Connect with us

Indianapolis, IN

Aloft Hotels to open new location in Indianapolis

Published

on

Aloft Hotels to open new location in Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Aloft Hotels, Marriott’s lifestyle brand, is opening a new location in downtown Indianapolis this February.

Located two blocks east of Monument Circle on Market Street, the Aloft Indianapolis is a short walk away from Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indiana Convention Center, and Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“We are absolutely thrilled to open our doors and welcome guests to the Aloft Indianapolis Downtown,” General Manager Ryan Niketh said in a press release. “With a focus around local culture, crave-able food and beverage and purpose-built design; the Aloft Indy is the ideal choice for travelers in search of a boutique hotel with bold design elements, but who still want the confidence of a Marriott Brand as well as the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.”

Aloft Hotel, part of Marriott’s Lifestyle brand, is opening a new hotel in downtown Indianapolis. (Provided photo/Aloft Hotel)

Aloft Indianapolis will have 128 urban loft-style guestrooms, with nine-foot ceilings. Guests will have access to the Arf pet program, which provides lodgings, toys, and treats for your dog, and Camp Aloft, a program designed to entertain children.

Advertisement

In homage to the building’s original tenant, a bank vault in the lobby was renovated as a lounge for private dining and as an event space.

WXYZ Bar, a new cocktail bar, can be found at home in the Aloft. The mixologist-inspired bar will offer weekly live music.

Aloft Hotel, a part of Marriott, is opening a new hotel in downtown Indianapolis. (Provided photo/Aloft Hotel)



Source link

Indianapolis, IN

Complete Spoiler Listing For Tonight's WWE SmackDown In Indianapolis, IN.

Published

on

Complete Spoiler Listing For Tonight's WWE SmackDown In Indianapolis, IN.


The complete spoiler listing has surfaced ahead of tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown in Indianapolis, IN.

Featured below is the complete spoiler listing for tonight’s show:

* Kevin Owens interview with Joe Tessitore
* Jimmy Uso vs. Carmelo Hayes
* WWE Women’s United States Championship Match: Chelsea Green (c) vs. Michin
* Damian Priest in-ring promo
* #DIY & Pretty Deadly vs. Motor City Machine Guns & Los Garza
* Tonga & Fatu backstage. DIY-Pretty Deadly backstage
* Naomi vs. Liv Morgan
* Andrade vs. The Miz
* Tiffany Stratton in-ring promo
* LA Knight & Damian Priest vs. Tama Tonga & Jacob Fatu

For those interested, check out our WWE SmackDown Results 1/31/25 here at WrestlingHeadlines.com.

Advertisement

(H/T: Fightful Select)



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Indianapolis, IN

IPS school board asks for a voice in legislature

Published

on

IPS school board asks for a voice in legislature


Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The Indianapolis Public Schools board took a stand against bills at the statehouse that could dismantle the district in a statement at its Thursday meeting, calling on the public to share their concerns with lawmakers.

But in a rare move for a board that has in recent years prided itself on presenting a united front, some board members wrote separate additional statements calling for change from the powerful education reform organizations that have faced heightened criticism since the legislation was introduced.

The board’s statement, which members took turns reading before a crowd of over 50 people, is the district’s latest response to a legislative session that could challenge the district’s future viability. House Bill 1136, the most extreme bill facing the district, would dissolve IPS and its elected school board and replace it with charter schools overseen by an appointed board. Another bill, House Bill 1501, would strip the district of its power over transportation and facilities.

Advertisement

A third proposal would force IPS to give charter schools what charter advocates have long pushed for: more tax dollars. These bills all come as Gov. Mike Braun advocates for property tax cuts statewide and the district faces a severe budget shortfall in the coming years.

“All together, the picture that comes into focus is challenging but clear: There simply is no scenario where the district looks in a decade the way it does today,” board member Hope Hampton read from the statement.

The board’s statement adds to the city’s increasingly politically charged education environment. Roughly 30 people spoke in public comment on Thursday, at times shouting back at the board during their individual statements and pushing for more time for public comment. The legislative proposals have not been heard in committees at the Statehouse yet, and some argued that HB 1136 is a bargaining chip to force IPS to share more property tax revenues with charter schools.

In its statement, the board said it will “show an authentic willingness to work together” as it did in 2014, when the legislature passed the Innovation schools law. But the board also nodded to a potential overabundance of schools for the district’s population of roughly 40,000 students, and said that closing or consolidating schools “can not rest only with our district.” It also said “all of our public schools must be included in this solution.”

The board called House Bill 1136 “a non-starter” that would destabilize the district’s financial foundations and strip communities of their voice. House Bill 1501 would create confusion and raise taxes, the board said. And Senate Bill 518 would shift tens of millions of dollars from the district to charter schools.

Advertisement

“Revenue loss on that scale — which could approach half the district’s operations fund budget — would unquestionably force us to close 20 or more district schools and cut many jobs throughout the district,” board member Ashley Thomas read from the statement.

Board members call for unity, scrutinize pro-charter groups

In individual statements, some board members took aim at the growth of the charter sector and the Mind Trust, Stand for Children, and RISE Indy — groups that advocate for their own interests and run their own programs but are also supportive of charter schools.

Stand for Children and RISE Indy have political action committees that have also donated tens of thousands to IPS school board races.

Board member Nicole Carey scrutinized the number of charter schools in the city, noting that other states have caps on charter schools.

“It is not efficient to have too many schools operating in silos, each with their own administration, each pulling from the same limited pool of resources,” she said.

Advertisement

Carey also called on the Mind Trust, Stand for Children, and RISE Indy to use their power at the statehouse to ensure all students get what they need.

“But that’s not what’s happening,” she said.

Board member Gayle Cosby described the three groups as “intent on destroying public education by any means necessary.” (Charter schools are public schools but privately operated.)

Through a spokesperson, the Mind Trust reiterated its support for solutions to increase access to transportation and facilities.

Advertisement

“The Mind Trust believes Indianapolis Public Schools remaining a strong and stable district is important to the vibrancy of Indianapolis,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “There is no truth to claims that the Mind Trust is working to destabilize IPS. In fact, the opposite is true. Our teams have worked collaboratively for years to advance outcomes for all public school students.”

In a statement, RISE Indy said it takes pride in its work to elevate Black and Brown voices in political spaces.

“We unapologetically advocate for every public school child because marginalized students exist in all school types,” the statement said.

Parents with Stand for Children, which organizes parents to advocate on educational topics, did not speak to the specific claims against the group but publicly commented on the need for support for charter schools, some of which they say offer their child a better education.

Board member Thomas called for unity, urging the public to focus on challenges students face every day, such as poverty and crime.

Advertisement

“While we should be fighting the real monsters, we are turning around and fighting each other,” Thomas said. “We won’t always agree with one another, but if we continue to split hairs simply to keep division moving, then we will continue to be dog-walked.”

The public voices opposition, concern on charters

Most of the roughly 30 people who spoke at the meeting Thursday were opposed to the expansion of charter schools and the dissolution of the district.

Amy Noel, whose child has a 504 plan for students with disabilities, questioned charters’ ability to serve him.

“How do we know how many charters who are going to say, ‘You know what, I don’t want to deal with this kid,’” Noel said. “What’s going to prevent them from throwing that kid out, and then that kid tries to go to another school, and then what if it happens again? There’s no fallback for those kids.”

Other parents called on IPS to change.

Advertisement

Vilma Hernandez said she pulled her son from IPS when he was placed on the wrong bus and dropped off far from home.

“It made me realize I couldn’t rely on the system to keep him safe,” she said through a translator. “One of the biggest inequities in our system is that families must provide their own transportation to charter schools, even when those schools offer some of the best education in the city.”

Feb. 20 is the last day for bills to pass out of their originating chambers at the statehouse.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Indianapolis, IN

Indy community leaders urge mayor to address homelessness crisis

Published

on

Indy community leaders urge mayor to address homelessness crisis


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis church leaders and community advocates are banning together to write a formal letter to Mayor Joe Hogsett asking him to help them solve the city’s homelessness crisis.

John Miller, of Indianapolis, found shelter just three days ago — after 13 months of waiting.

“It’s been pretty long and hard,” Miller said. “I mean, everybody’s trying to help you, but they got their own long wait list of their own.”

The list is long, and the wait can be deadly. Just a few months ago, Miller’s friend froze to death while waiting for housing.

Advertisement

The city estimates there are about 1,700 people experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis, and many more are on the Indianapolis Housing Agency’s section 8 waitlist.

“It currently has over 8,000 people waiting for housing, which means if you can qualify for public housing assistance, you would, and will be homeless without someone to help you,” community advocate Wildstyle Paschall said.

Paschall gathered earlier this month with at least 50 other community members looking to solve the issue, including Purpose of Life Ministries Senior Pastor Rev. David Greene, Sr.

The group says the problem can be fixed with funds through city government, along with corporate and philanthropic partnerships — all things they believe can only be brought together by Hogsett. The group chose to write a formal letter to the mayor.

“It was unanimously determined that only Mayor Hogsett has the ability to raise the necessary
resources to solve homelessness in Indy and the community must raise their voices and hold
him accountable,” the letter says.

Advertisement

Paschall says they are asking for a detailed plan with benchmarks to lower homelessness in the area. The group says they are aware of the IHA’s recent hiring of a new director, but feel she needs the support of the mayor to make change.

“We’re helping with that, we’ve got numbers that we would love to talk to the mayor and his people about,” Paschall said. “There are people in this city and organizations that want to help, and really it’s going to take the mayor to go bring everybody together to get the resources so that we can fix public housing.”

To help tackle the issue, Hogsett formed the 17-member Mayor’s Leadership Council on Homelessness last fall. The council also includes a “homelessness czar.” The members represent varying areas in the city, including philanthropic and business sectors.

“On October 1, 2024, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) convened the first meeting of the Mayor’s Leadership Council on Homelessness (MLCH) at my request,” a spokesperson for the mayor said in response to the letter. “This group represents passionate leadership from Indianapolis’ civic, philanthropic, corporate, and healthcare sectors. I, along with each member of the Leadership Council, is unified by the same mission: to end chronic, street homelessness in Indianapolis and to reduce racial disparities for those experiencing homelessness. The MLCH is tasked with finding solutions to achieve that goal, which includes activating human and financial resources, removing barriers to implementation, as well as leveraging each member’s sphere of influence to enact meaningful change. We have laid the groundwork for change with the MLCH and are pivoting to stakeholder engagement and action that results in demonstrable impact in the lives of our unhoused neighbors. Whether it is through the new master leasing program or the ongoing work to add even more permanent supportive housing units, the City remains focused on utilizing its resources and community partnerships to support our unhoused neighbors.”

Greene is on the council, but wants more to be done.

Advertisement

“We have to stand up,” Greene said. “That’s what the Bible commands of us, what God expects of us, and so to see people suffer in a country as rich as ours and the state. We’re able to do other things, clearly. Why aren’t we able to do more to solve the homeless problem here in Indianapolis?”

Miller tells me he believes any support from local leaders will lead to him staying off the streets, and making sure his friends do too.

For a full copy of the letter, click below.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending