The Quebec-based electric school bus maker found eager customers in Illinois school districts, which wanted to take advantage of generous federal grants, reduce pollution and give kids a cleaner, quieter ride to school.

But the bad news about Lion, which has been building for months, got worse Monday, with a court-appointed monitor saying there is a “very high” likelihood that the company will be liquidated, according to the Globe and Mail and other outlets.

“It’s a bit of a sad story, because it’s the right company with an interesting product,” said Yan Cimon, a professor of business strategy at the Université Laval in Québec City. He said Lion followed an ambitious path — including a bold expansion into the United States — and ultimately the company’s sales didn’t keep up.

“Had Lion been a bit more conservative, maybe they wouldn’t be where they are,” he said.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a strong proponent of clean energy, attended the opening of Lion’s now-shuttered Illinois plant in 2023, along with both Illinois senators.

“Illinois has made tremendous strides turning the state into a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles,” the governor’s press secretary, Alex Gough, said Monday in a written statement.

“Governor Pritzker remains committed to maintaining an ecosystem where EV companies and their employees are able to thrive,” the statement said. “Just this morning, (electric vehicle-maker) Rivian made a major commitment to their growth in Illinois by bringing a supplier park to Normal.”

Rivian is constructing a new 1.2 million-square-foot supplier park in Normal, according to a news release from the company. As part of that, Rivian will invest nearly $120 million, which will enable the company to develop the supplier park and create nearly 100 new direct jobs.

Lion announced in December that it was suspending operations at its Illinois plant and temporarily laying off approximately 400 workers in Canada and the United States.

Then last week the company suffered another major setback when Quebec announced it would not invest $24 million in an effort to relaunch the company, according to the Globe and Mail.

“It does not bode well for Lion,” Cimon said. “It may be worth more if it’s dismembered and its assets are sold individually than if the company is kept whole.”

Workingman Capital, a company that helps sell or liquidate manufacturing assets, is listing an equipment auction at its website for a “Lion-Electric Chicago Facility,” at the address of Lion’s Illinois plant.

Susan Mudd, a senior policy advocate at the Environmental Law and Policy Center, said Lion’s apparent failure is very unfortunate, but she sees it as a small step back rather than a reflection of broader trends.

“It doesn’t mean that electric school buses themselves are the problem. A particular company expanded in too many ways, too fast,” she said.

She pointed to new players in the electric school bus business, such as GreenPower in West Virginia, and she noted that big legacy school bus companies such as Bluebird, which sell both electric and diesel buses, have a “huge advantage” over newer, electric-only companies like Lion.

Electric buses are still “where the future is going,” Cimon said.

“The long-term trends are there,” he said. “The whole world is moving toward electric. You see it in China. You see it in Europe. Europeans are really interested in electric. There are other North American companies that look toward electric. So in that sense, it will come.”

nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com

Richard Donta Cotton, 32, appeared before Judge William Gamboney about 12:30 p.m. at the courthouse on multiple gun felony charges, according to court records.

After Gamboney made his decision, Cotton “ran from the courtroom and exited the courthouse,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

A warrant was issued for his arrest.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s police at 847-635-1188 or dial 911.

Sponsored by the Clarendon Hills Chamber of Commerce, spent its first four years after starting up in 2017 in the Sloan Triangle at Prospect and Park Avenues. It moved in 2021 to Village Hall Plaza.

“Every year our neighbors look forward to the return of the Farmers Market, which signals the end of the school year, while continuing the village tradition of gathering and shopping together on Thursday mornings,” said Shannon McDonald, the chamber’s director. “We are really pleased to welcome back many of our returning vendors as community favorites.”

One vendor that isn’t returning is LaVanway Farms, out of Berrien Center, Michigan, which had been an anchor at the Clarendon Hills Farmers Market since its first year.

“Cindy with Lavanaway Farm has said she is stepping away from her involvement with markets and has been working since last year to pass the baton on to a nearby farm, Dad’s Farm, to take over her established farmers markets,” McDonald said.

Joining Dad’s Farm as a vendor new to Clarendon Hills are Flock and Field, offering personal care products, and Pet Wants, which will be selling pet treats and food.

Eleven vendors are scheduled to be onsite in Clarendon Hills throughout the season, including popular returnee Hahn’s Bakery out of Geneva, which has become well known in the village for its doughnuts, but has several other bakery items for sale.

Also returning are Azteca Catering Co. with Mexican cuisine, Spartan Gourmet Foods featuring olives and olive oil, Hufendick Farm Market with fresh pork, beef, poultry and lamb, Maly’s Foods featuring vegetable egg rolls, The Cheese Lady, Lincoln Land Kettle Corn and Boa Acai Bowls.

Little Love Tees, featuring children’s clothing, is scheduled to be in Clarendon Hills June 5 and June 26, and a new village business, Sparrow Coffee, will be joining the market periodically, McDonald said.

She said new vendors are added each year in one of two ways.

“Vendors come to us through word of mouth, and I will seek out vendors to help us fill a void in the market, offering consumable products,” McDonald said.

Along with the vendors, the Clarendon Hills Public Library will be hosting Children’s Story Time at 11:30 a.m. at the market on the second Thursday of each month— June 12, July 10, Aug. 7, Sept. 11, and Oct. 9.

Village President Eric Tech said he believes the farmers market provides a real sense of community and a gathering place for Clarendon Hills residents.

“For my wife, it is a ritual which she looks forward to, meeting neighbors and reconnecting with the vendors,” he said. “With the creation of the functional plaza in front of our village hall, it has the added benefit of drawing from our neighboring communities and showcasing our beautiful public spaces.”

Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. 

Chipparoni is the president and CEO of Res Publica Group, a PR firm whose major clients include the White Sox, Lollapalooza parent company C3 and the Wirtz family’s corporation, which owns the Blackhawks, co-owns the United Center and operates Breakthru Beverage Group. He declined to comment, as did a Choose Chicago spokesperson. Crain’s Chicago Business first reported the news.

The appointment should coincide with Choose’s annual meeting, where the organization’s new CEO, Kristen Reynolds, will also be sworn in. Sources familiar with Chipparoni’s appointment said he would be a natural local complement to Reynolds, a Texas native who has worked in Arizona and Long Island’s equivalent tourism organization for more than a decade.

There has been no permanent CEO at the organization for more than a year. After Lynn Osmond stepped down at the end of January 2024, board member and former Chicago Tribune executive Rich Gamble has served in an interim role.

Glenn Eden, the current board chair, wrote to fellow board members to give notice that Johnson had slated Chipparoni and Barrett for the seats, and that Chipparoni’s term would begin on July 1. Board members can serve up to two, three-year terms.

Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Chipparoni, a press aide to former Gov. Jim Edgar, was previously a member of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and also chaired Navy Pier and its marketing committee.

Barrett, chief diversity and engagement officer for developer Sterling Bay, recently served as a senior adviser to the Chicago host committee for the DNC. She previously was deputy director of the Heartland Alliance, national press secretary for Rainbow PUSH and was director of communications for the Congressional Black Caucus.

House Enrolled Act 1008, authored by Speaker Todd Huston, would establish an Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission to research the possibility of adjusting the boundaries between the two states.

Braun, who signed the bill into law May 1, will have to set the commission’s first meeting no later than Sept. 1.

Huston, R-Fishers, has stated he drafted the bill after learning that 33 Illinois counties have voted to secede from their state, including seven in November, since 2020.

“These people literally went and voted. They have spoken,” Huston previously said. “Whether Indiana is the right solution or not, they’ve expressed their displeasure. We’re just saying, if you’ve expressed your displeasure, we’d love to have you.”

Indiana would have six commissioners and Illinois would have five commissioners, and a quorum of the commission consists of at least six members, according to the bill.

The Indiana commissioners would be appointed by the governor, and the commissioners cannot be legislators. No more than four commissioners can be members of the same political party, according to the bill. Illinois legislators filed a companion bill, but it was never assigned to a committee. As a result, there would be no Illinois members of the commission.

