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Greenwood Pride Festival draws thousands to Woodmen Park

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Greenwood Pride Festival draws thousands to Woodmen Park


GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Thousands enjoyed an afternoon of music, food, and fun at the 3rd annual Greenwood Pride festival Saturday.

“Pride is being able to be who you are, being proud of who you are, and knowing that there are other people like you in the community,” said Suzanne Fortenbury, executive director of Greenwood Pride.

The festival also featured a drag show, which contrary to what critics of the LGBTQ+ community say, is not sexual in nature.

“I was in theatre in high school, and I was in band, so it’s kind of like a cross between theatre and band with the makeup and everything. It makes me feel young,” said Kim Saylor, who performs under the name “Hoosier Daddy.”

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Fortenbury said the event is tailored to people of all ages, and it’s more than just about dressing in drag. Same-sex couples were able to get married here, shop local vendors, and enjoy local music.

“A lot of the problem with the attacks on gay people and LGBTQ youth is people just don’t understand what it is,” said Fortenbury.

When the festival isn’t going on, Greenwood Pride helps run skate and bowling parties for kids, and offer grief counseling.

“I’ve had two friends on the other side of the aisle. I ran for office, so I got to meet a lot of great people, and they came here today and saw what it was about, so it’s nice to have that open conversation to let people know exactly what this is and what it’s not,” said Fortenbury.

Kim understands why some people may be afraid to come out as who they really are.

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“It took years of therapy to be ok with being me, and now I’m ok with being me,” she said.

Greenwood Pride is a non-profit organization. Funds raised from the event go to help LGBTQ+ youth and other causes throughout Johnson County.



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Indianapolis, IN

National discount retailer to make it's way to downtown Indianapolis

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National discount retailer to make it's way to downtown Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS — The downtown Indy building Claypool Court is getting a new retailer.

Officials hope major names like Burlington will bring more Hoosiers and visitors to Mile Square.

WRTV

“There’s definitely a lot of higher-end restaurants right around this area, so I think bringing in some retail stores isn’t a bad idea,” Wesley Slaughter, who lives downtown, said.

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The store will sit at Washington and Illinois Streets, an area Slaughter says will be a good fit because it’s a heavily trafficked intersection.

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WRTV

“I could see it being beneficial to get more people in the area because otherwise you have to drive outside of 465 just to hit one of those stores,” Slaughter said.

TJ Maxx has been a big part of the downtown retail scene for many years, but now there is some competition with the Burlington that’s going to be a couple of doors down.

WATCH RELATED COVERAGE | Downtown Indy’s Future Plans announced

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Downtown Indy’s future plans announced

“We’re excited anytime that there’s a new addition to the retail landscape here in downtown Indianapolis,” Taylor Schaffer, with Downtown Indy Inc., said.

Schaffer says this is just part of a pipeline of new projects and development coming to the area.

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WRTV

The space Burlington will take over is the lower level of Claypool Court. It used to be home to the Rhythm! Discovery Center.

The store is set to open this fall.





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Indianapolis, IN

A Yard Of One’s Own – Indianapolis Monthly

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A Yard Of One’s Own – Indianapolis Monthly


Credit: Angela Jackson/Indianapolis Monthly

REALTOR Summer Hudson was always waiting for the perfect midcentury modern home to hit the market and lure her away from her beloved Irvington. On Hudson’s popular TikTok channel, Find a Lot to Love, she cooed over original 1960s woodwork and intact bathrooms for the 207,000 followers who enjoyed watching her walk through houses for sale in Central Indiana. But the eXp Realty agent’s own family needed a yard for their 5-year-old daughter more than she needed a pristine Avriel Shull A-frame, so she gave her husband, Ryan Sloan, one criterion: Find a house with the exact same layout as their 3,000-square-foot Irvington ranch, plus a yard, and she’d move.

Lo and behold, he did, in Crows Nest. The three-bed, two-bath house has a circular layout with semi–open concept living, dining, and kitchen spaces and, as a bonus, a pool on the half-acre lot. “I always said I’d never turn down a pool,” Hudson says. The home had been sitting on the market for a while because, in Hudson’s opinion, the listing for 1,800 square feet was misleading; the homeowners couldn’t include the 1,200-square-foot finished attic because the ceiling was too low. Additionally, the photos didn’t do the home justice. “From the outside, it looks tiny and bungalow-ish, but you don’t realize how deep it goes,” she says, adding that the images didn’t showcase the layout’s attractive flow, either. The couple got it under list price for $410,000, and Hudson, who uses the attic as her office, has no regrets—her dream midcentury home can wait. Downsizing forced the couple to purge, and they discovered the joys of a simplified lifestyle. “I’m actually spending more time with my kid out- side. That has been the most amazing part of all of this,” Hudson says.

FAVORITE FEATURE
The nature-filled backyard

PURCHASE DATE
March 2024

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NEIGHBORHOOD
Crows Nest

SQUARE FOOTAGE
1,800





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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis man sentenced to 110 years for 2021 double homicide

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Indianapolis man sentenced to 110 years for 2021 double homicide


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man has been sentenced to 110 years in prison for his role in a north side shooting that resulted in the death of two men during a $20 marijuana deal in 2021.

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced the sentencing of 21-year-old Camran Perry on Thursday, following a jury’s verdict after a two-day trial. In July, Perry was found guilty of two counts of murder and carrying a handgun without a license, a release said.

Andrew Jones, 21, and Blake Coffman, 20, died in a shooting about 6:45 p.m. Dec. 1, 2021, in the 8800 block of Westfield Way at the 9000 Westfield apartments. That’s just southeast of the intersection of East 91st Street and Westfield Boulevard.

Investigators interviewed a witness who reported hearing “three loud thumps” and seeing a man in a gray sweatsuit standing behind the victims’ vehicle before fleeing the scene. The witness, along with others, then approached the vehicle and called the police.

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Two cellphones were recovered at the scene. Investigators obtained warrants for the phones, one of which belonged to Coffman.

According to a release, on Coffman’s phone, which was logged into his personal Instagram account, investigators found video chats and private messages indicating his intention to meet someone at the location of the shooting. The other user of this account deleted their account just hours after the incident. Digital forensics teams traced this account back to Perry.

Perry was taken into custody on Jan. 10. Initially, he denied knowing either of the victims, but later confessed to meeting up with them to make a purchase. Perry later admitted to engaging in a verbal altercation with Coffman and Jones, before shooting both men, police say.

Prosecutor Ryan Mears issued the following statement after the conviction:

“Young people having easy access to firearms leads to them making poor, split-second decisions that result in senseless deaths and tragedy,” stated Prosecutor Mears. “It is incumbent upon us to continue to empower young people with the tools to be mindful of the long-term consequences of gun violence in order to avoid tragedies like this.”

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