Indianapolis, IN
National Catholic group, Brickyard 400 making hotel rooms scarce in Indianapolis this weekend – Indianapolis Business Journal
Downtown Indianapolis hotels are virtually sold out for this weekend, with tens of thousands of Catholics and racing fans set to flock to the city for separate events.
The National Eucharistic Congress—the first U.S.-wide gathering of Catholics in more than 80 years—is expected to draw as many as 60,000 visitors to the Indiana Convention Center from Wednesday through Sunday, while NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 and related events could draw another estimated 60,000 people to Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Friday through Sunday.
According to tourism agency Visit Indy, about 80% of downtown’s nearly 8,400 hotel rooms will be occupied by the Catholic gathering on Friday and Saturday, the event’s peak nights, with thousands of other rooms being used for the stock car race, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
“With 60,000 attendees visiting for the National Eucharistic Congress and another 60,000 for the 30th anniversary of the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, this weekend is another example of Indy’s ability to host a wide array of events simultaneously,” Clare Clark, senior communications manager for Visit Indy, said in a written statement. “As Indy prepares for this influx of visitors, hotels are showing strong demand and compression throughout downtown and central Indiana with limited availability remaining.”
The National Eucharistic Congress, which is meant to help Catholics develop a deeper connection to their faith, will use about 27,000 room nights over five days. The organization has contracted with 88 hotels throughout central Indiana for the event.
Tim Glemkowski, CEO of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., said the event was “bumping up against capacity issues” even before the date for the Brickyard race was announced last year. Some attendees are staying at hotels as far as an hour from downtown Indianapolis—a typical occurrence with major events that book Indianapolis, including the National FFA Organization, National Rifle Association and Gen Con.
Thousands of attendees are also expected to stay at area rental homes through companies like Vrbo and Airbnb, as well as local churches or in university dormitories including Butler University, the University of Indianapolis, Marian University and Indiana University Indianapolis, according to Visit Indy and NEC officials. Several local retreat centers and recreational vehicle areas are expected to be used for the five-day event, too.
The last National Eucharistic Congress took place in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1941, less than six months before the U.S. became involved in World War II. The last major international Catholic gathering was held in 1976 in Philadelphia, drawing 1.5 million people over a single week.
Despite lodging restrictions, Glemkowski has said Indianapolis is an ideal spot for the national gathering because of its proximity to a large portion of the U.S. population. The church, he said, is focused on adding to its membership through specific outreach programs, rather than relying solely on individuals predisposed to joining or remaining in the church through cultural traditions or upbringing.
That’s why the church opted against hosting the event in a Catholic hotbed such as Boston, Chicago or Philadelphia, he said.
He said while the event is competing for hotel rooms with the race, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is offering a discounted ticket to Congress participants. There will also be a dedicated seating section for attendees, NEC officials said.
“Even in these competing moments we’ve still found that Hoosier hospitality to be present,” he said.
On Tuesday, four groups of pilgrims arrived in Indianapolis after separate two-month journeys from different parts of the United States. The groups, which traversed the country largely on foot, hail from San Francisco; Lake Itasca, Minnesota; New Haven, Connecticut; and Brownsville, Texas.
Those journeys drew more than a quarter-million people along their respective routes to offer encouragement and prayer, the organization said. The groups were welcomed to Indianapolis with a church service at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 126 W. Georgia St.
The service, known as a liturgy, was led by Archbishop Charles Thompson, who oversees the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and included the participation of a representative of Pope Francis.
Indianapolis, IN
INDOT says Clear Path 465 nears major milestone with final bridge beams
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Department of Transportation says the Clear Path 465 project is nearing one of its last major milestones.
On Monday, the state agency announced that 10 bridge beams for construction work are scheduled to be delivered and set this week. It marks the final beams required and the 14th bridge on the project.
The beams will be installed for a bridge on I-69, northbound, over 82nd Street. Drivers should expect closures from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. through early next week as crews complete the overhead work.
- Wednesday, April 15 & Thursday, April 16
- 82nd Street is closed in both directions under I-69
- Friday, April 17 – Monday, April 20
- Eastbound 82nd Street closed under I-69
- Tuesday, April 21 – Thursday, April 23
- Westbound 82nd Street is closed under I-69.
Scheduled work is pending weather conditions in the area.
The mainline portion of Clear Path is still expected to finish this spring. INDOT says drivers should expect traffic shifts on I-465. The shifts will open the interstate to three lanes in each direction.
Crews will install noise barriers and other final touches later this year. When that step is completed, I-465 will open to four lanes from the White River to Fall Creek.
Indianapolis, IN
Pike Township leaders plan to address issues with N Zone bar after weekend shootout
INDIANAPOLIS — A shootout at a troubled bar near 86th Street and Michigan Road sent two people to nearby St. Vincent Hospital early Sunday morning and has now prompted a review by IMPD’s Nuisance and Abatement Unit.
Police were dispatched to N Zone Bar and Grill shortly before 2 a.m. after a security guard called 911 and reported the shootout between a man at the bar and a person in a car in the parking lot.
Later that morning, two different people walked into St. Vincent Hospital on the north side of Indianapolis with gunshot wounds. The victims who checked into the hospital Sunday morning are believed to have been involved in the shooting.
“No one is immune, things are going to jump off in different areas,” Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson said. “But I would say (I’m) concern(ed).”
That concern from Johnson stems from the fact that the bar has been the subject of several complaints from people who live in the area, including homeowners associations. Those people have been reporting a host of issues at the establishment.
“Late-night fights, break-outs,” Johnson said. “To the left of that area, you have apartments that have been there in this community forever, and then you have a housing addition directly across the street.”
A neighboring business told FOX59/CBS4 they were not surprised to hear another incident had occurred given the bar’s past.
Just recently, video circulated on social media of a large brawl between several women in the parking lot of the bar. Reports made by IMPD show numerous calls to the location in recent years for things like gun crimes and fights.
In May 2022, a man was shot and critically wounded outside the bar. The establishment was shut down following that incident after officials discovered it did not have the proper permits.
Johnson said the fire department has been called to the bar at least 20 times since it opened, which she believes is a lot for a business like that.
“If you have too many complaints, you know what happens with those types of situations where residents will complain,” Johnson said. “Zoning and making reports on that that go downtown, and sometimes, you’re served papers that you may not be a business anymore.”
Johnson said she doesn’t want to see that happen and hopes to intervene so things don’t reach that level with N Zone. She said her next step will be reaching out for a conversation with the bar’s owners to try and give some best practices for them moving forward.
The facility appeared to be closed Sunday and Monday.
Police have not publicly announced if they identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest during their investigation of Sunday morning’s shooting.
IMPD said its nuisance and abatement team is aware of the location and working to determine if any enforcement action should be taken.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Colts Under Fire Following Daniel Jones Decision
Getty
Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts in action against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis Colts entered the 2026 NFL offseason needing to make a decision about the future of quarterback Daniel Jones.
After signing Jones last offseason to a one-year deal in free agency, the Colts liked what they saw from him in 2025. Unfortunately, his season came to an end early after he went down with a torn Achilles.
Before suffering that injury, Jones played in 13 games. He completed 68 percent of his pass attempts for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while also running for 164 yards and five more touchdowns.
Jones was a free agent entering the offseason. Indianapolis moved quickly to lock him in. The Colts signed the veteran quarterback to a massive two-year, $88 million contract.
Whether or not the move will pay off remains to be seen. It’s a big risk for Indianapolis, but Jones showed the potential of being a legitimate franchise quarterback before the injury occurred.
Colts Under Fire After Huge Daniel Jones Contract Decision
Chris Ballard and the Colts may be confident in Jones’ ability to be their starter moving forward. Not everyone agrees with the contract the team gave him.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport has named the move as one of the worst of the NFL offseason.
“Maybe Jones will be ready for Week 1 despite the severity of the injury. Maybe he can repeat last year’s success despite his struggles in New York. Maybe he’s the next Sam Darnold,” Davenport wrote.
“Or maybe the Colts should have let Jones play out the 2026 season on the transition tag while they saw how all those ‘maybes’ played out.”
Last season, Jones faced a lot of doubt as well. After his rocky tenure with the New York Giants, no one could be blamed for having reservations about the quarterback. However, after the way he played in 2025, Indianapolis feels good about its decision.
Indianapolis Has Had a Wild NFL Offseason So Far
Outside of the Jones move, the Colts have been very busy this offseason.
Along with re-signing Jones, the team also brought back wide receiver Alec Pierce. In order to make that move happen, they had to pay out a four-year deal worth $114 million.
Plenty of other moves have been made as well. Indianapolis traded star linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers and added pieces like defensive end Arden Key, defensive end Micheal Clemons, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, among others.
Most recently, the Colts have been hit with a trade request from cornerback Kenny Moore.
Only time will tell how the team’s offseason moves pan out. Indianapolis has taken some risk this offseason and still has holes to fill. However, the Colts looked like one of the best teams in the NFL during the first half of the 2025 season and may not be far off from Super Bowl contention.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
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