IMPD officers responded to the 3900 block of Madison Avenue around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16 for a report of a hit-and-run involving a child.

Republicans hold seven of Indiana's nine U.S. House districts. Will state lawmakers try to squeeze out another GOP seat ahead of the 2026 midterms?

Bird flu has struck Fish Lake, as hundreds of birds, including a significant number of sandhill cranes, have dropped dead.Now the community is working to dispos

<div class="newspack-popup-container newspack-lightbox newspack-popup hidden newspack-lightbox-placement-center newspack-lightbox-size-medium newspack-lightbox-no-border" data-frequency="1,4,0,day" data-scroll="10" data-segments="" id="id_37946" role="button" tabindex="0"> <div class="newspack-popup-wrapper" data-popup-status="publish" style=""> <div class="newspack-popup__content-wrapper" style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000"> <div class="newspack-popup__content"> <div class="wp-block-cover has-custom-content-position is-position-bottom-center" style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0"><span aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-70 has-background-dim wp-block-cover__gradient-background has-background-gradient" style="background:linear-gradient(354deg,rgb(0,0,0) 50%,rgba(0,0,0,0) 82%)"></span><img alt="" class="wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-40892" data-attachment-id="40892" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-caption="" data-image-description="" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?fit=780%2C504&amp;ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?fit=300%2C194&amp;ssl=1" data-object-fit="cover" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?fit=1000%2C646&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="1000,646" data-permalink="https://mirrorindy.org/?attachment_id=40892" data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" height="646" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?resize=1000%2C646&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?resize=300%2C194&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?resize=768%2C496&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?resize=400%2C258&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?resize=706%2C456&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/henry-street-bridge-meeting-greenlawn_1000x646.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" width="1000"/><div class="wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained"><div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex" style="padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)"><div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:66.66%"><h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-left" id="h-support-local-news" style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0"><strong>Support local news</strong></h2> <p class="has-text-align-left has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8929b3b8f947618397cb72586a6d629e">Our journalism will always be free because of donations from readers like you.</p></div> <div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:33.33%"><div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex"><div class="wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 is-style-fill"><a class="wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-bright-pink-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button" href="https://mirrorindy.org/donate/?utm_source=np_prompt&amp;utm_medium=overlay&amp;utm_campaign=give_now_button" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border-radius:100px" target="_blank">GIVE NOW</a></div></div></div></div></div></div> </div> <button aria-label="Close Pop-up" class="newspack-lightbox__close"> <svg aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" height="24" role="img" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M19 6.41L17.59 5 12 10.59 6.41 5 5 6.41 10.59 12 5 17.59 6.41 19 12 13.41 17.59 19 19 17.59 13.41 12 19 6.41z"></path></svg> </button> </div> </div> <div class="newspack-lightbox-overlay" style="opacity: 0.35;background-color:#d6f752;"></div> </div> <div class="page-position-marker" id="page-position-marker_id_37946" style="position: absolute; top: 10%"></div><p>If John Morrow Jr. wants to plan for the future of his Indianapolis business, he needs answers.</p><p>From the Indiana Department of Transportation. From the federal government. From a judge in Kentucky whose decision last year put Morrow and many other business owners in an uneasy waiting period.</p><p>Morrow owns ForeSight Environmental Solutions. The company is certified as a disadvantaged business enterprise, or DBE, a federal program that helps his small business compete for contracts on projects for INDOT and in other states. The program is meant to prevent discrimination by setting diverse hiring goals.</p><p>But that program is on a partial pause after two southern Indiana companies filed a lawsuit saying the practice of setting goals for disadvantaged businesses resulted in “reverse discrimination.”</p><p>A federal judge in Kentucky then temporarily blocked the program while the lawsuit continues.</p><p>The disruption comes as Republican leaders are fighting to get rid of programs that assess or reward diversity in schools and workplaces. President Donald Trump and Gov. Mike Braun, for example, have issued orders to eliminate DEI programs.</p><p>And while it’s too soon for business owners to analyze the full impact, the possibility of the DBE program going away makes looking ahead an uncomfortable exercise.