INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indiana State Police (ISP) trooper was injured in a two-vehicle crash on I-465 northbound Saturday, according to ISP officials.

Around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, an ISP trooper was sitting in his patrol vehicle on I-465 northbound between Rockville Road and West 10th Street in Indianapolis. For reasons unknown, another vehicle struck the trooper’s patrol vehicle.

The trooper is being transported to a local hospital, but ISP officials said they don’t think his injuries are serious at this time. Investigators did not immediately provide any additional information on the driver of the other vehicle.

Investigators did not immediately provide any additional information on this incident.

ZIONSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A 21-year-old woman was fatally injured in a crash on U.S. 421 Saturday, according to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

At 5:09 p.m. Saturday, Boone County deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash near the intersection of U.S. 421 and County Road 100 North near Zionsville, Indiana. Deputies arrived and discovered that a blue pickup truck had slid off the roadway due to weather-related conditions, struck a tree, and caught fire.

The driver, identified as Jordan Perry, 21, of Greenwood, Indiana, was transported to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

The Boone County Fatal Alcohol Crash Team (FACT) was requested and will assume control of the ongoing investigation.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Santa arrived at Indianapolis International Airport for the 14th Holly Jolly Jetway event Saturday. Hundreds of children and families gathered and celebrated Santa’s first practice run of the holiday season.

This free community event had been a staple at the airport since 2009, with Santa dashing across the tarmac on a firetruck for his grand entrance into the airport to greet more than 1,000 children, young and old. As part of the event, attendees were able to take photos with Santa, create ornaments and crafts, pack care packages to benefit Indiana United Service Organizations (USO) military families, write letters to Santa on vintage typewriters, enjoy face painting, a magic show and story time, and other festive activities.

The event included appearances from the Grinch, elves on stilts, Indianapolis Ballet’s Sugarplum Fairy, and performances from Melchior Marionettes.

TONIGHT

A winter storm warning remains in effect as a mix of rain and snow this evening turns mainly to snow, with some bursts of heavier snow at times. Roads become slushy and slick, especially later tonight. Lows fall to the upper 20s, with a south southeast wind 10 to 20 mph shifting west southwest after midnight and gusts up to 30 mph. New snow amounts around 1 to 3 inches are possible in the Indy area, with higher totals north and northwest of the city. 

TOMORROW

Any early flurries taper by midday, but clouds hang tough and cold air pours in. Temperatures fall from near 30 early to the mid 20s through late morning and afternoon. A west wind around 15 mph with gusts near 30 mph will make it feel even colder, and any leftover slush can refreeze and stay icy on untreated roads and sidewalks. 

TOMORROW NIGHT

Mostly cloudy and very cold, lows near 20, a west northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming calm overnight. Refreezing is likely, and wind chills dip into the teens through late evening before winds ease. 

MONDAY

Cloudy and cold with highs only near the low 30s, a light wind becoming southeast around 5 mph. The day stays quiet and dry for most areas, but it will not feel much above freezing at any point. 

MONDAY NIGHT

Snow develops, especially after midnight, as another disturbance passes to our south. Lows drop to the mid 20s with light or calm wind. Most spots around Indianapolis see light accumulations, but areas farther south and southeast of the city could pick up more snow and slick travel by daybreak Tuesday. 

TUESDAY

A few morning snow showers or light snow are possible, mainly before early afternoon, then mostly cloudy and cold. Highs hold near the upper 20s to around 30, with a north northwest wind near 5 to 10 mph. Any new accumulation should be minor around Indy, but slick patches can hang around in spots. 

TUESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy and frigid, lows in the mid teens, a northwest wind near 5 mph becoming calm. Wind chills fall into the single digits at times, so limit time outside and bundle up well if you have to be out. 

WEDNESDAY

Partly sunny but still very cold for early December, highs near the low 30s, a south southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph. Sunshine helps a bit, yet most of the day still feels below freezing. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy and bitterly cold, lows in the mid teens, a west wind around 5 to 10 mph. A slight chance for a few light snow showers or flurries arrives late, but any amounts look very light at this time. 

7 DAY FORECAST

This weekend’s winter storm delivers the first widespread accumulating snow of the season across central Indiana, followed by a stretch of unseasonably cold weather into the first week of December. After tonight’s snow and gusty winds, clouds and flurries linger Sunday, then a new round of light snow arrives Monday night into early Tuesday, with higher chances for a few inches toward the south and southeast counties. Daytime highs most days run near 30 degrees, with nighttime lows in the teens and wind chills often in the teens or even single digits, especially Tuesday night and beyond. Additional light snow chances may return late week, but the main story is the persistent cold pattern, so plan on winter layers, slick travel at times, and limited time outside during the coldest nights.  

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two families have been displaced and a dog was seriously injured after a fire broke out in a garage near the city’s far east side, according to the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD).

At 1:59 p.m. Saturday, IFD and Lawrence Fire Department firefighters were dispatched to the 10000 block of Penwell Way after a heavy fire broke out in a garage. That is a residential area on the city’s far east side. The fire spread from the garage’s attached home to a house next door. Firefighters arrived and made an aggressive attack on the heavy fire, keeping extension into the attached home and the home next door to a minimum.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to IFD investigators.

A dog was found in serious condition by firefighters. The dog was provided oxygen and transported by IFD to Noah’s Animal Hospital. The dog is showing signs of improvement, according to IFD.

The fire was marked under control in 30 minutes and no occupants were injured. IFD Victims Assistance is working with the American Red Cross to help find shelter for the displaced families.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts could be without their tight end Tyler Warren for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans. The star rookie is now questionable with an illness, the team announced Saturday.

Warren hadn’t been listed on the injury report prior to Saturday. If he can’t play Sunday, it will be the first game he’s missed since being drafted by the Colts in the first round back in April.

Warren’s been a pivotal part of the Colts offense as the team fights for its first AFC South title since 2014. Through 11 games, Warren leads the Colts with 55 catches for 662 yards, catching three touchdowns and rushing in one.

After stringing together four straight games with a score, Warren hasn’t seen the end zone in the last four. Last week, Kansas City held the rookie to just 45 yards, the third fewest of his young career.

Warren’s best performance came in Berlin, Germany, against the Atlanta Falcons three weeks ago, where he caught eight passes for a career-best 99 yards.

Indy remains a 4.5-point favorite against the division rival. The Colts return to Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time since beating Tennessee on October 26. The Colts still hold a perfect record at home this season.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern Sunday. Tune in to Countdown to Kickoff for the only one-hour live Colts pregame show, and remember to Switch to WISH immediately following the game for the Post Game Show.

(INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) — Indiana’s application for a share of the federal government’s $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program lays out a sweeping, multi-year plan to stabilize struggling hospitals, expand essential local services and overhaul primary care in health systems across the state’s 64 rural counties.

The 167-page submission — obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle — details the state’s strategy, branded “GROW: Cultivating Hoosier Health.”

The plan is described as a “collaborative effort” to be jointly led by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration and the Indiana Department of Health.

It outlines 12 major initiatives, including a statewide patient-transfer coordination hub, significant upgrades to Indiana’s health information exchange, and large new regional grants intended to reshape how rural care is delivered.

The proposal was submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Nov. 4, one day before the deadline for all 50 states, as required under the law creating the program. Awards must be issued to states by Dec. 31.

The Rural Health Transformation Program is a five-year federal initiative, with states receiving annual allocations of both formula and competitive funding throughout that period.

Half of the annual $10 billion in federal funding will be divided evenly among states with approved plans. The rest will be awarded competitively based on need, program design and federal scoring criteria.

Urgent needs in rural communities

Indiana has 52 rural hospitals, 25% of which have already cut services, according to the Centers for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. Rural Hoosiers experience higher rates of chronic disease, fewer local specialists and repeated closures of maternity and emergency services.

The state also conducted a large rural health survey — drawing more than 2,100 responses — to assess local challenges around access, provider shortages, technology gaps, food insecurity and transportation barriers.

Respondents cited long travel times to care, lack of specialty access, difficulty managing chronic conditions and limited behavioral health services as top concerns.

• Click here to read the the plan

Indiana’s proposal is organized around 12 multi-year initiatives aimed at expanding care access, modernizing technology, improving outcomes for chronic disease, strengthening emergency and maternity care, supporting behavioral health workforce development and distributing large regional grants.

Proposed “Make Rural Indiana Healthy Again Regional Grants” are the plan’s largest investment. The state’s application proposed awarding $600 million over five years across eight regions, with each receiving $40 million to $100 million.

The grant program would require each regional coalition to file a unified application that includes a needs assessment, data-sharing plans, service-delivery innovations, detailed budgets, letters of support and measurable health-performance objectives. 

Required outcomes include improved maternal health, reduced preventable emergency department visits, increased telehealth utilization and better chronic disease control.

Regions would be judged competitively, with awards based on population served, strength of partnerships, evidence of innovation and sustainability and plans to reduce duplication in services. A dedicated state support team would train regions, review data, and provide ongoing technical assistance.

Improved technology and training

A different initiative would create a Medical Operations Coordination Center, described in the state’s application as a “24/7 hub for day-to-day hospital operational reporting, patient transfer coordination, and EMS resource alignment.”

The initiative also includes analysis of a Medicaid payment model tailored to rural hospitals.

The estimated cost is $56.2 million over five years, according to the application.

Another initiative seeks to modernize Indiana’s health information infrastructure. The state’s health information exchange, or HIE, is the central network that allows hospitals and providers to share patient records electronically. It currently connects about 120 hospitals but leaves roughly 700 rural facilities outside the system, creating major gaps in care coordination.

Indiana officials proposed connecting 450 of those facilities and testing artificial intelligence tools for predictive analytics, natural language processing and reducing medical errors.

The initiative carries an estimated cost of $66.5 million over five years, which includes incentives to help rural facilities adopt required technology and fully integrate with the HIE.

The application further outlines a plan to launch eight rural cardiometabolic care sites statewide through a “collaborative care model” and training programs, targeting Indiana’s high rates of diabetes, hypertension and obesity. The initiative is budgeted at $15.3 million over five years, covering staffing, care-team development and the establishment of new rural treatment sites.

Amid widespread loss of maternity units, a different part of the plan supports hospitals and EMS agencies seeking “Pediatric Ready” and “OB Ready” designations.

Pediatric Ready status means an emergency department has the staff, equipment and protocols to stabilize and treat critically ill children, and the OB Ready designation reflects similar preparedness for obstetric emergencies and coordination with perinatal centers, according to state health officials.

The application noted that pediatric readiness is associated with a reduction in pediatric mortality risk by up to 76%.

The effort would cost an estimated cost of $45.4 million over five years.

Also in the pitch is an expansion of Indiana’s rural behavioral health training tracks and workforce stipends. The goal, according to state officials, is to increase the “local hire rate in rural communities” and support graduates who “work locally post-graduation for the required five-year period.” The behavioral health workforce initiative is budgeted at $5.3 million.

An emphasis on collaboration

The application repeatedly stressed stakeholder involvement and cited application input from multiple Hoosier offices and groups, including Indiana’s Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, tribal groups, managed care entities, the Indiana Rural Health Association, hospital systems and numerous clinical and community organizations.

The federal rural health program was created alongside sweeping federal Medicaid reductions.

Federal spending is projected to fall by about $1 trillion over 10 years, with rural areas expected to lose $155 billion. Nationally, more than half of rural hospitals are operating at a loss, and states across the country are submitting similarly expansive proposals as they compete for the same pool of competitive federal funding.

Health groups warn that Indiana’s rural hospitals rely heavily on Medicaid and often operate on thin margins due to low reimbursement rates.

If the federal government approves Indiana’s plan, grants and formula funds will begin flowing in 2026. The state’s internal schedule shows regional grant applications opening in March 2026, with awards finalized by October.

(CNN) — Thousands of the most popular passenger aircraft in the world need immediate maintenance to protect from a problem that injured passengers and caused an emergency landing last month.

Airbus found intense solar storms, like solar flares, could cause pilots to lose control of the Airbus A320 series of planes, including A319, A320, and A321s. About 6,000 of the single-aisle planes, which are the bestselling passenger aircraft in the world, need the repairs.

“Analysis of a recent event involving an A320 Family aircraft has revealed that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls,” Airbus said in a statement.

On October 30, JetBlue Flight 1230 – an A320 – was flying from Cancun, Mexico, to Newark, New Jersey when it suddenly dove down in altitude. The pilots made an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida, where about 15 people were taken to the hospital.

Airbus investigated the incident and on Friday told airlines in an “Alert Operators Transmission” that the fix was needed. The company believes it is the only time this specific problem has happened, but says it “proactively worked with aviation authorities… keeping safety as our number one and overriding priority.”

The Airbus A320 series has what’s called fly-by-wire controls: physical movements from the pilot run through computers which, in turn, adjust the plane’s control surfaces.

An airworthiness directive from the European Union requires airlines to make the repairs before the planes can carry passengers again.

Most planes can be repaired in about two hours, meaning that disruption seems relatively limited.

