INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Michelin stars have recognized the best restaurants in the world since 1926.

Michelin keys are given to the best hotels, and the list first revealed in April and updated Thursday contains properties all in the United States.

Two Indiana hotels gained what are called “One Key” Michelin keys in the updated list announced Thursday, and both are in Indianapolis: the downtown Bottleworks Hotel, and the north-side Ironworks Hotel Indy that’s on 86th Street just west of Keystone Avenue.

Geronimo Hospitality Group owns and operates both places.

The “One Key” designation goes to the highest-rated hotels that represent “a very special stay,” Michelin says.

The 2024 Michelin Guide includes 16 Three Key hotels, 70 Two Key facilities, and 207 One Key places. Indiana does not have any Three Key or Two Key hotels.

Statement

“We are honored to be recognized by the MICHELIN Guide, a global symbol of excellence. This distinction reflects the dedication of our entire team at Bottleworks Hotel and Ironworks Hotel Indy to provide our guests with unparalleled service and memorable experiences. We are incredibly proud to be included in this prestigious group of hotels.”

Erin McDonald, vice president of lodging at Geronimo Hospitality Group

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever are one of the hottest tickets in sports, fueled by the arrival of rookie sharpshooter Caitlin Clark.

Indiana Sports Corp believes women’s sports can continue to boost the Indianapolis economy long after Clark retires.

Indiana Sports Corp released its Vision 2050 plan this week, which includes making Indianapolis the “women’s sports capital of the world” by the year 2050.

“Women’s sports is not just a moment, it is a movement,” said Sarah Myer of Indiana Sports Corp. “Indianapolis has supported women’s sports for a long time. We will host our 26th Big 10 women’s basketball tournament in 2025. We’re really looking to the future.”

The Fever announced Thursday it broke the WNBA’s single-season attendance record with two home games left in the regular season. Gainbridge Fieldhouse will also host the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

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A new women’s professional sports team is already coming to central Indiana. The Indy Ignite will join the Pro Volleyball Federation in the 2025 season and play in the brand-new Fishers Event Center.

“To see this generation and generations to come of girls and female athletes seeing this as the status quo will be incredible,” said Mary Kay Huse of Indy Ignite.

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Myer said the Sports Corp is continuing to push city and state leaders to embrace and attract women’s sports events in the future.

She mentioned the Indiana Sports Corp had conversations with other professional sports leagues, but did not go into further detail.

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“Sports plays a huge part in really introducing people to our city and our state,” Myer said. “What else can we do to support that statewide push and see more teams?”

For the first time in American history, a woman of color was on stage debating as the Democratic presidential nominee. No matter the outcome, this was a historical event. There is only one first. On this night in September of 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris was the first.

Harris was certainly unflappable in the debate. She maintained her poise and composure. There was no question as to whether she could hold her own in a verbal sparring match.

If anything, being a woman of color may have further strengthened her resolve. A lifetime of overcoming racial and gender biases could have better prepared her for standing firm in that moment.

We must ask ourselves why this has taken so long to legitimately consider women for the presidency. Other countries have made the leap decades ago to elect or appoint women as heads of state. Margaret Thatcher began her 11-year tenure as the prime minister of the United Kingdom in 1979. Angela Merkel served Germany as its chancellor from 2005-21. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman president of Liberia, taking office in 2006 and serving for 12 years.

Individually, we can decide whether we agree with each leader’s policies or style of governing. But collectively, we must ask ourselves why the U.S. has not yet had a woman as president.

Fifty years ago, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman to run for president. The “unbought and unbossed” politician was also the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm did not win her party’s nomination, but she is widely credited with paving the way for future women in politics.

Some skeptical voters argued that a woman as a leader was just too risky for the country when Hillary Clinton ran in 2016.

During one of Clinton and Donald Trump’s 2016 debates, Trump said he had, “much better judgment than she has … I also have a much better temperament than she has.”

Those arguments speak directly to the biases people have about women in any leadership position. A woman could do a good job if only she could get her “temperament” under control.

Having served as a Secretary of State, First Lady of the United States, First Lady of Arkansas, attorney and so on, Clinton’s track record was more than comparable to that of other politicians. There have certainly been presidential candidates with fewer credentials. However, many of the doubts she encountered were not based on her merit, but simply on her womanhood and whether people thought a woman could ever fill the seat of president.

Some detractors noted a woman’s perceived emotional instability as the reason for not wanting to vote for her. Despite Clinton’s experience, for them, her feminine nature meant she could not be entrusted with big decisions even as Clinton had rarely been seen in the light of the archetypical woman. Her image is much more synonymous with the power suit than it is with being at home baking cookies or knitting socks.

In 2023, the Pew Research Center reported that the country was fairly evenly split on its views of having a woman as president. It is up to us to ask ourselves why it has taken our country centuries to have women on the ticket and when we will finally see a woman in the oval office.

With females making up more than half of the U.S. population, we should be able to agree by now that a woman should not be disqualified just because she is a woman.

As Harris’s mother reminded her, she may be the first, but she should work to make sure she is not the last.

Contact Editor-in-Chief Camike Jones at camikej@indyrecorder.com or 317-762-7850.