The Indiana Court of Appeals yesterday rejected a challenge to a state law that eliminated most township assessor offices across the state. The court agreed with a Huntington County court decision that found state lawmakers had the legal right to eliminate the elected offices in midterm. Huntington Township Assessor Joan Stoffel had argued that the […]
Lower gasoline prices, while good news for drivers, were a gut punch for ethanol producers and promoters of the high-ethanol blend known as E85. In Minnesota, the nation’s leader in E85 pumps, sales fell off by more than half this spring compared with the year before, a disappointment to E85 producers and the farmers who […]
A bankruptcy judge has approved a plan by Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings to buy Frontier Airlines, although other bidders could still come forward. Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc. spokesman Steve Snyder said the judge approved the plan at a hearing today in New York. Republic, a regional carrier that currently flies for other airlines, is offering […]
By BREE FOWLER AP Auto Writer NEW YORK A bankruptcy judge on Monday approved a deal that could shift some of auto parts supplier Delphi’s assets to General Motors Co., which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week. U.S. Judge Robert Gerber, who is overseeing the liquidation of Motors Liquidation Co., the collection of […]
Purdue University’s trustees have approved increasing tuition by 5 percent for Indiana students the next two years along with phasing in a $500 fee for new students. The trustees executive committee voted unanimously today in support of the increase, which will add $388 to the tuition bill for in-state students on the West Lafayette campus. […]
Indiana’s higher education commissioner is urging college students and their parents to attend public meetings about next year’s tuition rates. Colleges and universities hold public meetings on proposed tuition rates before their boards vote on the final numbers. Higher Education Commissioner Teresa Lubbers says the meetings are a chance for parents and students to tell […]
A $754 million project is being proposed to replace the aging Wishard Memorial Hospital in downtown Indianapolis. Hospital officials say renovating the current facility is not practical because its mechanical systems are failing and the patient rooms can’t accommodate modern equipment. Wishard’s facility is spread over 17 buildings, many of which were built before World […]
Indiana welfare officials considering canceling the state’s privately run welfare system have no backup plan in place, and critics say it will be hard to undo the privatization of 1,500 state case workers more than two years ago. Anne Murphy, secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration, confirmed recently that the system led by […]
The new General Motors will be far faster and more responsive to customers than the old one, and it will make money and repay government loans faster than required, CEO Fritz Henderson said today as the company emerged from bankruptcy protection. Henderson said the automaker completed its 40-day stay under court supervision far faster than […]
The U.S. trade deficit fell to the lowest level in more than nine years in May as exports posted a small gain while the weak American economy pushed imports down for a 10th straight month. The Commerce Department said today the deficit narrowed to $26 billion, a drop of 9.8 percent from April and the […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has given five Indiana grantees a combined $22.9 million to help families avoid homelessness or to quickly find new housing if they lose their homes. State government will receive $16.3 million. HUD also gave $3.9 million to Indianapolis, $1.2 million to Evansville, $874,000 to Fort Wayne and […]
Purdue University officials plan to start adding a $500 surcharge to the tuition bills of new students. The plan calls for the fee to be waived for in-state students this year only, but be charged to all new out-of-state students starting this fall. Officials say the fee is needed because of an expected decline in […]
The first short stretch of the Interstate 69 extension between Evansville and Indianapolis could be finished months ahead of schedule. Work began last year on the about 2-mile segment between I-64 and State Road 68 near Evansville and was expected to be completed in July 2010. But state highway department spokeswoman Cher Goodwin said traffic […]
State officials say cities and counties across Indiana could save about 40 percent on their road-salt expenses for this winter under a new joint purchasing program. Many local governments saw their bills for salt double in the past couple years, forcing some to reduce their road treatment. The Indiana Department of Administration said today that […]
Law school tuition at Indiana University in Bloomington could go up nearly 25 percent this fall, and other graduate programs might see double-digit increases as well. The proposed increase for the Maurer School of Law would see in-state tuition grow to $24,000 a year. Law school Dean Lauren Robel blames the tuition hike on a […]
The number of newly laid-off U.S. workers filing initial claims for jobless benefits last week fell to the lowest level since early January, largely due to changes in the timing of auto industry layoffs. Continuing claims, meanwhile, unexpectedly jumped to a record high. While layoffs are slowing, unemployed workers are having a difficult time finding […]
South Bend’s mayor said he would recommend laying off 19 police officers and 45 firefighters if a local income tax increase isn’t approved. Mayor Stephen Luecke said last night that more than 200 jobs, or about 15 percent of the city’s work force, might have to be cut and spending on snow removal reduced by […]
Ball State University is proposing a tuition and fees increase of about 4.2 percent for the coming school year, a slightly smaller hike than those planned at other public universities in Indiana. Under Ball State’s proposal, in-state undergraduate students would pay an extra $329 for 2009-10, or a total of about $7,830 for the academic […]
A former Indiana pastor and his sons have pleaded not guilty to charges they bilked church members out of millions of dollars intended for church construction projects. A Sullivan County judge appointed defense attorneys today for 65-year-old Vaughn Reeves, 40-year-old Chris and 32-year-old Josh. The oldest son, 44-year-old Chip, is being represented by attorneys Jim […]
One of the nation’s largest Christian denominations is addressing the nation’s financial crisis with what it hopes will be a spiritual teaching moment as well as a cost-saver. Fifty United Methodist Church bishops in the United States will roll back their salaries by 4 percent next year in what Bishop Gregory Palmer of Springfield, Ill., […]
