The IBJ Podcast

Climate change could scorch and soak Indiana while reshaping key industries, Purdue center says

While intense heat waves and wildfires scorch the Western U.S. and freak rainstorms spawn massive floods in Europe and China, the weather in central Indiana has been fairly tame so far this year.

Indeed, Indiana very well could sidestep some of the most extreme effects of climate change, but don’t get lulled into complacency, says Jeffrey Dukes, director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center and a professor of forestry and natural resources.

Indiana’s weather already has been altered by man-made climate change, and the effects could be significantly more intense in coming decades, Dukes says. Since 1895, Indiana’s statewide annual average temperature has risen by 1.3°F, and some models show it rising another 5°F by mid-century. Winters will be shorter and the number of days above 95°F could rise by dozens per year.

The state also is getting wetter. Since 1895, average annual precipitation in Indiana has increased by about 15%, or about 5.6 inches. Models show winters and springs are likely to be much wetter by mid-century. Heavy rain events will increase flooding risks and increase the amount of pollutants washing into waterways from city streets and farm fields.

In this week’s edition of the IBJ Podcast, Dukes explains to host Mason King how these changes will impact our day-to-day lives and some of the state’s most important industries, such as agriculture, energy and tourism and recreation.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

Indy Chamber's shift in focus pays dividends

Indy Chamber last month was recognized by its peers for work it has been doing that's not quite typical of chambers of commerce nationwide.

The group won the 2021 Chamber of the Year award from an association that represents 1,600 chambers and economic development organizations. And it earned the honor for the work it has done on inclusive growth—primarily a rework of the city's economic incentives program—and for the Rapid Response Hub it deployed during the pandemic.

Guest host Lesley Weidenbener interviews Indy Chamber CEO Michael Huber and the group's director of economic development, Vincent Ash, about the programs and the honor.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

Downtown hotel projects pipeline largely intact despite pandemic

The pandemic wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry in Indianapolis and across the nation.

Still, IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey finds that many of the hotels in the planning stages for downtown Indianapolis before the pandemic are still moving forward today. In fact, three hotels have opened since COVID-19 struck the state in March 2020.

Host Mason King chats with Shuey about the state of the hotel industry in Indy and which projects are completed, underway and on hold.

For more, read Shuey's story detailing the city's downtown hotel pipeline.

The IBJ podcast is brought to you by First Person Advisors, a subsidiary of NFP.

Pete the Planner answers questions about retirement, college savings, mortgages

Host Mason King and the folks in the Midtown Parents Facebook Group in Indianapolis have a lot of questions about money—specifically how they should be saving it for retirement and college.

Should homeowners pay off a mortgage early? How do you plan for the future when one partner in a relationship is significantly older than the other? Should you prioritize retirement savings over college savings for your kids?

So Mason asked IBJ personal finance columnist Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn to come on the podcast to get some answers to those questions and others.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by First Person Advisors, a subsidiary of NFP.

Black drag racing champion Antron Brown on his move into team ownership

Drag racer Antron Brown of Pittsboro has won three NHRA championships in his 14 years in the sport, but he may be about to take on his biggest challenge yet: racing team owner.

Next year, Brown will become one of the few Black team owners ever in the 70-year-old NHRA— and one of the few Black majority team owners in any motorsports series. He will be the only Black owner in the modern era of Top Fuel or Funny Car racing.

Brown talks with host Mason King about why he decided to make the move, what it will cost (hint: a lot) and why the sport is more diverse than you might think.

For more, read this profile of Brown by former IBJ reporter Anthony Schoettle.

The IBJ podcast is brought to you by First Person Advisors, a subsidiary of NFP.

Chatterbox owner explains why iconic bar waited until this month to reopen

If you've ever been inside the historic Chatterbox Jazz Club on Massachusetts Avenue downtown, you have a pretty good idea why it didn't reopen at 50% or even 75% capacity.

It's so tiny, the restrictions would have meant only about 20 patrons could be inside at any given time. And owner David Andrichik said that's a recipe for losing more money than being closed completely. 

But now that Marion County health officials have eliminated all pandemic restrictions, the Chatterbox is about to reopen for the first time in more than 15 months. 

Andrichik talks with podcast Mason King about what it will take to reopen the bar, what the closure has cost him and what he's been thinking about while he's been waiting.

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by First Person Advisors, a subsidiary of NFP.

 

Why a Chicago trade show displaced by the pandemic picked Indy

The Sweets & Snacks Expo, hosted by the National Confectioners Association, is typically held in Chicago. But when the Windy City wasn't yet recovered enough from the pandemic to host this year's event, the group decided to come to Indianapolis.

IBJ reporter Mickey Shuey talks with John Downs, the CEO of the association, to find out how the group decided to become one of the first trade shows to meet in person again and why it picked Indianapolis to host the show.

Shuey asks about the group's experience in Indy and whether it might return.

You can also read a column by Downs at IBJ.com.

 

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

Chef Baker explains what's happening at the AMP food hall at 16 Tech

In the mood for some barbecue? Or maybe some poke? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Or maybe just a cold beer?

It's all available at the AMP food hall at the 16 Tech Innovation District on the northwest edge of downtown. And Chef Craig Baker is the coordinator who has has helped make it all happen. 

He crafted the overall feel of the 40,000-square-foot space in the HqO building at 1220 Waterway Blvd., which includes shipping containers and booths for each restaurant and retailer. But each of the eateries is responsible for their space, creating a eclectic spot for lunch or an event.

Baker talked with host Mason King about how the space came together—and why, for him, success will be when some of those same eateries grow up and move out.

For more about what's opening this month at the AMP, check out this story by reporter Susan Orr.

 

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

 

Newfields' new board chair is leading inclusion effort

The Newfields board last month elected Darrianne Christian as its new chair, making her the first Black woman to lead the museum's board.

Christian was already serving on the board in February when the Newfields president resigned following allegations of racial bias. Christian, who was then the board's only African American member, led the effort to develop the institution's new plan to embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and access.

Christian talks with host Mason King about what the museum is doing to get past the controversy and how her background growing up in poverty is helping her move Newfields in new directions.

 

The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by Resultant, formerly KSM Consulting.

Do I need a financial adviser? Probably. But how do I pick one?

Peter "Pete the Planner" Dunn says most people need a financial adviser at some point in their lives to make sense of their investments, insurance, retirement accounts and more.

But as host Mason King has experienced, figuring out what type of adviser to hire and then which one to hire can be tough. So Dunn explains what to look for and how to choose.

You can read more financial advice from Dunn at IBJ.com.