“Current State Farm driving data and claims experience show a considerable decline in miles driven and fewer accidents,” said State Farm Senior Vice President Rob Stewart. “As a result, we’re looking for ways to continue supporting our Indiana customers while we monitor and adjust to trends.”

In addition to this auto rate reduction, the discount for participating in Drive Safe & Save™ is increasing to 10% with this filing, and empowers drivers to save more on their auto premiums through driving behaviors.

Customer rate reductions will vary based on their individual renewals. Customers are encouraged to visit with their State Farm agent about individual policies, coverage, and any opportunities for discounts, including Drive Safe & Save.

“State Farm is always evaluating how we can best serve our customers. We're very pleased to be able to offer this rate decrease in Indiana,” said Rob Stewart, State Farm Senior Vice President. “The company's financial position and current business and economic conditions were among the important factors supporting our decision to make this rate change.”

Overall changes in premiums for individual motorists will vary. Rates depend on an individual customer’s policy and chosen coverages. The effective date for new and renewal business is Feb. 25, 2019.

Customers can contact their local State Farm agent to discuss their individual situation. Additional opportunities for discounts may apply. A rate decrease, combined with discounts, offers exceptional long-term value to new and existing State Farm customers.

State Farm sponsored assist patrols in 18 states help keep the nation’s highest-trafficked roadways safe and clear. They reduce congestion, help stranded motorists, and provide traffic control and safety at incident scenes.

Safety patrols are operated by state departments of transportation and toll road authorities. They are known by a variety of names in 40 states. Their free services include changing flat tires, providing a jump-start or small amount of gasoline, and minor safety repairs.

“The safety patrols embody our ‘good neighbor’ philosophy and underscore our commitment to auto safety,” said Ed Gold, advertising director. “They help people recover from the unexpected, which is the heart of the State Farm mission.”

State Farm sponsorship helps increase coverage areas and raises awareness about the patrols. This helps the motoring public feel more secure when traveling the nation’s interstate system. Sponsored highway signs mark coverage areas. The bright red State Farm reflective markings also improve patrol vehicle visibility.

State Farm sponsors the safety patrols in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

State Farm has been committed to roadway safety since its founding in 1922. The company seeks to increase the safety of all drivers and passengers from infancy to the driver’s seat.

*Safety Service Patrol Priorities and Best Practices: USDOT Federal Highway Federal Highway Administration, April 2017

“The company’s current financial strength is allowing us to pass along a rate reduction to our Indiana customers," said State Farm Senior Vice President Rob Stewart. “We continually evaluate how we can best serve our customers and are very pleased to be able to offer this rate decrease in Indiana.”

Overall changes in premiums for individual motorists will vary depending on the specific details of an individual customer’s policy and chosen coverages. The effective date for new and renewal business is June 11, 2018. Indiana customers with questions can contact their local State Farm agent to discuss their individual situation.

In addition to this rate reduction, State Farm agents are able to review with new and existing customers the many opportunities for additional discounts that may apply to an individual’s unique circumstances. A rate decrease combined with discounts offers an exceptional long-term value to State Farm customers.

If weather conditions are likely to produce hail you can take steps around the home like moving cars, boats, RVs, lawn and patio furniture into a covered area.

Personal safety is a number one priority and if you are indoors when a hailstorm hits, stay there. Hail can shatter windows so close drapes, blinds or window shades in an attempt to reduce the amount of broken glass that might blow inside. Stay away from skylights and doors.

Tori Taylor doesn’t live in a castle. She wasn’t saved by a prince. You won't find a shiny crown atop her head. Nevertheless, some might say she’s a modern day Cinderella. Because, when Tori needed help, an unexpected fairy godmother arrived with a life-changing plan.

Tori’s Story

Unlike many of her peers, Tori didn’t grow up in a loving home. She lacked clean clothes, proper hygiene, and access to nutritious food. “I was sent to school in dirty, poorly-fitting clothing and a packed lunch often containing nothing more than crackers and cheese,” she explained.

To top it off, she was denied opportunities to finish her homework, pursue extra-curricular activities or learn to drive. “My dad and stepmom told me they would kick me out of the house when I turned 18,” she said. “I felt so afraid and alone.”

