INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Supreme Court Thursday rejected a determination by the Indiana Recount Commission and declared incumbent State Sen. Spencer Deery the winner of his primary.

Deery was one of eight Republican state senators up for reelection this year who voted against redrawing Indiana’s Congressional districts mid-decade. Six of those eight senators lost their primaries to challengers backed by President Donald Trump. Deery faced Paula Copenhaver, chair of the Fountain County Republican Party and director of government affairs for Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith.

Deery was initially declared the winner in the May 5 primary, surviving Copenhaver’s challenge by just three votes. Then, on Aug. 10, the Indiana Recount Commission threw out eight ballots cast for Deery, along with three for Copenhaver, because they lacked the signature or seal of the county clerk or because they lacked one or both sets of election judge initials required by law. That decision made Copenhaver the winner, also by three votes. Deery’s lawyers appealed, saying the commission should not have thrown out six ballots that lacked a clerk’s seal.

Arguing on Deery’s behalf before the Indiana Supreme Court Thursday morning, Karen Celestino-Horseman said state law explicitly allows the Recount Commission to accept a ballot if errors appear to be clerical in nature and there is no evidence of fraud.

“‘May’ means judgment, so you’re going to use your judgment to decide if it passes muster,” she said. “The commission has said we have the ability to apply the savings clause or we have the choice of refusing to count the ballot. Now, that’s not discretion, that’s a requirement that the commission is imposing. They have now gone beyond discretion.”

Copenhaver’s team argued the commission had to reject any ballots that did not have all of the necessary identifying markings. William Bock said the commission’s discretion is limited by state laws governing election security. He said the presence of election judge initials did not offset the lack of a seal.

“Those initials are to guarantee that a Democrat and a Republican handled the ballot. They are not to authenticate the ballot,” he said. “Obviously, it’s quite easy to forge initials.”

Chief Justice Loretta Rush said the court would rule quickly. By late Thursday afternoon, the court made its decision. Rush said in an order a majority of the court had voted to set aside the Recount Commission’s decision and award the election to Deery.

“Indiana Cod section 3-1-12-1-12 makes a qualifying ballot legally countable despite a defect caused by an election officer,” the ruling said.

The order directs the state to begin printing ballots for the November election with Deery’s name on it. He will face Democrat David Sanders in November.

Rush’s order stated the court will issue a written opinion at a later time that will explain the justices’ decision.

KOKOMO, Ind. (WISH) — The identity of the man who died Wednesday following a crash at a major intersection in Kokomo has been released.

The crash happened just after 7:45 p.m.Wednesday, at U.S. 31 North and State Road 26, on the city’s south side.

According to the Howard County Coroner’s Office, the victim was identified the man as Joshua Randall Rhoads, 47, of Indianapolis.

The coroner’s office says Rhoads died from multiple blunt force injuries. His death was ruled an accident, and his family has been notified.

The crash is still being investigated by the Kokomo Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Howard County Coroner’s Office.

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Police have arrested a Muncie couple and accused them of locking four children in a room covered in feces.

Kevin Herrman, 41, and Stormy Slough, 30, each face four counts of neglect of a dependent and three counts of criminal confinement.

Court documents say Delaware County deputies were called around 11:40 a.m. Tuesday to a home in the 4000 block of South Hoyt Avenue to help the Indiana Department of Child Services in a case involving four children. When deputies entered the home, they smelled a foul odor. Inside, they found feces smeared on the walls and floor of almost every room, with trash and soiled diapers throughout the home.

Deputies described the conditions as “deplorable.”

Court documents say deputies also found a belt on a door to keep it locked from the outside. They said the children were forced to sleep on the floor in a room without working lights and had to use plastic bags or the floor as a bathroom. All four children had open cuts, bug bites, scrapes, and sores.

Court documents say Herrman told police he kept the children locked in their rooms to keep them from “tearing up the house.”

The Delaware County Health Department assessed the home and declared it “unfit for human habitation.”

Online jail records show both Herrman and Slough are being held in the Delaware County jail without bond.

Court documents say a neighbor took in a small dog that was living in the home. The Department of Child Services took custody of the four children, and two were taken to a local hospital.

VALPARAISO, Ind. (WISH) — A cross-country trip from California to New York ended with a massive drug seizure in Northwest Indiana after police found 220 pounds of marijuana inside a rental van.

The stop happened at 7 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 90 in Porter County. An officer with the Lake County Sheriff’s Highway Interdiction Team stopped the van for traffic violations and noticed several large boxes inside the vehicle.

