SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — Back home again in Indiana! At least that’s how it feels for NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson.

Two months after racing in his second-straight Indianapolis 500, Larson returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to defend his Brickyard 400 crown after an impressive win last July.

“It’s just always good to come back to this beautiful facility with so much history, especially coming back after winning the Brickyard 400 last year. Hopefully, we can do the same this year,” Larson said. “I’ve always felt like I’ve had a huge fanbase when I come to Indy because it does feel like a second home in a lot of ways. I definitely feel the support, and I enjoy it.”

Thanks to the Indy 500, Larson has had more time driving around the oval than most of his competitors. They know how hard it will be to stop him Sunday.

“The knowledge he gained from the IndyCar really set him up for a good race last year in the Cup Series,” Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon said. “I bet that our cars slow down a little when you’re racing an IndyCar out here. He was doing a couple things that definitely helped give him leverage throughout the event.”

“It’s really hard to beat Kyle Larson at anything and that’s in anything he drives including the Cup Series,” Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain laughed. “We’re Chevy teammates with him so we see what they did and the changes and the driving of what he was able to adapt to. He’s just really good at adapting. If we compete with the 5, then we’ll have a shot.”

Larson might not have been able to kiss the bricks in the month of May, but a win Sunday would make him just the seventh driver in Cup Series history to win multiple Brickyard 400s.

It would also mean back-to-back victories. The last time that happened was in 2020 with Kevin Harvick.

Larson knows just how special making that history would be.

“That’d be awesome,” Larson said. “We’re going to give it our best effort for sure this weekend. It’s a tough track for passing so you do have to lean on your team a bit, and your strategy and your pit crew and everybody involved, so I think that’s what makes winning here at the Brickyard special is that it takes not just yourself. It takes your whole team. I know it will be a tough race. We just have to try to keep it up front.”

And maybe kiss those bricks one more time.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The man who shot and killed his wife Thursday was a convicted felon with a history of domestic violence, I-Team learned on Friday.

Walter McNary, 76, led Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers on a chase when they tried to pull him over for shooting his wife.

A mugshot from 2011 showed McNary in the Indiana Department of Corrections. He was in prison for violating probation linked drug charges. He was released right before Christmas.

According to court documents, in early May 2012, he came home at 4 a.m. and woke up his wife, Nola, by hitting her. That morning, he hit her several times, choked her, and threatened to kill her.

He ultimately took a plea deal, was given probation, and ordered to complete 26 weeks of domestic violence counseling.

Fast forward 13 years to the scene Thursday on North Ritter Avenue. It’s where McNary shot his wife, Nola, just after 7 in the morning.

The family told I-Team 8 that Nola had been staying at her sister’s house to get away from Walter.

Nola’s friend told us what happened was a surprise. Monica Gather said, “We never expected it, but behind every smile could be some sadness. You never know what somebody’s going through. If you see signs in a domestic dispute just run. Just run, because one sign can be the sign of many bad signs.”

Help is available for victims of domestic violence. Below is a list of suggested resources on the Domestic Violence Network website:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788
• National Domestic Violence Hotline en español: 800-799-7233 o texto “START” al 88788
• Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 24-hour hotline available at 800-332-7385
• Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
• La Plaza Indy
• The Julian Center
• Indiana Child Abuse Hotline: 800-800-5556
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Bloomington Police Department said Friday that it arrested several people on drug-related charges during a planned operation Thursday at Seminary Park.

The arrests were part of an ongoing investigation into drug activities in the area, which had been a focus for detectives for several weeks, police said in a news release. The operation followed reports of criminal activity in the area.

Mayor Kerry Thomson emphasized the importance of community safety. He said in a statement, “Predatory, criminal behavior will not be tolerated in Bloomington.”

The Democratic mayor also highlighted the city’s commitment to supporting prevention, treatment, and recovery to address the root causes of substance use disorders.

The 1.2-acre park, which was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, is at the corner of College Avenue and Second Street. The park is known for hosting concerts, movie screenings and festivals including the indie craft show Bloomington Handmade Market.

The release said detectives will continue their investigations into drug activities in the vicinity of city parks, with more arrests likely in the near future, the release said.

The people arrested included Joshua A. Stump, 40, charged with two high-level felony counts of dealing methamphetamine; a high-level felony count of dealing a controlled substance; two mid-level felony counts of dealing methamphetamine; and a misdemeanor count of possession of paraphernalia.

Daniel D. Floyd, 46, faces a mid-level felony count of dealing methamphetamine.

Jason F. Johnson, 55, faces a mid-level felony count of dealing cocaine or a narcotic drug; a low-level felony count of possession of methamphetamine; and misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, and possession of paraphernalia.

William N. Porter, 51, faces a mid-level felony count of dealing methamphetamine; a low-level felony count of possession of methamphetamine; a low-level felony count of possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug; two low-level felony counts of legend drug deception; a low-level felony count of possession of a syringe; and a misdemeanor count of possession of paraphernalia.

Anthony L. Sikes, 40, faces a low-level felony count of dealing a controlled substance; and a misdemeanor count of possession of paraphernalia.

William A. Conner, 28, faces a low-level felony count of possession of syringe.

Donald J. Haviland, 53, faces misdemeanor counts of dealing marijuana, and possession of marijuana.

Mark E. Lake, 54, faces a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.

The Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office will decide whether to file formal charges.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on Friday could provide jail booking photos for only six of the eight people arrested.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The number of people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis is climbing, up 7% from last year. That’s despite the city’s goal to make meaningful change by 2025.

“I just see it getting worse and worse,” Indianapolis native Reggie Johnson said.

I-Team 8 spoke with Johnson outside the City-County Building. It’s where he and many unhoused neighbors spend their days, fighting for a spot under the trees to avoid the heat.

He says he feels forgotten by people in power. “I’ve been put in a situation where I had to go to the mission, and all that, because I couldn’t afford the cost of living, because it’s too high.”

A total of 1,815 people in Marion County currently don’t have housing, according to new data from the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention. It’s the highest tally since 2021. This year is also less than a hundred away from 2021’s number, which marked a 15-year high.

More than 1,000 of this year’s number identify as Black. That means about 56% of the county’s homeless residents are Black.

It’s a sobering statistic for the Rev. David W. Greene Sr. He’s the president of the Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis and helps oversee the Indianapolis Continuum of Care to help reduce homelessness. “It’s a clear indicator that we have a systemic problem, not just an individual issue or failure, but it’s really systemic that we all have to address. Looking at the root causes of homelessness, especially for Black people.”

A few years ago, the city announced an initiative specifically targeting ending homelessness for Black residents.

“We wanted, the goal was to reduce it by 35% and we were not able to do that,” Greene said. “I had hopes, when we started with that initiative, that we would see significant drops in it. But, that has not happened for a multiplicity of reasons.”

City leaders recently announced a new initiative aimed at ending homelessness in the city by 2028. Greene says leaders need to mean what they say.

“To demonstrate we’re trying to solve this problem,” Greene said. “We’re not just content to try to manage it, we’re saying we’re going to solve this.”

“They aren’t too much concerned about the homeless because if it was the case there would be other buildings in places like this right here, that they’re doing nothing with them where they can help house homeless people,” Johnson said.

Related coverage on WISHTV.com

• Homeless encampment expands in Indianapolis neighborhood
• Indianapolis sees 26% decrease in veteran homelessness, HVAF report says
• Man found dead at homeless encampment on Tibbs Avenue; IMPD investigating
• Mayor Hogsett announces Streets to Home Indy initiative, 350 people to be housed
• Compass on Washington making a difference for Indianapolis homeless community
• Homeless woman highlights challenges of living on the streets

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hamilton County Parks is offering guided tours of the Coxhall Mansion and Museum, providing insights into the Cox Family legacy and their historical ties to the region.

The tours will allow guests to explore the stately mansion and its grounds, as well as view a miniature replica of the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg, which inspired many architectural details of the Coxhall Mansion.

The Coxhall Guild plays a significant role in supporting the Coxhall Gardens by raising funds to enhance educational and recreational opportunities.

This support is crucial for the maintenance and improvement of the historic property. In addition to the tours, the Posh Picnic event, co-chaired by Jan and Tina, is scheduled for August 16.

This event is a creative gathering where attendees can set up themed tables, enjoy cocktails, and dance to music provided by a DJ. Tim Griffin will serve as the emcee for the evening.

The Posh Picnic not only offers a fun and engaging experience for participants but also serves as a fundraiser to support the upkeep of Coxhall Gardens and the mansion.

The event encourages creativity and community involvement, with themes ranging from ‘Spirit of Indiana’ to ‘On the Road Again.’

Through events like the guided tours and the Posh Picnic, Hamilton County Parks and the Coxhall Guild continue to preserve and celebrate the rich history and beauty of Coxhall Gardens, ensuring its legacy for future generations.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Gov. Mike Braun said he doesn’t expect problems with conditions at a planned ICE detention facility at Camp Atterbury in Johnson County.

