Indiana
The Milkman Cometh | Classic Across Indiana
January 23, 2024
In today’s instant gratification world, convenience reigns supreme. If something isn’t readily accessible, we often lose interest altogether. Ironically, one of the most convenient services of the past, dairy delivery, has dwindled. This episode which aired in 1992 brings us to Martinsville, where producer Dave Stoelk embarks on a milk route alongside one of the last remaining milkmen, Don France.
The Indiana Pro Day has been announced. Here are the top 2026 NFL draft prospects for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Pro Day season is nearly here for the Jacksonville Jaguars and their 2026 NFL draft prep.
A big one will reportedly be taking place on April 1st, when Indiana host their Pro Day in Bloomington.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, a “big NFL contingent” will be in attendance.
So, if the Jaguars’ organization is a part of that group, which prospects should they be focused on?
The Jaguars will be without a first-round pick in this year’s draft after moving up for Travis Hunter last April.
However, GM James Gladstone still maintains quite a bit of flexibility entering the 2026 NFL draft. In total, the Jaguars have 11 picks, giving Gladstone the ability to move around the draft board.
In addition to that, four of those picks are in the top 100, providing the Jaguars with the opportunity to add some immediate impact players.
Given the current construction of the roster, this feels like an offseason where the Jaguars could focus more heavily on the defensive side of the football.
With help from Pro Football Focus’ 2026 NFL draft big board, here are the top draft prospects from Indiana.
Top 2026 NFL draft prospects from Indiana
- QB Fernando Mendoza
- WR Omar Cooper Jr.
- CB D’Angelo Ponds
- WR Elijah Sarratt
- ED Mikail Kamara
- LB Aiden Fisher
- C Pat Coogan
- RB Roman Hemby
- RB Kaelon Black
- TE Riley Nowakowski
The Ohio creep linked to the death of missing Indiana teen Hailey Buzbee traded disturbing messages and photos with the girl a year before snatching her from her home last month – then led investigators to where her dismembered body was buried, federal prosecutors said.
Tyler Thomas, 39, was hit Tuesday with federal exploitation charges for crossing state lines to bring the 17-year-old back to his Ohio home and carrying out sickening sexual acts before she turned up dead, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Buzbee was last seen near her Fishers, Indiana, home on Jan. 5, with her hacked up remains found deep in the woods of the Buckeye State on Feb. 2.
No charges have yet been filed in the teen’s death.
“The filing of these federal charges does not signal the end of the investigation,” US Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in a statement.
“Our prosecutors continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to collect and comb through evidence in pursuit of justice for Hailey and her family. We appreciate the public’s patience as the investigation proceeds.”
Prosecutors alleged Thomas, who met the teen gaming on Discord, drove about 160 miles overnight from Columbus, Ohio, to Fortville, Indiana, on Jan. 6 to pick her up at home after plotting Buzbee’s escape during year-long sexually-charged online chats.
Phone data allegedly tracked Thomas to a Logan Airbnb the night he grabbed Buzbee, then near the North County Trail in Wayne Nation Forest the next morning – the gruesome site where the girl’s mutilated remains were later found, court documents showed.
The sicko allegedly wiped his phone of disturbing Snapchat messages and sexually explicit photos of the teen taken at his Columbus residence and the Airbnb, where prosecutors said traces of blood were found.
Investigators also seized additional cell phones and computers from his home, uncovering obscene photos of a roughly 10-year-old girl and a vile Discord conversation with another teen who said she was in the 10th grade, according to the charging documents.
In one message, Thomas allegedly asked the teen: “Does baby carve parts of her body?” adding that she’d “look so good covered in red.”
During an interview with police on Jan. 21, Thomas allegedly told cops he believed Buzbee “was alive and safe” – but refused to admit to her murder, chillingly saying, “No, I wouldn’t tell you.”
He was charged with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and evidence tampering on Jan. 31.
Two days later, he led investigators to the exact spot where the teen’s lifeless body was buried under a thick layer of frozen dirt, prosecutors said.
Officials said his state charges will be dismissed as the federal case moves ahead.
Thomas is being held on a $1.5 million cash bond at Franklin County Jail.
YORKTOWN — The children’s eyes widened.
Then the class of 26 third-graders in Michelle Kahoe’s class broke into spontaneous applause.
The students were told their hometown of Yorktown was recently ranked No. 8 of the “50 Cheapest, Safest Places to Live in the U.S.,” according to MoneyLion.com, a financial technical platform and mobile app.
To compile its list, MoneyLion analyzed cost-of-living metrics and FBI crime data to identify cities that combine affordability with safety. Using crime statistics and housing/expenditure data from sources like Zillow, Sperling’s BestPlaces, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the study ranked cities where annual living costs stayed under $55,000 while maintaining low violent and property crime rates.
