More On Ballard's European Junket

Following the tragic news of Officer Rod Bradway's shooting death early Friday morning, Mayor Greg Ballard's office released a statement saying that he would be cutting short his trip to Germany and returning to Indianapolis. What the news media didn't report was that 100-person strong delegation accompanying the Mayor on that trip had not even left town to begin the leadership exchange in Germany until Saturday. "Our delegation has left Indy & arrived in Cologne, Germany," the Indy Chamber tweeted on Saturday at 11:14 a.m.

Mayor Ballard began tweeting about his European trip four days earlier on Tuesday, September 17. "Off to Europe to expand Indy business in big ways as part of the Indy Chamber delegation," Ballard tweeted on September 17. He was tweeting and posting pictures of his trip from Paris on Wednesday, September 18. Ballard tacked on a few days extra to the leadership exchange sponsored by the Indy Chamber in Germany by stopping off in Paris for a few days. Ballard's office indicated on Friday following the shooting death of Officer Bradway that he would be making arrangements to return to Indianapolis with further updates to come later. Has anyone seen our globe-trotting mayor back in town yet?

UPDATE: Fox59 News' Russ McQuaid reports on Ballard's first public appearance since returning from Europe, even if it took a few days to get home after he said he was cutting his trip short. He visited the memorial set up for fallen IMPD Officer Rod Bradway. McQuaid treats our globe-trotting mayor with kid gloves. Not sure what happened to the pit bull investigative reporter we used to know.