The driver and passenger told the officer they were traveling from California to New York. Both men appeared unusually nervous, and a Lake County police dog signaled that drugs were inside the van.

Officers found the marijuana packed inside Home Depot moving boxes.

Authorities arrested the two men, ages 34 and 27, from San Leandro, California. Police did not release their names, and both were released pending charges for drug possession and dealing in Porter County.

The investigation is ongoing.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In the wake of August’s once-in-a-lifetime floods, the Indiana Treasury Department has announced the ‘RAPID’ program; short for “Recovery Advance Program for Infrastructure Damage.”

The program will allow units of government in hard-hit areas to borrow up to $1 million from the Indiana Bond Bank, which has $50 million available or the program. The focus is to be able to borrow at a faster pace than prior programs. 

Fronting RAPID alongside Indiana State Treasurer, Daniel Elliot, is Indiana’s Homeland Security Director, Jonathan Whitham. 

“Not every community can front the cash that’s needed to begin the recovery process. What this will do is allow communities to start recovery day one.” said Whitham. 

Also present at Thursday’s announcement was Gary Mayor, Eddie Milton, who spoke on the need for faster recovery funds. 90% of Gary residents lost power in the wake of the August storms, and many are still displaced. 

“As we’re seeking to get back to normal, we need immediate resources to address some critical problems.” Milton said. 

Connersville Mayor Chad Frank shared how his community of less than 14,000 was impacted by the storms and need funds right away. 

“My wastewater facility; we’re looking at a between a $4.5-5 million loss already,” he said. “And we know we’re still going to suffer problems that we don’t know about.”

Treasurer Elliot said RAPID will be the new norm for state assistance, and won’t end with the flood and outage recovery. 

The loans will be offered at just 2% interest, and will be officially launched within the next two weeks. 

Any governmental unit can apply for the loans. 

CHARLESTOWN, Ind. (WISH) — The Charlestown Police Department was seeking the public’s help locating a missing 16-year-old last seen Wednesday night.

Anna Knowles was described as a white female, 5 feet 6 inches tall, and 159 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a white hoodie and black pants.

Police say Knowles was last seen around 11 p.m. Wednesday in Charlestown, about an hour and 45 minutes from Indianapolis, just north of Louisville, Kentucky.

She’s believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical attention.

Anyone with information on Knowles was asked to contact the Charlestown Police Department at 812-246-6995 or 911.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced Thursday that James Kimes was convicted of child molesting, a Level 4 felony, following a one-day bench trial this week.

The investigation began after the victim disclosed that she had been abused by a family member approximately four to five years earlier, when she was about 12 or 13 years old.

The victim was 17 when she spoke with investigators in July 2025.

According to a probable-cause affidavit, the girl told IMPD that Kimes had asked to stay overnight at her family’s Indianapolis home because he had nowhere else to stay.

She said she and her brother were up talking with Kimes that night before her brother eventually left the room to go to bed.

The girl told investigators that Kimes then moved closer to her and began touching her chest underneath her shirt.

According to the affidavit, she pushed him away and told him to stop. She said he continued before eventually stopping.

The victim told investigators she was scared and froze during the incident.

Her parents told police that they did not learn about the alleged abuse until sometime later. According to the affidavit, the victim initially did not want to report what happened or go through the process of discussing it with police.

The case eventually came to the attention of IMPD after the victim disclosed the abuse years later.

Detective Kolin Kinder was assigned to the investigation in July 2025. Investigators conducted a forensic interview with the victim at the Child Advocacy Center and subsequently worked to locate Kimes.

The affidavit says police initially had difficulty finding him and made multiple attempts to locate him in August 2025.

Kimes was ultimately prosecuted in Marion County and convicted this week following the one-day bench trial.

Because it was a bench trial, a judge—not a jury—heard the evidence and determined that Kimes was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Kimes was convicted of Level 4 felony child molesting.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A former Indiana Department of Corrections lieutenant has pleaded guilty after being accused of falsifying time records for a subordinate he was in a romantic relationship with.

Jacob Kauth, who worked at the Plainfield Correctional Facility, was charged in May 2025 with official misconduct, fraud, and conspiracy to commit theft.

According to investigators, Kauth approved or submitted false time records for the employee, who also lived with him. The scheme involved more than 98 falsified hours and cost the state $3,163.90 in overpayments.

A DOC audit uncovered the fraud after it found the employee did not enter the facility on multiple dates and had not submitted proper time slips. Kauth was fired on June 18, 2024.

