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Coal vendor not digging coke plant closure: Virginia firm sues Citizens Gas for breach of contract

Citizens Gas & Coke Utility faces the first big fallout from a vendor involving the planned closure of its coke manufacturing plant. A breach-of-contract lawsuit by Bristol, Va.-based Central Coal Co. could make the plant even more of a money pit as Citizens seeks to cut its losses and escape the problems caused by falling coke demand and rising environmental compliance costs. Central Coal says it’s out almost $831,000 because Indianapolis Coke failed to buy all the coal required under…

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Gorilla exhibit to be one of nation’s largest: Apes and new oceans area designed to boost attendance, conservation

Fresh off the debut of a $9.5 million Oceans exhibit, the Indianapolis Zoo is already laying the groundwork for its next blockbuster. But it may come with a beastly price tag. A gorilla and bonobo habitat scheduled to open in 2013 is expected to cost tens of millions of dollars. “I can’t tell you if this is a $30 million project or a $50 million project,” said Indianapolis Zoo President Michael Crowther. “What I can tell you is that we’re…

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Contamination reconsidered: Developers show more acceptance toward environmental trouble spots When property is scarce, mitigation becomes viable

When property is scarce, mitigation becomes viable The plan to close Citizens Gas & Coke Utility’s coke manufacturing plant this year has already brought a few inquires about its reuse potential. But perhaps the biggest impact of the foundry fuel-maker’s demise will be stoking discussions over whether other environmentally scarred properties are ripe for redevelopment. Until recent years, many developers regarded any property with even a tinge of environmental contamination as if a parcel in Chernobyl. The coke plant “illustrates…

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What’s ailing Indiana’s banks?: State-based bank stocks are trailing national peers as industry deals with tough period

Indiana bank stocks have taken a beating on Wall Street over the past year, lagging behind larger peers as the entire industry rides out an unfavorable environment. Shares of Indiana’s 16 publicly traded banks dropped an average of 3 percent from May 4, 2006, to May 4, 2007, according to research by Carmel-based banking consulting firm Renninger & Associates LLC. Meanwhile, the nationwide SNL Financial bank index was up 4.4 percent. During the same period, the Dow Jones industrial average…

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Commentary: A plea for bio-focused policies:

Commentary A plea for bio-focused policies On April 2, in a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that carbon dioxide is a pollutant under the Clean Air Act and can be regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. While the ruling acknowledges the obvious, it offers a compelling rationale for Indiana elected officials to create an economic development strategy that leverages Hoosier intellectual capital and one of the state’s greatest assets, our farmland. With the scope of the twin challenges…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: IT departments are often overworked and underfunded

Why do trucking companies overload their trucks, when they know they’ll damage the very highways they need for their livelihoods? Why do people keep defiantly watering their lawns in d r o u g h t – s t r i c ke n areas? Why do we buy cheap goods from discount retailers when we know they were made in sweatshops? And why do employees download streaming audio and video, when they’re repeatedly warned that these things turn high-speed…

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STATEHOUSE DISPATCH: Gambling quenched lawmakers’ appetite for new revenue

The 2007 session of the Indiana General Assembly is now history. Whatever else might have been involved in shaping its outcome, nothing was so determinative as the revelation in the closing days that property taxes-driven by the first application of trending, rising property values in general, the elimination of the inventory tax, and some old-fashioned political legerdemain on the part of some assessors in different regions of the state-were expected to rise an average of 24 percent for taxes payable…

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Flood of traffic latest twist in RiverPlace battle: Indianapolis planners find traffic impact study for Fishers project leaky

Environmentalists who lost a court battle to stop RiverPlace on grounds it will cause flooding upstream along the White River have been buoyed by concerns raised by Indianapolis officials that the 69-acre development could create a torrent of traffic trouble. Last month, in a letter sent to Fishers’ public works director, the Department of Metropolitan Development cited numerous shortcomings with a traffic impact study commissioned by RiverPlace developer Centre Properties. Indianapolis-based Centre has asked Fishers to rezone the property, just…

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New strategies help some salons survive: Traditionalists say booth rental will remain the norm

Americans spend billions every year on professional primping and pampering, but independent salons still are among the riskiest of small-business ventures-with a failure rate second only to restaurants. Hoping to buck that trend, some salon owners are trying different business models, breaking away from traditional booth-space rentals and engaging stylists as employees with a stake in the shop’s success. Large chains like Great Clips broke the mold decades ago, paying employees an hourly wage to cut patrons’ hair. Now local…

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VC expert: Businesses enjoy ‘seller’s market’: In Q&A, private-equity veteran Scolnik discusses industry trends

