Indianapolis, IN
Gen Z thinks Indianapolis’ vibe is OK, but there’s room for improvement
A new study examines Gen Z’s perception and experience of Indianapolis — where the city is doing well and where it can do better. It was presented at a recent NEXTGEN Indy panel discussion on culture, tourism, livability and hospitality in the city.
People in their 20’s, both locally and nationally, were asked to score Indianapolis on factors including safety, jobs, music scene and overall vibes. More than 600 people completed the survey.
Respondents said safety and cost of living were of top importance. Professor David Pierce, director of the IU Indianapolis Sports Innovation Institute and department chair, said those measures are important for any city. And Pierce said the report found good marks for Indianapolis in a number of areas.
“We have a lot of individual factors that score well, you know, from the outdoor spaces and the sports scene and nightlife and culture and fairs and festivals,” Pierce said. “But maybe what is missing is like, how does all of that come together to create the overall vibe?”
Researchers say respondents scored job opportunities higher than they expected, especially for people who don’t live here. Transportation ease scored fair, but was listed as a low priority for non-residents. The city’s food scene scored low.
Pierce says Indianapolis’ reputation as a sports city plays into its overall perception.
“Even though it always rings the lowest on these importance scales, we do know that [for] actual residents, their perception ranking is even higher than non-residents, which means Indy is getting the word out to people not in the market through sports,” Pierce said.
The city performs best with males and those who get sports information about Indianapolis on social media.
Pierce says research like this can help decide what new efforts to focus on in the city.
“I think it can be a useful tool, you know, to help city leaders make decisions around where to put investments,” he said.
Indianapolis ranked third as a city people would want to relocate to, behind Chicago and Nashville. It was compared to other metros including Detroit, Columbus and Louisville.
Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org.
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.
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