Happy Wednesday everyone! I posted last week about a few films at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and I wanted to make sure they were on everyone’s radar for Halloween plans. Have a fun and safe one 🙏🏽

I have my admission planned for the adult mental health residential program, and was sent a packing/ restrictions "list" its VERY brief compared to the last residential program i was admitted to. I didnt really receive much information overall, but every staff member ive talked to on the phone has been very kind. The last facility i went to had a multiple page welcome packet, but during the process here i feel im only receiving information if i specifically ask. Im newly 18, live in wi, and ive never been out of state so im already pretty anxiety ridden about that aspect of things but that lack of info is only making it worse. Id love if anyone who has received residential care for mental health here recently to share some insight on the program and what to bring.

On tape, school board member Carlos Leyva says Mayor Muellerwanted the SBCSC investigation stopped. Leyva refused.

In January 2025, the South Bend school board hired two outside investigators to look into five years of conduct by district administrators and board members. Board member Carlos Leyva said the board needed protection. Then-Superintendent Todd Cummings had been threatening the board, Leyva said.

South Bend Mayor James Mueller wanted to know why. Leyva said Mueller pointed at him and said, “You’re creating chaos.”

In August 2025, Leyva told the investigators that Mueller wanted the investigation stopped.
“Mueller said he wants to put a stop to the investigation,” Leyva told investigator Tim Corbett, a former Metro Homicide Commander, in a recorded call.

Leyva said Mueller came to him twice, in March and June 2025, and called him a swing vote. “You can stop it,” Leyva quoted Mueller.

Leyva said he told Mueller he would see the investigation through to the end, then asked Mueller what he wanted.

“I want to get all this investigation stuff over,” Leyva quoted Mueller.

On the recorded call, Corbett asked Leyva why the mayor wanted the investigation stopped.
“Because his friends are involved,” Leyva said.
“McBride and Kareemah”

Leyva quoted Mueller naming “McBride and Kareemah.”

Kareemah Fowler, a Democrat, was elected city clerk with Pete Buttigieg’s endorsement. Cummings hired her in 2019 to run the district’s finances. State auditors later found $767,585 in questioned costs in the district’s 2022-2023 spending and referred their findings to the Indiana Attorney General and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor, Redress South Bend reported in May. Fowler signed the agreements behind two $25,000 checks the district paid Democratic council member Karen White personally, Redress reported in January.

Sharon McBride is a Democratic member of the South Bend Common Council. In a text to Corbett, Leyva wrote, “Mueller was pissed that you \[Corbett\] were investigating McBride.”

Leyva also named “Shiela \[Niezgodski\]” among friends Leyva said Mueller sent to press him to end the investigation.

In 2020, Mueller, Cummings, Fowler, White, McBride, and Niezgodski appeared in videos asking voters to approve the district’s $166.4 million referendum.

Leyva also told Joe Speybroeck, the board’s second investigator and a former St. Joseph County sheriff, about Mueller’s pressure. According to Speybroeck’s written statement, Leyva said Mueller wanted the investigators to “lay off on Kareemah a little bit…back off a little.”

Leyva texted Corbett that Mueller “wanted to know what was in your binder,” meaning Corbett’s, and that Leyva texted Mueller back that it was “not his business.” When Redress read those messages back to Leyva on Oct. 19, 2026, Leyva said, “I remember that.”

**“I haven’t succumbed”**
Leyva did not end the investigation. Leyva said refusing cost him a place on the city’s Redevelopment Commission.

“I felt like I was retaliated against by the highest-ranking official,” Leyva said. “It was hurtful, and I felt like it was personal.”

Corbett confirmed he possesses an audio recording of the call. Corbett provided Redress a transcript of that call, text messages between Leyva and Corbett, and Speybroeck’s written statement.

Redress called Mueller’s office and cell phone on Oct. 13, 2026, and sent him text messages on Oct. 13 and Oct. 19. Mueller read the messages and did not respond.

“I was getting attacked on both sides by Cummings, and now I was getting attacked by Mueller,” Leyva said. **“I haven’t succumbed to any pressure since I’ve been on the board.”**

“It was a tough decision with the investigation,” Leyva said, “but I felt like it was the right thing to do to fix the problems the schools had.”

Paint the South Bend Community School Corporation bought with state money to renovate Brown School turned up in the garage of a former district official, a school board member told Redress, and the South Bend Police Department is now investigating the matter.

When the district official later put their home up for sale, a member of the public walked through the open house and found shelves of paint in the garage. That person photographed the cans and wrote down the product codes, which matched the paint bought for the Brown renovation.

“It’s definitely the paint that [redacted] bought for Brown School,” the board member said. Other sources confirmed the account.

A second board member confirmed that a police report was filed over items the district bought for the Brown renovation that went missing. According to that board member, the new superintendent filed the police report after the board pushed for one. Redress sought comment from six of the district’s seven board members.

The first board member said federal investigators are also looking at the district, examining its finances from 2019 through 2025. Asked what the federal inquiry covers, the board member said, “The only thing I could say is inappropriate funds being used.” The second board member would not confirm or deny a federal investigation.

The police department has been less forthcoming. On Sept. 2, Redress went to the records bureau and asked for a copy of the report, providing the date, the location, and the suspect’s name. Redress told the records employee the theft had been reported in person, not through 911, and provided the approximate date the report was filed.

“I don’t have anything,” the employee said.
When Redress pressed, she was firmer. “I’m telling you, nobody came in,” she said. “I do not have anybody with that name.”
“There is no report, so there is nothing to give you,” she said.

A few hours later, Redress obtained the case number: [26-10646](tel:26-10646). Redress filed a public records request for the report and any supplements on Sept. 3. The employee had said the department does not “hand out police reports to anybody in the public.” Requests go through the city’s legal department, where she said she had “seen it take up to six months to a year” to produce a police report.
It has been 25 days. The city has not produced the report.

Note: You can request a copy of the report yourself. Submit a request through the city’s public records portal at southbendin.jotform.com/team/legal/APRAand ask for SBPD case No. [26-10646](tel:26-10646).
The painting at Brown was already under scrutiny before any of this. Redress reported in May that the Indiana State Board of Accounts questioned $767,585 in district spending from the 2022-23 school year and sent its findings to the Indiana attorney general and the St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office. The largest single item was $271,568 paid to Alignment Ventures, the painting contractor at Brown, while its owner, Chekesha Donaldson, was working as a paid district intern. The district produced no contract or bid for the work, and payments to Alignment Ventures reached $506,534 by September 2024.

Hey for context we just moved here about a month or two ago and are really loving it. We the other day saw a pretty big swarm of what we thought were crows or bats above and around Denolfs downtown.
We also heard someone say “oh hey, the crows are back” and when we pulled in today and saw maybe a group 2-3x bigger than the original one and we have SO MANY QUESTIONS??? Is this a normal occurrence in this city? Is this just a mass event every year?
Help.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - A South Bend daycare operator entered a preliminary plea of not guilty on Monday after a video allegedly showed children fighting inside her home.

Tysharae Jones faces three charges, including neglect of a dependent, battery with injury to a person under 14 years and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The state said that the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning is investigating the incident.
WNDU also found that Jones not only has an active daycare facility under her name, but another registered business seemingly unrelated to childcare: Upfront Tax Services LLC.

WNDU is not sharing the video because of its graphic nature.

“I remember when my kids were that age, and you drop your kids off in the morning so you can go to work, and you just trust that they’re going to be okay,” said Tom Blessing, an attorney with Massillamany Jeter & Carson LLP.

Court documents say an 11-year-old battered a 5 and 6-year-old brother and sister inside Jones’ home in June.

Under Indiana law, all adults must report child abuse or neglect.

Court records show that Jones did nothing to stop the fight. Instead, investigators said she coached one of the children who was fighting.

WNDU looked into her license to work as a caretaker and found an active business license for Heavenly Harmony Hope Ministries under her name, dating back to 2023.

“She also has a duty to exercise reasonable care for those children that are entrusted to her,” Blessing said.

WNDU reached out to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to ask whether Jones holds an active childcare license. As of this story’s publication, WNDU is still waiting to confirm that.

When WNDU asked the state state if the daycare’s business registration has been revoked, suspended or placed under emergency administrative hold, they said it’s currently active.

An initial hearing is scheduled for Nov. 5.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Court documents reveal a judge has ordered the South Bend Community School Corporation to sell the former Clay High School building to Career Academy of South Bend.

This comes after a judge's ruling in February initially stated SBCSC didn't have to sell the building.
The judge's ruling states SBCSC must sell the building under Indiana code 20-26-7.1.
SBCSC responded to Monday's ruling with the following statement:

“The South Bend Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees is reviewing its options following the court’s ruling. The Board will meet in executive session Thursday at 3 p.m. to discuss next steps. We will share more information once the Board has made a decision.”

SBN made one list of top places to retire.

I just moved to South Bend recently and I’ve been itching for some fishing. Anyone know any good fishing spots around South Bend? Also I want to try my hand at ice fishing so if anyone knows any good lakes nearby please let me know!

Anyone have a fair and reliable plumber they suggest?

Recently wanting to put a couple pads (16x20’ and 15x12’) but apparently every company sucks at coordinating, timing and communication. I’ve been actively pursuing getting this completed prior to winter and you’d think these companies just don’t want money.

But if anyone has a recommendation for a company to pour concrete, I’d greatly appreciate it. Preferably one who doesn’t take 3-4 weeks for a quote and one that actually knows their availability.

Appreciate you all.

Reminder: Last week for early voting ahead of Election Day November 3rd. I am happy to answer any questions you have about voting in general!

We have had nearly 13,000 voters already cast their ballot. That number is already double what we had in 2022 (the last midterm) and 18% of those are voters who skipped the last midterm election. Good stuff!

If we don't vote, other people make decisions for us. Let's not allow that to happen.

Bring a government-issued photo ID

2 Early Voting Locations:

County-City Building, 227 W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend

County Services Building, 219 Lincoln Way W., Mishawaka

Hours:

Weekdays: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Saturdays (Oct. 31): 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sundays (Nov. 1): Noon to 4:00 p.m.

Last day to vote early, Nov. 2: 8:00 a.m. to Noon

I periodically see people asking about volunteer opportunities, so I thought I’d throw this out there. We’re needing some new volunteers, because we’ve recently had several of our long time volunteers retire! If you want to know more, please let me know!

Hello, I heard MOB was the group to go to here for Obstetrics. Couple of concerns:

1. They are no longer delivering at Memorial starting in 2027

2. Had a less than positive meeting with He-Shah. (whom I’m told people love)

Interested in hearing your opinions/experiences. Looking for a group supportive in attempting a VBAC but competent for repeat C section if necessary.

Every time I drive by that orange brick ranch on Cleveland and Capital that has been encroached on within a centimeter of the property line, I smile. I admire those people so much for not surrendering their property to development. I know it’ll probably be Hell for them, but that’s exactly why they’re inspirational when it comes to resistance—and we need that right now.

I’ll never support Gurley Leep because of this. None of us should. People over profit. Degrowth our communities.

When possible, I always try to vote with my dollar. If possible, I’d love to start a list of businesses that support local, state or federal Democratic Candidates. If you know of any local Mechanics, contractors, restaurants, barbers/hairdressers, store owners, etc. that fit this description, please comment below or send me a DM. Or if you know of any businesses to avoid, I’d also love to know that as well.

Getting married next year at Oliver Mansion and looking for a restaurant that we can host our reception at. Would be a party of 25-30. We aren’t from the area so looking for recommendations. We will have kids with us so please take that into consideration.

Thank you!

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year so I’m always looking for stuff to do. If you like horror movies, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center is showing a few this coming week. Sleepaway Camp (1983) on Thursday and a double feature of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026) and Friday the 13th: Part 2 (1981).
Last minute but they are showing Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (extended version) tonight.