(MIRROR INDY) — The proposed data center in Martindale Brightwood is one step closer to development

The Metropolitan Development Commission hearing examiner recommended the development for approval at a meeting Feb. 12.

Los Angeles-based data center developer Metrobloks wants to build a center near 25th Street and Sherman Drive. Metrobloks is seeking three zoning change requests. Those requests include building a 70-foot-tall building when a 38-foot-tall building is permitted, forgoing the 6-foot-setback from the street and installing fewer parking spaces than required.

For months, the proposal has been met with opposition from Martindale Brightwood residents. They have cited concerns over the environmental impact and lack of community benefits the data center could bring.

Despite community opposition, City-County Councilor Ron Gibson, a Democrat who represents the neighborhood, has publicly supported the development. He spoke in favor of the development at the meeting.

But 30 minutes before the meeting, Mirror Indy obtained an emailed statement from six other Indianapolis City-County Councilors asking Metrobloks to pause or withdraw their petition until the city implements expectations for data center development. The statement was sent by City-County Councilors Vop Osili, Rena Allen, Dan Boots, Keith Graves, Carlos Perkins and Leroy Robinson, all Democrats.

In the statement, the councilors said they stood with the Martindale Brightwood community.

“Any proposal must meet rigorous standards, include transparent engagement, and align with the long-term health and priorities of the surrounding neighborhood,” the statement said in part. “In the case of Martindale Brightwood, it is a neighborhood which has experienced decades of industrial neglect with the burden of remediation left on the residents.”

Cierra Johnson, the president of neighborhood group One Voice Martindale Brightwood, said the neighborhood will seek to appeal the hearing examiner’s recommendation.

“We do not want the data center developed in our neighborhood,” Johnson said. “We have plans for the development of that lot that are in alignment with our quality of life plan, and the city has already certified that plan. So all we need for them to do is stay in alignment with us and make sure that this data center does not get developed.”

The petition will be heard by the Metropolitan Development Commission March 4.

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Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — The family of Hailey Buzbee on Thursday night invited the public to join a celebration of her life at ITOWN Church in Fishers, in the neighborhood where Buzbee lived.

The church parking lot was packed. It was filled with people who both knew Buzbee or heard her story.

The Hamilton Southeastern High School student was reported missing on Jan. 5, sparking a search that garnered national attention. Police later discovered her remains in Perry County, Ohio, prompting an outpouring of support from friends, coworkers, and the community.

People dressed in Hailey’s favorite color pink. Inside the church, Buzbee’s casket sat on the stage, flanked by two photographs of her.

Buzbee’s Uncle Mark Miranda said, “She got the nickname ‘Hey Hey,’ and she was her Daddy’s princess and loved wearing princess dresses everywhere whether it’s appropriate or not. That said, Hailey was shy, but funny around people she was comfortable with.”

He said she loved to tell Dad jokes. “The world is a sadder place without you, Hailey, but it is not broken. You’re still in our lives. Your family will carry your legacy, your love, in our hearts, your memories in our minds, and your legacy within our actions.”

Hailey’s father, Beau, did not speak but had a pastor read a letter: “For the time we have together on this Earth, I still consider myself the luckiest dad ever, and I will carry you forever, revisiting memories every single day.”

Dave Sumrall, pastor at the church, prayed to God for a step forward. “For all the amazing stories that will come in this horrific tragedy, we thank you already for the lives that have been saved, for the children that have been rescued, for the laws that will be changed, for the difference that will be made. We pray that the presence and your power would fill the Buzbee family.”

The Buzbee family and her community have been pushing to expand an Indiana alert system that could possibly save other children at risk.

When Buzbee left her home Jan. 6, she left a note that she had run away. Tyler Thomas, 39, picked her up that day and took her to Ohio. Investigators found her remains on Feb. 1.

After weeks of bitter cold and deep snow across central Indiana, a quieter but much sweeter seasonal shift is beginning to take shape. Maple syrup producers across the region are starting to tap trees as weather conditions line up for the first meaningful sap flow of the season.

The key ingredient behind maple syrup production is the freeze-thaw cycle, and that pattern is settling in nicely over the next few days. Overnight temperatures dipping just below freezing, paired with afternoon highs climbing into the upper 30s and around 40 degrees, create the ideal pressure changes inside maple trees that allow sap to move. When nights are cold, trees build internal pressure. When days warm, that pressure releases, sending sap flowing through taps and into collection systems.

Local producers say the upcoming stretch looks promising. One central Indiana sugar camp noted that the next couple of days should produce a solid early run before temperatures warm too much heading into Sunday. Once daytime highs climb well above the 40s and overnight lows stop dropping below freezing, sap flow typically slows or pauses.

Recent weather patterns may also help this year’s production. While snowpack across central Indiana has not been extremely deep, consistent snow cover in recent weeks likely helped insulate tree roots and maintain steady ground moisture. That slow melt provides trees with water reserves needed to support sap production.

Unlike some past seasons, drought is not a major concern across most of central Indiana this year. Adequate soil moisture through fall and winter plays an important role in determining how much sap trees can produce. However, producers farther north in Indiana may face more challenges, where drought conditions have been more pronounced.

Maple syrup season in Indiana typically begins in late January, peaks through February, and winds down by mid-to-late March once trees begin budding. With favorable temperatures arriving now, the first signs of the season are already taking shape.

For producers and maple syrup fans alike, this brief window of late-winter weather is more than just a warmup toward spring, it is the start of one of Indiana’s most time-honored traditions.