Posted November 19, 2020

LifeStream Services is partnering with local organizations to offer a new exercise program for older adults. Geri-Fit® is a 45-minute video-led strength training exercise class. Enrollment is open to older adults of all ages and fitness levels.

Maintaining a healthy exercise routine has a variety of benefits for older adults. The Geri-Fit® program can increase muscular strength, improve balance and coordination, boost motor skills and reaction time, enhance flexibility and gait, lessen arthritic conditions, and help manage chronic disease.

LifeStream Services has partnered with Centerville-Abington Senior Center, Farmland Community Center, Forest Park Senior Center, New Castle Senior Center, Richmond Senior Community Center, and Western-Wayne Senior Center to offer Geri-Fit®. The program is also available virtually where participants can download the exercise videos to perform from the comfort of their homes.

Those interested in learning more about Geri-Fit® or participating virtually should visit lifestreaminc.org/wellness or call LifeStream at 800-589-1121.

LifeStream is an Area Agency on Aging that works to improve the quality of life for people at risk of losing their independence. LifeStream serves over 19,000 seniors and people with disabilities throughout 12 counties in Indiana including Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. Programs and services include care management, transportation, in-home care, Senior Cafes, home-delivered meals, guardianships, caregiver support, home modifications, information and assistance, volunteer opportunities and more. For more about the organization call (800) 589-1121 or visit online at www.lifestreaminc.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifestreamservices.

IU East's Online Math Program Stays Ahead of the Competition

Posted November 19, 2020

When you are one of the best, you focus on staying the best - and getting even better.

Markus Pomper is the department chair for mathematics and an associate professor for the IU East School of Natural Science and Mathematics.

Nayeong Kong is an assistant professor of mathematics for the IU East School of Natural Science and Mathematics.

Alex Ness of San Francisco is pursuing his mathematics degree online at IU East. Ness is musician who is using his math knowledge to electronically alter his music. With a bachelor's degree from Harvard College and a master's from New York University, Ness plans to use his mathematics degree to qualify for teaching credentials and to explore mathematical uses in musical composition. He is an educational consultant for Scholar Co. in San Francisco.

You keep building a better community and better communications. And you develop solid plans to keep you ahead of the competition.

Indiana University East finds itself in those positions with its burgeoning online math program, which has grown from nine to 350 students in 11 years.

The growth is likely to continue in the near future because of a positive mix of reasons that include high national rankings and positive reviews around the web.

"Students are very interested in us right now and we want to stay ahead of the curve," says Markus Pomper, department chair and associate professor of mathematics at IU East. "What sets us apart is we really engage our students. We tailor to students who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend."

Other top reasons cited by students for seeking degrees through IU East include: flexibility of study time, low costs, friendly interactions and the ability to transfer many credits for previous collegiate work.

Pomper doesn't want online students just studying and taking tests. He wants them to be involved in the process of learning - with their teachers and with their fellow students - even though most will never set foot on the campus in Richmond. "We want to create community," he says.

The program has been a perfect fit for current student Alex Ness, a musical composer and private tutor from San Francisco.

"It feels great to be in a community, very diverse, very friendly," Ness says. "There's a lot of work done by the professors to make the atmosphere friendly. It feels good to contribute to the class."

Despite the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment is still expected to accelerate as students moved to all-online classes and IU East has responded.

"I believe that online education will develop more and more," says Nayeong Kong, assistant professor of mathematics. "At the beginning of quarantine, other universities were in a panic to start online teaching. But now they realize that (it) is essential and necessary for education in the future. And in my opinion, I think that online teaching will be the standard and general form of education in the future."

In that realm, she and Pomper are devising plans to keep IU East attractive to a diverse range of students who could live anywhere and be at any stage in their careers.

"We are trying to meet all the demand as we can," Pomper says. "We know what we are doing. We found ways to communicate, to make classes engaging and interactive."

He and Kong met this summer to plan more ways to tailor the program to address more needs and challenges of students.

They aim to use platforms such as Canvas and Zoom to create more instructor-student interactions and to offer more feedback.

They also aim to focus more of the curriculum on the process and path to an answer, not just on a correct answer.

Pomper hopes to add classes in finance in the near future that are geared toward professional testing.

Kong started working in online education just last year after being hired at IU East. She quickly came to see its virtues, its values and areas of opportunity.

"Engaging students is a weak part of online teaching. To overcome this weak point, I need to provide homework problems and quizzes every week," she says. "And then I need to use online office hours and discussion sessions on Canvas well."

Kong also has been challenged personally during the pandemic -- in a wonderful, stay-at-home way. She and husband, Seonguk Kim, welcomed a baby named Rian in mid-July.

Pomper and Kong provide regular Zoom office hours for students to work through math problems.