However, Tori wasn’t alone. Someone was watching.

An Unconventional Fairy Godmother

Michelle Walther, is a site coordinator for Communities In Schools. The national, nonprofit organization gives at risk students the support needed to achieve - both in and out of the classroom.

As a site coordinator at Centerville High School, Michelle noticed something wasn’t right with Tori. One day, she invited her into her office and asked:

“How are you doing?”

A single question led to a series of answers. Michelle learned Tori’s basic needs were not being met. She took immediate action. This included giving Tori clean clothes, opportunities to shower at school, healthy meals, and supplies like notebooks and highlighters to stay organized in class.

“Tori was like many of the kids we work with – so burdened from shortcomings that they can’t concentrate on being a good student,” Michelle explained. “Giving a child someone they can count on to provide for their needs changes their world.”

Tori says the extra help was surprising. “I had never received attention like this!” By the time senior year began, Tori’s life had greatly improved. However, she still had a big concern. “I feared turning 18 because I would be kicked out of my house,” she explained.

Once again, Communities In Schools stepped in to help.

A New Chapter

Michelle connected Tori with Melissa Vance. She warmly took her in. “No child should be forced to the streets just because they reach a certain age,” said Melissa. “Our family was happy to open our home and welcome Tori to be part of it.”

“I had never felt as loved and cared for, as I did then,” said Tori. “I grew up being treated as a burden…never feeling loved and wanted. Becoming part of this family helped me feel like I fit in and was just a normal teenager with a great family.”

Preparing for the Ball (a.k.a. – Prom)

Spring arrived - and with it came the big dance. One day after school, Michelle took Tori shopping for a dress and shoes. The day of prom, she had her hair professionally done.

“In less than a year, I had had gone from dirty, hungry and scared – to happy, loved and on my way to senior prom,” Tori shares.

A Happy Ending

Today, Tori is in her junior year of college, and works in the finance industry. Reflecting on her experience with Communities In Schools, she says she’s overwhelmed with gratitude.

“I don’t know where I would be today without the help of this wonderful organization,” Tori says. “I do know I would not be a part of a loving family, be on my way to a college degree, and have a full-time position in the finance industry. My life now is something I could only have dreamed about before Communities In Schools reached out to help me realize my worth and become the person that I am today.”

With support from State Farm, Communities In Schools is working to build stronger communities and change children’s lives. Tori’s Triumph is just one example of the many children it helps each year.

Bloomington, Illinois (October 21, 2016) – State Farm is introducing a new coverage endorsement in several states to help fill insurance gaps for its policyholders who use their personal cars to provide rides for a Transportation Network Company (TNC), like Uber and Lyft. The TNC industry is rapidly changing the livery/taxi industry by using the latest mobile technology to facilitate rides for hire. With these new transportation services in the marketplace, drivers are exposed to new risks.

Insurance provided by TNCs may be limited in scope and coverage. Personal auto policies generally do not extend coverage to the use of personal cars as taxis or livery vehicles, including their use in TNC services.

To adapt to changing customer needs, beginning Monday, October 21, 2016, State Farm will offer a Transportation Network Company Driver Coverage endorsement in Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia.

The effective date for new and renewal for all states except GA: October 21, 2016. The effective date for new and renewal for GA: November 21, 2016

Ten jurisdictions obtained the endorsement earlier this year: Alabama, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Tennessee and Wisconsin .

"Adapting and innovating to our customers' changing needs is critical," said Vicki Harper, State Farm Public Affairs Specialist. "This new product is an example of our commitment to our customers and provides them coverage, and peace of mind, when they use their personal cars to provide TNC services."

TNCs may provide high liability coverage limits while a paying passenger occupies the driver's vehicle or when the driver has been connected with a passenger and is on the way to pick that person up. But TNCs tend to provide a much lower limit of liability coverage when drivers are just available for hire and may not provide the drivers with any medical payments, comprehensive, or collision coverages at all. The TNCs may not be providing coverage for injuries to the driver or coverage for any damage to the driver's personal car.

The new, optional State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement enables a policyholder to have his/her personal auto policy fill in the coverage gaps left by TNC-provided insurance. This cost-effective endorsement provides the driver with the full liability coverage limits carried on his/her auto policy during the period of time when the driver is available for hire, and provides the driver with all other coverages applicable to his/her auto policy during all periods of TNC driving.

Customers in these states who drive for a TNC should contact their local State Farm agent to learn more about the new State Farm TNC Driver Coverage endorsement.

Think back to your school days. Was it easier to memorize a popular song or a vocabulary definition?

The melody, rhyme and rhythm and its universal appeal makes music a powerful teaching tool. Incorporating song into lessons can make it a fantastic resources in any classroom, no matter the age of the student.

For years, fire safety was taught to Lafayette, IN children at their schools. Firemen would share important fire safety messages with the help of sock puppets, trying to hold the children’s attention. This was fairly effective but they did not know if the children retained the message and the number of children reached was limited.

In the early ‘90s, the Lafayette Fire Department added fire safety songs from a CD the Phoenix, AZ Fire Department recorded. The AZ team created the songs by changing lyrics to popular songs on the radio.

The central Indiana firemen were amazed at how quickly the kids picked up the new lyrics and the messages they carried. So in 1994 with help from a grant by State Farm they moved their fire safety program to a downtown theater, added some live characters (the firemen in costume) and bused hundreds of students from local schools to watch and learn.

State Farm has continued to provide grants for 22 years in an effort to help these Firemen reach as many kids as possible.

“It was an exciting time for the firemen” stated Fire Fighter Jerry Reynolds. “We felt we were making a huge impact in fire safety education.” But the firemen weren’t satisfied, they had bigger dreams.

The Firehouse Band comes together

Three years later, seven firemen from both the Lafayette and West Lafayette Fire Departments formed the Firehouse Band. The kids were mesmerized by the live performances. Teachers reported weeks later the kids were still singing the lyrics. The Firehouse Band knew they found their niche. With the larger show, more volunteers were needed and up to 20 State Farm associates participated in various roles each year.

Teachers requested recordings to be played year round, so the band produced their first CD. The signup for classrooms for the following year’s October shows exploded and the band had to move the show to an even bigger venue. They had morning and afternoon shows with anywhere from 500 to 1,000 Pre-K to 2^nd graders from all over the county attend.

The first songs were borrowed from the Phoenix band with licensing dates. Later, the Indiana band decided to write their own songs. They produced a second CD and developed an accompanying DVD.

Pushing the fire safety envelope

But they weren’t done yet. They brought in more characters played by other firefighters. They performed skits to show the message. Each skit was followed by a song to reinforce the message.

“The combination was perfect,” shared Shelly Tucker, a first grade teacher. “My kids sang the songs for days after going to the show. They still remember the words the following year as sing along during the show!”

“The message is in the music,” Jerry said. Jerry has been a part of the safety teachings since the puppet days.

“I watch the high school kids that once went through the show as a young child walk into the auditorium while we are rehearsing,” Ron Ritchey, the Assistant Fire Chief shared. “They sing the songs out loud - they still remember the message.”

Since the early 90’s, the band has performed for more than 100,000 children. Their main focus is their nine shows each October for National Fire Safety week. But the band has played in many different venues, like the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and Riley Children’s Hospital. And they bring their cast of 20 characters like Mike and Minnie Match, Louie and Luigi Lighter and Sparky the Fire Dog with them.

”As a student I was lucky enough to attend the Fire Safety Show,” says Elizabeth Claxton, now a third grade teacher. “It left a lasting impression on me and now as a teacher, I teach my students using the CD’s and videos that have the same songs and skits I learned from when I was a kid”.

In central Indiana, these committed firemen are leaving a lasting legacy of safety.

The Geis family had been in their home only one month, when Michelle heard a knock on the door. Indianapolis firefighters were going door to door in their new neighborhood as part of their annual October smoke detector blitz.

Michelle and her husband Christopher were still unpacking when the firefighters told them they needed new, working smoke alarms. Michelle was thankful for the great service in their neighborhood but didn’t realized just how grateful she would be five months later.