</p><p>“We had clear goals,” Morrow said of his company’s future.</p><p>Morrow’s company specializes in air quality technology. That service probably won’t be impacted by changes to the DBE program, he said, because there isn’t a lot of competition.</p><p>But the next step for his company’s future — getting in on the demand for electric vehicle charging stations — is where he sees big opportunities with INDOT.</p><p>The department wants to put $100 million toward building a statewide network of charging stations. But even those plans are now uncertain with the Trump administration <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/02/07/nx-s1-5289922/trump-transportation-department-ev-charging-halt" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">holding back funding</a>.</p><p>For now, Morrow is stuck waiting for answers.</p><h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-we-re-all-in-the-dark">‘We’re all in the dark’</h2><p>Indianapolis business owners said they aren’t hearing much from INDOT.</p><p>Asked for its stance on the program and whether it’s still trying to meet DBE goals, INDOT spokesperson Natalie Garrett told Mirror Indy the department is “following all guidance” from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration. Much of INDOT’s project funding comes from the federal government, which has rules about how the money should be spent.</p><p>But that answer didn’t satisfy Morrow.</p><p>“You can’t have a plan to build infrastructure based on a non-answer,” he said.</p><p>Meanwhile, the court case that interrupted the program might come to a halt for now. Both sides in the case asked for a pause because of changes at the federal level since Trump took office.</p><p>The request cites Trump’s <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-31/pdf/2025-02097.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">executive order</a> to end “illegal DEI and DEIA policies.”</p><p>Gov. Braun has adopted a similar tone in Indiana. Braun <a href="https://mirrorindy.org/gov-brauns-order-replaces-dei-with-mei/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">signed an executive order</a> in January to replace “diversity, equity and inclusion” with “merit, excellence and innovation.”</p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img alt="Mike Braun speaks from behind a podium with the seal of the state of Indiana." class="wp-image-43771" data-attachment-id="43771" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Indiana Governor Mike Braun delivers remarks after being sworn in as the state’s 52nd governor Jan. 13, 2025, at Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis.&lt;/p&gt; " data-image-description="" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"Doug McSchooler for Mirror Indy","camera":"NIKON Z 9","caption":"Indiana Governor Mike Braun delivers remarks after being sworn in as the state\u2019s 52nd governor Jan. 13, 2025, at Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis.","created_timestamp":"1736785879","copyright":"\u00a9Doug McSchooler","focal_length":"400","iso":"3200","shutter_speed":"0.00125","title":"01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.JPG","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.JPG" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?fit=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?fit=2200%2C1466&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="2200,1466" data-permalink="https://mirrorindy.org/01132025_braun_inauguration_36-jpg/" data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" height="682" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36.jpg?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36-1024x682.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" width="1024"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Indiana Governor Mike Braun delivers remarks after being sworn in as the state’s 52nd governor Jan. 13, 2025, at Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis. <span class="image-credit"><span class="credit-label-wrapper">Credit:</span> Doug McSchooler for Mirror Indy</span></figcaption></figure><p>Braun, through a spokesperson, did not respond to Mirror Indy’s emailed questions asking for his position on the DBE program and his response to the small business owners who are worried.</p><p>“We’re all in the dark,” said Summer McIntyre, who owns CMG Trucking.</p><p>The Indianapolis company has been DBE-certified for more than 10 years. McIntyre said the certification helped her break into an industry usually run by the “good ol’ boys” club.</p><p>“It was able to help me get in the door and prove myself,” she said.</p><p>McIntyre isn’t sure how rolling back or even getting rid of the DBE program — which Congress created in 1983 — would impact her business. It’s so early in the process, she said, that it isn’t clear if she’s lost job opportunities yet.</p><p>But even without total clarity, the effects in some ways are becoming apparent.</p><p>When INDOT publishes a list of contractors that have indicated interest in bidding for a project, each job lists a DBE goal. Typically, the goal is around 10%, which is the most recent recommendation from the federal government under former President Joe Biden.</p><p>But the lawsuit has changed that. Now, projects that the two suing companies say they’re interested in all show the same DBE goal: 0%.</p><p>On the <a href="https://www.in.gov/indot/doing-business-with-indot/files/B-and-PH-List2.7.2024.