Connect with us

Indianapolis, IN

Former interim library CEO Nichelle Hayes parting ways with library, effective immediately

Published

on

Former interim library CEO Nichelle Hayes parting ways with library, effective immediately


Nichelle Hayes, the embattled former interim CEO of the Indianapolis Public Library who was passed over for the top job, left the organization Wednesday, the library’s board of trustees announced.

The decision to part ways was mutual, according to a statement from the board.

“Nichelle M. Hayes has been an asset to the Indianapolis Public Library and the community as a whole for many years. During a difficult transitional period for the library, Ms. Hayes stepped up and skillfully filled the role of Interim CEO,” the statement said. “Ms. Hayes and the Library have decided to mutually part ways. The Library wishes her the best of luck in her future endeavors and appreciates her many years of dedication to the organization.”

Advertisement

In a statement Hayes also shared on Facebook, she wrote that she felt humbled by those who supported and advocated for her to be appointed the library’s permanent CEO.

“As I now chart a new path, I am proud of the work and partnerships formed during my career at the library. I am excited to bring my passion, skills and abilities to the next chapter of my adventure,” she said.

Hayes’ exit from the organization closes the chapter on a years-long saga — marked by in-fighting, dysfunction, mistrust, division, the appointments of several acting CEOs and public protests — to install new leadership and stability at the library following the 2021 resignation of long-time chief executive Jackie Nytes.

Nytes stepped down after former and current employees accused her of contributing to a toxic work environment, rife with racism and discrimination. Nytes denied that the accusations of racism were true.

Advertisement

Revisit: Following accusations of racism, the Indianapolis Public Library’s CEO will step down

Hayes was the second acting CEO to serve in the position after Nyte’s resigned. She had joined the Indianapolis Public Library System in 2015, working as a librarian who would most notably serve as the manager the agency’s Center for Black Literature and Culture.

“Creating the Center for Black Literature & Culture (CBLC) was an opportunity of a lifetime. When the CBLC was in the building stage we wanted it to be both Windows and Mirrors, for people who were a part of the African Diaspora and those who were not,” Hayes wrote. “For both of those groups to learn and grow richer in their understanding of the world. The CBLC allowed me to utilize and combine my love for history & literature while working collaboratively with others.”

Hayes served as interim CEO from March to December 2022, taking over for prior interim CEO John Helling, who was initially tapped for the position following Nyte’s resignation.

“I was elated by the opportunity to give back to the system and community in a significant way, especially as the first Black person to take on the role,” Hayes said. “One of my favorite parts of this role was the opportunity to share and combine diverse perspectives of employees and patrons. As a person who began my career as a front line worker, I strived to bring that perspective to the role in order to benefit the employees as a whole.”

Advertisement

Hayes had sought to become the library system’s permanent leader. She had broad support from members of the community, city council members and the union representing library staff, but faced opposition from several members of the board in a months-long national search and conflict over who would lead the library system.

Despite the outpouring of community and staff support for Hayes, the board chose to name Gregory Hill, a longtime library staffer and U.S. Naval officer, who was named interim CEO after the board’s national search pick declined the post after a public outcry. The board refused to give the job to Hayes.

Hill became the permanent CEO In April.

Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris.

Advertisement





Source link

Indianapolis, IN

Unsettled Friday and Saturday, then summer heat returns early next week | July 10, 2026

Published

on

Unsettled Friday and Saturday, then summer heat returns early next week | July 10, 2026


TODAY

Partly sunny and warm with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely through much of the bookends of the day. Highs reach the mid 80s, with a west southwest breeze around 5 mph. It does not look like nonstop rain from start to finish, but this is the least reliable daytime period in the forecast, and any stronger storm could drop a quick heavy downpour with a gusty burst of wind. 

TONIGHT

Scattered showers and thunderstorms remain possible through the evening, then another lower-end storm chance lingers late overnight. Lows settle near the upper 60s, with light wind. The severe risk looks lower than it is Thursday night, but a few pockets of heavier rain are still possible if a boundary stalls close enough to central Indiana.  

TOMORROW

Mostly cloudy and not quite as hot, with another chance for showers and thunderstorms developing mainly after mid afternoon. Highs reach the low to mid 80s, with a light northeast breeze around 5 mph. Much of the first half of the day should be usable, but later afternoon and evening plans will still need a weather eye.  

TOMORROW NIGHT

A few showers and thunderstorms may linger early, then the trend turns quieter with mostly cloudy skies overnight. Lows fall to the upper 60s, with an east northeast breeze around 5 mph. It is a calmer setup than Friday night overall, even if an early interruption is still possible.  

SUNDAY

Mostly sunny and warmer with highs in the mid 80s. An east breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the day from feeling too stagnant, and this looks like one of the cleaner forecast days of the stretch. Most of central Indiana should stay dry from start to finish.

Advertisement

SUNDAY NIGHT

Mostly clear and seasonably mild, with lows around the mid 60s and a light east northeast breeze. Quiet weather continues overnight with no meaningful travel concerns.  

MONDAY

Sunny and hotter, with highs climbing into the upper 80s. A light east wind around 5 mph holds through the day. After the unsettled end of the workweek, this looks like a very usable summer day with heat becoming the main story instead of storms.  

MONDAY NIGHT

Mostly clear and warm, with lows near 70 and only a light breeze. There will be little trouble overnight, and the warmer pattern settles in more firmly.  

TUESDAY

Sunny and hot again, with highs near 90. Wind stays light, becoming east southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. This is another day where the weather looks broadly quiet, with heat the main thing to plan around.  

7 DAY FORECAST

The main concern in the near term is the unsettled Friday into Saturday period, when repeated rounds of showers and thunderstorms could bring quick heavy rain, especially Friday afternoon and evening. After that, the pattern trends warmer and drier from Sunday into at least Tuesday, with highs returning to the upper 80s and lower 90s while heat index values stay more manageable than the late-June heat. By Wednesday and Thursday, isolated afternoon and evening storms begin to creep back into the forecast, with a more noticeable thunderstorm threat showing up later next week into next weekend.  

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Indianapolis, IN

Indiana Workforce Pell Grant options limited so far

Published

on

Indiana Workforce Pell Grant options limited so far


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Education leaders on Thursday said waiting for rulemaking limited the number of programs approved for a new grant program, but they expect more approvals soon.

Created as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that President Donald Trump signed last year, the Workforce Pell Grant program allows students to use Pell Grants for short-term, direct-to-workforce training programs. The program began on July 1. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and Vincennes University, which are Indiana’s two two-year vocational and technical institutions, are the only institutions in the state authorized for the program so far, though state officials have said they’ll consider expanding it to other institutions depending on the results of the first year.

So far, state education officials have approved three programs for Workforce Pell Grants: certified clinical medical assistant programs at Ivy Tech and Vincennes, plus an electrical maintenance technician bootcamp Vincennes offers. Final approval must come from the federal government, which has not yet green-lit any of those programs.

Molly Dodge, Ivy Tech’s senior vice president for workforce and careers, said Ivy Tech leaders needed to make sure they thoroughly understood the requirements they would face. To be eligible, a program must have at least a 70% completion rate and a 70% job placement rate. It also must lead directly to a job in a high-growth, high-demand job sector. Dodge said the rules were finalized this spring. After that, she said Ivy Tech leaders began going through each of their courses to see which ones would be eligible.

Advertisement

“Workforce Pell has a significant requirement related to job placement and wages, and so we need to backward design from an employer, in many cases, to make sure that we’re successful in launching these Workforce Pell programs,” she said.

Tony Hahn, Vincennes University’s vice president for government and legal affairs, said July 1 was the earliest under federal statute the program could begin. In practice, he said the rollout will take some time because programs must be offered for one year in exactly the same format before they become eligible for the Workforce Pell Grant.

“These are often programs that we have offered through Next Level Jobs programs and other Department of Workforce Development funding, but didn’t have the exact same requirements on number of classroom hours or number of total weeks offered,” he said. “And so, we made some modifications and we’ll be able to expand this list.”

Both Dodge and Hahn said leaders at their respective institutions are reviewing their course catalogs for other potentially eligible programs. They said they expect to add approved programs in the coming months.

Dodge said Workforce Pell-eligible programs are often designed with the expectation that you will go to work with a partner employer upon completion of the program, but that doesn’t mean education ends there. She said Workforce Pell Grant programs are stackable and can be pursued as part of a longer-term higher education strategy. Students can qualify for both traditional Pell Grants and Workforce Pell Grants, though not at the same time.

Advertisement

Hahn said prospective students won’t be able to apply for Workforce Pell Grants until this fall or next spring. If you’re interested, he said you should fill out a federal student financial aid form. He said Vincennes University leaders expect to add information about eligible programs to their application website once approved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Indianapolis, IN

Man dies after car crashes into pole on near NW side

Published

on

Man dies after car crashes into pole on near NW side


INDIANAPOLIS – A man died in a crash on the near northwest side of Indianapolis.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were dispatched to 505 W. 16th St. around 4:15 a.m. Thursday.

A person died in a crash on West 16th Street on July 9, 2026 (WXIN/WTTV)

There, officers discovered a vehicle had crashed into a utility pole. The driver was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending