INDIANAPOLIS — Construction will begin Monday at a busy downtown intersection as the city combines permanent safety upgrades with a previously planned resurfacing project.

According to the Public Works website, the resurfacing project has an estimated cost of $4.2 million.

LeAndre Level Jr. is the administrator for Vision Zero, a citywide policy commitment to eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by 2035. Level, who works for Public Works, said the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, College Avenue and St. Clair Street is a hub for drivers, pedestrians, trail users and people visiting local businesses. He noted that the community pushed for the improvements following a fatal crash at the site several years ago.

Planned improvements include:

• 6-inch raised curbs and sidewalk extensions.
• More on-street parking along College Avenue.
• Metal posts, known as bollards, along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. They are designed to withstand 30 mph impacts.
• Adjusted traffic signals and lane layouts.
• New pavement markings and striping.

Public Works officials said the safety upgrades are a key part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative.

Part of a global movement, the Project Zero strategy focuses on road design and policies to prevent crashes, rather than relying solely on driver behavior. It treats traffic deaths as preventable incidents that should not happen, rather than unavoidable accidents.

“We saw this as an opportunity to enhance some pedestrian safety in line with our goals for Vision Zero,” Level said. “Hopefully, we’ll see the final product, and people will feel more safe at the intersection.”

Construction should finish by late November. Businesses in the area will remain open and accessible throughout the project.

INDIANAPOLIS — Gas prices in Indiana averaged $3.87 a gallon Friday, a 15-cent increase from the previous day, according to AAA.

While prices jumped locally, Indiana’s average remains below the national average of $4.37.

To help lower costs for motorists, Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order Sept. 30. This order extends the state’s energy emergency and the suspension of Indiana’s gasoline use and excise taxes through Nov. 4. Braun first suspended the gasoline use tax in April and added the excise tax suspension in May.

“Extremely ridiculous,” driver Mark Allen said. “Like the up and down, more up than down. Wages aren’t going up. Cost of living is going up, but, you know, you can’t keep up with it.”

Allen said the high prices have kept him off the roads as much as possible.

“Both of my vehicles are larger size engines, so it’s kind of hard to keep up with the way the prices keep rising,” he said.

Economic experts said conflict in the Middle East is pushing up oil prices worldwide.

Andreas Hauskrecht, a clinical professor of business economics at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, noted three choking points: the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the East-West Pipeline, also known as the Petroline, in Saudi Arabia.

The East-West Pipeline is 746 miles long and carries up to 7 million barrels a day from Abqaiq to Yanbu and was built to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

“Now the Houthis are attacking with drones this pipeline again, and again and again,” said Hauskrecht.

Because of the instability in the region, Hauskrecht said he does not expect prices to drop soon.

“Do I see a tendency of significantly falling, falling gas prices? No. I don’t see any hope for 2026,” he said.

Braun also on Sept. 30 suspended special fuel restrictions for dyed diesel. The change allowed Indiana farmers and timber harvesters to use the fuel — typically reserved for off-road use — in highway vehicles to haul agricultural products. Five days later, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to the same effect through the rest of 2026.

To find the cheapest gas prices near you, click here.

MARION, Ind. — A Grant County family is demanding answers as a murder trial remains on hold nearly seven years after a man’s death.

In February 2020, DeAndre Oliver, 30, died after someone stabbed him multiple times at 20th and Meridian streets in Marion. It is located east of South Western Avenue, a commercial corridor with stores and restaurants.

Prosecutors charged Cody Hickman with Oliver’s murder in April 2021. However, more than five years after those charges were filed, the criminal case against Hickman is still pending.

Seeking answers

“I don’t want another year,” said Andrea Gibson, Oliver’s mother. “I should not be another year.”

Gibson said the wait is taking a toll on her entire family. “It’s heartbreaking,” she said.

Family and friends gathered Friday at the Grant County Courthouse in Marion to protest the delays.

“We deserve answers,” said Jerrica Oliver, Oliver’s sister. “It’s very horrible. We see cases come and go, and then there’s my brother, and they act like he doesn’t exist, like he’s just another black person out here, that his life doesn’t matter.”

Jerrica Oliver said her brother was a well-known rapper in the community. “It should not have to go on this long.”

Several of Oliver’s children attended the protest, including his 14-year-old daughter, Dreleyah.

“I feel like it’s unfair to us and we deserve to get justice for my dad,” said Dreleyah.

History of court delays

Indiana’s I-Team found that, in September 2021, prosecutors requested a delay for Hickman’s jury trial because an “essential witness” was unavailable. A judge granted the request, and Hickman was released from jail on his own recognizance on Sept. 20, 2021.

The court reset the trial for March 28, 2022.

“Since that time there have been numerous Defense filings for continuance and Court congestions entered,” Nancy E. Soultz, office manager at the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office, said in an email to Indiana’s I-Team.

Court records show Hickman’s attorneys have filed four motions for a delay since 2022: March 2022, January 2023, June 2026, and September 2026. In each motion, the deputy prosecutor did not object to the delay.

Prior conviction and early release

Hickman’s murder trial also faced delays because he was convicted and sentenced on an unrelated aggravated battery charge in December 2021. Hickman received a six-year sentence and served nearly five years in state prison.

Hickman participated in Case Plan Credit Time, a program that allows people to leave prison early. These time cuts are in addition to credits for good behavior.

On Sunday, authorities released Hickman from Pendleton Adult Correctional Facility on his own recognizance.

“It’s scary knowing his history,” Jerrica Oliver said. “I don’t think he will show up to the court date and my brother needs justice.”

Gibson is furious. “How can a judge allow that to happen?” she said. “What if that was your child?”

Indiana’s I-Team confirmed Hickman is on probation with Grant County Court Services.

“The specific conditions of supervision and related case information are subject to applicable confidentiality laws, court rules, and restrictions on the release of information,” Director Melissa Stephenson of Grant County Court Services said in an email. “Accordingly, we are limited in the information we can provide regarding individual supervision matters.”

A trial date on the horizon

Hickman’s trial is scheduled for Jan. 25. Oliver’s family is urging prosecutors and the court to stop any further delays.

“Waiting this long, that’s not fair to no one. They put family through a lot and that’s just not fair,” Jerrica Oliver said.

The I-Team reached out to Hickman’s public defender, Jerry Drook, several times but has not received a response.

Grant County Prosecutor Scott Hunt, a Republican, took office in January 2023. The prosecutor’s office provided the following statement:

“This case was filed on April 19, 2021 and an Early Trial was requested and set for on 9/20/21. Due to an essential witness being unavailable for trial the State moved to continue the trial and the Defendant was OR’d on this case. So he’s been released on this particular case since 9/20/21. The trial was then reset for 3/28/22. Since that time there have been numerous Defense filings for continuance and Court congestions entered. It is currently set for trial on 1/25/27. During this time the Defendant had another case pending under 27C01-2002-F1-3. On December 1, 2021 the Defendant was sentenced to 16 years with 6 suspended and the Defendant did that time at the Department of Correction. He recently finished his time on that case and was released from DOC. Please note that all of this occurred during the tenure of the prior administration.”

VERSAILLES, Ind. — A former Indiana Department of Child Services employee was sentenced in Ripley County after pleading guilty to forgery for falsifying child welfare records and signatures.

The Ripley County prosecutor reached a plea agreement with Todd Click, a former family case manager. Click originally faced level 6 felony charges for official misconduct and forgery, along with falsifying child abuse or neglect records in 2024.

An investigation by the Indiana Office of Inspector General began in spring 2024, approximately one month after Click resigned from the agency. The investigation followed a referral from the Department of Child Services after officials identified concerns with Click’s records.