The bill states the commission’s recommendation to adjust the boundary between Indiana and Illinois wouldn’t take effect until approved by the Indiana legislature, the Illinois legislature and the U.S. Congress.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker brushed off the proposal — and fired back at the neighboring state — when he was asked about it at an unrelated news conference in January.

“It’s a stunt. It’s not going to happen,” Pritzker said. “But I’ll just say that Indiana is a low-wage state that doesn’t protect workers, a state that does not provide health care for people in need, and so I don’t think it’s very attractive for anybody in Illinois.”

Property tax appeals

Braun also signed a bill April 16 requiring property tax assessment board of appeals members to live in Indiana.

Senate Enrolled Act 187, authored by State Sen. Dan Dernulc, states the term of anyone serving on county PTABOA who isn’t an Indiana resident will expire July 1. The fiscal body, which is the council in Lake County, would then be required to appoint a new member to finish out the member’s term.

The bill maintained Indiana’s current PTABOA law that states a member has to be at least 18 years old and be “knowledgeable in the valuation of property,” including holding the certification of a level two or level three assessor-appraiser.

Dernulc, R-Highland, said he drafted the bill after learning Cook County Board of Review commissioner and Lake County PTABOA member Samantha Steele was arrested for driving under the influence in Chicago late last year.

Steele wasn’t reappointed to her seat and left the PTABOA board in early January, said Lake County Assessor and PTABOA secretary LaTonya Spearman. The Board of Commissioners appointed Warren Reeder, a local realtor, she said.

ICE notification

Braun signed House Enrolled Act 1393, which addressed ICE notification after an arrest, April 30.

House Enrolled Act 1393, authored by State Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg, required jail and detention facility employees to tell county sheriffs when they have probable cause to believe an arrestee, who is facing misdemeanor or felony charges, is not in the county legally. The sheriff would then be required to contact ICE, under the bill.

Initially, the bill required police officers, who arrest someone for a misdemeanor or felony and have probable cause, to notify the sheriff.

Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said he amended the bill in committee to shift the notification from police officers to jail and detention center employees.

“I amended the bill because I did not want to put law enforcement in the position of even being able to pull somebody over or to detain somebody just because somebody may not be here legally,” Freeman said.

Sophia Arshad, a Merrillville immigration attorney, said the law will open the way to racial profiling.

Immigrants don’t carry their immigration file around with them because it involves a lot of important paperwork, Arshad said. Permanent residents are supposed to carry their permanent resident cards with them, she said, but many times permanent residents don’t carry that card because they are scared to lose it.

But, even if immigrants carried their immigration case files with them, Arshad said local law enforcement aren’t trained on reading through immigration paperwork to understand someone’s status.

“I don’t think it’s going to pass constitutional muster,” Arshad said. “Local law enforcement has no authority to determine if someone is in or out of status or if there’s any reason to question someone about that.”

Expanding toll roads

Braun signed the toll road bill into law May 1. House Enrolled Act 1461, authored by state Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would allow the state to charge tolls on all Indiana interstate highways, including I-80/94 and I-65.

Specifically, the bill would allow the Indiana Department of Transportation to submit a request to the Federal Highway Administration for a waiver to toll lanes on interstate highways. If the waiver is granted, the legislature would not have to enact a statute for the Indiana finance authority to take action on tolling.

Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, offered two amendments to remove the toll road language – to remove INDOT’s ability to submit for the tollway waiver and to reinstate the 75-mile exemption for tolling from the nearest toll road – but both failed.

Along with tollways, House Bill 1461 allows for wheel tax, addresses bridge construction funding, allows excess distributions from the state’s Community Crossings matching grant program to be distributed to all communities based on lane miles instead of road miles, along with other elements.

Pressel previously testified in committee that the state has seen a decrease in road funding dollars, which comes from gas tax, BMV registration and excise tax, as cars become more fuel efficient and people purchase less gas.

By 2030, the state will have to fund $1.2 billion and local governments will have to fund between $900 million to $2.5 billion in road projects because of inflation costs and the reduction in drivers purchasing gas, Pressel said.

