Mirror Indy, Indianapolis, IN (2026)

01/17/2026

The hearing examiner for the Metropolitan Development Commission was set to hear a petition to rezone land for a data center in Martindale Brightwood at a public hearing Thursday, Jan. 15.

But before the petition was heard, a Martindale Brightwood neighbor requested that the petition be heard at a later date.

The petition will now be heard on Thursday, Feb. 12.This is the second time the petition has been pushed back.

Jacklyn McMillan Gunn, a member of the neighborhood group One Voice Martindale Brightwood, requested the delay, which is called a continuance.

Gunn said the neighborhood wants to wait for more information and research as the City-County Council decides how they might regulate data centers.

Earlier this month, the City-County Council rejected a symbolic resolution that called on data center developers to refrain from using non-disclosure agreements when meeting with city leaders.

At the Monday, Jan. 5, full council meeting, Councilor Vop Osili said he is working on a proposal about transparency and oversight of data centers in the city.

More than 100 people attended the meeting, the majority in opposition to the data center. Ron Gibson, the councilor who represents the area, wrote a letter of strong support for the data center.

01/16/2026

The Indy Dance Film Festival is coming to Kan-Kan Cinema on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

Nine short films about dance will be shown, including four local ones.

One of the short films, “Am I Still Dreaming” directed by Jonathan Bryan, follows a dancer played by Hanna Manka, who grew up in Indy and was a professional dancer for years.

Her character contends with reams of paper her supervisor dumps on her desk. Does she escape the drudgery into a daydream reverie of pirouettes or into a professional ballet career?

If you are interested in the intersection of dance and film, or if you just like to watch beautifully shot pieces, tickets for the film festival are on sale for $15. Link in comments.

01/16/2026

When Indy drag artist Ciara Myst first heard the phrase “drag queen” at age 6, she had no idea what it meant.

“My parents were playing a (word-guessing) game with some of their friends, and they were describing someone who wears a lot of makeup and big hair,” Myst said. “They said, ‘drag queen,’ and I knew about drag racing, the sport. I thought that was the name of the woman who held the flags and started the race.”

Myst, 32, did drag herself for the first time in 2019. But she didn’t fully step into it until 2021, when she challenged herself with a New Year’s resolution to build a drag look from scratch every month.

Along the way, she learned wig styling, costuming, makeup and how to take great photos of her looks. She especially took to costuming after borrowing her then-partner’s mom’s old Singer sewing machine.

Now, Myst is stepping into the new year in a big way again — as a contestant on season 18 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which premiered Jan. 2.

“All of the costumes that you see, many of the wigs that you see on my time on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ were all cultivated by local Indiana career artists,” Myst said.

“When I say I couldn’t have gotten to this point without them, not only is that the emotional support and the inspiration that they provide, it’s the physical artistry, time, talent, labor of love that everybody poured into me to help grant me the opportunity to share on this stage.”

Speaking to the current state of drag in Indy, Myst said the spaces that have been home to drag in the past have become limited.

“Indiana has a huge history of high femme pageantry and competition, and over the last five years, we have lost a lot of spaces for q***r art,” she said. “So my advice to people who live in Indiana and love drag is to go find (performances). There are less spaces for you to access it as easily, but that does not mean that it is not happening.”

One space to support drag is at 8 p.m. every Friday at Tini, where “RuPaul’s Drag Race” watch parties will continue with after parties throughout the season.

01/16/2026

American Tower Corp. wants to build a data center on land they own on the northwest side in Pike Township.

At a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 14, representatives from the company answered questions from neighbors who have been wanting to hear more information about the project. More than 200 people showed up.

Jane Howard, a retiree, asked, “Why does a commercial building belong in the middle of a neighborhood that has people of all ages?”

Another Pike Township resident, Terry Bonneau, wanted to know what the data center would be used for. “Is this data center specifically for AI? Because if it is, I don’t want it,” Bonneau said.

So, what did American Tower Corp. have to say?

Project manager Patrick Sweetman told residents the company is taking advantage of property they already own. The site has a broadcast tower and several support buildings already.

Sweetman said a new data center would give local customers new data storage options.

“We need more storage. This isn’t just a national thing. This is local as well. Local businesses need storage … Businesses here, public safety here and communications here, they need data centers closer, especially as more and more data is needed and faster response times are needed,” he said.

As for environmental concerns, engineer David Glenn said the data center would only use city water for bathrooms and fire protection.

The company also said it does not have plans to add more data centers.

01/16/2026

Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that could bring a lot of changes to how IPS and charter schools within the district’s boundaries share transportation and manage buildings.

House bill 1423 incorporates recommendations a group called the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance made at the end of last year. This group was made up of appointed leaders.

On Monday, Jan. 12, parents got to testify what they thought of HB 1423. Hear what IPS and charter school parents had to say.

It’s unclear if there will be another chance for public testimony on this bill. If you’d like to weigh in, you can always call or email your state representative. Their information can be found at iga.in.gov.

01/16/2026

City-County Councilor Ron Gibson submitted a letter to the Metropolitan Development Commission in “strong support” of the proposed data center in Martindale Brightwood.

To bring you up to speed: Los Angeles-based developer Metrobloks wants to build a data center on the site of the old Sherman Drive-In.

Neighbors opposed to the data center have said they are concerned about rising utility costs, increases in property taxes, and a lack of benefit to the community.

In his letter, which you can swipe through and read in full, Gibson said the development would benefit the neighborhood.

Gibson was one of two people to submit letters of support for the project. Several dozen people submitted letters against the project, including state Sen. La Keisha Jackson and state Rep. Greg Porter.

01/15/2026

The Indianapolis Housing Agency is selling seven affordable housing properties to a Seattle-based development company, Vitus Development LLC:

1. Laurelwood Apartments
2. Rowney Terrace
3. Twin Hills
4. Blackburn Terrace
5. Beechwood Gardens
6. Hawthorne Place
7. 16 Park

IHA CEO Yvonda Bean said Vitus will turn the properties into something “we can all be proud of.”

As part of the sale, IHA will still own the land under the buildings and lease it to Vitus. Bean said that allows the housing agency to make sure the apartments remain affordable.

But affordability isn’t the only thing residents have been worried about.

Many have told Mirror Indy that the housing agency doesn’t respond to them, and there often isn’t a property manager on site.

Zephyr Reed, a resident of Beechwood Gardens, said things have gotten so bad where she lives that she stopped trying to call maintenance. She isn’t hopeful a new owner will make things better.

Vitus has no contact information on their website and didn’t respond to Mirror Indy’s request for comment sent through a questionnaire form.

01/15/2026

An update on the proposed data center in Martindale Brightwood: Nearly a dozen clergy and community members gathered on Jan. 14 to oppose the data center.

Los Angeles-based developer Metrobloks wants to build a data center at the old Sherman Drive-In Theater, but they need to get the land rezoned in order to do that.

Neighbors have been opposing the proposal for the last few months. They say they are concerned about rising utility costs, increases in property taxes and an overall lack of benefit to the community.

The clergy leaders are asking Mayor Joe Hogsett and City-County Councilor Ron Gibson, who represents the area, to acknowledge their concerns.

They said Gibson has “blatantly disrespected” local pastors and community members who do not support the data center.

In an email to Mirror Indy, Gibson said that was false.

“I would never disrespect my people or my community,” Gibson said in the email. “When I met with some of the pastors, I told them that we will have to agree to disagree.”

Gibson did submit a letter to the Metropolitan Development Commission in “strong support” of the proposed data center in Martindale Brightwood.

01/15/2026

Indiana lawmakers are currently considering two bills that would classify sleeping on public property for a long period of time as a Class C misdemeanor.

This could result in a $500 fine or jail time for homeless people who sleep or camp on public land.

Senate Bill 285 passed out of committee on Wednesday, Jan. 14, so it will go back to the full Senate for amendments. That hearing hasn’t been scheduled yet.

House Bill 1431 hasn’t been scheduled for a hearing yet, which means you’ll have to wait to give a public testimony if you have opinions you’d like to share.

In the meantime, you can always reach out to your state representative and let them know your thoughts on these bills. You can find your state reps and their contact information at iga.in.gov.

If you have any questions for economic reporter Tyler Fenwick, you can leave them below or email him at [email protected].

01/15/2026

People from Rep. Andre Carson’s office will be at CAFE from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Jan. 21, to help answer questions about:
- Health insurance
- Social security
- Veteran benefits
- Passports
- Immigration
- Federal tax returns

This is only open to people who live in Indiana’s 7th District, which Rep. Carson represents. That includes most of Indianapolis, except for the southern three townships: Franklin, Perry and Decatur.

📍CAFE, 8902 E. 38th St.

01/15/2026

After months of speculation, Vop Osili has put the rumors to rest: He’s running for mayor of Indianapolis.

The longtime Democrat on the City-County Council announced in an early morning email Jan. 15 that he’s taking the next step in his political career.

Osili, 62, recently stepped down as council president after serving in the role since 2018. He represents District 12, which includes a large portion of downtown Indianapolis and parts of the near west side.

As a councilor, he helped establish a city-funded microloan program catered toward residents and businesses in lower income neighborhoods. He also worked on a city initiative that awarded tax abatements and other incentives to companies who hire ex-offenders.

In addition to his role on the council, Osili is an architect at Woolpert, Inc., a local engineering and design firm.

With his announcement, Osili has effectively fired the first shot in what is expected to be a highly contested and expensive Democratic primary election next year.

There are at least two other established Democrats thought to be eyeing a run to replace Hogsett: State Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, and Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.

Osili will have a head start in the fundraising battle, having reported more than $300,000 in cash on hand at the beginning of 2025. Mears reported $89,000, while Hunley reported about $40,000 at the beginning of 2024.

It’s unclear if any Republicans are considering a mayoral run, though local party leaders are exploring their options, especially in light of the scandals that have engulfed Hogsett’s third term.

It’s still unclear if Hogsett will seek a fourth term. He was first elected in 2015.

01/14/2026

People were surprised by Mayor Joe Hogsett picking IMPD police chief Chris Bailey as his next chief of staff and deputy mayor.

The chief of staff typically plays the role of top advisor to the mayor while also managing the day-to-day operations of city government.

There appears to be bipartisan support for Hogsett’s pick.

City-County Council President Maggie Lewis, a Democrat, declined Mirror Indy’s Jan. 9 request for an interview but said in a press release that Bailey has “emphasized collaboration and strong partnerships as key strategies to reduce crime” during his tenure as police chief.

Michael-Paul Hart, a southside Republican councilor, told Mirror Indy he was surprised by the pick but is nonetheless excited to work with Bailey.

Josh Riddick, a community organizer who works with the Black Church Coalition, said he’d like to see the Hogsett administration further invest in violence reduction strategies, like the Indy Peace program, that don’t rely on law enforcement.

“We want to make sure our city isn’t just dumping more and more money into law enforcement as we have the last 10 years,” Riddick said.

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