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‘The worst that I’ve seen:’ City officials push DPW on unplowed residential roads

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‘The worst that I’ve seen:’ City officials push DPW on unplowed residential roads


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Councilor Jared Evans, who grew up in Indianapolis, described the city’s response to recent snowstorms as “the worst that I’ve seen” at Thursday night’s meeting of the Public Works Committee.

He wasn’t alone. Officials representing districts throughout the city said their constituents were left frustrated and concerned after residential streets went unplowed in the aftermath of early January’s snowfall.

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Indianapolis once hired private contractors to plow residential streets following 6 inches or more of snowfall. That rule was scrapped in 2020 in favor of a new policy requiring plows to clear busy connector streets. Officials totals from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis show parts of the city have received more than 15 inches of snowfall since Jan. 5.

The concerns were so abundant that the committee’s chair, Kristin Jones, invited leaders from the Department of Public Works (DPW) to address the issues.

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Sam Beres, DPW interim director, delivered remarks for the committee alongside Natalie Van Dongen, deputy director of policy and planning.

Before taking questions, Beres and Van Dongen shared a presentation emphasizing crews’ relentless efforts to clear major thoroughfares and their connecting streets — a round-the-clock effort that’s so far required more than 13,000 overtime hours.

Despite a challenging battle against the snow, contractors weren’t brought in to help with residential streets. Beres said that the decision wasn’t based on financial constraints, instead citing concerns about property damage on narrow streets and the potential for further icing.

That explanation didn’t suffice for Councilor Brian Mowery.

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“Now all of those neighborhoods are a sheet of ice anyway, because they didn’t get plowed, and they were driven on top of, and it just compacted the snow into ice,” Mowery said.

Councilors emphasized that they appreciated the efforts of the city’s crews — more than a dozen of whom were sitting in the audience — but they were unhappy with the department’s lack of any clear plan for the city’s residential street.

“You will see this council at least have a discussion — and a vote — on changing this policy,” Councilor Josh Bain said.

Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@gannett.com or (317) 800-2956.



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Indianapolis, IN

Person shot in critical condition on east side of Indianapolis

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Person shot in critical condition on east side of Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers are investigating a shooting on the city’s east side that left one person in critical condition on Wednesday.

IMPD officers responded to a report of a person shot in the 2000 block of Kildare Avenue. When officers arrived on scene, they located a victim with injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.

The victim was transported to a local hospital and reported to be in critical condition.

Police have not released information about the circumstances surrounding the shooting or whether any suspects have been identified.

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The investigation remains ongoing.





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Indianapolis, IN

Woman killed in Southside Indianapolis apartment shooting

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Woman killed in Southside Indianapolis apartment shooting


INDIANAPOLIS — A 26-year-old woman was shot and killed at her Indianapolis apartment Monday night, in what family members say was domestic-related.

Police say Amanda S. Jones was killed at an apartment complex on the city’s south side while her 2-year-old daughter was home. The child was not injured during the incident.

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Woman killed in Southside Indianapolis apartment shooting

“I told her over and over that relationship’s not good for you. You gotta leave,” said Denaejah Ivy, Jones’ cousin.

While the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has not released a motive, police reports show officers had been called to the same address multiple times, including one call less than nine hours before Jones was killed.

In previous calls, Jones reported harassment, domestic disturbances and a protection order violation. Court records show a felony intimidation charge was filed but was ultimately dismissed.

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“She filed multiple; she did multiple police reports. I was on the phone, actually, numerous times, and she told the police, ‘You’re not gonna do something till somebody’s dead.’ I heard her tell them that,” Ivy said.

“I feel like I lost a sister. I feel like I lost my everyday person, my everyday friend,” Ivy said.

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Danyette Smith, director of the Indy Champions with the Indy Public Safety Foundation, said survivors need to prioritize their safety.

“What we have to understand as a survivor, as an advocate, as someone who’s been doing this work for many years, we have to put us first, and that means choosing you and your children first,” Smith said.

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Smith emphasized the importance of understanding protection order processes and ensuring accountability when those orders are violated, which may ultimately require leaving one’s home.

“You can’t let nobody else love you more than you love yourself, and I wish Amanda would have loved herself just a little bit more to walk away sooner,” Ivy said.

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Anyone with information about this incident should call Detective Michal Dinnsen at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317.327.3475 or e-mail the detective at Michal.Dinnsen@indy.gov.  

Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317.262.8477 or (TIPS) to remain anonymous.

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Adam Schumes is the In Your Community reporter for East Side Indy. He joined WRTV in December of 2021. Adam has a passion for telling stories and giving people a voice they might not have had before. Share your story ideas and important issues with Adam by emailing him at adam.schumes@wrtv.com.





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Indianapolis, IN

Babe Ruth, Charles Manson and WWII: See life in Indy in the 1940s

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Babe Ruth, Charles Manson and WWII: See life in Indy in the 1940s


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We’ve seen what life looked like in Indianapolis in the city’s “Golden Age” of the 1920s, and what it looked like when the expansion came to a screeching halt in the Great Depression decade of the 30s.

The 1940s was a decade defined by World War II and Indiana was no different. The archive photos below are filled with snapshots that tell the story – new soliders after the country’s first peacetime conscription, the push to buy defense bonds and the celebration on Monument Circle after Japan’s surrender.

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Aside from the ever-present backdrop of the war, the photos also show iconic moments and characters from sports and beyond. From Babe Ruth surrounded by Indy kids at a junior all-star game to a 14-year-old Charles Manson already in trouble with the law, check out the archive photos below to see life in one of the most important decades in American history.

Plus, check out some bonus retro galleries of the holidays through the years.

Life in Indianapolis in the 1940s

Thanksgiving and Christmas in Indy through the years



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