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawIZwcRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRiLkfxFOn1dawbQam0QDtYxq5TfvNsJpsDPmY3CUZuK-C0NlLx8-kenAQ_aem_GiqAWkbUgN05qpmvBCZPpg" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">most recent list of jobs</a>, only nine of the 36 projects receiving federal money had a DBE goal.</p><h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-business-owners-turn-to-one-another">Business owners turn to one another</h2><p>With so much uncertainty, many DBE business owners have formed their own online communities, sharing information and support.</p><p>One Facebook group — <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/551508384190764" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">DBEs of America</a> — has more than 370 members.</p><p>The founder, Stephanie Allen, said she intended for the group to serve Indiana business owners. But interest from others across the country became clear with so much worry about the future of their businesses.</p><div class="wp-block-group alignright"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"><figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img alt="" class="wp-image-45821" data-attachment-id="45821" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-caption="&lt;p&gt;Stephanie Allen, owner of Crossroads Highway Products, holds her certification for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program.&lt;/p&gt; " data-image-description="" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="stephanie_allen_dbe" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg?fit=567%2C464&amp;ssl=1" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg?fit=300%2C246&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg?fit=567%2C464&amp;ssl=1" data-orig-size="567,464" data-permalink="https://mirrorindy.org/stephanie_allen_dbe/" data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" height="464" sizes="(max-width: 567px) 100vw, 567px" src="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg?resize=567%2C464&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg?w=567&amp;ssl=1 567w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg?resize=300%2C246&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg?resize=400%2C327&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" width="567"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Stephanie Allen, owner of Crossroads Highway Products, holds her certification for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. <span class="image-credit"><span class="credit-label-wrapper">Credit:</span> Provided photo/Stephanie Allen</span></figcaption></figure></div></div><p>Allen posts updates from the Kentucky court case and organizes Microsoft Teams calls with other business owners.</p><p>“There’s a reason why this program was put in place,” Allen said. “And there’s a reason why it needs to stay in place.”</p><p>The goal of the program is to prevent discrimination. But Allen said this is far from a handout.</p><p>Allen’s company, Crossroads Highway Products, supplies expansion joint material. In order to get her DBE certification, she had to meet a host of requirements. Officials visited her site in Mooresville, and she had to show that she has a warehouse. Allen also had to demonstrate a good work history and give a list of contractors she’s done business with.</p><p>“I love what I do,” Allen said. “I don’t want this program to be taken away. There’s just so many people who depend on it to be considered for projects.”</p><p>As for the future of her business, Allen is staring down the same foggy path as everyone else.</p><p>Allen has a few jobs lined up already, but after that?</p><p>“I have no idea,” she said.</p><p><em>Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers housing and labor. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>. Follow him on X <a href="https://x.com/Ty_Fenwick" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">@ty_fenwick</a>.</em></p><aside> <div class="newspack-popup-container newspack-popup hidden newspack-inline-popup newspack-lightbox-no-border" data-frequency="0,0,0,month" data-segments="" id="id_38728" role="button" style="background-color:#FFFFFF;color:#000" tabindex="0"> <div class="wp-block-group is-style-border has-white-background-color has-background"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"><p>I hope you appreciated reading this article. Gifts from readers like you make Mirror Indy’s journalism possible. <mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color" style="background-color:#d6f752">Let’s keep informative, local independent journalism free </mark><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color" style="background-color:#FFFFFF">for everyone in Indy.</mark></p> <div class="wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex"><script defer="" id="donorbox-popup-button-installer" src="https://donorbox.org/install-popup-button.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script defer="" src="https://donorbox.org/install-popup-button.js" type="text/javascript"> </script><a class="dbox-donation-button" href="https://donorbox.org/mirror-indy-article-popup-letter?default_interval=0&amp;amount=25" style="background: #ccc;color: #000;text-decoration: none;font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;padding: 10px 35px;-webkit-border-radius: 8px;-moz-border-radius: 8px;border-radius: 8px;">Give $25</a> <script defer="" id="donorbox-popup-button-installer" src="https://donorbox.org/install-popup-button.