Tourney talk: Local sports execs heap praise on city leaders
Check back here for the latest stories, plus tidbits about the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis.
Associated Press and IBJ Staff
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5 Indiana connections to this weekend’s Final Four (other than location)
Indiana teams were noticeably absent from the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament this year—only Purdue even made the field of 68 teams. But there are still some Indiana-related reasons to watch the Final Four. Here are five of them.
UPDATE: IU fires basketball coach Miller, raises money for big buyout
Athletic Director Scott Dolson said Monday afternoon that the university had secured “private philanthropic funding … for all transition costs and obligations related to the change in leadership.” That’s expected to include a $10.3 million buyout clause in Miller’s contract.
Photo gallery: Big Ten’s women’s tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
The Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are underway in Indianapolis in advance of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament starting here next week. The women’s NCAA tournament will be in San Antonio. On Thursday, the Michigan State defeated No. 9 Indiana University, ousting it from the tournament in a year when the Hoosiers had […]
Move over, Muncie: Five Indiana cities could lose status as metro areas
The federal government is proposing to downgrade 144 cities in all from the metropolitan statistical area designation, which some areas fear will affect federal funding and their ability to lure businesses and talent.
Fry’s Electronics closes all stores, including Fishers location
The 180,000-square-foot Fishers store originally housed Incredible Universe, a media and electronics superstore owned by Radio Shack parent Tandy Corp. Fry’s took over the building in 2005.
Susan Bayh, former Indiana first lady, dies after long battle with brain cancer
Married to former Indiana governor and U.S. senator Evan Bayh, Susan was the 46th first lady of Indiana and the youngest in 150 years, assuming the role in 1989 when only 29 years old. She enjoyed a distinguished legal career and served on the boards of several major companies in biotechnology, telecommunications and health care.
Indiana to receive $12.6M as part of $573M opioid crisis settlement
The global business consulting firm McKinsey & Company has agreed to a $573 million settlement with 49 states over its role in advising companies on how to “supercharge” opioid sales amid an overdose crisis.
State capitols have boarded up, fenced off across the country—but not in Indianapolis
With the FBI warning of potential for violence at all state capitols, the ornate halls of government this weekend looked more like heavily guarded U.S. embassies in war-torn countries. In Indiana, however, there was little sign that officials were concerned about a protest scheduled for Sunday.
Indianapolis law professor picked by Biden as EPA deputy
A veteran of the Obama administration, Janet McCabe is a professor of practice at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute.
Amid FBI warning, state police say they aren’t aware of any planned Statehouse protests
An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start as early as later this week, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press.
Sluggish vaccine rollout confirms complaints from public health officials
States lament a lack of clarity on how many doses they will receive and when. They say federal assistance should have come much earlier and that more resources should have been devoted to education campaigns to ease concerns among people leery of getting the shots.
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2020
Indianapolis and Indiana lost numerous notable business, political and civic figures in 2020, including Pete Dye, Christel DeHaan, Tamara Zahn, James Cummings, Joe Kernan, Richard Wood, Hal Yeagy Jr. and James Dimos.
Purdue, IU call off Old Oaken Bucket football game
The schools announced a mutual agreement to cancel Saturday’s scheduled football game due to rising COVID-19 numbers. The game, which was first played in 1891, has taken place every year since 1920.
U.S. unemployment claims rise for first time in five weeks
Initial jobless claims also ticked up in Indiana. Analysts say the worsening pandemic and the arrival of cold weather could accelerate layoffs in the weeks ahead.
UPDATE: No charges against Indianapolis officer in fatal shooting; evidence shows victim and officer fired shots
The grand jury’s decision not to indict Dejoure Mercer, the Black officer who shot and killed Dreasjon Reed on May 6, was announced Tuesday by special prosecutor Rosemary Khoury. Reed also was Black.
Unemployment claims fall nationally, tick up in Indiana
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell by 7,000 last week, to 751,000, continuing a slow decline but remaining at a still-historically high level.
Retailer Gap Inc. to close 350 stores, move away from malls
The closure of so many mall stores will be a blow to Indianapolis-based shopping center giant Simon Property Group. Gap Inc. has more than 390 stores at Simon’s malls, including its namesake brand, Old Navy and Banana Republic.
UPDATE: Colts say COVID tests were false positives; Sunday’s game remains on schedule
The update came several hours after the Colts initially announced that “several individuals within our organization” had tested positive for the virus.
Initial unemployment claims rise nationally, make big jump in Indiana
In Indiana, 28,864 people filed initial unemployment claims in the week ended Oct. 10, a surprisingly high increase of 186% that the Department of Workforce Development said might be partly due to a technicality.