Third-grader Claire was not surprised.
“I like that Yorktown is not so crowded like in New York City,” she said. “You can walk around and see people know you or say ‘hello.’”
Classmate Trey agreed: “I know people everywhere I go.”
Wyatt said he likes “there are places to go fishing, lots of ponds in my neighborhood,” where he said he caught bluegill, bass and catfish. “No, I don’t eat them. I put them back in the pond.” Wyatt said his dad taught him how to fish at a young age, and he goes fishing when his father and friends go.
“We consider ourselves the ‘Diamond of Delaware County,’” said Chase Bruton, Yorktown town manager since 2023 and past president of the Indiana Municipal Management Association. “We pride ourselves as being one of the best places to live in East Central Indiana.
“We attribute this to the small-town feel, good schools, and a close-knit community,” Bruton said.
Third-grader Cambrie added, “The town is always beautiful and well kept.”
Although the median income for Yorktown residents ranges from about $50,000 to $80,000, depending upon the source, according to MoneyLion.com, the annual cost of living in Yorktown was determined to be $37,572 per household.
“The people here really do enjoy the small-town vibe,” said Bruton, who previously served as project manager for Plainfield, Indiana. “Plainfield (population 33,000) had a ton of revenue. We are a much leaner organization. The town does a really good job with allocating the resources we have. Population is just under 12,000, and we are the 75th largest Indiana community, bigger than eight or nine counties in the state.”
One of the free town highlights is the Civic Green, built in 2020, which includes a splash pad, a covered stage for concerts, and some private shelters. The Chamber of Commerce finances bands through sponsorships and donations, with the town providing the location. This year, the town will host 15 free concerts on Friday evenings from May 29 and weekly throughout the summer.
“Yorktown is not a dying community as many smaller towns are. We have a bright future,” Bruton said.
Yorktown employs 33 full-time staff including police, headed up by the Yorktown Chief of Police Kurt Walthour, who has held this position since 2022.
Yorktown enjoys safety in numbers
MoneyLion.com recognized Yorktown in part for its high safety marks. Violent crime rate was low, with 0.0508 crimes per 1,000 residents. Property crime rate was also low with 2.202 crimes per 1,000. Yorktown employs 11 full-time and three part-time officers, according to the police chief; the part-time officers all have more than 20 years’ experience.
The safety rating did not go unnoticed by third-grader Charlotte, who said, “I like that Yorktown is a small town. It makes it nice and secure.”
“Any kind of recognition like this No. 8 ranking is a reflection of the local leadership and officers in our community,” Walthour said. “Yorktown is a very good community for crime in general. Every so often we’ll get juveniles doing what they should not be doing.
“We are more of a residential community than business, and the younger officers are out driving around being seen,” he said. “Schools are very easy to work with.”
The police can be seen interacting with students in the schools, where two officers serve as student resource officers. Often, a part-time officer will serve in the schools, as well.
“I’ve talked to criminal justice classes at the high school, and am currently meeting with the middle school principal about putting something together and talking to middle school parents about their kids and social media,” Walthour said. “Especially after what happened with the girl abducted in Fishers. We can’t be in their homes, of course. The parents need to police their kids at home and know what they’re up to and (who they’re) communicating with.”
“Public safety is our priority. The community is safe, and there are attractions: Four Day Ray (newer restaurant in town) — and the parks are a huge thing. Morrow’s Meadows is packed and there are new basketball courts out there. The city is also improving the area for better handicap accessibility. … There is a new apartment complex being built,” Walthour said. “There’s not a day you drive around that you don’t have at least five or six people wave at you. You need the community to do your job.”
One longtime community member, Becki Monroe, who started the Yorktown Historical Society 21 years ago, says she now has a great-great-grandson who is ninth generation of four different families from Yorktown.
“We were here when they put in the dirt,” Monroe laughed.
“In the early years, families came and stayed in Yorktown because of all the employment — a glass factory, Warner Gear Transmissions — and so many were farmers,” Monroe said. “My great-grandfather was a business owner. He operated a pool hall, liquor store and card room in town.”
Today, new housing attracts people to Yorktown. In addition to the Civic Green is a farmers market.
The Farmers’ Market operates each Friday night, from 4:30 to 7:30, from May through September at Morrow’s Meadows on Smith Street across from the school.
Morrow’s Meadows was a particular favorite spot in Yorktown for Kahoe’s third-grade class. Zach enjoyed Morrow’s Meadows, right across from the middle school.
“After I pick up my brother after school, we go right across the street and play until we get picked up,” Zach said.
Payton liked that there were “lots of parks where you can ride your bike and scooter,” and Sawyer noted, “Morrow’s Meadows is right next to the Pizza King, where you can go after playing.”
Yorktown graduate Nancy Sears Perry, who is serving in her second term on the Yorktown City Council, is also a lifelong resident who said, “Our family rolled in with the wagons in the mid-1800s.”
Music, markets among other amenities
Together with her business partner, Jeff Tingler, also a Yorktown graduate, Sears owns and operates the Yorktown Farm and Artisan Market in a partnership with the town.
“We average 55 vendors each Friday night, and on the nights of the ‘Young Entrepreneur’ program, once a month, the vendors number around 75,” Sears said.
The program, which is for school-aged kids 6 to 16, encourages the students to operate their own food or craft carts at the market. Sears and Tingler provide some training and information packets for the children and their parents. “They have to go through the same certification, labeling, and state laws to participate,” Sears said.
Started in 2021, the Yorktown Farm and Artisan Market is serving more than its weekly Friday night attendance of 1,200 to 1,800 visitors through initiatives and grants.
“We have started a 501C-3 non-profit arm of the farmers’ market so we can apply for grants to fund our food insecurity initiatives. We are a SNAP retailer, certified through USDA,” Sears said. “We have applied for the ‘Double Up’ grant. If someone comes to our table and runs their EBT card for $20, we can give them $40 for SNAP qualifying items. This will be our fourth season of being one of the 17 farmers’ markets that offers Double Up.”
Through the Indiana Department of Health, Sears and Tingler sought the help of Yorktown High School family and consumer science teacher and FCCLA club sponsor Misty Terrell Green to be in the national “Power of Produce” program.
“Any child through eighth grade can stop by the Power of Produce table where they get a $2 token to buy produce at the market. The booth is attended to by FCCLA club members who distribute information to the students and play games with the kids. We budgeted for 75 tokens and had 464 kids in the first year,” Sears said. “Now we have over 500 kids taking advantage of the tokens.”
With everything from visits and demonstrations by master gardeners to craft participation headed up by a local artist to a farm family who bring their goats to pet, “this is why our market is hopping. We have become an attraction; we want to create an environment that the whole family can enjoy,” Sears said.
“It’s (Yorktown) a great place to be. Having grown up in Yorktown, this is where we wanted to raise our family,” the town council member said. “We are trying to create that third space where people go to work, home — and where is that third place people want to go?”
For third-grader Lucy, the place to go is the Yorktown Public Library, across Indiana 332 from the elementary and middle schools. “I like how they read books to the 2-year-olds,” Lucy said. “And then they have cooking classes. I have made chocolate chip cookies and smoothies.”
Baseball center and sometimes right-fielder Drew enjoyed the sports at Yorktown: “If you wanna try a sport, there’s all sorts of sports there and places where everyone can play. You can practice baseball and football.”
Addy likes that “the animal of our town is the tiger because he’s feisty.”
School and food places rank high
Schools are another reason for the satisfaction among Yorktown families, said 11th-year Yorktown High School Principal Stacy Brewer. The ranking “does not surprise me because — I’m probably biased, but — Yorktown is an excellent place to teach, work and raise children.”
Several third-grade students noted their teachers are “very nice and if you needed help, they helped you,” as Alex said. Sadie said teachers are especially helpful when “teaching long division.”
“We’re continually listed in the USA News and World Report’s top 10 percent of the state and country for our academic prowess,” Brewer said. “Most recently we were named to the Gold-level Advanced Placement School Honor Roll, awarded by the college board.”
The designation is given annually to schools with AP programs that broaden participation, foster college-going culture, and improve student performance. To earn the gold distinction, 75 percent of seniors took at least one AP exam, according to the AP site.
“Yorktown’s strength comes from the way our community looks out for one another,” the principal said. “Across all four schools, this means strong partnerships with families, a clear focus on student safety and well-being, and adults who are deeply invested in helping students succeed academically and personally.”
“When students feel supported and seen, school becomes a more stable, positive place – and that stability extends well beyond the classroom,” Brewer said. “I love working with the Yorktown community, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
The only other place many third-graders want to be is where food is being served.
Third-grader Dominick said he “liked the variety of foods in Yorktown, like burgers, and tacos, and French fries, and chicken nuggets …” It might be noted that McDonalds, Burger King and Taco Bell are all found along Indiana 332 when traveling from Muncie into Yorktown.
Classmate Braxton added, “Don’t forget Pizza King and Frozen Boulder,” while “Twisters Soda Bar” was added by Caden, whose favorite concoction was strawberry lemonade.
It was hard to believe the students had just come back to the classroom from lunch.
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