On Aug. 31, 2026, the Hendricks County prosecutor reached a plea agreement with Kauth. He pleaded guilty to fraud, entered as an alternative misdemeanor.

As part of the deal, Kauth must repay the state $3,163.90, attend a theft class, complete 80 hours of community service, and serve one year of probation.

“State employees are taxpayer-paid employees – and they are expected and entrusted to serve Hoosiers honestly and responsibly,” said Indiana Inspector General Jared Prentice. “Falsifying time records is a gross violation of that public trust. Our office will continue working with agency partners and prosecutors to hold individuals accountable when criminal activity and misconduct occur. We owe that to the hard-working people of Indiana.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says it has issued a court summons to an Indianapolis man after he allegedly refusing to leave a City-County Council committee meeting and attempting to strike a deputy.

The incident happened Wednesday afternoon at the City-County Building during a meeting of the council’s Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee. During the budget proposal’s presentation, protesters interrupted the meeting to voice their frustration over the July shooting death of Dalys Jett by IMPD officers.

According to MCSO, the committee chairperson asked deputies to remove several people who acted disorderly in the council chambers. While at least 25 people agreed to leave the assembly hall, deputies said Jamaal Shabazz refused multiple orders to exit.

As deputies began escorting Shabazz out of the room, he reportedly resisted and turned toward a deputy in an attempt to strike them. Deputies took Shabazz to the ground and handcuffed him. The Sheriff’s Office reported that Shabazz continued to pull away and initially refused to put his hands behind his back while being taken into custody.

Deputies issued Shabazz a summons for resisting law enforcement and interfering with public safety.

A summons means Shabazz was released rather than being taken to the Marion County Adult Detention Center. However, he is still required to appear in court to face the charges.

Authorities said the decision to arrest Shabazz was based on his repeated refusal to follow orders from the councilor leading the meeting and his physical resistance against deputies. No other arrests were reported during the meeting.

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — The second suspect accused in a battery incident at a Westfield apartment complex that left a 16-year-old girl seriously hurt has been taken into custody.

The Westfield Police Department announced Tyanna Bonds’ arrest in a release Thursday morning.

Bonds and another suspect, Markeyzus Dean, face charges related to a battery incident at the Casey Acres Apartments off of West 176th Street and Ditch Road on Aug. 28.

News 8 previously reported that dispatchers received a 911 call around 3:41 a.m. reporting that a 16-year-old girl was hurt in a disturbance with a firearm.

Officers and other first responders arrived and found the teen had been “battered with a blunt object,” leaving her with “significant” head and facial injuries.

As the investigation continued, officers identified Dean and Bonds as suspects.

Investigators set up a perimeter around the complex, warning residents and community members to stay indoors and avoid the area.

No one was inside the apartment when emergency services searched the area, though police did find an open window with a torn window screen. Officers say they believe Dean and Bonds fled the area on foot before the area was blocked off.

Both Dean and Bonds were on the run after the incident; Dean was later taken into custody in Marion County on an active warrant for possession of a firearm.

Bonds was not arrested until Wednesday, when investigators tracked her to a home on Prospect Street in Indianapolis. She was taken into custody on the following preliminary charges:

• Criminal confinement resulting in serious bodily injury
• Battery resulting in serious bodily injury
• Unlawful carrying of a handgun
• Battery by means of a deadly weapon
• Intimidation where defendant uses or draws a deadly weapon

Bonds and Dean were being held in the Hamilton and Marion County jails, respectively.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A realistic scam is emptying bank accounts across the country and in Indiana.

In this week’s Tip of the Week, Indiana’s I-Team explains how it works.

You get a call that appears to be coming from your bank.  At least, that’s what the caller ID shows.

Your “bank” tells you there has been suspicious activity on your account.

Once they have your attention, the scammer (posing as your bank) says you need to protect your money.

They may send you a text with a link, or they’ll send you a code and ask you to read it.

The text may even show up in the same thread as legitimate texts from your bank.

Indiana’s I-Team has learned scammers are getting your banking information, including your user profile and password, from data breaches and on the dark web.

The bad actors are also using technology to spoof phone numbers so that it appears it’s actually your bank calling.

What the scammers do not have is your phone to verify it’s actually you trying to log in.

That’s why the caller needs you to give them the code they sent to your phone.

‘They took all my information’

Vanessa Walker, an Indianapolis massage therapist, lost $18,000 to a sophisticated banking scam.

Walker says to put a stop to the charges, the representative gave her a website to enter into her phone.

“It seemed legitimate,” said Walker.

