Indiana's Democratic Party Chairman John Zody submitted a formal inquiry to Gov. Mike Pence Monday with questions about an administration staffer's ties to a recent mayoral race in Jasper.

The Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission says algae blooms were first discovered on the river last month in West Virginia and have spread downstream.

Carol Comer will begin serving Friday as IDEM's commissioner. She will succeed agency head Tom Easterly, who announced his impending retirement last month after more than 10 years as IDEM's top administrator.