COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) — An 18-year-old Michigan man was arrested and booked into the Bartholomew County Jail after posting intimate images of his ex-girlfriend on a pornographic website.

In March 2024, the Columbus Police Department received a complaint from a 17-year-old Columbus female teenager who said her ex-boyfriend posted intimate images of her on a pornographic website, including her name and home address. She learned about the posting when a stranger contacted her wanting more images. She recognized the images as ones she had previously shared with her former boyfriend.

The case was referred to the Bartholomew County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and was investigated in cooperation with Michigan’s ICAC Task Force. Investigators were granted a search warrant for the pornography site involved. Although the images had been removed shortly after being posted, investigators were able to confirm Jesse J. Price, 18, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, had uploaded the images.

Price on Tuesday pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution of an intimate image, while a count of child exploitation was dismissed.

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Colts training camp kicked off on Wednesday, with all eyes on the quarterbacks.

The Colts enter training camp with an open competition between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones for the starting quarterback position.

WISH-TV Colts Insider Kevin Bowen said he was surprised by the amount of starting reps that Richardson got on Wednesday.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that Richardson would be scaled back from a volume standpoint. But, Bowen said the Colts are doing that very smartly, by scaling back his throws in the individual drills, not in the full team drills like 11-on-11.

Richardson injured his shoulder during the offseason, causing him to miss all of mini-camp.

“I think that is vital for Richardson because I do think he’s got a little bit of ground to make up after missing such a substantial portion of the spring,” Bowen said.

Bowen has covered the Colts for 15 years and is a radio host for 107.5 The Fan, hosting “The Fan Morning Show.”

Bowen was asked who he thought had the advantage after the first day of training camp.

“I’m going with Daniel Jones,” Bowen said. “I don’t think it’s a wide gap. And again, it’s July 23rd. We got a lot of time here. But when you hear the word that Shane Steichen has used since day one of this quarterback battle, it is consistency. That’s what he’s looking for. Well, unfortunately, that’s not a word you would use to describe Anthony Richardson at all, playing or availability wise. So if you’re going to believe the head coach with that word, then you know I think Daniel Jones might have the slight lead. Again, we’ll see how the next few weeks and month plays out. Three preseason games, I think it’s vital these guys play in those preseason games. But right now, I’d say a slight lead to the veteran Daniel Jones.”

This is also a critical year for Steichen and Ballard. The Colts have missed the playoffs for four straight seasons. The last time the Colts missed the playoffs in four straight years was in the 1990s.

With the Pacers making the NBA Finals and the Fever and Caitlin Clark generating so much excitement, Bowen thinks that adds to the pressure.

“I think all of this right now, the Fever, the Pacers, I don’t think those Irsay daughters are immune to that or ignoring that,” Bowen said. “They realize where things are kind of building in this city and I think it’s vital the Colts have a seat at that table. So very critical year, certainly top down for this organization.”

The Colts return to the practice field for the second day of training camp on Thursday from 10-11 a.m.

More Colts coverage

8 quotes that stood out from Day 1 of Colts training camp

‘It’s always exciting’: Colts kick off training camp at Grand Park

PHOTOS | Colts players sign autographs for fans after practice

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Wednesday began our several day stretch of sweltering heat and humidity. We look to see the worst of the heat index Thursday with rain/storm chances ramping up into Friday.

Wednesday night: Warm and very humid tonight under mostly clear skies with lows in the mid 70s.

Thursday: The worst of the heat arrives tomorrow after an already warm start to the day. Highs will push into the low to mid 90s. Dew point values in the mid to upper 70s will cause heat indices to soar as high as into the 105-110 range.

Now, we could have spotty showers and storms develop across central and southern Indiana with increased cloud cover. Areas along and north of a Muncie-Lafayette line could have a complex of showers and storms late Thursday into early Friday with an isolated stronger storm risk.

Friday: The hot dome begins to break down through the end of the workweek, which will amp up our rain/storm chance. Scattered showers and storms are likely, especially north of interstate 70 as a front enters our state.

Highs will still be on the warmer side with numbers in the upper 80s to low 90s. Peak heat index values will be in the 100s for those who don’t deal with as much rain and cloud cover.

7-Day Forecast: The aforementioned front looks to slowly move back northward through Saturday. There will likely be multiple waves of showers and storms with this front, and areas north of interstate 70 currently have the better shot to see repeated rounds of activity. Muggy air will continue to swamp us through this weekend into early next week with dew point values up to the mid to upper 70s at times.

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Colts football is back at Grand Park.

Wednesday marked the first day of training camp for the Indianapolis Colts. Players were all smiles at practice and afterwards when interacting with fans and signing autographs.

“Just being out here Day One, it’s always exciting, knocking off the rust and just being out there having fun with the guys,” Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. said.

With the start of training camp, the sights have been set for a long season by new Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward.

“It’s go time,” Ward said. “It’s training camp time. It ain’t time to be easing into anything right now. I’m getting ready for the season. We’re getting ready for a long run, hopefully to make the playoffs. We’re all in 10 toes deep right now.”

Ward, as well as other free agent signings like quarterback Daniel Jones and safety Camryn Bynum, made sure to spend time signing autographs after practice was over.

“It’s fun having the fans out here to bring some energy to practice,” Jones said. “What a great setup up here at Grand Park. It’s an impressive thing they’ve built here. So, it’s fun to be here and definitely appreciate the fans showing up.”

“It’s great to be back here at Grand Park,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “Just want to say thanks to Grand Park for hosting us, the Colts organization getting this thing set up every year — obviously going into Year Three for me. It’s an impressive operation. The fan support that comes out, the fan experience they put together back there, couldn’t be more thankful for the people that do this.”

The Colts look to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 this season.

The Colts get back on the field for the second day of training camp on Thursday, with practice from 10-11 a.m.

More Colts coverage

PHOTOS | Colts players sign autographs for fans after practice

Colts hungry to prove themselves as training camp begins

Chris Ballard on the Colts QB competition, playoff drought & more

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Colts football has returned.

Wednesday marked the first day of practice for the Indianapolis Colts at training camp.

Here are eight quotes that stood out from Day 1 of Colts training camp:

1. Shane Steichen on the quarterback competition

“I talked to these guys, met with them yesterday, sat down with them – just talked about the consistency of the operation, just moving the football up and down the field. Told those guys too, no timetable on this thing. Let those guys compete, let the process play out and we’ll go from there.”

The Colts enter training camp with an open competition at the quarterback position between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones.

Richardson is heading into year three with the Colts. He started 11 games for the Colts in 2024, throwing for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

Jones was signed by the Colts in free agency this offseason. He threw for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions with the New York Giants in 2024.

2. Jones on Steichen talking with both quarterbacks about the competition

“Yeah, I certainly appreciate it. He’s been up front since the spring. Since we all got back here, and I think as a player you always appreciate a coach being up front and transparent with you and communicating.”

3. Richardson on his mentality during the quarterback competition

“Honestly, just loving the process. These past two years, I definitely tried to embrace that a little bit more. Everybody wants success right here, right now, but I feel like sometimes when you get success, it’s not really all what it seems. The process is really the best thing, and that’s really what I am trying to enjoy now. Also, when it comes to competition, of course I am competing with Daniel (Jones), but I am also competing with myself, trying to be the better version of myself than I was last year. There are definitely things I could have worked on last year, so I am trying to improve on that and make sure I’m just available for the team whenever they need me.”

This is the second time in Richardson’s career he has been in a quarterback competition. He competed, and beat, Gardner Minshew II in his rookie season in 2023.

4. Richardson on the fans cheering for him at training camp

“It’s exciting because I know this city loves and supports me. I’ve just got to do my part – make sure that I can do everything in my power to be the quarterback they want me to be and they need me to be. It definitely feels good, but I can’t let it get to my head. I still got a lot of work to do, and I still got to get that job. I definitely appreciate it, but (the) work not done.”

The fans at training camp showed their support for Richardson on Wednesday, cheering him as he began 11-on-11 drills.

5. Jones on what he has to do to win the job

“I think just performing at a high level. Showing consistency – in my preparation, consistency on the field and my performance. Like I said, it’s a long process and focusing on kind of what I’m doing day-to-day I think’s the best way to go about it. So, that’s what I’m focused on.”

