JANUARY 4-10, 2016
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard traveled out of state using public money nearly every month this year, logging 79 days on the road. Lindsey Erdody details his trips and both the hard and soft costs of being out of pocket so much of the year. Also in this week’s issue, Scott Olson examines the repercussions of a shortage in affordable housing in Marion County. And in A&E Etc., Lou Harry takes the measure of new fried chicken haven Eagle Food & Beer Hall.
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Missed vote puts spotlight on Brainard’s business trips
Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard traveled out of state using public money nearly every month this year. His trips aren’t lavish, but he was gone on city business a total of 79 days, raising questions about both the hard and soft costs.
Read MoreTrust fund manager that serves disabled entangled in lawsuits
The latest court action involving Special Needs Integrity Inc. is a class-action lawsuit filed against the little-known Indianapolis not-for-profit in November that claims it eroded clients’ account balances with undisclosed management fees and unjustified legal fees paid to the Indianapolis law firm Lewis & Kappes PC.
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Deal puts IU doctor’s research on path to market
A professor in the Indiana School of Medicine is hopeful that an antibiotic cocktail he invented will one day improve the lives of millions of people, thanks in part to the Indiana University Research and Technology Corp., formed in 1997 to make work done by IU faculty and researchers available for commercial development.
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No relief in sight for shortage of affordable housing in area
Marion County is suffering from a severe shortage of affordable housing and the inventory is not expected to increase anytime soon. The most popular financing option to help build affordable housing projects is so limited that only a small fraction of the developments get built.
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LifeLine expansion part of IU Health’s reform strategy
IU Health effectively started its own ambulance service in December by adding two ambulances to its long-standing LifeLine critical-care service and opening a call center to help other health care providers figure out what level of transport services a particular patient needs.
Read MoreWEIDENBENER: Lawmaker’s bill aims to eradicate food deserts
Sen. Randy Head, R-Logansport, has modeled his legislation after a program in Pennsylvania that, over a decade, funded 93 projects that are providing more than 400,000 people with access to healthier food. However, Pennsylvania committed $30 million to the project and private investors offered another $145 million. The Indiana proposal would only earmark $1 million to the effort.
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Higher ed commission program encourages college dropouts to return
More than 750,000 Indiana residents have attended some college but quit before completing their degrees. Now, state higher education officials are working with schools to make it easier for those Hoosiers to finish their degrees.
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Rare year with extra paycheck costs city $8.1 million
There are 27 pay periods in 2015 for employees paid bi-weekly instead of the usual 26. That means the city had to come up with extra cash to make payroll.
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EDITORIAL: Time to resolve controversies
Gay marriage is now the law of the land, but in Indiana there is damage to repair and a final chapter to be written in this seemingly endless culture war.
Read MoreMAURER: Farewell to some special friends
Remembering Amos Brown and others as 2015 comes to a close.
Read MoreGUNDERMAN: We should improve physician engagement
When engagement scores are low, physicians take little pride in the hospital, would not recommend it to a job-seeking colleague, and believe the hospital’s mission and vision are not in sync with the needs of patients.
Read MoreFRIEDMAN: Pence lets ideology block opportunity
It looks as if Gov. Mike Pence’s bent toward privatization prevented him from seriously considering retaking the Indiana Toll Road lease rights when he had the chance to do so.
Read MoreKIM: Woes at investment firm highlight need for liquidity
The SEC has been concerned about exactly this scenario caused by the mismatch between a fund offering its shareholders daily access to their money while a significant proportion of its assets are illiquid (i.e. cannot be sold quickly without affecting price).
Read MoreBOHANON & STYRING: Federal Reserve gives banks unintended windfall
Opaqueness has advantages. Explained in everyday English, one consequence of recent Fed policy would be embarrassing. “We are giving banks $12.25 billion a year in free profits for doing absolutely nothing.
Read MorePeople of faith shouldn’t suffer forced discrimination
The real motive of the LGBT lobby is to force persons of faith to accept anything the LGBT lobby wants accepted.
Read MoreGap’s closing not sign of a larger problem
Not all is peachy at Circle Centre, but the gloom and doom surrounding the retailer's departure is unwarranted.
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Credit union plans to acquire former Meridian Music property
Indiana Members Credit Union is hoping to open a branch in the 18,000-square-foot, two-story brick building on Old Meridian Street in Carmel.
Read MorePublic media outlets to form statewide news network
Eleven public media stations in Indiana plan to establish a statewide news network with a $609,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Read MoreState plans $50M revamp of I-465/I-69 interchange
Reconfiguring the interchange is meant to ease congestion, improve safety and reduce travel times for drivers on the northeast side’s crowded commuter corridor.
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