OCTOBER 19-25, 2009
This week, find out if there is any truth the the rumors that Hoosier Park is on the brink of bankruptcy. Also, learn how local physicians are joining forces to serve patients. In our Perimeter section, read about what Bloomington's mayor is doing to keep the college town's character intact. And check out IBJ Style columnist Gabrielle Poshadlo's latest discovery.
Front PageBack to Top
Symphony’s CEO trying to steer through challenging time
Simon Crookall is trying to hire a maestro who will excite audiences at the same time he’s trying to pull the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra out of
a financial tailspin.
Consultant: Indianapolis water utility lax in overseeing Veolia
The city too often relied on the Department of Waterworks’ board, on consultants and on the private
operator, Veolia Water, rather than on the department’s own staff “to ensure safe and efficient
operation, maintenance and management” of Indianapolis Water. That’s one of several critical
findings of a consultant hired by the department and filed as part of a 35-percent rate-hike request
pending before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.
Sales of luxury suites slow at most Indianapolis sports venues
Ten years ago, the Indiana Pacers sold out their 69 Conseco Fieldhouse suites and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
barely touched a phone to sell its 120 luxury boxes. But entertaining at luxury suites is out of vogue
now, thanks to the recession and companies keeping a closer eye on spending.
Top StoriesBack to Top
Cash-strapped Hoosier Park racing to restructure $400M in debt
Despite rampant speculation, Anderson’s Hoosier Park is not facing imminent bankruptcy, according to its owner, locally
based Centaur Inc.
First-time buyer tax credit isn’t moving pricier homes
The incentive has not generated a hoped-for boost in sales of homes at higher price-points. About 30 percent of the sales
eligible for the tax credit are foreclosures, meaning the seller likely won’t buy another home.
Big profits elevate ITT Educational into rare class
CEO Kevin Modany and his management team have become accustomed to regulatory uncertainty—and to growing the business
at a pace most executives can only dream about.
Duke Realty to unload local land holdings at auction
The locally based company plans to raise millions of dollars by selling nine undeveloped
tracts in Indianapolis, Fishers, Plainfield and Lebanon.
Carmel entrepreneurs with ties to ExactTarget hope SmartFile outshines competitors
File-hosting firm is launching new security software that could set it apart in a crowded field.
Read MoreFunding cut jeopardizes popular Indiana Artisan program
A state-run program aimed at boosting business for local artisans—ranging from painters to syrup makers—and
turning them into a draw for tourists is in jeopardy because of dramatic funding cuts.
FocusBack to Top
Doctors link together to experiment with ‘one-stop shopping’
Specialists are clustering to focus on a single ailment, such as pain, to cut costs and improve quality of treatment.
Read MorePower Breakfast panel debates health care reform
As health care legislation
continues to wend its way through Congress, Indianapolis-area industry leaders still harbor strong
opinions about the issue. Five industry insiders discussed how to improve the health care system during
IBJ’s Power Breakfast Sept. 25 at the Westin Indianapolis.
KALSCHEUR: Doctors eye precautions as reform gains steam
Doctors are considering their options as health care reform gains momentum.
Read MoreSMITH: Cut health care costs by limiting malpractice lawsuits
A peer-review panel of experts would help minimize unnecessary medical malpractice suits.
Read MoreGerman company to buy Eli Lilly’s Lafayette plant
Eli Lilly and Co. will sell its manufacturing plant in Lafayette to a German company in its first major move toward reducing its work force by 5,500 employees and cutting its operating expenses by $1 billion.
Read MoreOpinionBack to Top
EDITORIAL: City water utility in over its head
As missteps by the city’s water utility threaten to drown local ratepayers with dramatically higher bills, Mayor
Greg Ballard’s administration is exploring a complete overhaul of the system. The mayor’s initiative can’t produce results soon enough.
MAURER: Hoosier Quentin Smith’s heroics worth noting
Quentin Smith served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Force from 1942 to 1945. He is one of at least seven surviving Tuskegee Airmen who live in Indiana.
Read MoreMARCUS: Indiana loses a devoted and native son
Chris Linn drove the roads and noted the telltale signs of lifestyle unseen by most researchers.
His eyes told him what the demographic and economic numbers did not reveal.
WIEGAND: Does Indianapolis suffer from ‘economic apartheid’?
I see Mayor Greg Ballard’s plan to demolish abandoned homes as a sign of failure, an acknowledgment
that our leaders—those whom we elected, business leaders, policy people, and leaders of not-for-profits—have failed
us, much in the same way leaders dramatically failed the auto companies, investment banks and mortgage companies.
SKARBECK: Market a bright spot amid worrisome economy
The financial media have the corks ready to pop as the Dow Jones industrial average re-crosses what pundits claim is the â??psychologically importantâ?? 10,000 level.
Read MoreHICKS: Flu season offers prelude to health care reform
This flu season looks to provide us an inkling of the real dangers inherent in large-scale health care reform, most especially
a full-blown national health care option.
In BriefBack to Top
Baucus health reform bill draws fire in Indiana, too
The health insurance industry’s sudden counterpunch to the Senate version of health reform echoed in Indiana and
opened a key issue for the rest of the debate: Will covering half of the country’s uninsured mean raising premiums for
the 85 percent of Americans who already have insurance?
Northeast-side CVS gets nod
The Metropolitan Development Commission has given its blessing to a new CVS store along 82nd Street just east of Interstate
69 over the objection of city planners.
Virginia homebuilder enters market
Home-building powerhouse Ryan Homes is marketing lots in 10 subdivisions it has taken over from the defunct local builder
CP Morgan Communities.
City trying to land headquarters of storytelling organization
The National Storytelling Network will consider Indianapolis, along with eight other cities, as it looks to move its headquarters
from Jonesborough, Tenn.
Two Indianapolis companies offer pro bono work to not-for-profits
Fund-raising consultant Achieve will provide a year of free coaching or consulting. Advertising and public
relations firm TrendyMinds is also accepting applications. The Achieve grant for coaching is valued at $2,000, while the grant
for consulting is worth as much as $12,000.
Indiana Members Credit Union signs Pacers sponsorship pact
The agreement includes player appearances, a Pacers debit card, courtside signage, radio spots,
hospitality and use of the Conseco Fieldhouse practice court for community relations initiatives.
Business incubation expert teaches best practices in Asia
When he oversaw Indiana University’s Advanced Research and Technology Corp., the school’s business incubation
and technology transfer program, Mark Long helped dozens of local startups get off the ground. Now, as head of his own business
incubation consultancy, Long is making a name for himself overseas.
PROXY CORNER: WellPoint Inc.
WellPoint Inc. is one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies and also provides dental, vision, disability and
life insurance.