“When your road funding revenue is based on gallons sold … we are having the conversation: How do we fund roads into the future? Should it come out of the general fund? I don’t believe that to be true. I think we should have user fees. You pay for what you use,” Pressel previously said.

Transgender college sports ban

House Enrolled Act 1041, which would ban transgender women from collegiate sports statewide, was signed by Gov. Mike Braun April 16.

The act, authored by state Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, prohibits a male, based on the student’s biological sex at birth, from participating on a women’s athletic team. The act also allows students or parents to file a grievance if a college isn’t following the law.

House Enrolled Act 1041 mirrors legislation passed in 2022 banning transgender athletes from girl sports at the K-12 level, according to Post-Tribune archives.

LGBTQ Outreach of Porter County was unable to provide a comment, but issued a February statement when the legislation passed the House. The organization said it was outraged with the legislation and the message it sends to transgender youth.

“Transgender kids, like other students, deserve the same chances to learn teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership and self-discipline, and to build a sense of belonging with their peers,” the statement said. “When we tell transgender girls that they can’t play girls’ sports — or transgender boys that they can’t play boys’ sports — they miss out on this important childhood experience and all the lessons it teaches.”

Task force expands into NWI

Braun signed House Enrolled Act 1095 into effect on April 1.

The bill was written by Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, and will expand the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force to include Lake County. The task force was initially created in 2021 and included eight Central Indiana counties.

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez said in a statement that he fully supports House Enrolled Act 1095.

“This enhanced partnership will strengthen our ability to combat illegal firearms, organized crime and violent offenders throughout the region and the state,” Martinez said. “We hope this new collaboration will allow to share critical resources, intelligence and technology to address gun-related violence in our communities.”

The Indiana Crime Guns Task Force brings together local and state police with federal partners to track and remove illegal guns, investigate gun crimes and improve coordination between agencies, according to Post-Tribune archives.

In 2024, the task force investigated more than 150 leads that led to arrests of 232 people, seizure of more than 270 illegal guns and more than 75,000 grams of drugs, according to Post-Tribune archives.

Harris previously said the plan is to take the task force statewide.

“It’s good when you talk about getting guns off the street and also it’s helpful in terms of getting illegal narcotics off the street,” Harris had said. “Wanting Lake County, where I live and represent, to be part of that as soon as possible is important to me.”

Attracting pro sports to NWI

A second of Harris’ bills was signed into law by Braun on April 30. House Enrolled Act 1292 establishes a Northwest Indiana professional development commission and professional sports development fund.

The commission will be tasked with exploring and implementing strategies to attract sports franchises to the region. The bill was amended in the legislature to give local control over the fund.

According to Post-Tribune archives, the commission would have 17 members, including mayors from East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, LaPorte, Portage and South Bend, while the remaining members would be appointed by various people, including the executive director of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, and Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph county leaders.

Once established, the commission would be able to enter agreements or contracts for grants or appropriations from federal, state, and local governments, individuals, foundations or other organizations. It would also be able to operate, own, manage or lease property.

The commission would spend money from the professional sports development fund, which would be funded through general assembly appropriations, grants, gifts and donations. The money from the fund can’t be reverted to another fund.

Harris’ goal with the legislation is to attract the Chicago Bears to Northwest Indiana. His late father proposed legislation to bring a sports stadium to the region, which was also aimed at drawing in the Bears.

“To be able to pick up the ball, as his son, I’m very proud and happy about that, and I’m sure he would be also,” Harris previously said.

Gary must repay funds to EC, MC

A Gary supplemental payment bill was signed by Braun on May 1. House Enrolled Act 1448 — authored by Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville — requires the city to pay more than $12 million to East Chicago and Michigan City.

The legislation addresses a state comptroller mistake with supplemental payments that were signed into law in 2019, following the move of Majestic Star casinos to Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana.

Money from supplemental payments will come from deducted state comptroller funds and money appropriated by the Indiana General Assembly, according to bill documents. Funds will be withheld for 10 years.

