‘I hope it’s not a slush fund’: Communities struggle to spend opioid settlement funds

By: Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism staff, Niki Kelly, Cierra Putman

Outlets: Indiana Capital Chronicle

Published: May 14, 2026

Words: 2,883

Last Updated: 2 months ago

Body Text Preview

Alisha Ladyga was 16 when she first tried and became addicted to OxyContin in the early 2000s, years before the opioid crisis swept the nation. During the peak of the epidemic in her hometown of Huntington, Indiana, she said nearly everyone she knew was using drugs.

“People were overdosing left and right,” Ladyga said. “Most of the people that I had grew up with have either passed away from opiates during that time, from overdose, …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us