Indianapolis, IN
Former Orange Bowl opponents now Colts teammates
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts are in the middle of rookie minicamp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
Former Penn State tight end Tyler Warren was drafted by the Colts in the first round of last month’s NFL Draft, while former Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the draft.
The two played each other this past January in the Orange Bowl down in Miami Gardens, Fla. Leonard’s Fighting Irish beat Warren’s Nittany Lions 27-24 in that College Football Playoff matchup.
News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff asked Warren on Friday if Leonard and him have discussed that game at all.
“Hadn’t been long talks, but it came up here and there,” Warren said.
Notre Dame may have beaten Penn State this past January, but Warren had a huge impact for the Nittany Lions in the game. He finished with 6 receptions for 75 yards in the contest, while also rushing for 21 yards on two carries.
“I didn’t talk to J.T. (Tuimoloau) about the natty, but I went straight up to Tyler Warren,” Leonard said. “That’s for sure. I went straight up to him. But then again, he probably had like 150 yards on us too at the same time.”
The duo may have been on opposite sidelines in that game this past January, but now they are looking forward to being teammates in Indy.
“He (Leonard) was a great player,” Warren said. “So playing him in college and now being teammates is really cool. And just to kind of share teams with guys that had great success all through college. Now being on the same team is really cool.”
Leonard shares the same sentiment as he now is throwing passes to a player in Warren who made life miserable for defenses all across the college football world last season.
“Tyler, he’s a football player,” Leonard said. “He went out there yesterday and just very easily adapt(ed). He’s just a quarterback-friendly guy – catches, soft hands and things like that. But, ‘Tyler Warren’ Tyler Warren is like – you strap up them pads, that’s another version of the dude. Some guys are just football players and he’s definitely one of them. You can kind of tell. When he gets his hand in the dirt and straps it up, I’m excited to see it. Because I obviously saw it in person when we played him in the playoffs and it was fun to watch… kind of.”
The two players are ready for the challenge of playing in the NFL. Leonard credits playing at Notre Dame for helping prepare him for this next opportunity.
“You learn how to be a professional from the day you walk into the locker room,” Leonard said. “And you don’t learn it through the X’s and O’s and the playbook. You learn it from the environments around you. So if I went into Notre Dame’s facility at 10 p.m. at night, there’s guys in there constantly working because they’re all trying to make it to the NFL and win a national championship. That is our goal as a program. And everybody’s in there for the same purpose, rhyme and reason. So, I think Notre Dame teaches you the intangibles that just set you up perfectly for the next level.”
Colts rookie minicamp continues Sunday.
Without a first round selection, when is the Indianapolis Colts’ first pick in the 2026 NFL draft?
Looking ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, what selections do the Indianapolis Colts have this year?
With a record of 8-9, the Colts finished the 2025 season with the 16th-best record. However, they won’t be picking at 16th overall in the first round.
In order to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner from the Jets, the Colts traded away their 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks to New York.
So the first time that the Colts will be on the clock come April is in Round 2 and with the 47th overall pick, according to Tankathon.
In total, the Colts currently have five draft picks in 2026. Along with trading away their first-rounder, GM Chris Ballard also traded the Colts’ sixth-round draft pick as part of the trade that brought Mekhi Blackmon over from Minnesota.
- Round 2, pick 47
- Round 3, pick 78
- Round 4, pick 113
- Round 5, pick 154
- Round 7, pick 230
Now, the Colts are projected to receive two compensatory picks in the sixth and seventh rounds. This would bring the Colts’ total number of selections up to seven.
According to Over the Cap, those picks will be awarded to the Colts for EJ Speed and Joe Flacco leaving in free agency last offseason.
At this time, however, those compensatory picks have not yet been made official by the NFL.
NFL.com lists quarterback, linebacker, defensive linemen, and offensive tackle as the Colts’ biggest offseason needs.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana General Assembly returned to session Monday, and one bill filed by an Indianapolis Republican aims to address crime in downtown Indianapolis. The bill would allow for the state to step in to address violent crime in the downtown area.
“We have had people from Sweden who were killed that were in the military,” State Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, said. “We’ve had hotels shot up from outside. People killed on the street, especially on the canal. It’s a beautiful place, but people are scared.”
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Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of public safety downtown
Young filed Senate Bill 145, which would give the governor authority to provide adequate law enforcement services within downtown starting in 2027. Young said he would first try to negotiate with the mayor, but if no agreement is reached, Indiana State Police would assume all law enforcement services within the district. The district would include the Mile Square, Victory Field, Lucas Oil Stadium, Military Park, American Legion Mall, the U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial and related facilities such as parking lots.
“Now we are not doing this as a state on the taxpayers’ dime. Since the city won’t be paying as much, they have law enforcement duties. We are going to use some of the tax dollars that the state would send to Indianapolis, and we will hold those back for the cost we have. And hopefully it will be even cheaper,” Young said.
The bill would also allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor for crimes committed downtown, taking that authority from the Marion County prosecutor.
Photo Courtesy: Downtown Indianapolis Inc.