With $116.5 million in capital under management, Hammond Kennedy Whitney & Co. Inc. is Indiana’s largest private equity firm focused on mergers and acquisitions. It regularly creates $5 million to $15 million deals to buy small and middle-market manufacturing companies with low risk of technical obsolescence. Founded in 1903, HKW maintains its headquarters in New York, but the bulk of its operations and activities are in Indiana. Its portfolio includes the Indianapolis-based centrifuge-maker CentraSep Technologies and corrugated sheet manufacturer Flutes…

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LEGAL: Don’t be trapped by ‘talent’-redefine it instead

To succeed at the highest level, businesses must redefine talent. Our wellmeaning quests for the best and brightest talent frequently lead us into painful traps. The Indiana Pacers have proven this point in dramatic fashion in recent years. Take the Ron Artest saga. Artest is an immensely talented athlete and clearly one of the top players in the NBA, but had highly publicized problems. No doubt his talent brought him many more chances than the 11th player on the roster…

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Farmland values soaring, but still lag other sectors: Cornfields far more valuable when sold for other uses

Escalating demand for corn driven by the ethanol boom is propelling farmland prices higher, but not nearly enough to deter commercial developers from nabbing prime pieces of property. An average acre of Indiana farmland rose last year in value almost 16 percent, representing the largest annual jump in at least two decades, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prices this year are projected to increase by an even larger percentage. Land values are escalating because corn is expected to…

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INVESTING: Don’t plunge into the market rally, but buy in the dips

Americans spend a ton of money on health care. (The fact that most of that money is not their own is the leading problem with our health care system.) You would think that, with all the spending, pharmaceutical stocks would be a gold mine. Even though the sector has been the leading performer over the last 100 years, good drug stocks have been hard to find so far this century. But eight years after hitting their peaks, something might be…

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City buildings save money while gaining ‘Star’ status: EPA program gives tax breaks for energy efficiency

Thomson Inc. building, 10330 N. Meridian St. In 2006 alone, the EPA awarded more than 3,400 buildings nationwide with the Energy Star designation. Buildings can achieve the status by adopting an energy-management strategy and tracking the results during a 12-month period using an EPA rating system. Results need to be verified by a professional engineer. All Energy Star products qualify for a tax credit. A deduction of up to $1.80 a square foot is available to owners and designers of…

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EYE ON THE PIE: A useful program for Indiana’s future

I could see she was mad when I walked in the coffee shop. State representative Roberta Righteous was adding packet after packet of sugar substitute to her extra large macho mocha. As I sat down with my cup of regular, she blurted, “Your column last week was another cruel attack on the General Assembly. All criticism, all sarcasm, but no constructive suggestions for progress.” “You want constructive ideas,” I said, “I’ll give you some. “First, Indiana abandons partisan redistricting. When…

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VIEWPOINT: Cultivate your young talent for success

When was the last time you gave someone a break? I don’t mean the last time you stopped your car to let a convention attendee safely cross the street. Think back to the last time you made a difference in someone’s career-a young person’s career. The truth is, you probably manage at least one younger employee who is eager for a break, a promotion or a little more autonomy. Maybe you tried to give your up-and-comer a project to run…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Time to stop being timid and tell the truth

The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show that Indiana ranks 33rd in per capita personal income. Fifty years earlier, in 1956, Indiana ranked 17th in the nation. Our state is in long-term economic freefall and we suffer with representatives who piddle away their time on raising revenue through gambling. Per capita personal income in Indiana has not been on par with the nation since 1966. We have a record of ongoing decline, interrupted briefly from time…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Communications as usual just won’t cut it anymore

In 1999, when the World Wide Web was in its infancy, Rick Levine and others penned and posted “The Cluetrain Manifesto: The end of business as usual” (www.cluetrain.com). In this Web-focused document, their opening salvo at business as usual-and their wake-up call for American business- went thusly: “A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter-and getting smarter…

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Waiting for a sensible transportation plan: Commentary

The Indiana Commerce Connector, those 75 miles of concrete through the Indiana countryside, was announced with great fanfare at the start of the 2007 legislative session and recently disappeared with equal aplomb. Thanks to the efforts of state Rep. Terri Austin, chairwoman of the House Roads and Transportation Committee, and the other members of that committee, the citizens of Indiana had ample opportunity to express their opinions on Indiana’s transportation needs. While the governor’s specific proposals for the Indiana Commerce…

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Nursing school’s computerized patient ain’t no dummy: $36 million mannequin capable of simulating array of emergencies

Mr. Jackson is admitted to the hospital, complaining of shortness of breath and loss of appetite. The 71-year-old is experiencing tightness in his chest, although not enough to be considered painful. The nurses scurry to administer oxygen and draw blood while recommending an electrocardiogram to measure heart activity. Several minutes later, a diagnosis of heart failure is returned. The events unfolding at the Indiana University School of Nursing on the IUPUI campus mirror actual situations that could occur at any…

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