🌱 Help Find Missing Lafayette Girls + Vandalism At Ivy Tech Campus

Hello all. It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Lafayette Patch newsletter — here to tell you all the most important things happening locally.

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Now, your local weather:

• Friday: Nice with partial sunshine. High: 79 Low: 54.
• Saturday: Nice with partial sunshine. High: 82 Low: 59.

Here are the top three stories today in Lafayette:

1. Twelve-year-old Kymora Burgess and her friend, Nivea Burnett, 14, have been missing since 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Lafayette police have issued a news release seeking the community's assistance in finding them. Kymora Burgess has distinctive long dreadlocks with shades of pink and purple, last seen wearing yellow pants, a yellow shirt, black shoes with white soles, and possibly carrying a black sweatshirt and a pink or orange purse. Nivea Burnett, believed to be with Burgess, was last seen in a black hooded sweatshirt and pink Crocs on Jul. 19. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is urged to contact Lafayette police or leave an anonymous message with the We-Tip Hotline. (Journal & Courier)
2. Five rooms inside Ivy Tech's campus in Lafayette were vandalized and trashed, with tables, chairs, and computers thrown around. Campus security discovered one room partially barricaded from the inside and subsequently found four other damaged rooms. A parent of an Ivy Tech student alleged that bodily fluids were left intentionally in one of the vandalized classrooms and claimed that the school asked students to remain silent about the incident, which Ivy Tech officials disputed. The college confirmed the presence of over 100 working surveillance cameras on campus, and footage is being reviewed and shared with the police as part of the ongoing investigation. (Journal & Courier)
3. Jalynn Artis, a mother, is now facing charges of neglect and pot possession after an accidental shooting at Romney Meadows in Lafayette. The incident, which occurred in May, involved Artis's three-year-old boy gaining access to a gun and accidentally shooting her and 23-year-old Trayshaun Smith in the foot. Smith, who was also wanted on a murder warrant in Cook County, was later extradited. Conflicting stories emerged about how the child obtained the gun, with a friend claiming the boy found it under a dresser upstairs, while Artis said she heard a bang from downstairs and realized she was shot in the foot. (WLFI)

Today and tomorrow in Lafayette:

Friday, July 21

• Lapsit Storytime At Tippecanoe County Public Library (9:30 AM)
• Annual Sunflower Festival At Wea Creek Orchard (3:00 PM)

Saturday, July 22

• Pub-Burgh 2023 At North End Pub (12:00 PM)
• Stories Under the Sculpture At Tippecanoe County Public Library (10:30 AM)

From my notebook:

• Lafayette's Movies on the Quad summer series is returning, offering free outdoor film screenings of blockbuster hits to both campus and community members. The screenings will begin at 8:30 p.m. on the Quad and will feature "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" on Jul. 26 and "Top Gun: Maverick" on Aug. 16. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or chairs to sit on, and Lafayette will provide popcorn and sweet treats. (Lafayette College - News)
• A job announcement for a Senior Zookeeper position at Columbian Park Zoo is open for applications. The position offers a salary range of $22.35 to $25.68 per hour. If you've always dreamed of working with animals and have the necessary qualifications, you can find more details and apply here. (City of Lafayette via Twitter)
• Frankfort Main Street has announced the schedule of events for the upcoming and nearby Frankfort Hot Dog Festival, Indiana's largest two-day festival, starting on Jul. 28. The festival will feature DockDogs, a premier canine aquatics competition, and the "Over The Top Tour – Street Vaulting" competition. There will be three entertainment centers, numerous food and market vendors, and family-friendly activities throughout the event. (Clinton County Daily News)

Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you around!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.