Trixie the Library Cat

Join us for Nonfiction on Tap, April 17 at 6:00 PM! This bimonthly book discussion pairs a narrative nonfiction work with craft beer. This month we are discussing Hell's Half-Acre by Susan Jonusas about the Bender Family! Stop by the library to pick up a copy, or vist seknfind.org to reserve your copy today!

A suspense filled tale of murder on the American frontier—shedding new light on a family of serial killers in Kansas, whose horrifying crimes gripped the attention of a nation still reeling from war.

In 1873 the people of Labette County, Kansas made a grisly discovery. Buried by a trailside cabin beneath an orchard of young apple trees were the remains of countless bodies. Below the cabin itself was a cellar stained with blood. The Benders, the family of four who once resided on the property were nowhere to be found. The discovery sent the local community and national newspapers into a frenzy that continued for decades, sparking an epic manhunt for the Benders.

The idea that a family of seemingly respectable homesteaders—one among the thousands relocating farther west in search of land and opportunity after the Civil War—were capable of operating "a human slaughter pen" appalled and fascinated the nation. But who the Benders really were, why they committed such a vicious killing spree and whether justice ever caught up to them is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day. Set against the backdrop of postbellum America, Hell’s Half-Acre explores the environment capable of allowing such horrors to take place. Drawing on extensive original archival material, Susan Jonusas introduces us to a fascinating cast of characters, many of whom have been previously missing from the story. Among them are the families of the victims, the hapless detectives who lost the trail, and the fugitives that helped the murderers escape.

Hell’s Half-Acre is a journey into the turbulent heart of nineteenth century America, a place where modernity stalks across the landscape, violently displacing existing populations and building new ones. It is a world where folklore can quickly become fact and an entire family of criminals can slip through a community’s fingers, only to reappear in the most unexpected of places.

The City's leadership team met this afternoon to discuss the current winter storm conditions and local response. Here are some important facts and tips you need to know:

- 𝐒𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋: Thus far today, Indy has received approximately 6" of snow. While snow will be tapering off in the late evening hours, dangerously cold temperatures will persist through Thursday morning, and high winds will continue into tomorrow. These conditions will cause continued blowing snow and extreme wind chills. Continue to stay indoors if possible, and bundle up if you go out, and limit your time out of doors.

- 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒: Currently side streets are SLICK...drive slow and be extremely careful. Snow plows continue to address the primary/most heavily traveled routes and must repeat their routes multiple times due to continued snowfall. Crews will continue to work round the clock, and as the snow tapers off, they hope to turn their focus to downtown parking stalls and lots by late tonight or very early Wednesday morning, followed by more work on smaller streets. 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐎𝐍" 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 rather than "automatic." IPD has noticed many cars without lights, as the glare of the snow prevents the automatic function from working. In blizzard-type conditions, visibility is critical.

- 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: Crews worked until 12:30 p.m. today and were able to collect about 90% of Monday's route trash. After reaching their limit on cold tolerance and a couple of near misses with private vehicles sliding toward trash trucks, collection was halted for the time being. If your trash has not yet been picked up, please leave your full cart at the curb and crews will get to it as soon as possible. We hope to be completely caught up by end of day Saturday.

Hang in there, Indy. Stay warm, stay safe, let your faucets drip and look forward to next week's forecast! ☀️