Divers in Indianapolis, Ind., have recovered the body of a 78-year-old Latvian woman who died when the pickup truck she was driving disappeared in floodwaters along Fall Creek, according to local television station WTHR.

Maiga Elberts disappeared the evening of Sept. 1 after record rainfall caused flooding across central Indiana. She was one of several people authorities suspected may have been trapped by floodwaters.

Rescuers were thwarted by fast-flowing water and debris in Fall Creek, according to media reports. They finally reached the pickup truck early Sept. 3.

Maiga Elberts had driven to a local drug store buy supplies for a church newsletter, her husband, Jānis Elberts, told WTHR. She volunteered at the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Indianapolis.

Authorities temporarily suspended the search for Maiga Elberts on Sept. 2. While she might still have been trapped in the vehicle, one police official expressed doubt that she could still be alive, according to The Indianapolis Star.

In addition to her husband, Maiga Elberts is survived by three children, including a son, Aldis. Aldis Elberts is pastor of the Church of the Holy Cross in Melbourne, Australia, and oversees online discussions about religious faith for Latvians Online.

Central Indiana received more than seven inches (about 18 cm) of rain on Sept. 1, breaking a 108-year record.

Four high school athletes from Latvia, as well as their coaches, are to receive awards Aug. 27 from Latvian sports enthusiasts in Australia.

The students and coaches will receive the awards from the Latvian Sports Board of Australia, according to Talivaldis Kronbergs, project coordinator for the Latvian Sports School Federation.

The students earned the Pep Award. The award, which has been presented sinced 1995, was initiated by Latvian-Australian Gunārs Bērzzariņš.

The most recent recipients of the award are Kalvis Kunings, a canoeist at the Jelgava City Sports School; Gatis Smukulis, a cyclist at the Valka Region Sports School; Liene Karsuma, a track and field athlete at the Track and Field School of Rīga, and Mārcis Klempermanis, a track and field athlete at the Tukums Region Sports School.

The students’ coaches—Lelde Laura, Jānis Akmentiņš, Mārīte Ārente and Aldis Čākurs—will receive the Jānis Tilibs Memorial Fund award. Tilibs was a longtime supporter of Australian Latvian youth sports.

The 14th West Coast Latvian Song Festival in San Francisco, which includes presentation of two musicals as well as a concert by the post-folkloric group Iļģi, begins Aug. 28 and runs through the Labor Day weekend.

This is the third time the festival has been held in San Francisco. The first West Coast festival was in 1962 in Seattle, Wash.

While the festival mainly draws visitors from Latvian communities in California, Oregon and Washington, visitors and participants are expected from throughout North America, as well as from Lativa.

Among highlights of the festival will be two musicals, “Gudrais padomiņš” and “Tobago.”

“Gudrais padomiņš,” a one-act musical, was created by children and parents of the Los Angeles Latvian School. The play was written by Andra Berkolda, lyrics by Andris Ritmanis and music Lolita Ritmane. The musical premiered in June in Los Angeles and will be presented in San Francisco on Aug. 29.

“Tobago,” a musical penned by poet Māra Zālīte, is based on historical events during the 17th century colonization of the Caribbean island by the Dutchy of Courland. The musical, already shown in Latvia, will be performed by actors from the Daile Theatre of Rīga and the Little Theatre of San Francisco. The performance is Aug. 30.

Iļģi, on tour in the western and eastern United States during August and September, is scheduled to perform Aug. 29 during the song festival. This is the band’s second tour of the United States. The band recently released a new album, Kaza kāpa debesīs.

Further information about events is available on the song festival Web site.