Indiana

Psychologist seeks Indiana US Senate seat

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2024

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Psychologist seeks Indiana US Senate seat

(WNDU) – A political novice is seeking to succeed Sen. Mike Braun as Indiana’s junior senator runs for governor.

Dr. Valerie McCray is a novice, but she is not a complete newcomer. She has run for office before.

McCray introduced herself to much of the political world with an ambitious run for president in 2020. Then — like now — she hit the campaign trail on a part-time basis, continuing to work full-time as a clinical psychologist.

She maintains her background treating everything from PTSD in veterans to the aftereffects of abuse in prison inmates will inform her approach to drafting legislation. She also believes her background will be helpful in dealing with… umm, let’s just leave it at Senate colleagues.

“Sometimes, I can recognize pathology that other people can’t,” she says. “Especially having worked in prisons, you pick up certain personality patterns and like, ‘wait a minute, this person isn’t quite right, let’s talk about this.’ Or if someone’s just not doing well, I can pick those things up because that’s what I do.”

Her psychology background also gives her confidence on the campaign trail. The Democrat recalled a roadside encounter with Republican voters that turned into an impromptu therapy session.

“If you would approach the car from behind like I did, you would never approach that car because they had Confederate flags, they had don’t take our guns, everything that says we’re red, Trump, all of those things, opposite of what our campaign is usually about,” she recalls. “Right there, the mental health issues took precedent over anything else.”

Those people signed McCray’s petition to get on the ballot after a discussion about suicide and addiction.

McCray makes the point that we have more in common than we know. We get scared about different stuff, but we all get scared.

We all want the same things — good schools, relative safety, peace, and prosperity. We have different ideas on how to get those things, but McCray believes we can find some common ground if we are willing to listen.

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Indiana

Indiana police increase patrols on 2 interstates for spring break

Published

11 hours ago

March 22, 2026

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Indiana police increase patrols on 2 interstates for spring break

Indiana State Police will ramp up patrols along major roadways during spring break to “deter dangerous driving behavior,” the agency said in a news release March 22.

The effort is already underway. On March 20 and 21, ISP’s Lafayette District patrolled Interstate 65 and Interstate 70 for aggressive driving as students and families hit the roads for spring break travel.

The results, according to police, were 223 traffic stops, 25 calls for service, five crash investigations, five drug-related charges, three operating-while-intoxicated arrests, two reckless driving arrests, two suspended drivers and one vehicle pursuit.“These targeted patrols are about keeping Hoosiers and those traveling through our state safe,” Lt. Tom McKee, Lafayette district commander, said in a news release. “With increased traffic on our roadways, our troopers were out proactively addressing those violations to reduce crashes and keep our roadways safe.”

ISP did not say how long the increased patrols will continue.Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@indystar.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.

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Indiana

San Antonio vs. Indiana, Final Score: Spurs got serious when they needed to, winning 134-119

Published

23 hours ago

March 22, 2026

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San Antonio vs. Indiana, Final Score: Spurs got serious when they needed to, winning 134-119

The San Antonio Spurs have a habit of playing with their food, but the talent difference between them and their opponents makes up for it on most nights. Eventually, they flexed their muscles and there was nothing the visitors could do.

They overwhelmed the Indiana Pacers with paint pressure, which also opened up the outside game, and everyone who got time was a contributor. Victor Wembanyama was like an angry killer wasp on defense, constantly harassing ball handlers, racking up four of his five blocks in the first half. Everything was going smoothly, but his teammates started allowing too much penetration, and their 21-point lead was reduced to eight. It was just three players doing most of the heavy lifting offensively for the Pacers, and the Spurs spent the rest of the game, denying them from getting within striking distance.

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NFL draft profile 2026: D’Angelo Ponds (Cornerback, Indiana)

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

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The 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh! This draft season, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital, and their fit with the Steelers.

The nickel cornerback position is essentially a starter in the modern NFL, and not many 2026 draft prospects have more hype there than D’Angelo Ponds. Could he be in play for the Steelers?

The basics on D’Angelo Ponds

Defensive stats via Sports Reference

D’Angelo Ponds scouting report

I’m not sure if there’s a prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft more universally loved than Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds. And if you watched him this season, you’d understand why. Ponds is the embodiment of the “got that dog in me” memes with the pit bull photo-shopped over a chest X-ray. He’s an undersized defender at 5’9, 182 pounds, sure, but he plays so much bigger and was one of the best cornerbacks in the country on a National Championship team that had to play a lot of good offenses to get that far.

