DECEMBER 16-22, 2013
Indiana's largest beer distributor is mounting the latest legal challenge to the state's arcane, Prohibition-era liquor laws. Scott Olson reports that Indy-based Monarch Beverage is suing state officials, arguing the firm should be able to supply liquor to bars, restaurants and retail outlets. Also in this issue, J.K. Wall reports on the sudden and mysterious exit of Community Health Network's chief financial officer. And in A&E, Lou Harry explores the differences between local chestnut "Yuletide Celebration" and edgy newcomer "The Nutcracker" from NoExit Performance.
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Suit spawns liquor-distribution showdown
Indiana’s largest beer distributor is mounting the latest legal challenge to the state’s arcane, Prohibition-era liquor laws. Indianapolis-based Monarch Beverage Co. Inc. is suing state officials, arguing the company should be able to also supply liquor to bars, restaurants and retail outlets.
Read MoreUnion Station gets new scrutiny after spate of repairs
Seeing small repair projects pile up at the city’s iconic 19th-century train station, city officials have launched an effort to assess the building’s condition with the most thorough inspection in several years.
Read MoreRenowned architects creating unique park at Eskenazi Hospital
Eskenazi Health leadership’s desire to connect the diversity of its hospital’s population through a healing park drew in a landscape architect firm that is not only one of the top in the country, but also one of the hottest architecture firms in the world.
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Community Health CFO makes sudden exit
Tom Fischer, the chief financial and chief operating officer of Community Health Network, departed suddenly this month. Sources with knowledge of the situation described Fischer’s exit as a firing. But a Community spokeswoman said Fischer resigned in a private meeting with Community CEO Bryan Mills.
Read MoreInteractive Intelligence’s early bet on cloud paying off
The maker of call center software has seen its stock price rocket from about $20 to $62 over the last 25 months. The runup has swelled the company’s market value from $400 million to $1.3 billion.
Read MoreUnintentional entrepreneur parlayed consumer-electronics savvy into PR firm
Arland Communications, run by former Thomson Consumer Electronics spokesman Dave Arland, is the only area firm focused entirely on the $200 billion-plus annual consumer electronics market.
Read MoreCommercial blitz may follow Westfield’s housing boom
Poised for a development boom in those heady days before the real estate market collapsed, Westfield appears back on track for growth. Residential activity never stopped, but builders are picking up the pace in response to increasing demand. If history holds true, a commercial construction blitz will come next.
Read MorePressure on legislature to address abandoned homes
Banks are pushing for reform to the state’s process for home foreclosures.
Read MoreUIndy receives $3M to launch MBA for school leaders
The goal of the education MBA programs is to equip school leaders with business-type skills to lead well-funded schools to compete better internationally and to help the impoverished students in urban and rural schools catch up with their suburban peers.
Read MoreActivity at AmeriPlex gaining steam
The west-side industrial park, one of the city’s largest, is experiencing robust construction activity that includes more than just distribution centers.
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Dermody might be General Assembly wild card
New chairman of the House Committee on Public Policy could raise eyebrows in dealing with ‘vice’ issues.
Read MoreFEIGENBAUM: Plenty of issues for Republicans to parse
Marriage, education and child care are just some of the hot potatoes likely to receive debate.
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EDITORIAL: Greatness for Indiana shouldn’t wait
The General Assembly has much to accomplish in its short session.
Read MoreMORRIS: Keep the pot boiling for neighbors in need
Red kettles appear at holiday time, but Salvation Army makes a difference all year long.
Read MoreKENNEDY: A troubling response
Semester end is hectic for college professors. Research papers and final examinations must be graded, last-minute pleas from students who realize they haven’t performed or who feel entitled to special accommodations must be moderated, committees that haven’t completed their assigned tasks during the preceding months must meet—and of course there’s the added stress of the holidays.
Read MoreHENDERSON: Love can trump constitutional missteps
The fatwa on gay marriage must end. The state Constitution is no toy for the disengaged to manipulate real love. I’m hoping the Legislature does the right thing: reverse the hatred and disinformation that makes us appear like Iran on an evil day.
Read MoreSkarbeck: There are no substitutes for buying assets cheaply
The recent white paper issued by investment firm GMO’s James Montier ridicules some of the “innovations” that are popular in the investment field. His criticism addresses concepts like smart beta, risk parity, and real asset inflation hedges.
Read MoreHicks: Hoosiers get bargain with IEDC, study shows
Over the past few weeks, the research center in which I work published three studies evaluating the role of economic development programs in Indiana. The results held surprises and some not-so-surprising findings.
Read MoreALTOM: Obamacare not only spectacular tech failure of 2013
This year, as usual, there were plenty of memorable, human-inspired technology horrors.
Read MoreLocal support made Eskenazi feat possible
A little more than four years ago, our community came together like never before. Thanks to you, thanks to leaders from across our central Indiana, thanks to more than 400 Indiana companies and more than 10,000 workers, and thanks to Sidney and Lois Eskenazi and hundreds of generous donors, the new Sidney & Lois Hospital and Eskenazi Health is here for you.
Read MoreEnough bashing of Coats, religion
The bashing of religion and the Republican Party’s continuing war on women is past being a weary read [Kennedy column, Nov. 18].
Read MorePence dismantling public education
After the last election, nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to the state’s opinions on our state of education.
Read MorePundits watch Indiana for wrong reasons
It wasn’t long ago that the national media watched closely as Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the nation’s most comprehensive education reform package into law.
Read MoreHoosiers don’t want marriage amendment
As the debate over House Joint Resolution 6 continues, I wonder if some of the major proponents of this discriminatory bill, such as Micah Clark, Eric Miller and Curt Smith, realize that they are being outnumbered.
Read MoreNext up: teen violence
IBJ’s [Nov. 25] editorial endorsing the proposed panhandling ordinance was definitely on point.
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Residents raise stink over transfer of landfill permit
The state’s environmental office has agreed to transfer a landfill permit to the new owner of a Madison County property at the center of a decades-long dispute.
Read MoreTesla car dealership debuts at Fashion Mall
The store at the Fashion Mall at Keystone features a design center where customers configure and order their cars.
Read MoreCalumet acquires New Jersey lubricant maker
Bel-Ray Co. deal brings East Coast ports to Indianapolis-based Calumet.
Read MoreCarmel-born Yowza!! app acquired by Arizona company
Yowza!!, a coupon phone app co-founded by a Carmel software developer, will be acquired by Arizona mobile commerce company Spindle Inc.
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