Indianapolis, IN
How Micah Beckwith reacted to author John Green referring to him as his ‘nemesis’
Superman has Lex Luthor. The Joker has Batman. Indianapolis author John Green’s “nemesis,” he said Sunday, could very well be in the running as Indiana’s next lieutenant governor — Micah Beckwith.
Details remain scarce on whether either men have donned brightly colored spandex and duked it out on a rooftop overlooking Monument Circle. Both, however, have sparred on issues regarding censorship.
Green recently aired his opinions about the Noblesville pastor and self-described Christian Nationalist on Instagram after Saturday’s Republican state convention, in which Indiana delegates slapped down U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s preferred choice of state Rep. Julie McGuire in the lieutenant governor’s race and selected Beckwith instead. Beckwith will now join Braun on the November election ballot to face Democrat Jennifer McCormick, Libertarian Donald Rainwater and both parties’ nominees for lieutenant governor.
Green wasn’t thrilled by the news. Because Indiana is a red-leaning state, Beckwith’s chances of landing in the lieutenant governor role are high.
‘New nemesis just dropped’ What John Green said about Micah Beckwith
Beckwith is “the lowest form of culture warrior,” Green said on Instagram, bemoaning Beckwith’s candidacy in a video posted with the phrase “New nemesis just dropped.”
“I don’t know how to put it generously, but he’s just one of those people who will exploit any vulnerable or marginalized population in order to make himself more popular,” Green said.
Green concluded the video saying, “I’ve always wanted to have a lieutenant governor personally hate me, and now it seems my dream may come true.”
Does Micah Beckwith ‘hate’ John Green?
It’s possible the hate might be one-sided.
IndyStar reached out Monday to Beckwith, who said he had no “ill feelings” toward the best-selling author of “Looking for Alaska” and “The Fault in our Stars,” despite a flair-up last year in Fishers.
“I haven’t heard much from John Green since the whole Hamilton County Public Library Board thing,” Beckwith said. “I don’t hate (John Green) at all.”
What happened between John Green and Micah Beckwith in Hamilton County?
On social media, Green said both he and Beckwith are “not on the best of terms” after the ultra-conservative pastor — then a Hamilton East Public Library board member — led efforts last year to remove books off the shelves in the library’s teen section.
In addition to scores of other material, staff pulled Green’s coming-of-age novel, “The Fault in Our Stars” out of the teen section due to a policy labeling it not “age appropriate.” Green’s book was returned later after intense public backlash.
HEPL board, director discuss collection review policy
Hear Hamilton East Public Library director Edra Waterman explain why the board’s policy led to “The Fault in Our Stars” being moved.
Clark Wade and Michelle Pemberton, Wochit
Beckwith, however, told IndyStar he regrets Green’s novels were included in the purge.
“Honestly, I was upset that even some of his books got moved in the first place,” Beckwith said, who later resigned from the library board to concentrate on his campaign. “That was never the intention. It was designed to go after pornographic and very graphic material and move them into the adult section.”
What books by John Green are being challenged in Indiana and elsewhere?
Green is no stranger to controversy from officials challenging his books. The popular author is known for young adult novels that touch on prickly subjects involving sexual maturity, teenage angst and mental health.
According to an exclusive investigation by sister publication The Des Moines Register, Green’s 2006 debut novel, “Looking for Alaska,” a story that follows a boy who leaves home for boarding school and meets a girl named Alaska Young, is among the most challenged books in Iowa.
He and other authors are suing the state of Iowa over a law seeking to remove books from libraries and classrooms. Green also has faced book challenges in his home state of Indiana.
John Green’s ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ moved out of library’s teen section
John Green said he’s not going to Fishers anytime soon after his book was removed from the teen section, meaning “no Top Golf or IKEA for a while.”
Elissa Maudlin, Jenny Porter Tilley, Rachel Fradette and Jenna Watson, Wochit
What books did Hoosiers in Indiana challenge in 2023?
Indiana’s top ten most challenged books in 2023, according to the America Library Association, are as follows:
- “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green.
- “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie H. Harris.
- “The Goats,” by Brock Cole.
- “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by Maia Kobabe.
- “Crank,” by Ellen Hopkins.
- “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie.
- “Jesus Land: A Memoir,” by Julia Scheeres.
- “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison.
- “The Glass Castle,” by Jeannette Walls.
- “Water for Elephants,” by Sara Gruen.
