Indianapolis, IN
‘Red Carpet Treatment’ of Indianapolis Olympic Trials Could Open Door for Other Big Venues
‘Red Carpet Treatment’ of Indianapolis Olympic Trials Could Open Door for Other Big Venues
U.S. Olympic Trials won’t be the last swimming event held in an NFL stadium. World Aquatics made that official on Friday.
The success of the event at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium opens the door for more swim meets to expand beyond their previous attendance limits, USA Swimming President and CEO Tim Hinchey said Friday.
Hinchey said that the meet in Indianapolis has exceeded expectations on several fronts, including the target for ticket sales. USA Swimming had aimed to set the record for attendance at an indoor swim meet, which it did with 20,689 spectators Saturday’s opening night and 22,209 Wednesday. Hinchey also aimed for a nighty average of around 16,000, using the 2016 Rio Olympics as its guide. The attendance is well over that: Three of the first five prelims sessions topped 16,000, and only one finals session has fallen under it.
“We’ve surpassed that significantly,” Hinchey said. “We’ll do a lot of debrief when we get down into the analysis that we’ll share with everybody openly about how many tickets we sold and how we did it. One of the unique learnings here was the 17 individual sessions versus what we’ve had previously, it gave people a chance to really pick and choose what they wanted.
“We’ve never had walk-up before. We’ve never had tickets on sale the day of before. So we’re watching those trends quite a bit to see what we’ve been doing. That has been a pleasant surprise, because selling those nine-day packages is really consistent with the endemic swim families that we’ve done previously. So we kind of had that audience early, just like we had a lot.”
The Indianapolis program is much vaster than in the past. The COVID-19-affected 2021 Trials notwithstanding, USA Swimming has gone from eight days, 15 sessions and around 9,800 tickets to sell in Omaha in 2016 to nine days, 17 sessions and a capacity up to 32,000 spectators. Add in some 50 suites and a set of premium options and inclusive packages, and USA Swimming has gotten creative with its offerings.
Hinchey said his big concern entering the meet was the ticket-selling infrastructure, and USA Swimming has leaned on the Indiana Sports Corporation to bolster their efforts there. The growth of walk-up sales and other activations like the fan zone, which is drawing around 10,000 visitors a day, are a big part of what’s making the event successful.
“It’s incredibly important to me,” Hinchey said of the sponsorship with the city and Indiana Sports Corporation. “I think they’ve shown that this week, I think some of the feedback we’ve received more than anything has been, just fan reactions walking to the airport, all lanes lead to Indy, looking at Georgia Street. When they were talking about the kind of activations they were going to do, we were incredibly excited. And I feel like for the first time in a long time, our sport’s gotten the red carpet treatment here as hosts.”
The proof of concept of a temporary pool in a larger stadium opens the possibility for more. Hinchey said that the request for proposal process for 2024 trials involved four finalists: Indianapolis, Omaha, St. Louis and Minneapolis. The latter two candidates have visited Indy this week, and the kind of infrastructure that makes Indianapolis work is the kind that a handful of major cities have to host such an event.
Hinchey stresses that it doesn’t have to be a football stadium. But with this step taken, it would be a priority to push the momentum toward something as big or bigger next time around.
“Once you take something to the next level, it’s hard to kind of go backwards,” he said. “So I think we’ve set an expectation. And there’s a lot of things we’ve learned from this, there’s a lot of things we can do better. And I’m excited about that prospect.”
Indianapolis, IN
Docs: Indianapolis man tried to sell child sex abuse material that he created
INDIANAPOLIS — Police have accused an Indianapolis man of trying to sell child sex abuse material that he created himself.
According to public records, 19-year-old Yasir Gamble has been charged with eight Level 4 Felonies and one Level 5 Felony. All of the charges are related to child exploitation and the distribution of child sex abuse material.
An affidavit for probable cause filed on July 17 indicates Gamble first encountered law enforcement in November 2025. At that time, Gamble was returning to the U.S. from a cruise to Mexico.
When the cruise ship Gamble was on docked in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) searched Gamble and his belongings. CBP agents searched Gamble because they had received information from HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) that suggested Gamble had produced and distributed child sex abuse material. HSI also reported that Gamble allegedly committed some of the crimes when he was a juvenile.
During the search of Gamble and his belongings, agents located an Apple iPhone 14. Gamble gave agents the password to unlock the cell phone. During a subsequent analysis of the unlocked phone, investigators reportedly found child sex abuse material.
Agents advised Gamble of his Miranda rights. He declined to speak further with law enforcement at that time.
As their investigation of Gamble continued, federal authorities learned that he resides in Indianapolis. The case was subsequently turned over to IMPD.
Before they gave the case to IMPD, federal officials found at least three videos on Gamble’s phone depicting child sex abuse material. Per court records, some of the children depicted in the video were young enough to be still using pacifiers.
When IMPD took over the investigation, its officers found more than 100 files that depicted child sex abuse on Gamble’s phone.
Police reported that a number of the files showed children under the age of 12 being forced to perform sexual acts. IMPD investigators determined that many of those files were created in Indianapolis based on an analysis of geolocation data.
Some of the child sex abuse material IMPD found during its investigation showed Gamble himself. Others depicted males appearing to match the description police had of Gamble.
Court documents indicate that police also found files Gamble appeared to have created while he was on a cruise in Mexico. Those videos showed Gamble doing the following:
- Rubbing his genitals on children’s toys in a public restroom
- Masturbating on a baby diaper changing table in a public restroom
- Watching children play while his genitals are exposed through a pair of pink shorts
As their investigation continued, police also reviewed multiple messages that Gamble appeared to have sent on his phone. In some of the messages, Gamble seemed to be planning to open containers of baby food, ejaculate in them and return them to the grocery store.
Other messages police reviewed suggested that Gamble admitted to sexually assaulting an infant. In one message, Gamble allegedly indicated he was sexually attracted to children between the ages of zero and 13.
According to court records, a Snapchat account linked to one of Gamble’s email addresses appeared to be advertising the sale child sex abuse material. A media file recovered from the Snapchat account had white text on a black background that read “Cp for sale ($10) bl****** mostly.”
Police also obtained iCloud data from Apple during their investigation of Gamble. One note in Gamble’s phone reportedly said the following:
- “Prices CP”
- “$10 for 35 vids.”
- “$20 for 65 vids.”
- “$30 for 150 vids.”
- “$40 for 300 vids.”
- “$50 for 500 vids”
- “$60 for 700 vids”
- “$70 for 900 vids”
- “$80 for 1000 vids”
Once police had analyzed Gamble’s cell phone and various online accounts, they began to search for him. Eventually, they tracked him to the Job Corps campus in Edinburgh.
Officers applied for a warrant to search the dorm area at the Job Corps campus — which is located at 3129 E. Edinburgh St. Once the warrant was obtained, police took Gamble into custody while he was attending a class.
Law enforcement seized a cell phone that was in Gamble’s possession and a distinctive beaded bracelet that was on his wrist. That bracelet helped police determine that Gamble was likely the individual seen in at least some of the child sex abuse material they found during their investigation.
Gamble was booked at the Marion County Adult Detention Center on Thursday. He is due in court for an initial hearing on Monday. Gamble will be held in jail on no bond until his hearing happens.
Indianapolis, IN
Fever take down Liberty 108-88 to win second straight game
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Fever took care of business for the second consecutive night, taking down the New York Liberty 108-88 in front of a packed home crowd.
Fresh off a career-high 45-point night that set a Fever franchise record, Caitlin Clark was back in action. Clark scored 17 points and added 7 assists, helping lead the Fever to a big second half. Saturday’s game also marked the first time Clark played in back-to-back games since her rookie season.
At halftime, Indiana trailed New York 49-45, but outscored the Liberty by 24 points over the final two quarters. In the third quarter alone, Indiana outscored the Liberty 30-12 and held on to a 14-point lead heading into the fourth.
Ninth-year Fever guard and three-time WNBA All-Star Kesley Mitchell had another monster night. Mitchell scored a game-high 33 points while shooting 10-for-14 from the floor.
As a team, the Fever connected on 14 threes and shot an even 50 percent from distance in the win. Indiana’s offense also dished out 22 assists as a team to New York’s 19.
With the win, Indiana improves to 15-10 on the season and looks ahead to a home matchup against the Connecticut Sun inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, July 22.
Indianapolis, IN
Between Indianapolis And Chicago Is A Trail In A Vibrant College City Blending History With Tranquil Nature – Islands
Indiana may evoke cornfields and sports, but there’s so much more to the Hoosier State than that. Take a stroll through the forested woodlands along the Wabash River in the state’s north-central region on any given afternoon. Depending on the season, you might smell the sun baking the tall grass or turning the leaves golden; listen to a soundtrack of red-winged blackbirds and the gentle splash of a fishing lure dropping into the river; and watch colorful butterflies or soft snowflakes drift through your peripheral vision. Away from urban noise, rimmed by marshland, and shaded by buckeye, sycamore, and cottonwood trees, this nature oasis is part of the 13.4-mile Wabash Heritage Trail. This scenic, multi-use path runs along Burnett Creek and the Wabash River, traversing historic landmarks, residential parks, and farmland. The easy-to-moderate trail is open to the public and popular for jogging, strolling, and experiencing a slice of nature.
The Wabash Heritage Trail is steeped in American history. Its northern end at the Tippecanoe Battlefield in Battle Ground, Indiana, is a National Historic Landmark. The 96-acre site now includes a park, a nature center, and a museum. In 1811, it was where the Battle of Tippecanoe took place, fought between the U.S. Army under William Henry Harrison and a Native American confederation associated with Shawnee leader Tecumseh. “Go there for a great history lesson,” writes one Google reviewer. “The museum itself is small but packed with information, and the battlefield itself is easy to stroll,” adds another.
At the trail’s southern terminus, Fort Ouiatenon is believed to have been the site of one of the earliest French trading posts. Today, the approximately 90-acre park is home to a wooden blockhouse built in 1930 in the style of 18th-century traders. The park also features picnic areas and a concrete boat ramp with river access.
Navigating the Wabash Heritage Trail
The core of the trail is the Wabash River, the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi. It begins near Fort Recovery, Ohio, and flows southwest across northwestern Indiana, then veers south to form part of the Indiana-Illinois border before washing into the Ohio River. “Wabash” is believed to be a French translation of a Miami word generally meaning “clear water over white stones,” though centuries of agriculture and development have turned it noticeably murkier. Along the trail, anglers can cast lines for some of the river’s 150 fish species, including catfish, carp, and smallmouth bass. Just note that those over 18 do need a fishing license in Indiana.
Lafayette is one of America’s fastest-growing metro areas, so some of the trails are within earshot of highways and in sight of residential areas. Even so, much of the route is surprisingly tranquil before reaching the bustling Purdue University, a Big Ten conference school and home to the Boilermakers and more than 50,000 students.
Primarily located in Indiana’s Tippecanoe County, the linear trail starts north of the river’s western bank in Battle Ground, next to Prophetstown, Indiana’s newest state park with historic grasslands and woodlands. From there, it follows Burnett Creek to Davis Ferry Park on the Wabash River, which also features a boat launch. A footbridge crosses the river at Davis Ferry, continuing the trail southeast along the river’s eastern bank. A few miles farther down, the trail crosses the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge into West Lafayette and Tapawingo Park, where it continues along the river’s northern bank. Some parts can be muddy depending on the season, but reviewers say it’s typically passable. Note that bicycles are permitted only on the trail’s paved urban sections.
The trail offers a nature oasis close to the city
Along the way, additional access points include McAllister Park, formerly the Lafayette Municipal Golf Course, which features a disc golf course and a model plane airstrip; Riehle Plaza, an outdoor events area near downtown Lafayette; and Lyboult Sports Park. The trail’s primary bicycle-friendly section is a 3-mile paved stretch from South River Road to Sagamore Parkway, with an extension path through West Lafayette’s Happy Hollow Park. The stretch of river between Davis Ferry Park and Tapawingo Park is also considered an easy paddle. Put in at the Davis Ferry boat launch and beach on the sand at Tapawingo Park.
Though the Wabash Heritage Trail passes through urban and residential areas, it still offers ample opportunities to spot wildlife. More than 300 bird species have been recorded throughout the county, and hikers frequently report seeing squirrels, deer, and other animals. “Great views of Indiana farmland and the Wabash river,” wrote one Google reviewer. “So many local species of animals that are ready to greet you.” Offshore, Heron Island Nature Preserve is an undeveloped 11-acre river islet accessible only by boat and, though overrun with poison ivy, supports a heron rookery. The trail is also close to the Celery Bog Nature Area, a once-thriving farm now a wetland and wildlife mecca with trails, located along the Indiana Birding Trail. It’s worth the slight detour for outdoor enthusiasts and nature photographers, as more than 260 species of birds have been documented there.
Lafayette, Indiana, is the travel hub for the Wabash Heritage Trail. Close by, Purdue University Airport (LAF) is a regional link to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) 140 miles northwest, and Indianapolis International Airport (IND), less than 70 miles southeast. Lafayette is also home to an Amtrak station, providing rail access to the rest of the U.S.
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