A new report shows how downtown Indianapolis has changed over the past year. Here are five takeaways from the data that explain the evolution of the capital city's core:

For IndyStar's Meet the Staff column, I wrote about why I do journalism, my favorite Kurt Vonnegut quote and my old self-given nickname in high school -- "J-Buckets" -- among other miscellany:

The beloved chain Wawa wants to build a store in east Indianapolis. But the city could block it for being too car-centric. The latest on that debate:

Where Indy Republicans and Democrats agree: AES rate hike must be stopped www.indystar.com/story/news/l...

While Indy Democrats rejected some fines for youth curfew violations, there's still a path under state law for the city to force parents and guardians to pay thousands. Here's how:

A council proposal would remove the 50-year Marion County residency requirement in place for most city workers to boost hiring and retention. But top city leaders are raising the alarm in opposition. Will track today's 5:30 meeting on this proposal:

Breaking: IndyGo just approved fare hikes over 50%, its first fare increase in over 15 years. Story below with all the details:

Find out about the fates a few lots near major corridors in Indy that are currently either vacant or dotted with abandoned buildings:

Breaking this afternoon: Indianapolis has officially reversed course and will not close the Fountain Square homeless camp until social workers offer permanent housing to all the residents. Find the reasoning here:

Did the Fountain Square homeless encampment actually close Monday? Here's why you'll likely still see people living there in the coming days:

Marion County's top public health agency praised Gov. Mike Braun for backing health care with a $500,000 ad campaign this spring. Then state lawmakers and Braun cut millions in funding. What happened?

What Trump's attack on 'Housing First' means for Indy's effort to end chronic homelessness

BREAKING: Indianapolis will shut down the Fountain Square homeless camp by next month after a spate of negative press and months of mounting concerns from neighbors. Also included: a deep dive into how the situation progressed to this point. Link: www.indystar.com/story/news/l...

Overall homelessness in Indy is above 1,800 people for just the third time since 2010, a new count shows, with some of the most vulnerable groups like children increasing. But veteran homelessness has fallen drastically in the last decade. Here's how:

In a 2024 survey, just over half of people said they feel safe downtown most of the time. Here's how Downtown Indy workers doing cleanup and safety patrols, funded by a new downtown tax, are trying to fix that:

Just southwest of downtown, archaeologists have found more than 1,100 graves in Indianapolis' first cemetery. Read more about what the 19th century artifacts they're revealing with high-tech analysis reveal about who may be buried there.

An ATM planned in a majority-Black neighborhood has gone from a PR win for a major Indianapolis bank to a source of criticism over its history of overlooking Black borrowers.

Purdue plans for a 28-acre wedge of land in downtown Indy — roughly the size of that on which Lucas Oil Stadium and its south parking lot sit — to host 16 new buildings for up to 15,000 students. See the plans:

SPARK, the pop-up park on Monument Circle, has taken over a roadway in downtown Indy for the third straight year. In a city grappling with how to make its streets more pedestrian-friendly, what would it take for something like SPARK to become year-round? I explore in today's piece:

Love this column from Oklahoma City's mayor about how, after OKC lost a bid for a major employer to Indianapolis in the 1990s, the city's officials stole Indy's downtown revitalization strategy. Now the two cities will meet in the NBA Finals.

IndyGo fares could increase by the start of 2026. With a vote scheduled for August, here's everything to know.

As Indianapolis looks to expand the Monon Trail, some homeowners are objecting that the proposed land grab would swallow portions of their backyards.

Does construction ever actually end? Here are 8 projects Indianapolis expects to finish in 2025, including a major one-way to two-way road conversion and four cycling trails.

A new state law offers Indianapolis an additional $50 million in state funding each year to improve the city's battered roads. But the money, which could prove difficult to obtain, can't be used for increasingly popular traffic-calming changes. Here's why:

“In Indianapolis, I joke that I’ve photographed everyone at least once," Wilkinson said. "I spend my days seeing through the eyes of others. And I realize that is a wonderful way to live.” See Kelly's best IndyStar photos in her 36-year tenure.

Find photos and details about Indy's first bridge with more space devoted to pedestrians and bicyclists than to vehicles, an impressive structure with a $30 million price tag.

