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

Cooler temps Friday with some afternoon sun, warmer weekend | March 27, 2026

Published

7 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) – All of the rain has moved off to the south and east of us. Cooler temperatures have settled in and will be here through the first part of the weekend. We warm back up late in the weekend and into much of next week.

Moderate to heavy rain fell yesterday and into the overnight hours. Some locations across parts of Central Indiana picking up an inch or two of rainfall. This will definitely help where drought conditions are in place for northern sections of Indiana.

TODAY: We will hang on to you some cloud cover early this morning before more sunshine peeks out later in the afternoon. Look for breezy conditions with winds out of the North and Northeast gusting at times near 20 mph. Temperatures later this afternoon will be right around 48 degrees.

TONIGHT: If you are heading to the Pacers game or the home opener of the Indianapolis Indians you will not need the rain gear. Bring along the layers though because we will see chilly conditions. Either at first pitch or pregame those temperatures will be into the middle forties. Readings will fall around 28 degrees overnight under mostly clear skies.

TOMORROW: You will need the jacket in the morning early Saturday however with lots of sunshine for the afternoon temperatures warm up a little bit more. It will be seasonally cool with light and variable winds and high temperatures near 50.

7 DAY EXTENDED FORECAST: Clouds increase on your Sunday Look for partly cloudy skies with high temperatures a little warmer. Look for readings right around 61.

Temperatures continue to climb heading into next week. Look for a partly to mostly cloudy sky Monday with highs near 71. On Tuesday we get close to 80° but our rain chances do increase especially late Tuesday. We’ll see temperatures above normal with more rain possible on Wednesday and Thursday.

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Indianapolis, IN

Colts free agent running back signs with Atlanta Falcons

Published

19 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

1 day 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.