JAN. 8-14, 2021
The push to stage all of March Madness in the Indy area will be a herculean effort involving city and state officials, tourism and civic leaders, national broadcasters and likely thousands of volunteers. Mickey Shuey has the highlights and fine details from the still-evolving to-do list on the (likely) giant whiteboard at the effort’s headquarters. Also in this week’s issue, John Russell examines the lukewarm reception for Eli Lilly and Co.’s revolutionary antibody treatment for COVID-19. And Kurt Christian outlines the aggressive plans of Culver’s super-franchisee Jeff Meyer of Noblesville as he stakes out his new company headquarters and readies for 10 more locations.
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Culver’s franchisee plans up to 10 more restaurants, new Noblesville HQ
Jeff Meyer is turning the former Boys & Girls Club at 1700 Conner St. into his company’s headquarters. And he plans to keep things rolling by opening another eight to 10 stores by the end of 2023.
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Lilly’s COVID treatment sparks little demand
For a highly touted drug meant to keep throngs of people out of hospitals during a pandemic, Eli Lilly and Co.’s wonder treatment bamlanivimab sure has been slow to catch on.
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NCAA’s March Madness will be test Indy was ‘made for’
The herculean effort over the next 2-1/2 months will involve city and state officials, tourism and civic leaders, and likely thousands of volunteers.
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Home dedicated to LGBTQ young adults set to open in Indy
The state’s first dedicated homeless shelter for young adults who identify as LGBTQ will open its doors this year in Indianapolis, providing services that advocates say are desperately needed.
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Service firms receiving multiple buyout offers from private equity investors
Private equity firms are simply head over heels for service firms such as plumbing and heating and air-conditioning companies.
Read MoreQ&A with Casey Sampson, 3rd generation owner of Samson Family Leather
Samson and his wife, Abbie, took over the business nine years ago and have diversified from repairing shoes and making leather mugs to reproducing Colonial-era apparel and accessories.
Read MoreHousing advocates worry about veto override of controversial landlord-tenant legislation
Senate Enrolled Act 148 would have prevented all local governments from regulating any aspect of landlord-tenant relationships and would have blocked tenant protections that the city of Indianapolis had put in place last spring.
Read MoreIndy Beacons: Carl Fisher, master promoter and automotive pioneer
Carl Fisher joined with other businessmen to create the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909.
Read MoreIBJ promotes Weidenbener to editor, puts new emphasis on investigative reporting
Managing Editor Lesley Weidenbener has been elevated to the top spot in the newsroom, while Editor Greg Andrews transitions to a role focusing on investigative reporting for IBJ while continuing to write a column.
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Indianapolis state senator files bill to take control of IMPD away from Hogsett
Senate Bill 168, authored by Republican Sen. Jack Sandlin, would create a five-member board that would oversee and govern the police department.
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Environmental, social and governance issues are shaping investment portfolios like never before
The approach now known as ESG investing has been around for decades, but it started to take off in Europe and the United States in late 2018 and early 2019.
Read MoreIt’s wise to be skeptical of 2021 market forecasts
If anything, 2020 should have proven once and for all the futility of trying to make accurate market predictions.
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Editorial: Holcomb got it right, so let his veto stand
It’s disappointing that a Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill that would preempt local control of something as community based as landlord/tenant regulations. But lawmakers did it and we don’t think they should override the governor’s veto of the bill.
Read MoreLesley Weidenbener: How IBJ picked 40 influential people
Naming 40 influential people proved to be interesting, inspiring and incredibly difficult.
Read MoreScott Keller: Transform unused People Mover into Black Heritage Trail
The Indiana Black Heritage Trail would literally “rise above” Indianapolis and be a tangible symbol of institutional memory in support of Indiana’s Black leaders.
Read MoreEarl Martin Phalen & Scott Bess: Charter schools should get fair share of education funding
Giving these students the support they need to thrive—social workers, social and emotional supports, and more—requires resources.
Read MorePETE THE PLANNER: Steer clear of sharing details of your finances with friends
Context is everything, and there’s no way you’ll ever have enough context to understand another person’s financial life, especially in casual, social settings.
Read MoreCharlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow: Take your email seriously so you are taken seriously
Unlike a verbal conversation, emails create perpetual, written records of business messaging. If executed well, email is an effective and expedient form of business communication, but confusing messaging can leave a lasting bad impression.
Read MoreBOHANON & CUROTT: Market behemoths aren’t as entrenched as you think
Playing Monopoly can be a lot of fun, but don’t confuse it for a free market.
Read MoreLetter: Leave law enforcement to the police
From first grade to 12th grade, law enforcement officers came to our schools and stated: “Never take law enforcement into your own hands.” That’s what homeowner groups are doing with license plate cameras.
Read MoreLetter: What does Indy 2060 look like?
The opportunity for bold leadership has never been greater.
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Fountain Square record store to nearly double in size, add kitchen
Square Cat Vinyl at 1054 Virginia Ave. is expanding into a 2,400-square-foot space previously occupied by Vintage Vogue, a Goodwill store for fashionable second-hand clothing that closed in March 2020.
Read MoreWooden McLaughlin merges with national law firm Dinsmore & Shohl
Dinsmore, a national firm with more than 700 attorneys in 29 cities, will add Wooden’s 47 attorneys and offices in Indianapolis, Evansville and Bloomington.
Read MoreAutotrader parent acquires Indianapolis-based Dickinson Fleet Services
Dickinson has about 1,000 employees overall, including 200 in Indianapolis. It operates 18 nationwide service centers and a fleet of more than 700 mobile repair units.
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Mike Lopresti: Referees are hard to find in age of COVID-19
The body of officials in Indiana is aging and dwindling, with not enough young replacements. The problem has been growing for years, but COVID made it worse.
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