Investigators found that Click entered false reports of home visits and family contacts into the state case management system. He also forged the signatures of parents and caregivers on required forms. These actions falsified at least 10 case entries and seven forms, which put five families and 11 children in Ripley County at risk.

On Tuesday, the court sentenced Click to 910 days in jail. The judge suspended 900 of those days to probation and granted credit for time already served. Click must also complete 100 hours of community service. If Click finishes his probation without any violations, he can ask the court to reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor.

“Forging the signatures of parents and caregivers is a serious breach of duty and trust,” Indiana Inspector General Jared Prentice said. “Our office will continue working closely with agency partners and county prosecutors so wrongdoing is investigated and addressed — and Hoosier families should expect nothing less.”

CHICAGO (AP) — Mike Ditka, who won NFL titles as a player and coach with the Chicago Bears, has died. He was 86.

Ditka’s family announced the death on Friday in a statement.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” The family said. “While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family. Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”

Nicknamed “Iron Mike” as a player, Ditka helped revolutionize the tight-end position, then moved to the sidelines and took over as Chicago’s coach. His 1985 team featured one of the game’s most dominant defenses ever. It also had enough outsized personalities to record a rap video, “The Super Bowl Shuffle,” and back up their boasting in the championship game three months later.

After retiring as a coach, Ditka became a restaurateur, pitchman and TV personality, as well as a forceful advocate for improved medical and retirement benefits for former players.

Ditka was tough and gruff, the quintessential Chicago Bear. He did everything from order off the menu to knock defensive backs on their butts with a growl. His adopted hometown reveled in every minute.

Still revered as “Da Coach” and ringmaster of the 1985 Bears, one of the most dominant and perhaps the zaniest Super Bowl-winning team in league history. Ditka was enshrined in the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame and the Bears said during a ceremony in 2013 that his “No. 89” jersey will be the last one retired by the team.

He was born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, the son of a welder who changed the family name from Dyczko. He grew up in nearby Aliquippa, close to the coal-mining and steel-manufacturing plants that dotted the western part of the state, a big, talented, three-sport athlete and All-American at Pitt whose bruising style made his first nickname, “Iron Mike,” a good fit.

Selected fifth overall by flinty Chicago owner George Halas in the 1961 draft, Ditka went on to Rookie of the Year honors, multiple Pro Bowl trips and the 1963 NFL Championship. In the bargain, he and Baltimore’s John Mackey changed the tight end position and offensive schemes forever. He was a battering ram of a blocker, but Ditka was just as likely to catch a short pass and pinball through an entire secondary or outrace a lone safety on a deep touchdown throw.

He left Chicago in 1966, playing briefly for Philadelphia and Dallas. He moved to the sideline in 1973 as an assistant to the revered Tom Landry and stayed with the Cowboys for eight seasons, before returning to a hero’s welcome in Chicago as head coach in 1982.

Ditka’s return to the Bears lasted 10 tumultuous years, including five straight NFC Central titles, the Super Bowl win, a DUI conviction, a heart attack, a long-running feud with defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan and, finally, a new nickname — “Da Coach.”

To Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary, the seeds of what was to come were planted in Ditka’s first meeting with the team. He laid out his vision, saying Chicago would be in the Super Bowl in three years — and many of the players in the room would not be around for it.

“When I first heard him when he walked in the room, to me Coach Ditka had the opportunity to be the greatest coach of all time because he had the fire,” Singletary said at the Bears’ 100th anniversary celebration in June 2019. “I don’t know George Halas coached. But I can imagine that the fire and intensity and passion that Coach Ditka exuded that first day set the tone for exactly what he said: ‘Three years from now, we’re going to be in the Super Bowl.’ And that was 1982. In ’85, we were there and it was because of that vision.”

The public beefs with Ryan mirrored the behind-the-scenes battles that Ditka waged trying to contain a team bristling with outsized personalities.

“It was more than a team,” Ditka once said. “It was a team of characters that had character that played for a crazy man, who let him be crazy and had fun doing it and don’t apologize for it ever. I wouldn’t want to be one of these suits walking around on the sideline today.