In March 2015, Michelle was home alone with her three youngest children. She heard a beeping sound. She thought it was a truck backing up, but soon realized it was her new smoke alarm. Moments later, her son ran in and said the upstairs was on fire. Michelle got her three year old, two year old and one month old out of the house and called the fire department. The entire back of their home was destroyed.​

Later that summer, the Geis family thanked firefighters and State Farm volunteers who installed the alarm in their home months before.

Michelle spoke through tears to the volunteers and firefighters. Though their home was severely damaged, her children were unharmed.

During the same smoke detector blitz in October 2014, smoke alarms were installed in Johnie Mae Pannell’s home.

A few short months later, Johnie Mae was sleeping on her couch when the smoke alarm woke her up. She was able to get in her wheelchair and out of her home without any injuries. Firefighters said, due to the amount of smoke in the home, if Johnie Mae hadn’t gotten out when she did, the story could have had a different ending.

“As firefighters, we hope for the best”, said Captain Rita Reith with the Indianapolis Fire Department. “It’s hard on us to see people lose it all. But to know these smoke alarms saved lives - that is the best outcome.”

For 15 years, the Indianapolis Fire Department and State Farm have worked together on fire safety education. Every October, the fire department focuses on one neighborhood to promote awareness.

Through the years, more than 30,000 smoke alarms have been distributed and are in the homes of local residents. The exact number of families and children who have benefited from the program is unknown. But the city has seen a dramatic 75 percent decrease in the number of child fatalities since the program began.

“Unfortunately, these smoke detector blitzes can’t happen in every neighborhood”, said Reith. “Keep your family safe. Check your smoke detectors, replace batteries and get a new smoke alarm every ten years. If you need help contact your local fire station.”

When a devastating tornado struck Henryville, Indiana the town’s only school Henryville was destroyed along with many other homes and businesses. While many community members were unsure about what to do next, the children, teachers and parents were asking when they could return to school.

“I made contact with parents and within a week had made it to every house to personally see each student and give them a hug,” said now 2nd grade teacher, Dawn Daniel. “It took some time for it to set in, and then I realized I had lost 10 years of classroom material.”

Daniel knew she had to stay strong during this devastating time, not only for her 25 students, but also her two young daughters who were present in the school at the time of the tornado.

“I was at the school in a closet. I was there with my 2 daughters,” said Daniel. “I had 2 pillows over them and I was laying over that. My heart was racing, but I wasn’t really scared. All I can remember is knowing I needed to stay calm for them.”

With emotions running high and debris from the storm all around, getting everything under control and back in order can be a daunting task. Daniel, along with several teachers, lost years’ worth of school supplies and had the challenge of rebuilding with limited resources. Thankfully Daniel and other Henryville teachers were able to turn to DonorsChoose.org for assistance.

DonorsChoose.org is an organization which helps schools and classrooms get the materials they need. State Farm partners to help schools, impacted by storms and catastrophes, recover from these, often devastating, events.

It is a simple process for public school teachers to post classroom project requests. Once live on the site, anyone can donate to help fund the project. After a project is completely funded, the materials are shipped to the school directly. Since the impact of the tornado, State Farm and DonorsChoose.org have had the opportunity to support 34 teachers and classrooms in Henryville, including Daniel.

“I have a personal connection with State Farm. My dad, Don Compton, has been a State Farm agent for 30 years,” said Daniel. “Dad held a session to help teachers get started on creating projects that would be funded through DonorsChoose.org. He worked many hours to help the teachers of Henryville.”

Along with supporting 34 teachers, State Farm and DonorsChoose.org have donated over $40,000 to the school to help fund 71 projects and impact the lives of 1,295 students in Henryville combined elementary, junior, and senior high schools. About a month after the tornado, all students were able to return to school in a temporary location. The projects have been a great learning experience for the children and the teachers were able to capture these memories for parents and community members to see.

Through these donations, the community of Henryville has been able to come together and rebuild their community. The teachers were able to give back to the children the learning resources that were suddenly taken away from them and parents are relieved that their children are able to continue with their education. Recovering from the unexpected can take time and patience, but the relationships built throughout the process will never be forgotten.

Click here to learn more about Henryville’s recovery.