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These are four of Indiana’s most treasured views. How to find and enjoy them

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These are four of Indiana’s most treasured views. How to find and enjoy them


Outsiders might not associate the Crossroads of America with scenic beauty, but get beyond Hoosiers’ Midwest modesty and Indianapolis residents will point you to some truly inspiring views in their home state.

You can drive from Fremont in far northeast Indiana to Mount Vernon in the state’s southwest in less than six hours, and there are ample day trips to be had in the spaces between. While not an exhaustive list of Indiana’s most treasured places, these sites offer varied experiences that are all breathtaking in their own right.

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[ Most Treasured Views in America: National | West | South | Middle America | Northeast ]

Brown County’s fall colors from Bean Blossom Overlook

A day trip to scenic Brown County is a fall rite of passage for many Hoosiers. With acres of wooded hills, Indiana’s “Little Smokies” offer a unique rural refuge only an hour’s drive south of downtown Indianapolis.

From Nashville’s quaint shops and restaurants to Brown County State Park’s numerous trails and views from its 90-foot fire tower, there are relaxing options for all abilities and interests. A five-minute drive north of Nashville on State Highway 135 will take drivers to the Bean Blossom Overlook, one of the best vistas for fall foliage peeping in the county.

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Brown County offers year-round cultural and recreational activities, but peak visiting season comes between October and early November when leaves from the region’s American beech, sugar maple, black walnut, shagbark hickory and white ash turn vibrant hues of yellow, orange and red.

Things to do:

  • Pull off at the Bean Blossom Overlook, 3.7 miles north of Nashville on State Highway 135, and soak in the views from the easily accessible roadside stop.
  • Visit Brown County State Park for miles of hiking, horseback riding, or even an overnight stay at the park’s historic Abe Martin Lodge. Brown County State Park offers a variety of free and paid activities, which visitors can research on its website. The daily entrance fee is $7 for Hoosiers and $9 for nonresidents.
  • Tour downtown Nashville’s eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and historical landmarks. From fine dining to ice cream, artisan shops and a pioneer museum, Nashville can offer a fun break and fuel for further outdoor exploration.

Indiana Dunes National Park’s expansive Lake Michigan vistas

With sand between your toes, Lake Michigan gently lapping at its southern shore, and abundant birdwatching, Indiana Dunes National Park brings Hoosiers beach vibes without the full-day drive to Florida or the Carolinas.

Dedicated as a national park in 2019, this 15-mile stretch of sandy beaches, rising dunes and wildlife-filled marshes is unlike anything else in Indiana. Today’s dunes, a 2 ½-hour drive north of Indianapolis, are the result of more than a century of struggle to preserve this ecologically diverse stretch of lakeshore from development and decline.

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Park explorers can learn about the dunes’ shifting sands, Great Lakes ecosystem and more through interpretative offerings, or just kick back and enjoy some sand and sun on a hot summer day.

Things to do:

  • Take a hike. The park’s 1966 Hiking Challenge is inspired by its 19 hikes covering 66 miles of trail. Ranger-led hikes are held at 8 a.m. Saturdays from late April through August. Those who complete all 19 treks, with a ranger-led group or on their own, can earn a commemorative sticker.
  • Plan a beach day. Most of the park’s beaches are open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., while West and Porter beaches close at 9 p.m. West Beach offers locker rooms, showers and lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend.
  • Contemplate the cosmos. The park’s Kemil Beach is open 24 hours, allowing stargazers a chance to enjoy dark skies afforded by the park’s remote nature and nearby Beverly Shores’ designation as an International Dark Sky Community.

Indiana Dunes charges a $25 entrance fee per vehicle. America the Beautiful pass holders can enter for free. Learn more about the park, fees and activities at www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm.

University of Notre Dame’s majestic campus

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Few university campuses can claim to match the instantly recognizable grandeur of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. The golden dome of the Main Building towers over a campus filled with iconography of the Catholic faith, Hoosier history and college football tradition.

Campus explorers can find the Gothic-inspired Basilica of the Sacred Heart next to the Main Building, reflect at the Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes, take in the famous mural of “Touchdown Jesus” on the Hesburgh Library and circle legendary Notre Dame Stadium on their own, or as part of one of the university’s guided tours.

Things to do:

  • Tour Notre Dame Stadium. Football junkies can schedule a paid tour, ranging from $10 per person to $300 for a private group of 10. The private tours and $20 North Tunnel Experience include a stop at the iconic “Play Like a Champion” sign.
  • Shop at the bookstore. The Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore, 1 Eck Center, is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Sure, it sells college essentials, but the wide variety of Fighting Irish memorabilia is the real draw for visitors. Pro tip: Notre Dame is a cashless campus, so be ready to break out your debit or credit card.
  • Dine on campus. Exploration is hungry work, and Notre Dame has numerous options for visitors seeking a step up from the dining halls. Legends of Notre Dame and Rohr’s are both open to the public and take reservations. Legends pub is just south of Notre Dame Stadium, while the more upscale Rohr’s is located in Morris Inn.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, right before the Indy 500

You didn’t think we’d forget “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” did you?

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You don’t have to be here on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend to enjoy Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A newly renovated museum, the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course, and IndyCar Experience two-seat race car rides are among the diverse options to take in racing’s hallowed grounds.

But there’s nothing else in the world like the moments before the Indianapolis 500, as more than 300,000 fans gather for “(Back Home Again in) Indiana,” the national anthem and military flyover, and the unmistakable roar after “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

Race fans can enter the grounds and browse the IMS Museum’s gift shop for free outside of event days, or pay to attend any number of events on the track. Outside of the Indy 500, the annual IMS schedule stretches into October, with NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks, and the Indy 8 Hour Intercontinental GT Challenge among the late summer and early fall offerings.

Things to do:

  • Kiss the bricks: Recreate this Indy 500 tradition by kissing the bricks at the track’s finish line. The track’s “Kiss the Bricks Tour” runs $15 for adults with discounted rates for kids and seniors. Museum admission is required for all tours and costs $25 for adults.
  • Take in a race: Visit indianapolismotorspeedway.com/season-schedule for a full schedule of upcoming events and plan a visit around a day of racing.
  • Grab some gear: The official IMS shop is attached to the speedway’s museum, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, though hours vary in May. Race junkies need to be prepared for impulse buys, though, as everything in the store is an eye-catcher. The museum is at 4750 W. 16th St., in the track’s infield.

Eric Larsen is IndyStar’s executive editor. Reach him at ericlarsen@indystar.com

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Indiana redistricting is up for a final, deciding vote in the state Senate – The Boston Globe

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Indiana redistricting is up for a final, deciding vote in the state Senate – The Boston Globe


Indiana state senators are expected to take a final, high-stakes vote on redistricting Thursday after months of pressure from President Donald Trump, and the outcome is still uncertain.

Even in the face of one-on-one pressure from the White House and violent threats against state lawmakers, many Indiana Republicans have been reluctant to back a new congressional map that would favor their party’s candidates in the 2026 elections.

Trump is asking Republican-led states to redistrict in the middle of the decade, an uncommon practice, in order to make more winnable seats for the GOP ahead of next year’s elections. Midterms tend to favor the party opposite the one in power, and Democrats are increasingly liking their odds at flipping control of the U.S. House after the results of recent high-profile elections.

In Indiana, Trump supports passage of a new map drawn up by the National Republican Redistricting Trust designed to deliver all nine of the state’s congressional districts to the GOP. Republicans currently hold seven of the nine seats.

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On Wednesday night, he sharply criticized party members who didn’t want to go along with the plan, and he repeated his threat to back primary challenges for anyone who voted against it.

“If Republicans will not do what is necessary to save our Country, they will eventually lose everything to the Democrats,” Trump wrote on social media.

The new map would split the city of Indianapolis into four districts, each included with large portions of rural Indiana — three of which would stretch from the central city to the borders of nearby states. Indianapolis now makes up one congressional district long held by Democratic U.S. Rep. André Carson.

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The proposed map is also designed to eliminate the district of U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, who represents an urban district near Chicago.

A dozen lawmakers of the 50-member state Senate have not publicly declared a stance on the new maps.

If at least four of that group side with the chamber’s 10 Democrats and 12 other Republicans who are expected to vote no, the vote would fail in a remarkable rebuke to Trump’s demand.

Supporters of the proposed map need at least 25 yes votes; a tie would be broken with Republican Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s vote, who is in favor of redistricting.

In a Senate committee Monday, the redistricting legislation took its first step toward passage in a 6-3 vote, with one Republican joining the committee’s two Democrats in voting against it. However, a few of the Republican senators indicated they may vote against the bill in a final vote.

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The Republican supermajority in the state House passed the proposed map last week. Twelve Republicans voted with the chamber’s 30 Democrats against the bill.

Nationally, mid-cycle redistricting so far has resulted in nine more congressional seats that Republicans believe they can win and six more congressional seats that Democrats think they can win. However, redistricting is being litigated in several states.

Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina quickly enacted new GOP-favorable maps. California voters recently approved a new map in response to Texas’ that would favor Democratic candidates, and a judge in Utah imposed new districts that could allow Democrats to win a seat, after ruling that Republican lawmakers circumvented voter-approved anti-gerrymandering standards.

Multiple Republican groups are threatening to support primary opponents of Indiana state senators who vote against redistricting. Turning Point Action pledged “congressional level spending” in state Legislature races if the redistricting measure does not pass. Trump has also vowed to endorse primary challengers of members who vote against the new map.





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DoorDash driver accused of pepper-spraying customer’s Arby’s order, resulting in wife falling ill

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DoorDash driver accused of pepper-spraying customer’s Arby’s order, resulting in wife falling ill


Caught red (pepper) handed.

A DoorDash driver has been banned from the app after being accused of dousing an order with pepper spray and causing an unsuspecting customer to fall ill after eating the tainted food.

The sick act was caught on a doorbell camera outside an Evansville, Indiana, home just after midnight on Sunday.

A DoorDash driver sprays an unknown substance on a food delivery order in Evansville, Indiana, on Dec. 7, 2025. Mark Cardin/Facebook

The driver, who hasn’t been charged with any crime, was dropping off an Arby’s delivery to Mark Cardin and his wife, Mandy, when she snapped a confirmation photo before suddenly producing an object from her pocket and spraying the order.

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The blue-haired worker placed the spray back into her jacket pocket before walking away, all in front of the camera.

The couple brought the order inside, unaware that something was wrong with it and began chowing down.

Moments later, Mandy began struggling to breathe.

“I noticed my wife had starting eating and she started choking and gasping, and after she had a couple bites of her food she actually threw up,” he told WFIE.

Mandy and Mark Cardin ordered Arby’s to their home through DoorDash on Dec. 7, 2025. Mark Cardin/Facebook
The sick act was caught on a doorbell camera outside an Evansville, Indiana, home just after midnight on Sunday. Mark Cardin/Facebook

The horrified customer began investigating the cause of his wife’s sudden illness when he examined the order.

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“I had a look at the bag and seen that there was some kind of spray or something,” Cardin said. “The bag had been tampered with. So I pulled up my doorbell camera and seen that the lady who dropped the food off had actually tampered with it on purpose for some reason.”

Cardin shared the photos and videos of the driver to Facebook asking for help in identifying the driver.

He attempted to contact her but found she already blocked him on the app.

Cardin shared the photos and videos of the driver to Facebook asking for help in identifying the driver. Mark Cardin/Facebook

Cardin reported the food runner’s stunt to DoorDash and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office is looking to get the driver fired and charged.

“I definitely want to see her prosecuted,” Cardin told WFIE, adding that they had never met her before and had left a tip before the incident.

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The driver has been banned from the app after footage surfaced of the late-night delivery.

“We have zero tolerance for this type of appalling behavior. The Dasher in question has been permanently removed from the platform, and our team is standing by to support law enforcement with any investigation,” a DoorDash spokesperson told The Post.

The driver has been banned from the app after footage surfaced of the late-night delivery. Mark Cardin/Facebook

Cardin doesn’t know exactly what was sprayed on the food, fearing it could’ve been worse than it was.

“It’s horrific,” Cardin said. “We assume it’s pepper spray, that’s more than likely what it is, but now in this day and age it could’ve been anything. It could’ve been rat poison, it could’ve been fentanyl. I mean, my wife could’ve been dead.”

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation into the driver and could charge her with consumer product tampering, a level 6 felony, according to WFIE.

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If the foreign spray resulted in harm the charge could be increased to a level 5 felony.

“We live in a terrible world right now,” Mark said. “Horrific. People are mean for no reason. There was no reason to do what she done,” Cardin said, encouraging other food delivery app users to be cautious with their future orders.

“I would say to anybody, if you order food on any kind of delivery service, make sure you have a doorbell,” Mark said.

“This is making me second guess ever ordering food from anywhere ever again,” he said.

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Several northeast Indiana cities, counties awarded grants for infrastructure projects

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Several northeast Indiana cities, counties awarded grants for infrastructure projects


NORTHEAST INDIANA (WPTA) – The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has announced the list of cities and counties selected to receive funds through its Community Crossings Matching Grant Program.

The Community Crossings program, created in 2016, gives funding to towns, cities, and counties in the Hoosier State that are used for infrastructure improvement projects.

Projects eligible for funding through the program include road and bridge preservation projects that comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards, along with chip sealing and crack-filling operations.

On Tuesday, the following recipients were announced:

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Allen County, Bluffton, DeKalb County, and LaGrange County were among those that received the largest grants, at $1 million.

You can view the full list of recipients here.

INDOT says the next call for project submissions will open in July. For more information about the program, visit INDOT’s website.

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