Indianapolis, IN
Indiana did not see an influx of traffic on solar eclipse day like predicted. What happened?
Solar eclipse reaches totality in Indianapolis
Solar eclipse watchers experienced the moment of totality from the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
Indiana State Police expected thousands of visitors to view the total solar eclipse. Governor Eric Holcomb even signed and emergency order. But the state didn’t see nearly the number of tourists expected.
The April 8 solar eclipse was predicted to be big day for Indiana tourism, and while in many ways it still was, the crowds were not what local officials predicted.
Here’s what happened during the 2024 total solar eclipse.
Read more from the Herald-Times: Eclipse day was sunny in Indiana. Where were the crowds?
Bloomington’s numbers were lower than expected
Instead of 300,000 spectators, as multiple officials projected, Bloomington saw tens of thousands, according to early estimates, The Herlad-Times reported.
While the smaller-than-expected crowds enabled the city to escape snarled traffic, the overestimates also kept some Bloomington residents from leaving their homes and attending the local events, including those at Switchyard Park and Memorial Stadium.
At the Bloomington Police Department, officers of all ranks were scheduled to work 12-hour shifts. But they were cut to 10 hours as the day progressed and the anticipated crowds failed to appear.
Nashville also saw lower numbers than predicted
Between 50,000 and 100,000 eclipse viewers were expected in Nashville and Brown County, an estimated 20,000 showed up.
Indianapolis saw the most tourists, but still lower than estimated
Indiana State Police told IndyStar in March they were expecting about as much traffic for the eclipse as the city sees for the Indy 500, which can be anywhere from 200,000 to 250,000 visitors.
Clare Clark, senior communications manager for Visit Indy, confirmed that Indianapolis welcomed 125,000 visitors for the eclipse, with representation from all 50 states and 35 countries.
Why was solar eclipse viewing attendance lower than expected?
According to NASA, the path of totality for this year’s eclipse was between 108 and 122 miles wide, or about 72% wider, at the high end, than the eclipse in 2017. This year, about 31.6 million people lived in the path of totality, compared with 12 million in 2017.
The eclipse this year also passed over “more cities and densely populated areas” than in 2017, NASA said.
That meant people had more options as to where to travel, reducing the likelihood of congestion for any particular area.
Several Indiana cities had reported chances of cloud cover during the eclipse, which may have also been a reason less tourists came to Indiana, but neither Indianapolis or Bloomington ended up having any clouds block the view of the solar event.
Schools being closed for the day also helped reduce normal traffic in cities.
Local events, tourism still saw success despite fewer visitors than planned
Despite getting fewer visitors than planned, several cities in the state still saw great success.
Airbnb said Indianapolis was the #1 most booked destination within the path of totality and there was a virtual sell-out of hotel rooms on Sunday night ahead of the eclipse, Visit Indy said.
Visit Indy also broke their record for the most website traffic in a single day on the day of the eclipse, meaning tourists and locals were looking for things to do.
Mike McAfee, executive director of Visit Bloomington, said hotels and short-term rentals were “near capacity,” though he won’t have final data until later this month.
IU spokesman Mark Bode said the university hosted “tens of thousands of visitors and students across at least seven separate events,” including “nearly 10,000” at Memorial Stadium.
Katie Wiseman is a trending news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.

Indianapolis, IN
What Steichen says about Daniel Jones as Richardson's injury looms

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — There’s seemingly a new sheriff in town. Well, not that Sheriff. No one replaces Peyton Manning in the eyes of Colts fans.
Nevertheless, the Horseshoe prepares to kick off veteran minicamp on Tuesday with Daniel Jones taking the majority — if not all — the starting quarterback reps as Anthony Richardson is sidelined with a right shoulder injury.
Head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson will be out “for the foreseeable future.” In the meantime, Daniel Jones has the opportunity to solidify his position as the starting quarterback.
Jones — who was signed by the Colts on a one-year, $14 million deal — has been acclimating to the team’s offense over the past few months.
“He’s been great. He’s done a really nice job for us, obviously, acclimating to the offense, learning the system,” Steichen said. “Obviously, (he’s) a smart guy, understands it. He’s picked it up real nice, and he’s done some good things so far.”
“He’s a veteran guy that comes in and works early, late nights, does all the right things.”
General manager Chris Ballard brought in Jones primarily to create competition for Richardson. With Richardson’s absence, Jones will take the majority of starter reps leading up to training camp next month.
Steichen noted that Jones has picked up the Colts’ system well and has shown positive attributes during his time with the team.
As the Colts prepare for the upcoming season, Jones’ performance in minicamp could play a crucial role in determining the team’s starting quarterback.
“We’ll see how it plays out,” Steichen said.
The Colts hold veteran minicamp Tuesday through Thursday at the team’s Indianapolis training facility. Training camp will begin July 22 at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield.
Indianapolis, IN
'Pride & Joy' showcases Indy-based LGBTQ artists
INDIANAPOLIS — June is LGBTQ Pride Month and an exhibit at the Athenaeum is showcasing the work of local queer artists. Pride & Joy, the community art show, is celebrating Indy’s LGBTQ+ artists this June and July.
Ayanna Tibbs is an Indy-based mixed media artist.
Her piece “Striking” is one of over two dozen on display in Pride & Joy.
WRTV
“Especially as a young black queer child, in a church area in Indianapolis, I didn’t get to see people like me. It was demonized. It was not okay. Now, to walk around and say I do this. I do this well,” Tibbs said.
The annual exhibit features a range of work, including painting, photography, sculpture, and more, from artists of all ages and skill levels.
Gara Gaines with the Athenaeum Foundation says the work gives viewers a glimpse into the artists’ journeys and identities.
“The Athenaeum was founded as a community center. Yes, it was for German Immigrants and German Americans, but we uphold that legacy in a lot of ways. I like to think of this as a community center for the people who are here,” Gaines said.
Artist Rainn Doll says their piece “At her Kitchen Table” evokes queer joy.

WRTV
“I want people to feel hope, that there are good things out there when everything feels hard, and sometimes it’s just little things like clipping your carabiner to your girlfriend’s carabiner,” Doll said.
Photographer Jack Melton is behind the piece “Found Family.”

WRTV
“It’s inspired by those communities you have, especially as queer people, the people that stick by your side, in thick and thin. Maybe if you don’t have an accepting family, really that found family,” Melton said.
The exhibit is on display in the ArtSpace of the Athenaeum.
It’s free and open to the public.
Indianapolis, IN
Meet IndyStar local news editor Shari Rudavsky
It takes a staff of dedicated journalists to bring you the news from around Central Indiana. In this feature, the Indianapolis Star introduces readers to our newsroom staff — or, rather, we let them introduce themselves. Up this week is Shari Rudavsky.
What’s your job title?
Local news editor for entertainment and business
When did you join IndyStar?
2004
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Meeting strangers who tell me that IndyStar has had an effect of any sort on their lives. That impact may range from trying a certain restaurant, changing their outlook on an issue or leading them to take action, all based on something they read either in our physical paper or online.
Why journalism?
I staunchly believe that the role of journalists consists of informing our community about the issues that matter in our lives and bring us together.
What do you do to unwind from a job that can be stressful?
Read, walk, do the New York Times Wordle, Spelling Bee and crossword puzzles.
What song do you shamelessly jam out to in the car?
“Naked Eye” by Luscious Jackson. Yep, you’ve probably never heard it.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
“Be yourself” — the last words my father said to me with the wish I pass them on to my son, his only grandchild.
If you could guest star on any TV show past or present, which one?
Can I just take over for Terri Gross, queen of the NPR show “Fresh Air,” when she retires?
What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
My first job out of college was at Penthouse magazine. Seriously, I worked for Omni magazine, a now-defunct science magazine, as an editorial assistant, and Omni was published by Penthouse. Every morning I walked by a huge photo on the wall of Bob Guccione with a topless “pet” on his lap.
What’s the meanest tweet ever directed at you?
Not a Tweet and not the meanest (because I did write about abortion for several years so had unspeakably mean comments hurled in my direction), but years ago an IndyStar reader wrote to tell me that I needed to do something about my eyebrows.
How did you earn your first dollar?
I earned my first money pairing socks for the family laundry at the generous salary of “a penny a pair.” Since my family only had three people in it, my first full dollar was earned babysitting.
What’s your favorite comfort food?
New York City poppy or everything bagel toasted with butter
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