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Sleep and nutrition tips for kids as back-to-school season begins

Considering back-to-school health

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Back-to-school season is here, and while parents are busy grabbing supplies and organizing routines, health experts say it’s also the perfect time to focus on sleep and nutrition.

Amanda Pantone, a registered dietitian with Community Health Network, joined News 8 Daybreak to share ways families can set their kids up for success both in the classroom and at home.

“It’s important to get the right amount of sleep to help with mental and physical well-being,” Pantone said. “If we’re not getting enough sleep, it can increase our risk of chronic conditions like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and decrease attention and cause behavior problems at school.”

While many assume eight hours of sleep is the magic number, Pantone says it depends on age.

  • Children ages 3–5 need 10–13 hours.
  • Kids ages 6–12 need 9–12 hours.
  • Teens between 13–18 need 8–10 hours.

“It’s all to do with growth,” she said.

Pantone also encouraged parents to start dialing back screen time in the evening, especially as the school year starts. “Reducing screen time around bedtime is a big indicator of helping your kids fall asleep,” she said. “Because the blue light emitted by screens actually decreases our body’s natural release of melatonin, which is the hormone that helps us fall asleep.”

As for those kids who insist on keeping their iPads or want to read in bed? Pantone says the type of activity matters.

“I think reading at night would be okay, because we’re not getting that blue light,” she said. “But try to set limitations, like, ‘Okay, these are the expectations an hour before bedtime.’ Let’s reduce that screen time.”

She also had a few practical suggestions for helping kids part ways with their devices at night.

“I love an old-school alarm clock rather than using phones as the alarm, just to help encourage putting devices away. Let’s keep them in the living room or in the kitchen,” she said.

And when it comes to food, Pantone says the key is balance, giving kids what they want and what they need.

“My husband’s actually a teacher,” she said. “School lunches can be really early, he told me yesterday his lunch was at 10:30. So when kids get home, they’re quite hungry. It’s important to have snacks that include both protein and fiber, which come from our fruits and vegetables.”

Pantone recommends preparing simple snack options that travel well and give kids fuel for the day, “If you’re sending them with snacks to school, I encourage packing a cold bag with some ice packs. That allows for more options, especially if they have after-school activities.”

She pointed to a healthy snack duo as an example: apples and trail mix.

“The trail mix is going to be more of the protein and healthy fat,” she said. “And then the apple, I always use snack time as a way to bridge gaps on a food group you may not have hit yet that day, whether that’s a whole grain, a fruit, or a vegetable with your protein.”

Pantone says pre-packing snacks for the week makes it easy for parents to stay consistent. “You’ve actually got it in the bags already. That way parents can really set this out for the week and get things going,” she said.

And even if your child is getting school lunch, she recommends sending them with a little something extra.

“The big thing with school lunch is, with it being so early, they might be really hungry come dinner time,” she said. “So I would recommend offering a midday snack just to help bridge those gaps, especially if they have after-school activities. If dinner’s not going to be until 6:00 or 7:00, it’s really important to make sure that by dinner time they’re hungry and ready to eat, to help with portion control, but not so starving that portion control becomes difficult.”

For tips on picking healthy snacks for kids, click here.

Indiana immigration arrests surge despite stalled ICE partnerships

(INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) — Federal immigration authorities have arrested increasing numbers of people suspected of being in Indiana illegally — but have yet to deputize officer nominees from at least two Hoosier counties in President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign.

And Indiana’s state police agency has no plans to seek such U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement duties for its officers, despite a directive from Gov. Mike Braun promoting participation.

Nearly 1,400 people in Indiana have been subject to ICE administrative arrest since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, as of June 26. That’s almost an 80% increase over the same period last year, according to ICE records obtained by the Deportation Data Project and published July 15.

About a quarter of those apprehended in June had no criminal convictions or charges, prompting Braun to remark, “If that data is correct, I’d say that should raise eyebrows. Because I’ve been clearly on record: the worst, first. And there are many of them out there.”

The tally comes as the Hoosier State is tapped to bulk up the nation’s deportation infrastructure.

Amid a capacity crisis in federal immigration facilities, Camp Atterbury will be used to hold immigrant detainees. The federally owned military installation is licensed to and operated by the Indiana National Guard.

