In 2025, Gibson County became the only Tri-State county denied INDOT's Community Crossings Matching Grant — not because the projects weren't needed, but because the final signatures on the application were left blank.

That clerical error cost the county $1.5 million in matching funds and $2.6 million in planned road projects covering more than 18 miles. Gibson County maintains 1,200 miles of roads — 300 of them unimproved — and 260 bridges, with roughly 40 employees.

This is what happens when government doesn't do the basics. Nobody was held accountable. The roads still need fixing. And the residents of Gibson County are the ones who pay the price.

Across District 48, the infrastructure picture is similar. Spencer County secured $5 million in INDOT grants but is still maintaining a former state highway the state transferred because it couldn't afford to keep it. Crawford County's hilly terrain makes every mile more expensive. Broadband is improving but still incomplete.

Infrastructure isn't glamorous. But it's the foundation everything else depends on. You deserve leaders who don't drop the ball on the basics.