Sarah Bowman

3 weeks ago | indystar.com | Sarah Bowman

This story originally published April 3, 2023. Spring is here and Hoosiers are preparing to plant all sorts of things: flowers, shrubs and trees. Of those DIY yard projects, trees are the most difficult. If you’ve noticed trees that aren’t thriving, it may go back to how they were planted. We covered problems with mulching last year and now we are further digging into how to care for your trees. For this edition of the Scrub Hub, we answer the question: Am I planting my trees the wrong way?

1 month ago | indystar.com | Sarah Bowman

This story was initially published Feb. 5, 2024, and has been updated with new information. Hoosiers may soon be able to choose a "water burial" after at least a decade of lawmakers trying to add it to the options funeral services may offer. Rep. Mark Genda, R-Frankfort, once again introduced a bill that would legalize alkaline hydrolysis, a "green" form of cremation promoted as more environmentally friendly than other options.

Jan 17, 2025 | indystar.com | Sarah Bowman

This story was initially published Jan. 8, 2024. For many people, the term ice dam conjures a specific image: A buildup of frozen crystals across a river or stream. For those who've have had roof leaks during the winter, a different image come to mind. That’s the kind of ice dam we will be talking about for this story. Now, some of you may still be scratching your heads — but don’t worry, we’ll here's the deal. The two premises are actually much the same.

Jul 15, 2024 | yahoo.com | Sarah Bowman

Sarah Bowman, Indianapolis StarJuly 15, 2024 at 5:15 AM·4 min readIf you are anything like me, it's easy to find yourself standing at a window captivated by birds at a feeder or flying around among the trees. We have robins, cardinals, eastern bluebirds, blue jays, sparrows, woodpeckers and more. But have you ever had a bird crash into one of those windows in your home? That, on the other hand, is far from captivating and is downright startling.

Jul 1, 2024 | indystar.com | Sarah Bowman

If you are anything like me, it's easy to find yourself standing at a window captivated by birds at a feeder or flying around among the trees. We have robins, cardinals, eastern bluebirds, blue jays, sparrows, woodpeckers and more. But have you ever had a bird crash into one of those windows in your home? That, on the other hand, is far from captivating and is downright startling. That's why for this week's Scrub Hub, we are looking into such bird strikes: What is causing them?