Indianapolis, IN

11-year-old attacked by stray dog leads to concerns over animal control response times

Published

1 year ago

June 12, 2023

Press Room

11-year-old attacked by stray dog leads to concerns over animal control response times

INDIANAPOLIS — An 11-year-old boy is recovering after he was attacked by a stray dog last week.

While the family is shocked, they’re also upset about the response time from Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS).

The 11-year-old was playing on the swing set in his grandfather’s backyard when the attack happened.

“I was playing on the swings I didn’t know that it was coming,” Yaddeir Ramirez who was attacked by a stray dog said. “It started running up to me and biting my leg and everything and I didn’t know what to do. “

WATCH | (Warning* Video shows footage of a dog bite that could be triggering for some viewers)

dog bite.MOV

The stray dog got into his grandfather’s backyard through a gate that was left open. Soon after the attack started, Yaddeir’s grandfather was able to get the dog off him by hitting it multiple times, but the terror didn’t stop there.

“The dog was walking around and I told my family get inside and close the door don’t go outside and I got my grandson because the dog was trying to follow us,” Isabel Ramirez Yaddeir’s grandfather said.

Yaddeir’s family took him to the hospital where he received several stitches while neighbors ended up calling animal control.

Meredith Hackler

Yaddeir Ramirez received stitches and is using crutches to get around after being bit by the dog.

When the family returned from the hospital, they say the dog was still there contained in the backyard. No one from animal control showed up until the next day.

The family was left asking why no one showed up to get the dog sooner. According to Indianapolis Animal Care Services, staffing has a lot to do with it.

“Last year in 2022 we did respond to almost 30,000 requests for assistance,” Roxie Randall the Public Information Officer at IACS said. “So those are reports, calls, runs, all of those things so you can imagine there are only 13 of them to respond to that level of calls coming in. It can take us a little longer then even we would like to in some situations.”

Animal control is fully staffed at 23 officers. There are currently 19 fully trained officers and three others going through the training process. IACS also says three officers are on leave, which is why they choose which calls they answer based on urgency. This incident didn’t qualify as an urgent call at the time.

“If they mention that the animal you know had recently bitten someone or was acting aggressively that would definitely bump it higher up in to that,” Randall said. “But with it being contained does bump it down just a little bit because we know that dog isn’t going to go out and attack another person. “

Indianapolis animal care services says so far this year, they’ve received 677 reports of dog bites and more than 2,400 calls about aggressive animals.

IACS says it’s important to provide as many details as possible if you call about an aggressive dog. That will help officers determine how urgent the situation is, and how quickly they need to respond.

Once the new officers are trained, IACS says their response times will go down since there will be more people to respond to dangerous situations.

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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis man dies in head-on collision with semi on US 421

Published

5 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Indianapolis man dies in head-on collision with semi on US 421

NAPOLEON, Ind. (WISH) — A 47-year-old Indianapolis man died in a head-on collision with a semitractor-trailer on Wednesday morning in southeastern Decatur County, Indiana State Police say.

Joseph L. Arthur died in the crash reported just before 7 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. 421 near County Road 700 East. That’s a rural area with a few homes just northwest of the Decatur County border with Ripley County, and about a 15-minute drive southeast of the city of Greensburg.

Investigators think Arthur was driving a 2010 Pontiac “passenger vehicle” southbound on U.S. 421 when, for an unknown reason, he lost control, crossed the centerline, and collided with a northbound 2014 Freightliner semi pulling a trailer, according to a news release issued Wednesday night from state police.

Michael S. Olsen, 55, of Charlotte, Michigan, was driving the semi, which burst into flames after the crash. He exited the semi with minor injuries, state police say.

Crash reconstructionists, who had not completed their work as of Wednesday night, believe speed may have been a factor in the fatal crash.

U.S. 421 was closed in both directions for about five hours for the crash investigation and cleanup.

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Indianapolis, IN

Colts Drop in ESPN Power Rankings After Embarrassing Lions Loss

Published

13 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Colts Drop in ESPN Power Rankings After Embarrassing Lions Loss

The Indianapolis Colts (5-7) were no match for the red-hot Detroit Lions (10-1), as the Colts fell to the NFC’s top team 24-6.

Self-inflicted wounds were the theme of the day for Indy. The offensive line committed five penalties, wiping away big plays while allowing a 46% pressure rate on the day. The tight ends also did not have a banner day, dropping passes and not executing when given the opportunity.

Ultimately, the supporting cast around Anthony Richardson made too many mistakes for the team to overcome, resulting in the worst loss of the season for Indy.

Because of the brutal loss, the Colts saw a drop in the Week 13 ESPN NFL power rankings. The Colts fell from 19th to 21st in the rankings, dropping below the Cincinnati Bengals (4-7) at 20th. Indy is the only 5-7 team in the league, but the Bengals are ranked higher despite having a worse record.

By falling to 21st, ESPN believes the Colts are a bottom-third team in the NFL this season. It is hard to argue with that fact, as the Colts have largely lost to better teams in the league while taking care of business against the bad teams. The Colts only have one win against a team with a winning record this season, a 27-24 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3).

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) runs with the ball in a blue jersey.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) runs with the ball Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, during a game against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Included with the power rankings, the NFL Nation reporters were asked to look at the ESPN Analytics’Football Power Index (FPI) rankings for offense, defense, and special teams, and assess if the rankings portray an accurate picture of the team. Here are the current FPI rankings for the Colts:

Offense: 22nd
Defense: 20th
Special Teams: 13th

Holder believes these rankings to be fairly accurate for what the Colts have produced this season.

“These rankings seem about right when looking at the Colts’ inconsistent results and current 1-4 stretch,” Holder wrote. “They have shown flashes of promise in all areas, but there are fundamental issues undermining every phase of their team. The offensive line is suddenly an issue, which is severely limiting what was a solid running game. Defensively, the Colts are 17th in scoring defense (22.8 points), but that’s offset by giving up 375.8 yards per game (28th). Special teams would be better if not for kicker Matt Gay’s occasional misses (his 87.5% field goal percentage ranks 21st).”

The Colts will look to climb both the power rankings and FPI rankings this Sunday when they take on the New England Patriots (3-9). A win before their bye week would go a long way toward getting the Colts back on track.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

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Indianapolis, IN

Circle of Lights 2024: What to know about the Indianapolis tradition, road closures

Published

21 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

Circle of Lights 2024: What to know about the Indianapolis tradition, road closures

Circle of Lights will return the day after Thanksgiving to celebrate its 62nd anniversary. The beloved Indianapolis tradition, presented by IBEW Local 481, turns Monument Circle into a giant Christmas tree.

Each year, members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 481 assemble the lights and decorations. Look for more than 50 strands of lights that include more than 4,000 LED-colored lights. The tradition dates back to 1962, though the monument was decorated for Christmas annually for more than a decade before that.

Here’s what to know about this year’s performers, street closures, times and festivities.

Who will perform in 2024

Still fresh off his win on Season 19 of America’s Got Talent, Richard Goodall, a school janitor from Terre Haute, will sing at the celebration. The performances also will include local performers and musical acts chosen from the Tom Wood Talent Search.

This year, the performance stage will be on the north side of the Circle because of construction on the south steps of Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

After Circle of Lights, Spark Holidays on the Circle will hold additional free activities within the northwest bollards of Monument Circle. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 22, look for musical performances, appearances from Santa Claus and hot cocoa and coffee for purchase.

When is Circle of Lights?

The festivities begin at 6 p.m., and the winner of the AES Coloring Contest will help Santa turn on the lights just after 6:50 p.m. The event will air on WTHR Ch. 13.

What streets will be closed for Circle of Lights?

Between 6 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Friday, Monument Circle and all of its spokes will be closed to vehicles, according to Downtown Indy’s weekly traffic alert. Closures on Friday include:

Meridian Street between Ohio and Washington Streets,
Market Street between Pennsylvania and Illinois Streets,
a partial closure of Meridian’s northbound land between Maryland and Pearl Streets from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

People can enter and exit Circle of Lights from Market Street on the east and west sides as well as on the Circle’s south side off Washington Street. The ADA drop-off area will be on Market Street, and those who need accessibility will be directed to a dedicated viewing area.

The stage, on the north side of the Circle this year, will face the monument. No one will be able to access the event from the north side of the Circle.

How long will Circle of Lights be up?

The public can see the lights each night for free through Jan. 10.

From 5 a.m. Jan. 11 to 11:59 p.m. Jan. 17, the inner curb lane of Monument Circle will be partially closed to remove the lights.

Looking for things to do? Our newsletter has the best concerts, art, shows and more — and the stories behind them

Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

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