Gary Mayor Eddie Melton has repeatedly spoken about House Enrolled Act 1448, most recently during his State of the City address.

The city was originally set to begin payments this year, but Melton asked to have the timeline delayed due to financial constraints, according to Post-Tribune archives.

“This legislation fails to acknowledge that for 20 years, Gary had to compete while sandwiched between two other casino municipalities,” Melton said in a statement. “Throughout those two decades, Gary never received subsidiaries from neighboring cities, nor was any ‘hold harmless’ language established to protect our city’s economic viability.”

akukulka@chicagotribune.com

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com

The city currently has “pretty decent biking infrastructure,” but the 2025 City of Aurora’s Bicycle Pedestrian Plan proposes expanding that infrastructure to link existing routes and adding sidewalks to every feasible location within the city.

That’s according to Eric Mueller, a planner at Epstein Global, who presented the Aurora City Council’s Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee a brief overview of the plan on April 23.

His presentation showed that the plan would recommend nearly 135 miles of new bike infrastructure along with 279 miles of new sidewalks.

The plan doesn’t propose just a single type of bike path – instead, it specifies eight different types. Some are connected to roads, such as marked bike routes, bike lanes and paved shoulders, while others are not, such as trails.

Proposals for bike-friendly policies, programs and procedures, along with pedestrian safety measures especially around intersections, are also included in the proposed plan.

Ald. Patty Smith, 8th Ward, said she was “in awe” of the plan but felt like there was no ceiling, it was just “everything you could ever want in the biking world.”

“It’s a lot of miles. It’s a lot of money. It’s a lot of great stuff,” Smith said. “I wish we could call Santa Claus and ask him to show up tomorrow and fix this for us.”

According to Mueller, the plan also includes ways to fund the various projects, such as through grants. He said the plan is good for about 10 to 15 years, but “we’d be kidding ourselves if we expected everything we suggested to get implemented.”

Ald. Mike Saville, 6th Ward, said the report was great but the city needs to make sure the plan actually gets implemented. Often, the city pays for plans but then something happens and the city’s focus changes, so the plan ends up “collecting dust on the shelf,” he said.

Mueller’s presentation at that meeting was a brief overview of the plan, with a more in-depth presentation and discussion expected at the upcoming City Council Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday.

But he did show off what he called a feature project of the plan: a proposed connection between the Virgil Gilman Trail and the Waubonsee Creek Trail.

While Mueller said the paths would ideally connect along the nearby creek, the city has been unable to speak to the landowner about an easement, so the plan proposes a slightly “roundabout” path that he said is the second-best option.

This connection was the thing Epstein Global heard most from residents, according to Mueller.

Public engagement began in 2023, and residents strongly supported improving biking and walking infrastructure throughout Aurora, he said.

Aurora’s current Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was adopted in 2009. In 2023, the city selected Epstein to update the plan at a cost of around $50,000, according to past reporting.

The 2025 City of Aurora’s Bicycle Pedestrian Plan was unanimously approved by the Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee, but it must still go before the Committee of the Whole before going to the Aurora City Council for final approval.

rsmith@chicagotribune.com

“There is a mess in Washington right now and we need to send someone who will fight for all of us in Illinois, but that person will not be me,” Frerichs wrote in an email to supporters.

“After many conversations with friends, and lengthy talks with my wife, I have reached the decision that the answer is no,” he wrote. “I am not willing to travel to Washington, D.C., 30-some weeks a year and spend so many nights away from my children. I don’t want to miss their games, their recitals, or even that many bedtimes.”

Frerichs, a native of Gifford in central Illinois and a former Champaign County auditor and state senator who later moved to Chicago, remarried in 2022 and has twin 2-year-old sons as well as a college-age daughter from his first marriage.

Frerichs said he “aspired to follow in Sen. Durbin’s footsteps” and said he was “humbled at the outpouring of support” following the April 23 announcement by the state’s senior senator that he would not seek a sixth senate term.

So far, two-term Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is the only announced Democrat seeking to replace Durbin, although three members of Congress — U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, Robin Kelly of Matteson and Lauren Underwood of Naperville — also are considering a bid for the party’s March 2026 nomination.

Stratton, who has the backing of billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker, announced Monday she had named Laura Ricketts and her spouse, Brooke Skinner Ricketts, as among four co-chairs of the campaign’s finance committee. Laura Ricketts is a board member of the Chicago Cubs ownership and she is lead owner of the Chicago Red Stars women’s soccer team. Ricketts is also a Chicago Sky women’s basketball team co-owner

The department made the announcement after reassuring the community Monday that it had increased patrols and was stationing unmarked units in strategic areas, according to its social media page. Police said they’d deemed the threat against a school resource officer, principal and security officer “lower level” after preliminary investigation.

“Our dedicated officers, in collaboration with the Merrillville Community School Corporation, have worked swiftly and diligently to investigate these threats and ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community,” the statement read. “For now, please rest assured that our schools are secure, and we look forward to finishing off the school year as we move towards summer.”

The investigation started seemingly after someone posted screenshots of the threat on another social media page dedicated to the town. The person said they’d contacted police after they were sent the messages, which threatened to included a threat to shoot up and bomb the school and listed names. The Post-Tribune isn’t naming them because they’re the victims.

Merrillville Community School Corporation for its part released on its social media page Sunday that the administration was aware of an “altered image circulating on social media, which references Pierce Middle School.”

“While this image originated from an unrelated incident in another state, it was modified to include specific threats against members of our staff,” the release said. “We have a very credible lead on the source of this altered image, and the matter is currently under active investigation.

“Please know that threats of any kind are taken very seriously and carry serious consequences — both within the school system and through law enforcement.”

School wasn’t canceled Monday for Merrillville students, the release said.

Corporation Spokeswoman Tina Davis-Powell said via email Monday that the schools had no further comment at this time.

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

The exact status of the artwork remains unclear.

“More information will be released to campus regarding some of the sale details in the coming days,” Michael Fenton said in a Monday email to the Post-Tribune. “As stated in our original plan, the sale of these paintings was to fund the renovations, which are scheduled to begin this summer and last until Fall, 2026.”

The three works in question are “Rust Red Hills” by Georgia O’Keeffe, Frederic E. Church’s “Mountain Landscape,” and “The Silver Vale and the Golden Gate” by Childe Hassam.

According to appraisals received by the university, the fair market value of the O’Keeffe is estimated at $10.5 million to $15 million; the Hassam, between $1 million and $3.5 million; and the Church at $1 million to $3 million.

Fenton has said that the projected cost of renovating Brandt Hall and Wehrenberg Hall for first-year students is approximately $8 million. The renovated dorms are slated to have a gallery displaying lesser-known works of art from the Sloan Trust, which provided directly or indirectly for the three paintings being sold off.

“I can confirm that we have made enough progress to move forward with the planned resident hall renovations,” Fenton said.

The update of sorts comes on the heels of a Thursday article in Bloomberg that Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. has downgraded Valparaiso University two notches to a junk rating, which could, per the article, raise the university’s borrowing costs.

In an April 30 report, Moody’s noted that “the highly competitive student market poses ongoing difficulties for enrollment management. Inability to boost net tuition revenue will further limit financial reserves and the university’s capacity to address operating deficits in the short term.”

The negative outlook, Moody’s said, “reflects the potential for continued enrollment challenges resulting in pressure to balance operations.”

Moody’s also said the university’s “substantial wealth, totaling nearly $350 million in cash and investments,” as well as strong donor support and its regional reputation, weighed in the university’s favor.

“Moreover, management’s efforts to restructure operations to cut costs and increase revenue are favorable for long-term prospects,” the report stated.

Fenton said via email that the university will continue to work with Moody’s to show everything the university is doing to further strengthen its financial foundation, implement its strategic plan, and address the challenges facing higher education.

“The University is undertaking innovative enrollment strategies, a comprehensive fundraising campaign, and reinvestment in campus operations,” Fenton said.

