Indianapolis, IN
Stumped on Black Friday? IndyStar’s poll and local shopper’s guide is here to help
See inside the 2024 Carmel Christkindlmarkt and try the food with us
The award-winning Christmas market in Carmel is underway again! See inside this year’s version with IndyStar’s Madyson Crane.
My most vivid memory of Black Friday was quickly retreating from the bargain sock bin at my hometown Fred Meyer store while two moms escalated their war of words over who grabbed that pack of discounted Nike youth tube socks first.
I was maybe 12 or 13 on that day when I realized that I didn’t want anything that bad. And while I’ve been back to disperse doughnuts to hungry shoppers for service projects and to report on the annual shopping spree, I haven’t bought anything before noon on the Friday after Thanksgiving since.
Still, passions about Black Friday run deep, rooted in family traditions and stances on capitalism, consumerism and commercialism of the holidays. Whether you plan to be in line for doorbusters today and Friday, do all your holiday shopping online, or rely on a Christmas Eve sprint for C-store gift cards, IndyStar has resources (and a poll for fun) for your holiday shopping needs.
IndyStar poll: When do you start your holiday shopping?
Let’s start with the fun. As a Target checker told my wife earlier this week, “The deals are the deals. I tell people to shop now.”
Black Friday doesn’t hold the same sway on retailers’ bottom lines and shoppers’ holiday budgets as it did in pre-internet, pre-pandemic times. With shoppers’ spending spread across a broader timeline and set of online and brick-and-mortar retailers, we figured we’d check in on Indy’s shopping habits. Take the poll below to weigh in on your holiday shopping plans:
IndyStar Black Friday 2024 guide: Store hours, Small Business Saturday and more
If you need some holiday shopping ideas, IndyStar has a lot to offer. Check out these stories for store hours, gift ideas and much more:
Finally, show your favorite news source some love with IndyStar merch
Here’s a little-known fact: IndyStar can help you show off your Indianapolis pride with a wide variety of merchandise. From T-shirts and tote bags to hats, mugs and more, you can rep the Circle City and the 317 in style.
Visit usatodaystore.com/overview/lookbooks/indianapolis-star to browse, and check out some highlights below.
‘Greetings From Indianapolis’ tee
Send a little Hoosier hospitality with our “Greetings from Indianapolis” tee — classic and as friendly as the city itself. Available for $28.75 in a variety of styles and colors. >>Purchase Here
‘Icons of Indianapolis’ tote bag
Carry a piece of Indy pride with our tote, featuring iconic images that celebrate everything we love about the Circle City. Available for $26.25 in a variety of styles and colors. >>Purchase Here
‘Indianapolis Image Search’ jigsaw puzzle
Piece together the heart of the Circle City with our Indianapolis puzzle — perfect for fans of Indy and a fun challenge! Available for $43.75. >>Purchase Here
Indianapolis, IN
Highlights: Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter; February 27, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — “The Zone” featured highlights from eight high school boys basketball games from across central Indiana on Friday.
Watch highlights of Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter above.
Final Score: Tri-West 65 Cardinal Ritter 62
“The Zone” airs each Friday at 11:08 p.m. Click here to watch ‘The Zone’ for basketball highlights on February 27, 2026.
Indianapolis, IN
New bridge over 96th Street adds to Nickel Plate Trail connections
FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — The Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian bridge over 96th Street is officially open.
It was being touted Friday as a major milestone for central Indiana’s growing trail system. The street is the Fishers-Indianapolis border.
Leaders called the project a critical connection point for the Nickel Plate Trail. The new bridge helps move the nearly 17-mile trail closer to its goal of connecting multiple counties through one continuous path.
The bridge also came with a 1.3-mile trail extension. A $4.5 million grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources made the bridge possible.
Dale Brier, deputy director of Indiana Department of Natural Resources, talked about the state’s Next Level Trails grant program. “Currently, we have 89 trail projects that that were funded with that money. Fifty-nine of those are complete. We’ve got 12 under construction. As of this opening, we have 167 miles of trail that have now been opened with that grant money.”
People who frequently take the trail for their daily exercises say they’re excited the bridge is finally open.
Alan Errichiello of the Fishers Running Club said, “Extending this down south into Indianapolis is a big game changer for us. It’ll add a lot of miles that we can easily get into.”
Resident Tracy Mundell said, “Trying to get to the other side was nearly impossible, so I think most people didn’t even attempt it. It’s going to be great, we can get over to the other side, and I’m anxious to see what’s over there.”
The final portion of the project, called the Clear Path project, remains under construction.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, a Republican, said, “We need to double-down on that investment, and we know time and time again here in the city of Fishers that trail systems, the ability to get up and get out and get active, is such an important part in our culture of health, that an investment like this is critical.”
Once complete, local leaders say the goal is to provide a more safe and connected routes between Noblesville, Fishers, Indianapolis and other surrounding cities.
Resident Steve Mundell said, “It’s lovely. It’ll be real convenient to get across too.”
Indianapolis, IN
Good and bad from Colts’ 2026 NFLPA report card grades
What grades did the Indianapolis Colts earn on the 2026 NFLPA report cards?
The NFLPA is no longer able to make their annual report cards public. However, ESPN’s Kayln Kahler was able to obtain a copy of the reports following the 2025 NFL season, and the Indianapolis Colts were again around the middle of the pack.
In these report cards, players rate numerous aspects of the organizations they play for, from ownership to the training facilities and everything in between. According to Kahler, 1,759 players contributed to these grades.
So, where did the Colts end up this year relative to the rest of the NFL this year?
Overall, the Colts ranked 17th. Below is a breakdown of each individual grade they received.
- Treatment of Families: B
- Home Game Field: D
- Food/Dining Area: B
- Nutritionist/Dietician: A-
- Locker Room: C+
- Training Room: B
- Training Staff: B+
- Weight Room: B
- Strength Coaches: A
- Position Coaches: B
- Offensive Coordinator: B
- Defensive Coordinator: B+
- Special Teams Coordinator: B+
- Team Travel: B-
- Head Coach: A-
- General Manager: A
- Team Ownership: A
Of note, although the Colts haven’t been to the postseason in five years, Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard both received high marks.
Carlie Irsay Gordon, Kalen Jackson, and Casey Foyt earned an A in their first year as the primary owners.
The field at Lucas Oil Stadium received a very low mark, earning a D, while the locker room was given a C+. Those were the two lowest grades the Colts received.
Compared to the 2025 rankings, the Colts moved up two spots this year, after coming in at 19th last year.
The biggest jumps the Colts experienced came in the Food/Dining grade, which went from a C to a B. The Team travel grade also jumped from a D+ to a B-.
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO3 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology7 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology7 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Politics7 days agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT