Limo Service in Whiteland, IN

Residents and out-of-town guests in Greenwood, Franklin, Bargersville, New Whiteland, Whiteland, and Trafalgar were alerted via a severe thunderstorm warning consulted directly from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis during the evening of September 20. The alert, issued at 5:50 PM EDT, emphasized that the approaching storms could gust up to sixty mph and could produce hail the size of a penny, posing a real threat to anyone on the streets and in local parks, hotels, and dining spots. Though the official warning period closed at 6:15 PM EDT, radar displayed the storm’s brisk trek to the north, with a prevailing speed of 20 mph, toward downtown Indianapolis.

Key Tourist Destinations at Risk

Tourism in Morgan and Johnson counties ranges from heritage sites to agritourism and outdoor adventure, many of which faced potential disruption:

These attractions often draw large crowds, particularly on weekends, making storm safety protocols vital for visitors and local operators alike.

Official Safety Instructions for Tourists

According to the NWS and state emergency agencies, tourists and locals are urged to prioritise safety with these protocols:

For those in open rural areas, seeking shelter in low-lying terrain far from tall objects and metal structures is recommended. Boaters on local lakes should return to shore immediately.

Local Impact Statement

Spokespersons indirectly advised travellers to check with local venues regarding closures and disruptions: heritage museums, outdoor parks, and agritourism sites may temporarily halt activities for safety reasons. Local officials expressed deep concern for visitor and community safety, encouraging prompt compliance with safety bulletins and preventive measures.

Extended Forecast and Precautions

The Official National Weather Service forecast indicated the likelihood of scattered showers and thunderstorms continuing through the following days in central Indiana, increasing risk of intermittent severe storm events. Emergency management urges all tourists to stay vigilant, have evacuation plans, and review safety advice throughout their stay.

Community Resilience and Traveler Well-Being

Franklin, Greenwood, and nearby gems are still ready to greet travellers, yet this kind of weather reminder shows why community strength and visitor care matter. City leaders and hotels, restaurants, and attractions are determined to keep every experience pleasant, even when plans must shift. Guests should obey official safety alerts, check dependable sources for real-time information, and contact any venue for updates about services or activities. By acting quickly and paying attention, residents and guests alike can ride out the storm, dreaming of sunny days ahead and the chance to keep discovering the many treasures Indiana has to offer.

Two towns in Johnson County are once again seeing if it’s feasible and advantageous to merge.

The Whiteland Town Council plans to start a conversation with New Whiteland about possibly merging in the future. The topic was brought up by council member Brad Goedeker at the Sept. 9 council meeting.

Goedeker wanted to start discussing a merger and see what it would take to put the two towns together, if New Whiteland and the Whiteland council was interested.

Whiteland and New Whiteland have discussed merging in the past but it didn’t make much progress. At the time, council president Richard Hill believed it wasn’t the right time to merge because Whiteland hadn’t reconciled its books.

On Sept. 9, Hill said he still didn’t think Whiteland had reconciled its books but the town’s financial consultant Adam Stone clarified to the council that the town’s books are reconciled through June 2025.

Among other conversation, council member Joe Sayler wanted to make sure they reach out to New Whiteland in the “right way,” since it allegedly wasn’t well received in the past when they had their attorney reach out, he said.

Sayler thought it made sense to see if New Whiteland is interested in the idea.

“Obviously, if it were to ever happen, it’s a pretty complex, multi-step process,” he said, “but the first step is seeing if they have any interest — basically if they have feasibility.”

Council member Tim Brown was a proponent of asking New Whiteland about merging but also wanted to ask the community what they want.

“If the community wants it, then I think that’s something we should look into and offer, and see what the community wants because we represent the community,” Brown said. “We’re five people but the community is really what makes the decision whether we go forward.”

Brown suggested that something like a ballot could be sent to residents to get their feedback.

The initial discussion is a way to get information and provide it to the community, and voting on the merger would happen years down the line, Goedeker said.

“We’re going to have to have a study performed that helps us identify, ‘Here are the positives to do this, here are negatives, overall here’s the financial picture,’” Goedeker said. “If the financial picture comes back that it’s much more expensive, we lose services or something like that, clearly who would have an appetite for that? But if it comes back (positively) … I think it would be fantastic. I hope that that would be the answer.”

Carmen Young, Whiteland’s town manager, pointed out some potential positives with merging. For example, a lot of equipment is duplicated and the two towns split Whiteland Road from U.S. 31 to Centerline Road which causes confusion on who does what for road repairs.

Some residents also don’t know where they live since the towns have the same zip code, and some of the two towns’ departments work together, Young added.

“I think egos get in the way and we need to do what’s right for the community and our citizens,” Young said. “I’m open to having the conversation.”

New Whiteland council president John Perrin told the Daily Journal on Sept. 10 that the town hasn’t reached out to the council about the merger yet. Since they haven’t had a conversation yet, his opinion on merging is the same as it was when it was previously brought up about a year ago, that he sees “very little benefit for the residents of New Whiteland.”

Perrin later told the Daily Journal that nothing had changed when reached Thursday afternoon.