6. Richardson on losing weight in the offseason

“Surprisingly, I actually lost weight. I wasn’t trying, but it just happened. So, now I’m like 240 moving a little faster, feeling a little lean, and hopefully I can keep it like that and stay healthy.”

7. Steichen on his impressions of Charvarius Ward

“Very impressed. Great signing by Chris (Ballard) to get him on this football team. You saw how sticky he was and the plays he made. I don’t know how many he made today, but he made a ton. So, great to have him out there.”

Steichen smiled before talking about Ward.

The Colts signed Ward to a three-year, $54 million deal this offseason. He was a Pro Bowler and made the All-Pro second-team in 2023.

8. Ward on what he wants the secondary to be this season

“I want to be the best secondary in the NFL, force turnovers, make plays, and just have fun. Play with swag and confidence. Everybody out there flying around. Maybe we can intimidate teams on film by the way we play and the way we run and hit.”

The Colts were 26th in passing defense in 2024, but were seventh in the NFL in interceptions with 16.

The Colts get back on the field at Grand Park for the second day of training camp on Thursday from 10-11 a.m.

More Colts coverage

‘It’s always exciting’: Colts kick off training camp at Grand Park

PHOTOS | Colts players sign autographs for fans after practice

Colts hungry to prove themselves as training camp begins

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After they were long considered paraphernalia, fentanyl test strips are now officially legal in Indiana.

According to recent data, fentanyl is responsible for over 70% of overdose deaths in the state. Until this month, if someone was found with the lifesaving strips, it would be up to the local prosecutor to decide if they would face charges for violating the state’s paraphernalia laws.

A bipartisan effort changed that reality by passing House Enrolled Act No. 1167.

“Any resident should and can access test strips,” Director of Harm Reduction at Overdose Lifeline Breanna Hicks said. “Our former paraphernalia law said that anything that tests the ‘presence, efficacy or effectiveness of a substance, an illicit substance,’ could be considered paraphernalia. So, while fentanyl test strips only test for presence, that was a gray area in law in jurisdictions across Indiana.”

Local harm reduction organizations say the law fueled fear for people hoping to distribute the strips. The concern prompted them to push for change.

“There’s this false narrative that access to test strips are going to encourage substance use or encourage drug use, in general, especially to populations that are younger,” Hicks said. “However, that’s just not true, harm reduction is a proven practice that allows for individuals to make healthier and better decisions.”

Hicks says the strips can be used to test drugs purchased off the street.

When the small strips are submerged in water, they can detect the synthetic drug in 30 seconds to two minutes. According to the Marion County Coroner, the drug was found in over 90% of opioid overdoses in Indianapolis last year.

“Fentanyl overdoses are now the number one cause of death for anybody age 18 to 45,” Hicks said. “Indiana falls in that range as well, to where we’re seeing fentanyl being the most prevalent cause of accidental overdose death.”

Overdose Lifeline is one of the organizations distributing the test strips. To request strips, click here.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The state is asking for input as it tries to reign in soaring Medicaid costs from a popular autism therapy.

A 21-member working group assembled by the Indiana Family and Social Services Association (FSSA) is studying ways to cut costs for Indiana Medicaid while maintaining access to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. 

The group is holding its third public listening session on Thursday, July 24, in Evansville; and has conducted two previous listening sessions, one in Valparaiso with another in Richmond.

Lesley La Fleur, who has a 13-year old son with autism, felt like the lack of public sessions and choice to not schedule any in Indianapolis was intentional. 

“If they really were concerned with what we had to say they would put [the sessions] in a pretty populated area where a lot of these caregivers are actually using these services,” La Fleur said. 

After I-Team 8 reached out with her complaints, the FSSA said it’s now adding public sessions: one in Indianapolis and another statewide session that will be held online. Both new sessions are still being scheduled. In the meantime, all Hoosiers can email their thoughts to abaworkinggroup@fssa.in.gov

Indiana Medicaid expenditures for ABA spiked from $14.4 million dollars in 2017 to $120 million in 2019, according to FSSA, and is projected to hit $645 million by 2026. 

It’s why the state placed new restrictions on ABA in February, including a three year cap on coverage and weekly limits based on diagnosis. As News 8 reported at the time, FSSA Sec. Mitch Roob said the three-year cap could be lifted before families hit their limit in 2028. 

“Clearly, there is a problem they’re trying to mitigate,” La Fleur said. “I would say just don’t take it out on the children.”

News 8 reached out to multiple members of the working group to ask about the feedback they’ve received so far. One member said they were asked not to speak publicly about the working sessions or outcomes. 

The working group will submit their recommendations to the Gov. Mike Braun by November.

Thursday’s listening session is from 3-4 p.m. at Ivy Tech Evansville, 3501 N First Ave., in room 107.

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WISH) — One man was convicted and five of his co-conspirators pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars in electronics from shipping facilities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Indiana said that 51-year-old Juan D. Perez-Gonzalez, from Florida, was found guilty for stealing the goods from southern Indiana’s shipping facilities and cargo trucks. He was charged with conspiracy, possession of stolen goods and transporting them across state lines.

Five others pleaded guilty, including Carlos Enrique Freire-Pifferrer, 46; Jose Antonia Gomez-Pifferrer, 33; Dalwy De Armas-Roriguez, 38; Luis Velazquez, 58; and Richard Alameda, 47. The men are from Louisville, Kentucky and Florida.

Court documents say the organized thefts were between Dec. 2021 and May 2023. The group would steal tractor-trailers with “commercially available, high end electronics and other items, which they later resold at a discount for profit,” a press release says.

They would travel across Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio to target distribution facilities for major companies like Meta and Microsoft.

Before hitting each location, the group would scout out the facility. Then they would stalk semi trucks that left and once the driver got out to rest or refuel, the men stole the entire tractor-trailer, court documents say.

To evade police, the group swapped trailers to different semi trucks and would paint over logos and identifying numbers.

“They transported the stolen cargo to Miami, Florida, where it was sold to buyers, including co-defendant Richard Alameda, from a fraction of its retail value,” court documents say. “The group carried out at least 14 separate cargo thefts…”

$2 million in Meta Oculus virtual reality headsets were stolen, $940,000 in Microsoft products, $1 million in Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret merchandise, $669,000 in Harmon-JBL audio gadgets, $180,000 in Logitech products, $480,000 in Bose audio speakers, and other unlisted stolen items.

Perez-Gonzalez has two other prior convictions for similar thefts in in southern Indiana.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Public Schools will receive a $10.5 million investment from Lilly Endowment over the next five years to support an initiative to improve literacy in elementary schools.

The funding is part of Lilly Endowment’s Marion County K–12 Public Schools Initiative, which works to enhance academic achievement and future success for students in Indianapolis. This initiative is one of 43 grants awarded in Phase 2 of the initiative.

“We’re not only deepening our commitment to foundational literacy in our IPS elementary schools, but we’re also building a system of support that extends beyond the classroom and into the home,” IPS Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson said.

The IPS literacy initiative is expected to help 18,500 students and includes several key components. One major aspect is increasing individual in-school intervention support through a partnership with Tutored by Teachers, providing virtual tutoring for up to 3,400 high-risk 2nd- and 3rd-grade students across 23 schools. Additionally, IPS will pilot a program with Indy Reads to offer a two-generation literacy initiative for 75 parents and guardians, focusing on the district’s growing English Language Learner population.

Teachers will receive professional development aligned with the Science of Reading, including Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling training, Marian University’s Center for Vibrant Schools Literacy Cadres, and National Institute for Excellence in Teaching instructional coaching.

The program aims to increase pass rates for IREAD-3 — Indiana’s third-grade assessment of reading levels — improve literacy skills and boost student promotion rates, aligning with Lilly Endowment’s efforts to improve reading instruction in Indianapolis.

This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two men were injured in a shooting on the southeast side of Indianapolis and Indianapolis police were able to make a quick arrest.

Less than three minutes after the Tuesday shooting, officers were at a home in the 100 block North Randolph Street, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said a press release.

Two men were shot; one was shot three times in the backyard, while the other was near the front door with a single gunshot wound. One man was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

“While rending aid, officers identified [Paul] Turner as the possible shooter and quickly took him into custody,” IMPD said.

The investigation led officers to believe that Turner, 49, was involved in a “disturbance” with two men, one of whom was acquainted with Turner. Police say it ended with Turner shooting both men.

At the scene, police found multiple shell casings, a rifle and a handgun.