WASHINGTON (AP) — Travelers who aren’t REAL ID compliant by the upcoming deadline this week will still be able to fly but should be prepared for extra scrutiny, the head of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

Kristi Noem told a Congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have IDs that comply with the REAL ID requirements. She said security checkpoints will also be accepting passports and tribal identification when the deadline hits Wednesday.

Those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step,” Noem said.

“But people will be allowed to fly,” she said. “We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”

REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security says is a more secure form of identification. It was a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005, but implementation has been repeatedly delayed.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — While many have racing on their minds this month, May is also Trauma Awareness Month, and both the Red Cross and IMS are coming together to honor both.

The American Red Cross and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are hosting a two-day blood drive Wednesday and Friday.

Those who come in to roll up their sleeves and give blood will receive free admission and a Garage pass to Fast Friday on May 16.

Additionally, those who sign up in advance to donate on Friday will get a hospitality pass and a Garage pass valid only on Friday. People with appointments on May 9 will be contacted to pick up their hospitality pass before their appointment. 

According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. During emergencies or trauma situations, it’s the blood already on the shelves that helps save lives.

People older than 17, 16-year-olds with parental consent, and those who weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate.

To make a donation appointment, visit their website.

Here’s where you can go to donate this week:

Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

• Red Cross Office in Indianapolis, 1510 N. Meridian St. 

Friday, May 9: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

• North Chalet of the Plaza Village at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4790 W. 16th St. 

BARGERSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Bargersville will get a new roundabout thanks to an award of over $2 million in federal funds from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization.

“This project is a prime example of how federal transportation funds can be leveraged to improve safety and support community growth,” Executive Director of IMPO Anna Gremling.

Coming to the intersection of State Road 135 and State Road 144, the roundabout is being created to improve safety for drivers and pedestrians and make the intersection easier for traffic flow.

“The new roundabout will significantly reduce congestion and improve safety for our growing population,” Bargersville Town Manager Dax Norton said.

The intersection currently sees heavy traffic and significant delays, making it a critical area for improvement as Bargersville continues to develop. In addition to traffic efficiency and safety, the roundabout will incorporate sustainable infrastructure, aligning with Bargersville’s broader goals of creating an attractive environment for residents and visitors.

Construction on the project is expected to begin as soon as 2028 and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2029.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Archaeologists working on the Henry Street Bridge project have identified 674 grave shafts in an area once part of the historic Greenlawn Cemetery, according to a new update from the Indianapolis Department of Public Works.

The discovery was made by Stantec, the city’s archaeology consultant, which began work in the Henry Street right-of-way in November 2024. The current excavation zone, located along the east side of the White River, runs toward Kentucky Avenue.

The site falls within the Old Burying Ground, the original section of Greenlawn Cemetery, where archaeologists have been carefully excavating to make way for bridge construction without disturbing the area’s historical integrity.

Before the dig began, Indianapolis estimated crews might find up to 650 grave shafts in the project zone. Stantec’s latest count has surpassed that, but experts say it’s too soon to determine how many individuals were buried there.

According to the department, the number of grave shafts they found doesn’t equate to the number of people they believe are buried there. Determining that number requires more research and lab analysis of the recovered remains.

Despite the increase, the city and its consultants say their commitment to handling the work with care has not changed.

“Our approach and commitment to the respectful excavation and reinternment of individuals remains unchanged,” Stantec lead archaeologist Ryan Peterson wrote in a statement. “While more grave shafts have been identified than initially estimated for the right-of-way, this does not necessarily mean we will unearth a similar number of grave shafts in the areas still awaiting excavation.”

Indy DPW says a public meeting is planned for July to give residents a closer look at construction progress in the White River Innovation District and offer preliminary insights from the ongoing archaeology work.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Nearly 45 years after John Lennon’s death, his musical legacy ‘rolls on’ in the form of a bus that’s stopping in Central Indiana this week.