Meanwhile, the crusade has revealed cracks among Trump’s Hoosier backers and forced immigrant advocates to adjust.

Enforcement-boosting agreements idle

More than 866 state and local law enforcement agencies have entered formal partnerships with ICE to help identify and remove people in the U.S. illegally, particularly those with criminal histories — but only four are Indiana agencies.

The program, authorized in Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, lets ICE delegate certain immigration enforcement powers to state or local officers. There are three active program models: jail enforcement, task force and warrant service officer.

Although available since 1996, the first memorandum of agreement wasn’t signed until 2002, according to a 2021 Congressional Research Service report. The total increased to 72 in 2011, declined to 35 by the end of former President Barack Obama’s administration, and shot back up to 150 in late 2020, near the end of Trump’s first term in office.

As of Friday, ICE’s records of 287(g) participants listed four Hoosier law enforcement agencies.

All signed up this year, after Braun issued an executive order in January directing Hoosier law enforcement agencies to “fully cooperate with ICE, and, to the maximum extent permitted, enter into (287(g)) agreements.”

They include sheriff’s offices in Hamilton, Jasper and Noble counties, as well as the town of Greens Fork’s police department.

But officers nominated by at least two of them haven’t yet been activated.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office turned in a jail enforcement agreement dated Feb. 24. ICE signed it March 3.

Under that model, select officers would be able to serve and execute administrative arrest warrants for immigration violations; interrogate and process suspected arrestees; serve warrants of removal; prepare charging documents; transport arrestees to ICE-approved detention facilities; issue immigration detainer requests and more.

But before officers are conferred those powers, they must complete delegation of immigration authority training and score at least 70% on related exams. 

Five members were identified for training, which has been scheduled, Hamilton County Sgt. Bryan Melton said Thursday; they’re “waiting to attend.” ICE has also granted access to its systems and software.

“We have a good working relationship with ICE,” Melton added. His office has held 74 people for transfer to ICE custody so far this year, after holding just 77 across the entirety of 2024.

ICE signed the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office’s warrant service officer deal on March 17.

“To date, that training has not yet occurred,” Chief Deputy Jason Wallace said Wednesday. “As such, we currently have zero deputies/jail officers participating in the program, and it is my understanding that we are not considered active participants until the required training is completed.”

“I am unsure why the training has not yet taken place,” he added. “All necessary paperwork was submitted; however, we have not received any follow-up or communication from ICE regarding next steps.”

His agency has recorded 14 transfers to ICE custody so far this year.

The Noble County Sheriff’s Office and Greens Fork Police Department didn’t return requests for comment on their participation in the 287(g) program. They have memorandums of agreement effective March 25 and April 10, respectively.

ICE also maintains a log of pending partnerships. As of Friday, it listed no Hoosier agencies.

The Indiana State Police indicated that it won’t be among those seeking ICE powers.

“ISP has no plan to enter into a 287(g) agreement of its own,” Capt. Ron Galaviz said.

He directed the Capital Chronicle to Braun’s order, adding, “The Indiana State Police works very closely with all its law enforcement partners at the local, county, state, and federal levels.”

Conservative dissent

As the Trump administration pushes for a daily arrest quota of 3,000, splinters have emerged among the president’s supporters.

“I have people they call me. They’re like, ‘I’m not sure if my crew is going to show up for work Monday morning, because if there’s a raid, or something like that, right?” U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana said last week, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“If you try to deport all of them, you’re gonna crash the economy,” Stutzman, a rancher, continued. He represents the Third District in northeast Indiana.

The House Freedom Caucus member later wrote on X that he’d “never support giving someone who crossed our border illegally citizenship, amnesty, or the right to vote.” Then, he quoted Trump: “If a farmer is willing to vouch for these people, in some way, we’re going to have to say that’s going to be good.”

Stutzman’s office didn’t return interview requests. But his remarks — and cosponsorship of a bipartisan immigration reform bill — prompted hundreds of critiques from conservative commenters and others.

Micah Clark, the executive director of the American Family Association’s Indiana chapter, called on Stutzman to “remove his name” from the bill while the “national security risks, criminals, traffickers, and other problems facing us from 4 years of an open border are addressed first.”

