Indiana

‘A symbol’: Central Indiana Catholics back the pope in feud with Trump

Published

1 hour ago

May 5, 2026

‘A symbol’: Central Indiana Catholics back the pope in feud with Trump

PLAINFIELD — Light spills from a window above a wooden fixture of the crucifixion at Saint Susanna Catholic Church as parishioners weave through the pews at the close of the 11 a.m. mass on a recent Sunday.

Most leave, but some stick around for coffee and doughnuts, a fundraising effort for the church’s prison ministry, which provides rosaries, Bibles and faith study materials to inmates at the Hendricks County Jail. In the hallway are stacks of letters to U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, Sen. Todd Young and Rep. Jim Baird, urging them to support programs to reduce hunger at home and abroad.

“Cuts to SNAP and international assistance have already put millions at risk,” the letter reads, citing Jesus’ refusal to turn a hungry crowd away in the Bible verse Matthew 14:16. “We can and must do better.”

Those cuts have been hallmarks of President Donald Trump’s administration, which has taken a less generous, and at times adversarial, approach to those in need globally as it looks to reduce spending. The strategy has contributed to a larger tension between Catholicism and the president; at the helm of this opposition is Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, whose criticisms of the war in Iran have increasingly landed him in Trump’s crosshairs.

But Catholics across the nation, including at Saint Susanna, told USAToday and IndyStar that they favor the pope’s approach.

“He has done it elegantly, but yet very stern,” Eloisa Garza, who helps run the prison ministry, said of Pope Leo after mass at Saint Susanna on April 26. “Being an American, which we are Americans, that’s what sometimes other countries look at us to do as leaders.”

Garza, 70, said she appreciates that Pope Leo has the courage to speak when the world needs a powerful voice rooted in faith. His role as the first American-born pope only adds to the impact, she said.

She runs the prison ministry along with Harla Lyle, 84, who also commended the pope for his “quiet, serene composure.”

Even when in conflict with some world leaders, Lyle said, Pope Leo sticks to faith.

“I think that he really is a symbol,” she said.

The trust in Pope Leo comes as the pontiff fields blistering attacks from Trump. After the pope called Trump’s threat of annihilation in Iran “unacceptable,” the president fired back that Pope Leo was “weak on crime.”

The tension between the two men is sometimes amplified by Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic himself who has openly disagreed with the pope and warned him to be “be careful” when discussing theology.

American Catholics have largely backed the pope in the past, and the broader public has continued to view the pope favorably. More than two-thirds of U.S. voters who are Catholic said they view the pope favorably, according to a November 2025 poll. Three-fifths of Americans in general view the pope in a positive light, too, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found in April.

Chicago native John Paloma, who now lives in Camby, Indiana, said he used to live “down the road” from where the pope grew up. Paloma said he appreciated that the pope has not engaged in extended battles with those who criticize him.

“There might be some controversy, but as long as he keeps to the faith, what could you say?” he said, sitting at a table after mass with fellow parishioners. “My hope is still high.”

Bob Duty, an 84-year-old man sitting with Paloma, shared a similarly positive view.

“I like the pope,” Duty told IndyStar. “He’s from America.”

Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@indystar.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.

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Indiana

Man dies in 2-vehicle crash on WB I-64 in Southern Indiana

Published

13 hours ago

May 4, 2026

Press Room

Man dies in 2-vehicle crash on WB I-64 in Southern Indiana

A man is dead following a May 4 collision on westbound Interstate 64 west of Corydon, Indiana, according to a news release from the Indiana State Police.

ISP Sgt. Carey Huls said the two-vehicle crash occurred around 5:45 a.m. when Zachary Burdin, 31, was traveling westbound on I-64, and his vehicle collided with the back of a truck with a trailer full of paving equipment.

Burdin was pronounced dead at the scene by the Harrison County Coroner. There were no other injuries reported. Officials do not attribute the crash to any weather conditions.

Huls said the crash was cleared from the highway by about 9 a.m., and there are no current issues.

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Zionsville nature preserve set to open soon on former golf course

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Press Room

Zionsville nature preserve set to open soon on former golf course

A new nature preserve in Zionsville will open later this month after years of work converting an old golf course into publicly accessible greenspace.

The Carpenter Nature Preserve is located on the site of the former Wolf Run Club. The club, which closed in 2017, sat at the northwest corner of south Michigan Road and State Road 32 where Eagle Creek runs through the town. Once the 215-acre nature preserve opens, soft and hard-paved trails will lead visitors through woods, prairies and wetlands.

Jarod Logsdon, superintendent of parks and recreation for the Town of Zionsville, said the town is excited to get people out to the property.

“I think it’s a great example of how people and greenspace can be side by side,” Logsdon said. “[Greenspaces] obviously enhance the quality of life for residents, but they’re people’s front door to nature.”

Handshake agreement keeps land undeveloped

The town purchased the land from residents Nancy and Jim Carpenter, who bought it from developers after it hit the market in 2017. The couple held onto the property after then-Mayor Emily Styron asked the couple to keep it free from development, Logsdon said.

Once the town had shored up the money in 2021, it purchased the property from the Carpenters. The town leveraged state and federal grants to acquire the land for $5.5 million and reserve money for the initial construction and mitigation phase.

Nancy Carpenter, in a 2023 news release, said Styron invited them to the property for a visit. The couple immediately recognized how appealing it would be to a developer.

“We couldn’t let that happen,” Nancy said in the release. “You cannot find anything like this in central Indiana that will ever be available again.”

The Carpenters, who cofounded Wild Birds Unlimited and have been involved with Zionsville parks for years, maintained the property prior to selling it to the town. They mowed down old golf cart trails, set up bird boxes and planted gardens to attract pollinators. The couple worked with the town to create the master plan that eventually led to the creation of the preserve.

Education and amenities at Zionsville preserve

The preserve currently is in phase one of construction and planning, Logsdon said, and when it opens it will have more than just trails.

The department built a pavilion with nearby restrooms as well as a nature playground with a nearby seating shelter. The playground isn’t the typical steel jungle gym, Logsdon said, but is built using wood from the Pacific Northwest.

The natural building material in the playground is meant to give visitors “a taste of nature play before they go out into the preserve,” Logsdon said.

A small amphitheater also sits on the grounds, which will host campfires and other events.

These amenities will be complete when the preserve opens to the public. The department plans to build a regional nature center in the future to provide more in-depth environmental education to visitors.

While visitors will be able to visit most of the preserve, about a third of the property will be closed to the public as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources works to rehabilitate wetlands. The state will spend about $4 million to restore and maintain Eagle Creek and its tributaries in the park.

Once the preserve opens, visitors can access the entrance off 900 East, just south of SR32.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk or BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social.

IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

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Indiana

Indiana football to visit White House, Fernando Mendoza may skip

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Press Room

Indiana football to visit White House, Fernando Mendoza may skip

The Indiana Hoosiers are on top of the football world and are enjoying the perks that come with being national champions.

One of those spoils involves a trip to the White House to commemorate their achievement later this month, but the most popular player from that team might not be there.

USA TODAY Sports covered the conflicted decision former Hoosiers and current Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza faces about the White House visit.

Mendoza might not attend due to a scheduling issue involving his new team.

“I believe May 11 is the first day of OTAs,” Mendoza said. “If I’m not mistaken, I have the calendar — I mean, I don’t have a calendar, so… If it is on the first day of OTAs, like I said, I’m on the bottom of the totem pole here. I gotta prove myself. I can’t miss practice … I’m a rookie. I don’t think that’s a good look.”