Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Colts hosts graduation party for students in foster care
INDIANAPOLIS — Graduation is a time to celebrate and honor years of hard work and dedication. It is a memorable milestone that can sometimes be tough for those who are without loved ones to share the accomplishment with.
The Indianapolis Colts, along with Cargo Services and Meijer hoped to fill that gap for some, honoring foster care high school grads.
WRTV
“I’m here today because of how bad I wanted to be here. I say that because of how badly I wanted to graduate. How badly I wanted to be the first one to graduate. I’m the first one out of four generations to graduate high school,” Patrick Collier, Colts Foster Care graduate said.
Collier spent most of his life in and out of the foster care system.
WRTV
“It hasn’t been perfect. It hasn’t been an easy road, and it hasn’t been something I shy away from,” Collier said.
At the age of 13, he met Kareem Hines with New Boy, an organization he says helped him push through his situation.
RELATED | Youth sports league aims to empower boys and teens in Indianapolis
Youth sports league aims to empower boys and teens in Indianapolis
“He’s like a father to me. I never had a father figure in my life. I looked up to my older brother to be that because I wanted him to be that, but life happens,” Collier said.
Collier said his case worker nominated him and his peers voted him into the Colts foster care graduate class, allowing his path to cross General Manager Chris Ballard and his wife Kristin.
The Ballards started this foster care graduation in 2016 with just four graduates, now they average more than 20 grads a year with a long waiting list.
WRTV
“With the challenges they have to overcome and all the things they have to do they actually get to celebrate something in the end,” Kristin said.
The Ballards became foster parents in 2010, eventually adopting two of their foster children.
“It’s not their fault. They got born into a situation that just wasn’t advantageous for them so for them to be at this moment where they’re graduating in a few of them going on to college some of them on the trade school from on the job there’s nothing that’s going to be put in their way between that had they haven’t already overcome,” Chris said.
“One thing I hope that these kids walk out with tonight is, you’re not in this alone,” Steve Fugate, Owner of Cargo Services said.
“That’s why I go hard with my nonprofit, that’s why I go hard being a junior mentor, that’s why I wanted to graduate early. That’s why I’m going to college, I’m not stopping at graduating, that’s what I want,” Collier said.
Collier said he’s going to take a gap year because he wants to take some time and do something for himself, but he says he wants to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and has his eyes set on Central State University.
Indianapolis, IN
State police arrest man in connection with two Monument Circle attacks
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, IN
Where to find cooling stations in central Indiana
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, IN
Heat Advisory and Warning for central Indiana
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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