Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Jazz Foundation empowers youth through comprehensive jazz education
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Jazz Futures program, organized by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, aims to inspire high school musicians through a comprehensive curriculum more than 22 sessions spanning seven months. Classes are held Sundays from 3 to 5 PM at the Luddy School of Informatics, 335 West Michigan St.
Founded in 1996 as a 501(c)(three) organization, the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation promotes jazz heritage in the community. One of its flagship events, the Indy Jazz Fest, celebrates the city’s historical contributions to jazz, featuring legendary artists like Cole Porter and Wes Montgomery who shaped Indianapolis’ vibrant music scene.
The Jazz Futures program focuses heavily on education, providing young musicians with training in jazz repertoire, improvisation, history and more. “Well, that’s one of the pillars of the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, you know, the education part of it,” said Pavel. “We have legacy and other things, but the education is like, okay, let’s get, you know, the young musicians interested early enough so they can develop a career.”
The program not only nurtures musical talent but also instills valuable life skills. Local jazz legend Rob Dixon noted, “Yeah, I mean, it’s a program that I think we’ve had great results with a lot of the students. And one of the things about it, too, is they get to understand that jazz is an American art form and it educates them in a way that I think a lot of the past Jazz Futures students, even though they don’t go into music, they become successful in life.” His perspective highlights the broader impact of music education on personal development, with alumni achieving success in various fields.
Pavel and Rob were excited about the current cohort of students, emphasizing the importance of bringing jazz to a younger audience, particularly those who may not have access to small group combos.
Their work with the students represents a culmination of years of effort to improve access to jazz education throughout Indianapolis, especially in underserved communities.
The foundation aims to reverse negative effects caused by urban development, which has fragmented traditionally Black neighborhoods and marginalized their rich cultural history.
The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation is committed to advancing artists of color through education and performance opportunities. They strive to ensure that the legacy of influential artists is not only preserved but also celebrated through ongoing community engagement at events like the Indy Jazz Fest.
The Jazz Futures program will continue through its seven-month curriculum, offering performances and learning experiences for the students. The Indianapolis Jazz Foundation plans to maintain its commitment to jazz education and community involvement with various events throughout the year.
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.
-
San Diego, CA1 minute agoFormer City Manager, Jack McGrory: Straight Talk About San Diego, Part 2
-
Seattle, WA2 minutes agoArmed suspects linked to 3 Seattle robberies within 30 minutes – MyNorthwest.com
-
Milwaukee, WI14 minutes agoBrewers, Salvation Army pack hundreds of lunches for Milwaukee children through Feed the Kids program
-
Atlanta, GA17 minutes agoNew Venues in Atlanta for Summer 2026 Meetings and Events
-
Minneapolis, MN21 minutes agoMinneapolis City Council member Aisha Chughtai taking mental health leave for a month
-
Indianapolis, IN29 minutes agoState police arrest man in connection with two Monument Circle attacks
-
Pittsburg, PA31 minutes agoTech community to Shapiro and Pennsylvania legislators: Wait on data center rules
-
Augusta, GA37 minutes ago
Louise Franklin Sheehan Obituary Jun 26, 2026 – Platt’s Funeral Home
