Heartland Moments
A collection of single images from the American Midwest
Faith Brawley kisses her granddaughter, Quinn King, 3, as Gema King, 4, talks to Faith's daughter, Becca King, an inmate at the Dubois County Security Center in Jasper, Indiana. Becca has since been sentenced to prison on drug-related charges and plans on participating in a program to treat her addiction. Faith, a recovering drug addict, acknowledges that there is a genetic factor in addiction that her granddaughters will have to face and that they will struggle to break the cycle if their parents are unable to stay clean. “I hate that,” Faith said. “My addiction— even though it has come to an end— what it did to their mother caused her to pick who she picked, caused her to live the way she lives and it causes her cycle to continue and it causes them to, more than likely, be involved in the cycle of addiction themselves.”
TJ Block, 6, plays Superman down a rock pile near the 150-year-old barn that his family is fixing up on the Hoffman family farm in Jasper, Indiana. His mother, Emily (Hoffman) Block, grew up on the land and remembers spending her days playing on different rock piles.
Southridge High School senior Gina Flores runs to first as Oak Ridge Amish School seventh-grader and pitcher Janet Wagler fields the ball during the annual softball game at Oak Ridge Amish School near Odon, Indiana. Oak Ridge seventh- and eighth-graders defeated the Southridge seniors 21-11.
Pam Smith reaches for the hand of her boyfriend, Bob Jasper, both of Tell City, as they ride in a limousine during Night to Shine at Redemption Christian Church in Jasper, Indiana. Night to Shine is an annual prom night experience for adults with special needs sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Jasper High School tennis players Sarah Monesmith, left, and Caroline Theil hold hands as they watch their teammates play double matches, one win away from securing the semistate title, during the girls tennis semistate championship in Jasper, Indiana. Jasper defeated Providence 3-2.
Tina and her daughter, Annabelle, share a laugh as Rachel watches in her car's rearview mirror on their way to Tina's chemotherapy appointment in Evansville, Indiana. Both women shaved their heads at a fundraiser for Tina's breast cancer treatment. While their friendship came and went over the years, much like the cycles of drug addiction and domestic violence they had both experienced, Rachel was by Tina's side during her last days in hospice.
“You’re buried to your old life. This is a fresh start. When you come back out of that water, you’re resurrected,” Kenny Schnell of Jasper told 17 inmates as they gathered around a 300-gallon water trough before their baptisms at the county jail in Jasper, Indiana. Since 2018, Kenny has baptized 78 inmates at the jail, where he also leads weekly Bible studies attended by approximately 20 to 30 people.
“I spend more time with my animals than I do with humans,” Angel Lange said. He fed handfuls of corn and sweet feed mixture to his pet bison and longhorns at his home in Vincennes, Indiana. In addition to rehabilitating wildlife, Angel keeps numerous pets on the 37 acres behind his Main Street home — three bison, two Texas longhorns, three horses, eight trained doves, five peacocks and a 13-year-old disabled deer called Grandma.
The 5-year-old Dilger quadruplets, from bottom left, Emma, Brenna, Paige and Alex, and their brother Noah, 8, eat lunch at their home in Ferdinand, Indiana. Chris and Shauna Dilger affectionately use the pet name "monkey" for their children.
Cross bearer Father Christian Raab looks up at the processional cross as he leads the cortege with Brother Nathaniel Szidik, right, following the funeral Mass for Jasper-native Archbishop Daniel Buechlein at Saint Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana. Archbishop Buechlein was a monk for 58 years and a priest for 53 years, 30 of which he served as bishop.
Terry Niehaus of Huntingburg mans two fishing rods as a freshly caught largemouth bass flops around on a frozen pond in Coe, Indiana. "I pray for cold weather to be able to go ice fishing," said Niehaus. "I like the cold. I've been in it most of my life. I work in it, I hunt in it, I fish in it." Terry learned to ice fish from his grandfather when he was a boy and said that he has been addicted to it ever since. After spending 6 hours on the ice, he caught 38 fish.
Craig Englert of Birdseye speeds through a creek on the 8-mile course of a Midwest Cross Country Racing ATV competition in Gosport, Indiana. Englert joined the racing league last year and finished first in the Sport Class for the 2016 season. He has been riding since he was 3 years old.
Members of The City Slickers — Raul Rosas of Indianapolis, left, Michael Los of Chicago and Dominic Eble of Indianapolis — show off their first place trophies for the men's 16 and over division after the hog wrestling competition during the 50th annual Dale Fall Fest in Dale, Indiana. The City Slickers, along with teammate Evan Buckmaster of Bloomington, won first place with a time of 18.57 seconds. Their mother-in-law Geri Smith of Santa Claus sponsors their team every year.
Northeast Dubois High School junior Jaxen Sermersheim smells the smoke from senior Gavyn Gogel's Ford 9700 tractor as Gavyn and juniors Beau Linne and Matthew Qualkenbush watch at the school in Dubois, Indiana. "It smelt good," Jaxen said. "You gotta love the smell of diesel." Northeast Dubois’ FFA chapter tractor show judged the students’ tractors in 12 categories, including smokiest.
Aric Dylan Stanish of Santa Claus throws an empty beer keg over his head during the keg toss competition at Heimatfest in Ferdinand, Indiana.
Ernie Betz, left, and his son Michael Betz, both of Celestine, watch as smoke rises from the remains of a hay barn that burned down on the farm belonging to Ernie’s nephew, Mark Betz, of Celestine, Indiana. Fire departments from Celestine and Schnellville responded to the blaze, which destroyed two structures and kept fire personnel on the scene for more than five hours.
Emily Speer of Dubois showed her daughter Athena, 3, how to float on her back as they swam in the pond at Emily's childhood home in Dubois, Indiana. Emily's father, Christopher Knies, had the swimming hole built for her when she was 7 years old.
The Forest Park High School basketball team's five seniors— Sam Englert, Braydon Voegerl, Collin Hochgesang, Daniel Lusk and Noah Fleck—wait as head coach Jeff Litherland is interviewed following the Class 2A boys basketball state championship game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Forest Park lost to Oak Hill.
As Forest Park basketball players cut the net for a sectional keepsake, Blake Beck of St. Anthony, 11, left, Austin Eckert of Birdseye, 10, and Korbyn Persohn of Bretzville, 11, center, gather among the young fans below in hopes that the players will toss a piece down to them following the Class 2A basketball sectional championship in Newburgh, Indiana. Forest Park defeated North Posey 47-44.
"I love NASCAR and Formula One. That's my checkered flag right there," Porfirio Deras-Lopez of Jasper said about his lawn. With 20-inch squares of grass that are a mowed to have more height, he described it as "like that classic military hair cut: the flattop."
Erik Dismore of Jasper uses a leaf blower to clean the colored corn starch off of Color Me Crazy 5k volunteers, from left, Samantha Capehart, Shelby Mullen, Emily Heim, 14, Reagan Egbert, 14, Mallory Alles, Taylor Greulich, 15, and Maddie Vernon, 14, all of Jasper, after the race during the Ireland Bicentennial celebration in Ireland, Indiana. The race used orange and green colored corn starch inspired by the colors of the Irish flag.
Klayton Mundy has sensitive hearing and loud noises are one of his sensory-related triggers that cause stress. The Jasper High School student has Williams syndrome, a developmental disorder characterized by intellectual disabilities and a very social personality. During a test of the tornado warning siren at Unified Track practice, Klayton's running buddy Tyson Brandt was quick to cover Klayton's ears and comfort him.
Star, the horse, nibbles on straw atop the head of Northeast Dubois High School freshman Emma Betz, left, as she holds pygmy goats with sophomore Corbyn Schnell, right, during the FFA chapter’s petting zoo at the school in Dubois, Indiana. Corbyn placed the straw on Emma when they noticed Star was taking an interest in the girls. “She loves to play around,” junior Zach Troxal said about his horse. “She’s just basically a big puppy dog.”
Northeast Dubois High School sophomore Colby Stafford chills out in a bubble-filled garbage can as he watches slip-and-slide kickball during fun day at the school in Dubois, Indiana. The whole school spent the afternoon enjoying a cookout, kickball tournament, water balloon dodge ball and a giant slip-and-slide. "Finals are next week and we'll all be cramming and studying for those," Colby said. "This is a way we can de-stress before we overload on stress."
Jasper High School freshman swimmer Noah Wagner blows loose hair as he buzzes the head of junior Abraham De La Cruz at the Wagners' home in Jasper, Indiana. "We get a bond from being bald," Abraham said. The Jasper boys swim team has been shaving their heads before the sectional competition for nearly four decades.
Northeast Dubois High School seniors Bryce Butler, back left, Hannah Beckman, Cole Scherzinger and Megan Lueken, celebrate the Northeast Dubois Jeeps scoring in the final moments of the game along with Kinley Schnell, front left, and Sara Brosmer, both 7 and of Celestine, during the school's homecoming basketball game in Dubois, Indiana. Northeast Dubois defeated Loogootee 58-56. Beckman was crowned homecoming queen and due to a tie, both Butler and Scherzinger were honored as homecoming king.
Southridge High School senior Jenifer Najarro hugs Ellie Bardwell, left, and Ava Hall, both 13 and of Huntingburg, following the Class 2A boys basketball sectional semifinal in Huntingburg, Indiana. South Spencer defeated Southridge 56-51. "We played really well but you just hate for it end like this," said Ellie, the daughter of athletic director Brett Bardwell. "I'm upset because it's the last game and we had some great seniors."
With guidance from his father, 7-year-old Gage Sherman of Huntingburg takes aim at a turkey target during at a safety meeting for participants in the National Wild Turkey Federation annual youth hunt at the Jasper Rifle and Gun Club. It was Gage’s first time firing a shotgun and he was scared of the gun's recoil. Cory Sherman said his son grew more confident and improved with each shot.
Monty Lindsey of Orleans carries a deer target to a trailer towed by an all-terrain vehicle as he helps clean up after the 3D target archery shoot hosted by Patoka Lake Bowhunters at Patoka Lake Archery Range in Wickliffe, Indiana. The archery course included 33 deer targets, which are hand-painted and restored during the off season.
Forest Park High School FFA advisor Olivia Lamey, left, gets a push from the chapter president, junior Linda Jacob, as she races FFA advisor Annette Applegate on pedal tractors during the tractor show at the school in Ferdinand, Indiana. “I’ve always threatened to do this, but I never wanted to do it alone,” Annette said. “I figured now that [Olivia] is here, the kids would get a kick out of it.”
Joshua Songer of Dale, center, and Shawn Ubelhor of Gentryville exit Shawn’s decommissioned derby car as action is paused for firefighters to attend to the flames under the hood of the car driven by Shawn’s uncle, Greg “Bubba” Ubelhor of Ferdinand, back left, during a demolition derby in Boonville, Indiana. The Ubelhor family has been participating in demolition derbies for 22 years.
The Girls on the Run team from Holy Trinity Catholic School East Campus coached by Audrey Werner of Jasper, bottom center, gathers to repeatedly chant "Girls on the Run is so much fun" at the end of their session at Holy Trinity Catholic School East Campus in Jasper, Indiana. Girls on the Run aims to build confidence through fitness. From February to April, teams met twice weekly to train for a 5K while also addressing issues that girls in third through fifth grades face.
Bill Rickelman of Huntingburg racks the pool balls as Randy Englert of Ferdinand places the cue ball for their second game of pool at Ron's Place in Huntingburg, Indiana. "I've been playing pool since I was 6 years old," Englert said. He recalled that his parents bought him a child-sized pool game. "I mastered that thing when I was little." Rickelman also learned to play pool as a child on the plywood table at his grandparents' home.
Aspiring special effects makeup artist Becca Schitter, 18, makes videos to post to social media with her completed zombie look in her bedroom at her home in Jasper, Indiana. "I always take a smiling photo for my grandma so she knows I'm OK," Becca said. "I pull it off so that people know it's fake."
With a view of his fishing rods and the Cannelton Locks and Dam, Shelby Kline, 12, of Dubois, rests with his feet dangling over the edge of the boat. Shelby prefers being on the water to being on land. “The water is just so calming,” Shelby said. “The moon really shines on the water at night.”