The Home Builders Association of Fort Wayne said there were 50 Allen County residential construction requests in February, compared with 34 permits the same month a year ago.

The average construction price was $203,389 in February, compared with $268,632 in February 2012. Year-to-date figures show 95 permits this year, compared with 61 residential building requests in 2012 – a 55.7 percent increase.

Last month, Home Builders Association President Charlie Giese pointed to the Tuscany subdivision in Perry Township as a big reason for the boost. Tuscany is a 156 single-family residential project.

Two managers out at Indiana’s NewsCenter

A managerial shake-up comes on the heels of new programming at Indiana’s NewsCenter.

Jerry Giesler, president and general manager, and Dan Hoffman, director of sales, are no longer at the station owned by Granite Broadcasting Corp. of New York.

Hoffman said he resigned this week. A person answering a phone at the station Wednesday said Giesler no longer works there. Giesler could not be reached for comment Tuesday or Wednesday. Duane Lammers, chief operating officer for Granite, said the company does not comment on personnel issues.

Last month, Nexstar Broadcasting Inc., of Irving, Texas, which owns WFFT, and Granite agreed to dismiss a lawsuit Nexstar filed.

The conflict arose in 2011 when Granite, which was carrying NBC shows on WISE and ABC shows on WPTA, in addition to The CW, landed a deal to show Fox programming, which Nexstar contended was a monopoly.

Tax abatement forum rescheduled at IPFW

A public discussion on tax abatements has been rescheduled for next week after heavy snowfall prompted organizers to call off Wednesday night’s gathering.

Morton Marcus, retired director of the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University, will instead speak on the IPFW campus. Cinema Center, the original venue, was fully booked for next week.

“Economic Development: What it is, What it isn’t and What it ought to be,” a presentation and public discussion, will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in Neff Hall, Room 101. Admission is free.

Organizers said parking won’t be a problem because students and faculty will be on spring break.

Former GM executive makes move to Toyota

Toyota has tapped a former executive at U.S. rival General Motors to join its board, the first time in the Japanese automaker’s 76-year history it is appointing directors from outside the company.

The appointment of Mark Hogan, effective April 1, underlines efforts at Toyota Motor Corp. to become more internationally minded, transparent and nimble in regional markets as it recovers from difficult years, including a massive recall fiasco in the United States.

Under changes announced Wednesday by President Akio Toyoda, Toyota will set up a new division to oversee North American, European and Japanese markets and another for emerging markets.

The automaker also promoted four non-Japanese managers to oversee regional businesses, including James Lentz, an American who already leads Toyota Motor Sales in the U.S.