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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Fallout from government takeovers likely to be modest

It is hard to know what to think about the U.S. Treasury’s takeover of mortgage lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Other than the imminent demise of such charming company nicknames, what will this mean to workers, investors, creditors, mortgage holders and taxpayers? If you are trying to obtain a new mortgage, the bailout (if that’s the right word) should result in modestly lower borrowing costs. If you are an investor (and that mostly means larger banks and a…

IT firm rakes in VC cash: Interactions Corp. has raised $35M since 2002 inception

A fast-growing Carmel startup is using a blend of innovative software and human guides to answer questions over the phone.
The company could have located on either coast, but instead chose Carmel’s Clay Terrace. And the company, Interactions Corp.,
has raised more than twice as much money as ChaCha Search Inc., a higher-profile startup in a similar business that’s also
housed in Clay Terrace.

Green building movement picking up steam in Indiana: More than 100 LEED projects in pipeline statewide

The portfolios of local architectural firms are beginning to boast more ecofriendly projects. But it hasn’t been that way for long. The trend to seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is a recent phenomenon that appeals not only to the tree-hugging crowd but corporations and government entities, too. “We’re definitely getting to the point where clients are asking us about the LEED process,” said Eric Anderson, a project architect at Axis Architecture + Interiors. “Whereas before, even [as…

SPORTS: Venue menu could be as limitless as the sky above it

Of this, that and the other while pondering the fact that the Indianapolis Colts have not yet been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs: So I’m sitting in Lucas Oil Stadium before that seasonopening loss to the Bears and my mind wanders, not to the present, but to the future. Yes, the stadium already is home to the Colts as well as upcoming NCAA basketball, including a men’s regional next spring, the men’s Final Four in 2010, and the Women’s Final…

RETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Browser wars: Should you go for Chrome?

There’s a war being waged all around you, and I’ll bet you haven’t even noticed. Oh, you may have noticed a year or two back, when the media reported on it, but after a while even wars get dull and the press wanders off to report on Jamie Lynn Spears’ baby. There used to be two combatants in the war. One was a behemoth, one of the world’s largest, while the other was an upstart, but gaining ground over time….

Mayor says some of 38 TIF districts have problems, might need reorganization

Mayor Greg Ballard worries his predecessor, Bart Peterson, may have overreached with his ambitious tax-increment-financing
district for the last phase of Fall Creek Place. That phase of the renewed urban neighborhood isn’t producing enough revenue
to support its $6.2 million in outstanding bonds. And Ballard is not sure all of Marion County’s 37 other TIF district are
necessary, either.

Three-year-old Carmel firm tries to distinguish itself in difficult candy industry

A local candy maker has found the sweet spot in an industry where startup efforts often go sour. Founded in 2006, Carmel-based
Candy Dynamics is making a name for itself with its unusual "double-action" sour recipe, eye-catching packaging
and unforgettable names like Toxic Waste Hazardously Sour Candy, Nuclear Sludge and Hi-Voltage Bubble Gum.


Expectations high as Economic Club opens season: Group sees turnaround in sponsorships, attendance

Organizers of the Economic Club of Indiana believe they’ll hit a home run when their first speaker of the season, Eli Lilly and Co.’s new CEO, John Lechleiter, steps to the podium Sept. 24. “I believe John Lechleiter will blow the socks off the place,” predicted Steve Walker, who serves as club president and also is CEO of WalkerInformation. Just a few years ago, club organizers weren’t in a position to be so upbeat. Early this decade, the club witnessed…

Commentary: Can we Bank on Indianapolis?

Whoa. Those figures, based on national averages from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., don’t paint a pretty picture. People without bank accounts tend to keep cash at home or in their pockets, which increases the likelihood of crime. They create a market in which predatory lenders can thrive. They fail to reach their full potential, and so do the cities where they live. We have a problem. Now what can we do about it? We could take a cue from…

FUNNY BUSINESS: This election goes beyond just boxers or briefs

Now that those Laff Riot nominating conventions are over, the major political parties can get down to the serious work of promising to change things by campaigning pretty much the way they always have. Wait. I take that back. I have seen something different about this year’s presidential election campaign, and I don’t mean the obvious stuff, like John McCain and Joe Biden being (and I can’t believe no one has pointed this out) white guys. This is the first…

INVESTING: Government bailouts are only making matters worse

There is a change in the air, and I am not talking about that chill you feel when you walk out in the morning to get your paper. This change I am thinking of is even worse than the chill that signals the end of summer. The federal government of the United States just nationalized two of the largest mortgage companies in the world-Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. On the morning of Sept. 6, when I heard about the move,…

A greener afterlife: Cemeteries, funeral businesses are offering more options for those who want their burial to be more environmentally friendly

Some people think it’s always important to be kind to Mother Earth-even in death. A concept known as “green burial,” in which one is laid to rest in an environmentally friendly fashion, is gaining some popularity nationwide. Methods of green burial vary, but often involve a more natural interment of the body without the use of toxic embalming chemicals. Simple pine or cardboard coffins that will decompose quickly are used instead of steel caskets. Bodies are laid to rest in…

VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: A few ways to put an end your office thermostat wars

It’s game time in corporate Indiana. The competitors: warm-blooded workers vs. cold-blooded workers. The battlefield: the thermostat. The unofficial season of the thermostat wars is about to begin. Anyone who’s worked in an office knows exactly how this game shakes out. An employee who complains it’s too hot nudges the thermostat dial farther toward the 60s; an employee who complains it’s too cold gives the dial a shove toward the 80s. The only one to win a thermostat war is…

Lilly Endowment crawls toward diversification goal: Bear market, low Lilly stock price slow selloff

Lilly Endowment Inc. is still on its journey to sell off $2 billion of its Eli Lilly and Co. shares. But after a slow start and a few stops for rest, it may take a little longer to get there than originally thought. The endowment, the single largest holder of Lilly stock, announced its plan to diversify its holdings back in July 2006. For nearly 70 years, the not-for-profit held its wealth almost exclusively in the pharmaceutical company’s stock. So…

Plan would make Monument Circle grand public space

A group of local business and civic leaders is working on a plan to transform the city’s most visible symbol into a public-gathering space without equal in the United States. Monument Circle already hosts dozens of activities each year–including major concerts like last year’s NFL Kickoff–and it will host several events connected to the 2012 Super Bowl. But many stakeholders believe the Circle has yet to live up to its true potential.

VIEWPOINT: Coach, teach, mentor, make a difference

I have in my desk a piece of notebook paper. When I unfold it, I see the handwriting of an early-teen boy. It’s a letter of apology. The young man who wrote the note played on a middle school football team that I helped coach. A kid with a lot work ing against him, he was a likable guy who worked hard in practice. Unfortunately, he had trouble keeping his grades up. When they fell below eligibility level, he was…

BEHIND THE NEWS: Cautious streak helps Duke weather tumultuous times

Duke Realty Corp. has stayed largely out of the headlines this year, which in an economy like this is a pretty good sign. Another Indianapolis developer, Lauth Property Group, has shed more than half its 450-person work force, and Premier Properties Inc.- perhaps the city’s most daring developer-lurched into bankruptcy court. Meanwhile, Duke, which specializes in suburban office and industrial development, keeps on chugging. To be sure, the company isn’t immune to broader economic slowdown. In April, it laid off…

Mansion of former Conseco exec to be featured

Another mansion once owned by a Conseco Inc. executive will serve as the next year’s Decorators’ Show House. Donald and Patricia Gongaware’s French-style estate in Westfield will get an interior makeover from designers as part of the annual fund raiser staged by St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild. In 2006, the guild used the Carmel mansion formerly […]

Indiana Business Bank swings to loss

Several major expenses caused Indiana Business Bancorp to report a $163,465 loss in the second quarter, the Indianapolis-based parent of Indiana Business Bank reported today. The bank generated a $12,347 profit in the same period last year. Contributing to the loss was the addition of four employees and ratcheting up its provision for loan losses […]

Turning heads at the MotoGP

Thousands of bikers are expected to descend on the area over the weekend for the inaugural MotoGP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The series is about as upscale as motorcycle racing gets, sort of like a two-wheeled version of Formula 1.

So, if…