“(It’s) a way for students to see all the stuff that goes in behind the scenes in media production and especially music,” University of Indianapolis Music Technology Dr. Brett Leonard. He visited Daybreak to invite everyone to see the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus at the UIndy campus.

The bus opens its doors Wednesday for UIndy students, but Indianapolis Public Schools got to experience the tour first.

The bus tours the country in part as a mobile monument to Lennon’s place in modern musical history, but also for its educational focus on the future. Organizers hope it can serve as a launching pad for a lifetime of learning for visitors of all ages.

“I’m really excited to just kind of see what exactly they’re working with in the modern era of the music industry,” UIndy student Emerson Graft said. He’s majoring in Music Industry as a jazz guitarist with an eye on a career in the business. “I’d love to get into a studio someday, work with some some great musicians, (and) get some some people’s music out there. That’s the end goal!”

As a member of Gen Z, Graft did not grow up with first-hand memories of John Lennon’s work as a Beatle, his later standalone career, or early death at the hands of an assassin, but Graft feels deeply that Lennon’s legacy should be secure among all generations.

“The Beatles is, like, the foundation of what music is today, in my opinion,” he says. “So I think that it’s pretty important to know who that is.”

The bus will be outside the Schwitzer Student Center and UIndy from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 7. Everyone is welcome.

“We would love to see anybody who’s never had a chance to check out a really high-end recording studio, anybody who’s maybe interested in that – either as a hobby or as a profession – whether they’re students or professionals,” Leonard said. “Anybody’s welcome!”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Attorneys for a child who was forced to eat his own vomit at a Brownsburg school say they expect a former teacher’s aide to change her plea in the case at a hearing Tuesday.

Online court records show a pre-trial conference for Debra Kanipe set for 1 p.m. before Judge Rhett Stuart. Kanipe is charged with neglect of a dependent and failure to report.

Prosecutors say Kanipe handed the child a spoon after his teacher, Sara Seymour, told him to eat his own vomit in 2023.

Last month, a judge sentenced Seymour to less than a year of probation.

Attorneys for the student’s family released a statement from his mother saying her son has since developed a fear of food and no longer trusts adults.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More than two months after the crash that killed 18-year-old Mason Alexander, his family says they are finally beginning to see justice take shape.

“This is just the beginning,” Shanice Patterson, Alexander’s cousin, said Monday. She spoke with News 8’s Reyna Revelle just hours after the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office filed a petition to move the case against the 17-year-old driver to adult court.

Alexander, a former Hamilton Southeastern High School football star with plans to play at the University of Pittsburgh, was a passenger when the car veered off the road and struck a tree in Fishers.

Witnesses told police the driver was attempting to pass another vehicle at high speed before swerving to avoid oncoming traffic. The vehicle burst into flames. Alexander did not survive.

Patterson, speaking on behalf of the grieving family, described her cousin as a spirited young man whose life was filled with promise and purpose.

“We always knew one day he was going to carry that field,” she said, referencing his future in college football. “That’s what he did. That’s what he was going to do as soon as he got to Pitt. But we’ve got him now.”

On Monday, prosecutors announced they are seeking to charge the driver with reckless homicide, reckless driving, and possession of false government-issued identification. A judge will decide whether the case is transferred to adult court.

The teen’s name has not been released.

For Patterson and her family, the petition represents more than legal progress—it’s a turning point in their pursuit of accountability. “We’re happy that justice is starting to be served in this matter,” she said.

Still, Patterson says that the day was emotionally overwhelming. “Today has been so hard, but I’m just speechless,” she said. “I wish (Mason) was still here, because it’s almost time for kickoff.”

Patterson also had a message for the driver. “Cars are not something you play with,” she said. “Having your friend or even someone else in the car—you could possibly end your life as well as theirs.”

The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement offering condolences to Alexander’s family and friends.

“This is an unimaginable loss,” the office said. “As prosecutors, we are committed to seeking justice in a way that honors Mason’s life and respects the seriousness of this tragedy.”

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