Arrest made in shooting of Indianapolis youth football coach
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 43 year-old Cameron Parks for the November 22nd shooting of his son’s football coach. The coach was shot in the left leg, suffering non-life-threatening injuries. Park’s son was a member of a traveling football team coached by the victim, and suffered a broken leg during a recent game in Tennessee. Detectives say this was the motive for the argument which ensued for Parks’ alleged role in the shooting.
Parks has been charged with Aggravated Battery, Kidnapping, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon, Intimidation, and Pointing a Firearm.
*All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
5-mile stretch of highway in Martinsville to reopen by year’s end
A new section of the I-69 Expansion Project will open between Indianapolis and Bloomington by the end of December, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation. The 5-mile section from State Road 39 to Morgan Street was closed off at the beginning of 2021 in order to expedite the construction, shaving a full year off of anticipated project completion. The project is 26 miles of SR 37 conversion to I69 between SR 39 in Martinsville and I-465 in Indianapolis by the end of 2024. INDOT says that construction will shift in 2022, to mainline I-69 in Johnson and Marion Counties, in addition to a number of interchanges along the corridor.
Bloomington City Council gives the nod for ‘Sister City’ program
The Bloomington City Council approved Resolution 21-36 “supporting the establishment of a sibling city relationship with the City of Palo Alto, California.” The cities will pilot the first domestic relationship of its kind in conjunction with a national program being launched simultaneously, Sibling Cities USA (SCUSA). The goal of the relationship is to foster cross-regional connection to forge understanding, respect and friendship through cultural exchange, community service, and civil discourse; and, to promote economic and business opportunities. Bloomington’s proposed pairing with Palo Alto was announced in a joint press conference November 9th, and approved by the Palo Alto city council November 15th before the Bloomington City Council’s vote last week.
Local committees in each city will connect community organizations and build programs to expand public awareness and generate impact within each city. Karen Howe Fernandez and Andie Reed will serve as city coordinators to manage daily activity in Bloomington and Palo Alto, respectively. The committees will include representatives from local government, service organizations, schools and universities, and other community leaders. The committees will report at the one-year mark to each city council identifying the progress and prospects for an ongoing program.
Plans are underway for a kickoff event in early 2022 that could include in-person and virtual components, depending on the public health situation. Bloomington residents interested in getting involved may contact Fernandez at bloomington@siblingcitiesusa.org.
This Week in Hoosier History
1954 – Santa Claus began his annual visits to the Hoosier State. Always an “early adopter,” he sometimes left his sleigh at the North Pole and arrived by helicopter. That’s how he came to Beech Grove, where he landed at 5th and Main with a gift for every child. As he flew over, he dropped balloons from the sky, each tagged with a card good for a special prize.
For more local news . . .
Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson here