Indianapolis, IN
Battle over ban on rights on red lights in downtown Indianapolis returns to the Statehouse
Town hall: “Complete Streets” and Indianapolis’ pedestrian safety crisis
A panel of local experts and stakeholders will discuss the city’s nationally renowned Complete Streets ordinance, its successes and shortcomings.
Submitted by Tim Harms, Indianapolis Star
The battle over Indianapolis’ no-turn-on-red law is back.
The state vs. local government tete-a-tete features the City-County Council, which over the summer put up signs prohibiting right turns on red at downtown intersections in an attempt to improve pedestrian safety, and the city’s Republican state Sen. Aaron Freeman, who has called the measure “stupid” and part of a “war on cars.”
In April, soon after the Democrat-led City-County Council began considering the idea, Freeman tacked language onto a vehicle bill that would bar the council from passing such an ordinance.
The council initially thought that was the end. Then in June they decided to act after all, realizing that the text of the bill implied the prohibition wouldn’t take effect until July 1.
So at their June meeting, councilors took advantage of that loophole and passed the ordinance.
Now, in a new bill filed for the 2024 legislative session, Freeman is proposing the state retroactively nullify the city’s ordinance.
Senate Bill 108 would add language to existing law saying that any ordinance adopted by a consolidated city between Dec. 31, 2022, and July 1, 2023, is void. If the bill passes, the city would have to allow right turns on red once more and take down the existing signs.
Currently the signs are at downtown intersections within the boundaries of 11th Street, Oscar Robertson Boulevard, 10th Street, White River Parkway West Drive, Interstate I-70 and Interstate I-65.
This is the latest iteration in the tug-of-war over local control, specifically in Indianapolis. State lawmakers have also preventing the city from cracking down on bad landlords and tried to prevent IndyGo from expanding transit lines. The transit fight returns this session, too, with another bill from Freeman attempting to ban the use of dedicated bus lanes for the Blue Line along Washington Street ― a measure that would put the project in jeopardy.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 21-year-old man was arrested and accused of raping a University of Indianapolis student on campus.
Police say the investigation began on Jan. 24 when University of Indianapolis Police received a call from a woman who said she believed she was drugged at a bar in downtown Indianapolis and then raped in her dorm room.
Court documents say she met Marwan Khalaf of Noblesville at the Metro Bar on Massachusetts Avenue and went back to her dorm room, where he repeatedly raped her. When she woke up one of the last times, he was gone.
According to court documents, she next went to shower and passed out again. She woke up in the shower at 7 a.m. Jan. 24 and called 911.
The student told investigators she had gone out alone on Jan. 23 and took an Uber to a few bars downtown before arriving at the Metro Bar at 12:51 a.m. Jan. 24. Court documents state that’s where she met Khalaf and they danced together.
Court documents say the bar refused to serve the student a drink because she was already intoxicated when she arrived. Khalaf then bought her a shot and they asked her to leave. She says Khalaf left with her and offered to take her home.
The student says she recalls his car being “parked directly across the street from Metro.” According to UIPD Detective Jay Arnold, the student’s identification card was used to enter the dorm at 2:13 a.m.
In an interview with detectives, Khalaf admitted to being at the bar and kissing her, but denied having sexual contact with the student. He told detectives he took care of her because she was drunk and said he left the dorm when it became light outside because his mother was calling him.
Khalaf has been charged with two counts of rape and one count of sexual battery.
Indianapolis-area students speak on proposed ILEA changes
Students from both Shortridge High School and KIPP Indy Public Schools speak on the proposed models from the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance.
The signers of a recent statement by the African American Coalition of Indianapolis questioning who speaks for the Black community raise concerns about process while our students of color continue to be left behind in a public education system that offers too little opportunity and too few positive outcomes.
We agree that parents and students should be heard, which is why we’re troubled that our voices were overlooked during the public process led by the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance. We were present at nearly every ILEA meeting, sharing our personal experiences and asking leaders to take bold action, and we spent months discussing and researching ideas before offering a series of recommendations to improve schools in both IPS and the charter sector.
For many of us, speaking up to improve public education in our city goes back years. We have consistently focused on stronger accountability for all schools within IPS and on growing what works in communities that most need quality schools. So we have to ask: Did you not hear us? Or did you choose to ignore us because our opinions don’t align with yours? Are you now trying to diminish our voices by suggesting that our affiliation with certain organizations means we can’t think or speak for ourselves?
Let us be clear. Our advocacy is driven by our own experiences, and it is these perspectives that add value to the debate we’re having as a community. We live in neighborhoods that are directly impacted by the opportunity gap. It takes courage to advocate, and when voices like ours are attacked, it discourages others in our community from standing up and speaking out.
We strongly support IPS — many of us attended the district as children and have our own students there now. We also support a system of quality charter schools, and we will continue to advocate for both despite attempts to pit sectors against one another. While these recent words and claims are unfair and deeply hurtful, we remain dedicated to bringing voices together to solve problems.
It is time to stop the toxic politics of school type and focus on progress for children, especially Black and brown students who have been harmed by a tragic opportunity gap that has existed for generations. While House Bill 1423 is not perfect, we see it as the best opportunity in many years to hold all schools accountable for improved results, expand transportation and access across IPS, and move toward financial stability across the system.
You may disagree with us on the policy, and that is OK. But please do not dismiss our voices or discount our stories, which represent so many in IPS who simply want a high-quality, safe public school experience for their children.
LaToya Hale, Greg Henson, Dontia Dyson, Cristal Salgado and Swantella Nelson are Indianapolis parents.
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Westfield officials say the historic Green Building will relocate as part of the 32Connects project, in partnership with Indiana Department of Transportation.
The move is set for 8 a.m. Thursday and move north from its current location, along State Road 32 near Union Street, up to near the Basile Westfield Playhouse.
Officials say in order to safely complete the move the intersection of Union Street and State Road 32 will be closed beginning at 4 a.m. Thursday.
The intersection will reopen by 5 p.m. and detours will be in place.
If the weather causes delays, the move will shift to Friday.
This story was written using a script that was aired on WISH-TV.
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