WRTV reached out to several downtown organizations, the city and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The Downtown Indy Alliance was unavailable for an interview but provided a statement:
“Public safety is critical to the continued success and vibrancy of Downtown, and we believe this work is best accomplished when partners are working collaboratively. Over the last several years, we have seen great strides in increased cooperation and communication, thanks in part to the work of the Marion County Crime Reduction Board, as well as the leadership of state and local law enforcement officers.
The results of such efforts are clear — in December, IMPD reported that violent crime was down nearly 8% and overall crime down more than 9% in the Downtown District. As conversations continue at the Statehouse, our focus remains on supporting collaboration and data-driven strategies that contribute to a safe and welcoming Downtown for residents, workers, and employers.”
The mayor’s office also issued a statement:
“This is not the first time we’ve seen an extreme proposal pointed at Indianapolis. And while the City is always happy to collaborate with the Governor and the State to improve Indianapolis, the notion that the State would take over public safety responsibilities Downtown is a step too far.”
WRTV/ Otis Jones
IMPD said they will follow the legislation closely and continue to operate as usual. Young said the proposal reflects what constituents want.
“They want to be safe when they come to our capital city and downtown,” Young said.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office did not respond before our deadline. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Courts and Criminal Law, where it awaits a hearing.
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Several shops closing in Circle Centre Mall in Indianapolis
Small business owners with stores inside Circle Centre Mall said they received lease terminations that they would need to move out by Dec. 31.
As the year came to an end, so did the annual carousel of stores opening and closing around Indianapolis.
Multiple beloved shops, including a giftware store in Fountain Square and a local bookstore near the Devington area, closed at the end of the year due to personal decisions or financial difficulties. Meanwhile, a streetwear shop opened in Castleton Square Mall, and the last tenants in Circle Centre Mall said their farewells before the shopping center closed for a yearslong redevelopment.
Here’s what retail stores opened and closed in December 2025.
Openings
Indianapolis Liberation Center
1619 Prospect St., indyliberationcenter.org, opened Dec. 5
The Indianapolis Liberation Center opened its permanent physical storefront last month to serve as a community space and organizing hub on the near southeast side. Founded in 2021, the Center brings together organizers and community groups to train activists and host events.
“With a physical store that’s a one-stop shop for organizers and activists — including a diverse range of hundreds of books, unique t-shirts, buttons, stickers, posters, and more — this marks a new chapter in achieving our mission of a city and world free of division, exploitation, marginalization, and oppression,” Dani Abdullah, a lead organizer with the Center, said in a press release.
The Center is run solely by volunteers.
Circle City Souvenirs
1 S. Capitol Ave., circlecitysouvenirs.com, opened early December
Longtime souvenir store Circle City Souvenirs closed up shop in the declining Circle Centre Mall, but the Indianapolis spot didn’t go far. Circle City Souvenirs is now open in the PNC Center. Owner Kim White told IndyStar the move was bittersweet, as her store had called the mall home since 2017, but she hopes to expand the business in the new location.
PRVT
6020 E 82nd St., Castleton Square Mall, shopatprvt.com, opened early December
Streetwear clothing store PRVT opened in early December next to the Foot Locker at Castleton Square Mall. Owner Daki Glumac also runs a PRVT location at Hamilton Town Center.
Closings
Tuggle’s Gifts & Goods
1029 Virginia Ave., closed Dec. 28
Tuggle’s Gifts and Goods closed in December after five years open on Fountain Square’s main commercial strip. At the store, Brooke and Ross Tuggle sold Indianapolis-themed gifts, creative works made by Indy artists and a variety of knick-knacks.
The Tuggles closed the business to move their family to Kentucky, per a social media post.
“This decision comes from a place of love and excitement,” the Tuggles wrote in an Instagram post. “We’re choosing to slow down, spend more time together as a family, and begin a new chapter as we move to Lexington, Kentucky.”
Red Dog Books
7115 E 46th St., Facebook, closed Dec. 31
Independent bookstore Red Dog Books closed at the end of the year after low sales, multiple moves and high rent made staying open in its storefront on 46th Street unattainable. Red Dog had just opened in the space earlier in spring 2025.
The nonprofit is preparing for a permanent shutdown, unless Red Dog can find a new space with affordable rent and gain support from the community through donations and purchases, a social media post said.
“This community has shown us time and time again that miracles happen when we stand together,” owners wrote in a Facebook post. “Please don’t just remember Red Dog Books. Help us keep it alive.”
WNS Apparel, Hot Topic, Aeropostale, Freestyle, the Collector’s Den, Indy Jewelers in Circle Centre Mall
49 W. Maryland St., Circle Centre Mall, closed end of December
At the end of December, Circle Centre Mall’s last tenants left, ending a 30-year run for the downtown shopping center.
A handful of stores — including WNS Apparel, Hot Topic, Aeropostale, Freestyle, Indy Jewelers, the Collector’s Den and Circle City Souvenirs — shuttered as a result. Hendricks Commercial Properties closed down the indoor portion of the mall, including the food court, to prepare for construction as the developer begins work on its $600 million redevelopment named Traction Yards.
Traction Yards will include an elevated outdoor retail experience with space for offices, apartments and potentially a boutique hotel. The overhaul is expected to be completed in phases, with the first section opening in 2029 at the earliest.
Know a store opening or closing in your neighborhood? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at amguffey@usatodayco.com.
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