property taxes went from 38-hundred dollars to 71-hundred dollars "It's already happened in the past people who are on fixed income in our neighborhood It literally prices them out of their homes and they had to move" says Skaggs Many residents also voiced frustration to a slow appeal process Joseph County Assessor says numerous property taxes appeals have been filed by residents Castellon acknowledging an increase in property taxes part that because the demand out here in New Carlisle currently has economic developments And then the cost tables that were set forth by state raised values as well" says Castellon Castellon says some the property data collected had a few incorrect assessments For those individuals who have incorrect data We'll correct them for the past three years They should see a refund for the ones that have the data incorrect" says Castellon Castellon says residents with incorrect data will see adjustments next year Residents appealing their property taxes can do so with the St If taxpayers don't agree with the appeal they can file with the County Tax Board of Appeals Castellon says he wants to work with New Carlisle residents on these issues I'm standing here with them going through their issues And if we have more elected officials doing that we might get their fix a lot more problems" says Castellon Castellon is asking New Carlisle residents to be patient and allow St (WSBT) — As construction at the Amazon and GM battery plant continues in St thousands of jobs are coming to New Carlisle The county along with a local developer are partnering to tackle that issue Joseph County Redevelopment Commission met on Tuesday on a plan to help address those housing concerns The Redevelopment Commission approved to submit an application to the state that will help make the Hedgecroft project become a reality Hedgecroft is a mixed housing development offering 300 new housing opportunities for St It's broken into three different types of housing “Our preliminary idea is approximately 1/3 out of the 75 acres 1/3 would be commercial A third would be multifamily and a third would be single-family and the single-family could be a little higher density single-family duplexes or townhomes,” said Patrick Matthews The development will be located on 75 acres of the northeast corner of US 20 and Spruce Road in New Carlisle A key location for housing because of the worker surplus Amazon and General Motors will bring with them “We are going to bring in thousands of workers between AWS and GM and other some of these other projects so we have to have someplace to have people live and so this project will be kind of the kickoff of building that housing community out in that area,” said Bill Schalliol Joseph County Executive Director of Economic Development Schalliol says that the western part of St Joseph County has seen new family homes but no major projects He says this project is an opportunity to jumpstart the process with more to follow down the line Multiple studies indicate a need for housing in the county kicking their tires and no one wants to be the first one in so this is kind of a joint partnership between the county and the developer to kinda get the housing Mark get jump-starting in that area,” said Schalliol Tuesday marked a huge step forward for that joint partnership with the application process “That will provide low-cost funds probably half the rate market rate of financing for infrastructure Schalliol says construction for the development could get underway as early as 2025 Well at least that’s the number of people that pre-registered for the event Others lined up outside Monroe’s Crossing to sign up at the door the job fair also was an opportunity for people to learn more about some of the positions available ― jobs installing equipment in the data centers and other positions for so-called first responders who fix servers and other equipment or ensure electric water and cooling systems are operating properly AWS aims to have 18 data centers completed or underway on both sides of Indiana 2 before the end of the year with some becoming operational before the first half of the year. In all it has space to build as many as 32 buildings ― each about 200,000 square feet ― in a project that could take five to 10 years to complete Some Amazon personnel already have transferred to the South Bend area to get the data centers operational but the company wants to hire another 250 as soon as possible Company officials said AWS was looking for people with experience as well as those without any experience who could go through training Georgiades said she was happy to see the strong turnout for the event “Amazon strives to be the Earth’s best employer and a good member of the community,” she said Those showing up for the event came from throughout the region While waiting for the doors of the event center to open Rebecca Kukla of LaPorte said that she has a job but she’s “looking for a career with opportunities for advancement.” Duncan Krostue of Niles has a technical background but he’s been supporting himself lately as a self-employed contractor and artist “I’d like something more consistent,” he said Skylar Young of Elkhart is just looking to start a career in a field that would allow her growth opportunities but it’s really hard to find good ones,” she said executive director of economic development for St was happy to see the strong turnout for the event which was designed for people interested in learning more about the types of positions available in an informal setting that included snacks drinks and roundtable talks with AWS employees That’s in addition to the $11 billion being invested by AWS “This is what it’s all about,” Schalliol said Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com Hedgecroft Village would offer about 250 single-family homes and about 250 apartments It would go on a 69-acre rectangular parcel of farmland that’s split through the middle by Taylor Ditch On April 8, the St. Joseph County Council will vote on a measure to rezone the land from agricultural to a planned unit development At Redevelopment in December: Proposals on tap Tuesday could bring amenities, housing and more to New Carlisle area New Carlisle resident Mary Countryman raised concern at the Area Plan meeting suggesting that this would be “leapfrog development” that’s disconnected from the town an isolated housing complex that’s surrounded by farming Resident Dan Caruso noted that the town plan calls for mixed residential development in that area not the businesses that Hedgecroft might include and that the town would rather have businesses in the downtown area council member Bryan Tanner asked why the developer chose a site for housing that’s two miles away from downtown New Carlisle and not closer responded that it was a matter of land that became “available.”   Studer compared Hedgecroft to Heritage Square in Granger except that it would focus primarily on housing It would also feature some “neighborhood commercial” uses The ditch would remain and would split the development into two halves Drawings show a single bridge crossing over the ditch The developer’s plans describe it as a “walkable village” with a “village green” and with a path along Taylor Ditch that could tie into the potential Continental Divide paved trail which the county is exploring as a link between the area’s new industrial growth and a corridor of natural areas Development concerns: Can our aquifer support big water needs of Amazon and EV plant? New Carlisle town engineer Jared Huss said (WSBT) — It was a packed house in New Carlisle for Amazon's hiring and networking event The event offered a chance for community members to learn more about roles and jobs available to them Amazon officials say that more than 300 people registered for the event with the company looking to fill more than 200 positions as the data centers go online "We're definitely targeting to have 1000 what we call AWS builders They're builders in here to be a part of building the company we're definitely looking to bring on 250 employees," AWS spokesperson Sarah Georgiades said Some of those roles range from electricians and data center engineers and technicians to seeking those with plumbing and HVAC experience Georgiades assures that anyone could be the right fit for several of the jobs they are looking to hire "You don't necessarily need to have a big degree just experience and our leadership principles are very important as you may have heard a little bit earlier leaning into that there's really great opportunities for a variety of different skill sets," Georgiades said Sue Kesim has worked in IT her entire career and attended Thursday night's event hoping to learn more about what opportunities are available with the company Kesim was happy to learn much of her current work experience could apply to working at Amazon "What's exciting for me is I recently got my AI certification from MIT Amazon would be a great company to work for with artificial intelligence," Kesim said Amazon officials did not give a specific timeline for when construction would be finished or when the data center could go online They encourage anyone interested to look at opportunities within the company and apply NEW CARLISLE — Amazon would fill in 9.7 acres of wetland less than a mile east of Bendix Woods County Park if it is allowed to build one of its many data centers It would also fill in more than 5,000 feet of streams at the site Local citizens are raising concerns about the ecological impact while Amazon has said it needs the growth in order to meet the rising demand for data centers to process artificial intelligence The public has a chance to comment this month to two public agencies that are reviewing Amazon’s application for environmental permits The first public comment deadline is March 20 with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the second is March 21 with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management The site is in the midst of farmland just southwest of Indiana 2 and Strawberry Road That’s directly east of the International Proving Grounds track (formerly Navistar) The streams that would be affected include the MJ Lang Ditch Amazon must mitigate the lost wetland and streams by restoring them elsewhere That's a large swath that includes the southwest corner of St Starke and other counties to the Illinois border Amazon would buy almost 15 acres of wetland credit more than 11 acres of forested wetland credits (because more than two acres of the wetland is also forested) and 6,516 linear feet of stream credits Some local citizens are concerned about the loss of existing wetlands as critical filters for our area’s waters They also worry about any impact to the large Kankakee Aquifer on which the New Carlisle area relies Dan Caruso of New Carlisle said he’s concerned about ongoing Amazon projects “My concern is there going to be (water) rationing?” he said he said he wants local residents and users of the water — including farmers who irrigate — to come first When Caruso expressed that to the county’s Drainage Board member Randy Matthys said it was a good point and one that he’d thought about he said he still observes water flowing in the MJ Lang Ditch as it goes into the Niespodziany Ditch but he can’t tell whether it’s any more or less they’ll need to come to us (Drainage Board).”  One of the reasons Amazon is building here is because of the generous Kankakee Aquifer because data centers rely on lots of fresh water for cooling What we found: Can our aquifer support big water needs of Amazon and EV plant? which is a pristine woods known for its native spring wildflowers and mature trees Debra Durall urged county leaders to avoid touching the wetland and streams and instead focus on “green jobs.”  “We can provide green jobs rather than the kind of jobs and development we are doing to erode our pristine wetlands and some of the other properties that are being taken up,” Durall told the Drainage Board “Progress can look like a decision to protect life,” Brian Will of Granger also said at that meeting adding that the county is already providing Amazon with significant land and water supply “Let’s not give them our few remaining wetlands.”  The company states in its permit application that it looked at building the data center outside of the land Amazon has within the Indiana Enterprise Center because that would separate data centers geographically from each other Amazon said the logistics of that didn’t prove feasible Construction update: Data center campus progressing rapidly; EV battery plant ready to go vertical ∎ The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will take public comment until March 20. The Corps would authorize Amazon to fill the wetland and streams under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. To comment, visit https://rrs.usace.army.mil/rrs/public-notices search for “Amazon” or click on Indiana and look for the Amazon project Click an icon at the left to write a comment ∎ The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has extended its public comment period to March 21. IDEM must decide on granting Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the Amazon project. Written comments can be emailed to Emersyn Harriman at eharrima@idem.in.gov or mailed to Indiana Department of Environmental Management Be sure to refer to this project identification number: 2025-78-71-ENH-WQC Learn more in IDEM’s 14-page public notice about the project in a link here in the text of this story online Or read Amazon’s 266-page application through another link here in this story online provided by the Hoosier Environmental Council South Bend Tribune reporter Joseph Dits can be reached at 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com (WSBT) — It was a packed house at Olive Elementary as people in New Carlisle learned more and gave feedback about a potential new community and athletic center Many at the meeting appreciate being able to give feedback before any plans are made saying it shows the commitment to building a center that is based on the community's needs "That's very important that they'd come out and actually did this and let us walk around and look at these little tables and pick where we think the site should be and the style and the architecture of it and the items that are going to be in the facility and that they're going to take all of our ideas into consideration," Rosie Michiaels said There's still plenty of time for to gather feedback with Phase 1 of the project expected to start in January Michelle Genslinger works at a senior care facility in the city and says with recent developments such as the GM/Samsung battery plant and Amazon Data Center happening nearby but we would like to be more involved with the community and have our seniors involved with the community," Genslinger said Some raising concerns including who would be paying for maintenance of the facility Another person adding while he does think it would be a big asset to the community right now there are bigger priorities for the city "I know that the kids don't want to hear this the school kids don't want to hear this but I think the focus right now should be on getting affordable housing in this area for the incoming workforce," Dan Caruso said There will be another information session on May 15 at New Prairie High School If you can't make it to that meeting, the city is offering a survey. The buildings nearing completion are located just north of the proposed $3.5 billion EV battery plant that GM is developing with Samsung/SDI All of those projects are on the north side of Indiana 2 and west of Larrison Boulevard "My understanding is that Amazon is expected to begin outfitting those building at the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second,” said Bill Schalliol “They could be operational before the first half of the year” ends While those seven buildings are nearing completion three additional data centers have been going vertical on the south side of Indiana 2 and six more should be under construction this year adding that utilities should be available to those buildings after May 1 Each of the Amazon Web Services buildings is 216,000 square feet Amazon Web Services plans to begin construction on two somewhat smaller structures on the north side of Indiana 2 this year AWS has room for up to 14 additional data centers on the south side of the Indiana 2 that it could develop in the future If all of those data centers come to fruition, AWS would have about seven million square feet under roof, about the size of seven University Park Malls the company has indicated it would employ about 1,000 direct or contract workers and I’ve never seen anything of this size and scale moving at this speed,” Schalliol said And for those who think the county might have already peaked when it comes to economic development Schalliol indicated there are likely to be a lot more announcements as suppliers to AWS and GM/Samsung ― among others ― consider opening facilities close to their customers “They would like to break ground late this year or early next year,” Schalliol said Editor’s note: The Tribune will provide an update each month on construction at the Amazon Web Services and General Motors and Samsung/SDI sites between South Bend and New Carlisle as it continues to report on these economic development projects And construction won’t be slowing down soon and the GM/Samsung SDI partnership is about to begin construction on its adjacent EV battery plant in the coming months already has begun some of the initial hiring for the seven data centers on the north side of Indiana 2 “Some of those buildings are expected to become operational in the first half of this year,” Schalliol said three more data centers ― each of which is about 216,000 square feet ― are under construction on the south side of Indiana 2 adding that AWS hopes to get two more under construction on the north side of the highway and six additional on the south