Indianapolis, IN
Community Food Access Coalition forms to advise city on how to address food insecurity
INDIANAPOLIS — A group of community members are focused on dealing with food insecurity. The Community Food Access Coalition has been a long time coming.
On Monday, the all-volunteer coalition laid out their recommendations for the city. They recommended four appointees to the Municipal Community Food Access Advisory Commission. They also recommended that the city invest in more urban farming and grass roots organization helping to fight food insecurity like Octavia’s Visionary Campus.
WRTV
“The vision of this campus is to be able to grow food, create a hub, a community hub, where we build community wealth, an asset for the community,” Alex Sangsuwangul the Caretaker for Octavia’s Visionary Campus said. “Where we can grow food, have youth come here, education, youth leadership development.”
WRTV
The campus already has some young teens headed down the right path. They’ve done so by creating the Next Generation Farmers program.
“It backs building youth up,” Elijah Brinkley a Next Generations Farmer Participant said. “Building food knowledge, I feel like building sort of a knowledge with food and knowledge of how to grow and knowledge from other growers.”
RELATED | Food Hub helps connect Hoosiers to food resources
Food hub helps connect Hoosiers to food resources
Community Food Access Coalition hopes the city will invest in programs like next generation farmers.
“This isn’t a time for talking, this is a time for action,” Harrison Jacobo the Vice President of the Community Food Access Coalition said.
WRTV
It was four years ago the city passed Proposal 337, which allowed for the creation of the Community Food Access Coalition. It’s taken this long to get it off the ground. Now they hope the city will take their recommendations seriously.
“The coalition has control over funding from the city so OPHS will designate an allotment of money called a food fund to the coalition,” Jacobo said.
With the coalition established, the city says it is open to investing in some of the programs and that they look forward to learning about what grass roots organization might help create even more change when it comes to feeding Indianapolis residents in need.
WRTV
“We are always excited and eager to hear about new and potential partnerships, new opportunities, and I think that kind of circles back to this emerging you know coalition co-hort,” Alexis Weaver the Assistant director for the social determinants of health for OPHS said.
If the city chooses to invest in community grass roots organizations, it could go a long way.
“Having a little bit more funding we would be able to have more staffing, we could create more space for garden beds, create more time and energy for more folks to be involved,” Sangsuwangul said.
WRTV
The coalition’s next step will be working with the city to see how much funding they have dedicated to tackle food insecurity, where it is going and how they can help it be equitably distributed.
If you are interested in learning more about Octavia’s Visionary Campus they have volunteer opportunities. You can learn more by clicking here.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana State Police have arrested a man in connection with two attacks, including one deadly, near Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis earlier this month.
29-year-old Michael Willis is facing two counts of attempted murder. Police say that the attacks happened on June 19 and June 26, both happening on N Senate Ave. near Monument Circle.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by News 8, on June 19, Willis was walking in the area near Monument Circle around 2 a.m. when he approached a person laying down and repeatedly stomped on them. Police say that this first victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
The first victim died on Sunday due to their injuries sustained from Willis’s attack, documents say.
Police also say that on June 26, Willis attacked a different person at the same location near Monument Circle. Police believe that the second victim was repeatedly kicked and stomped on while they were lying down as well. This second attack also took place around 2 a.m.
Indiana State Police detectives shared surveillance photos of Willis from the attacks with other police agencies in an attempt to identify him. Police say Willis was identified by a Greensborough Police Sergeant after Willis had asked the sergeant to use his cell phone.
Police then approached Willis and detained him. Police say that when Willis was detained, he was wearing the same clothes that were seen in the surveillance footage of both attacks. Officers also noticed blood on Willis’s socks.
In an interview with detectives about the July 26 attack, Willis at first said that he was only “nudging” the victim. Police say that according to Willis, he was trying to wake the victim up because he was concerned about them.
Later in the interview, Willis admitted to attacking both victims. Willis said that he was frustrated that he had been homeless and unemployed for around the past 6 months. According to police, Willis also said that the people in the area were “mean and rude” to him.
Police say that Willis told detectives that he was the only person involved in these attacks.
Willis is currently in custody of the Marion County Jail.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana is under a heat advisory with temperatures in the 90s throughout the week.
Many cooling centers will open throughout the state for those that need to find relief from the heat. Hoosiers looking to find cooling centers in their area can contact Indiana 211. To learn more, call 211 or (866) 211-9966.
Avaliable cooling centers can also be found by clicking here.
Marion County
For those living in Indianapolis, Indy Parks has several cooling centers across the city.
Those Cooling Centers are:
- Broad Ripple Park Family Center
- Brookside Park Family Center
- Christian Park Family Center
- Frederick Douglass Park Family Center
- Garfield Park Burrello Family Center
- Krannert Park Family Center
- Grassy Creek Environmental Education Center
- Pride Park Family Center
- Rhodius Park Family Center
- Riverside Park Family Center
- Stanley Strader Park Family Center
- Washington Park Family Center
- Windsor Park Family Center
- Watkins Park Family Center
- Thatcher Park Family Center
For addresses and hours of operations of these cooling centers, click here.
Beech Grove will also have two cooling Centers for residents starting Monday, June 29. Those hours and locations are:
- Beech Grove Senior Center, 602 Main St
- 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
- Hornet Park Community Center, 5245 Hornet Ave
- 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday through Friday
Other Central Indiana Cooling Centers
For addresses and hour of operations of cooling centers below, click here.
Marion
- St. Martin Community Center
- Grant County Family YMCA
- Grant County Rescue Mission
Kokomo
- The Kokomo Rescue Mission
- The Excel Center in Kokomo
Peru
- Community Resource Center
- Miami County Courthouse
- Miami County Health Department
- Miami County YMCA
- Peru City Hall
- Peru Public Library
- Peru Schools Administration Building
INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — The National Weather Service out of Indianapolis has issued a Heat Advisory for all of Central Indiana and a High Heat Warning for parts of northern Indiana. The Advisory and Warning will go into effect at 12 PM on Monday and will run through 8 PM Thursday.
WRTV
A Heat Advisory means that temperatures in the 90s with dew points in the 70s, will lead to Heat Index values reaching 106. Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses.
Stay cool:
Drink plenty of fluids, check up on relatives and neighbors, and stay in an air-conditioned room when possible. If outside for extended periods of time, make sure to take frequent breaks in the shade as much as you can.
-
Cleveland, OH2 minutes ago
Earth and Essence IV Spa Launches Free GLP-1 Weight Loss Consultation in Cleveland
-
Austin, TX9 minutes agoAustin Police search for suspects in 7-Eleven robbery
-
Alabama12 minutes agoAlabama under first heat advisory of the season as officials urge residents to take precautions
-
Alaska17 minutes agoMan with same name as Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan can appear on GOP primary ballot, state’s Supreme Court rules
-
Arizona24 minutes agoArizona Medicaid work requirements are 6 months away. What to know
-
Arkansas27 minutes ago
Arkansas Lottery Powerball, Cash 3 winning numbers for June 29, 2026
-
California32 minutes agoWhat you should know about the $351.7 billion state budget Newsom just signed
-
Colorado39 minutes ago
Colorado Democrats choose between insurgent progressives and veteran incumbents
