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Duke lacrosse publicity a concern to all prosecutors: The ‘Nifong effect’ likely to have an impact on public perception, courtroom strategy, Indiana attorneys say

Indiana prosecutors worry about heightened suspicion of any charging decision they make as a result of the recent highprofile disbarment of a North Carolina prosecutor. Talk started months ago, but banter took a new surge following Michael Nifong’s nationally televised disciplinary proceeding June 16. He was disbarred for violating professional conduct rules in his prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players falsely accused of rape. “Around the country and here, prosecutors are talking about the Nifong effect,” said Stephen Johnson,…

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PROFILE ANNIE-O’S: Party planner’s plan: Help others celebrate Personal losses helped owner appreciate the good times

“I don’t find that some direct-mail piece says what I do,” said Dezelan, owner of Annie-O’s event planning. “I think a lot of what sells myself is me-my personality.” That’s why, Dezelan said, most of her new business comes via word-of-mouth, from people who’ve met the energetic 36-year-old with the big, bright personality. Her marketing efforts try to reflect that personality. Dezelan recently revamped the Annie-O’s Web site so that “it’s like a party at your desk,” she said. On…

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Court reporters in short supply: School closings lead to openings

Tom Richardson credits fictional defense attorney Perry Mason and the climactic trials on the long-running television series for prompting him to become a court reporter more than 30 years ago. But the romance of participating in a high-profile court case or deposition and translating riveting testimony seems to be lost on the younger set. Industry experts say the dwindling number of licensed court reporters and the closure of a number of court-reporting schools have mired the profession in a severe…

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Tax hike may finally settle police pension problem: Measure could end 30-year battle over public safety

The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council is considering a proposal from Mayor Bart Peterson to raise at least $85 million annually for public safety through an increase in local income taxes. Since Democrats control the Council 15 to 14, the measure is expected to pass by the end of July and take effect Oct. 1. The tax hike would finally settle a 30-year battle that constantly pitted public safety’s immediate needs against its longterm pension obligations. Much of the revenue generated…

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Commentary: Chasing after the younger crowd

A couple of weeks ago, I ate lunch with an attorney friend who was telling me about his eldest daughter-born, raised and now living in Indianapolis. A 27-year-old registered nurse, she was preparing to move to Chicago because she thinks “there is nothing to do here” for people her age. This really hit home for me because I have two daughters in the same age range living here, and both are starting to talk about moving away for a while,…

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Bigger not best for all: drophead Many attorneys find greener pastures in smaller practices after leaving major firms

not Bigger leaving best for red all tape drophead Many attorneys find greener pastures in smaller practices after leaving major firms When lawyers Debra Miller and James Fisher fled legal powerhouse Ice Miller LLP and the prestigious partner status they had earned, their stable of coworkers swiftly sank from nearly 250 to none. Yet 15 months later, after the pair left the largest law firm in the city, they say they’re quite content practicing together at Miller & Fisher LLC,…

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INVESTING: Rising interest rates not a reason to get defensive

Investors the world over are in an uproar about the increase in U.S. interest rates over the last month. Fundamental guys are screaming that the cost of capital is now prohibitive to further growth. Technical guys are screaming that 25- year support levels were broken and now the floodgates are open to much higher rates. Somewhere a voice of reason needs to be heard. You’ve come to the right place. The fact is that interest rates have been trending higher…

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HUMAN RESOURCES: If you hire in a hurry, you may feel bad for a long time

Of all the components of finding and hiring the right employees, employers consider interviewing job candidates the most difficult. If not done well, interviews can lead an employer to make the wrong decision. Why? Because job candidates rehearse their answers to the traditional interview questions, telling the employers what they want to hear. However, if employers ask behavioral based questions, job candidates can’t manipulate their answers as easily. Perhaps a scenario-a composite taken from typical real-life episodes-will illustrate the difference…

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As barriers drop, even small firms go global: Local company pushed its blood monitor worldwide

Here’s one way to send your company’s revenue through the roof: Push your product into 70 countries around the world. That’s easier said than done, of course. But it’s exactly the path Polymer Technology Systems Inc. took to help quadruple sales of its cholesterol-checking device in the last three years. How Indianapolis-based PTS pulled off the feat shows how even small companies in Middle America can become global enterprises in today’s economy. In fact, the possibility of worldwide expansion is…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Want young employees? Get young technology

I thought I’d explored just about every purpose to which computer hardware and software would lend themselves, but Neil Taflinger of Intake magazine tossed me a new one in the May 17 issue. Technology, he says, is a tool for retaining young employees. Could be, I suppose. Taflinger is one of those young employees he talks about, a real Gen X’er, so he might have some insight here. According to Taflinger, Gen X’ers partly judge any company they work for…