American Airlines has about 209 of the aircraft which need to be updated, less than the 340 it had earlier predicted, according to a statement from the airline.

“Anticipating emergency airworthiness directives from EASA and FAA, American began identifying and completing the software update, and we expect the vast majority of aircraft to be complete today and tomorrow,” the statement noted.

American said while it expects “some delays” as a result of the work, it is “intently focused on limiting cancellations — especially with customers returning home from holiday travel.”

It hopes to have all of the repairs made by Sunday.

Delta Air Lines said fewer than 50 of its A321neo aircraft will be impacted and the work should be complete by Saturday morning.

“As safety comes before everything else, Delta will fully comply with a directive and expects any resulting operational impact to be limited,” the airline said in a statement.

Six planes in United Airlines’ fleet are affected and there will be “minor disruption to a few flights,” the carrier said.

JetBlue, which operates a fleet mostly made up of A320 and A321 aircraft, did not say how many of their planes needed to be fixed, but told CNN in a statement it has already started repairs.

“Our teams are doing everything possible to minimize disruptions to customers as this work is completed,” JetBlue said. “We will notify customers of any flight changes and customers can always check their flight status on jetblue.com or on the JetBlue app.”

Southwest Airlines does not have any of the impacted aircraft.

Meanwhile in the Asia-Pacific, Jetstar Airways Australia, Air New Zealand, IndiGo and Air India Express have also taken precautionary measures.

Thirty-four of Jetstar’s 85 Airbus A320s are affected by the issue, the airline said. Around 90 flights have been canceled overall, affecting thousands of passengers, and further disruptions are expected through Sunday, chief pilot Tyrone Simes told reporters at Melbourne Airport.

Airbus and the European Aviation Safety Authority have told airlines to reverse the upgrade before letting affected planes fly again, Simes said.

In Europe, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Wizz Air, EasyJet and British Airways all said some of their aircraft were affected but downplayed the effect of that on their operations.

Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, noted that while most of its aircraft remain unaffected, it has taken “precautionary” measures, according to a statement on X, which did not give further details.

CNN’s Pete Muntean, Taylor Romaine and Laura Sharman contributed to this report.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 20-30 car pileup has shut down all lanes of westbound I-70 in Vigo County, Indiana State Police said Saturday afternoon.

In a 1:35 p.m. Facebook reel, ISP Public Information Officer Sgt. Matt Ames said cleanup will take “at least six hours” because so many cars had crashed near mile marker 15 (Tabortown Street), not far from Terre Haute International Airport.

“There’s multiple accidents here. The good thing is, we don’t have any major injuries,” Ames said.

With more snow expected Saturday afternoon and evening, Ames urged drivers to stay home.

“If you can stay home, just stay home. This is about a 20-30 car pileup here that’s unnecessary. People need to drive smart when snow starts falling. Reduce your speed, make sure you’re buckled up, and let’s all be safe out there.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Each and every week, “Pet Pals TV” shares a fun, interesting, and informative story about our-four legged and furry friend population.

On the latest “Pet Pals TV,” host Patty Spitler was joined by Krissi Williams from Animal Care Alliance to talk about how the organization is helping local animals, including a very special bird named Churro.

Churro, a crested caracara, was rescued and rehabilitated by the Animal Care Alliance in Richmond after being found in poor health in Sullivan County earlier this year.

The bird was discovered in June, unable to fly properly and suffering from multiple injuries, including missing talons and toes, a broken leg, and evidence of having been shot. Due to the cold climate in Indiana, Churro would not have survived without intervention.

Animal Care Alliance, which operates as a vet clinic and wildlife rehabilitation center, took Churro in and provided the necessary care to nurse him back to health.

“He’s a good boy. He’s very sweet. He’s had a hard life,” Williams said. “Crested caracaras, on average, only live about 10 years in the wild. In captivity, these birds, when they’re well taken care of, can live up to 30 years.”

Williams says the goal with wildlife rehab is to get the animals healthy and release them back into the wild, but sometimes, for animals like Churro, that’s not possible. So, with permission from U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Churro has been given the special title of educational ambassador.

“We do school events, we do camps, we do some different fundraisers to educate people on animals in general,” Williams explained. “We have several educational ambassadors…owls, red-tailed hawks, and then we’ve got Churro.”

Animal Care Alliance also offers a range of services for pets, including low-cost spay and neuters and vaccinations.

Click here to learn more about the organization or make a donation.

You can watch “Pet Pals TV” on Saturdays at 10:30 on WISH-TV.