Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Prize finalists have shot at $250k for their work to save endangered animals
2023 Indianapolis Prize: Pablo Borboroglu wins top conservation award
Pablo Borboroglu, founder of the Global Penguin Society, is the ninth winner of the globally renowned Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation.
Wochit
The Indianapolis Zoological Society has named six DeHaan finalists for its biennial Indianapolis Prize honoring animal conservationists from around the world.
The finalists have spent their lives working to protect manatees, kangaroos, orangutans and elephants and the critical habitat each species needs for healthy populations.
The winner of this year’s prize will receive a $250,000 award and will be celebrated at the Indianapolis Prize Gala on Sept. 27. The remaining five finalists and the winner of the society’s Emerging Conservationist Award will each receive a $50,000 award.
Dr. Rob Shumaker, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, said the six finalists have produced tangible results while protecting threatened species across the globe.
Indianapolis Prize reaches milestone
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the prize, which has awarded more than $7 million since it began.
The society established the Indianapolis Prize to bring attention to animal conservation and the people who spend their lives saving endangered animal species. It is the largest individual monetary award for work in this area.
2025 DeHaan finalists
Here are this year’s DeHaan finalists for the Indianapolis Prize.
- Alberto Alves Campos founded Aquasis, a nonprofit organization in Brazil that works with endangered species and habitat conservation. His work has improved the conservation status of the Antillean manatee.
- Lisa Dabek founded the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, where she partners with indigenous communities and local governments to establish conservation plans in Papua New Guinea.
- Biruté Mary Galdikas is the president and co-founder of Orangutan Foundation International, where she leads the way in orangutan ecology research. Galdikas was also an Indianapolis Prize DeHaan finalist in 2023.
- Julie Packard is the founding executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and works to uplift the sustainable seafood movement using ecosystem-based science.
- Lily-Arison René de Roland serves as the national director of The Peregrine Fund’s Madagascar program and has helped establish five national protected areas totaling 1,550 square miles.
- Lee James Taylor White is a field biologist with the Institute for Tropical Ecology Research working with the critically endangered African forest elephant in the countries of the Congo Basin.
2025 Emerging Conservationist Award
The society named its 10 finalists for the Emerging Conservationist Award in October last year. The award honors early-career efforts to save animal species.
The winner will be honored at the gala in September.
IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social
Indianapolis, IN
Tommy Davidson to perform in Indianapolis, discusses new sitcom and comedy
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Comedian Tommy Davidson, known for his work on “In Living Color” and “The Proud Family,” is set to perform at Helium Comedy Club in Indianapolis on Dec. 19, 20 and 21, 2025.
General admission tickets are priced at $36.97, while reserved tickets are available for $49.39. During a recent interview, Davidson expressed his thoughts on the lack of new Christmas music, emphasizing the need for fresh original songs during the holiday season.
Davidson has been touring with fellow comedian Cat Williams, showcasing their unique styles together. He revealed that their collaborative performances have allowed audiences from various backgrounds to come together and enjoy comedy, stating, “I look at my audience and it’s Latinos looking at whites and whites looking at Asians and Asians looking at Indians. We’re all the same still. And everybody laughing together, which I think is something that is vastly needed right now.”
In addition to his touring, Davidson is producing a new sitcom titled “Varnell,” based on a character from his earlier work. He shared insights into his upbringing, recalling, “Of course, of course. My mom taught me, you know, you live with an open hand, you know and you can receive and you can give, you know.” He reflected on his journey from humble beginnings to Hollywood stardom, highlighting the importance of hard work in achieving success.
Davidson discussed the significance of his experiences and how they shape his comedy. “That’s what comedy comes into play and has for so long for me personally, like stand up. That’s what it does. It takes all of your worries away, anything that you think is going on in the world.” He also touched upon the importance of storytelling and connecting with an audience, emphasizing, .”..that work part, that word work, you know, that’s what my mom taught me.”
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during busiest shipping week
INDIANAPOLIS — A busy holiday shipping season has left some Indianapolis residents frustrated with postal service delays, while others report smooth deliveries during what the United States Postal Service calls its busiest week of the year.
“This is actually the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week of the entire year. So we are incredibly busy,” said Susan Wright, USPS spokesperson.
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Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during holiday season
For Indianapolis resident Steve Burnstein, the holiday rush has meant nearly two weeks of waiting for gifts that should have arrived days ago.
“I’m just frustrated to the top, you know, there’s no reason for it,” Burnstein said.
After dropping off his gifts, Steve was told delivery would take just a matter of days. Nearly two weeks later, the packages remain stuck at a distribution center just miles from his home.
“They’re sitting at a distribution center at English at or Brookville Road near 465,” Burnstein added.
WRTV followed Steve to the post office to track down his missing packages, and employees spent more than 15 minutes searching for answers.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing — it’s moving through the distribution center— but not to California,” Steve said after the lengthy wait.
WRTV
Wright offered advice for avoiding shipping delays during the busy season.
“One thing that I want to encourage customers to do is to be sure you have an accurate address, and the one thing you do not want to guess about is the zip code, because the zip code is our first line of sortation. And so if that is incorrect, it will misdirect your package,” Wright said.
Other Indianapolis residents have had better experiences with the postal service during the holiday rush.
“They’re very good about getting your mail out and getting it on time,” Delores Parker from Indianapolis said.
Delores recommends additional precautions.
“I usually make sure it’s where I get a return receipt if it’s something that’s very important,” she added.
Steve suggests considering alternatives for critical shipments.
“Ship them FedEx, ship them UPS. Check and make sure that they’re gonna go,” Steve said.
According to the USPS Website, the deadline for a package to arrive by Christmas through Priority Mail Express is Saturday, December 20.
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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.
Indianapolis, IN
Silver Alert declared for 16-year-old boy missing from Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the disappearance of Robert Williams Jr., a 16-year-old Black male who is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 185 pounds, has black hair with brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray coat, blue sweat pants, and black tennis shoes.
Williams Jr. is missing from Indianapolis, and was last seen on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. He is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.
Investigators ask that anyone with information on Williams Jr. contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-6541 or 911.
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