"Students typically ask questions and I answer them. They can see me writing and talking and know what is going on," Pomper says. "We are very cognizant that students don't learn in isolation. They will take anything that helps along the way."

He takes a poll at the start of each semester to find out the best time to hold the hour-long office sessions, but they also are recorded so any student can watch them later.

Online learning can take place anywhere and at any time. Students can take part wherever the web can reach. They can live halfway around the world or on the East or West Coasts. They can live in eastern Indiana and have family and job commitments that make it better to take classes from home. They could constantly be on the move as soldiers, pro-athletes, musicians, doctors or business travelers.

Pomper vividly recalls this fluid situation that found a flexible solution after a man faced a travel and housing crisis in the middle of his senior seminar class.

"He had been living in Eastern Europe, but needed to return home to the U.S. when the pandemic started," Pomper said. "For a few weeks, he was shuffling around at friends and relatives, sleeping on couches and spare bedrooms, until he could find a permanent place where he could set up his computer. We managed to get him to graduation."

That whatever-it-takes graduation focus is standard in the online math program at IU East, where flexibility is a major attraction. Some online students take classes full-time, while others take classes one at a time; some go year-round while others stick to a traditional school year.

It could take a year to complete a degree or two years or four or eight.

Some even step away from the program periodically "and pick up where they left off," Pomper says. "We cater to that; let them take their time."

Many online students already have college degrees. The majority of them take classes "specifically for their careers," he says. "Some want to go to graduate school or continue in business and finance."

Mary Evanston earned a bachelor's degree in math this year and has qualified for the engineering master's program at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence.

"Mary is a professional," Pomper says. "She chose this program because it allows her to forge ahead in her career."

Evanston has been employed full-time as a federal business development executive in the Washington, D.C., area.

Zoe Skovgaard Asta, a librarian in Denmark, earned a bachelor's degree online this year and enjoyed the experience so much that she now is working toward a master's certificate in math from IU East.

For more in-depth information on Evanston and Asta, see the accompanying story.

Ness, age 37, aims to complete his online bachelor's degree within the next year.

IU East offers the flexibility he needs with a busy and multifaceted professional life. "You don't need to commit your whole life to it," he says.

The program offers another major appeal, especially for non-traditional students who already hold degrees in other fields. They can get credit for classes earned at other institutions. That means it's possible to earn a bachelor's in math online by taking just 40 hours of core classes.

"We make sure we count work they have completed before," Pomper says. "If they have a B.S. in business, or in any other discipline, they don't need to take general-education courses."

Ness graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree from Harvard College and also earned a master's degree from New York University in music.

He serves as an educational consultant for Scholar Co. in San Francisco. He also helped found Playground Sessions, a music-education software company based in New York City, where he has worked alongside music icons like Quincy Jones and YouTube piano star David Sides.

Playground blends software with the human touch for students to learn to play musical instruments.

Ness wants a math degree for several reasons: to qualify for teaching credentials, to explore mathematical uses in musical composition and to more deeply explore the subject.

"I always had an interest in math, but focused on music and music technology instead," he says. "I took math courses for fun. That made it easy to pick up where I left off."

When it became time to pick it up again, he started looking for online programs. "IU East popped up as a reputable program with good credentials and was well reviewed," he said. "The enrollment was totally painless. It was very smooth getting in."

It's been smooth sailing since then for Ness. He has enjoyed online classes and the camaraderie at IU East that includes active student forums. "There's more social interaction than with traditional classes," he says. "When you share online, you have time to digest a post, talk and work things out."

He's definitely an advocate of taking online classes mid-career.

Rachel Hughes Selected as Executive Director of the Model T Ford Club of America

Posted November 17, 2020

Rachel Hughes of Richmond, Indiana was recently selected to serve as Executive Director of the Model T Ford Club of America (MTFCA) and the Model T Museum. The announcement was made by the current MTFCA Executive Director, Susan Yaeger, who will be retiring on December 18, 2020.

Hughes brings over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit field to her new position, including work for the Indiana Association of United Ways, the United Way of Whitewater Valley, and the Wayne County Foundation. She is an active volunteer both in the community and the state having served on the Board of Aviation Commission for the City of Richmond, Board of Advisors for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at IU East, the Kiwanis Club of Richmond, the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association for the Center on Philanthropy, the Women's Philanthropy Institute, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals state board.

Hughes has lived in Richmond since 1994. She and her husband, Ron, own the Tin Lizzie Cafe and Tin Cup Tea and Gift Shop in Richmond. They own a 1924 Model T Ford Roadster and have been active in the local Henry's Hoosiers chapter and also volunteered at the 2008 Centennial T-Party. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana State University, a Master's degree from Indiana University, and certificates in Fund Raising Management and Nonprofit Executive Leadership.

