MAY 15-21, 2026
In seven weeks of doing business, The Besties’ Table breakfast and brunch restaurant has transformed an unremarkable intersection near the University of Indianapolis into a culinary hotspot. Dave Lindquist digs into the sudden success of homegrown restaurateur Tyler Williams. Also in this week’s issue, Joey Harris explains how the state is trying to help a generation of small-business entrepreneurs with their succession plans. And Daniel Bradley reports on a 12-year-old patient at Riley Children’s Health who is the first person in Indiana to receive a new gene therapy for a rare blood disorder.
Front PageBack to Top
New breakfast, brunch spot attracts outsized crowds
In seven weeks of doing business, The Besties’ Table breakfast and brunch restaurant has transformed an unremarkable intersection near the University of Indianapolis into a culinary hot spot.
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State office aims to help small-business owners with succession plans
Nearly one-fifth of Indiana’s economic output comes from businesses owned by people over the age of 55, according to a recent analysis from the Indiana Business Research Center.
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Q&A with entrepreneur Harrison Painter on AI, marketing and feeling claustrophobic
He sat down with IBJ to talk about his entrepreneurial journey, how he got interested in artificial intelligence and what he’s up to with his latest startup, LaunchReady.ai.
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Riley patient is first in Indiana to receive gene therapy for blood condition
Beta thalassemia major, also known as Cooley’s anemia and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, causes the body’s red blood cells to produce less hemoglobin than usual.
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Indianapolis plans to inventory parking needs
Indianapolis plans to pay $350,780 to Boston-based Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates to conduct a parking availability study that is expected to be complete early next year.
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Derek Schultz: History suggests this year’s Indy 500 will be momentous
Hurtling toward the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500, we’re now a decade removed from the event’s celebrated 100th milestone. But the 2016 race isn’t the only notable race to fall on years ending with 6.
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Lilly announces $50M contribution to UNICEF USA for children’s health
The Indianapolis-based drugmaker will work to support UNICEF’s efforts to strengthen primary health care systems to prevent, detect and manage noncommunicable diseases in children and adolescents.
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Buckingham floats 58-unit townhome project by Indiana Farm Bureau building downtown
The site, a narrow stretch of green space over 3.1 acres, has been owned by Indiana Farm Bureau since the 1980s.
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Westfield council OKs developer’s plan for 300 apartments, 25 townhomes
Washington, D.C.-based Level 2 Development LLC plans to develop the $80 million project on 16.5 acres along State Road 32.
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Pizza festival organizer plans fresh start at new location
The second Indianapolis Pizza Festival is scheduled for Oct. 17 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, coinciding with the World Food Championships.
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Robert Garton, who led Indiana Senate for 36 years, dies at 92
Garton spent 36 years in the Indiana Senate, serving eight terms from 1970 to 2006 and representing Bartholomew County and parts of Johnson County.
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Broadcast blackout lifted for Indy 500 as grandstand tickets sell out
The sellout means that the traditional broadcast delay that blankets central Indiana will be suspended to allow local fans to watch the race live on television for the third consecutive year.
Read MoreFocusBack to Top
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum building restoration, event center
For the second time in three years, work is underway on a major project tied to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum — this one meant to house the organization’s restoration projects and vehicle storage operation.
Read MoreOpinionBack to Top
Editorial: Lilly earns kudos for 150 years of innovation, economic impact
There’s no doubt the company has been among Indiana’s greatest innovators, employing tens of thousands of Hoosiers and contributing significantly to our state’s economy.
Read MoreLesley Weidenbener: We made a mistake and owe an apology
Internally, we are talking about the need — even in hyper-competitive situations — to slow down a beat and be more deliberate about what we’re doing.
Read MoreAaron Baute: Greater Lafayette is seizing the semiconductor opportunity
At Ivy Tech Community College’s Lafayette campus, we are focused on preparing students for the rapidly evolving career opportunities of the 21st century and setting them up for long-term success.
Read MoreCynthia Cardona and Chelsea Haring-Cozzi: Rewriting the story on street homelessness in Indianapolis
Stable housing is one of the most powerful drivers of health. By removing the instability of life on the streets, the Streets to Home Indy initiative creates conditions for better physical and mental health from day one.
Read MoreJalene Hahn: Hurdle the barriers to planning for long-term care
While the need for planning is understood, action is often lacking.
