SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – South Bend is officially in “This is May” mode.

The Tire Rack’s corporate headquarters on Wednesday night was one of the race themed community events popping up across Indiana ahead of the Indy 500.

It is all part of the buildup to the 110th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Organizers say the point is simple, get people together, decorate, and have fun.

Across the state, you will start seeing checkered flags, black and white drapes and homemade race day decor on porches and at businesses.

“When you say Indianapolis 500, you say Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it has Indianapolis in the name, but it really is an Indiana asset. The reason it is getting ready to have its 110th running of the Indy 500 is because of the way this entire state has embraced it,” said Doug Boles president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indy Car series. “The Indianapolis 500 and the Speedway is responsible for about $1.1 billion in economic impact across our state.”

In South Bend, it is a reminder that you do not have to be in Indianapolis to feel the buzz.

Stay up to date on local news with WNDU on-air and online. Be sure to download the 16 News Now App and follow our YouTube page as we continue to bring you the latest news coverage.

Indianapolis and the surrounding metropolitan area failed a number of critical air pollution measures in the American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air report.

The ALA’s annual nationwide report published each spring gives the Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie metro area an “F” in smog and soot pollution. The report analyzes emissions data over a three-year period from 2022 to 2024.

Smog is ground-level ozone pollution and soot is particulate matter. The two comprise two of the six commonly found air pollutants in the United States according to the EPA.

Both pollutants form in part when coal-fired power plants and diesel engines burn fossil fuels. Smog and soot can cause premature death and other serious health hazards such as heart attacks, strokes, preterm births, asthma and cognitive decline, according to the ALA.

The lung health report ranks the central Indiana metro area in a number of categories with the region performing poorly in most. Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie ranked the 11^th most polluted area for year-round particle pollution and 14th for short-term particle pollution.

Indiana children at risk from air pollution

And the rest of the state fares little better.

More than 670,000 Hoosier children breath unhealthy levels of air pollution, the report says.

This year’s report focus on the risk to youth that polluted air can pose. Small lungs are particularly vulnerable, said Tiffany Nichols, ALA director of advocacy.

“Infants, children and teens have lungs that are still developing, which makes them more susceptible to the impacts of unhealthy air,” Nichols said.

To prevent today’s youth from developing diseases related to polluted air, the American Lung Association has been asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop rolling back clean air rules put in place by previous administrations. The Indiana chapter has also asked state lawmakers to take steps to protect air quality.