INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The FDA is calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration to classify 7-OH, 7-hydroxymitragynine, as a Schedule I controlled substance with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. 

What is 7-OH, 7-hydroxymitragynine? 

It is a naturally occurring substance found in the kratom plant, a tropical evergreen tree, with opioid-like properties. Products sold under the name 7-OH contain a synthetic concentrated version of the compound. Reports state it binds to mu-opioid receptors in our body and is stronger than morphine. It is commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and online in the form of tablets, gummies and drink mixes. There are also widely available supplements containing trace amounts of natural kratom whose creators have been calling for the ban of the synthetic compound.  

What are the effects of taking 7-OH?

It’s marketed to ease pain, improve mood, enhance focus and help with opiate withdrawal, leading millions of Americans, ages 12 and up, to use it. Possible severe effects include vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, hallucinations, delusions, liver damage,  high blood pressure, respiratory distress, seizures and death (reports of the latter cite 7-OH was used in combination with other drugs). 

The call for its ban comes at a time when there have been federal cuts to addiction support and mental health care.

Before a final decision is made by the DEA, the public will be able to give comments in favor of or against regulations. When the DEA last planned to regulate kratom in 2016, there was pushback from users, suppliers and members of Congress.  

WHITELAND, Ind. (WISH) — Clark-Pleasant Community Schools began a new school year on Wednesday, introducing several new initiatives and construction projects.

Superintendent Dr. Tim Edsell joined WISH-TV live for Daybreak’s Morning Bell on Thursday.

Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation is a public school system serving grades pre-kindergarten through high school and is a rural/suburban community, located in the heart of Johnson County. The district is made up of Clark and Pleasant townships and the district boundaries include Greenwood, Whiteland, New Whiteland, and Franklin, with some students choosing to go there from surrounding towns and the south side of Indianapolis. 

Edsell says the school year is off to a successful start. He highlighted the district’s efforts to enhance educational facilities and programs without increasing taxes.

“We had a great day. We got every student to school. We got them back home,” Edsell said.

The district is in the third year of a multi-phase high school construction project, which includes building an academic wing with 65 classrooms and a state-of-the-art science lab. Plans also include adding an auditorium, a fieldhouse, and upgrading athletic facilities, all while keeping the tax rate neutral.

“Not raise those taxes, but provide state-of-the-art facilities for our students in fine arts, academics, and athletics,” Edsell added.

The district says it now holds the record for the largest high school scoreboard in the state of Indiana.

“We are very proud of a new video board that’s posted at our football field that we will use for football games, for track and field events, for our marching band competitions. We even used it this past May for high school graduation. Our families love seeing that,” Edsell explained. “It’s a partnership that we have been able to start and implement with businesses that are going to be able to provide commercials, promote their business, and be a good revenue stream and pay for itself.”

For elementary students, a new K-5 Trauma and Behavior Program aims to provide individualized support for students struggling in traditional classroom settings, helping them transition back successfully.

“It supports the students and it also supports our traditional teachers and regular student body in a way that will help them stay on track to learn as much as they can and then eventually graduate,” Edsell said.

The district is also undergoing a rebranding effort, standardizing its colors and crest to unify its identity.

“(We wanted) a uniform, a standard approach with our colors, blue, orange, and white. This is our corporation crest that illustrates when the corporation was formed and the two high schools of Clark High School and Whiteland High School merging back in 1965,” Edsell explained.

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Rolls Royce with an original price tag of $311,900 was among more than a dozen stolen vehicles found Monday on the near southeast side of Indianapolis.

The recovery operation began after Massachusetts State Police alerted officers to a stolen vehicle pinging its location in the 1000 block of South Keystone Street, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Thursday.

Officers arrived and found 11 other stolen vehicles. The estimated total value of the recovered vehicles is $1.2 million, according to IMPD.

The list of stolen vehicles includes:

1. 2022 Black Lexus R350 – Indianapolis
2. 2025 Black Mercedes GLE SUV – Miami Dade Sheriffs Office
3. 2021 Blue Toyota Highlander – Harvey, Illinois PD
4. 2020 Black Rolls Royce GHOST – Broward County, Florida
5. 2019 Silver Lexus R350 – Indianapolis, IN
6. 2019 Gry Mercedes GL5 – Boca Raton, Florida
7. 2023 Black Toyota Highlander – Chicago, Illinois
8. 2025 Black Mercedes 350 – Palm Beach, Florida
9. 2023 Black Cadillac Escalade – Atlanta, Georgia
10. 2021 Blue Dodge 2500 – Sheridan, Indiana
11. 2022 White BMW X7 – Old Tappan, New Jersey
12. 2024 Black GMC Yukon – Rental Vehicle

The vehicles were towed away and are being held for their owners to retrieve, IMPD says.

So far, police have not made any arrests.

Anyone with information related to the case was asked to contact Crime Stoppers or the IMPD Auto Theft Unit at 317-327-1270.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As educators across our community race to get classrooms ready for the opening bell, WISH-TV and Teachers’ Treasures are also in a sprint – to secure more donations during the Gr8 Paper Push.

In the quarter century since its founding, Teachers’ Treasures has grown into a vital resource for schools across Marion County. It’s a nonprofit that serves schools with a demonstrated need, where 60% or higher of students receive free or reduced lunch rates. The organization provides teachers and school staff with free supplies, allowing them to shop once a month from August to May.

“They get to make a once a month appointment to come in and shop for thousands of dollars worth of supplies entirely for free,” Hannah Yeager from Teachers’ Treasures told viewers on WISH-TV’s Daybreak. She also listed the many different kinds of educators who benefit. “Teachers and school staff members, including social workers, school nurses, guidance counselors, school counselors.”

Yeager’s on-air appeal comes on the penultimate day of the 11th annual Gr8 Paper Push. The deadline for donating dollars or supplies is Friday.

“We couldn’t do it without your support and without the community support,” she said.

To give supplies to Teachers Treasures during the Gr8 Paper Push, you can bring anything from pencils and paper to cleaning wipes and tissues to any Financial Center location in Indianapolis through Friday.

You can also donate dollars directly, HERE.

“We like to say we can turn $1 donation into $15 for the school supply,” Yeager said.

Click here to learn more about the 11th annual Gr8 Paper Push.

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts are getting ready for their first night practice of training camp.

The team will hit the field at 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday for a two-hour practice at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.

Following each practice at camp, a group of players always makes sure to sign autographs for fans. Some of those autographs are on mini footballs that the players will actually sign and pass out to the kids in attendance.

Colts kicker Spencer Shrader found a unique way to “hand out” those mini footballs following Tuesday’s practice.

He lined up like he was kicking field goals and actually kicked the mini footballs into the crowd.

Click on the video above to watch.

Shrader, who kicked in college at South Florida and at Notre Dame, is currently in the middle of a competition with Maddux Trujillo to become the team’s kicker for the 2025 season.

“So far, I think it’s been a good competition,” Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason said on Tuesday. “It’s still early. Last week, we had two kicking sessions on our own where we’ll chart, because we’re going to try and get as much data on those guys as we possibly can.”

Last year, Shrader made three extra points for the Colts during the regular season. He ended up also spending time with the Jets and Chiefs during the season. Overall, by the end of the year, he was 5-of-5 on field goal attempts and 9-of-9 on extra point attempts during the regular season.

“Just being able to have an opportunity to come here and be able to kick and be able to meet all these awesome people, be around my teammates,” Shrader said back in June during the Colts’ offseason workouts. “And then that inspires you to give them your best every single day and continue to work hard. Then if you do give it your all and you do work hard, then you get more opportunities.”

Last year’s starting kicker for the Colts, Matt Gay, was released by the team in April after two seasons in Indy. Gay was 64-of-78 on his field goal attempts when he was with the Colts.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — If mounting credit card bills have you feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Many families are stuck in the cycle of rising balances and minimum payments, but there is a way out. It’s called debt consolidation, and when done with the right help, it could save you thousands.

Ian Morris knows the feeling all too well. After losing his job in academic publishing, his family leaned heavily on credit cards just to make ends meet, covering car repairs, groceries, and everyday costs.

“So basically, what was happening, there was a sense of frustration,” Morris said.

His credit card debt ballooned to nearly $100,000. That’s when he reached out to the nonprofit Money Management International. With their help, Morris enrolled in a debt management plan. After five years of steady payments, he paid it all off.

“As we came closer and closer to the end of paying it off, we just felt better and better,” he said.
“Very excited that we were able to do this.”

Debt management plans combine your payments into one monthly bill, often at a significantly lower interest rate, and typically lay out a clear timeline to pay off your debt, usually within three to five years.

“The program combines your payments into one monthly bill, often at a significantly lower interest rate, and gives you a clear timeline, usually three to five years, to pay it off,” said Lisa Gill, an expert with Consumer Reports.

