Indianapolis, IN

‘I’m appalled’: Hundreds in Indianapolis protest ICE

Published

2 hours ago

February 1, 2026

‘I’m appalled’: Hundreds in Indianapolis protest ICE

Several hundred people rallied against ICE on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis on Jan. 31 as part of a wave of protests across the nation this weekend.

Many of the protesters expressed anger over the recent fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents in Minneapolis, where the Trump administration has deployed a surge of immigration agents as part of a federal crackdown.

Protesters carried anti-ICE signs and chanted “ICE out” as they marched, drawing supportive honks from motorists. The rally was one of several planned across the city, including a smaller gathering near the Governor’s mansion.

Jennifer Yumib, 64, of Indianapolis, said she braved temperatures in the teens because of how strongly she feels.

“I’m appalled by what’s been happening in our country,” she said. “Seeing people torn from their homes without cause. People shot in the streets for trying to help others. This is not what we should be as a country.”

Brooke Verhey, 28, of Indianapolis, attended the rally with her dog, Raine, who wore a “F— Ice” sign. She said she believes ICE’s actions are unconstitutional.

“They are detaining peaceful protesters and trying to take their phones,” she said. “People have a right to record.”

Phil Slates, 75, of Indianapolis, carried a sign saying, “ICE melts under resistance.” He called the immigration enforcement agency’s treatment of people “inhuman.”

“I don’t believe anybody disagrees that we should have legitimate immigration policy,” he said. “The issue is how people are being ripped out of their homes — people who don’t have a criminal record. This is nothing but intimidation.”

The rally was one of many across the nation and followed a vigil the night before at New Liberty Mission Baptist Church for those killed by ICE, which drew an overflow crowd.

Contact IndyStar reporter Tony Cook at 317-444-6081 or tony.cook@indystar.com. Follow him on X@IndyStarTony and Bluesky @tonycook317.bsky.social.

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Indianapolis, IN

Paw Patrol exhibit returns to children’s museum in Indianapolis

Published

14 hours ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

Paw Patrol exhibit returns to children’s museum in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) –The Children’s Museum is set to open a brand new Paw Patrol exhibit on Sunday and it’ll remain open until May 25th.

The exhibit is all about connecting kids to their favorite puppy powered heroes.

The exhibit was at the museum back in 2019 and after traveling around the country, it is back inside the museum.

Kids will be able to meet their favorite pups! Kid-size sculptures of Marshall, Chase, Skye, Rubble, Everest, Rocky, Zuma, and Tracker are found throughout the exhibit. It also features multiple areas including the Lookout Tower, Adventure Bay, Porter’s Cafe and also Jake’s Mountain.

“The exhibit is all about learning about teamwork, problem solving, and overcoming obstacles and while they’re doing the fun interactive they’re working on their social, emotional and cognitive gross motor skills,” said Sarah Myers, Director of Traveling Exhibits, Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Myers said her favorite part of the exhibit is when the kids get to meet their favorite Paw Patrol hero.

“It’s great to see the little kids get to meet their characters for the first time in 3D,” said Myers.

For more information on this exhibit, visit here.

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Indianapolis, IN

A Facebook post alleges BRICS supports ICE. The owners want to clear that up

Published

1 day ago

January 31, 2026

Press Room

A Facebook post alleges BRICS supports ICE. The owners want to clear that up

A post from a spouse of a co-owner of BRICS went viral in Indy groups this week, leading many to call to boycott the shop.
The Broad Ripple business quickly distanced itself from the pro-ICE views but stopped short of posting their own stance.
Now, the owners are working through the aftermath.

A Broad Ripple ice cream shop found itself under fire on social media this week after one its owners posted in support of Immigration Customs and Enforcement, prompting many to pledge to stop supporting the business.

The social media ordeal in which the store BRICS found itself raises the question of whether small businesses should publicly take sides on political and civil issues and how much a business owner’s politics should dictate whether one supports the business or not.

In a lengthy interview Jan. 30 with the IndyStar, the BRICS owners said the post on the personal Facebook page of the spouse of a minority owner did not represent the sentiment of BRICS ownership. However, they say, they will not release a statement against ICE, either, preferring to remain political neutral to operate as a safe third space for people on all sides of the debate.

“We feel very differently from what was posted,” said David Vonnegut-Gabovitch, the majority owner of BRICS. “But our concern was that if our statement says we feel totally the opposite, then everybody on the other side starts going the other way.”

That was not enough for Jen Colson Estes, a Meridian-Kessler resident, who first called out the shop on social media for a Facebook post she saw made by Jenny DuBow, spouse of BRICS co-owner David DuBow. As ICE enforcement in the country has ramped up, Colson Estes posted on her personal Facebook page that she would not visit the ice cream shop because of the post.

“She has the right to post it, and we have the right to never go there again,” Colson Estes told IndyStar.

Soon after Colson Estes’s initial post on Jan. 29, it went viral on Indianapolis social media, circulating in north side, Midtown and food-focused Facebook groups. Jenny DuBow’s profile has since been made private, but screenshots on Facebook and confirmed by BRICS ownership show she reposted an “I Stand With ICE” image.

BRICS released a statement on Facebook on Jan. 30, saying that the statement did not reflect the store’s beliefs.

“We regret that posts made on a personal social media account and circulated have been attributed to our business – this is not us!” the statement read.

Vonnegut-Gabovitch, Kirstie Hileman and David DuBow co-own BRICS, which has operated along the Monon Trail in Broad Ripple for 15 years. Vonnegut-Gabovitch holds the majority stake in the company, 70%, with Hileman and DuBow having a minority stake of 20% and 10%, respectively. The three run the day-to-day operations of the company, they told IndyStar.

Yet, the names of their spouses, Jennifer DuBow and Nonie Vonnegut-Gabovitch, appear on BRICS’ website. The two are not involved in the store’s operation of the store and cannot speak for it, the three principals say.

The statement did little to calm the flames. In an interview with IndyStar, Hileman said BRICS fielded about 15 phone calls on Friday and several more the day before as the post spread. David DuBow was not present at the interview but Vonnegut-Gabovitch and Hileman said they were speaking for him as well.

The owners said they made a conscious decision not to simply write a statement decrying ICE.

“It would have likely been easier for us to just make an apology and make a political statement, but we don’t think that’s the best way,” Hileman said. “If we’re removing businesses’ right to remain neutral and be a third safe space, how is it that our public will ever be able to have safe discourse?”

That said, they are making a concerted effort to tell longtime customers and community partners that their individual views in no way align with the controversial post. Hileman and Vonnegut-Gabovitch said in an interview with IndyStar that the views of the three owners, including David DuBow, are “wildly different” than the views expressed in the post.

“It’s not something any of us were involved in, not something any of us believe, but we do respect her First Amendment right,” Vonnegut-Gabovitch said. “She has a right to her views, and I believe we couldn’t change that.”

The flap started a day before thousands of businesses across the country closed their doors in a nationwide protest of ICE sparked by agents’ fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens, 37-year-olds Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis earlier this month.

Several Indianapolis businesses around town posted they would participate while others announced they would donate to causes that support undocumented immigrants.

Instead of taking to social media to take a side on ICE, the BRICS owners are encouraging people to visit the shop and have face-to-face conversations with the owners and with one another. On the afternoon of Jan. 30, the shop was quiet, with a few adults and children spread out eating ice cream.

“We want to bring it down at least for us, at least within our four walls, on our social media, bring that temperature down and move on and serve ice cream,” Vonnegut-Gabovitch said.

Alysa Guffey writes business, health and development stories for IndyStar. Have a story tip? Contact her at amguffey@usatodayco.com or on X: @AlysaGuffeyNews.

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Indianapolis, IN

Here’s how trash pickup is going to work in Indianapolis next week

Published

2 days ago

January 30, 2026

Press Room

Here’s how trash pickup is going to work in Indianapolis next week

Trash was not picked up Jan. 26-27 because of the winter storm that hit Indianapolis the weekend before. To catch up, the city chose to forgo the usual one-day rolling delay and returned to the regular collection schedule beginning Wednesday, Jan. 28.

The Department of Public Works said that if you missed trash pick-up on Jan. 26-Jan. 27, you are able to leave extra bagged trash out.

“For residents who had solid waste pickup canceled earlier this week, Monday and Tuesday, they are welcome to leave additional bagged trash that won’t fit in their cart at curbside next week,” Kyle Bloyd, chief communications officer for the Department of Public Works, told IndyStar. “Both haulers, Indy DPW and LRS (Lakeshore Recycling Systems), will collect the additional bags on Monday and Tuesday.”

So, if necessary, Indianapolis residents can place bagged trash next to their trash bins for pick up collection on Feb. 2, and Feb. 3.

The revised schedule applies to DPW and Lakeshore Recycling Systems customers throughout Indianapolis.

Did your trash get picked up? You can find what day your trash is picked up on the city’s website at indy.gov/activity/trash-pickup. If you have questions, you can contact the Department of Public Works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 317-327-4000.

Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.

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