The biggest constant in the games I watched of Ponds is that he makes plays. He finished 2025 with 61 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 11 passes defensed. He’s a high-effort player who can defend both the run and pass. That leads to production in every aspect of the game.

Ponds is more than just an undersized fan favorite, as well. While he didn’t test much at the NFL Combine, his vertical jump was elite and he looked plenty fluid in the individual drills. He’s an NFL athlete.

Ponds is a lot of fun to watch in coverage. He’s generally smooth in his transitions, with urgent, choppy footwork that helps him stay in the receiver’s pocket throughout the play. His sub-30” arms are a bit of a concern on paper, but you wouldn’t guess it from his play — Ponds does a great job contesting catches and uses his arms well to make a play on the ball.

Ponds also possesses good instincts in zone coverage, especially near the line of scrimmage. When he sniffs out a route he drives on it quickly to make a play.

Ponds has a bit of a folk hero reputation on NFL Draft Twitter — well deserved, in my opinion — but we do have to be realistic about his projection in the pros. Ponds plays big, but was still brought back down to earth against Madden-create-a-player Jeremiah Smith in their matchup.

You’ll also see him give up contested catches to big pass-catchers at times. Ultimately, while I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ponds hold up OK on the boundary in the NFL, his skill set definitely translates best to the slot where he won’t be matched up against X receivers as often and can play to his strengths coming downhill.

Because again, even though Ponds is not a large corner, he’s a great tackler for his position, hitting with impact and consistently wrapping up.

Ponds projects as a plus starter in the nickel in the NFL thanks to his coverage ability and tackling mindset.

Strengths

Choppy, active feet; mirrors effectively and relentlessly
Plays much larger than his listed size
Ferocious at the catch point; disrupts receivers with his arms
Effective, high-effort tackler

Weaknesses

Will likely be limited to the slot in the NFL
Lack of size can be an issue against big X receivers; bullied by Jeremiah Smith
Aggressive playing style occasionally backfires

What others are saying about D’Angelo Ponds

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Ponds is a productive perimeter cornerback trapped in a smaller body, but he’s not lacking in confidence or coverage tenacity. He’s tremendously competitive and winning seems to follow him at each stop. He matches press releases with good slide quickness and has the speed to stay in-phase as routes travel vertically. Eye discipline, instincts and trigger quickness fuel his zone work and catch disruption. Size limitations will likely push him to nickelback, where mismatches against bigger bodies and physical challenges from run games will test his playmaking/durability. Ponds is a likely Day 2 pick who will be an above-average starting nickelback in the NFL.

Daniel Harms, Bleacher Report

Ponds plays with fantastic zone awareness in any variation thanks to his quick feet and track background. His instincts are tied to strong eye discipline and make him a formidable opponent when reading the quarterback. … Doesn’t panic with the ball in the air and plays with the mindset of a bigger corner when working downfield. He attacks the catchpoint with authority and timing to disrupt catches. .. When dealing with comeback routes or hitches at full speed, he displays a slight hitch within his deceleration. This slight pause allows receivers to sell deep and break him off at the top of routes. … PRO COMPARISON: Marcus Jones

Jay Robins, Stampede Blue

The simple fact is, Ponds’ tape is sensational. Had he grown roughly 3 inches taller and had his arm length and weight grow proportionally, his tape would warrant not just Round 1 discussion, but created a Top Corner in the Class debate with LSU’s Mansoor Delane. Even without that extra growth spurt, Ponds has maximized every athletic gift he’s been given and plays with a fiery intensity that shines bright. As one of the chairmen of the Upton Stout = Stud committee leading up to last years’ draft, I can’t help but love the tape and trust in the player’s clear passion to work itself out; measuring tape be damned.

D’Angelo Ponds’ fit with the Steelers

If the Steelers plan to move Jalen Ramsey to safety in the future, drafting Ponds in the second round would shore up the Pittsburgh secondary with a quality slot corner. He could also see some success on the outside in more of a cloud corner role.

Of course, the Steelers could see Ramsey as the answer in the slot for the time being (where I think he fits best), making a Ponds pick somewhat redundant. Either way, the Indiana product is sure to be an instant fan favorite wherever he lands.

TL;DR: Ponds is a feisty, undersized cornerback who excels as a tackler and in coverage. He’s a playmaker in every phase of the game who will likely move to the slot in the NFL, but Ponds’ athleticism and high-effort playing style should make him an instant contributor.

What are your thoughts on Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!

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