The website had the Regions Bank logo, so Walker entered her user ID and password.

“They were telling me if I didn’t do it, that my account was going to be locked for 90 days,” said Walker. “As a business owner, that can’t be done. I was getting very frustrated.”

Just to be sure, Walker called the 1-800 Regions Bank phone number on the back of her card.

“They took all my information, but I didn’t have my tax ID number because I wasn’t at my business,” said Walker.

The next day, “Christina” called again about unauthorized charges on Walker’s account

“She acts like she’s doing all this paperwork for me, and then she asks me, ‘What is your Tax ID number?’” said Walker. “Of course, I think it’s Regions. What is the one thing Regions always asks me? My Tax ID number.”

In a twist, the caller had Walker enter * and some numbers, which forwarded her phone calls.

“I said, ‘What is that?” said Walker. “She said that is so we can handle any transactions that are unauthorized.”

When Walker later checked, $18,750 was gone from her business account via ACH, or electronic funds transfer.

The Federal Trade Commission says imposter scams are the most common type of fraud, and people are losing more money.

A new FTC report shows the number was $12.5 billion lost to fraudsters last year, a 25% increase from the prior year.

In fact, the banking industry launched a campaign, “Banks Never Ask That,” to educate people about scams.

The best way to protect yourself is to end the call and call the number on the back of your bank card.

Scam red flags, according to the American Bankers Association

• Unusual caller ID: While caller ID can be spoofed, legitimate calls from your bank are more likely to display an official phone number or a known identifier. If not, be very skeptical.
• Scare tactics or threats: Phishing calls rely on a sense of urgency. If the caller pressures you into immediate action or threatens negative consequences, just hang up and call the number on the back of your bank card.
• Asking for personal information: Banks will rarely ask for your account number, personal identification number (PIN), or password during a phone call — and will never ask for a one-time login code. Never share such confidential details unless you’ve called the number on the back of your bank card.
• Unexpected calls: Be very skeptical of calls you receive out of the blue. Normally, bank representatives will only reach out if you initiate contact first. Stay safe by ending the call and dialing the number on the back of your bank card.

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Authorities issued a statewide Silver Alert on Friday for a 53-year-old man who is in extreme danger and may need medical assistance.

The Indiana University Health Department of Public Safety is searching for Gary Roberts II. He was last seen at 2 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, in Noblesville, which is about 23 miles north of Indianapolis.

Roberts is described as a white man, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 173 pounds. He has gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a multicolored hospital gown, blue scrub pants, and blue-and-white shoes. Police noted he has a dragon tattoo on a forearm.

Anyone with information on Roberts is asked to contact the Indiana University Health Department of Public Safety at 317-962-8000 or call 911.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Purdue University men’s basketball will take center stage on Friday night at Victory Field ahead of the Indianapolis Indians’ game vs. the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Friday will be Purdue Night, presented by Purdue University.

Former Purdue guard Braden Smith, along with current Boilermaker guards Luke Ertel and Jack Benter, will be signing autographs in the Center Field Plaza ahead of the baseball game. They’ll be signing autographs from 5:30-6:10 p.m. EDT.

Smith is currently a two-way player with the Indiana Pacers organization after being picked up by the blue and gold during the 2026 NBA Draft. The Westfield High School graduate finished his career at Purdue as the NCAA’s all-time assists leader.

Meanwhile, Ertel is gearing up for his first season at Purdue. The 2026 Indiana Mr. Basketball helped Mt. Vernon High School win the program’s first-ever state championship this past season.

Benter just wrapped up his redshirt freshman campaign with the Boilers. He finished with 4.4 points this past season. The Brownstown, Ind. native finished runner-up in the competition to earn 2024 Indiana Mr. Basketball honors.

Gates open on Friday at 5:30 p.m. with first pitch taking place around 6:35 p.m.

There will also be a fireworks show after the game on Friday as part of Fan Appreciation Weekend.

To purchase tickets for Friday’s Indians game, click here.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man found shot near a subdivision off Mitthoefer Road on Indy’s east side late Wednesday night has died from his injuries, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Officers received a report of a person shot near the intersection of South Mitthoefer Road and Bucktail Boulevard, between U.S. 40 and East Prospect Street, around 11 p.m.

There, they found the man suffering a gunshot wound. IMPD initially reported the man’s condition as critical, but stable, though he died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

It’s not clear what led up to the shooting or if there are any suspects. The victim was identified as 19-year-old Jayden Jaquan Sanders.

