Nate Feltman: Indiana has had some fireworks in the first half of the year

It’s hard to believe the first half of the year is in the books. At IBJ Media, we knew this year would be a doozy given the heated Republican gubernatorial primary, the presidential election and the number of big-time sporting events Indy would host the first half of the year.

But we couldn’t anticipate other news-making events that would keep our team up late at night. Hoosiers have been making news at a breakneck pace. The July Fourth holiday couldn’t come at a better time, after a whirlwind first half of the year.

As I look back at some of the more interesting developments so far this year, here’s my top 10 list:

1. Eli Lilly and Co. becomes the most valuable pharmaceutical company on the planet. Lilly’s weight-loss drugs have the company flying sky high. As a result of that success, Indiana is seeing massive investments and new high-paying jobs as Lilly races to meet demand.

2. Purdue advances to NCAA men’s basketball national championship game. After last year’s first-round exit, Coach Matt Painter came back strong and took Purdue to the Final Four. Zach Edey won back-to-back National Player of the Year honors and was the ninth pick in the NBA draft despite predictions that a center couldn’t be a top 10 pick in today’s NBA.

3. Braun wins heated GOP gubernatorial primary. In the most expensive primary election in Indiana history, U.S. Sen. Mike Braun prevailed. Despite millions spent by Braun’s competitors, his margin of victory barely budged from initial polling that had him up by a wide margin.

4. Mayor Hogsett announces MLS bid. In a surprise move, the mayor announces that the city will lead the effort to secure an MLS club, after he flew to New York to meet with the MLS commissioner. The move ended the city’s planned partnership with Indy Eleven on a professional soccer stadium.

5. Indy hosts NBA All-Star Weekend, NCAA men’s basketball first round games and U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. Indy continues to host world-class events, attracting visitors from around the world and providing a marketing boost to the city.

6. Indiana Fever land Caitlin Clark. Just as the Colts were fortunate to have the number one pick when Peyton Manning entered the NFL draft, the Fever hit gold when Clark decided to forgo her additional year of eligibility and enter the WNBA draft. She is a generational talent in a sport reaching new heights.

7. Indiana men’s basketball team lands top portal class. After the Indiana University faithful began to get restless after not making the NCAA tournament, Coach Mike Woodson landed top transfer talent, moving Indiana to a top 20 team in most preseason projections.

8. IUPUI comes to an end. IU and Purdue will now operate independently in Indianapolis. Each has announced investments that will lead to higher student enrollment in Indy and enhanced industry collaborations.

9. Trump wins the Republican primary and leads Biden. The efforts to take down Trump through the courts, combined with Biden’s incoherent debate performance, has Trump rising in the polls and some Democrats calling for Biden to be replaced on the ticket.

10. Indiana lands record investments. Indiana is landing so many new investments that energy and water are becoming hot topics. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has announced more than $27 billion in new capital investment, nearly matching last year’s total in the first half of this year.

Hang on for what is sure to be a dizzying second half of the year. November alone will include a presidential election and three nights of Taylor Swift in Indy! Get some rest over the Fourth.•

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Feltman is publisher of IBJ and CEO of IBJ Media. Send comments to nfeltman@ibj.com.