Indianapolis, IN

Former Tar Heel: Josh Downs, Year Three In Indianapolis

Published

11 months ago

July 14, 2025

Former Tar Heel: Josh Downs, Year Three In Indianapolis

Downs played three seasons in Chapel Hill under former head coach Mack Brown, and he was on the receiving end for arguably two of the best signal callers in program history in Sam Howell and Drake Maye. Despite not having much team success did not happen during his time at UNC, that does not take away from his accolades and his highlight reel performances.

Imagine if head coach Bill Belichick had someone Downs on his roster right now? That would be an interesting player-coach combination.

GoHeels wrote about Downs’ stats, outings, and accolades, check them out below:

“Started all 11 games he appeared in • PFF first-team All-America • Tabbed second-team All-America by AP, FWAA and Phil Steele • First-team All-ACC • Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist • ACC Receiver of the Week (11/7, 11/14) • Led the ACC in receptions (94), yards receiving (1029), receptions per game (8.5) and yards receiving per game (93.5) • Ranked second in the FBS in receptions per game, seventh in touchdown receptions and 11th in in receiving yards per game

• Third player at UNC with over 90 catches in a season • His 11 touchdown grabs were the second-most in the ACC and fourth-most in UNC history • Finished the season with over 1,000 yards receiving for the second consecutive season (1,029) • Had a team-high nine receptions for 78 yards and two receiving TDs in the season opener against FAMU • Returned from a two-game absence and scored twice and had five catches for 32 yards against Notre Dame

• Had 120 receiving yards on eight receptions against Virginia Tech • Had a team-high six receptions for 69 yards and a TD at Miami • Came up with nine catches for 126 yards at Duke • Equaled his career high with 11 catches for 102 receiving yards and scored two touchdowns against Pitt • Also returned a punt for 23 yards against the Panthers

• Had a career-high 15 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown at Virginia • Had 11 receptions for 154 yards and three touchdowns at Wake Forest • Had three catches for 31 yards against Georgia Tech • Had six catches for 51 yards against NC State • Caught 11 passes for 100 yards in the ACC Championship game against Clemson.”

For a description of Downs’ career overall, here’s an excerpt also found on GoHeels:

“Finished his career with 2,483 yard receiving, the fourth-highest total in Carolina lore • Had 22 career touchdown receptions, second-most in school history • One of three players in UNC history with over 200 career receptions, finishing third on the school’s all-time list with 202 • One of two players in Carolina history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons.”

As Downs enters his third season in Indianapolis under head coach Shane Steichen, he will be preparing to add more touchdowns, currently sitting with seven through two seasons. But as he showed in Chapel Hill, he’s capable of doing just that, and then some.

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Indianapolis, IN

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

Published

9 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

19 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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