JULY 20-26, 2009
Front PageBack to Top
Indianapolis golf course contracts up for bid
Mayor Greg Ballard’s
administration is requesting proposals to manage all but one of Indianapolis’
13 municipal courses.
Supermarket shuffle at Conseco Fieldhouse
Marketers and grocery store insiders say The Kroger Co.’s recently announced deal to partner with the Indiana Pacers and
Indiana Fever isn’t just another sponsorship agreement.
Top StoriesBack to Top
Long-term-care business to help Wishard cover construction debt
To pay for a shiny new downtown hospital, the parent corporation of Wishard Health Services will commit itself to yearly
debt payments 10 times as high as they are now. But Wishard officials have no doubt they can bear the extra load
because of places like Rosewalk Village, a nursing home that sits on the eastern side of Indianapolis.
Lauth’s lawyers raking in big fees in bankruptcy reorganization
Developer Lauth Group Inc. is sparing no expense on attorneys in the Chapter 11 reorganization of key subsidiaries. The company has hired two of the nation’s most prominent bankruptcy and restructuring specialists to handle the cases, and the bill for the first month easily will exceed $1 million.
Read MoreA taste of summer: CPA spends summers as ice cream man
Certified public accountant Dave Norris bought a 1976 Good Humor truck and started his family-owned U Want Ice Cream mobile
route in 2007, aiming to make a personal connection with people—along with
a little extra money.
Neighborhood taps cash languishing in account
City to unleash $3.8 million for improvements in United North West Area.
Read MoreHoosier Academies leads chase for virtual charter schools
Hoosier Academies is the leading candidate to operate a controversial virtual charter school pilot program authorized last
month by the Legislature.
Why ailing Emmis could bounce back
Let’s play the contrarian. For Emmis, that means arguing that the battered company is poised for resurgence, rather than sliding
deeper into the abyss.
Riverside course proceeds support preschool
One of the city’s golf course operators, Bob Thompson, has donated his earnings from two facilities to a single charitable
cause the past 15 years.
FocusBack to Top
Health care marketers taking the pulse of consumers’ online habits
Health care marketers can adapt to, and even use to their advantage, the online search habits of consumers.
Understanding when and why people search for specific health-related terms is vital to attracting more
visitors (i.e. patients) to a Web site.
State law aims to attract doctors to areas in need of care
A state law that went into effect July 1 attempts to attract young physicians and mental health practitioners to underserved
areas by forgiving part of their student loans. But Indiana’s budget woes prevented lawmakers from allocating funds
to support the program.
Potential obesity breakthrough boosts Marcadia
Favorable article in prestigious journal could draw attention to Carmel biotech startup.
Read MoreDrug industry funds Democrat-led panel on health care reform
The pharmaceutical industry—which for two decades has given twice as much in campaign donations
to Republicans as Democrats—organized a panel composed mostly of Democrats this month in Indianapolis
to argue its position on health care reform.
Professors go online to revolutionize drug discovery
Two chemistry professors at IUPUI are laboring to create the McDonald’s of research laboratories—low-cost and all over the world.
Read MoreBATTEN: FTC could resolve antitrust concerns on health care reform
President Obama recently announced a cooperative initiative where health care industry leaders plan to
work together to reform the ailing health care system. Shortly after that announcement, the national
media machine spawned considerable concern among several health care groups that the cooperative effort might violate
federal antitrust laws for collusion and price fixing among competitors.
PEASE: Archaic physical therapy laws drive up health costs
If you want to see a physical therapist in Indiana, you must first see a physician for a consultation
and referral. It’s the law. Indiana is one of only six states where patients are denied direct
access to physical therapy treatment, and one of only two states where evaluation without referral is
prohibited.
OpinionBack to Top
EDITORIAL: City’s fiscal creativity deserves support
In trying times, people and businesses often have to get creative to make ends meet. The same should hold true for local government. That’s why we commend city leaders for thinking outside the box in considering two initiatives to cut costs and generate public revenue.
