INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Former Indianapolis Indians player Rocco Domenico “Rocky” Colavito Jr. passed away Tuesday at the age of 91. 

The Indians released the following statement: 

“We remember and honor Rocky Colavito and his contributions to the Indianapolis Indians and our history,” said Indianapolis Indians General Manager Matt Guay. “His single-season home run record is one that may never be broken. We extend our condolences to the Colavito family and his loved ones.”

Colavito holds the Indianapolis Indians single-season homerun record with 33 in 1954. Colavito also became the first of nine players in franchise history to hit three home runs in a single game. 

Colavito would go on to have a 14-year MLB career with Cleveland, Kansas City, and Detroit. 

Today, Colavito is recognized on the Elements Financial Suite Level at Victory Field as one of 21 former Indianapolis players with a dedicated suite in his honor.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The National Bank of Indianapolis has announced a new partnership with New Direction Church aimed at supporting and strengthening the local community.

Founded in 1993, the National Bank of Indianapolis was established as a locally owned institution to serve the needs of Indianapolis residents after larger banks were sold to out-of-market organizations.

According to Doug Talley, executive vice president of NBI, nonprofit banking has been a cornerstone of the bank’s mission from the start.

“Being a part of the community, helping it grow, and reinvesting in it has always been key to our work. This new partnership aligns perfectly with what Pastor Sullivan and New Direction Church are doing to benefit and uplift our community,” Talley said.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Sullivan Jr., pastor of New Direction Church, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, emphasizing the potential for positive change in the Circle City.

“This partnership is an opportunity for our entire community to be blessed and benefit from initiatives we are rolling out, including the Home Buyers Assistance program. First-time homebuyers will receive down payment assistance, helping them take a significant step toward homeownership and financial stability,” Sullivan said.

In addition to homebuyer support, the partnership will also offer financial literacy courses to help Hoosiers better manage their finances and make informed decisions about saving and investing.

A former Indianapolis elementary school will shelter as many as 40 families who are homeless this winter as part of a city program that aims to ensure all residents can sleep indoors on frigid nights.

The building, once home to Susan Leach School 68 on the east side at 2107 N. Riley Ave., will open Dec. 15 as an overflow shelter as part of the city’s Winter Contingency Plan, according to a city press release. From Nov. 1 through the end of March, the program puts people in shelter spaces that aren’t available during warmer months.

Indianapolis Public Schools hasn’t hosted instruction at School 68 since 2009 and uses the building as storage space. The facility has served as shelter space in past years when Wheeler Mission, the city’s largest shelter provider, saw a surge in need during the pandemic.

“The families will be housed in pods of four, but we do have the ability to accommodate larger families,” said Andrew Merkley, the director of homelessness and eviction prevention for Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration. “They’ll be in the gymnasium but also in the classrooms there at the school. We’ll utilize the cafeteria for food.”

More: Freezing cold is here. Where to stay warm and find overnight shelter in Indianapolis.

Brian Crispin, Wheeler Mission’s senior director of community relations and development, said his organization’s Center for Women and Children downtown has room for 30 families year-round.

Last winter, however, the center packed in 40 more families who came to Wheeler Mission in need of emergency shelter. The School 68 shelter opening next week is a better solution for those families, Crispin said.

“When we reach numbers that we were seeing in the past couple of years,” Crispin said, “we weren’t able to operate in ways that were helpful to our guests.”

As of this week, Wheeler Mission is sheltering about 660 people in Indianapolis, according to Crispin. The organization doesn’t track the exact number of guests in families, but a 2024 citywide count included 421 adults and children in homeless families. About 1,700 people were homeless overall.

Until School 68 opens, the city is paying for 37 families to stay in hotel rooms to get out of the cold, Merkley said. The money comes from the city’s $578,000 contribution to this winter’s contingency plan. Merkley expects many of those families will move to the School 68 shelter once it opens.

Merkley said School 68 is a solution only for this winter, and it’s unclear whether the city will open additional shelter space for families. The city of Indianapolis will open a year-round low-barrier shelter on the southeast side by 2027, with 20 units reserved for families of four.

Aspire Indiana Health, a community health provider in Indianapolis, will lead the overflow shelter at School 68, providing medical services and case management to homeless families.

Homelessness: New Indianapolis program offers free overnight parking to people living in their cars

How families who are homeless can find shelter

To find shelter this winter, families can call the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The city’s Office of Public Health Health and Safety is working with HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program and local trustee offices to place families in emergency shelter. Call HealthNet for an appointment at 317-957-2275.

How Indianapolis pays for Winter Contingency Plan

The roughly $1.5 million winter contingency plan is funded by multiple sources, including $750,000 from the Lilly Endowment, $578,000 in taxpayer money from the city, $50,000 from The Indianapolis Foundation, $50,000 from United Way of Central Indiana and more than $63,000 from the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention.

Email IndyStar Housing, Growth and Development Reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @jordantsmith09