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script defer="" src="https://donorbox.org/install-popup-button.js" type="text/javascript"> </script><a class="dbox-donation-button" href="https://donorbox.org/mirror-indy-article-popup-letter?default_interval=0&amp;amount=50" style="background: #f74fd9;color: #fff;text-decoration: none;font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;padding: 10px 35px;-webkit-border-radius: 8px;-moz-border-radius: 8px;border-radius: 8px;">Give $50</a> <script defer="" id="donorbox-popup-button-installer" src="https://donorbox.org/install-popup-button.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script defer="" src="https://donorbox.org/install-popup-button.js" type="text/javascript"> </script><a class="dbox-donation-button" href="https://donorbox.org/mirror-indy-article-popup-letter?default_interval=m&amp;amount=20" style="background: #ccc;color: #000;text-decoration: none;font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;display: inline-block;font-size: 16px;padding: 10px 35px;-webkit-border-radius: 8px;-moz-border-radius: 8px;border-radius: 8px;">Give $20/month</a> <p></p> <p>Community-powered journalism can't exist without you. <strong>Please support our work today.</strong></p></div> <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex"><div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:25%"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large size-small is-style-rounded"><img alt="" class="wp-image-34532" data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" height="922" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" src="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=1024%2C922&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=1024%2C922&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=300%2C270&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=768%2C691&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=1536%2C1382&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=1200%2C1080&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=1568%2C1411&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=2000%2C1800&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=400%2C360&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?resize=706%2C635&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd.webp?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oseye-boyd-1024x922.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" style="aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover" width="1024"/></figure></div> <div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-bottom is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow" style="flex-basis:50%"><p><strong>Oseye Boyd</strong><br/><em>Editor in Chief, Mirror Indy</em></p></div></div></div></div> </div> </aside> <div class="jp-relatedposts" id="jp-relatedposts"> <h3 class="jp-relatedposts-headline"><em>Related</em></h3> </div><section class="below-content widget republication_tracker_tool" id="republication_tracker_tool-4"><div class="license"><p><button class="republication-tracker-tool-button" id="cc-btn" name="Republish This Story">Republish This Story</button></p><p><a class="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" rel="noreferrer license" target="_blank"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/plugins/republication-tracker-tool/assets/img/cc-by-nd-4.0.png" style="border-width:0"/></a></p></div><div class="message"><p>Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.</p> </div></section> <div aria-labelledby="republish-modal-label" aria-modal="true" data-pluginsdir="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/plugins" data-postid="45965" id="republication-tracker-tool-modal" role="dialog" style="display:none;"> <div id="republication-tracker-tool-modal-content" style="display:none;"><button class="republication-tracker-tool-close"><span class="screen-reader-text">Close window</span> <span aria-hidden="true">X</span></button><h2 id="republish-modal-label">Republish this article</h2><div class="cc-policy"><div class="cc-license"><a href="https://licensebuttons.net/l/by-nd/4.0/88x31.png" rel="noreferrer license" target="_blank"></a><p>This work is licensed under a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" rel="noreferrer license" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.</p> </div><em>Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our <a href="https://mirrorindy.org/content-republishing-guidelines/">republishing guidelines</a> for use of any other photos and graphics.</em></div><div class="article-info"><h1>These Indy business owners are feeling the effects of DEI opposition</h1> <p class="byline">by Tyler Fenwick, Mirror Indy <br/>February 18, 2025</p> </div> <textarea id="republication-tracker-tool-shareable-content" readonly="" rows="5"> &lt;h1&gt;These Indy business owners are feeling the effects of DEI opposition&lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p class="byline"&gt;by Tyler Fenwick, Mirror Indy &lt;br /&gt;February 18, 2025&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;If John Morrow Jr. wants to plan for the future of his Indianapolis business, he needs answers.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;From the Indiana Department of Transportation. From the federal government. From a judge in Kentucky whose decision last year put Morrow and many other business owners in an uneasy waiting period.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Morrow owns ForeSight Environmental Solutions. The company is certified as a disadvantaged business enterprise, or DBE, a federal program that helps his small business compete for contracts on projects for INDOT and in other states. The program is meant to prevent discrimination by setting diverse hiring goals.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;But that program is on a partial pause after two southern Indiana companies filed a lawsuit saying the practice of setting goals for disadvantaged businesses resulted in “reverse discrimination.”&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;A federal judge in Kentucky then temporarily blocked the program while the lawsuit continues.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The disruption comes as Republican leaders are fighting to get rid of programs that assess or reward diversity in schools and workplaces. President Donald Trump and Gov. Mike Braun, for example, have issued orders to eliminate DEI programs.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;And while it’s too soon for business owners to analyze the full impact, the possibility of the DBE program going away makes looking ahead an uncomfortable exercise.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;“We had clear goals,” Morrow said of his company’s future.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Morrow’s company specializes in air quality technology. That service probably won’t be impacted by changes to the DBE program, he said, because there isn’t a lot of competition.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;But the next step for his company’s future — getting in on the demand for electric vehicle charging stations — is where he sees big opportunities with INDOT.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The department wants to put $100 million toward building a statewide network of charging stations. But even those plans are now uncertain with the Trump administration &lt;a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/02/07/nx-s1-5289922/trump-transportation-department-ev-charging-halt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;holding back funding&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;For now, Morrow is stuck waiting for answers.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-we-re-all-in-the-dark"&gt;‘We’re all in the dark’&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;Indianapolis business owners said they aren’t hearing much from INDOT.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Asked for its stance on the program and whether it’s still trying to meet DBE goals, INDOT spokesperson Natalie Garrett told Mirror Indy the department is “following all guidance” from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration. Much of INDOT’s project funding comes from the federal government, which has rules about how the money should be spent.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;But that answer didn’t satisfy Morrow.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;“You can’t have a plan to build infrastructure based on a non-answer,” he said.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, the court case that interrupted the program might come to a halt for now. Both sides in the case asked for a pause because of changes at the federal level since Trump took office.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The request cites Trump’s &lt;a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-31/pdf/2025-02097.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;executive order&lt;/a&gt; to end “illegal DEI and DEIA policies.”&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Gov. Braun has adopted a similar tone in Indiana. Braun &lt;a href="https://mirrorindy.org/gov-brauns-order-replaces-dei-with-mei/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;signed an executive order&lt;/a&gt; in January to replace “diversity, equity and inclusion” with “merit, excellence and innovation.”&lt;/p&gt; &lt;figure class="wp-block-image size-large"&gt;&lt;img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/01132025_Braun_Inauguration_36-1024x682.jpg" alt="Mike Braun speaks from behind a podium with the seal of the state of Indiana." class="wp-image-43771" /&gt;&lt;figcaption class="wp-element-caption"&gt;Indiana Governor Mike Braun delivers remarks after being sworn in as the state’s 52nd governor Jan. 13, 2025, at Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt; &lt;p&gt;Braun, through a spokesperson, did not respond to Mirror Indy’s emailed questions asking for his position on the DBE program and his response to the small business owners who are worried.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;“We’re all in the dark,” said Summer McIntyre, who owns CMG Trucking.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The Indianapolis company has been DBE-certified for more than 10 years. McIntyre said the certification helped her break into an industry usually run by the “good ol’ boys” club.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;“It was able to help me get in the door and prove myself,” she said.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;McIntyre isn’t sure how rolling back or even getting rid of the DBE program — which Congress created in 1983 — would impact her business. It’s so early in the process, she said, that it isn’t clear if she’s lost job opportunities yet.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;But even without total clarity, the effects in some ways are becoming apparent.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;When INDOT publishes a list of contractors that have indicated interest in bidding for a project, each job lists a DBE goal. Typically, the goal is around 10%, which is the most recent recommendation from the federal government under former President Joe Biden.