side before the end of the year there were 56 postings for jobs at the data centers with the company previously estimating that it will take about 1,000 Amazon and contract employees to operate the facilities “There are lots of jobs posted in the region and we’ve heard it’s been going very well,” Schalliol said During its annual Salute to Business luncheon on Thursday, the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce honored AWS for its $13 billion investment in St the largest single investment in state history construction of the $3.5 billion EV battery plant is expected to begin moving vertically in the next couple of months with the permits for building foundations having been approved and steel expected on the site in April “They’re doing prep work to pour the foundations,” Schalliol said adding that the campus will include two separate buildings to produce different types of batteries used in EVs Even with an administration that isn’t as friendly toward EVs as the Biden White House, GM hasn’t given any indication of mothballing the project which could employ 1,600 when it reaches full production in 2027 “We haven’t seen any indication of the project slowing down,” Schalliol said of the GM/Samsung project the Microsoft project is also likely to be in the billions of dollars “We’re still trying to learn the scope and scale of that project,” Schalliol said “We should know more by late spring or early summer.” (WSBT) — The annual Christmas in New Carlisle event returns for another year and it is set to be bigger and better than ever allowing for more activities and family fun There will be vendors at the fire station and along Michigan Street Santa will also make an appearance in a parade before lighting the tree at Town Hall Proceeds will be used to help pay for Christmas decorations for the community The South Shore Line continues looking into possible changes to the east end of the railroad The Northern Indiana Community Transportation District Board got an update Monday on a feasibility study to bring back a station in New Carlisle Mariana Madison with Antero Group said two sites are being considered near the U.S Joseph County already owns most of the land on the east side of the underpass But the site west of the underpass is preferred by the town's comprehensive plan and the Indiana Department of Transportation thinks it might be easier for traffic flow "It’s located on the same side of the street as what we anticipate being the pedestrian connection which is this tunnel underneath the rail here," Madison added "We don’t know for sure if that will be a tunnel or an overhead crossing but that’s something that we’re looking into now." Madison said two other sites were suggested by local residents More than half of those who responded to an online survey of area residents said they'd use a New Carlisle station while another 25 percent said "maybe." Some of the most important considerations for respondents were parking Madison said they're also looking into how many people would ride the train into New Carlisle for the new jobs coming to the area Plans are also moving forward on a shorter route to South Bend Airport trains head slightly past the airport and then circle back to approach the terminal from the east NICTD President Mike Noland said engineering work and an updated environmental assessment are almost complete attention is turning to funding the realignment Noland told board members that the railroad has already applied for a couple of federal grants even though no one seems to know when funding might become available "I know good projects ultimately get funded and we should not be sitting on the sidelines waiting until we know exactly what’s going to happen," Noland said He noted that the Department of Government Efficiency federal budget discussions and next year's Surface Transportation Reauthorization are all factors — on top of the typical uncertainty with the transition of presidential administrations Noland said the railroad is working to secure local funding from the state of Indiana There's also been interest from the private sector including the University of Notre Dame and 1st Source Bank Securitas plans to hire 168 security professionals by December 26 with an upcoming hiring event to support its expansion in Northern Indiana is embarking on a significant recruitment initiative to support its expanding operations in New Carlisle The company aims to onboard 168 new security professionals by December 26 with additional roles opening in the following weeks This recruitment drive highlights Securitas' commitment to providing high-quality security services to its clients while creating meaningful career opportunities in the region Securitas is hosting an in-person hiring event at its office space in South Bend to accelerate the hiring process Candidates will have the opportunity to interview on-site and learn more about career advancement opportunities within the company The hiring event is scheduled for December 16 offering a streamlined pathway to join one of the world's largest and most trusted security providers Securitas offers competitive compensation alongside a robust benefits package Comprehensive training is provided for new hires making these positions accessible to candidates from various professional backgrounds Applicants must meet minimum qualifications, including passing a background check, drug screening, and obtaining all necessary state licensing. For those ready to begin a rewarding career with growth potential, applications can be submitted online at SecuritasJobs.com by selecting New Carlisle Securitas remains guided by its core values of Integrity Its focus is on fostering safety and peace of mind for its clients and communities All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race or any other applicable legally protected characteristic Ahlilah Longmire, Securitas North America, 1 973-791-3343, [email protected], www.securitasinc.com Do not sell or share my personal information: