New Grading System Coming To Indiana Schools In 2026
On March 4th, the Indiana State Board of Education passed a new grading system for schools, the “accountability model.” Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, grades will reflect student proficiency, attendance, and career readiness. Per Indiana Capital Chronicle, Paul Ketcham, the assistant secretary of education, says, “It is a very granular model. Every student will have the opportunity to grow, and it’s our responsibility to grow them.”
– Cody Mashino
Joseph Contreras Strikes Out the “Hottest Hitter In The World”
On March 6th, 2026, at 8 pm, Joseph Contreras, the 17-year-old pitcher from Brazil, got the hottest hitter in the world, Aaron Judge, to ground into a double play with the bases loaded. The 17-year-old is the youngest player on every roster in the World Baseball Classic. Aaron Judge said, “I know I wasn’t doing that at that age. Just great stuff. I know he had some poise on the mound. He’s throwing up to 100 miles an hour.¨ Joseph Contreras is still in high school, and his draft stock just grew tremendously after getting out the best hitter in baseball.
– Owen Bullington
U.S. Gas Prices Increase
The US, as of March 10th, carried out airstrikes on Iran, which has increased tensions in the Middle East. Because Iran is an important country for global oil supply, the conflict has started affecting oil prices around the world. When oil prices rise, gas prices in the US usually go up too. According to reports from Reuters and PBS News , gas prices have already begun increasing as markets react to the conflict. Experts say investors worry that fighting near the Strait of Hormuz, where a large amount of the world’s oil passes through, could disrupt shipments. If the situation continues or gets worse, Americans could keep seeing higher gas prices in the coming weeks.
– Skiellier Hughes
The Big Ten Is Underway
The Big Ten Tournament is underway, bringing together the conference’s top teams as they compete for the championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Several programs are looking to build momentum heading into March Madness, with close matchups and standout performances already shaping the bracket. As the tournament continues, teams will battle for the title and improved seeding in the national tournament.
– Ayden Linton
IndyCar Series New Season
The IndyCar Series is back for the 2026 season of 2026 after last year’s season, 2025, with the championship series winner last year being #10 Alex Palou (Team Chip Ganassi Racing).
The season has already started for this year’s 2026 season, with two races already in the books (completed). The track that was the season opener was the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, with the race winner being last year’s (2025) IndyCar Champion #10 Alex Palou (Team Chip Ganassi Racing).
– David Fahrner
Highguard Is Officially Shutting Down
On March 12th, Highguard is shutting down its servers. After 45 days since its launch, the creators at Wildlight Entertainment are choosing to shut down the servers, saying it has “not been able to build a sustainable player base to support the game long term.” Highguard was released in late January with an initial player count of around 100,000. Its numbers have dropped significantly since. The day it was announced that they would be shutting down the game’s servers, there were only 460 current players on the game, according to SteamDB. With the end of the game coming near, the developers wanted to say one last thing before the game’s servers are shut down for good: “From all of us at Wildlight, thank you for playing, for supporting us, and for being part of Highguard’s story.”
– Kayden Owen
