MARCH 29-APRIL 4, 2010
This week, find out why a judge might force the owner of the Vogue nightclub to sell the popular Broad Ripple venue and see why Duke Realty is crying foul over attorney fees in a concrete price-fixing case. In Focus, read about why venture capital funds are getting stingier. And in A&E, travel to Paraguay with columnist Frank Basile.
Front PageBack to Top
Airport ponders radical ideas to boost revenue
The Indianapolis Airport Authority is poised to pull out all the stops to maximize revenue in the face of declining travel.
Possibilities include hosting a farmer’s market atop the airport parking garage and opening secure areas to shoppers who aren’t
flying anywhere.
Final Four helps Indianapolis warm up for 2012 Super Bowl
The goal of any host city of a major sporting event is simple: Rake in as much cash as possible during the days the event
is in town and maximize future economic potential by boosting the city’s image among everyone who watches on television.
Execution is more difficult.
Employers fret over health care overhaul
Most employers in central Indiana are just beginning to figure out what the health insurance reform bill will mean for their
businesses. Caterpillar Inc., which employs nearly 1,500 at an engine plant in Lafayette, expects costs to rise about 20 percent.
Top StoriesBack to Top
Vogue owner’s bankruptcy may force sale of venue
A mix of business and personal woes have pushed Steven Carter Ross, the longtime owner and manager of the Vogue nightclub,
into personal bankruptcy. Now a judge must decide whether Ross can keep the popular Broad Ripple music venue, or if he must
sell it to satisfy his creditors and his estranged wife.
Local security division of Stanley keys growth for company
Stanley Black & Decker, based in New Britain, Conn., reported 2009 profit of $224 million. Its Indianapolis-based security
division, one of three segments, accounted for more than half those earnings.
Big payday for lawyers in concrete price-fixing case irks Duke
Duke Realty is fighting a request to award an additional $9.7 million in attorneys' fees, calling the amount excessive.
Read MoreFormer Thomson plant back in bankruptcy
A Bloomington investor bought the sprawling complex out of receivership in 2008, and had hoped
to spend more than $20 million to renovate it.
Junior Achievement CEO awaits results of audit
Jennifer Burk, who took the helm in July, wishes she'd asked more questions when she was a board member.
Read MoreUniversities spare fund-raisers amid budget cuts
The IU Foundation recently cut 18 of 201 staff members but nonetheless is looking at adding reinforcements in fund raising.
Read MoreIBJ honored for Simon and Durham stories, Web site
IBJ received three national journalism awards at the Society of American Business Editors and Writers’ annual conference March
20 in Phoenix.
FocusBack to Top
Entrepreneurs lose clout as VC funds get stingier
Most local venture funds are standing pat because the economy is weak and they’re no longer
in fund-raising mode. Having invested most of their funds, the firms have shifted to the nurturing, or “harvesting”
stage, to try to improve investment returns.
OpinionBack to Top
EDITORIAL: Sports payoff is on the way through ‘legacy project’
Sports may be overemphasized in our society, but there’s no doubt they’ve been good to Indianapolis.
Read MoreDAVIS: Finding (and keeping) clarity through cancer
Almost eight months ago, I used this space to share the new perspective on life I discovered as a side effect of my battle
with cancer. A lot has happened since then, and I’m still marveling at the difference—even as I struggle to hold
onto it.
MARCUS: Set sights on education, not graduation
The dimmer wits in the Indiana General Assembly want to compensate colleges and universities according to their graduation
rates. This is another example of shallow reasoning by our elected representatives reflecting erroneous thought that has permeated
our society.
WEIGAND: Let’s rethink fixes for urban poverty
The message to neighborhoods couldn’t be clearer: It’s absolutely essential to attract and retain middle-class
homeowners with the resources to invest in—and maintain—their own homes, as well as support surrounding businesses.
ALTOM: Do your company data files belong in the ‘cloud’?
The “cloud” is a relatively recent word to describe the Internet, but it has a rather specific connotation. It
refers to the Internet’s ability to take individual objects and break them into pieces so they can be stored and retrieved
without your knowing exactly where they’ve been.
HICKS: Health care battle won, but what about war?
The potential flaws in this bill are so enormous that to opponents of the bill it looks like planned failure, designed to usher in a national health service.
Read MoreHAUKE: As a rule, market doesn’t reflect today’s bad news
Until a bull market reaches its last stages (the final three to 12 months), there is a general lack of belief that the market
can go higher.
Story on prosecutor was inaccurate
I feel it’s necessary to question the fair and balanced
reporting on the part of Cory Schouten in his article, “Brizzi’s lease deals benefited friend, donor,” published
March 15.
In BriefBack to Top
Docs fear reform will exacerbate ER overuse
One of the most agreed-upon reasons for health care reform was the expensive overuse of the emergency room by uninsured patients.
But two Hoosier ER docs—one conservative, one liberal—say the implementation of ObamaCare will leave that fundamental
problem unresolved.
New Indy Hub Web site markets city to young professionals
The site, created by TrendyMinds, is aimed at out-of-town job candidates, who might be unaware of the city’s cultural
and entertainment offerings.
IUPUI coach Ron Hunter receives Good Guy award
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association is recognizing Hunter’s efforts on behalf of millions of children around the world
who are in need of shoes.
Department of Waterworks chief to address canal concerns
Matthew Klein has agreed to serve on a panel discussion concerning the canal: “Indy’s Central Canal—public
resource
or private pipeline?” during the Indiana University Law Environmental Symposium, April 1 at IUPUI’s Inlow Hall.
Indianapolis to host conference for occupational therapists
Attracting the meeting is a coup for Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association officials who are trying to pull in
more health-related events.
FormSpring.com changes name to eliminate confusion with social site
Since the company was founded in 2006, it has racked up customers from 110 countries, providing them numerous Web forms to
capture customer/client information.
NFP of NOTE: Assistance League of Indianapolis
The Assistance League of Indianapolis is an all-volunteer organization whose members identify, develop, implement, manage,
and raise funds for ongoing philanthropic programs to serve specific needs of children and adults in the greater Indianapolis
area.