Read MoreGarrett Mintz: Tell the truth: Change initiatives require honesty
Change becomes painful when not everyone agrees that the current way of operating can be improved or when they are unclear about the need.
Read MoreCecil Bohanon and John Horowitz: Inflation’s high, so expanding money supply isn’t the answer
Many, if not most, economists believe that for inflation to increase because of an unexpected oil price rise or larger federal deficit — or for that matter, pretty much anything — the Federal Reserve Bank must accommodate the “shock” by expanding the money supply.
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New sandwich shop set to open in former Yolk space in Salesforce Tower
Indy’s Best Sandwich Place is the first restaurant for a new enterprise that aspires to open up to 15 fast-casual eateries in central Indiana.
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Senior services agency plans 90 job cuts after loss of government funding
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions said the cuts are the result of the state of Indiana transitioning its Bureau of Disabilities Services Medicaid waiver case management to new contracted agencies.
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Eli Simon lauds Gen Z in debut earnings report as Simon Property CEO
In his debut earnings call in the role of Simon Property Group’s chief executive, Eli Simon talked about what drove $1.76 billion in first-quarter revenue.
Read MoreForefrontBack to Top
Adam H. Berry: Let’s advance reforms to keep state’s competitive edge
Tort costs imposed a $7.9 billion burden on Indiana’s economy in 2022, nearly $3,000 per household.
Read MoreAndrew Berger: Safeguard Indiana’s economy through legal reform
Compounding this issue is the alarming trend of nuclear verdicts, or jury awards exceeding $10 million.
Read MoreRobert W. Johnson: Let’s be honest about why limits are being sought
Any reform should be guided by data and judicial experience, not by lobbyists seeking to protect their clients from accountability.
Read MoreMatthew J. Whitley: 0.01% of tort cases reach juries. Where’s the crisis?
More tort reform would simply make it harder for ordinary Hoosiers to seek justice and hold corporations accountable when no one else will.
Read MoreDana Black: Showing the importance of majority-Black districts
MAGA wanted to redistrict the one Black congressman Indiana sends to D.C.
Read MoreKaren Celestino-Horseman: Five takeaways from the May 5 primary
Last week’s contests delivered several revealing lessons about the state of Indiana politics.
Read MoreLindsay Shipps Haake: We need to improve voter rights, enforce election law
Accountability requires each of us to conduct ourselves within the law regarding elections.
Read MoreAbdul-Hakim Shabazz: What $13M and a presidential endorsement buys you
It did not buy… what it was sold to buy, which was the head of Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray.
Read MoreCurt Smith: Primary results are strong reminder of Trump’s influence
The second clear verdict is that the Indiana Senate is shifting rightward.
Read MoreJennifer Wagner Chartier: How to respond to our emotional ‘Inside Out’ moment
Pick your favorite AI and ask it to play your political opposite.
Read MoreWhitley Yates: Primaries, power and the price of political deviation
These senators did not lose because they were ineffective legislators. They lost because they misidentified their jury.
Read MoreRep. Ed DeLaney: Reflecting on Republican ruin in Indiana
Loyalty now is paid to a party that no longer functions as a brake on extremism.
Read MoreDeborah Daniels: Let’s ban insider trading by members of Congress
Insider trading is against the law — but this congressional activity is not well-regulated.
Read MoreBill Taft: Let’s return the Old City Hall to its original use
This vacant but beautiful building sits ready to host the ceremonial and community functions of local government.
Read MoreJim Shella: Analyzing Trump’s efforts to control the media
I share all of this to make the case that preserving the First Amendment requires eternal vigilance.
Read MoreClaire Fiddian-Green: How Richard M. Fairbanks amplified the Indy 500
Few individuals had a greater influence on turning the Indy 500 into a mass-audience spectacle than (broadcaster) Richard M. Fairbanks.
Read MoreGeorge Gemelas: 3 exciting innovations to reimagine solar in Indiana
Let’s build solar canopies over parking lots.
Read MoreBrad Rateike: Seeing my brother in a new and commanding light
In that moment, I realized I wasn’t just looking at my younger brother anymore. I was seeing a fully formed leader.
Read MoreRichard Feldman: Smoking out Trump’s pullback on health protections
The headline is the evisceration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health.
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