ARLINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — What started as a quiet June afternoon in a rural Rush County neighborhood ended in heartbreak after a 7-year-old boy died in a house fire.

Now, the mother faces multiple felony charges for her son’s death and for endangering her three other children.

• Rush County mother charged for house fire that killed her 7-year-old child

It happened in the afternoon of June 5.

Investigators say 31-year-old Kirstin Bowers left the home and walked away at the time of the fire, leaving four children by themselves.

She originally told police she helped the three kids get out, but couldn’t get to the fourth – but investigators say surveillance video and witness statements contradict her story.

News 8 spoke who with Nicholas Land, a neighbor who not only witnessed the fire, but gave aid to the woman and her children who escaped.

He says there was some suspicion immediately.

“Like, why? Why couldn’t you get all four kids out at the same time? But you don’t immediately try to point fingers,” he said.

Multiple fire departments in Rush County responded to the fire. Land says the flames were so intense, crews couldn’t enter immediately.

“The mom and three of her children were outside of the house. She was even saying one was inside the house,” he said. “They couldn’t find the child at first, so, an officer came to me and asked me to go look around and see if maybe the kid got out from the back door and maybe hid somewhere. I ran around the neighborhood trying to find the child, and unfortunately, didn’t have any luck.”

Deputies say 7-year-old David Bowers Jr. was found dead inside the home’s living room. His mother claims she fell asleep with a lit cigarette, and then woke up to find her bed on fire.

“The kids didn’t have any shoes on, so me and my wife supplied some shoes for them to keep their feet from getting hurt on the concrete. We helped them and tried to give them water, snacks, some entertainment and toys we had that we didn’t need,” said Land.

Bowers is now facing four charges, including neglect of a dependent resulting in death. She was already in jail on unrelated charges.

Land says the family was pretty normal besides the occasional noise complaint. The children’s father was at work at the time of the fire; the last time Land saw him was the day after.

“While he was out here, I came by and gave him a hug, told him I’m sorry again, and gave him a gift card to Goodwill to help them out. Try to get them back on their feet,” said Land.

Multiple agencies, including in the Rush County Sheriff’s Office, are investigating the case.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Every summer is humid in central Indiana, but this year has even exceeded those expectations so far.

Meteorological summer is defined as June through August for easier record-keeping purposes. Since June 1, Indianapolis has had the highest average dew point (66.2 degrees) on records that stretch back to 1931.

A 60-degree dew point is the air you can start to feel. Meanwhile, 70-degree dew points are tropical air that is often found in Florida.

Indy has also spent close to 530 hours with dew points in the 70s since the beginning of June.

Impact of higher dew points and humid air

You have probably noticed a higher electricity bill this summer – you can thank the higher dew points for that.

Higher dew points mean overnight lows will be warmer. That is because the dew point is the direct measure of water vapor in the atmosphere. When there is more water vapor, the cooling rate of the atmosphere slows down, which results in warm low temperatures.

Since June 1, Indianapolis has recorded 50 out of 59 days with above-average overnight lows.

Central Indiana has had plenty of pop-up rain chances this summer. Dew points provide more fuel for showers and storms to form.

Relief is on the way

Here is the good news. Humid air exits Indiana as we head into the start of August.

You can read more on our forecast by visiting our weather blog here.

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — Before your child goes to school, the City of Carmel wants to make sure you’re up to date on all the latest construction projects that could affect you.

Several infrastructure projects are continuing through 2025, including a raised crosswalk project on Towne Road, reconstructing College Avenue, and two bridge projects.

First, the ever-growing number of roundabouts in Carmel is expanding with a new set at North College Avenue near 96th Street.

“The new roundabout at College Avenue improves safety and traffic flow at a key entry to the Carmel Gateway campus,” City Engineer Bradley Pease said in a press release. “Roundabouts significantly reduce injury crashes and this project reflects our commitment to infrastructure that enhances both quality of life and long-term economic vitality.”

The next phase of work on College Avenue is the reconstruction of the northbound lane north of I-465 to 106th street. Northbound access from 101st through 105th streets will be closed, but southbound traffic will be open. Construction will begin in August and is expected to last the rest of the year.

Second, the City of Carmel gave an update into construction on Towne Road.

Construction will build a raised pedestrian crosswalk with rapid-flashing LED beacons at several intersections on Towne Road. Workers are currently building on Towne Road at 116th Street, but they’ll soon expand to 126th and Glebe streets later this week.

“A brief, one-week overlap of closures at these intersections is expected as crews accelerate the construction schedule,” the press release says. Construction is expected to be done by Aug. 5, but Main Street will remain open until then.

Over on 126th Street, reconstruction work has begun on the bridge near Royce Court and Brookshire Golf club. Barring weather delays, the project will be done by the end of October.

Clay Center Road will close at the end of August to tear down the bridge near North Claridge Farm. Supply-chain issues delayed construction, so the project is expected to be finished by December.

Clay Center Elementary will still have access from the south via 116th Street.

City of Carmel construction update

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says they are responding to a police shooting at West 16th Street and Lafayette Road, on the west side of Indianapolis.

Police confirm that an officer has been shot, they are in Eskenazi hospital in stable condition.

Two suspects are in custody; one has been shot and taken to the hospital, their condition is unknown.

There is no threat to public at this time. However, IMPD asks you to avoid the area for the investigation.

Today’s is the fourth IMPD police shooting of 2025, the second this month. Of the three previously, two suspects died, including the one on July 24, and another was injured. IMPD had 17 police shooting in 2024.

This story has been updated with new information from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Kroger and the union representing its workers in Indiana have extended their current contract while negotiations continue. Contract talks have spanned several months, and the two last met on Friday.

Leaders at the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 say they set a schedule to continue negotiations, including an Aug. 6 return to the bargaining table.

The union represents 8,000 grocery store workers at Kroger locations across central Indiana.

UFCW 700 members have rejected two tentative agreements with the grocer. The first was in May while the organization announced the second rejection last week.

Demands include hourly raises and retroactively applying some pay increases, among other benefits. Union leadership also reports they have no plans for workers to walk off the job any time soon. However, the length of negotiations has left Vern Sowers and other union members on edge.

“There’s a lot of fear there,” Sowers said. “A lot of [my coworkers] say they can’t afford to strike — I can afford to strike, but there’s a lot of people I know at work that can’t.”

The 30-year industry veteran says he’s worked just about every job in retail. He’s worked for Kroger for 20 years and previously worked for K-Mart for 10 years.

As a shop steward, Sowers says he wants to fight for his coworkers at the store on Olio Road in Fishers.

“It seems like they’re trying to slap us in the face,” Sowers said.

Kroger offered the union a $2.75 per hour raise by 2028 in its latest proposal. In a bargaining update, the company reported it pays an average hourly wage of $18.18 an hour.

The most recent rejected contract would have given employees a 5.7% pay bump if accepted. The company argues it is more than double the current rate of inflation. Sowers, on the other hand, says this still isn’t enough in today’s economy.

“What we’re trying to do is we’re trying to stay ahead of the cost of living. Of course, prices are going up. You can see it in the store. You know, prices are going up little by little, but they’re going up,” Sowers said.

Last month, Kroger reported an operating profit of $1.3 billion. Sowers says the company can afford to meet the union on its demands.

“Maybe some appreciation to the employees that helped make Kroger get these record-breaking earnings,” Sowers said. “That’s kind of where my head’s at.”

Kroger declined an interview with News 8 and instead referred to a statement made by Central Division President Colleen Juergensen last week:

“At Kroger, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are grateful for the dedication and hard work of our associates, and we’re proud to invest in them through market-leading wages, strong benefits, and career opportunities. We believe that by working together with the Union, we can reach an agreement that truly reflects the value of our associates and the communities we’re honored to serve.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Shrouded in a white sheet back in 2024, a homeless man lit fires that destroyed an IndyGo Bus and damaged a bus stop. After pleading guilty, Tuesday he was sentenced to eight years in prison.

In a press release, U.S. prosecutors say Demarcus McCloud, 46, was sentenced for pleading guilty to two counts of arson and malicious damage of federal property. It landed him eight years in federal prison with three years of supervised release.

McCloud was ordered to pay over $1.7 million in restitution.

April 24, 2024, News 8 reported that McCloud set fire to the bus at 38th and North Meridian streets. He was caught on video pouring a brown jug of liquid on a seat and the center aisle of the bus, then McCloud lit a piece of paper on fire which sparked the flames.

One person, who was helping at the scene, was hurt from smoke inhalation.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested McCloud in a McDonald’s parking lot — he was holding two butane lighters at the time.

Four days prior, McCloud started another fire, this time in a trash can at the IndyGo Red Line bus stop at Virginia Avenue and New Jersey Street.

Both fires caused an estimated total of $1,790,685 in damages.

Court documents report that McCloud has a 25-year history of violent crime, including: battery of his mother and of a woman who rejected him while McCloud was peddling money, robbery, attempted car theft, drug offenses, having a gun as a violent felon, and threatening to rape and murder another woman.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Tom Wheeler said in the press release, “Federal dollars are invested in our communities to serve and protect the public, not to be torched by a violent repeat offender with no regard for human life. Thanks to the swift response of first responders and the dedication of our federal and local law enforcement partners, he has been held accountable for his dangerous and destructive conduct.”

Previous Coverage

• Man faces 3 counts of arson after IndyGo bus catches fire
• Video: Man facing arson charges poured jug of liquid onto bus floor, ignited it