Indianapolis, IN
‘The laws are the laws:’ Indy Pride organizers balance event safety, community concerns
SCOTUS takes up case on LGBTQ+, inclusive books in schools
Demonstrators on both sides protested as the Supreme Court heard a school district’s case on parents’ rights and LGBTQ+ books.
Five years after Indy Pride stopped hiring police for event security, organizers say they’re still keeping law enforcement at arm’s length while staying compliant with city code.
The plans to retain status quo were announced during a public discussion between the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Indy Pride on April 23. A chair reserved for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department sat empty.
Indy Pride, the organization that hosts events, including the annual June parade, announced a plan to replace police with private security firms in June 2020. Leadership cited solidarity with protests against police brutality.
Per city code, only law enforcement can manage road closures and direct traffic away from outdoor festivities. Uniformed officers remain just outside the celebrations, causing some attendees to wonder whether Indy Pride’s stance on police at Pride has changed.
“We will continue to stand with Black Lives Matter,” Jose Castillo Jimenez, Indy Pride board president, said April 23. The security personnel that now monitor events are not police officers, according to Castillo Jimenez.
Representatives for Indy Pride explained that they’d be unable to get permits for their largest events, which can attract as many as 60,000 visitors, without some degree of cooperation with police.
The discussion in Indianapolis came amid an ongoing national conversation about the role of law enforcement at LGBTQ+ celebrations.
Pride month is celebrated in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a days-long series of protests against police raids at a New York City gay bar.
Nearly all of the attendees who spoke at the April 23 meeting said that the presence of law enforcement turns what should feel like a safe space into a hostile environment.
“Whenever I see police officers, I get nervous,” said Riley Seungyoon Park, an Indianapolis writer. “I get extremely nervous, because I know what they do to our community members.”
A feeling of distrust has only increased amid a recent swath of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Indiana and throughout the country.
“We don’t have to imagine a reality in which trans people develop a profound anxiety simply existing in public life out of fear for their safety, because we’re already there,” said Elliot Froese, a graduate student.
While it’s possible that volunteers could one day replace some police who surround the event’s perimeters, Indy Pride currently lacks the necessary manpower and insurance to make that possible, board members said. Police would still be needed for road closures under city rules.
“The laws are the laws, and we have to follow them at the end of the day, so we can give you what you want — so you can have joy,” said Aundrea Lacy, an Indy Pride board member.
Derek Ford, one of the town hall’s organizers, said IMPD earlier said they’d send a representative but then reversed course shortly before the event.
“The absence is very present,” Ford said.
An IMPD spokesperson said Indy Pride had contacted one of the department’s LGBTQ+ liaisons to see if anyone was available, but all were busy.
IMPD and Indy Pride
In 2021, Indy Pride landed at the center of a social media controversy after posting a photo of friends posing in an Indy 500 car, holding pride flags. The post was swiftly deleted after commenters decried the IMPD logo on one person’s t-shirt.
“This photo hurt members of our community that are actively fighting against police brutality,” Indy Pride said in a statement after the deletion.
IMPD faced online backlash of its own after wrapping a patrol car with a rainbow flag decal in June 2023. In response, a department spokesperson told IndyStar that IMPD “celebrates Pride Month and the contributions of our LGBTQ+ colleagues within our department, community and our city.”
2025 Indy Pride events
- May 3: Drippin’ in Pearls Pageant, Mr & Mx categories, 5 – 11 p.m., Krannert Room in Butler University’s Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave.
- May 4: Drippin’ in Pearls Pageant, Ms. Category, 5 – 11 p.m., Krannert Room in Butler University’s Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave.
- May 10: Rainbow 5k run/walk, 7 a.m., Fowling Warehouse, 1125 E. Brookside Ave., Ste. D9
- May 11: 250 Tricycle race, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Sun King Brewery, 135 N. College Ave.
- May 16: Asian and Pacific Islander Pride dance party, 7 – 10 p.m., 10 East Arts Hub, 3137 E. 10th St.
- May 31: Pride Pet Parade, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Riverside Park, 2420 E. Riverside Drive.
- June 1: Interfaith celebration, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Riverside Park, 2420 E. Riverside Drive
- June 1: Cookout and Bat N Rouge, 1 – 5 p.m., Riverside Park, 2420 E. Riverside Drive
- June 6: Queeraoke Night, 6 – 10 p.m., 10 East Arts Hub, 3137 E. 10th St.
- June 9: Deaf Pride, 7 – 10 p.m., Greg’s Our Place, 231 E. 16th St.
- June 12: Girl Pride, 7 – 11 p.m., The Vogue Theatre, 6259 N. College Ave.
- June 14: Pride Parade, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., begins at 748 Massachusetts Ave.
- June 14 – 15: Celebration on the Circle Pride Festival, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Monument Circle
- June 14 – 15: Word of Mouth music series, 2 – 10 p.m., American Legion Mall, 700 N. Pennsylvania St.
- June 21: Betty Who Out of the Darkness Tour, 6 p.m., Hi-Fi Annex, 1065 St. Patrick St.
- June 26: Bi and Beyond: A Pride Celebration, 7 – 10 p.m., 10 East Arts Hub, 3137 E. 10th St.
- June 27: Community Music Night, 6-9 p.m., Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St.
- June 27: LatinX Pride, 7 p.m. – 2 a.m., The Vogue Theatre, 6259 N. College Ave.
Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis will challenge 60 degrees multiple times to close this week. How frequent are 60-degree days in the month of January?
Over the last 5 years, Indianapolis has hit 60 degrees in January only twice. Bloomington did it four times in this same stretch.
Our last time hitting the 60-degree threshold in this month was in January 2023 in Indy. Temperature records for the city have been kept since 1872. On average, Indianapolis has around one day of making it to 60 degrees in January since record keeping began.
1880 is the year with the most January 60 degrees or higher days on record at 8 days. In 2017, Indianapolis had 4 days make it to the threshold. This is the last time we had multiple days in the 60s in January.
For the latest 7-day forecast, visit our weather blog by clicking here.
Indianapolis, IN
Between Springfield And Indianapolis Is Illinois’ Cozy City With A Buzzing Main Street – Islands
Resting between the United States’s pulsing coasts and among its inland cities-du-jour (lookin’ at you, Austin, Texas), lies an embarrassment of bite-sized riches. Small, intimate locales that offer a counterweight to New York City’s megawatt pulse, or San Francisco’s erudite cool. Places like Monticello, a cozy Illinois city with a lively Main Street that may be the exact opposite of the Instagram-worthy destinations drawing masses of visitors. Sandwiched between Springfield and Indianapolis, the small city of about 6,000 instead offers a big dose of small-town charm and humility.
Monticello holds an underappreciated place in history. Abraham Lincoln, still a young lawyer, spent time in the local Tenbrook Hotel as he traveled the Eighth Judicial Circuit, cutting his teeth as an aspiring legal mind. He also had a knack for turning social events inside out. One infamous scene involved Honest Abe persuading children to heat an inflated pig’s bladder in a fireplace. The ensuing explosion sent hot coals all over the room, with Lincoln setting a broom on fire trying to clean up the mess.
You won’t find any bouncy pig bladders or flaming brooms, but his time in the area is commemorated with “Looking for Lincoln” plaques scattered at places he frequented during his time there and the rest of Illinois. Monticello gladly embraces its history, offering a perfect counterbalance to Urbana-Champaign, a trendy college town with thriving arts and vibrant culture that’s 30 minutes away. It’s an idyllic weekend getaway for travelers tired of slapping hashtags on everything.
Check out Main Street, dine, and ride the rails
The cozy city offers a Baby Bear’s porridge version of a big-ticket destination: not so overwhelming that the average traveler burns out from the heat, yet also not so chill that it leaves visitors twiddling their thumbs. The town’s downtown area, which orbits around Main Street, gives visitors a chance to see the small city’s best offerings and spend a little cash. There’s No Place Like Home, just off Washington Street, has a delightful collection of antiques, jewelry, and upcycled tchotchkes that make splurging a guilt-free exercise. Mary, Maude & Me, an antique store just two blocks away in a charming little brick house, has a similarly eclectic, well-curated inventory of vintage wares. Next, it’s time to chug along to the town’s biggest draw.
Any visit must include a stop at the Monitcello Railway Museum. Its weekend train rides offer a time portal back to an era when rails and steam engines helped small towns like Monticello expand. Bookended by two depots, the museum’s dozens of historic trains reward passengers with a sense they’re on the set of a “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Afterward, your stomach will likely grumble. Thankfully, Monticello offers plenty of dining options.
The smattering of small eateries covers a wide breadth of humble food options, sans white tablecloths. Hankering for some Mexican? Casa Real and Las Marias have you covered. Those in more of a lunch pail and hard hat mood can hit the Brown Bag Deli. Its mix of wraps, sandwiches, and full-on meals will satiate exactly the ravenous hunger one feels after spending time on a railroad.
The ins and outs of visiting Monticello
No matter where you’re traveling from, you’ll need a car to reach the city. Despite its proximity to several larger metropolises, Monticello’s closest airport is the University of Illinois Willard Airport, a comparatively small hub that often requires a transfer at Chicago O’Hare to reach. The closest major transit hub, Indianapolis International Airport, unfortunately, is two hours away. The drive in, however, offers plenty of worthwhile pit stops. About halfway between the airport and Monticello, you’ll find Danville, an underrated Illinois city that’s a peaceful lakeside retreat.
Monticello’s diminutive size limits your available accommodations. A single chain hotel and a smaller inn are the only available options, costing between $75 and $200. Decatur, itself an underrated Midwest gem with trails, public art, and a zoo, sits about half an hour away and offers some more places to overnight.
While there’s no wrong time to visit Monticello, the muggy summers and chilly winters mean the weather’s most pleasant during the shoulder season. If you’re in town between June and October, include a stop at the city’s farmers’ market. Local vendors offer everything from baked goods to flowers, along with the usual smattering of fresh produce. No inflated pig bladders, though.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gov. Mike Braun on Tuesday told News 8 tougher enforcement in Indiana and at the U.S.-Mexico border saved lives last year.
The Indiana State Police said state troopers seized 1,574 pounds of cocaine last year, including 1,100 pounds taken from a U-Haul truck. They also seized 88 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 73 pounds of heroin and 191,000 fentanyl pills.
State police said those are records as far as they know. For comparison, state police seized 919 pounds of cocaine, 73 pounds of fentanyl powder and 20 pounds of heroin in 2024.
In an interview with News 8, Braun said state police have changed some of their techniques, including how they approach commercial vehicle enforcement.
“You see the semis get pulled over, that’s generally for a safety check, maybe a taillight being out. Well, they’re going to the next step just to make sure nothing else is amiss,” he said.
Braun credits those enforcement efforts, along with supply disruptions due to the Trump administration’s tougher border policies, with a drop in drug overdose deaths. The state health department’s drug overdose dashboard shows 562 overdose deaths in the first half of 2025 compared to 869 during the same period in 2024, a drop of roughly 35%. The department’s data for 2025 and 2024 is preliminary and is current only through August 5 of last year.
Substance abuse treatment advocates said tougher enforcement and better access to treatment both play a role in reducing overdose deaths. Overdose Lifeline founder Justin Phillips said fentanyl is now present in virtually every illicit drug, so access to the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone is a must. She said the biggest obstacle people battling addiction in Indiana face is being able to navigate the treatment options that are available to them. Phillips said Indiana 211 is an excellent resource.
“Parents and caregivers and people who love someone with substance use disorder need tools to understand how to still navigate those resources and know what questions to ask and how to get their own recovery, because the whole family suffers, not just the individual,” she said.
Phillips said overdose deaths spike in the immediate aftermath of large-scale drug busts because users are unable to work with their usual dealers and turn to new dealers who might sell even more adulterated substances. In Marion County, Overdose Lifeline and the Marion County Health Department run a text alert system called CHARIOT that can alert users to bad batches and large-scale seizures, as well as connect them with naloxone and treatment services.
Braun said he plans to ask for increased funding for substance abuse and mental health programs when lawmakers begin their next budget session in 2027. He said the December revenue forecast indicates the state will have more money to work with than state economists feared during the final days of budget negotiations last year.
“When you are doing things that are working so well, you continue doing it,” he said. “And as we gather information in terms of new things to do, looking at what other states might do, we’ll do all of that. But when you go from over 1,600 overdoses (in 2024) to 562 (in the first half of 2025), that’s an Allelujah moment.”
Users can sign up for CHARIOT by texting that word to 833-274-7039.
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