Indianapolis, IN

Colts’ Riley Leonard: 1 play away instead of 2 plays away

Published

8 months ago

October 13, 2025

Colts’ Riley Leonard: 1 play away instead of 2 plays away

INDIANAPOLIS — Just like that, Riley Leonard’s Sunday afternoon at the office changed.

In the blink of an eye — or to be more precise, when Anthony Richardson Sr. suffered an eye injury during pre-game warm-ups — the Indianapolis Colts’ rookie quarterback saw his role altered from inactive/emergency QB to Daniel Jones’ backup.

“I’m thinking, ‘Is (Richardson) OK?’’’ Leonard said after the Colts’ 31-27 win over the Arizona Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium. “Obviously, I’m one play away instead of two plays away.

“I don’t know if there’s something written on how you should go about that situation.’’

It became a situation when Richardson, who lost the starting job to Jones during training camp, suffered a fractured orbital bone when a resistance band he was working with prior to the game snapped and hit him in the eye. That required a trip to the hospital.

Coach Shane Steichen was uncertain how much time Richardson might miss. There’s a chance general manager Chris Ballard searches for a veteran quarterback to serve as Jones’ backup.

Until then, it’s Leonard. The sixth-round draft pick has been running the scout team during the week and soaking up as much knowledge as possible from Jones and Richardson.

“It’s pretty tough, but fortunately the guys do a great job of just keeping me up to date,’’ he said. “There’s not really much information Daniel gets that I end up (not) getting throughout the week. We’re always together, being coached the same regardless.

“I’m not physically getting the reps, but, shoot, I love running the scout team. I’ll take any reps I can during practice.’’

Sunday proved that every backup — or No. 3 at a position — must be ready for even the strangest of things to occur during a game.

“I guess it really doesn’t hit you until it does,’’ Leonard said. “I mean, there’s a human nature inside to everything. You’re thinking, ‘alright, you’re third-string quarterback. Not even active going into the game.’ Probably starts to get into your mind a little bit.

“But you just can’t live like that. Obviously, I’d love to play. That’s why I work every day. I want to get on the field. That’s certainly not the way that I would have drawn it up in any circumstance.

“But here we are, one play away.’’

Steichen admitted the pregame issues were beyond unusual. Along with losing Richardson, the Colts saw cornerback Charvarius Ward suffer a concussion when he ran into tight end Drew Ogletree during a warmup period.

“That was very interesting to say the least,’’ he said. “We had to kind of rally the troops there in the locker room and get us back into focus.

“I thought our guys did that the right way.’’

You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.

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Indianapolis, IN

New stores in Indianapolis include indoor kid’s playground, cafe

Published

8 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

New stores in Indianapolis include indoor kid’s playground, cafe

May came and went, and with it, we saw the closest Indianapolis 500 finish in history, the 150th anniversary of Eli Lilly and a contested primary election day.

There’s also been some movement in retail news ahead of the summer shopping season. On the north side, a new women’s clothing store opened while a piercing studio set up shop in Speedway. Meanwhile, an indoor children’s play place opened on the near north side.

Read on for four spots that recently opened and one in Broad Ripple that said farewell.

Openings

Monkee’s

8659 River Crossing Blvd., monkeesofindianapolis.com, opened in March

Monkee’s of Indianapolis, a high-end women’s clothing store, opened recently on the north side in the Shops at River Crossing near the Fashion Mall. The brand Monkee’s started in the South three decades ago and has since grown to nearly 70 locations. In Indianapolis, Missy Llewellyn and Whitney Schmitt started the franchise to bring the clothing brand to the Circle City.

The Nest Play Cafe

515 E 22nd St Suite 101, indynestplaycafe.com, opened early May

The Nest Play Cafe opened at the corner of Central Avenue and 22nd Street, offering an indoor space for parents and caregivers to bring their children to play. Caregivers can book 90-minute play sessions for $15 per child over the age of one. Tickets for additional siblings run $10. The cafe sells coffee and snacks, too.

Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon. Closed Tuesdays.

Forget Me Not Piercing Studio

5324 W. 16th St., jessflowerspiercings.square.site, opened May 27

A new piercing studio opened in Speedway at the end of May just days after the Indianapolis 500. Forget Me Not Piercing offers traditional lobe, helix and conch piercings along with nostril and septum piercings. Artist Jess Flowers opened the one-woman shop on 16th Street.

Open Sunday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Black Orchid Barbers Fountain Square

1201 Prospect St. Suite 100, blackorchidbarbers.com, opened in May

Black Orchid, a local barbershop known for its sharp haircuts with a side of humor, opened its Fountain Square spot, marking the company’s seventh brick-and-mortar location. Walk-ins are welcome but Black Orchid recommends grabbing a time slot online for your preferred service.

Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Closures

Vitality IV Bar

6302 Guilford Ave., vitalityivbar.com

An IV-wellness spot in Broad Ripple shut its doors last month. Vitality IV Bar was located next to the Thieves cocktail lounge, formerly the Broad Ripple Starbucks location, before it went out of business.

Vitality IV still operates an Indianapolis-area location on Mass Ave downtown at 749 Massachusetts Ave where customers can book a variety of infusions with vitamins.

See a store opening or closing near you? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.

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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis artist merges forgiveness, healing and protecting water

Published

18 hours ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

Indianapolis artist merges forgiveness, healing and protecting water

Carolyn Springer added streaks of light blue with her brush to the canvas. The streaks, representing light reflected through water, crossed over names written in chalk.

Forty-one names comprised the 11th layer of Springer’s “The Forgiving Sea VI,” an interactive painting that invites people to wr

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Indianapolis, IN

Garfield Park Conservatory will combine nature and crafts in June

Published

1 day ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

Garfield Park Conservatory will combine nature and crafts in June

Elizabeth Gabriel, Mirror Indy

(MIRROR INDY) — The Garfield Park Conservatory will host multiple family-friendly events throughout June. The events include plant shows, kid’s story time and Dollar Menu Night, which allows residents to harvest and eat veggies from a community garden.

Events at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 2505 Conservatory Drive, range in price and some require advance registration.

The Indianapolis Bonsai Club will have displays and answer questions about a variety of bonsai. Vendors will have items for purchase.

🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6, 1-5 p.m. June 7
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)

Preschoolers ages 2-5 can participate in nature-themed storytime and crafts.

🗓️ 10-11 a.m. June 9
🎟️ $6 per child

Residents of all ages can harvest and eat veggies from Blakes’ Garden. Advance registration is preferred.

🗓️ 6-7 p.m. June 10
🎟️ $1 per person

Focused on ages 2-8, participants will listen to a nature-themed story and explore Blakes’ Garden. Attendees will relocate to a classroom if there’s inclement weather.

🗓️ 10 a.m. June 12
🎟️ Free

Up to 15 neighbors ages 10 and up will learn to ferment kimchi. Registration is required.

🗓️ 1-2 p.m. June 13
🎟️ $15 per person

Kids ages 2-5 can plant and harvest crops in the Children’s Garden. Registration is required.

🗓️ 11 a.m. to noon June 24
🎟️ $6 per child

The Indiana Insectivores will display tropical and native Indiana predator plants. Plants will also be available for purchase. Those who attend the plant show will also have free entry to the Predatory Plants Presentation 1-2 p.m. June 27.

🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27, 1-5 p.m. June 28
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.

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