Making the DOGE cuts less abstract: Here's how three Hoosier AmeriCorps workers say they were serving their communities, and how they're facing the abrupt fact that after last weekend they're no longer able to do that work.

IndyGo's Purple Line jumps to No. 1 in monthly ridership as Red Line, other routes falter

Indianapolis city code outlines protections for people at homeless encampments, and police tend not to clear them if the site stays clean, safe and out of major right-of-ways. But a proposed state law banning street camping would force a crackdown on the city's growing unsheltered population.

How Fountain Square and Fletcher Place neighbors banded together to temporarily convert a high-speed road lane to a multi-use path.

David Letterman's childhood home in Broad Ripple? It’s not now an Airbnb showcasing his life story. More from our @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social www.indystar.com/story/entert...

Braden Smith was fighting his own mind last season, a war of obsession he believed was for his very soul. Smith and his wife, Courtney, are telling their story now: The specifics of his diagnosis, how dark things got and the last-ditch treatment that finally helped. www.indystar.com/story/sports...

In Brownsburg for an early survey of the tornado damage through the eyes of residents. www.indystar.com/story/news/l...

The Factory Arts District, an industrial site whose founder had ties to the Indy 500, has become home to more than 100 new artists in the past decade. The owner's pushing for new restaurants and shops to bring in customers. See what's open/coming soon.

UPDATE: The city of Indianapolis rejected a developer's plan to build 35 high-end homes near a historic golf course. Here's how neighbors, concerned about losing trees and introducing too much density, successfully pushed back:

Uni-Gov swallowed the small town of Cumberland when it had less than 1,000 residents. Now the 6,500-person suburb whose residents complain of a tangled, confusing government wants to sever ties with Indianapolis.

Democrats not only need to be a real opposition party, they need to show they can address the affordability crisis in America, when they govern. Housing is a good place to begin. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/09/o...

A Sunday long read into why early childhood vaccine rates in Indiana have fallen sharply after COVID, and how pediatricians are seeing heightened vaccine hesitancy. 'Are we going back in time?' Public health experts worry as Indiana vax rates plummet

The developer renovating the old City Hall site and building a 29-story residential tower next door is asking for a $66 million municipal bond issuance to help finance the project. The project is now $108 million over a budget announced in 2023.

A deep dive into why early childhood vaccine rates in Indiana have fallen sharply after COVID, and how pediatricians are seeing heightened vaccine hesitancy. 'Are we going back in time?' Public health experts worry as Indiana vax rates plummet

After a Carmel couple learned the project next door would be a group home for Alzheimer's patients, they filed a lawsuit that halted construction. More than two years later, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled against them. What's next?

The new owners of a historic Indianapolis golf course want to build dozens of high-end homes to recoup on their investment. But neighbors and city staff worry the homes would sacrifice acres of woodlands and bring too much density.

WISH-TV meteorologist says she was fired after questioning how station treats Black women www.indystar.com/story/news/l...

Putting the fast-rising property tax numbers (We're No. 1!) and soaring home prices in the Indianapolis area in context. A topic sure to prompt legislative debate next year:

If you feel like there's a ton of development happening around Indy and want to know what's coming, here are more than 15 major commercial and residential projects expected to open in 2025:

Opinion: Why Indiana plans to kill Joseph Corcoran in secrecy www.indystar.com/story/opinio...

How dangerous had Indianapolis' Towne and Terrace housing complex become? The city is paying $14.4M to buy 32 buildings and relocate about 120 households. Demolition began Monday. Story by @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social. Images from @christinetannous.bsky.social www.indystar.com/story/news/l...

An out-of-town firms wants to rezone and convert a rundown shopping center in northeast Indy into potentially hundreds of apartments. Neighbors want the strip renovated as a commercial hub, not housing. www.indystar.com/story/news/l...

"Many of you could be where we are—on the street—but for some simple and not uncommon twist of fate. This is part of your rejection, this fear that it could be you." www.esquire.com/news-politic...

Today Father John Misty puts out a great new album. I wrote about that LP as well as the whole FJM catalog here. uproxx.com/indie/father...