Winners

Coats, Donnelly: Indiana senators vote for the Violence Against Women Act. Indiana set to receive $16.5 million in federal funds.

Lori Keys: As executive director of Aboite New Trails and Fort Wayne Trails, she was one of the people most responsible for the significant expansion of the local trail network. This week, she organized the One Billion Rising event that drew hundreds of people to Parkview Field.

Conservative senators: Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul support moves to legalize growing hemp in Kentucky and remove the plant from the federal government’s list of controlled substances. While legitimate disagreement surrounds the legalized marijuana debate, legalizing hemp should be a no-brainer. Though a close relative of the marijuana plant, hemp has only a trace amount of THC, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient, and can be used to make a variety of goods.

Indiana voters: House committee deep-sixes plan to disenfranchise out-of-state college students, stripping language from Martinsville Republican’s bill.

David Springer

: The principal of Sullivan High School, south of Terre Haute, made it clear all of the school’s students will be welcome at prom after a small group of people raised the idea of holding a separate prom to exclude gay and lesbian students.

Tossups

Kokomo: The city school district announces plans to equip school buses with Wi-Fi. Considering all the schoolwork more students are expected to complete using an iPad, that sounds good for students, but do kids really need more access to social media?

Losers

Wrestling: Olympic Committee drops wrestling from 2020 program, likely ending its century plus-long history as Olympic sport.

Wal-Mart: Retailer’s latest snub comes from tony Zionsville. Boone County board votes unanimously to reject zoning request.

Milestones

Nuclear power: Duke Energy decides to dismantle a Florida nuclear reactor rather than make costly improvements, mostly because the cost cannot be justified compared with relatively cheap natural gas. It is one of two nuclear plants facing dismantling because of natural gas prices, while analysts say four more are on the bubble.

Federal deficit: Spending cuts and expiration of payroll tax cut trimming debt at record pace. The deficit is expected to fall faster in 2013 than at any time in the last six decades.

H.J. Heinz Co.: Warren Buffet’s $23.3 billion deal to buy Pittsburgh-based Heinz is the largest food industry transaction ever.