INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Former NBA player Metta World Peace and other panelists on Thursday participated in the Circle City Classic’s mental health panel discussion.

The nonprofit Indiana Black Expo‘s Circle City Classic, in its 40th year, will conclude Saturday with a parade and football game.

The former Indiana Pacers player once known as Ron Artest shared his personal mental health journey and the importance of removing the stigma around seeking help. “It’s been going on before us, during our time here, and after us so it’s the opportunity to give tools, some encouragement and some support.”

Thursday’s event was billed as the first time World Peace has spoken about mental health in Indiana. He says he was particularly happy to talk to youths at Warren Central High School as they navigate changes in their lives. “It’s good to be back here, especially in Indiana, to talk about the stigmas with mental health, especially when you’re trying to become a professional, exit high school or college. What’s next?”

Cara Holdsclaw, the chief operating officer of Indiana Black Expo (IBE), says, after receiving good feedback regarding talking about mental health during IBE’s Summer Celebration in June, organizers of the Circle City Classic thought continuing the discussion was important. “We want to make sure that people know it’s OK to ask for help if they know something might not be right, and to be able to seek the help that you may need, or be able to see that somebody else in your family or friends need help as well,” Holdsclaw said.

As Masimba Taylor, the principal of Warren Central High School, sees it, the mental health discussion with students was very needed. “They always bring up mental health, and so the fact that the young people are talking about it, the fact that they’re asking for more information, and asking for help, so if we can provide even just a small bit or the opportunity to hear from professionals, then it’s everything.”

Student and football player Madden Beriault says listening to a former professional athlete tell his story and give advice is a great way for him to better his own mental health as he navigates school and sports. “Being a student-athlete is a lot of different things on your plate and a lot of different stresses from a lot of different angles, so hopefully learn how to cope with different types of stress.”

While some people may not have the resources to get the mental health support they need, World Peace — also known as Metta Sandiford-Artest — says it’s important to continue to believe in yourself even when the journey gets rough. “Practice breathing. Practice meditation. Make sure you stay spiritual and remember your core values and keep your families first. But, I also believe in collaborating with others across the board. Sometimes it’s hard to go through things on your own.”

Mental health resources

PIAGGIO MOTOPLEX RAHAL INDIANAPOLIS — A DEALERSHIP OF GRAHAM RAHAL’S GR BRANDS — EXPANDS PIAGGIO GROUP EXCLUSIVE FLAGSHIPS WITH APRILIA, MOTO GUZZI, PIAGGIO AND VESPA BRANDS

STRATEGIC LOCATION SHOWCASES DEDICATION TO MOTORSPORT AND CELEBRATION OF TWO-WHEELS WITH ADDITION OF ALL-PIAGGIO GROUP MOTORCYCLES AND SCOOTERS

MOTOPLEX RAHAL INDIANAPOLIS BOASTS THE LATEST RETAIL IDENTITY, OPTIMIZING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND SERVICE, LEADING A SERIES OF NEW MARKETS

NEW YORK, NY — 25 SEPTEMBER 2024 – Saturday marked the grand opening of the latest Piaggio Group exclusive flagship, MotoPlex Rahal Piaggio Indianapolis — located at 10814 Creek Way, Zionsville, IN 46077 — a premiere destination dealership joining global network of Piaggio Group MotoPlex locations, a cornerstone for the expansion of Piaggio Group Americas market, with MotoPlex facilities recently added in Washington D.C., Atlanta, Montreal, Daytona Beach, Idaho Falls, and more coming in Q4 and 2025.

In partnership with GR Brands, the diverse and innovative portfolio of companies founded by Graham Rahal, the NTT INDYCAR Series driver and lifelong motorsports enthusiast, Piaggio MotoPlex Rahal Indianapolis is the newest global location of Piaggio Group’s pioneering retail concept. Piaggio Group Americas, with Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio and Vespa brands, has increased its North American footprint for dealership representation and customer support, with over 100 franchise additions since 2021. Piaggio MotoPlex Rahal Indianapolis serves a strategic region for the brands, where customers who have patiently waited for a dealership in the market, will receive one of the best representations in the whole world, and in a city known for its passion for performance with the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its Indy and MotoGP history.

The partnership with GR Brands and Graham Rahal leverages decades of enthusiasm and professionalism within motorsport, and serves customers within this campus based in Zionsville, Indiana. Alongside Piaggio MotoPlex Rahal Indianapolis are other GR Brand endeavors, which include independent performance, paint, and tint facilities, a coffee shop and upscale steakhouse, and attached to Piaggio MotoPlex is WheelHouse, an exclusive members-only social club, which is set to open in fall.

“A premium retail experience is what our customers deserve; it’s the cornerstone of connecting with today’s modern customer and our industry’s most passionate riders. We’re not just selling motorcycles; we’re nurturing a lifestyle and fostering a vibrant community,” says President and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas, Marco d’Acunzo, “MotoPlex Rahal Piaggio Indianapolis is a testament to this commitment. Here, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, and Vespa owners, along with all motorsport and powersports enthusiasts, can immerse themselves in our brand culture, fueled by the passion and professionalism that Graham Rahal and GR Brands have become synonymous with.”

“We’re thrilled to call Zionsville home to our newest dealership, Rahal Piaggio Indianapolis. This vibrant and growing community is a perfect fit for the passion and excitement that fuels our brand,” says Graham Rahal, founder of GR Brands. “Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, and Vespa enthusiasts in Indiana deserve a destination where they can experience the thrill of riding and owning these exceptional machines. Our commitment to providing unparalleled service and support aligns perfectly with the values of this dynamic community.”

For more information about Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, or Vespa please visit the brand websites.

Aprilia.com

MotoGuzzi.com

Piaggio.com

Vespa.com

For more information about Piaggio MotoPlex Rahal Indianapolis, please visit the dealership online. https://www.rahalpiaggio.com/

ABOUT PIAGGIO GROUP AMERICAS

Piaggio Group Americas, the Piaggio Group (PIA.MI) associated company with headquarters in New York, adds to its growing retail network with this flagship location, exclusive Piaggio Group, featuring Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio, and Vespa motorcycles and scooters, as well as apparel, accessories, and parts.

ABOUT GR BRANDS

GR Brands, founded by Graham Rahal, is a leading name in the automotive world, encompassing highperformance care services, luxury motorcycles, vehicle protection, and motorsport racing. With operations including Graham Rahal Performance, and manufacturer dealerships, and more, GR Brands is committed to delivering unparalleled quality and services across the automotive and powersports industry.

(MIRROR INDY) — Nearly a half-century after the federal government banned the use of lead in many consumer products and after the closure of lead refining smelters in neighborhoods around the city, Indianapolis still faces a lead contamination problem.

That’s concerning, because the toxic metal can damage the brain and kidneys and cause other health conditions in people exposed to it, especially kids. In 2023 alone, blood testing identified more than 70 kids in Marion County with blood lead levels high enough for health investigators to get involved.

At the Lead-Free Indy Summit on Sept. 19, the Marion County Health Department and IU Indianapolis announced a website called Lead Advisor. They hope the site will help make it easier for Indianapolis residents to learn where lead contamination has already been found and where to get the resources to ensure their homes are lead free.

The website “will eliminate barriers to healthy housing, something that everyone in our city deserves, as well as intervening on the problem before it even begins,” Mayor Joe Hogsett said at the summit. “It is a productive first step toward our vision of a lead free Indianapolis.”

According to the county health department, local lead contamination is mainly found in older homes that contain paint, plumbing or fixtures made with lead. Contamination can also come from smelters, like the Avanti Superfund Remedial Site in the Hawthorne neighborhood on the west side and the American Lead site in the Martindale Brightwood neighborhood on the near east side.

In many cases, people don’t know about the lead threat in their homes or neighborhoods until after they’ve been exposed. For Dr. Virginia Caine, director and chief medical officer of the Marion County Public Health Department, that is much too late.

“We can’t wait to tackle this problem after children have been poisoned,” she said at the summit. “We’ve got to reach them before this environmental hazard impacts them, and that means a lot of community education.”

How to use Lead Advisor

The Lead Advisor website lets residents type in the address of a home and check whether it has been inspected for lead. If it has been tested, the site displays inspection results and any violations found.

The site also will allow residents, school administrators and child care providers to schedule lead inspections and parents to schedule lead tests for their children. The website’s Lead Advisor chat function uses artificial intelligence to answer questions about the services offered by the county. The advisor can answer questions in multiple languages.

“I’m excited about the fact that you can look up and know in advance (a rental unit) has no lead contamination, or if I’m moving into a home, that it’s got no lead contamination,” Caine said.

The website is operational but is a work in progress. Right now, the site contains a few years of Marion County inspection data and does not contain the locations of smelters and other lead sources.

According to Karla Johnson, who is the county health department’s administrator, the website ultimately will be expanded to include more lead inspection data.

Finding all the lead sources may be difficult

Residents who live with or near lead contamination often have mixed feelings about testing, because they’re worried they may be left holding the bag for paying for cleanup.

Elizabeth Gore, a member of the Martindale Brightwood Environmental Justice Collaborative, said some residents did not want to be attached to the stigma of a polluted neighborhood.

Her neighborhood is located near the American Lead site, 2102 Hillside Ave., where a lead smelter operated between 1946 and 1965.

According to federal documents, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management knew about pollution there as early as 1980s and was in talks with the owner, Texas-based NL Industries, to clean up the site between 1996 and 2003. The negotiations failed, and the EPA ordered the company to clean up the site, which it did between 2005 and 2007. A decade later, lead from the American Lead plant was found in homes near the plant, and another cleanup was launched.

But despite the knowledge that lead contamination could be present, some people refused testing.

“People didn’t want you to come into their homes and grounds,” Gore remembered. “They didn’t want to be penalized for having lead.”

When home lead inspections are undertaken, homeowners can be held responsible for fixing the issues that inspectors find. That can create a tough situation for some residents, in a neighborhood where the median household income is about $24,200.

Patti Daviau has lived across the street from the Avanti Remedial Superfund site, 502 S. Harris Ave., for more than 50 years. She thinks the website is a good starting point, but believes the city is focusing too much on household sources of lead and not enough on finding where lead was used industrially.

“I just want to scream it from the rooftops,” Daviau said. “You can clean up all the lead paint inside the house, but if the main problem is the environment, then those kids are still exposed, those families are still exposed and new families will come and be exposed.”

More resources for lead contamination

To check whether your home has been tested for lead, head to the Lead Advisor website and enter your address. If it has been tested, results will appear at the bottom of the page.

Home lead inspections through the Marion County Public Health Department Lead Poisoning Prevention Program can be scheduled via the site’s Contact Us tab. They can also be scheduled by phone at 317-221-2155 or via email at leadct@marionhealth.org.

To test the soil around your home for lead, head to any of these 18 Indianapolis Public Library locations around the city to pick up a community science kit, which comes with instructions on how and where to collect the samples.

For more information, call the health department at 317-221-2000 or email healthdept@marionhealth.org.

Mirror Indy reporter Enrique Saenz covers west Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-983-4203 or enrique.saenz@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @heyEnriqueSaenz.