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;But the lawsuit has changed that. Now, projects that the two suing companies say they’re interested in all show the same DBE goal: 0%.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;On the &lt;a href="https://www.in.gov/indot/doing-business-with-indot/files/B-and-PH-List2.7.2024.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawIZwcRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRiLkfxFOn1dawbQam0QDtYxq5TfvNsJpsDPmY3CUZuK-C0NlLx8-kenAQ_aem_GiqAWkbUgN05qpmvBCZPpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;most recent list of jobs&lt;/a&gt;, only nine of the 36 projects receiving federal money had a DBE goal.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-business-owners-turn-to-one-another"&gt;Business owners turn to one another&lt;/h2&gt; &lt;p&gt;With so much uncertainty, many DBE business owners have formed their own online communities, sharing information and support.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;One Facebook group — &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/551508384190764" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;DBEs of America&lt;/a&gt; — has more than 370 members.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The founder, Stephanie Allen, said she intended for the group to serve Indiana business owners. But interest from others across the country became clear with so much worry about the future of their businesses.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="wp-block-group alignright"&gt; &lt;figure class="wp-block-image size-full"&gt;&lt;img src="https://mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/stephanie_allen_dbe.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-45821" /&gt;&lt;figcaption class="wp-element-caption"&gt;Stephanie Allen, owner of Crossroads Highway Products, holds her certification for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;Allen posts updates from the Kentucky court case and organizes Microsoft Teams calls with other business owners.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;“There’s a reason why this program was put in place,” Allen said. “And there’s a reason why it needs to stay in place.”&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The goal of the program is to prevent discrimination. But Allen said this is far from a handout.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Allen’s company, Crossroads Highway Products, supplies expansion joint material. In order to get her DBE certification, she had to meet a host of requirements. Officials visited her site in Mooresville, and she had to show that she has a warehouse. Allen also had to demonstrate a good work history and give a list of contractors she’s done business with.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;“I love what I do,” Allen said. “I don’t want this program to be taken away. There’s just so many people who depend on it to be considered for projects.”&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;As for the future of her business, Allen is staring down the same foggy path as everyone else.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Allen has a few jobs lined up already, but after that?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;“I have no idea,” she said.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;This &amp;lt;a target=&amp;quot;_blank&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://mirrorindy.org/indot-contractors-worry-dei-backlash-hurt-business-indianapolis/&amp;quot;&amp;gt;article&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; first appeared on &amp;lt;a target=&amp;quot;_blank&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://mirrorindy.org&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Mirror Indy&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.&amp;lt;img src=&amp;quot;https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-401442716_225543877242595_3231803923611443992_n.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;amp;ssl=1&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;img id=&amp;quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&amp;quot; src=&amp;quot;https://mirrorindy.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;amp;post=45965&amp;amp;amp;ga4=G-X0R0QW371R&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;width:1px;height:1px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;script&amp;gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &amp;quot;https://mirrorindy.org/indot-contractors-worry-dei-backlash-hurt-business-indianapolis/&amp;quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &amp;lt;/script&amp;gt; &amp;lt;script id=&amp;quot;parsely-cfg&amp;quot; src=&amp;quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/mirrorindy.org/p.js&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/script&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt; </textarea> <button onclick="copyToClipboard('#republication-tracker-tool-shareable-content', this)">Copy to Clipboard</button> </div>1 </div> <section class="below-content widget widget_block" id="block-17"><div class="wp-block-group css-section-newsletter css-article-newsletter has-green-background-color has-background" style="padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--70)"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"><div class="wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex"><h1 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center" id="h-sign-up-for-our-newsletter">Sign up for our newsletter</h1> <p class="has-text-align-center">Want to know what’s really going on in our city? Sign up for the Mirror Indy newsletter!