“As Moody’s points out in its statement, we are confident in our ability to continue to meet our mission as a Lutheran institution that prepares students not only for successful lives and careers, but also as servant leaders in church and society.”

Both the university’s Moody’s rating and its enrollment have struggled in recent years.

Moody’s downgraded the university’s bond rating two years ago as well. At its peak, in 2016, the university’s bond rating was A2 but it’s been slipping since then and is now Baa2. The fact that the drop coincided with the university’s decreasing enrollment was not a coincidence, a Moody’s official said then, and news about the sale of the artwork also was a factor that Moody’s took into consideration when doling out Valparaiso University’s rating in 2023.

Valparaiso University’s fall and new student headcount both dropped in the past two years after numbers began to climb slightly in 2022, as the direct impact of the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic began to wane. Still, according to enrollment figures on the university’s website for August, both numbers are below where they were in the fall of 2019 before the pandemic began.

The university had 852 new students in August, compared to 1,004 five years ago. Likewise, this year’s total fall headcount was 2,598 students, compared to 3,521 in fall 2019. Only 16 students from the latter count were in the university’s law school, its last cohort before it closed.

The university filed a petition almost a year ago to move forward with the auction of the art from the Brauer Museum to fund freshman dorm renovations, noting a $9 million deficit and declining student enrollment.

A Porter Superior Court judge ultimately granted the petition, which required modifying the trust that provided the artwork to allow for the sale.

Valparaiso University President José Padilla first announced the plans in February 2023, garnering stiff criticism from the campus community, including faculty and students, as well as the art world.

The faculty senate issued a vote of no confidence for Padilla in the fall. He has announced he’s retiring at the end of the year.

alavalley@chicagotribune.com

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump issued an executive order last week ordering the defunding of PBS and National Public Radio, calling their programming slanted and “woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

Trump’s order is being challenged by supporters and called unlawful since funding is the duty of Congress, not the president.

Chuck Roberts, president and CEO of Lakeshore Public Media, said its TV and radio stations are bracing for challenges. Lakeshore is one of 17 public radio and TV stations in Indiana.

“We are trying to take steps to make sure public media continues in Northwest Indiana,” he said.

“Everything is on the table… to say we’re stressed around here is an understatement,” Roberts said Monday.

The GOP-led legislature opted to cut public broadcasting’s $7.4 million two-year line item after it received a revenue forecast predicting a $2.4 billion budget shortfall in the final weeks of the session, which ended April 25.

In a statement, Mark Newman, executive director of Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations Inc., said 17 public broadcasting stations that serve 95% of Hoosiers deliver reliable journalism, lifelong learning programs, and vital public safety information, free of charge to Indiana residents.

“This funding rollback jeopardizes the ability of these stations to continue delivering these services at the scale and quality Hoosiers expect and rely on.

“This is not just a line item cut,” said Newman, “This decision has real consequences for our ability to provide timely local news, life-saving emergency alerts, and proven educational content that supports children, families, and seniors across Indiana.”

Roberts said if Congress heeds Trump’s executive order, it would wipe out 50% of Lakeshore’s budget, jeopardizing programming and jobs.

“It’s a very tenuous time, not only for Lakeshore Media, but all public media. It means the public and community members are the most important source of revenue.”

Asking the community for more money is difficult, Roberts said, with budgets tightening over the country’s economic uncertainty.

“Anyone with a job… they don’t know how far their dollar will go. Everyone is afraid to spend or donate money,” he said.

Roberts, who’s led Lakeshore Public Media for two years, said the 17 public media outlets across the state are having talks about how to weather the funding crisis. There could be program collaborations or mergers.

Rural areas with fewer viewers and less resources could be hit the hardest. Many in those communities don’t have broadband access.

The cuts come as public media finds itself in the culture crosshairs, fending off claims they’re leftist organizations foisting their political agendas on viewers and listeners.

Roberts defended his profession.

“A journalist never says ‘I think and I feel.’”

He said journalists give facts on issues and viewers can make their own decisions.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.