Articles

Recession changing state’s immigration flow-WEB ONLY

The recession may have reversed the flow of immigration to Indiana as immigrants, both legal and illegal, leave the state to look for jobs. For example, Ligonier, about 35 miles northwest of Fort Wayne, saw its population swell from 3,400 in 1990 to nearly 6,000 as Hispanic immigrants from Mexico and other countries arrived. By […]

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Stimulus cash to weatherize Hoosier homes-WEB ONLY

Indiana plans to weatherize the homes of more than 30,000 low-income residents with some of its federal stimulus funds by asking nonprofit groups to compete for contracts to handle the upgrades, Gov. Mitch Daniels said yesterday. The bidding process will begin next week for half of Indiana’s $132 million in stimulus energy-conservation funds. Bidding on […]

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Indiana suffers top jump in jobless claims-WEB ONLY

Indiana reported the biggest increase among states in new jobless claims for the week ending March 7, with a jump of more than 5,500, which it attributed to layoffs in the auto and manufacturing industries. Nationally, new jobless claims fell more than expected last week, but continuing claims set a record for the eighth straight […]

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McVey to challenge Burton in 5th District-WEB ONLY

Hamilton County businessman Brose McVey has announced he will challenge incumbent Rep. Dan Burton for the Republican nomination for Indiana’s 5th District Congressional seat in next year’s election. McVey, a former aide to Dan Quayle and Dan Coats when they were senators, was the 7th District GOP nominee in 2002, when he lost to the […]

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Judge grants injunction freezing woman’s assets-WEB ONLY

A Hamilton County woman accused of swindling investors in a clean coal energy startup agreed yesterday to an injunction that freezes her assets, including artwork by Pablo Picasso, jewelry and a luxury waterfront home. The agreement in Marion Superior Court makes permanent a temporary restraining order issued last week by Judge Patrick McCarty following a […]

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WellPoint wants to be heard in health care debate-WEB ONLY

Some of the country’s largest insurers are starting to raise their voices in the debate over reworking the nation’s health care system, and their message is clear: They must play a role for it to work. WellPoint Inc. CEO Angela Braly on Tuesday told a Los Angeles forum the government and private industry need each […]

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Judge awaits Schrenker competency report-WEB ONLY

An Indiana money manager accused of trying to fake his death in a plane crash has undergone a mental evaluation to determine whether he is competent to stand trial and is now in a Tallahassee correctional facility. A report on Marcus Schrenker’s competency was expected to be sent to a federal judge by today. Tallahassee […]

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Elkhart mayor to Daniels: Send stimulus cash fast-WEB ONLY

The mayor of beleaguered Elkhart had a simple message for Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels yesterday: Send us stimulus money, and send it fast. Mayor Dick Moore hopes federal economic stimulus cash can revive the northern Indiana city, which has been hit hard by the collapse of the recreational vehicle industry and is struggling with an […]

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Judge grants order freezing woman’s assets-WEB ONLY

A Hamilton County woman accused of swindling investors in a clean coal energy startup agreed today to an injunction that freezes her assets, including artwork by Pablo Picasso, jewelry and a luxury waterfront home. The agreement in Marion Superior Court makes permanent a temporary restraining order issued last week by Judge Patrick McCarty following a […]

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Biotown USA development site acquired-WEB ONLY

Valero Energy will buy seven ethanol plants and a key development site in the Indiana city of Reynolds from VeraSun Energy for $477 million, the largest biofuel buyout ever in terms of production capacity. VeraSun, the country’s second largest ethanol producer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last October. VeraSun suspended construction of a 110-million-gallon-a-year […]

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Development site in ‘Biotown USA’ acquired-WEB ONLY

Valero Energy will buy seven ethanol plants and a key development site in the Indiana city of Reynolds from VeraSun Energy for $477 million, the largest biofuel buyout ever in terms of production capacity.   VeraSun, the country’s second largest ethanol producer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last October. VeraSun suspended construction of a […]

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Plan to repair jobless system advances in Senate-WEB ONLY

A plan designed to fix Indiana’s bankrupt unemployment insurance fund drew misgivings from business and labor groups yesterday as it advanced to the Republican-controlled Senate, which is expected to pass some version of the proposal. The Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee endorsed the plan on a 9-3 vote after four hours of public testimony, […]

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Indiana schools chief to enforce 180-day rule-WEB ONLY

Starting next school year, children may want to think twice about celebrating snow days. State schools chief Tony Bennett said yesterday that he will require schools to make up a day of school for each day they miss because of weather, ending a Department of Education practice that allowed exceptions. Bennett also said half-days and […]

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Downtown canal blaze blamed on arson-WEB ONLY

A fire that destroyed a six-story apartment complex under construction along the downtown Indianapolis canal last week was ruled an arson today.  The fire gutted the $28 million Cosmopolitan on the Canal project that had been nearing completion and spread onto the roof of the adjacent headquarters of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, causing […]

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Indiana extending jobless benefits by 13 weeks-WEB ONLY

The high number of out-of-work residents collecting jobless benefits in Indiana has triggered an automatic 13-week extension of unemployment benefits. The extended benefits program is for those who have exhausted up to 59 weeks of state and federal unemployment checks. Those in the program can collect unemployment for an additional 13 weeks, but they must […]

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New-home construction surges unexpectedly-WEB ONLY

The number of new housing projects that builders broke ground in February rose sharply, defying economist forecasts for yet another drop in activity. The Commerce Department reported today that construction of new homes and apartments jumped 22.2 percent from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 583,000 units. Economists were expecting construction to drop […]

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Caterpillar laying off 439 from Indiana plant-WEB ONLY

Caterpillar Inc. is laying off 439 employees at an Indiana engine plant for at least six months, it announced today. The company said the layoffs at the Lafayette plant are in response to lower demand for its products. The diesel engines produced at the factory are used in marine, petroleum, electric power, locomotive and industrial […]

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Senate Republicans have plan to fix jobless system-WEB ONLY

Indiana Senate Republicans have proposed a plan designed to fix the state’s bankrupt unemployment insurance fund by increasing employer taxes overall, reducing benefits for some jobless people and tightening eligibility requirements. “Our effort is to make changes in the system that are gradual but does put us on a definite path to solvency in our […]

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Butler University tuition hike smallest since 1975-WEB ONLY

Butler University is raising its tuition by 3.5 percent in what school officials say is the smallest increase since 1975. The Indianapolis school is also raising room-and-board rates by 3.5 percent. Those increases will make the private school’s tuition $28,460 for next school year, with an average room-and-board rate of $9,250. Butler President Bobby Fong […]

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White House plans small-business lending boost-WEB ONLY

Seeking to counter a chorus of unhappy Republicans and nervous Wall Street investors, President Barack Obama and his economic team are taking a cheerier tone while making billions in federal loans available to the nation’s struggling small businesses. Obama and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner today plan to announce a broad package that includes reduced small-business […]

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