“This congressional majority should govern with the mandate voters gave them on this issue and set aside what some special interests seem to want — cheap labor,” Clark wrote in a Wednesday newsletter.

When asked about any impacts of the deportation push on Indiana Farm Bureau members, National Affairs Director Brantley Seifers emphasized the value of a temporary agricultural worker visa program, particularly to specialty crop growers.

“The workers our members employ via the H-2A program are essential to that goal, and INFB will continue to advocate against the overregulation that continues to burden farmers who participate in the program,” he continued.

The Indiana Farm Bureau “ha(s)n’t heard of any of our members being impacted by raids, but that’s not to say it hasn’t happened,” spokeswoman Heidi Gant added.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce declined to provide an interview or comment.

  • Click here to view ICE detainer requests across Indiana

State-level officials have largely applauded stepped-up immigration enforcement.

“For too long, Hoosier communities have borne the burden of open-border policies, facing increased crime, human trafficking, and strain on our schools, hospitals, and other taxpayer-funded resources,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said in a statement last week. “Using Camp Atterbury to securely detain illegal aliens pending immigration proceedings or deportation sends a clear message: Indiana will not tolerate lawlessness.”

Rokita said his office “stands ready” to back up federal efforts.

Advocates mobilize

The Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus began as a way to encourage political participation but has pivoted to “coordinat(ing) a statewide response to the emergency needs of the Latinos,” according to organization President Karla Lopez-Owens.

“Everybody feels it: this is different,” she said. “It’s unforgiving. It’s cruel.”

The group published a bilingual “Find an ICE detainee” guide, she said, and in the weeks since, they’ve been printed out and distributed to churches, coffee shops and other community spaces.

A protester holds an American flag and a sign denouncing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, during a demonstration against President Donald Trump, held beside the Indiana Statehouse on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Lopez-Owens is also a cofounder of the Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance, which recently launched a rapid response team. About 250-300 volunteers have been trained on best practices when encountering or spotting ICE officers, she said.

The alliance also plans to publish a list of reputable immigration attorneys to combat scams. And it maintains a legal defense fund, which Lopez-Owens dubbed a “very small lifeline.”

“The need far exceeds what’s available, and it wasn’t like this before,” she said. “… It’s not even about preparation, because we’re way past that point. It’s about mitigation and supporting the needs on a day-by-day basis.”

The alliance isn’t the only group struggling to meet need.

Immigrant Welcome Center Executive Director Gurinder Kaur said some clients who are self-deporting have requested travel aid, but there is no funding to support them.

Capital Chronicle Reporter Madelyn Hanes and Senior Reporter Whitney Downard contributed.

High heat continues w/spotty storms | July 28, 2025

July 28, 2025 morning forecast with Tara Hastings

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) –  The high heat will continue for the beginning of the work week. We will see highs into the ’90s with feels like temperatures into the triple digits. 

We have had five 90 degree days in a row today. Today will be the 6th 90 degree day. So far this season we have picked up 19 days of highs in the 90s.

TODAY: Heat Advisory in place for today through Tuesday evening. Areas in southwestern Indiana under an extreme heat warning with heat indices at 110 +

 We will see a sunny and hot day today along with very humid conditions. A spotty shower or thunderstorm possible into the afternoon hours. High temperatures today near 93 with heat indices topping out between 100 and 105.

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy skies tonight warm and very muggy with lows near 76.

TOMORROW: Heat Advisory still in place for Tuesday. Heat indices between 100 and 105 across much of the state. We will see mostly sunny skies. It will be hot and incredibly humid for the day on Tuesday. High temperatures will be climbing into the low and middle ’90s. A spotty shower or thunderstorm could be possible heading into the afternoon hours.

7 DAY EXTENDED FORECAST: Another hot day on Wednesday with highs approaching 90 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible heading into the evening hours as a cold front moves across the state. 

Behind the front we are going to look for much cooler conditions and less humidity. It is going to feel fantastic to end the month of July and begin the month of August. A few spotty showers early on Thursday otherwise highs near 80. For the weekend Friday and Saturday temperatures will be into the upper 70s with sunshine. Highs on Sunday return back into the lower ’80s. Night time lows will be falling into the ’60s and even upper 50s early Saturday morning.

