Indiana cancels $1.3B welfare contract
Indiana is ending its troubled $1.34 billion deal with a team of vendors to automate the application process for food stamps,
Medicaid and other benefits.
Government & Economic Development
Articles
Funding 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.
Bloomington mayor to roll out chain-store ordinance for downtown
Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan believes this beloved college town loses a bit of its identity every time a national chain sets up shop.
Social Security makes it official: No raise in 2010
There will be no cost of living increase for more than 50 million Social Security recipients next year, the first year without
a raise since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975.
Tougher smoking ban passes committee
An ordinance that would prohibit lighting up in bars, bowling alleys and nightclubs, and nearby outdoor seating areas as well, was endorsed 4-2 by a City-County Council committee Wednesday night.
Indiana State Museum chief Dressel abruptly resigns
Barry Dressel has resigned as the president and CEO of the Indiana State Museum, the state’s Department of Natural Resources
confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
City strengthens building-permit process
The pre-permit review could add nearly three weeks to the current permitting process
CIB improves financial situation with more cuts
The Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board’s dire financial situation might be improving enough that it may forego the
first installment of a $27 million state loan.
Frequent GOP candidate Scott wants to face Carson
A Butler University professor who has run for Congress several times says he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge
Democratic Rep. Andre Carson of Indianapolis next year.
Stimulus spending likely helping teachers the most
Teachers appear to have benefited most from the effort to save jobs with the $787 billion recovery package, which sent billions
of dollars to states that were on the verge of ordering heavy layoffs in education.
Study: Taxing services could yield state $6.8B
The non-partisan Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute this morning released a new study exploring the ramifications of expanding
the state’s sales tax to include services.
Economist: Recovery at hand, but barriers exist
Leading
indicators show that an economic recovery likely will take hold in 2010, although several challenges remain that could delay
a solid rebound from the worst recession in a generation, an economist said Friday morning at IBJ’s annual Economic Forecast.
Federal workers dodging layoffs
One of the best places to have waited out this recession was in federal government. Federal workers have pretty much gotten
a bye on pink slips at a time private sector employees have taken it on the chin.
Trade deficit narrows unexpectedly to $30.7B
The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in August as exports posted a small gain, while imports fell on a big drop in
demand for foreign oil.
Stimulus to brighten city’s traffic lights
The bright lights of Indiana’s largest city are getting brighter—at hundreds of street intersections, anyway.
Grocery, housing projects could rejuvenate stretch of 16th Street
A troubled low-income housing project has a new owner with plans to redevelop the complex to better
connect with the Herron Morton Place neighborhood. Next door, Kroger has revived efforts to acquire
land and plan a new supermarket to replace a cramped, old-format location.
Mayor seeks your suggestions
The newly created Indy
Ideas Web site and the Neighborhood Association Council are both intended to encourage participation in local government.
Securities firm Stifel Nicolaus balks at fraud charge
Transactions cited in the complaint involved advisers scattered across the firm’s seven Indiana offices, though two-thirds
were clients of Jeff Cohen.
Green year for city hall, businesses
It’s been a year since Republican Mayor Greg Ballard launched the City’s Office of Sustainability. On Oct. 6,
Ballard and his sustainability director, Karen Haley, outlined accomplishments in the first year.
House OKs defense bill that funds Rolls Royce engine
Despite a vaguely worded veto threat by President Barack Obama, the House on Thursday easily adopted a major defense
policy bill that calls for continued development of a costly alternative engine for the Pentagon’s next-generation fighter
jet.