Indianapolis, IN

A Facebook post alleges BRICS supports ICE. The owners want to clear that up

Published

2 months ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

A Facebook post alleges BRICS supports ICE. The owners want to clear that up

A post from a spouse of a co-owner of BRICS went viral in Indy groups this week, leading many to call to boycott the shop.
The Broad Ripple business quickly distanced itself from the pro-ICE views but stopped short of posting their own stance.
Now, the owners are working through the aftermath.

A Broad Ripple ice cream shop found itself under fire on social media this week after one its owners posted in support of Immigration Customs and Enforcement, prompting many to pledge to stop supporting the business.

The social media ordeal in which the store BRICS found itself raises the question of whether small businesses should publicly take sides on political and civil issues and how much a business owner’s politics should dictate whether one supports the business or not.

In a lengthy interview Jan. 30 with the IndyStar, the BRICS owners said the post on the personal Facebook page of the spouse of a minority owner did not represent the sentiment of BRICS ownership. However, they say, they will not release a statement against ICE, either, preferring to remain political neutral to operate as a safe third space for people on all sides of the debate.

“We feel very differently from what was posted,” said David Vonnegut-Gabovitch, the majority owner of BRICS. “But our concern was that if our statement says we feel totally the opposite, then everybody on the other side starts going the other way.”

That was not enough for Jen Colson Estes, a Meridian-Kessler resident, who first called out the shop on social media for a Facebook post she saw made by Jenny DuBow, spouse of BRICS co-owner David DuBow. As ICE enforcement in the country has ramped up, Colson Estes posted on her personal Facebook page that she would not visit the ice cream shop because of the post.

“She has the right to post it, and we have the right to never go there again,” Colson Estes told IndyStar.

Soon after Colson Estes’s initial post on Jan. 29, it went viral on Indianapolis social media, circulating in north side, Midtown and food-focused Facebook groups. Jenny DuBow’s profile has since been made private, but screenshots on Facebook and confirmed by BRICS ownership show she reposted an “I Stand With ICE” image.

BRICS released a statement on Facebook on Jan. 30, saying that the statement did not reflect the store’s beliefs.

“We regret that posts made on a personal social media account and circulated have been attributed to our business – this is not us!” the statement read.

Vonnegut-Gabovitch, Kirstie Hileman and David DuBow co-own BRICS, which has operated along the Monon Trail in Broad Ripple for 15 years. Vonnegut-Gabovitch holds the majority stake in the company, 70%, with Hileman and DuBow having a minority stake of 20% and 10%, respectively. The three run the day-to-day operations of the company, they told IndyStar.

Yet, the names of their spouses, Jennifer DuBow and Nonie Vonnegut-Gabovitch, appear on BRICS’ website. The two are not involved in the store’s operation of the store and cannot speak for it, the three principals say.

The statement did little to calm the flames. In an interview with IndyStar, Hileman said BRICS fielded about 15 phone calls on Friday and several more the day before as the post spread. David DuBow was not present at the interview but Vonnegut-Gabovitch and Hileman said they were speaking for him as well.

The owners said they made a conscious decision not to simply write a statement decrying ICE.

“It would have likely been easier for us to just make an apology and make a political statement, but we don’t think that’s the best way,” Hileman said. “If we’re removing businesses’ right to remain neutral and be a third safe space, how is it that our public will ever be able to have safe discourse?”

That said, they are making a concerted effort to tell longtime customers and community partners that their individual views in no way align with the controversial post. Hileman and Vonnegut-Gabovitch said in an interview with IndyStar that the views of the three owners, including David DuBow, are “wildly different” than the views expressed in the post.

“It’s not something any of us were involved in, not something any of us believe, but we do respect her First Amendment right,” Vonnegut-Gabovitch said. “She has a right to her views, and I believe we couldn’t change that.”

The flap started a day before thousands of businesses across the country closed their doors in a nationwide protest of ICE sparked by agents’ fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens, 37-year-olds Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis earlier this month.

Several Indianapolis businesses around town posted they would participate while others announced they would donate to causes that support undocumented immigrants.

Instead of taking to social media to take a side on ICE, the BRICS owners are encouraging people to visit the shop and have face-to-face conversations with the owners and with one another. On the afternoon of Jan. 30, the shop was quiet, with a few adults and children spread out eating ice cream.

“We want to bring it down at least for us, at least within our four walls, on our social media, bring that temperature down and move on and serve ice cream,” Vonnegut-Gabovitch said.

Alysa Guffey writes business, health and development stories for IndyStar. Have a story tip? Contact her at amguffey@usatodayco.com or on X: @AlysaGuffeyNews.

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Indianapolis, IN

Colts free agent running back signs with Atlanta Falcons

Published

10 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Colts free agent running back signs with Atlanta Falcons

ATLANTA (WISH) — Tyler Goodson, who played for the Indianapolis Colts the past three seasons, is joining a new team.

The Atlanta Falcons announced on Thursday that they have signed the free agent running back.

Goodson appeared in 33 games during his time in Indy, rushing for a total of 234 yards. He had one rushing touchdown back in 2024.

The rushing touchdown came during the Colts’ win over the Miami Dolphins that season. The rushing touchdown in that matchup was Goodson’s first career NFL touchdown during the regular season.

“For me it was a lot more exciting,” Goodson said following that game. “A moment I’ve been waiting for and it’s just surreal for me to be in this position. And I just thank God for it.”

Goodson also had 103 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown with the Colts. The receiving touchdown also came during the 2024 season, in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The move to the Falcons will be a homecoming of sorts for Goodson, who is a native of Suwanee, Georgia. He also attended North Gwinnett High School.

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Indianapolis, IN

Butler PD seeks help identifying suspects in Hinkle Fieldhouse break-in

Published

22 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Butler PD seeks help identifying suspects in Hinkle Fieldhouse break-in

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Butler University Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying a group of people who broke into and vandalized Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The incident happened sometime Saturday, according to a post from Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana.

Security camera video of the group – four males and one female – shows them entering the fieldhouse through a side door, entering one at a time before turning and disappearing out of view.

Crime Stoppers says the group vandalized a concession stand, stole alcoholic drinks, and then stole a $12,000 headset. Butler PD estimates the stolen communication equipment is valued at around $15,000.

Anyone with information was asked to contact Crime Stoppers. Officials say a reward of up to $1,000 will be offered for details leading to any arrests.

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Indianapolis, IN

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin, MLB’s No. 1 prospect, opens season in Indy with Indians

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin, MLB’s No. 1 prospect, opens season in Indy with Indians

INDIANAPOLIS — For the second time in three years, the biggest draw in minor league baseball has landed at Victory Field.

Konnor Griffin, MLB’s No. 1 prospect, nearly made Pittsburgh’s Opening-Day roster at the tender age of 19 years old, sparking the imagination of Pirates fans when he launched two home runs in the same Grapefruit League game in late February.

By all accounts, Pittsburgh considered bypassing the Triple-A level with Griffin altogether, keeping the young shortstop in major league camp until the final weekend of spring training.

But the Pirates ultimately decided Griffin needed to open the season with the Indians when they take on St. Paul at 6:35 p.m. Friday at Victory Field, turning Pittsburgh’s loss into a big gain for Indianapolis for the second time in three seasons.

Two years ago, the Pirates decided to ramp up superstar pitching prospect Paul Skenes slowly, a decision that gave fans in Indianapolis seven starts to see a pitcher who would almost immediately turn into one of the best pitchers in the game.

For longtime Indians broadcaster Howard Kellman, the chance to see Skenes and Griffin in Indianapolis uniforms in a span of three short years brought to mind the 1989 season, when future Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Larry Walker played on the same Indians roster.

Griffin and Skenes obviously won’t play in Indianapolis together.

Their presence leaves an impact.

“That means a great deal,” legendary Indians broadcaster Howard Kellman said. “You’re looking at the stars of tomorrow.”

Griffin’s path to Indianapolis wasn’t like the one Skenes took to Victory Field.

Skenes was already battle-tested, a star who’d made his name pitching LSU to a College World Series title and a pitcher everybody knew was ready for the big leagues. The Pirates sent Skenes to Triple-A as part of an effort to ramp him up slowly, limiting the young pitcher’s innings in his rookie year.

Griffin still has something to prove.

Drafted out of high school with the No. 9 pick in 2024, Griffin shot up the prospect rankings by batting .333 and slugging .527 while going from Low-A Bradenton to High-A Greensboro to 21 games with Double-A Altoona to end the 2025 season.

The raw tools are undeniable. The power that got the baseball world talking in February is accompanied with speed, good defense at shortstop and every other tool a team could want.

“Tremendous young man, very mature for his age, goes about his work the right way, goes about the game the right way, great with his teammates,” Indians manager Eric Patterson said.

But Griffin still has to improve his pitch recognition. Frustrated by the insane amounts of spin that big-league pitchers put on the baseball, Griffin hit .148 with 11 strikeouts in his final 10 games, 27 at-bats in total.

He wanted to make the big-league team, and he probably pressed a little.

“I’m at my best when I’m playing freely, playing fun, having a good time,” Griffin said. “I’m trying to get back to that, not worrying too much about the pressure outside.”

Griffin is also adjusting to life as baseball’s top prospect, a level of attention that essentially changed overnight. While he was obviously a top-10 pick in 2024, there were eight players taken ahead of him, including Oakland’s Nick Kurtz, who won the American League Rookie of the Year award.

A high school pick like Griffin is supposed to take a couple of years to develop into a top prospect, attention building along the way.

Griffin essentially went from a relative unknown to carrying the weight of Pittsburgh’s expectations in a span of about six months, although he’s adamant that the increased attention doesn’t affect him.

“It’s definitely internal,” Griffin said. “I don’t worry too much about the outside noise. I have high expectations for myself.”

Whatever the reason for Griffin’s slide in the final two weeks of spring training, he knows what he needs to change.

“Being thrown into the fire, facing those big-league arms, that was a good experience for me,” Griffin said.

Big-league pitchers are going to take advantage of a hitter who chases too many offerings outside the strike zone, and Griffin was swinging too much, uncharacteristic of a player whose on-base percentage was .415 across three levels last season.

“Take your walks, get on base, affect the game,” Griffin said. “Being patient, getting the right pitches to hit, not trying to do too much every time I go up to the plate.”

The paths Skenes and Griffin took to get to Indianapolis are different.

The goal, now that they’re here, is the same. Skenes was called up to the big leagues on May 8; Griffin wants to force the Pirates to bring him up to Pittsburgh as soon as possible.

“For all of these guys, you’re an injury away from the big leagues, you’re a sneeze off the field away from the big leagues,” Patterson said. “It’s about preparing these guys for when they get the call.”

The entire baseball world thought Griffin would get the call before his 20th birthday.

And there’s still time. Griffin doesn’t turn 20 until April 24th.

Better get out to Victory Field to catch a glimpse of baseball’s No. 1 prospect while he’s still here.

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