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Colts trade Downs and keep Taylor in trade deadline scramble

The Colts shipped out two more wide receivers before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline but held onto their biggest remaining stars.

Josh Downs #2 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 8, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Josh Downs asked for a trade, and the Colts obliged at the buzzer. Photo: Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images

Well, it looks like that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="heartfelt goodbye" data-vars-click-url="https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1xrcu57/highlight_colts_rb_jonathan_taylor_gave_a/" data-vars-content-id="260bc514-7009-4e0f-9fc0-96584e624ccc" data-vars-headline="Colts trade Downs and keep Taylor in trade deadline scramble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1xrcu57/highlight_colts_rb_jonathan_taylor_gave_a/" target="_blank">heartfelt goodbye</a> Jonathan Taylor gave Colts fans after Sunday&#x27;s loss was premature.Why it matters: The Colts shipped out two more wide receivers before Tuesday&#x27;s NFL trade deadline, but they held onto their remaining stars as the team continues a dramatic midseason roster overhaul.

Sports

An Indianapolis holiday tradition returns as the Indiana Historical Society transforms its downtown history center into a winter wonderland for this year's Festival of Trees.

Driving the news: This year's exhibit features more than 75 elaborately decorated trees, each with its own theme and representing Indiana individuals, families, businesses and community organizations.

A 30-foot centerpiece tree celebrating America's 250th anniversary is among the highlights.

Zoom in: The tradition began in 2014 and has grown into a major seasonal attraction, drawing more than 20,000 visitors in recent years.

Beyond the trees, guests can enjoy holiday activities, scavenger hunts, special programming and seasonal treats.

New and returning offerings include December's Twilight Nights, a Holiday Author Fair featuring more than 60 authors and family-friendly cookie decorating.

Admission also includes access to "Freedom's Framework," an exhibit exploring the people and events that shaped the nation.

If you go: The festival runs Friday through Jan. 2 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

10am-5pm Tuesday-Saturday and noon-5pm Sunday.

Tickets start at $20 for adults and $5 for children ages 5-17. 

Kids under 5 and Indiana Historical Society members get in free.

🎺 See more than 100 of the best high school marching bands from across the country descend on Lucas Oil Stadium for the Bands of America Grand National Championships.

Prelims start at 7:15am Friday, semi-finals start at 6:30am Saturday and finals start at 7pm Saturday.

🎁 Get some shopping done when the Christmas Gift & Hobby Show returns to the Indiana State Fairgrounds with hundreds of vendors, holiday décor, handmade gifts and seasonal entertainment.

10am-8pm Friday and Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday.

🦉 Look and listen for owls during an evening Owl Prowl at Carpenter Nature Preserve in Zionsville, 5:30pm Friday.

Registration starts at $5 for county residents and $7 for nonresidents.

🎭 Take in a family drama exploring love, loss and memory across three generations when Butler Theatre presents The Long Christmas Ride Home at the Schrott Center for the Arts.

7:30pm Friday and Saturday and 2pm Sunday.

🥕 Stock up when the Indy Winter Farmers Market kicks off its season at The AMP at 16 Tech, featuring local farmers, food vendors and makers.

🛍️ Shop more than 100 artisans selling jewelry, pottery, art and holiday gifts at St. Luke's Holiday Bazaar. 9am-3pm Saturday.

🏀 Watch professional dunkers show off their skills during a free Dunkman Exhibition at IU Indianapolis' Jungle Arena, 5pm Saturday.

🎶 Mosey over to the Egyptian Room as country group Little Big Town brings its For the Art of It Tour to the Old National Centre, 7:30pm Saturday.

🦌 Meet live reindeer and other cold-weather animals during Peanut Butter & Jam's Silly Safaris at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, 10:30am and 12:30pm Saturday.

🧸 Hunt for vintage toys, collectibles and pop-culture treasures at the Circle City Toy Show at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 10am-4pm Sunday.

Tickets start at $7 in advance and $10 at the door.

🏈 See if the Colts can get back on track when they welcome the Miami Dolphins to Lucas Oil Stadium, 1pm Sunday.

🏒 Help the Indy Fuel close out the weekend with a matchup against the Toledo Walleye at Fishers Event Center, 4pm Sunday.

Bands of America Grand National Championships

Your weekend plans: Festival of Trees, Grand Nationals, Colts and more

The Indiana Historical Society transforms its downtown history center into a winter wonderland.

Illustration of a Christmas tree with the Axios "A" as the topper. 

An Indianapolis holiday tradition returns as the Indiana Historical Society transforms its downtown history center into a winter wonderland for this year&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Festival of Trees" data-vars-click-url="https://indianahistory.org/events/2026-festival-of-trees/" data-vars-content-id="7862b0f6-7a85-4896-8e57-73991ee493e6" data-vars-headline="Your weekend plans: Festival of Trees, Grand Nationals, Colts and more" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://indianahistory.org/events/2026-festival-of-trees/" target="_blank">Festival of Trees</a>.Driving the news: This year&#x27;s exhibit features more than 75 elaborately decorated trees, each with its own theme and representing Indiana individuals, families, businesses and community organizations.

Things to Do

A proposed $113 million tax incentive package for a controversial east side data center suffered a major setback Monday after the City-County Council's Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee recommended rejecting it.

The big picture: The decision could shape how Indianapolis weighs tax breaks for data centers approved before its moratorium amid growing concerns about neighborhood impacts.

Driving the news: The committee's vote followed more than two hours of discussion, with residents overwhelmingly urging councilors to reject the incentives and questioning whether the promised economic benefits outweighed the potential costs.

Councilor Andy Nielsen moved to send the two tax abatement proposals to the full council with do-not-pass recommendations.

Eleven members supported the motion, while Councilors Michael-Paul Hart and Ron Gibson opposed it.

What they're saying: Hart, the committee's most vocal supporter of the deal, argued the incentives would bring more investment and tax revenue to the east side. He said the project would generate nearly $59 million in taxes and community investments over 10 years.

Nielsen countered that residents in his district had made their opposition clear over the past eight months, adding that the developer's presentation Monday night was "clear as mud" and speculative.

"In this moment, I think about the Irvington small businesses who had their biggest day on Halloween," Nielsen said. "The hardworking small business owners who toil away are members of our community who show up when the going gets tough. I don't see their break."

Context: Atlanta-based developer DC Blox wants to invest roughly $1.8 billion in two data center buildings at Thunderbird Commerce Center, the former Ford Visteon manufacturing site near South Kitley Avenue and the Pennsy Trail.

The proposed incentive package includes $28.5 million in community inclusion payments and another $1.5 million for Good Neighbor Standards.

Potential investments include $5.7 million for Washington Square Mall redevelopment, at least $2.5 million for workforce development and roughly $20 million for east-side infrastructure, parks and other community improvements.

The site is already zoned for industrial use, and the Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) approved the project's use variance in July despite strong community opposition.

The MDC unanimously approved a moratorium on new data center developments through 2027 in August.

Plus: DC Blox pledges to use local union workers. Construction could employ up to 600 workers at peak, though the company estimates just 21 permanent jobs once the campus is operational.

State of play: The proposal has drawn months of organized neighborhood opposition, with residents raising concerns about diesel generator emissions, noise, resource consumption and the relatively small number of permanent jobs.

Residents also raised concerns about potential utility rate increases and the site's proximity to Irvington Community Elementary School.

The other side: DC Blox representatives defended the package as a way to secure the project's second building and guarantee community benefits.

The company has tweaked its proposal in response to feedback, including reducing the original three-building pitch to two buildings, removing 25 backup generators and increasing the setback from the Pennsy Trail.

What's next: The full City-County Council is slated to vote Dec. 7.

Because the site is within the Irvington-Brookville tax increment financing district, the abatements would also require Metropolitan Development Commission approval.

Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee

Indy council committee rejects DC Blox data center tax breaks 

Tax breaks for the DC Blox data center campus get do-not-pass recommendations from a council committee.

Animated illustration of a glowing data center server cabinet plugged into an electrical outlet on a wall. The cord unplugs and falls, and the servers stop glowing.

Photo illustrations of a data center with protestors in the background

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Amy Harder/Axios and Jason Henry/Bloomberg, Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images

A proposed $113 million tax incentive package for a controversial east side data center suffered a major setback Monday after the City-County Council&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee" data-vars-click-url="https://www.indy.gov/activity/metropolitan-and-economic-development-committee" data-vars-content-id="94fc78bb-2b2a-4238-bf48-f45176a0a676" data-vars-headline="Indy council committee rejects DC Blox data center tax breaks " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.indy.gov/activity/metropolitan-and-economic-development-committee" target="_blank">Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee</a> recommended rejecting it.The big picture: The decision could shape how Indianapolis weighs tax breaks for data centers approved <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="before its moratorium" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2026/08/19/indy-data-center-moratorium-gets-unanimous-approval" data-vars-content-id="94fc78bb-2b2a-4238-bf48-f45176a0a676" data-vars-headline="Indy council committee rejects DC Blox data center tax breaks " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2026/08/19/indy-data-center-moratorium-gets-unanimous-approval" target="_self">before its moratorium</a> amid growing concerns about neighborhood impacts.

News

Nearly a year since the Vision Zero Task Force adopted a plan to protect pedestrians, Indianapolis has seen an uptick in the number of people killed while walking the city's streets.

Why it matters: Local leaders have committed to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2035 through its Vision Zero initiative, but the latest crash data show pedestrians remain particularly vulnerable.

