MARCH 20-26, 2026
City leaders long have had high hopes for Lugar Plaza, the two-acre civic park immediately south of the City-County Building, but in recent years it has become a magnet for long-term loitering and drug and alcohol abuse. Taylor Wooten explains the city’s new strategy to refresh the plaza. Also in this week’s issue, Dave Lindquist explains how Lucas Oil Stadium became a reliable concert venue. And in Forefront, five Hoosier politicos suggest ways Indiana could increase voter participation.
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Former banker sees more growth opportunities ahead for vehicle-lift dealer
Chris Susott of Carmel bought the Hancock County vehicle equipment company now known as SLE Technologies Inc. He has has diversified the company’s customer base, made several acquisitions and grown its employee count from 20 to 72.
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Prospects for 14th Indiana casino remain an unsure hand
As the dust settles on House Enrolled Act 1038, questions are beginning to emerge about the next steps for turning legislation into a new casino in northeast Indiana.
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Q&A: Discipline and drive led Lopez-Liggett to health care exec role
The St. Louis native joined Anthem Inc. 19 years ago in an entry-level sales position. Now, she leads one of the largest insurers in Indiana.
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In this Final Four matchup, analytics reach another level
The Men’s Final Four Analytics Challenge enables Hoosier undergraduate and graduate students to apply data science and machine learning to real-world challenges.
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City, stakeholders take steps to refresh overlooked Lugar Plaza
Surrounded by dense residential developments and workplaces, the plaza was a buzzy spot when it opened in 2018. Eight years later, it is more frequently a loitering spot, where people have been known to abuse drugs and alcohol.
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Derek Schultz: Of Indiana’s 11 Division I men’s basketball teams, just one heard its name on Selection Sunday
Only Purdue will participate in a postseason tournament.
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Buckingham planning four-floor, $11M office building across from Central Library
Rdoor Housing Corp. is expected to be the primary tenant for the structure at 817 N. Pennsylvania St., which also would have a street-level bank branch.
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Simon family plans to combine S. Meridian St. buildings into single venue
The proposed redevelopment will mean the permanent closure of Bad Axe Throwing, which opened in 2017. The combined building is expected to feature a restaurant, bar and live music venue.
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Indianapolis Zoo CEO Rob Shumaker resigns after leave of absence
Shumaker, who led the Indianapolis Zoo for a decade, began a leave of absence for undisclosed reasons in mid-February.
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Braun: $1B state investment in Indiana’s life sciences expected to create 100K jobs
Seeking to position Indiana as a global leader in agritechnology and life sciences, Gov. Mike Braun unveiled a lofty goal in a public announcement Tuesday morning.
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Longtime GM of JW Marriott Indianapolis handing over the keys
Phil Ray, whose tenure at the largest hotel in Indianapolis include hosting 26 college basketball teams during the pandemic, plans to end his 41-year career in the hospitality industry this spring.
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Indianapolis International lands new airline, new East Coast business routes
The new routes boost the number of nonstop destinations offered by the airport to 57—the most in the airport’s history.
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Lucas Oil Stadium builds resume as a concert venue
Lucas Oil Stadium has lately been an across-the-board “yes” to concert planners more often than at any other time in the venue’s 19-year history.
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Editorial: Plan to invest $1B in life sciences puts resources in smart places
It’s not clear if the new program will represent a big shift in how Indiana currently uses its tax credits. In the past few years, life sciences companies — including Eli Lilly and Co., Elanco Animal Health and others — have received state incentives to expand or retain jobs in Indiana.
Read MoreLesley Weidenbener: My college degrees have served me well, which makes me worry about anti-college sentiment
On May 19, IBJ will host our annual Education Power Breakfast, where the value of a college education will be a topic.
Read MoreAndrew Kossack: The Midwest can be next arsenal of American defense
Regions that can combine engineering talent, testing infrastructure, manufacturing capacity and supply chain access will shape the future of defense production.
Read MoreDr. Patrick McGill: Writing a prescription for affordable, effective health care
Transformational thinking can successfully address Indiana’s health care challenges, but the burden can no longer be placed solely on the shoulders of those delivering the care.
Read MoreJess Carter: Answer to your AI predicament begins with a question
Before you evaluate your data, I’d encourage you to do something deceptively simple: Write down your biggest business problems and opportunities.
Read MoreCecil Bohanon and John Horowitz: Strife at Strait of Hormuz could spark another big oil shock
Even after catastrophic losses, Iran retains enough military capacity to shut the Strait down while American and Israeli leaders scramble to secure safe passage for shipping.
Read MorePete the Planner: Ingredients for recession beginning to fall into place
Before you roll your eyes, let me clarify something important: Recessions don’t just appear out of nowhere.
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Anne Hathaway: Continue to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat
When voters have both flexibility and confidence in the system, participation rises.
Read MoreAmar Patel: Voter turnout problem is really a competition problem
Across the state, too many elections feel decided before voters ever step into the voting booth.
Read MoreMegan Robertson: The high cost of keeping Hoosiers from the polls
The strength of Indiana’s future depends on participation in our democracy.
Read MoreKaren Tallian: Here are two simple steps to expand voter turnout
Extend voting hours. Indiana’s polls close on Election Day at 6 p.m. local time, the earliest closing time in the country.
Read MoreJulia Vaughn: Election Day registration one way to boost voting
Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia allow voters to register and cast their ballot on the same day.
Read MoreKaren Celestino-Horseman: Which explanation for going to war should we believe?
I can assure Trump he will be going down in history but not for the reasons he thinks.
Read MoreLindsay Shipps Haake: Remember, politicians: It’s still the economy, stupid
Hoosiers are on to you, elected officials. If affordability isn’t your priority, you’d better shift priorities quickly.
Read MoreJim Shella: Does residency really matter in modern-day politics?
Residency challenges have become a staple of Indiana politics even though they seldom succeed.
Read MoreJennifer Wagner Chartier: Greg Ballard could create new era for independents
The biggest story here isn’t who’s running, but the door that a successful independent run could blow wide open.
Read MoreDeborah Daniels: Finding new ways to deal with homelessness
It is clear that this is a challenge our community must deal with on behalf of its residents.
Read MoreRep. Ed DeLaney: Legislature pandered to Trump, pummeled Indy
We wasted two weeks of our short session in kowtowing to Trump’s call for early redistricting.
Read MoreCurt Smith: Indiana’s U.S. senators continue pro-family agenda
Let’s hope the full Congress comes to its senses and follows these legislative leaders.
Read MoreDana Black: How the 19th Amendment shows the power of patience
That’s a rare kind of patience, to work for a harvest you will never see.
Read MoreClaire Fiddian-Green: A legacy of public service that still heals lives
Cornelia Cole Fairbanks would be permanently associated not only with civic leadership, but with healing and recovery.
Read MoreGeorge Gemelas: Stop the AI slop. Use the tech to write better.
Done right, AI will sharpen our collective mind and help us solve problems faster. Done wrong, it will only cloud our judgment and slow our ability to act.
Read MoreDr. Richard Feldman: A closer examination of RFK Jr.’s new food pyramid
I remain uneasy, mostly about the pyramid’s promotion of saturated fats.
Read MoreBill Taft: Leadership lessons from historic downtown Richmond
Richmond’s leaders have expanded their view of economic development beyond industry and workforce
Read MoreBrad Rateike: Reflecting on life one cotton swab at a time
Apparently, time moves faster than you think.
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