Connect with us

Indiana

In bloom: Indiana Peony Festival returns to Noblesville • Current Publishing

Published

on

In bloom: Indiana Peony Festival returns to Noblesville • Current Publishing


The City of Noblesville will celebrate the return of spring May 18 when the Indiana Peony Festival makes its fourth annual return to Noblesville’s Seminary Park.

The free event is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 350 S. 10th St. in Noblesville.

The Indiana Peony Festival is a nonprofit whose mission is to inspire residents to celebrate Indiana’s state flower, the peony, and enhance Noblesville through beautification projects, peony gardens and horticulture education.

Kelly McVey, the organization’s CEO and the event creator, said the festival will feature more than 120 vendors as well as peony plants, peony growers, artisans, kids’ activities, horticulture classes, floral displays, food and spirit trucks, among other items.

Advertisement

“The city will close 10th Street between Mulberry and Cherry streets for the day for the first time this year, allowing vendors to set up on the street,” McVey said. “This will free up space within Seminary Park to stop and smell the peonies and enjoy the park and activities within it. We want to increase the size of our footprint dramatically, so people have more room to enjoy the park and flower displays.”

Although the festival is free, the celebration begins May 17 with Peonies in the Park, a ticketed event for guests 21 and older that runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and serves as a fundraiser for the nonprofit. Tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds support Indiana Peony Festival’s initiatives to expand the peony beautification footprint for all of Noblesville and Hamilton County.

Entering its third year, the fundraiser will feature a new “chef theme,” with chefs from across the Indianapolis area, including Samir Mohammad with 9th Street Bistro, Tyler Shortt with Tinker Street and Michael Conley with KanKan, among others.

“We have about 20 floral designers doing floral displays throughout the park and downtown,” McVey said. “So, those who come to Peonies in the Park can see beautiful floral designs, take photos and enjoy food and cocktails.”

Brunch & Blooms, a brunch and retail crawl, will also return to downtown Noblesville for the fourth year. It is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 18 as part of the festival, with roughly 30 walkable merchant locations offering additional peony-inspired food, beverages, products and promotions. The alleys will also be full of hanging flowers and live music.

Advertisement

“I graduated from Noblesville High School and worked at a corner drugstore, so one of my passions has always been highlighting downtown businesses,” McVey said. “(Brunch & Blooms) encourages people to not only visit us at Seminary Park but also see what downtown Noblesville offers. We thought that encouraging people to go downtown was one way we could increase our footprint and let people experience all of Noblesville.”

McVey said she coined the idea for the festival when she began planting peonies with her sisters.

“I started growing my own peonies before I knew it was the state flower,” McVey said. “I didn’t know how many varieties there were and thought it was important as Hoosiers for people to know more about them.”

McVey chose May as the perfect time for the festival because of the influx of people visiting central Indiana for the Indianapolis 500.

“There are so many people in town for the 500, and the peony festival is a way to capture more of who we are,” McVey said. “I had a friend on a committee to revitalize Seminary Park a few years ago, and we decided to plant peonies there. Once I saw the beauty of what the park would look like, I got the parks department to agree to hold the festival there and we have planted over 200 peonies in the park since then.”

Advertisement

McVey said the festival attendance rises every year, with more than 25,000 people attending last year’s event.

“The festival is a great way to bring the community together and to meet visitors as well,” McVey said. “The good thing is that people come from all over to attend the festival and it puts Noblesville on the map.”

Volunteers can sign up to help at the festival until the beginning of May. For more, visit indianapeonyfestival.com.

IF YOU GO

Peonies in the Park: 6 to 9 p.m. May 17, 350 S. 10th St.

Indiana Peony Festival: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 18, 350 S. 10th St.

Advertisement

Brunch & Blooms: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 18, Downtown Noblesville

Parking: For a parking map, visit mcusercontent.com/405281d1437b85679772eebf7/images/7cc1dfa9-cf1b-4b94-e043-3a0c682445bc.png.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Indiana

Indiana police find semi trailer loaded up with nearly 400 pounds of cocaine: troopers

Published

on

Indiana police find semi trailer loaded up with nearly 400 pounds of cocaine: troopers


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.

Advertisement

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.

Comment with Bubbles
Advertisement

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.



Source link

Continue Reading

Indiana

Op-ed: Healthy rural communities strengthen all of Indiana

Published

on

Op-ed: Healthy rural communities strengthen all of Indiana


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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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. 



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Indiana

Indiana mother charged with neglect after baby’s co-sleeping death

Published

on

Indiana mother charged with neglect after baby’s co-sleeping death


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.”

Advertisement

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.”

Advertisement

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.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending