INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Madam Walker Legacy Center will host its third annual Legacy Fest this weekend.
Crews are adding the finishing touches to the sidewalks and benches along Indiana Avenue ahead of the two-day event, which features the Legacy Fest Concert on Friday and a Block Party on Saturday. The Indianapolis Cultural Trail near the Walker building will shut down for the event.
“There will be tents outside. We’ll have a lot of different activities for kids outside as well. There will be music and live stages, DJ’s. This will be a really fun day,” Kristian Stricklen, president of the Legacy Center, told News 8.
The Legacy Center is located in the Walker building, which was once the headquarters and manufacturing plant of Madam CJ Walker Hair Care and Beauty Products. The building, located at 617 Indiana Ave., is on the National Register Historic Places.
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Officials at The Legacy Center are celebrating Juneteenth and Black Music Month all while honoring 97 years of the Walker building
“This space has really started the careers for a lot of local musicians, but has also brought in a lot of the legends that we’re continuing to bring in. What better way to celebrate June and this space than to really celebrate what the core of it is? A lot of that has to do with black music,” Stricklen explained.
R&B group Boyz II Men will headline the sold-out Legacy Fest gala on Friday. Organizers hope the community will support their largest fundraiser of the year. The money raised will support the organization’s year-round STEAM, entrepreneurship, women’s equity, social justice and arts programming.
“People should donate because we don’t want to lose this space. If I’m being very honest, there’s not that many spaces that are black-owned spaces in the country anymore. We are so lucky that we are a nationally historic space that we have right here in Indianapolis that’s nearly 100 years old and it was built by none other than Madam CJ Walker — but it doesn’t pay for itself,” Stricklen said.
The free Legacy Fest block party on Saturday will be held outside of the Walker building on Indiana Ave. from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS — A shooting that injured a woman at a hotel on Indianapolis’ south side Saturday night is under investigation.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said officers were called to the Motel 6 in the 4300 block of Southport Crossings Way just after 9:30 p.m. on a report of a person shot.
Arriving officers found a woman who had been shot. She was reported to be in stable condition.
Investigators believe there was an altercation between the woman and a man in a hotel room that led to shots being fired.
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No other information about the incident has been released by police.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis City-County Council president explains her desire for a data center moratorium.
Council President Maggie Lewis wants to put a pause on new data center developments. The proposal comes after months of public pressure from residents and environmental groups who say the city needs stronger rules before allowing more data centers. Now, Lewis says it’s time to hit pause while those questions are answered.
“I’m not saying that we’ll never have a new data center in our community. That’s not what this is about. I understand the importance of economic development in our community, but it is important that we hit pause, do that deep dive, and allow the community and the experts to have an honest conversation about the topic,” Lewis said.
Lewis says she isn’t trying to stop economic development. Instead, she says the city needs more time to fully understand what data centers could mean for Indianapolis before approving additional projects. Lewis says residents have raised questions about the potential impact on utilities, the environment and quality of life, and she believes those concerns deserve a more thorough public discussion before the city moves forward with additional developments.
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“The community really is feeling as if their voices haven’t been heard. I believe it’s important that we bring all the stakeholders to the table and have that honest dialogue,” Lewis said.
Councilman Ron Gibson, who supports bringing data centers to Indianapolis, and he says these projects can bring investment to neighborhoods when they’re built in the right locations.
“This land where they’re going to actually develop it has been vacant for more than 43 years,” Gibson said. “It’s zoned for industrial use. This is really going to enhance our neighborhood. It’s going to bring back life, create more businesses that want to move into our area, and create more opportunity.”
(WISH Photo)
One of the biggest concerns raised by opponents is whether increased demand for electricity and water could create additional costs for taxpayers.
“I believe strongly that the data centers must uphold total costs. I made sure the developer, in writing, is responsible for all utility costs, so none of that rolls over to constituents,” Gibson said.
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Across Indiana, at least 17 counties have approved temporary moratoriums on new data center developments. Marshall and Cass counties have gone even further, banning new facilities altogether.
The committee meeting begins Monday at 5:30 p.m. inside the City-County Building, where members will hold a public hearing on the proposed zoning rules and consider Lewis’ amendment for a temporary moratorium. If approved by the committee, the proposal would move to the full City-County Council for further consideration.
INDIANAPOLIS — An investigation is underway after a woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash in downtown Indianapolis Saturday morning.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, at around 3:15 a.m., officers responded to the intersection of East Maryland and South Pennsylvania Streets after hearing a loud crash in the area.
Photo of IMPD investigating a hit-and-run crash in downtown Indianapolis on July 11, 2026, captured by a FOX59/CBS4 crew.
When officers arrived on scene, they were flagged down by several people stating a pedestrian had been struck. Officers located an adult female who had been on a scooter in the crosswalk of the intersection.
She was transported to an area hospital in critical condition but later died from her injuries, IMPD said.
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Investigators said the striking motorist did not stay on scene.
Police are encouraging those with information on the crash to contact Detective Adam Jones at (317) 327-3475 or call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477.