New Whiteland was established in 1954 following a petition and a legal battle. Daily Journal Society Editor Ruth Chaney wrote in 1964 that the town was established because of a refused annexation request west of U.S. 31. However, a few homeowners, along with the owners of the land marked for building sites, petitioned the county commissioners to incorporate a town. The commissioners denied the petition, according to newspaper archives.

That petition was for the incorporation of “West Whiteland.” A few months later, a special judge reversed the commissioners’ decision and ordered that the land be incorporated as “New Whiteland” — which had also followed a request from the home developer to not name the new town “West Whiteland,” archives show.

The sights, sounds and sensory stimulation will swirl around you.

Inside the Clark Pleasant branch of the Johnson County Public Library, patrons can nibble on Hispanic snacks and swing to the traditional dances of the Spanish-speaking world. They can play a game of “Pato, Pato, Ganso,” (“Duck, Duck, Goose” in English) or square up for a round of fútbol.

Busting piñatas and discovering bilingual books will all be on the table.

Crucially, in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month, they will also walk away with a greater appreciation for the cultures than they did before.

“It’s really important that our community sees every individual and every culture that is represented in the community. We want to spotlight Hispanic Heritage Month because it’s something that sometimes gets swept under the rug,” said Cooper Adams, president of the Spanish Honor Society at Whiteland Community High School.

Whiteland’s Spanish Honor Society is partnering with the Clark Pleasant library for a special event celebrating Hispanic heritage. Hispanic Heritage Month Community Day on Oct. 4 will feature food, dance, stories and more highlighting the beauty, tradition and energy of a variety of Hispanic countries.

Organizing an event designed to bring so many aspects of the Spanish-speaking world to Johnson County is an opportunity that both the society and the library are excited to present.

“The Spanish Honor Society of WCHS has a history of volunteering in the community and at JCPL. Together, we will provide all ages with an event that entertains, educates and enriches our community,” said Monica McKeown, children’s services programmer at the Clark Pleasant library branch.

The idea for Hispanic Heritage Month Community Day was born from the imagination of the Spanish Honor Society at Whiteland. The student organization, found in schools across the country, is an academic honor society focused on Spanish language excellence. According to the club’s website, its purpose is to recognize high achievement in Spanish by students of secondary schools and to promote continuity of interest in Hispanic studies.

Founded by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese in 1953, the honor society spread to secondary schools throughout North America.

In Whiteland, the Spanish Honor Society was founded in 2018. Organizers called its chapter “El Guaraní,” which comes from an indigenous group in South America and means “warriors” — a fitting symmetry with the mascot of Whiteland Community High School.

The El Guaraní chapter meets the second Tuesday of each month to plan its activities. The group focuses on three pillars: learning about and spreading the Hispanic culture, excelling academically and service.

“A lot of what we do is volunteering. We’re very involved; we like to do a lot of different things and help as many people as we can,” Adams said.

Members have volunteered at events such as FIESTA Indianapolis, one of the area’s biggest Hispanic celebrations, as well as at school and community events.

Hispanic Heritage Month is one of their most active times, as they put up displays in school, march with Hispanic country flags through the hallway and put on a number of other activities for students.

They also work closely with the Johnson County Public Library. That connection helped birth the Community Day.

The event got its start after Whiteland’s Spanish Honor Society was named National Chapter of the Year by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. In addition to being a prestigious recognition for the group and the school as a whole, it also came with a grant to support organization activities.

Honor society members had decided to find ways to expand outside the walls of the high school and be more impactful in the community.

“We feel like the biggest need in our community is education and spreading some of the wealth of knowledge we have, making that more accessible to other people,” Adams said.

Adams contacted McKeown over the summer, who had worked with the honor society many times in the past. Together, they devised a community event that would be planned by the Spanish Honor Society and hosted by the library.

“One of the things they really wanted to do was have, not necessarily an information fair, but to educate the community about Hispanic heritage. They wanted to make it something for all ages — having stuff that’s fun for kids, but also have things for adults too,” McKeown said.

The event is designed to share the beauty of Hispanic culture in a fun, welcoming and approachable way. Spanish students from Whiteland will be creating tri-folds offering a wealth of information of Spanish-speaking countries.

Spanish Honor Society students will give demonstrations and performances, offering people the chance to learn traditional dance. Visitors can created Hispanic crafts such as marigolds and paper skeletons, play games and try different baked goods.

Throughout the day, the club will hang piñatas and let people take a whack at them.

Being housed at the library, the event also is heavy on literacy. Attendees can explore bilingual books, walk along a bilingual pop-up StoryWalk and learn about library services to learn a new language will allow guests to immerse themselves at their own pace.

“It’s going to be a pretty packed event,” Adams said.

IF YOU GO

Hispanic Heritage Month Community Day

What: A celebration of Hispanic heritage featuring food, crafts, dance and more, created in partnership between the Spanish Honor Society at Whiteland Community High School and the Johnson County Public Library.

When: 12:30-3:30 p.m. Oct. 4

Where: Clark Pleasant library, 350 Clearwater Blvd., Whiteland

Cost: Free

Information: pageafterpage.org/hispanic-heritage-month