“I have no desire to be that. I was what I was and they were what they were and, damn, it was fun.”

It wasn’t until two dozen players recorded “The Super Bowl Shuffle” — an audacious rap-styled video released three months ahead of the 1986 title game — that the rest of the football world wondered whether Ditka was losing his grip.

His players never did.

“We call him ‘Sybil’ after that girl in the movie,” quarterback Jim McMahon once explained. “You know, the one that had all those personalities. Mike will be calm one minute, then throw a clipboard the next. People don’t understand that, but we do.”

The Bears demolished the New England Patriots 46-10 in the Super Bowl, but Ditka often said he regretted having McMahon and defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry run for touchdowns instead of Walter Payton, Chicago’s loyal and long-suffering running back.

Ryan departed for a head coaching job in Philadelphia soon after. While the Bears continued to be a contender for most of the next five years, a 5-11 season prompted Ditka’s departure in 1992.

After a five-year absence, he returned to coaching with the New Orleans Saints, but failed to revive the franchise. After a miserable 1999 season ended with a 3-13 record — Ditka’s worst as either a player or coach — he left the sidelines for good.

His face and demeanor were so familiar by then that a second act became an easy segue. Ditka began building a stable of restaurants and appeared as himself in TV sitcoms from “Cheers” to “Third Rock from the Sun,” as well as shows such as “L.A. Law” and “Saturday Night Live.”

He also stayed close to the game as an NFL analyst and game-day show personality at ESPN. Ditka’s high-profile status also made him an effective advocate to secure improved health and retirement benefits for former players.

His name also circulated for years in Illinois political circles. Though he never ran for office, Ditka described himself as a staunch conservative and was mentioned several times as a possible Republican candidate, including a congressional race against then state Rep. Barack Obama for the U.S. Senate.

CUMBERLAND — A man led Cumberland police on a chase Thursday evening before striking an officer with his car and fighting officers at the scene, according to police.

The Cumberland Metropolitan Police Department said it started around 100N and Buck Creek Road in Cumberland, where officers got a report of a reckless driver. When an officer spotted the vehicle near Washington Street and Buck Creek Road, it was missing its front passenger tire, riding on the rim, had a rear door hanging open and was weaving erratically.

Police said the driver refused to stop and took off.

Officers chased the vehicle into the Marion County portion of Cumberland, where the driver eventually spun out. But when officers tried to pull him from the car, he hit the gas again, striking one of the officers.

A second officer used his patrol vehicle to ram the suspect’s car off the road, stopping it for good. The suspect then physically fought officers before being taken into custody.

The officer who was hit was taken to a local hospital. He is in stable condition with minor injuries.

The suspect was also treated at a hospital for minor injuries before being booked into the Hancock County Jail.

Investigators say the suspect was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He faces preliminary charges of reckless driving, resisting law enforcement, battery by means of a deadly weapon and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

The case will go to the Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office for final charges.

Cumberland police thanked IMPD’s East District for helping at the scene.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Emergency crews responded Thursday night to a hazardous materials spill on South Street in Lafayette, leading to significant traffic delays and road closures near Interstate 65, police said.

The spill happened in the 3900 block of South Street near a commercial corridor, prompting a response from the Indiana State Police, the West Lafayette Police Department, the Lafayette Police Department, and the Lafayette Fire Department.

Emergency responders have not yet released details regarding the nature of the spilled material or if any injuries happened during the incident.

Traffic about 8:15 p.m. Thursday was backing up along these routes:

• Eastbound South Street: Delays were building for drivers heading toward the I-65 interchange.
• Northbound I-65: Slowdowns were reported for motorists traveling toward the State Road 25/Schuyler Avenue exit.

At 11 p.m. Friday, Lafayette police said the cleanup had ended on South Street, but continued on I-65.

Authorities asked drivers to avoid the area and find another way to reach their destinations.

• WISHTV.com traffic map