Curbside recycling is coming to all residents of Indianapolis, but collections won’t start until 2028.

The city’s Board of Public Works announced the recycling service is part of new contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems, which will oversee solid waste collections for the city.

Lakeshore Recycling will begin servicing Indianapolis at the beginning of next year for residents who have their trash removed by vendors other than the city crews. The Indianapolis Department of Public Works will continue serving its own solid waste districts.

Curbside recycling comes to Indy

The new contract with Lakeshore will provide city residents with universal curbside recycling in 2028, and materials will be processed at a newly-constructed facility. No comprehensive, curbside service is currently available in the city.

“This is the culmination of a years-long process as Indy DPW and the Office of Sustainability sought out comprehensive services at a fair rate for Indianapolis taxpayers,” Indy DPW acting Director Todd Wilson said in the news release.

Here’s what residents need to know

Indy residents will continue to receive their residential trash collection at the existing set-out locations.

Closer to the start of the new contract with Lakeshore, residents will get new, branded trash carts. The city will own these bins at the end of the contract.

Residents will be able to purchase a second cart from current vendors for $65, and those who already have a second cart can keep it until further guidance is offered closer to the beginning of the new contract.

IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social

INDIANAPOLIS (MIRROR INDY) — A prominent leader in the arts community resigned from his role as founding artistic director of the Indianapolis Black Theater Company, after being charged with strangulation and domestic battery.

Benjamin Rose, 54, was charged after a woman told police he strangled her and slammed her head against a cabinet during an argument, according to Marion County court documents. The alleged assault happened around 2:30 a.m. Feb. 20 in Rose’s house on the southside, according to court documents, though the woman reported it March 2.

On March 5, Rose was charged with three counts: strangulation, a level 6 felony; domestic battery, a class A misdemeanor; and battery resulting in bodily injury, a class A misdemeanor.

In an interview with the IndyStar, Indianapolis visual artist Nasreen Khan described the attack and said she went forward with her story because she doesn’t want other women to have a similar experience. She said she and Rose dated and also worked together on a documentary film.

The IBTC, which is housed within The District Theatre on Mass Ave, is an equity theater created in 2023 to assist and support Black artists in the theater industry. Rose was hired after a national search. Their first official show, “Toni Stone,” was held in September 2024 and there are plans to host a Black Solos Festival and two or three plays in 2025.

In a statement emailed March 10, board members of The District Theatre and the IBTC said they terminated Rose’s consulting contract after learning about the charges. The statement was signed by Stephen Farris, IBTC board chair, and Joe Chapelle, District Theatre board chair.

“The charges are incredibly serious and stand in direct contradiction to the values of IBTC and TDC, and we take these matters extremely seriously,” they wrote. “We do not condone, nor will we ever tolerate, any form of relational or domestic violence. We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for all individuals, both within and outside of our workplace.”

Reached by email, Rose said he resigned from his position and confirmed that his contract was terminated.

“I am confident in a positive outcome regarding these charges, but I don’t want the Theater to suffer while the legal process is playing out. I am assisting IBTC in any transitional support they need,” Rose said.

Rose has been in the Indianapolis creative scene for more than 20 years. Most recently, he premiered his documentary, “Haughville, USA,” at the Kan-Kan Cinema on Feb. 28. He also founded his own media production company, The Identity Complex, and created the Black-n-Brown Soulidarity Festival.

This is not the first time Rose has been charged with domestic battery. In 2013, a former partner told police he strangled and attacked her. He was convicted of criminal confinement in the incident and sentenced to a year of probation.

Mirror Indy asked if The District Theatre knew of the previous charges against Rose, or if they did background checks on the organization’s leadership. Spokesperson Pauline Moffat said, “The board policy of TDT is not to reveal personnel information.”

In 2022, The District Theatre received a $350,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to create a training hub for Black theater artists. The Indianapolis Foundation and Lilly Endowment Inc. were early supporters of the IBTC.

Rose is scheduled to appear in Marion County Superior Court on April 9.

This story was posted March 11, 2025, on Mirror Indy. Mirror Indy reporter Mesgana Waiss covers arts and culture. Contact her at 317-667-2643 or mesgana.waiss@mirrorindy.org.

The Indianapolis Colts and backup center Wesley French agreed to terms on a one-year deal to keep him behind Tanor Bortolini. It also provides insurance now that Ryan Kelly is with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Athletic‘s James Boyd had the news first, saying this on X:

“This is a one-year deal for the #Colts and C Wesley French, per a league source.”

French has been with the Colts since 2022 and provided a good insurance policy at center. He saw starting action in 2023 with three in former Colts center Kelly’s absence.

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The Colts are ensuring that nothing is unchecked on the offensive line. After watching guard Will Fries depart to the same team as Kelly, the depth of the offensive trenches must be secure.

The hope is that French won’t be needed, as now the reins are in Bortolini’s hands. He impressed during his rookie campaign, throwing up Pro Football Focus blocking metrics of 65.1 overall, 64.6 pass-blocking, and 65.4 run-blocking.

He also played clean with only one penalty in 351 snaps. In short, Bortolini is why Chris Ballard felt okay letting Kelly go. It was difficult due to the veteran and four-time Pro Bowler playing nine years in the Circle City, but necessary.

French is likely not the only re-signing that Indy will have on their line. They’ll probably want to also look into depth help through free agency, or possibly the NFL draft. The activity continues and Indianapolis has shown they’re willing to make moves and spend money. We’ll see if that continues.

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