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Indy DPW drivers prepping for the ‘snow fight’ with 12-hour shifts

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Indy DPW drivers prepping for the ‘snow fight’ with 12-hour shifts


INDIANAPOLIS — Salt and plow truck drivers work tirelessly through winter to keep the roads clear. Have you ever wondered how they prepare for their shift?

Indianapolis Department of Public Works is currently running twelve-hour rotating shifts. This is to keep up with multiple rounds of ice, snow, and cold temperatures.

WRTV went to the 11 a.m. shift change at one of the DPW’s buildings on Thursday.

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As B-shift employees exited the building, groups of A-shifters filtered in and waited for their group briefing.

“A shift, good morning, good morning!” greeted William Walker, superintendent of District 3.

Walker was speaking to the group of incoming A-shift employees. They gathered in a large circle around Walker. Some stood; others found benches or couches to lounge on through the meeting.

Walker described the forecast and potential impacts on all the workers.

“The game plan today is the weather advisory is in effect,” Walker said. “Snow expected late tonight, continuing into Friday morning. There’s a potential for sticking on untreated pavement.”

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Walker went on to take roll call and give drivers their assignments for the day.

“You’re going to get your trucks, check them out, make sure they’re fueled up, have salt in them,” Walker spoke to the group of drivers. “Ready to go when we deploy at three o’clock today.”

After the meeting, drivers went outside to the row of waiting salt and plow trucks. Some performed maintenance, others were doing walk-arounds to ensure all their equipment was working properly.

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Today’s challenge was the shifting weather: from treating for freezing drizzle in the morning to focusing on what they call the ‘snow fight’ in the evening.

Dewayne Clemmons, Chief Union Steward, shared what happens once the drivers are deployed.

“It depends on the inclement weather that we get,” Clemmons said. “We approach it differently.”

“There’s times that we’ve gotten so much snow that we just pause the salting, and just go strictly into a plowing operation, because at that point, all we’re doing is just wasting salt,” Clemmons continued.

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Adam Pinsker, spokesperson for DPW, shared more of the process.

“When the snow comes, they’ll be out plowing.,” Pinsker said of the crews. “That’ll start as soon as the first bit of snow comes down. It can be tricky because some parts of the city, like the last snow event we had, certain parts of the city got three or four inches, and other parts got less than two inches. So it does vary by where you are in Indianapolis.”

Decisions to pause salting and move to plowing come from the Operations team. This is communicated to the different districts and ultimately communicated to each driver.

Even though the group of drivers has a plan when leaving the briefing at the start of the shift, the plan often shifts as the forecast unfolds.

In Thursday night’s instance, A-shifters will continue plowing roads until 11 p.m., when B-shift returns for their next 12-hour shift.

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The work doesn’t stop once the snow has been plowed.

“Then we go back to salting, to start breaking it up, and try to get it down to bare pavement,” continued Dewayne Clemmons.

From December 1 through April 1, drivers are not allowed to take scheduled vacations. This is in addition to working the rotating 12-hour shifts when the weather demands it.

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It’s a lot of work, but there is a support team for the drivers. There were countless other workers on-site at the changing of shifts.

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“We also have Indianapolis Fleet Services. They’re there to make sure that these vehicles are maintenanced if there’s a problem,” Pinsker told WRTV. “We have laborers who work back here at the salt barns and in the facilities. We have supervisors who are out here, so it takes an entire team to support our drivers and make sure they have what they need to succeed in this snow fight.”

During the A-shift prep meeting, Clemmons encouraged the group.

“It looks like we may be in this until Sunday,” Clemmons said. “It don’t look like it’s going to be as long as our last snow fight. We do appreciate you guys coming in. We’re spending more time with each other than we’re spending with our own families. So again, it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

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What can everyday drivers do to help these hardworking DPW drivers during their next snow fight?

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“When these trucks are out on the roads, just give them their space, because they’re trying to make the roads safe for the city of Indianapolis,” Clemmons concluded.





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Indianapolis Democrat Andrea Hunley to seek bid for mayor’s job in 2027

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Indianapolis Democrat Andrea Hunley to seek bid for mayor’s job in 2027


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat representing Indianapolis, has announced her candidacy for a bid to run for mayor of Indianapolis in 2027.

Hunley, who had previously teased a mayoral run, has scheduled a launch event for May 8 as her official kickoff her campaign to lead the city, said her campaign website. The Assistant Minority Leader in the Senate announced in January that she would not seek another term in the Indiana Senate, to which she was elected in 2022.

Hunley’s website says, “Indianapolis is my city. Our city. As someone who knows this city, someone who has served this community as a public school teacher leading our children and supporting families, I am committed to the future of the people of Indianapolis.

“Indianapolis is the economic driver and a key cultural hub for our state. Our city boasts creative entrepreneurs and long-standing local businesses, vibrant neighborhoods and corporate headquarters, community-centered nonprofits and public schools. I aim to champion a better quality of life by listening to and working alongside the people, businesses and neighborhoods that make up our great city.”

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Mayor Joe Hogsett has not disclosed if he’s seeking a fourth four-year term.

City-County Council Member Vop Osili in January announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination.

In the same month, Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson announced her intention to seek the Democratic nomination to run for mayor. She’s running this year to continue in the trustee’s job, which she has held since 2019.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, who had been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for mayor, announced in January he would seek another four-year term this year for his current job. However, he did not rule out running for the Democratic bid for mayor in 2027.

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Louisville native set to make debut in Indianapolis 500

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Louisville native set to make debut in Indianapolis 500


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – While Louisville is famous for one race in May, a Derby City native is set to make his first appearance in a different iconic May race.

Jacob Abel will be making his first appearance in the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, racing for Abel Motorsports, founded by his father, Bill Abel.

“I am excited and grateful to be able to return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to have a shot at the Indianapolis 500. It’s been a lifelong dream to compete in that race and to have the opportunity to do it with Abel Motorsports and Chevrolet makes it even more special,” Jacob said.

Both Abels, the driver and the team, had breakout years in 2024 with three pole positions and three wins in the INDY NXT drivers’ championship, propelling the 25-year-old driver to the NTT INDYCAR Series the following year.

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Practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500 begins on Tuesday, May 12 with qualifying being held on May 16 and May 17. The race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway goes green on May 24, coverage begins at 10 a.m.

Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved.



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IMPD: Man stabbed in downtown Indianapolis

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IMPD: Man stabbed in downtown Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS — A person was stabbed in downtown Indianapolis Sunday evening.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were called to the intersection of East Market and North Delaware Streets around 8:28 p.m. to investigate a stabbing. When police arrived at the scene, they located an adult male victim with apparent stab wounds.

Photo of IMPD investigating a stabbing at the intersection of East Market and North Delaware Streets on April 19, 2026, captured by a FOX59/CBS4 crew.

IMPD has confirmed that the victim was transported from the scene to a local hospital in critical but stable condition.

Investigators believe the stabbing “stemmed from a disturbance between multiple individuals and the victim.”

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IMPD has reported that it has not identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest at this point in its investigation of the stabbing. Police have indicated that they are hoping witnesses come forward with information that can help them identify or locate the suspects.

“The officers now are doing a complete investigation,” IMPD Lieutenant Frank Wooten said during a media briefing Sunday night. “They’re going to investigate this to the best of their ability. We’re going to try to locate our suspect, arrest the suspect, prosecute the suspect and hold that suspect accountable for this heinous crime in Indianapolis. This is not an indication of what our city is about. This is not an indication of what we do downtown, and we hold this to be very serious. So, we will hold whoever did this responsible for their actions tonight.”

Sunday night’s stabbing represented a continuation of a violent weekend in downtown Indianapolis.

Early Sunday morning, two men were critically injured in a shooting near a White Castle on South Street. Before that shooting occurred, police arrested two juveniles on gun charges at Monument Circle.

Police also conducted a shooting investigation near the Hilton hotel located at 120 W. Market St. around 4 a.m. Sunday. Nobody was injured in that shooting.

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Elsewhere in the city, a person was injured in a shooting in a CVS parking lot on Kentucky Avenue Saturday evening. Another individual was killed in a shooting outside a residence in the 2300 block of South Pennsylvania Street Saturday night.

Public police reporting systems indicate IMPD has investigated nine shootings that caused injuries since midnight Saturday. During that same timeframe, IMPD has investigated six shootings that did not result in any injuries and five stabbings.

Numbers available on shootings and stabbings in IMPD’s public reporting system may not be complete, as some reports on weekend shootings and stabbings may not have been entered yet.

“This is not what we want Indianapolis to be,” Wooten said. “This is not what we expect out of the citizens of Indianapolis. We expect them to be safe, come downtown and have a good time, and be able to go home the same way they came down here. So, we will hold these suspects, once located, accountable for this crime.”

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