Government

By ECI Regional Planning District— Delaware County, IN— A comprehensive new report on potential industrial contamination in the county’s largest industrial park provides a road map not only for future economic development but aims to provide clarity for elected officials, concerned neighbors and activists. The 1,900-page report was funded by the Delaware County commissioners in cooperation with the Delaware County Redevelopment Commission and examines what is known about environmental conditions in the Industria Center industrial park. The concerns of neighbors of the park, especially when it comes to a longtime battery recycling operation, Exide Technologies, have been in the headlines for…

By Senator Todd Young Press Office— WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) issued the following statement in support of the nomination of Hoosier Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the next Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court: “I am thrilled with President Trump’s nomination of fellow Hoosier, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, to serve on the Supreme Court. I’ve come to know Amy as an incredibly sharp legal mind, a woman of great integrity, and a dedicated mother of seven. When Americans elected President Trump to office in 2016 and expanded the Republican Senate majority in 2018, she was exactly the type of jurist they had in…

By Arrick Garringer— MUNCIE, IN —The Delaware County Commissioners recently contracted with Shafer Leadership Academy to provide the workshop “Understanding Implicit Bias and Microaggressions” for their staff, other County employees, and other elected officials. The two-hour workshop, which was facilitated by Ball State University Professor of Sociology Dr. Melinda Messineo, provided participants with an understanding of unconscious bias, its origins, and its connection to micro-aggressions, along with tools and proactive everyday strategies for positive outcomes. Dr. Messineo explains “We used to think there were ‘biased people’ and ‘unbiased people’ and that ‘good’ people were not biased. Over time, cognitive science…

YORKTOWN, IN – The Town of Yorktown’s Town Council paved the way for a $6 million commercial investment along the new Civic Green by approving an economic development agreement with Rebar Development at a Council meeting on Monday night. The Oliver project meets several of the goals outlined in Yorktown’s Downtown Redevelopment Plan by bringing high-quality, multi-generational places for residents and visitors to live, do business, and be entertained. “We are excited to be partnering with Rebar Development on this next phase of our redevelopment,” Yorktown Redevelopment Commission member Heather Taylor said. “Rebar has an impressive portfolio of state-of-the-art facilities,…

By Aimee West, Community Candidate Forum Series Committee— Muncie, IN—Times are hard; the electoral politics of 2020 are confusing; but staying connected to leadership and the issues which impact you the most in our community does not have to be. While our country is experiencing challenges and divisions we have never before faced as a nation, we have an opportunity to come together as a community to learn about the leaders asking for your vote in November. COVID-19 continues to be a barrier for citizens to safely convene and candidates to campaign, which is why key partners have combined forces to materialize the Community Candidate Forum Series, a series of virtual forums which will serve as the sole opportunity for…

By Stephen Brand, MSD Board President— Muncie, IN—The Muncie Sanitary District (MSD) Board of Directors has named a new District Administrator to fill the interim position that has been held for the last year by Board Member Bill Smith. John C. Barlow will be the new MSD District Administrator. The Board of Directors has the authority to hire this position and conducted a search for a candidate that would be able to lead the District into the future and knows the many facets of operations. Barlow previously held the position of Superintendent of the Muncie Water Pollution Control Facility. (WPCF) The…

DELAWARE COUNTY, Indiana – In another move to create jobs and revenue and reclaim an empty industrial site, the Delaware County (Indiana) commissioners have announced that a closed machine shop in the town of Albany has been purchased by an Illinois company that will relocate its headquarters there. Pinson Manufacturing Company (PMC) will use the 82,000-square-foot former Littler Diecast building in Albany, installing equipment to begin creating products, jobs and tax revenue. PMC will perform CNC (computer controlled) milling and turning, CNC plasma cutting, welding, painting and abrasive services as well as manufacture components for rail maintenance of way equipment,…

By: ECI Regional Planning District— Delaware County, IN– In a case of making lemonade after life hands you lemons, the Delaware County (Indiana) commissioners have announced that a railroad spur built to serve a now-defunct manufacturing plant will serve as a shipping and receiving point for companies that need goods transported by train. In the fall of 2008, a maker of wind turbine parts announced plans to open a huge manufacturing facility in Delaware County. But the economy soon slipped into recession, the jobs that had been forecast never came to be and the rail spur went unused. The Delaware…