Anyone with information on the incident was asked to contact Det. James Hurt at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or by email at James.Hurt@indy.gov.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A few frontal boundaries will be close by over the next week and that will keep some rain in the forecast.  Seasonably warm & muggy conditions continue with any true fall-like air bottled up to our north through at least the middle of next week. 

THURSDAY NIGHT:

Clearing skies north of Indy with lows in the 50s. Some fog could occur where clouds clear out.  Mostly cloudy across many spots of Central and Southern Indiana with milder lows in the 60s.  Any lingering rain during the evening will gradually move south.

FRIDAY:

Variably cloudy with highs the low 80s.  Temperatures in the 70s remain on track for high school football.  There is a small chance of a few spotty showers at some point during the day or evening, but odds remain small for now.

FRIDAY NIGHT:

Mostly cloudy, mild, & humid. Chance of a few showers and/or storms. Lows in the 60s.

SATURDAY:

More clouds than sun with highs in the 80s.  The chance of a few spotty showers and storms continues, but many spots will likely remain dry.  Let’s hope for the best for college football.  

SATURDAY NIGHT:

Variably cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s to around 70.

SUNDAY:

Seasonably warm & muggy with highs in the 80s. The roof will likely remain closed for the Colts home opener.  

NEXT WEEK:  

Highs in the 80s to low 90s remain on track through at least Wednesday.  Lows will be around 70. Odds of rain & storms will go up Tuesday into Thursday with another slow moving front. 

Gracie is trained to find hidden electronic devices and digital storage that can contain evidence in child sex abuse material investigations.

The Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Indiana State Police ICAC Unit recently added Gracie to their team after she was purchased by the U.S. Secret Service and donated to the task force and state police.

She was trained at the Jordan Detection K-9 School in Indianapolis. Senior Trooper/Detective Robert Whyte completed Gracie’s training and will serve as her handler.

Gracie can detect devices including laptops, tablets, flash drives, SD cards and micro SD cards. She is also trained to locate hidden cameras and tracking devices placed on vehicles.

Whyte and Gracie have been certified to conduct searches of rooms, vehicles and other locations.

But Gracie’s role won’t be limited to finding evidence.

She will also serve as a comfort therapy dog for children identified as victims in investigations, as well as investigators and other personnel who work on child exploitation cases.

That includes detectives and digital forensic examiners who regularly handle CSAM investigations.

The task force says Gracie will be used to help investigators locate digital evidence while providing support to children and the people working on some of the state’s most difficult cases.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court on Thursday upheld a block on President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting, a decision that comes as the Supreme Court considers the same case and states have already started sending out ballots for the high-stakes midterm elections.

The three-judge panel refused to lift a preliminary injunction against the order issued last week by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. It prohibits the U.S. Postal Service from implementing Trump’s directive. The Postal Service has said it would not deliver ballots from states that did not pre-clear their envelope design with the federal government and submit a list of voters to an online portal, which has yet to be activated.

Election officials warn that it’s impossible to comply with those terms, especially with the first mail ballots arleady being sent out in Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The panel of three judges nominated by former President Joe Biden agreed with the plaintiffs that the president does not have the power to regulate states’ election policy.

“Appellants have not made a strong showing that the district court erred in determining that the Final Rule is likely unlawful,” they wrote, a reference to a rule published by the Postal Service to implement Trump’s order.

The panel wrote that the Trump administration had done little to dispel arguments by many election officials that the changes would bring “chaos and widespread disenfranchisement.”

“Indeed, appellants have not even seriously challenged this aspect of the district court’s ruling, much less demonstrated why it is clearly erroneous,” the order states.

The government also hasn’t shown evidence of past fraud to justify the restrictions, the judges said.

A request for comment from the White House was not immediately returned.

The panel’s decision comes even as the Supreme Court is already considering the same case, which is part of a frenzied legal rush as states are beginning to send out mail ballots for this fall’s midterm elections. Democrats and civil rights groups in a separate lawsuit in Washington, D.C., also are trying to halt the executive order.

The 1st Circuit also had upheld a previous hold Talwani placed on the executive order. But that ruling was lifted by the Supreme Court in a procedural decision that did not determine whether the plan was constitutional.

The plaintiffs swiftly filed new lawsuits after the Postal Service finalized its rule governing mail ballots.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — By the summer of 2001, Ed Soliday knew something was brewing.

Soliday at the time had been United Airlines’ vice president of safety, security and quality assurance for 10 years. That summer, he said the federal government was issuing urgent but vague warnings.

“They were sending us alerts that basically said, ‘be alert,'” he said. “They wouldn’t expand on what that meant. So, throughout the summer, we were getting these very nebulous, but no direction, no ‘here’s what to look for.'”

In his position, Soliday organized crisis training four times a year. United Airlines would practice activating its crisis management center, assigning people to various roles, setting up victim assistance and working with federal authorities. The facility allowed United to tap into radar networks to see every plane in the sky, or filter the view down to individual aircraft–advanced technology for the time. Emergency call centers were capable of taking thousands of calls a day.

They never practiced losing two planes at the same time.

Soliday said he started Tuesday, Sept. 11 a little later than usual. He was still getting ready for the day when his wife told him “a little plane” had just hit the World Trade Center.

“I said, ‘That didn’t happen,'” he said. “So I saw the TV and I got in the Corvette.”

That “little plane” was American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 carrying 76 passengers and 11 crew.

And 76,400 pounds of jet fuel.

United Airlines Flight 175, also a 767 with a similar fuel load, would hit the second tower minutes later.

Soliday said he arrived at United’s crisis management center just as word arrived that United Airlines Flight 93 had been hijacked. He said he and his team were able to watch on a radar display as the airliner made a sudden 90 degree turn, putting it on a flight path toward Washington.

Flight 93 would never reach its target, most likely the Capitol or the White House. Tipped off by their loved ones as to what was happening when they called them, the passengers aboard the plane revolted, causing it to crash near Shanksville, Pa. There were no survivors.

“People were doing all the stuff on the checklist, getting ready to respond, and 93 crashed,” he said. “The state police said they saw smoke. We lost it on the radar because the hijackers were very sophisticated. They knew to turn the transponders off. So we knew we had lost the airplane.”

Following the crash, Soliday said United was able to quickly account for all of its remaining planes. With that done, he turned to his next problem: how to get United’s entire fleet on the ground with U.S. airspace already shut down.

“Now that may seem simple to you, but we have lots of airplanes out over the Pacific and out over the Atlantic that are past the point of no return,” he said. “That means they don’t have enough gas to get back to where they came from.”

In addition, Soliday said he had to consider what amenities would be available wherever planes were diverted. At that point, there was no way to know when the airliners might be permitted to fly again. Further complicating matters was the FAA’s decision to hand over control of U.S. airspace to the military, which Soliday said was not prepared for civilian air traffic control at that scale.

The problem reared its head almost immediately. Six United airliners were trying to land at Anchorage. Three of them were at minimum fuel. And the military was refusing to let them land.

“I walked over to the mini-dispatch and I said get the (terminal radar approach control) on the phone,” Soliday said. “I said to the TRACON guy, I said, ‘I need to land my airplanes. I’ve got three at minimum fuel and we need them on the ground.’ ‘Well, the general says he’s not going to land anything until this is sorted out.’ So I walked away and called the deputy administrator of the FAA and I said, look I’m going to land those airplanes, and I’m going to tell them to land. And if you want to take certificate action, take it on me.”

Soliday said he slept at his desk in the crisis management center in the weeks that followed. In those initial days, he said he was on the phone with the secretary of transportation about every four hours.

In the months that followed, Soliday was one of several airline leaders who were called to testify before the 9/11 Commission, which was co-chaired by the late former Congressman Lee Hamilton. Soliday said most of his testimony was before commission staff. Besides his own testimony, he said he spent time listening to the testimony the military provided.

“It was really fascinating how unready we were as a nation for something of that magnitude,” he said. “Even the handoff to the military of the air traffic control system, there was really not a good handoff protocol. We’ve got all these airplanes airborne and the generals were trying to use good judgment of what to do with all these planeloads of people.”

Soliday left his post at United in 2002 and went on to be elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2006. Today, he serves as the chair of the Committee on Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications. He said his experiences at United, and on 9/11 in particular, still inform his approach when crisis management issues come to his attention.

Twenty-five years after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Soliday said his greatest fear is that the American people will forget there are people willing to kill innocent men, women and children for no apparent reason. He said as time-consuming as airport security might be today, flyers need to remember 9/11 demonstrated it’s necessary.

“If we lose our willingness to deal with that threat, then our vulnerability will be significant,” he said. “What will the American people tolerate? What is the right level of of security and how much will they tolerate to be able to get it done?”

Soliday said 9/11 holds two other lessons. One is that risk can never be eliminated, it can only be mitigated. The other is that, when a crisis happens, you need to figure out what happened and how you can use that lesson to make the world a better place rather than hunting for a scapegoat.