By the numbers: 61 people died in traffic crashes within the city's reporting jurisdiction during the first nine months of 2026, up from 59 the year prior.

That included 23 people who were walking and two people riding bikes, according to preliminary data presented by Vision Zero administrator LeAndre Level.

There were 13 fatalities involving people walking and seven involving cyclists in the same period in 2025.

Another 538 people suffered serious injuries through the first three quarters of 2026, down from 581 in 2025.

Driving the news: At the Vision Zero Task Force's final meeting of 2026 on Nov. 5, city officials outlined new investments in traffic safety as community members demanded faster action and greater accountability.

The city is shifting toward faster, less expensive street improvements rather than waiting years for permanent construction.

Zoom in: The Department of Public Works' adopted 2027 budget includes $1 million annually for four years for a new rapid-response program, with initial installations expected next spring.

The program will use semi-permanent barriers, traffic-calming measures and other improvements at dangerous intersections and corridors.

Officials cited existing treatments at 43rd and Meridian streets and along College Avenue as examples of how relatively inexpensive changes can discourage dangerous driving.

What they're saying: "Overall, Indianapolis has adopted strong principles through its adopted plans and policies. However, the implementation remains slow, inconsistent and underfunded," said Taylor Firestein of Health by Design, who represents community advocates on the task force.

The tension: Residents raised concerns about slow project timelines, inconsistent enforcement, dangerous construction detours and inadequate communication among city departments.

Bicycle Garage Indy advocacy director Connie Zabel Schmucker criticized the city's spending compared with other communities and questioned why safety improvements sometimes take years.

Councilor Jesse Brown relayed constituent frustration over the removal of temporary safety improvements at the 16th Street and Monon Trail crossing.

Advocates also called for greater transparency about how projects are prioritized and whether reported safety hazards are actually addressed.

Zoom out: Indianapolis ranked 47th among the nation's 101 largest metro areas for pedestrian fatalities, according to Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 report, which examines deaths from 2020 through 2024.

The Indianapolis metro recorded 231 pedestrian deaths during that period, up from 170 during 2015-2019.

Its annual pedestrian fatality rate was 2.17 per 100,000 residents, compared with 1.31 in Cincinnati, 2.06 in Richmond, Virginia, and 2.9 in Louisville.

The city also ranked 72nd among the 100 largest U.S. metros in StreetLight Data's latest U.S. Safe Streets Index.

Meanwhile: IMPD says it's working to concentrate more traffic enforcement along the city's high-injury network, while improving how residents report dangerous driving and track police responses.

What's next: Advocates are gathering this weekend to remember those already lost to traffic violence.

Central Indiana Cycling will host a World Day of Remembrance vigil and memorial walk at 1pm Sunday beginning at Raymond and Shelby streets.

Participants will walk along Raymond Street to State Street, where a driver ran a red light in 2025, killing a 4-year-old child and critically injuring the child's father. A teenager was also struck and injured on the sidewalk there in 2026.

DPW will host a public open house on neighborhood safety projects from 4-5:30pm Dec. 8 in Room 310 of the City-County Building. The first new rapid-response safety installations are expected in spring 2027.

eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries

World Day of Remembrance vigil and memorial walk

Indy pedestrian deaths test Vision Zero promises

Nearly a year into Indianapolis' adopted Vision Zero action plan, advocates say efforts to protect pedestrians are still moving too slowly.

Illustration of a stop sign with a memorial wreath. 

Nearly a year since the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Vision Zero Task Force" data-vars-click-url="https://www.indy.gov/topic/vision-zero" data-vars-content-id="a4cc5c85-bf2e-4ada-af98-eb52aef49f5a" data-vars-headline="Indy pedestrian deaths test Vision Zero promises" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.indy.gov/topic/vision-zero" target="_blank">Vision Zero Task Force</a> adopted a plan to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="protect pedestrians" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2024/07/09/pedestrian-safety-crisis-signs-indianapolis" data-vars-content-id="a4cc5c85-bf2e-4ada-af98-eb52aef49f5a" data-vars-headline="Indy pedestrian deaths test Vision Zero promises" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2024/07/09/pedestrian-safety-crisis-signs-indianapolis" target="_self">protect pedestrians</a>, Indianapolis has seen an uptick in the number of people killed while walking the city&#x27;s streets.Why it matters: Local leaders have committed to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2026/03/03/indy-ranks-low-for-street-safety-as-vision-zero-enters-year-one" data-vars-content-id="a4cc5c85-bf2e-4ada-af98-eb52aef49f5a" data-vars-headline="Indy pedestrian deaths test Vision Zero promises" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2026/03/03/indy-ranks-low-for-street-safety-as-vision-zero-enters-year-one" target="_self">eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries</a> by 2035 through its Vision Zero initiative, but the latest crash data show pedestrians remain particularly vulnerable.

The Indy Health District's 10-year plan to close a stark life expectancy gap in five historic neighborhoods puts groceries, housing stability, safer streets and economic opportunity at the forefront.

Why it matters: Residents of the Indy Health District live an average of 67 years, 6.5 years fewer than those in Marion County and more than a decade fewer than those in many nearby suburbs.

Context: The plan covers more than 1,500 acres and nearly 10,000 residents across Crown Hill, Historic Flanner House Homes, Highland Vicinity, Meridian Highland and Ransom Place.

The district's core challenge is improving outcomes while making sure the area's longtime residents can afford to stay and benefit from new investment.

Driving the news: The nonprofit unveiled its 2026-2036 Quality of Life Plan Wednesday at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, outlining six priorities shaped by residents' concerns.

The six pillars are health and wellness; neighborhood infrastructure and environment; economic mobility and local entrepreneurship; family stability and youth development; community safety and justice; and community preservation and cultural identity.

The district spent nearly a year gathering input through more than 500 survey responses, 100-plus interviews, neighborhood workshops and door-to-door outreach. Residents accounted for at least 70% of the input shaping the plan.

The process included 49 Crispus Attucks High School students, who emphasized better career opportunities, mental health support and a safe place of their own to gather.

Zoom in: Affordable, healthy food emerged as a leading concern, alongside keeping homes in the family and making neighborhood improvements that benefit existing residents.

At an October validation session, nearly 80 residents cast 349 votes on proposed goals and submitted almost 150 written comments. Their feedback strengthened the plan's commitments to property-tax relief, estate planning and home-repair assistance for seniors.

Residents also called for a full-service grocery store within reach of every neighborhood. More than half of district residents currently live in a food desert, according to the district's health dashboard.

The plan also prioritizes protecting the neighborhoods' historic Black identity and generational homeownership. Residents specifically raised concerns about gentrification and displacement as new development arrives.

What they're saying: "Progress cannot simply be measured by what we build," executive director Jamal Smith said Wednesday. "It must be also measured by the number of people who can benefit from the investments that we also make."

"Thank you for loving your neighborhoods enough to advocate for them," he said. "Challenge us, and demand that we think bigger and better."

How it works: Life expectancy won't change overnight, so the district is working with the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health, the Polis Center at IU Indianapolis and Health by Design. They'll track roughly 30 measures across short-, medium- and long-term timelines.

Valerie Yeager of the Fairbanks School of Public Health said the measures will help show whether initiatives are improving well-being before changes in life expectancy become apparent.

The measures include factors such as education, health care access, neighborhood conditions, economic stability and residents' sense of community. A survey of 203 households found 66% believed neighbors would help them in an emergency, while 63% said they felt they belonged in their neighborhood.

Yeager said tracking who moves in and out is also essential. Otherwise, an apparent improvement in life expectancy could be misleading if healthier newcomers replace longtime residents.

What's next: IHD will organize resident and partner working groups around the six pillars, use a public health-impact dashboard to track roughly 30 measures and report progress annually.

The district is already pursuing priorities like adding early-learning capacity, operating floating farmers markets and supporting a $25 million investment in the Crispus Attucks High School expansion.

more than 1,500 acres and nearly 10,000 residents

$25 million investment in the Crispus Attucks High School expansion

The Indy Health District's master plan for longer lives

The effort puts groceries, housing stability, safer streets and economic opportunity at the forefront.

Conference scene with a large screen displaying a slogan about helping neighborhoods live longer, healthier lives; Our North Star above. A suited man speaks at a microphone on stage.

Indy Health District executive director Jamal Smith speaks at the 2026 State of the District event at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Photo: Justin L. Mack/Axios

The Indy Health District&#x27;s 10-year plan to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="close a stark life expectancy gap" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2025/09/17/indy-health-district-near-northside" data-vars-content-id="cdd8ce85-c95d-457b-9d0a-7ab47bd2d411" data-vars-headline="The Indy Health District&#x27;s master plan for longer lives" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2025/09/17/indy-health-district-near-northside" target="_self">close a stark life expectancy gap</a> in five historic neighborhoods puts groceries, housing stability, safer streets and economic opportunity at the forefront.Why it matters: Residents of the Indy Health District live an average of 67 years, 6.5 years fewer than those in Marion County and more than a decade fewer than those in many nearby suburbs.

Justin L. Mack

Featured stories

Your weekend plans: Festival of Trees, Grand Nationals, Colts and more

The Indy Health District's master plan for longer lives

Indy pedestrian deaths test Vision Zero promises

Colts trade Downs and keep Taylor in trade deadline scramble

Indy council committee rejects DC Blox data center tax breaks