</p></div> <div class="wp-block-newspack-newsletters-subscribe newspack-newsletters-subscribe" data-success-message="Thank you for signing up!"> <form data-newspack-recaptcha="newspack_newsletter_signup" id="newspack-subscribe-2"> <input name="newspack_newsletters_subscribe" type="hidden" value="1"/> <input name="lists[]" type="hidden" value="3"/> <div class="newspack-newsletters-email-input"> <input autocomplete="email" id="newspack-newsletters-subscribe-block-input-14041-email" name="npe" placeholder="Email Address" type="email" value=""/> <button class="submit-button has-background-color" style="background-color: #F74FD9;" type="submit"> <span class="submit">Sign up</span> </button> </div> </form> <div class="newspack-newsletters-subscribe__response"> <div class="newspack-newsletters-subscribe__icon"></div> <div class="newspack-newsletters-subscribe__message"> </div> </div> </div> <p class="has-text-align-center" style="font-size:14px">By clicking Sign Up you’re confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.</p></div></div></section><section class="below-content widget widget_block" id="block-10"><div class="wp-block-group css-centered-header is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex"><h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-related-articles">Related Articles</h1></div></section><section class="below-content widget widget_block" id="block-11"><nav aria-label="Related Posts" class="jp-relatedposts-i2 wp-block-jetpack-related-posts has-small-font-size" data-layout="grid"><ul class="jp-related-posts-i2__list" data-post-count="3" role="list"><li class="jp-related-posts-i2__post" id="related-posts-item-67b71c083cc7e"><a class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-link" href="https://mirrorindy.org/indianapolis-rethink-coalition-indot-influence/" id="related-posts-item-67b71c083cc7e-label">Rethink Coalition wants a recessed highway. Is INDOT interested?<img alt="A rendering looking toward downtown from the north" class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-img" decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/rethink_rendering.jpg?resize=350%2C200&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/rethink_rendering.jpg?resize=350%2C200&amp;ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/rethink_rendering.jpg?resize=525%2C300&amp;ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/rethink_rendering.jpg?resize=700%2C400&amp;ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/rethink_rendering.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&amp;ssl=1 3x"/></a><dl class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-defs"><dt>Date</dt><dd class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-date">December 17, 2023</dd><dt>Author</dt><dd class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-author">Tyler Fenwick</dd></dl></li><li class="jp-related-posts-i2__post" id="related-posts-item-67b71c083ccae"><a class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-link" href="https://mirrorindy.org/propel-indy-meeting-drexel-gardens-neighborhood/" id="related-posts-item-67b71c083ccae-label">State seeks input on how to improve I-65, I-70 downtown<img alt="The westbound lane is only about 100 feet from several homes on McCarty Drive." class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-img" decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/propelindy2-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/propelindy2-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&amp;ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/propelindy2-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&amp;ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/propelindy2-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&amp;ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/propelindy2-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&amp;ssl=1 3x"/></a><dl class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-defs"><dt>Date</dt><dd class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-date">October 10, 2024</dd><dt>Author</dt><dd class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-author">Enrique Saenz</dd></dl></li><li class="jp-related-posts-i2__post" id="related-posts-item-67b71c083ccce"><a class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-link" href="https://mirrorindy.org/public-hearing-i65-southeast-indianapolis-safety-improvements/" id="related-posts-item-67b71c083ccce-label">INDOT seeking public comment on I-65 changes<img alt="" class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-img" decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/i65.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/i65.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&amp;ssl=1 1x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/i65.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&amp;ssl=1 1.5x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/i65.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&amp;ssl=1 2x, https://i0.wp.com/mirrorindy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/i65.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&amp;ssl=1 3x"/></a><dl class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-defs"><dt>Date</dt><dd class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-date">July 23, 2024</dd><dt>Author</dt><dd class="jp-related-posts-i2__post-author">Darian Benson</dd></dl></li></ul></nav></section>

Police re-arrested an 18-year-old after discovering that a prior altercation led to the shooting inside of the Castleton Square Mall.