But there’s one thing to consider: Starting a debt management plan could cause your credit score to drop at first, because you may be required to close some or all of your credit cards. The good news? If you stay consistent, that score should recover, and improve, over time.

“Be careful with companies that communicate to you out of the blue, or who pressure you into making a quick decision, or even ask for money upfront. Legitimate debt relief agencies don’t do that,” Gill explained.

By law, companies selling debt services by phone can’t charge you anything until they’ve actually settled or reduced your debt. Reputable services will explain their fees clearly and won’t try to rush your decision.

Consumer Reports recommends checking out the National Foundation for Credit Counseling for a list of accredited nonprofit agencies.

According to Money Management International, someone with $23,000 in credit card debt could save more than $48,000 in interest using a debt management plan.

For Morris, having a roadmap and seeing his progress each month helped him stay focused and committed.

Debt consolidation might not be right for everyone, but for many, it’s the turning point that finally brings peace of mind.

For more information, click here.

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (WISH)– The brand-new Arena at Innovation Mile in Noblesville is set to open next week and News 8 got a preview of the brand new facility on Wednesday. 

Arena at Innovation Mile, located just off of 141st Street and Olio Road, will be the official home court for the Noblesville Boom, the Pacers’ G-League team. It will hold about 3,500 people for Boom games, and up to 4,200 for concerts and other events.

One thing that stands out when you walk in the main entrance, is the open concept with a lot of natural lighting. Leaders in Noblesville say this was intentional to make it feel like a welcoming space for all events. 

The new venue also pays tribute to the nearby Ruoff Music Center, or “Deer Creek,” as some still call it. One of the concession stands is named Deer Creek. 

Crews spent the last two years working on the $93 million project, which Mayor Chris Jensen calls a “gamechanger” for the city.

“For a long time, Noblesville was known for its historic downtown, The Square. We have 100% capacity in our businesses, we have the White River, but this is really the front door to Noblesville for a lot of people now.”

Jensen also addressed comparisons between the Arena at Innovation Mile and the Fishers Event Center, which opened last year.

“Fishers is about double the capacity. You’re going to see a whole different subset of events down in fishers that you’re going to see here in Noblesville. It is done in effort to be coordinated to attract as much population growth long term, visitors as much as possible, to Hamilton County. We’re in constant communication with them ‘down the street.’”

The Arena at Innovation Mile will open next Friday, Aug. 8, when Jensen holds his State of the City address and cuts the ribbon.

The first event is a free concert by a Pink Floyd tribute band on Aug. 23.

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — Get ready to look up, Indiana. Tickets are now on sale for Conner Prairie’s annual Jupiter Flights Balloon Festival, the state’s largest celebration of its kind.

“It is Indiana’s largest balloon festival. We are expecting over 45 hot air balloons to just glow up the sky and have everybody excited and just ready to have a good time with their family,” Hyacinth Rucker, senior manager of PR and communications at Conner Prairie, said.

Rucker says that number could still grow. “Yes, 45. We may have 46 or 47. We’re still trying to figure that out, but we’re saying over 45 right now.”

What to Expect

While you won’t be able to climb in for a ride, Rucker says you can still get up close.

“You can’t get in. But you can get right next to it. You can talk to the pilot, meet them, and ask them questions. Unfortunately, we don’t allow rides.”

The festival also offers plenty to do beyond the balloons. “We have a lot of activities. You can do the corn maze, the tubing hill, we have barrel trains, all different types of activities. Especially in the evening, there are live performances, music, and a live DJ at our midway. There’s a lot to do when you’re there in the evening,” Rucker said.

And, for the first time, morning visitors will be able to enjoy even more. “This year, we are charging $5 for members and $10 for non-members. But there are activities… that’ll be happening in the morning for kids to do and have fun,” Rucker said.

Bigger and Better Every Year

Rucker says the event continues to grow. “Last year, we didn’t have activities in the morning. You just came and watched the balloons fly over. This year, we are offering activities for people to enjoy. People love the tubing hill, the corn maze, and the barrel trains, especially for those small kids to ride in and be pulled around. So there are a number of activities for people to do in the morning now.”

Ticket Prices

Morning admission is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. For the evening balloon glow, tickets are $15 for members and $26 for non-members.

VIP passes are also available for $50. “What makes that cool is you get to go to our Sunset Lounge, which is really an exclusive area. You get a drink ticket and you’re able to have a beautiful view of all the hot air balloons,” Rucker said.

“We’re trying to give people a really great opportunity to have fun and just enjoy themselves,” she added.

The festival is taking place Sept. 5 – 7. For more information and ticket availability, click here.