Read MoreKATTERJOHN: Climbing mountains for Parkinson’s
What is it about mountains? People climb them because they’re there. People climb them because the experience
is humbling and rewarding. People climb them because they represent a physical and mental challenge that, once met, is deeply
satisfying.
MARCUS: Men, women use time differently
On an average day, nearly 83 percent of women, but only 64 percent of men, spend time engaged in household activities, according to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Plus, when women engage in household activities, they average two hours and 35 minutes per day while men average two hours and one minute.
Read MoreALTOM: Technology moves too fast for law to keep up
Technologists don’t usually give the law a basketful of respect. From our point of view, the law is struggling frantically to stay within a hundred yards of our bleeding edge. By the time the law gets around to speaking on a technical subject, the subject may not even exist anymore.
Read MoreINVESTING: Looming debt problems present an opportunity
Whenever this bear market bottoms—and there is a growing possibility that we will see new lows in coming months—millions of investors will be throwing all kinds of assets away for pennies on the dollar. The discounts so far could pale in comparison. So, be patient, be prudent and be ready.
Read MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Stimulus plan must work now … or it never will
The postmortem and dissection of the federal economic stimulus plan have begun in earnest. The president has added to his woes by saying the stimulus will take years, not months, to work, and his chief economist managed to squeak out the headline or two that the worst is ahead of us.
Read MoreLIPPERT: GM woes strike close to home
As someone who grew up in Michigan during the 1960s and 1970s, watching General Motors Corp. self-destruct was like seeing a loved one make bad decisions then watching him suffer the consequences.
Read MoreIPS was winner in state budget
IBJ is completely off base to suggest that the new state budget was “balanced on the backs of poor children.”
As has been true of every state budget for the last two decades, students in Indianapolis Public Schools and other urban districts
are actually the biggest winners in this budget.
FedEx must maintain flexibility
Like many businesses and local commerce, the FedEx Express hub at Indianapolis International Airport is trying to thrive during a decline in shipping and an increase in fuel prices.
Read MoreArea cities have curb appeal
I agree with [Morton Marcus’ June 15 column] on urban entryways. I just wanted to point out that two of our small towns in Indianapolis have done a good job of making entryways into their community attractive.
Read MoreStopping nukes should be priority
Uniting the Arab world toward accepting
Israel is very important, but stopping Iran from developing nuclear capability must be top priority for all our world.
Brebeuf makes green strides
In 2007, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory
School was named the first Green Flag School in Indiana as part of a national environmental awards program
that creates safer and healthier school environments through investigation, education, innovation and action.
In BriefBack to Top
IUPUI rethinks track and field stadium
In its 20-year master strategy unveiled in December, IUPUI planned to tear down its track-and-field stadium along New York Street to make room for a mixed-use housing and retail development. Now IUPUI Chancellor Charles Bantz says those plans have been reconsidered.
Read MoreTwo Indianapolis restaurants close
Sister eateries Café Nora and Ruth’s Keystone Cafe have closed, owner Jim Nethercott said.
Read MoreAutomotive industry’s fall dilutes manufacturing jobs
The fact that Indiana is shedding manufacturing jobs is well-known, but you can thank a neighbor to the north for keeping track of every last one. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported recently that Wisconsin had taken the top spot, ahead of Indiana, in terms of the portion of employment in manufacturing—15.6 percent, versus Hoosiers’ 15.4 percent.
Read MoreDodge exits Hispanic radio stations
After 3-1/2 years, Russ Dodge has exited as general manager of WSYW-AM 810 and WEDJ-FM 107.1. Both stations, which are
owned by California-based Continental Broadcast Group LLC, air Hispanic music and programming.
Humane Society offering 2-for-1 special on cats
Humane Society of Indianapolis has been running adoption specials that have people lining up outside the Michigan Road shelter on weekends.
Read MoreContest offers services for small-business makeovers
Nine local companies have joined together to offer $80,000 worth of marketing services, computer reconfiguration and office furniture as the prize the “Indy Business Makeover Competition” for small businesses.
Read More