Taj Simmons

Indianapolis

Reporter at WRTV-TV (Indianapolis, IN)

@WRTV reporter | Oakland native | @DePaulU grad | Past: @WHO13News, @WSLS, @KTTCTV | Working hard & striving for perfection; that’s the way I’m living.

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Articles

AI data processing center could rise on Hancock County

1 week ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

GREENFIELD — Cloud computer technology, including artificial intelligence, needs data centers to function. A developer hopes to convert more than 700 acres of Hancock County farmland into an AI data campus. The proposal concerns land on County Road W 500 N just east of the Indianapolis Regional Airport and the Walmart Fulfillment Center. The Hancock County Planning Commission will hear a rezoning request for the property on April 22.
Tariff anxiety could raise your rent next year

1 week ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

INDIANAPOLIS — The price of rent spiked after the pandemic and has not truly come back down since. Another spike could be on the way if tariffs continue to impact the economy. "With all of the uncertainty in the economy, renting is more flexible. If you lose a job, it's easier to get out of a lease than it is to sell a home," said Daryl Fairweather of Redfin.
Indiana health professionals try to encourage measles vaccinations amid outbreak

1 week ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

ELLETTSVILLE — There are more than 700 cases of measles in the United States this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including six connected cases in Indiana. Local health officials are doing what they can to stop the outbreak before it gets worse. "It's a tragedy. We don't need to see measles outbreaks in the year 2025. It was eradicated in this country," said Sara Dillard of the Indiana Immunization Coalition.
Priceless comic book art saved from Palisades Fire on exhibit at IU

1 week ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

BLOOMINGTON — A collection of rare comic book history is now on display at Indiana University. It all would have likely been destroyed in the Palisades Fire if not for this exhibit. The gallery of Marvel comic book artist Mike Zeck's work prominently features original drafts and prints collected by Chuck Costas, an Indiana University alum. "As Spiderman said, 'With great power comes great responsibility,'" Costas said.
Noblesville history group hopes to restore school bell hidden away for 50 years

2 weeks ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

NOBLESVILLE — Noblesville is proud of its historic buildings, but maintaining old infrastructure can be costly. The Noblesville Preservation Alliance is taking on a potentially expensive project to save the bell of a long-demolished school. The organization recently received Seminary School's old bell from the Noblesville School District. The bell has been in storage since the school was demolished in 1969 and the Alliance is raising money to return it to its former home.
United Way needs volunteers for Go All IN Day

2 weeks ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

INDIANAPOLIS — The United Way of Central Indiana's largest day of service is just around the corner, but they are still seeking more Hoosiers to roll up their sleeves. Volunteers will serve across Central Indiana for Go All IN Day on April 25. The United Way reports 1,300 people have already signed up to serve so far. "Just giving back a couple of hours on this one day really can make a huge difference and change lives," said Amelia Thomas from the United Way of Central Indiana.
Marian University will start work to restore historic VA hospital this year

2 weeks ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

INDIANAPOLIS — The former Veterans Affairs hospital on Cold Spring Road, later known at Larue Carter Hospital, is starting to show its age after it emptied out in 2019. Nearby Marian University is about ready to rehabilitate the historic fixer-upper. The university will make the 94-year-old hospital building the centerpiece of its Riverside Education Innovation District, or REID. Marian plans to start transforming the space into a community education center later this year.
Rain and flooding in Morgan County will push back crop planting

2 weeks ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

MARTINSVILLE — Martinsville received more rain than any other central Indiana town during last week's severe storms. The White River through town has flooded, which also washed out nearby cornfields. According to the National Weather Service, 8 inches of rain fell on Martinsville between March 30 and April 6. The White River level was in moderate flood stage throughout the weekend and is forecasted to remain in the minor flood zone through Thursday night.
Indiana Crime Guns Task Force has made dozens of arrests this year

2 weeks ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

INDIANAPOLIS — Keeping Indiana safe is a non-stop job, and the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force focuses on finding the worst of the worst. They are already busy a few months into 2025. The task force has made 81 arrests this year, including 6 arrests on federal charges. It collected more than 100 illegal guns as part of those operations. The task force is organized by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, but includes agencies from the areas surrounding Marion County.
Powerful winds topple trees, trailer in Delaware County

3 weeks ago | wrtv.com | Taj Simmons

YORKTOWN — The severe weather which ripped through Indiana Wednesday night left a trail of debris in Delaware County. Yorktown is cleaning up after a serious storm again, just seven months after a landspout tornado tore through town. Wednesday's storm took down dozens of trees, including one which fell on a historic cemetery. Town manager Chase Bruton helped the town's public works crews remove fallen trees in the middle of the night after the storms passed through.