Others are reading: Indianapolis author John Green among most banned authors in Iowa. He’s suing
John Tufts covers trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Democrat Andrea Hunley to seek bid for mayor’s job in 2027
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat representing Indianapolis, has announced her candidacy for a bid to run for mayor of Indianapolis in 2027.
Hunley, who had previously teased a mayoral run, has scheduled a launch event for May 8 as her official kickoff her campaign to lead the city, said her campaign website. The Assistant Minority Leader in the Senate announced in January that she would not seek another term in the Indiana Senate, to which she was elected in 2022.
Hunley’s website says, “Indianapolis is my city. Our city. As someone who knows this city, someone who has served this community as a public school teacher leading our children and supporting families, I am committed to the future of the people of Indianapolis.
“Indianapolis is the economic driver and a key cultural hub for our state. Our city boasts creative entrepreneurs and long-standing local businesses, vibrant neighborhoods and corporate headquarters, community-centered nonprofits and public schools. I aim to champion a better quality of life by listening to and working alongside the people, businesses and neighborhoods that make up our great city.”
Mayor Joe Hogsett has not disclosed if he’s seeking a fourth four-year term.
City-County Council Member Vop Osili in January announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination.
In the same month, Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson announced her intention to seek the Democratic nomination to run for mayor. She’s running this year to continue in the trustee’s job, which she has held since 2019.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, who had been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for mayor, announced in January he would seek another four-year term this year for his current job. However, he did not rule out running for the Democratic bid for mayor in 2027.
Indianapolis, IN
Louisville native set to make debut in Indianapolis 500
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – While Louisville is famous for one race in May, a Derby City native is set to make his first appearance in a different iconic May race.
Jacob Abel will be making his first appearance in the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, racing for Abel Motorsports, founded by his father, Bill Abel.
“I am excited and grateful to be able to return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to have a shot at the Indianapolis 500. It’s been a lifelong dream to compete in that race and to have the opportunity to do it with Abel Motorsports and Chevrolet makes it even more special,” Jacob said.
Both Abels, the driver and the team, had breakout years in 2024 with three pole positions and three wins in the INDY NXT drivers’ championship, propelling the 25-year-old driver to the NTT INDYCAR Series the following year.
Practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500 begins on Tuesday, May 12 with qualifying being held on May 16 and May 17. The race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway goes green on May 24, coverage begins at 10 a.m.
Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved.
Indianapolis, IN
IMPD: Man stabbed in downtown Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — A person was stabbed in downtown Indianapolis Sunday evening.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the intersection of East Market and North Delaware Streets around 8:28 p.m. to investigate a stabbing. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult male victim with apparent stab wounds.
IMPD has confirmed that the victim was transported from the scene to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.
Investigators believe the stabbing “stemmed from a disturbance between multiple individuals and the victim.”
IMPD has reported that it has not identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest at this point in its investigation of the stabbing. Police have indicated that they are hoping witnesses come forward with information that can help them identify or locate the suspects.
“The officers now are doing a complete investigation,” IMPD Lieutenant Frank Wooten said during a media briefing Sunday night. “They’re going to investigate this to the best of their ability. We’re going to try to locate our suspect, arrest the suspect, prosecute the suspect and hold that suspect accountable for this heinous crime in Indianapolis. This is not an indication of what our city is about. This is not an indication of what we do downtown, and we hold this to be very serious. So, we will hold whoever did this responsible for their actions tonight.”
Sunday night’s stabbing represented a continuation of a violent weekend in downtown Indianapolis.
Early Sunday morning, two men were critically injured in a shooting near a White Castle on South Street. Before that shooting occurred, police arrested two juveniles on gun charges at Monument Circle.
Police also conducted a shooting investigation near the Hilton hotel located at 120 W. Market St. around 4 a.m. Sunday. Nobody was injured in that shooting.
Elsewhere in the city, a person was injured in a shooting in a CVS parking lot on Kentucky Avenue Saturday evening. Another individual was killed in a shooting outside a residence in the 2300 block of South Pennsylvania Street Saturday night.
Public police reporting systems indicate IMPD has investigated nine shootings that caused injuries since midnight Saturday. During that same timeframe, IMPD has investigated six shootings that did not result in any injuries and five stabbings.
Numbers available on shootings and stabbings in IMPD’s public reporting system may not be complete, as some reports on weekend shootings and stabbings may not have been entered yet.
“This is not what we want Indianapolis to be,” Wooten said. “This is not what we expect out of the citizens of Indianapolis. We expect them to be safe, come downtown and have a good time, and be able to go home the same way they came down here. So, we will hold these suspects, once located, accountable for this crime.”
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