‘There’s something in the air’: South Bend faces hazy conditions

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- South Bend and the greater Michiana region experienced more of the record-breaking poor air quality Wednesday, spurred by the Canadian wildfire smoke.  

The city was blanketed with a thin white veil of smokey haze, and in those conditions, the State of Indiana issued a health advisory. Still, many had to get up and go to work Wednesday, business as usual.  

“Well, the grass don’t stop growing,” said landscaper Kevin Krueger.  

Krueger, with Burrow’s Lawn & Landscaping, worked all through the hazy conditions.  

“The air quality is bad today,” he said. “Me and my brother can both tell that it’s been harder to breathe today.”  

“It’s looks hazy and kind of dim and dingy,” Krueger continued. “You can just tell; there’s something in the air.”

Despite health alerts, some chose to go outside anyway, like golfers at the Morris Park Country Club.

“All I recall is these past couple days have been the worst I've ever played in, and I've been playing golf for 76 years,” said golfer Kent Keppler.  

The health advisories urge people to stay indoors, particularly older Americans and those with heart and lung issues, but these golfers refused to let that stop them from taking a swing.  

“In my condition, as long as I play golf, I would rather take this situation as opposed to low temperatures and snow,” Keppler said.  

But General Manager Rusty Mason said plenty did decide to stay home.

“Wednesday is generally a very busy day for us,” Mason said, “and we are seeing about half from an attendance standpoint.”  

He says things are business as usual, even though poor air quality levels broke records here locally this week. But for Mason, it’s unclear how to operate during a time of such uncertainty.  

“I think it’s uncharted territory,” Mason said. “I don’t think anybody in the community really knows what to do.”

ABC57 also reached out to INDOT Wednesday, to ask if anything is being done to keep road and construction workers safe. They confirmed they are also business as usual.  

So, while some are choosing to be outside in this weather, despite the warnings, others are forced to be, and some say they are worried about what could turn into long-term health effects.