Indiana native Lilly King fails to qualify for breaststroke World finals

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana native Lilly King will not compete for a medal in one of her signature events at her final world championships before her retirement.

King, 28, failed Monday morning to qualify for the finals of in the 100-meter breaststroke at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. She finished 9th out of 16 swimmers with a time of 1:06.26 seconds.

King was .09 seconds behind 8th place swimmer Kotryna Teterevkova of Lithuania. The top 8 swimmers in the semifinal round move on to tomorrow’s event final. Another U.S. swimmer – Kate Douglass – finished first in the semifinal round to advance to the final.

King, a native of Evansville who also starred at Indiana University, announced in May that should would retire from competitive swimming after this year’s World Championships. She will have at least one more chance to pick up a medal at her final international event, as she is scheduled to compete in the 50-meter breaststroke on Friday.

King could also compete in the mixed 4 X 100-meter medley relay tomorrow and the women’s 4 X 100-meter medley relay on Saturday, though the United States has not yet set its relay rotation for either race.

King has won 11 gold and 2 silver medals at long course world championship meets in her career. She also has a total of six career Olympic medals – three of them gold – in three total Olympic games as well as seven career gold medals in world short-course swimming championships. Her only individual Olympic gold medal came during her freshman year at IU when King won the 100-meter breaststroke at the Rio de Janeiro games in 2016.

The four-time All-America selection in college was only the second swimmer in NCAA history to sweep the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke titles in each of her four years, as she helped IU maintain its status as one of the top college swimming programs in the country. King was awarded the Honda Sports Award after her senior year with the Hoosiers in 2019 as the nation’s outstanding female swimmer.

Indiana Task Force 1 due home Monday after flood recovery mission in Texas

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Twenty days after it left the Hoosier state to help with flood recovery efforts in Texas, Indiana Task Force 1 is returning home.

On July 8, nearly 50 members of IN-TF left Indianapolis for Kerr County, Texas, to assist with search, rescue, and recovery efforts along the Guadalupe River after catastrophic flooding claimed the lives of at least 135 people.

Five days later, 35 additional team members deployed to Texas.

“The historic flooding that occurred between July 4 – 10 has left the area muddy, wet and debris-filled with rough terrain,” IN-TF 1 said in a July 20 Facebook post. “The team reports that members are healthy, remain focused on the mission and are thankful to be lending a hand to the Kerr County community.”

The task force said Friday it was beginning the trip home after 18 days of flood recovery efforts. The team is expected to arrive in Indianapolis sometime Monday afternoon.

Bystanders stop suspect during knife attack at Michigan Walmart

(CNN) — By the time an employee in the checkout area yelled about a man with a knife, it was too late. Nearly a dozen people had been stabbed at the busy Walmart in Traverse City, a tourist town on the shore of Lake Michigan, by a man who appeared to have attacked people at random, the sheriff said.

The suspect, 42-year-old Bradford James Gille of Afton, Michigan, had entered the store at 4:10 p.m. and waited inside for 35 minutes before carrying out the attack using a foldable knife, officials said.

All the victims – who are between the ages of 29 and 84 – are expected to survive; one was treated and released from the hospital, two are in serious condition and the rest are in fair condition, said Dr. Thomas Schermerhorn, chief medical officer at Munson Medical Center.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea praised bystanders who cornered the suspect in the parking lot and held him until law enforcement arrived.

Gille faces one count of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder, Shea said Sunday. He is set to be arraigned early this week and faces life in prison, officials said.

Bystander used grocery cart to help stop suspect

Two of the bystanders who intervened Saturday were Matt Kolakowski and his brother-in-law, Chris O’Brien, who were in Traverse City for a family vacation and shopping at the Walmart for supplies for weekend.

The men were there with Kolakowski’s 13-year-old daughter and her friend. As they were checking out, they heard a frantic warning.

“He’s got a knife!” Kolakowski heard a store employee yell. Seconds later, he said, the store erupted into panic as the attacker, who had just stabbed several people near the checkout, was still on the move.

Kolakowski, a 39-year-old former Marine, said his instincts kicked in. He told his daughter and her friend to stay put, and he and O’Brien took off after the suspect.

Kolakowski didn’t have any kind of weapon on him, but he grabbed an empty grocery cart. He said he saw the attacker stab another man in the shoulder and an elderly woman in the back while fleeing the store.

In the parking lot, Kolakowski said he rammed the attacker in the ankle with the cart. He lifted the cart over his head and attempted to slam it down onto the man, who scrambled away before he was hit.

Kolakowski said he and others pursued the man as he weaved between large poles and cars in the parking lot.

“He was screaming something about him being a soldier, and that everybody in Walmart were bad people,” Kolakowski said.

Another bystander, who Kolakowski later learned is also a Marine, drew a gun on the attacker.

“The other Marine told me that he just went shooting at a range, and he forgot to take his pistol off his hip,” Kolakowski said. “That’s what it all came down to.”

Finally, the attacker dropped the knife, and Kolakowski – who told CNN he served in Iraq nearly 20 years ago – held him down until help arrived.

“I just turned into somebody that I haven’t been in a long time and just stayed on top of him until the deputy ran up and jumped on top of him with a rifle in his face, and I helped the deputy arrest him,” he said.

When Kolakowski told the officer he was a former Marine, the officer handed him some first aid supplies and asked him to help. He assisted police in treating the wounded, applying tourniquets to stabbing victims who were still in shock.

“It was just mass panic in the parking lot – ambulances, lights everywhere, sirens everywhere, blood everywhere, people getting loaded up on carts, put in ambulances,” Kolakowski said. “It was quite the rush.”

In the meantime, O’Brien said he ran back into the store to find the girls, who were frightened but safe.

“What they did was amazing,” Shea said of the people who stepped in.

What we know about the suspect and motive

The motive behind the attack is unknown, but the stabbings appeared to be random, Shea said.

“It appears that these were all random acts,” Shea said “The victims were not predetermined,” and there’s no indication of additional suspects, the sheriff added.

Detectives, with assistance from the FBI, have interviewed Gille at length, and determining a possible motive will be part of the investigation, the sheriff said.

Gille’s history “shows prior assaultive incidents, as well as controlled substance violations,” the Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Sunday.

It is unclear what Gille was doing in Traverse City, but there were indications he may have previously lived in the county and was “somewhat familiar with the area,” Shea said. “I’m not immediately aware of exactly why he came back here, or why he went to Walmart,” the sheriff added.

Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg told reporters that the terrorism charge will be brought due to the attack’s impact on the community, rather than one individual.

“Obviously (the victims) are most affected but it is, we believe, in some ways done to affect the entire community, to put fear in the entire community and to change how maybe we operate on a daily basis,” Moeggenberg said.

Video shows the standoff with the attacker

CNN obtained video of the confrontation with the attacker in the parking lot, showing several people yelling at him to “throw the knife” away and lie on the ground. The video also appears to show several people attending to a victim nearby.

Outside the Walmart, part of a larger shopping complex, emergency vehicles lined the parking lot as first responders secured the scene, according to video footage obtained by The Associated Press. Authorities were seen speaking with employees, many still clad in their blue vests and name tags, as the response shifted into an active investigation.

Tiffany DeFell, 36, told the AP she was in the parking lot when the chaos around the attack erupted.

“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out. … This is something you see out of the movies. It’s not what you expect to see where you’re living,” she said.

Outcry over random attack in small community

Residents of Traverse City, a small community on the shore of Lake Michigan, are now left grappling with what the sheriff called a “very uncommon” act of violence in the area.

Walmart corporate spokesperson Joe Pennington condemned Saturday’s attack, saying in a statement to CNN, “Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders.”

Officials and residents are expressing shock that such an attack happened in the community of about 16,000 that’s known for its beaches, wineries and annual cherry festival.

“We’ll continue working closely with law enforcement during their investigation,” he added.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lamented the “horrible news” of the attack and said, “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”

O’Brien, one of the bystanders, said he still can’t understand what would drive someone to commit that kind of violence.

“The guy that had the gun showed great restraint, because I think everyone else would have pulled the trigger,” O’Brien said.

“Thank God the other Marine didn’t pull the trigger, because now the families can actually get justice,” Kolakowski said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Alex Palou dominates at Laguna Seca, extends IndyCar points lead

INDIANAPOLIS (W(SH) — Alex Palou dominated the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, solidifying his lead in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings.

