Indiana
Between Indianapolis And South Bend Is Indiana’s Charming Town With Unique Festivals And Circus Memorabilia – Islands
There is a sense of nostalgia when thinking of the circus — seeing the lion tamers and clown cars for the very first time. A charming little town in Indiana, known as the “Circus Capital of the World,” lets you experience high-wire acts and family-friendly festivals that will excite your inner child. Visitors can see thrilling trapeze acts and take a walk down memory lane with posters and memorabilia from the golden age of the great American circus. Besides the Big Top action, Peru is surrounded by breathtaking natural areas, perfect for those who love the outdoors.
Situated about 85 miles from Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and 80 miles from South Bend International Airport (SBN), Peru’s location provides a mix of convenience and small-town charm. It is close to major travel hubs and respected universities, while retaining its unique flavor as an eclectic circus mecca. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy fishing and camping on nearby Mississinewa Lake, close to the scenic Lost Sister Trail and historic Francis Slocum Cemetery. The area is home to Seven Pillars Nature Preserve, Indiana’s secret oasis, with scenic trails and perfect hiking. This stunning area, located on the southern banks of the Mississinewa River, is home to bald eagles and beautiful wildflower fields.
Other charming towns in Indiana have bald eagles and forest trails, but this is a place where you can make all your Big Top dreams come true. With all the festivals, museums, and circus acts around, visitors will find plenty of family-friendly entertainment in town. Racing fans will appreciate the two tracks in town: Bunker Hill Dragstrip and Miami County Speedway. The drag strip features stock car racing, while the speedway features a micro sprint track. Birdwatchers will enjoy Mississinewa Reservoir, a lovely place for hiking, biking, and animal viewing.
A city with circus history, festivals, and parades
The town’s circus history began in the late 1880s, when Ben Wallace began his enterprise. He bought some animals and equipment, then debuted his act with a lively parade seen by 5,000 attendees. Wallace’s act became popular on the road, coming back to Peru each winter. The town quickly filled with performers and workers as the circus grew in popularity, with the occasional elephant sighting along the river. Wallace’s show had achieved amazing success by 1907 — rivaling that of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey – until a flood devastated his circus in 1913.
After Wallace passed away, the land was sold to the American Circus Corporation to house the magnificent menagerie of animals and performers, and later sold to John Ringling in 1929. A variety of circus acts continued to come here in the winters, including Ringling’s. The Great Depression dealt another hard blow to the circus, and the winter quarters were never the same. At the International Circus Hall of Fame, guests can see artifacts and photographs from the more prosperous days of the circus, including the buildings where the Wallace, Ringling, and the American Circus Corporation housed their acts in the winter. Visitors can see circus barns where they kept animals, still standing from the 1920s, and learn about the talented performers who brought the circus to life back in the day.
Home to the Peru Amateur Youth Circus and Circus City Festival, this circus mecca boasts thrilling trapeze acts and spectacular performances for those who visit. Each July, the Circus City Festival takes center stage to showcase Miami County’s youth circus performers and their astonishing acrobatics. The festival features the second biggest parade in the state, and 6 days of amazing music and performances.
Explore museums and memorabilia in this Big Top Town
Spectators will be mesmerized by jugglers and precarious balancing acts, effortlessly executed by the 200 performers who train hard for this event. Kids will love the clowns, rides, and games, complete with balloon animals and face paint. Festival attendees can expect thrilling high-wire balancing acts and mouth-watering food at this delightful summertime event, fun for the whole family.
Besides being a circus museum and home of the shows’ winter quarters, the International Circus Hall of Fame features a collection of classic rolling cages, wagons, and carriages used in touring caravans, available for rent as movie props. Visitors can see tiny hand-made miniatures of the Big Top at the Circus Model Builder’s Museum and Hall of Fame, also on the premises. Stay the night in the historic winter quarters, like the circus folk did back in the day, for a truly immersive experience. There are cabins and primitive camping options on the Mississinewa River; the Circus Hall of Fame has camping too, but is temporarily closed until May 2026.