According to immigrant rights groups, migrants held at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities have reported significant overcrowding and limited access to food and medical care. Braun told reporters he wouldn’t support the use of Camp Atterbury for a new temporary facility if he didn’t believe those conditions could be avoided there. Camp Atterbury is a federal installation managed by the Indiana National Guard.

“I’ve been clear, I’m for helping remove criminals after they came in here illegally. And some of the egregious ones, we’d all agree with,” the Republican governor said. “So if we’ve got a facility, we’re going to be helpful, because I’ve been on record in support of that.”

In an interview with News 8 for Sunday’s “All INdiana Politics,” U.S. Rep. André Carson, D-Indiana, said he’s still trying to figure out whether ICE or the Indiana National Guard would have primary responsibility for the day-to-day running of the facility. He said the Indiana National Guard already is responsible for daily operations at Camp Atterbury and the facility likely will involve some level of cooperation between the guard and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“(Camp Atterbury) has been used on a temporary basis, as we know, for emergency response needs. But deportation policies are not an emergency,” he said. “As a former law enforcement officer, I know there are bad actors who need to be held accountable. That’s not what’s happening. What’s happening is, families are being ripped apart, folks are being unfairly targeted for minor infractions or no infractions at all.”

“All INdiana Politics” airs at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WISH-TV.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The number 13 is unlucky for some people, but it might turn out to be a very lucky number for a sassy shelter sweetheart in Boone County.

Thirteen months ago, Cutie arrived at the Humane Society for Boone County. With her big heart and an even bigger personality, this spunky pup quickly became a staff favorite.

As the months passed and shelter visitors came and went, Cutie waited on her forever family to arrive. More than a year later, she’s she’s still waiting.

“She’s equal parts zoom queen and nap ninja, with the instincts of an explorer and the snuggle skills of a weighted blanket. She’s also suspiciously smart — like, ‘teach me a trick and I’ll one-up it for fun’ smart,” Alexis Durbin of Friends of the Humane Society for Boone County told News 8.

Cutie does well with other dogs, is crate-comfy, and would thrive in a home with adults and older kids who understand her vibe: go hard on the trail, then go soft on the couch. She loves playing in kiddie pools, making her the perfect companion on hot summer days.

Durbin says Cutie has stolen the hearts of everyone at the humane society, but it’s past time she steals someone’s heart for good:

Cutie isn’t just looking for any home — she’s ready for her people, those who know that sometimes, the very best dogs are the ones who’ve waited a little longer… and have way more love to give because of it.

Did we mention that this shelter sweetheart looks fantastic in a tutu?

“Come meet her,” Durbin said. “You might just change her life…and she’ll absolutely change yours!”

If you think Cutie would be a great addition to your family, email hsforbc@gmail.com to schedule a meet and greet.

(Provided Photos/Humane Society for Boone County)

SPEEDWAY, Ind (WISH) — An online content creator is setting the pace for women at the race track, bringing her series of fan meetups to NASCAR for the first time this weekend at the Brickyard 400.

Armed with a wrist full of friendship bracelets and the desire to meet more, Sarah Offenbach started to host meetups at IndyCar races last season.

Online, she goes by “Offey on Track.” A year and a half later she has nearly five thousand followers across different platforms and dozens of new friends in person.

She grew up around motorsports, and later married a racing engineer.

Offenbach spends a lot of time at racetracks supporting her husband. She took that time and her passion to start posting motorsports content online.

Along the way, she was waitlisted for tickets to Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour.

“I knew that I would miss out on the connection of trading the friendship bracelets,” Offenbach said. “So I brought friendship bracelets to a race and started passing them out just to whoever … a lot of guys were like, I don’t know what to do with this.”

Those connections turned into friendships. While she admits she didn’t set out to create a women-focused community — it quickly became one.

Now her meetups are a staple for many on race weekends.

She says the goal is to create a safe space to continue to grow the sport that she loves.

“That is very important to me, making sure everyone feels welcome and kind of teaching new fans, the ropes and how welcoming the community is. There are people that look like you and love this sport and are interested in being involved in the sport.”

As her husband’s career shifts gears, she’s now at more NASCAR races.

Other fans are stepping in to host meetups at the IndyCar events she can’t attend.

Chloe Amaro first met Offenbach at the St. Pete Grand Prix at one of her events. This weekend, she helped organize a meetup this weekend at the Monterry Grand Prix.

She says it’s great to see fans embrace the community they’ve created.