Palou, in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, led 84 of the 95 laps to secure his third win at the California road course in four years, extending his lead to 121 points with just three races remaining.

“It’s been an awesome weekend, an awesome year (and) today was something else,” Palou said after the win. “It’s super fun to be here – one of my favorite tracks for sure. I couldn’t be happier right now.”

Palou’s victory at Laguna Seca marks his eighth win in 14 races this season. Only A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Mario Andretti have won more races in a single season.

Palou’s closest competitor, Pato O’Ward, finished fourth, leaving him with a slim chance to challenge Palou for the championship. O’Ward would need to win all remaining races to pose a threat.

The race also featured a notable performance from Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel, who led the first 11 laps of his career. Team Penske’s Will Power briefly took the lead during pit stops but did not officially lead a lap. Christian Lundgaard finished second and Colton Herta took third.

The next race in the series is the BITNILE.com Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Aug. 10.

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East siders divided over proposed Wawa

(MIRROR INDY) — The land in front of the eastside Get Fit Athletic Club has been available to lease for 20 years, but the property owner said it never attracted much interest — until he received a call from someone associated with a convenience store chain.

Roy Switzer, who owns the property on the corner of Washington Street and Shortridge Avenue, said he was initially against the idea of a gas station on his property.

Then the caller revealed themselves to be from Wawa.

“They just do a phenomenal job,” Switzer said. “And, it’s something East Washington really, really needs and has been asking for.”

But, that conversation was about a year-and-a-half ago. Switzer, who lives in Kentucky, blames delays on the city’s transit-oriented zoning restrictions, which he says are making it harder for development to be approved.

Andy Nielsen, the city-county councilor for the area, said it’s not that the city is opposed to the project. It’s that Switzer is seeking approval for more gas pumps than would ordinarily be allowed.

Plus, there are at least seven other gas stations within a mile radius of the property. Once there, Nielsen said, it would take a lot of time and money to remove the Wawa and turn it into something else.

There are at least 19 other gas stations within a 2-mile radius of the proposed Wawa

“We need to be really certain that’s what we want to put in there,” said Nielsen, a Democrat. “Even with something as high quality of a development like the Wawa, it’s still seen agnostically as another fueling station.”

Meanwhile, word is getting out about the proposal, and opinions on the east side are divided. Some are supportive while others say they don’t want another gas station on Washington Street.

“You’re not going to see people from downtown coming out to the Wawa,” said eastsider Jakob Morales. “We need to be building more places that are enjoyable for people to spend time in, rather than just stop by, fill their gas tank, maybe grab a burrito and then leave.”

Wawa did not respond to Mirror Indy’s request for comment.

City zoning a hurdle in bringing Wawa to the east side

The Pennsylvania convenience store chain is known for its made-to-order sandwiches and devoted fans — people have Wawa tattoos and the convenience store has even been the set for wedding pictures.

The company entered the Indiana market in May with a store in Daleville. Three more locations have since opened, including one on the north side of Indianapolis.

The proposal for an eastside location is along the path of the future Blue Line, IndyGo’s third bus rapid transit route. Construction is already underway in front of the property and a bus stop will eventually be placed within view of Switzer’s land.

Switzer believes riders would appreciate a Wawa being so close to the forthcoming Blue Line platform.

“The bus stations are wide open,” Switzer said. “They’re not heated. If I were a bus rider, I would want a Wawa right beside my bus station.”

But because the property is near the Blue Line, it falls under a transit-oriented development overlay, which is a zoning district that holds development to standards that encourage walkability and bus use.

Switzer first brought his proposal to a city zoning board in the fall. But, city staff raised concern about the project’s fit in the overlay. The property owner withdrew his petition in November.

He told Mirror Indy in July that he thinks the city is using the overlay to be restrictive. His business conducted a study of walkability in the area and found no more than a couple people crossed the intersection near his property each hour on average over the course of a week with nice weather last fall — though that also took place before the installation of the Blue Line.

The site plan has since been revised, resubmitted and is set to be heard at the Metropolitan Development Commission hearing examiner meeting Aug. 14. But, Switzer feels compelled to rally support after the city’s past reception to the proposal.

“Rather than following the planning and zoning guidelines,” he said, “this transit overlay has given them the ability to say yes or no to anything they want.”

