Indianapolis Daily Brief: Flooding cleanup, teen arrest, and civic updates
Indianapolis, IN – March 5, 2026 – Record rain brings flooding cleanup, police announce teen arrest, and schools and utilities face big decisions.
Here is what readers around Indy are talking about heading into Thursday evening: flooding spots after a record rain day, a new arrest tied to a youth shooting, and two big civic conversations about schools and utilities.
Storm cleanup: record rain, clogged drains, and flooded streets
City crews spent Wednesday clearing storm drains after Indianapolis recorded 2.59 inches of rain on Tuesday, March 3. The total set a daily record and ranked among the wettest March days on record, with water pooling on parts of Harding Street near where Lick Creek meets the White River.
Workers said debris like bottles, cardboard, and plastic can slow drainage enough to push water onto streets. Crews used heavy equipment to pull trash from a large storm pipe so water could move again. The city is asking residents to keep nearby gutters and drains clear and to report problem spots through the usual city service channels.
Public safety: teen taken into custody in January shooting case
Police say a 16-year-old was arrested Wednesday in connection with a Jan. 2 shooting on the near east side, in the 2500 block of East 16th Street. The victim was found awake and breathing, according to investigators.
The arrest involved the department’s violent crime investigators and a SWAT team, and officials said they have not yet announced what charges the teen may face. Tips are still being accepted through police and local tip lines.
Education: school funding question shifts to a new decision-maker
A new, appointed entity could soon decide whether voters see a school operating tax question tied to Indianapolis Public Schools. The setup is unusual because the decision would not be made directly by the elected school board, and supporters and critics are already debating what a proposal should cover and who benefits.
The backdrop is a previous operating referendum that added about 19.6 cents per $100 of assessed value, plus newer state rules that push these questions into fall general elections. Charter-school funding and broader property-tax pressures are part of the conversation as planning moves forward.
Utilities: community open house canceled after threats
A planned community open house about electric service was canceled this week after AES Indiana cited threats. The event was scheduled at a YMCA on Lafayette Road; police said they had not been informed of threats against the utility or the facility, while the company said threats were made on social media.
Two additional open houses are still listed for March 10 at the Frederick Douglass Family Center and March 11 at Decatur Township School for Excellence.
Sources
https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/record-rain-triggers-flooding-in-indy-dpw-crews-clearing-storm-drains
https://wibc.com/880503/police-arrest-16-year-old-for-january-shooting-on-indys-east-side/
https://www.chalkbeat.org/indiana/2026/03/03/will-indianapolis-voters-pass-tax-increase-for-schools/
https://wibc.com/880277/threats-force-aes-indiana-to-cancel-community-open-house-in-indianapolis/