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BULLS & BEARS: Much-touted hedge funds sometimes go badly awry

Some elements of the financial media might have you believe hedge fund managers are, to quote Tom Wolfe, “masters of the universe.” However, some recent blunders, particularly in the hedge-fund departments of the large investment banks, say otherwise. No firm encapsulates a golden-egg-laying machine on Wall Street more than Goldman Sachs. Yet for all of Goldman’s financial muscle, its own flagship hedge fund has recorded awful results over the past year and a half. Dubbed the Global Alpha Fund, Goldman’s…

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Office fight puts print firm on spot

A local printing powerhouse is trying to regain the confidence of its employees and customers after the CEO and his secretary
were involved in a profanity-laced physical altercation at work.

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Smulyan keeps poker face as analysts buzz about future:

Never has there been more static around Emmis Communications Corp. The big challenge these days is handicapping Jeff Smulyan’s next move. Will Emmis’ founder and CEO make another run at taking the radio station operator private? Largely on speculation of a deal, the company’s long-slumping stock (which trades under the ticker EMMS) is up 20 percent for the year. “Buy EMMS now before it’s bought,” CL King & Associates analyst James Boyle wrote in a recent report. Added Wachovia Capital…

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INVESTING: Utilities finally stumble, but don’t lose faith in them

A go-to trade for the last few years is losing some of its sheen. This market-leading sector offered one of the true gems of investing: market-beating returns without a lot of extra risk. A change in that might send small ripples throughout your portfolio. The utility sector has been one of the few areas that led from the lows in early 2003 right up until a few weeks ago. While home builders dropped out more than a year ago and…

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MICKEY MAURER Commentary: Take off blinders to teen drinking

Robocop was sighted in Boone County a couple of weeks ago. It was the occasion of a sleepover graduation party at the home of Jack Trudeau, former quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. To create a safe environment for his daughter and her Park Tudor School classmates at the party, Trudeau reportedly told police, he recorded the name of every guest and confiscated all car keys. Although he said he did not supply liquor, he was no doubt aware that some…

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RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Want to launch a rocket from your USB port?

I’m as much of a capitalist as anybody, but even I’m amazed sometimes at what a free market can come up with. Thanks to one little tiny addition to modern computers, a whole industry has opened up. That addition is the USB port, a little slot on the case of almost all present-day computers. Most now have two or more, in fact. “USB” stands for “universal serial bus,” and it’s replaced the older D-shaped serial ports, round PS2 mouse and…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Focusing on factory jobs misses the big picture

There’s been something peculiar going on in the business media in Indiana over the last few weeks. We’ve been beating ourselves up because the state is losing manufacturing jobs. Headlines about the decline are popping up, and state and local development officials are facing the bright light of media scrutiny. The chatter on Internet “talk-back” forums serves up plenty of people to blame-the governor, the unions, the Chinese and even our neighbors who buy imported goods. But if I could…

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PROFILE: Iasta.com Inc.: From chemicals to coatings E-sourcing software streamlines purchasing cycle

Iasta.comInc. From chemicals to coatings E-sourcing software streamlines purchasing cycle Companies wanting to gain a strategic foothold in today’s fast-paced Internet-based supply chain marketplace are turning to companies like Indianapolisbased Iasta, an e-sourcing software and services company. Co-founder David Bush, senior vice president for business development, said Iasta’s software product allows companies to be more competitive in tracking work flow and to conduct reverse auctions where suppliers can bid for their business. An Indiana University environmental science graduate, Bush started…

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In face of competition, local BBB turns to marketing: Thirty billboards proclaim agency’s trustworthy nature

The Better Business Bureau of Central Indiana this year launched an aggressive billboard advertising campaign to fortify its brand and boost membership, which BBB officials said already is on the rise. In late March, 30 billboards popped up around the city proclaiming “BBB = Trust.” The local Web site, www.indybbb.org, also is featured on the billboards. The campaign cost about $16,000 and will stretch through the summer. Officials already are crediting the effort with a strong uptick in calls to…

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INVESTING: Modern portfolio theory may spawn mediocre returns

A tenet of modern portfolio theory is the call to diversify. Over the long haul, equities have gone up twothirds of the time. That means losses have occurred onethird of the time-and they’ve sometimes been severe. Hypothetically, a greater mix of asset classes should protect against the downside and perhaps even provide a portfolio with gains even when equities are down. But diversify into what? Thirty years ago, when modern portfolio theory was just gaining ground, investors had few choices….

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