But Nielsen, who has been in contact with Switzer and Wawa representatives, said that’s not entirely true.

The councilor said the overlay doesn’t restrict the type of development in the area. Instead, it restricts what can go there without a request to change or amend what is allowed.

For example, a recent petition submitted to the city on behalf of the project detailed plans to open a Wawa station with 16 pumps — eight more than the number of pumps generally allowed for one station in the area.

Niesen said he doesn’t dislike the Wawa brand, but he has to follow the requests of his neighbors.

“I listen loud and clear to my district,” Nielsen said. “What I’ve heard overwhelmingly is that we have enough gas stations.

A community divided

The project gained the backing of the Warren Township Development Association and State Sen. Michael Crider — a Republican who represents a district near the proposed store — who wrote supportive letters.

And, posts have been circling social media to drum up interest. Their graphics encourage community members to email city officials.

“They say we don’t deserve a Wawa,” one graphic reads. “We say we need better.”

Many comments support Wawa coming to the east side. Some say a Wawa would attract more development. Others say it would be better than other gas stations in the area.

Irvington resident Eric Farrell said the other gas stations nearby have “somewhat depressing selections when it comes to snacking and overall vibe.” He said he can’t imagine a better fit for the property.

“I’ve lived in different parts of the country and always appreciate gas stations that are big, clean and have hot food options,” Farrell said. “I would definitely go to the Wawa for lots of snacks and just good vibes in general.”

Morales, the eastsider opposed to the development, worries that building a Wawa could bring pollution and traffic to an area that needs intentional development. He’d like to see mixed-use housing or community-focused development instead.

Morales grew up in New Jersey, where there are a lot of Wawa locations.

“It is just a convenience store,” he said. “It is just a gas station.”

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or darian.benson@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @HelloImDarian or on Bluesky @darianbenson.bsky.social.

Trump and Von Der Leyen announce major US – EU trade deal

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have announced a sweeping trade deal that imposes 15% tariffs on most European goods, warding off Trump’s threat of a 30% rate if no deal had been reached by Aug. 1.

The tariffs, or import taxes, paid when Americans buy European products could raise prices for U.S. consumers and dent profits for European companies and their partners who bring goods into the country.

Here are some things to know about the trade deal between the United States and the European Union:

Many details remain to be decided

Trump and von der Leyen’s announcement, made during Trump’s visit to one of his golf courses in Scotland, leaves many details to be filled in.

The headline figure is a 15% tariff rate on “the vast majority” of European goods brought into the U.S., including cars, computer chips and pharmaceuticals. It’s lower than the 20% Trump initially proposed, and lower than his threats of 50% and then 30%.

Von der Leyen said the two sides agreed on zero tariffs on both sides for a range of “strategic” goods: Aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, semiconductor equipment, certain agricultural products, and some natural resources and critical raw materials. Specifics were lacking.

She said the two sides “would keep working” to add more products to the list.

Additionally, the EU side would purchase what Trump said was $750 billion (638 billion euros) worth of natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel to replace Russian energy supplies, and Europeans would invest an additional $600 billion (511 billion euros) in the U.S.

50% U.S. tariff on steel stays and others might, too

Trump said the 50% U.S. tariff on imported steel would remain; von der Leyen said the two sides agreed to further negotiations to fight a global steel glut, reduce tariffs and establish import quotas — that is, set amounts that can be imported, often at a lower rate.

Trump said pharmaceuticals were not included in the deal. Von der Leyen said the pharmaceuticals issue was “on a separate sheet of paper” from Sunday’s deal.

Where the $600 billion for additional investment would come from was not specified. And von der Leyen said that when it came to farm products, the EU side made clear that “there were tariffs that could not be lowered,” without specifying which products.

The 15% rate is higher than in the past

The 15% rate removes Trump’s threat of a 30% tariff. It’s still much higher than the average tariff before Trump came into office of around 1%, and higher than Trump’s minimum 10% baseline tariff.

Higher tariffs, or import taxes, on European goods mean sellers in the U.S. would have to either increase prices for consumers — risking loss of market share — or swallow the added cost in terms of lower profits. The higher tariffs are expected to hurt export earnings for European firms and slow the economy.

The 10% baseline applied while the deal was negotiated was already sufficiently high to make the European Union’s executive commission cut its growth forecast for this year from 1.3% to 0.9%.

Von der Leyen said the 15% rate was “the best we could do” and credited the deal with maintaining access to the U.S. market and providing “stability and predictability for companies on both sides.”

The reaction is tentative

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal which avoided “an unnecessary escalation in transatlantic trade relations” and said that “we were able to preserve our core interests,” while adding that “I would have very much wished for further relief in transatlantic trade.”

The Federation of German Industries was blunter. “Even a 15% tariff rate will have immense negative effects on export-oriented German industry,” said Wolfgang Niedermark, a member of the federation’s leadership.

While the rate is lower than threatened, “the big caveat to today’s deal is that there is nothing on paper, yet,” said Carsten Brzeski, global chief of macro at ING bank.

“With this disclaimer in mind and at face value, today’s agreement would clearly bring an end to the uncertainty of recent months. An escalation of the US-EU trade tensions would have been a severe risk for the global economy,” Brzeski said.

“This risk seems to have been avoided.”

Car companies expect higher prices

Asked if European carmakers could still sell cars at 15%, von der Leyen said the rate was much lower than the current 27.5%. That has been the rate under Trump’s 25% tariff on cars from all countries, plus the preexisting U.S. car tariff of 2.5%.

The impact is likely to be substantial on some companies, given that automaker Volkswagen said it suffered a 1.3 billion euro ($1.5 billion) hit to profit in the first half of the year from the higher tariffs.

Mercedes-Benz dealers in the U.S. have said they are holding the line on 2025 model year prices “until further notice.” The German automaker has a partial tariff shield because it makes 35% of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in the U.S. in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but the company said it expects prices to undergo “significant increases” in coming years.

Trump had cited the trade gap with Europe

Before Trump returned to office, the U.S. and the EU maintained generally low tariff levels in what is the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world, with some 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in annual trade. Together the U.S. and the EU have 44% of the global economy. The U.S. rate averaged 1.47% for European goods, while the EU’s averaged 1.35% for American products, according to the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

Trump has complained about the EU’s 198 billion-euro trade surplus in goods, which shows Americans buy more from European businesses than the other way around, and has said the European market is not open enough for U.S.-made cars.

However, American companies fill some of the trade gap by outselling the EU when it comes to services such as cloud computing, travel bookings, and legal and financial services. And some 30% of European imports are from American-owned companies, according to the European Central Bank.

Fever rookie receives major praise from Kelsey Mitchell

CHICAGO (WISH) — The Indiana Fever is on a two-game winning streak following its 93-78 road win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday afternoon.

The highly anticipated matchup was missing arguably two of the most popular players in the league though in Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Sky forward Angel Reese.

Clark missed her fourth straight game as she deals with a groin injury, while Reese missed the game with a back injury.

As a result, other players needed to step up for both teams.

The star player on Sunday was definitely Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who finished with a season-high 35 points.

Her Fever teammate, forward Aliyah Boston, had a double-double, 14 points and 11 rebounds.

And then, there was Fever forward Makayla Timpson, who had a memorable performance.

“I just wanted to do what I needed to do on the court,” Timpson said. “I just anticipate my name being called. So always just staying ready and just doing the things my team needs me to do.”

Timpson, a rookie, finished with a career-high 14 points. She was 6-of-8 (75%) from the field.

“She’s really done a great job of staying ready,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said. “We talk a lot about staying ready so you don’t have to get ready. And one of the benefits of having a deep team is that if you don’t have it one night, somebody else does. One of the challenges of having a deep team is that people deserve to play that don’t always get to play. And KK’s (Makayla) been ready and she continues to get better. And I was happy to see her come out and make that impact right away.”

Timpson, who played college basketball at Florida State, was selected by the Fever in the second round of April’s WNBA Draft.

“She’s amazing,” Mitchell said. “One of the best rookies I think I’ve ever come across.”

Mitchell even called Timpson “the ultimate pro” following Sunday’s win.

“(She) shows up,” Mitchell said. “No problems. Nothing. When you have locker room culture happening, you need great people to make it greater and I think we have a good addition (Timpson) here.”

The Fever is now 3-0 this season against the Sky.

The Fever is back in action Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Phoenix Mercury. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EDT.