Aside from circus memorabilia, visitors can explore Cold War-era aircrafts at the Grissom Air Museum. The museum features a B-58 Rocket Sled, a unique prototype known as “The Texas Hustler.” It was the first supersonic bomber, and additional testing was required to make it safe for pilots. Visitors can sit in the cockpit of an F-4 Phantom and see a variety of military aircraft that have been used in wars throughout recent history. A fascinating place to learn about the area’s natural history is the Miami County Museum, featuring pioneer artifacts from 1910. You’ll see vintage carriages and vibrant exhibits detailing the town’s early history.
CLOVERDALE, Ind. (WKRC) – Authorities in Indiana found a semi trailer loaded up with hundreds of pounds of suspected cocaine.
According to a statement issued by the Indiana State Police (ISP), 27-year-old Harmandeep Singh of Bakersfield, California was taken into custody after nearly 400 pounds of suspected cocaine were reportedly found in the trailer of a commercial truck.
Per the statement, an ISP trooper seized the suspected cocaine during a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Putnam County, authorities said.
The stop occurred Tuesday morning near the 37-mile marker, just east of Cloverdale, after a commercial motor vehicle was observed exceeding the posted speed limit.
Police said Singh displayed several indicators of possible criminal activity during the encounter. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, troopers discovered multiple duffel bags and cardboard boxes in the trailer containing approximately 392 pounds (178 kilograms) of suspected cocaine.
Authorities estimated the street value of the drugs at about $9 million.
Singh was taken into custody and taken to the Putnam County Jail, where he is being held on a $30,000 cash bond.
He faces the following preliminary charges, per the post:
- Possession of a narcotic drug
Formal charges will be determined by the Putnam County prosecutor.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Indiana State Police said drug interdiction remains a priority, with troopers focusing on major highways to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics into the state.
For many Hoosiers living in rural Indiana, accessing health care can mean driving 30 minutes or even an hour to see a doctor or reach the nearest hospital. As workforce shortages and financial pressures challenge rural hospitals across the country, ensuring access to care close to home has become one of the most important health-care issues facing our state.
About one in four Indiana residents live in a rural community, yet access to health-care services in many of these communities continues to shrink. Across the nation, rural hospitals and clinics report extremely thin operating margins and often say workforce shortages and rising costs make it difficult to sustain services such as primary care, maternity care and behavioral health.
When rural communities struggle to maintain health-care access, the impact doesn’t stay confined to small towns. It ripples across the entire health-care system, contributing to increases in chronic conditions, reduced preventative care for children, and worsening outcomes for the sickest patients.
Communities such as Greater Lafayette serve as a regional hub for care, with hospitals like IU Health Arnett caring for patients from surrounding counties across north-central and west-central Indiana. That role is something we are proud to fulfill. But when rural residents must travel long distances for care that should be available closer to home, it places increasing pressure on emergency departments, specialty clinics and inpatient services at larger regional hospitals.
In many cases, what might have been a routine appointment, preventive screening or early diagnosis in a local clinic becomes far more serious by the time a patient reaches a larger hospital. A missed screening can escalate into a medical emergency.
That reality makes strengthening rural health care more important than ever — not just for rural communities, but for the health of the entire state.
One of the most important steps we can take is investing in the next generation of health-care professionals who will care for these communities.
At IU Health, we are working directly with local schools and community partners to help build that workforce pipeline. Across the region, IU Health has partnered with the Greater Lafayette Career Academy and area school districts to introduce students to health-care careers earlier and provide hands-on learning opportunities that bring those careers to life.
Through these programs, students explore health-care pathways and earn certifications such as certified nursing assistant, medical assistant or emergency medical technician while still in high school. Many participate in job shadowing opportunities, clinical experiences and mentorship programs, giving them valuable exposure to the field before they graduate. In fact, since the first cohort in 2023, IU Health has extended job offers to more than 70 students.
The goal is simple but powerful: help students see that meaningful careers in health care exist in their own communities and create pathways that allow them to stay and serve those communities.
For rural health care, this approach is critical. Students who train and develop personal mentorship connections locally are far more likely to remain in the region after completing their education. By helping young people build skills and connections early, we can create a sustainable workforce that strengthens health-care access in both rural communities and regional centers, including Greater Lafayette.
Since launching the $200 million Community Impact Investment Fund in 2018, IU Health has invested more than $40 million in community grants supporting workforce development, education and school-based programs that build Indiana’s health-care talent pipeline. This includes funding for the Indiana Latino Institute, which placed Latino students in health-care internships, supported career pathways, and provided medical interpreter training and college coaching to communities across the state.
Our goal is to make Indiana one of the healthiest states in the nation, and this is one way we work toward that in partnership with our communities.
But workforce development is only part of the solution.
Strengthening rural health care will also require continued collaboration between health-care providers, educators, community leaders and policymakers. Expanding telehealth access, supporting rural hospitals and investing in primary care and behavioral health services are all critical steps toward ensuring patients can receive care close to home.
Greater Lafayette will always play an important role as a regional health-care center, providing specialized care and advanced services for patients across a broad region. But the long-term health of Indiana’s health-care system depends on maintaining strong local access points for care in rural communities.
When rural clinics and hospitals can provide preventive care, manage chronic conditions and connect patients with the services they need early, the entire system works better.
Patients receive care sooner, communities stay healthier and larger hospitals can focus on the complex cases they are designed to treat.
Healthy rural communities do not just benefit the towns where they are. They strengthen Indiana’s entire health-care system by ensuring that every Hoosier — no matter where they live — has access to the care and resources they need to live healthier lives.
When rural health care succeeds, all of Indiana benefits.
Gary Henriott is a lifelong resident of Lafayette and the retired CEO and Chairman of Henriott Group. He is the chair of the IU Health West Region board of directors and the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network, and president of Lafayette’s Board of Public Works and Safety.
INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) — An Indianapolis mother is now facing criminal charges after her 2-month-old baby died in an apparent improper co-sleeping environment, according to investigators.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX 59/CBS 4, police were called to an area hospital on Sept. 19, 2024, following the death of 27-year-old Brooklyn Davis’ son. The boy had been found unresponsive in his family’s home early that morning, and Davis attempted CPR before he was rushed to the hospital.
The affidavit says the boy had been sleeping on Davis’ bed with his 6-year-old brother. Davis later showed investigators a video showing the baby sleeping chest down on the 6-year-old’s chest.
An autopsy concluded the baby’s cause of death was “sudden explained death of an infant” with an intrinsic factor, which included being “placed to sleep in a queen-sized mattress being shared with a 6-year-old sibling, along with numerous blankets and other miscellaneous items; discovered unresponsive in a prone position with his face turned to the side and partially covered with a blanket.”
A report from the Department of Child Services (DCS) indicated the boy had no known health issues and that Davis ran an FSSA-licensed day care and has “extensive training on child care and safe sleeping environments.”
Davis had been known to DCS prior to the baby’s death. The boy had been born marijuana-positive and, on July 2, 2024, Davis had reportedly signed a “Safe Sleep Safety Plan,” acknowledging she understood that the safest places for her baby to sleep were in a crib, pack-and-play or bassinet and warned that co-sleeping places the baby at risk of suffocation and sleeping areas should be kept free of blankets, pillows and other items. The plan also included a provision that Davis not use marijuana while caring for her children, but she told investigators during an interview that, the morning of her baby’s death, she had gone downstairs to smoke marijuana and left the children alone upstairs.
Davis’ two other children were removed from the home, and interviews with them revealed that co-sleeping with the infant happened often.
Investigators say they attempted to contact Davis several times after talking to her children.
“She called me on February 18, 2025, and said she didn’t do anything wrong, her baby died of SIDS,” the detective wrote in the affidavit. “Brooklyn never came in for an additional interview.”
Court records indicate the case was filed in March 2026. Davis was booked into jail on April 1 on three counts of neglect of a dependent. An initial hearing was held on April 7, and a bail review hearing is planned for Monday.
-
New York1 hour agoHarvey Weinstein’s Third Trial on Rape Charge Opens in Manhattan
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoMan jumps into action to save girlfriend in crash involving teen driver fleeing MSP
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoSanta Rosa: The 1906 earthquake almost lost to history
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoJohnston scores twice, Stars hold off Wild in Game 2 to even West 1st Round | NHL.com
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoBetween Providence And Boston Is A Vibrant Massachusetts Town Bursting With Diverse Entertainment – Islands
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoMinnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Apr 20, 2026 Game Summary
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoAthletics Beat Mariners in Seattle 6-4
-
San Diego, CA2 hours agoEl Cajon crisis unit opens, bringing county’s total to eight