“We had somebody comment on a TikTok that said, like, ‘Hey, I’m going with my mom this weekend. Like, can I bring my mom?” Amora said. “‘Bring mom. We love moms. Come hang out.”

It’s a movement Offenbach hopes can continue to race forward for all.

“It warms my heart that there’s something people look forward to, other than just the race,” Offenbach said. “It’s a community aspect of it.”

This week, “Offey on Track” is hosting her first meetup at a NASCAR race for the Brickyard 400. It’s Sunday at 11 a.m. on Pagoda Plaza.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Today marks the deadline for young adults to register for the Indy Parks Corps, a program designed to help participants earn money, gain valuable experience, and contribute to their community – all at once.

The Corps offers those ages 18-to-24 years old an opportunity to earn up to $7,100 over a 12- to 15-week period while working a range of public service-based projects. Participants can also work for certifications that they can use for years to come in their professional and personal lives.

As one of the first people to go through the program, Mars Anderson-Wust earned OSHA 10, CPR, Stop the Bleed, and Mental Health First Aid training. “It was fantastic, just going park to park and seeing how everything runs. Phenomenal people work in the park system,” Anderson-Wust said in a visit with WISH-TV’s Daybreak. “If you’re ever considering being part of the program, would highly recommend it.’

The program initially launched last year as ‘Junior Park Ranger‘. Indy Parks rebranded as Indy Parks Corps to better align with its target demographic of young adults rather than children.

Anderson-Wust says participants do a wide range of work, from stocking shelves at food pantries, to picking peppers in the parks, to clearing trails – all with the goal of developing practical skills and encouraging a lifetime of community service experience.

“It’s a win-win for the city. It’s a win for the students that are participating,” said Marie Mackintosh, President and CEO of EmployIndy, highlighting the program’s benefits for both participants and the community. “I mean, that’s what makes my heart sing – the work that we do, for sure!”

(CNN) — Millions of dollars have been pulled from state and local vaccination programs with no explanation, after a review of the funding agreements by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Affected programs say they will probably have to cut staffers and services because of the shortfall, and they worry that vaccination rates will also drop as they lose the ability to assist people who are low-income or uninsured.

Immunization programs across the country are already struggling to address an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases. These include pertussis – also known as whooping cough – which has sickened more than 10,000 Americans and killed five children this year, as well as a smoldering outbreak of measles that has killed three people in the US and threatens to end the country’s elimination status.

“That’s the baffling part,” said one policy expert who spoke to CNN on the condition that they not be named for fear of government retaliation. “Why anyone would create this disruption in the midst of the worst measles outbreak in 30 years.”

‘We’re very clearly in the neglect cycle’

Most money spent by states on vaccination comes from the federal government.

The grant money, which is appropriated by Congress under Section 317 of the Public Health Services Act, enables states, territories and some large cities to collect data on vaccination, as well as provide shots to underserved children and adults. The funds also help monitor the safety of vaccines and fight misinformation. The money is doled out in five-year grants overseen by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the most recent awards were due to states on July 1.

This year, however, HHS conducted lengthy reviews of the awards, which delayed their arrival in some cases.

HHS Director of Communications Andrew Nixon said the reviews were part of agency cost-cutting efforts.

“The Defend the Spend initiative is a department-wide effort to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively, transparently, and in alignment with this administration,” Nixon said in a statement to CNN. “As part of this oversight, grant recipients may be asked to provide additional information, which is essential to preventing waste, fraud, and abuse. HHS is committed to working all grantees to resolve outstanding issues as quickly as possible while maintaining the highest standards of accountability.”

Public health advocates say the latest funding cuts appear to be part of a larger pattern of efforts by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to disrupt and dismantle the America’s vaccination infrastructure.

“Millions of children missed their routine vaccinations during the pandemic,” and never caught back up said Dr. Caitlin Rivers, director of the Center for Response Outbreak Innovation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Vaccine hesitancy has also increased, driven by a deluge of misinformation, some of it now coming from official channels.

As a result, vaccination rates have dropped, and some communities are no longer protected by herd immunity, the threshold of vaccination required to prevent certain infectious diseases from easily spreading.

If state vaccination programs are not adequately resourced, “we’re just going to continue to fall further and further behind, and that sets the stage for things like measles and pertussis outbreaks, which we’re seeing,” Rivers said.

Public health programs often become victims of their own success, she said.

“When there is a large public health emergency … there are huge investments made in public health, because we can see very clearly what the consequences are of having inadequate resourcing and inadequate infrastructure. But over time, those investments begin to work, and the threats recede, and we start to forget why it’s so important to maintain those defenses,” Rivers said.

“And I think now, five years out of Covid, we’re very clearly in the neglect cycle, and we’re seeing a lot of the investments we made during the pandemic be pulled back,” she added.

Some receive less than in 2019

Of 66 jurisdictions awarded federal immunization funding this year, about 40 received awards lower than their funding targets. And more than a dozen states and cities received lower awards this year than they did in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic began, the last time these awards were offered through the CDC, according to a CNN analysis of federal data.

Massachusetts, New York, Indiana, California and Arizona were among those awarded less this year than in 2019, the year before the Covid-19 pandemic began.

“That’s really, really unbelievable to us,” said one public health advocate who asked not to be named for fear of political retaliation for speaking out against the cuts. “How could we come out of a pandemic with half of states being less prepared?”

Other states found that their awards were far lower than they’d been told to expect.

In January 2025, the CDC sent out a Notice of Funding Opportunity – essentially an invitation – to states, territories and certain large cities. It came with a funding target: the amount they could expect if their grant proposals were accepted.

Washington, for example, was told it could expect about $9.5 million, so the Department of Health planned for that amount for the 2026 fiscal year. When the state got its Notice of Award on July 1, however, it was for $7.8 million, an 18% reduction.

Massachusetts was told it could expect $7.7 million for the upcoming fiscal year, already a 20% reduction from its 2025 budget. When the award arrived, it was $1 million under the targeted amount, at $6.7 million, which means the department expects to operate with about 30% less funding next year than it has this year.

Colorado received almost $500,000 less than it expected, a decrease of about 5% from the amount it budgeted for, according to federal data

California, Illinois, Michigan and New York also received lower-than-expected funding awards, according to a CNN analysis of federal data.

Sometimes, the delays and errors in funding caused chaos: At least one state, Idaho, furloughed its immunization program staff with no notice after the money didn’t arrive when expected. When the award did come through a day later, they were put back to work, but medical providers who reached out in the interim to submit their regular data updates had no one to help them and didn’t know when services would be restored.

The cuts didn’t just affect state health departments. The city of New Haven, Connecticut, had to lay off immunization positions that were supported by subawards it receives from the state grant. When the grant didn’t arrive in time, the state directed the city not to incur any more expenses, and when the federal money did come through, it was 20% less than anticipated.

Chicago is also preparing to lay off immunization workers, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the city’s plans, who asked not to be named because they feared retaliation by the Trump administration.

Not all awardees saw reductions, however. About two dozen jurisdictions, including Alabama, Idaho and Wyoming and Montana, got significant funding increases over their award targets for this year.

No reason given for changes to funding

State officials who spoke to CNN for this story say they were given no explanation for why the awards were reduced or increased this cycle.

The cuts come on top of the loss of billions in unspent Covid relief funding that was being used by states, in part, to help staff immunization programs. In late March, HHS directed the CDC to roll back about $11.4 billion in Covid-era funding granted to state and local health departments. Another $1 billion was reclaimed from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

A survey conducted by the Association of Immunization Managers found that the Covid money clawback alone has led to the elimination 579 staff positions in state vaccination programs.

After the new grant cuts, some jurisdictions said they would probably need to lay off even more workers but were trying to assess the changes that would be needed. Some programs said they hoped state funding could help fill the gaps.

In the past, the funding amounts that jurisdictions were told they could expect have been determined by a relatively simple formula that primarily relied on an area’s population.

This year, however, federal officials deployed a more complicated formula that took into account population levels as well as how much of a state was rural and how many providers participate in the Vaccines for Children program compared with the overall population, according to a public health advocate familiar with the awards who asked not to be named for fear of political retaliation.

Immunization programs were told they could expect about $418 million in funding. All told, what they were awarded totaled roughly $398 million.

Changes to the funding formula don’t appear to account for the reductions, however. The formula was applied to the target amounts that were distributed in January.

Instead, changes to the awards came after the HHS review, which in some cases delayed the release of the money and left programs hanging.

Hawaii, for example, received authorization to borrow up to $100,000 from the state government to pay salaries and cover operational expenses until its award came through, about two weeks late.

Public health advocates blasted the funding decision.

“Stripping 317 waiver funds combined with other losses is starving state and local public health budgets and is not just short-sighted, it’s reckless,” said Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and chief executive officer of the nonprofit deBeaumont Foundation, which advocates for the public health workforce.

“We’re watching the deliberate dismantling of the public health safety net in real time,” Castrucci said.