The MTFCA is the largest Model T club in the world, organized to bring people together who are interested in the Model T Ford, its history, its evolution, and its place in the American scene. Hughes will be the fourth Executive Director in the organization's 55-year history.

The MTFCA is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation that owns and operates the Model T Museum in Richmond. The Museum is consistently rated by TripAdvisor as #1 Things to Do in Richmond. It is a destination point for Model T and history enthusiasts from all over the U.S. and other countries as well.

Hughes can be reached by email at: rachel@mtfca.com.

Reid Health Reinstates No-Visitor Policy Because of COVID-19 Surge

Posted November 17, 2020

Effective at 7 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, Reid Health is reinstating a greatly restricted visitation policy on its main campus and in physician offices because of a surge in COVID-19 patients that is keeping the hospital on critical bed status - and breaking records for patients being treated with the virus.

"We appreciate everyone's understanding as we take these steps to reduce in every way we can this explosion of COVID infections in our community. We must protect our staff in order to continue serving the healthcare needs of our community." said Craig Kinyon, Reid Health President/CEO. The hospital hit a new high of 92 patients over the weekend in COVID containment areas, and that number was still at 91 Tuesday afternoon. He said exceptions will be made in specific situations, such as end-of-life, in the Family Birthing Center and for outpatient surgery patients. "But in almost all cases, we will restrict visitation to virtual platforms, such as smart phones and tablets."

Reducing traffic to and from the campus helps further reduce risk of spread of COVID-19, he said. "While the hospital is one of the safest places to be, there is no reason to increase our susceptibility to spread of the virus from people who do not have to be on campus."

The restrictions include:

• A "No Visitor" policy with exceptions for certain situations such as end of life, the Family Birthing Center, minor patients seeking care in the Emergency Department, or outpatient surgery.
• No visitors to the following retail areas: Ginkgo Boutique, Espresso Bar, Café at Twelve Hundred in Richmond, Connors Post Café in Connersville, plus the ATM and vending machines on the main campus in Connersville.
• Healthworks in Connersville will limit capacity based on state guidelines on county color-coding. Current capacity is 25 since Fayette County is "red."

Kinyon said the hospital has been at critical capacity for several weeks, and every step is being taken to avoid having to reduce any other health services as was done in the Spring.

For FAQs and daily updates, visit the www.ReidHealth/safe information page.

IU East Presents Scholarships for High School Students During Virtual Counselors' Breakfast

Posted November 12, 2020

Indiana University East distributed scholarships to area high school guidance counselors from Indiana and Ohio during its virtual Counselors' Breakfast held November 6 on Zoom.

This is the 14th consecutive year that IU East has hosted the Counselors' Breakfast. Over 80 guidance counselors attended. This year's theme, "We Love Guidance Counselors." included a welcome from Michelle Malott, executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Molly Vanderpool, executive director for recruitment and transitions for the Office of Admissions at IU East, hosted the virtual event.

"We are thrilled to continue to offer these scholarships this year," Vanderpool said.

The virtual program also provided guidance counselors with information on IU East's new test optional enrollment policy and scholarships, messages from IU East Office of Admissions staff and current students, and information sharing about the campus, academic programs, enrollment process and more provided through an online game of Kahoot!, an online game-based learning platform.

Counselors attending the virtual event received scholarship nominations to give to students in their high schools that meet the academic and admission requirements at IU East.

Every guidance counselor received online vouchers for eight, four-year scholarships ranging from $7,000 to $30,000 to distribute to qualified high school seniors.

For more information, visit iue.edu/admissions.

Red Wolf Athletics Challenge Is Underway

Posted November 12, 2020

The Red Wolf Athletics Challenge began November 9. The men's and women's basketball teams are fundraising separately to raise $2,500 and unlock a matching gift from a Community Champion.

The men's and women's golf teams are fundraising together to reach the $2,500 goal.

The men's and women's soccer teams will raise the $2,500 goal separately.

Men's and women's tennis teams will participate in the challenge together.

The men's and women's cross country teams and the men's and women's track and field teams will work together to reach the $2,500 goal.

The IU East volleyball team will fund raise on its own to reach $2,500 goal and reach the Community Champion match.

The second annual Red Wolf Athletics Challenge is underway. The challenge began Monday, November 9, during Homecoming week.

Indiana University East's NAIA athletics teams are challenged to raise $2,500 per program in donations from now until November 20.

Teams that reach the $2,500 goal unlock a matching $2,500 gift from a community champion, resulting in a potential total benefit of at least $5,000 for teams meeting the challenge.

Red Wolf teams will use the contributions for needed equipment and gear, for scholarships, and for special travel and new experiences for the student-athletes.

IU East Director of Athletics Joe Griffin said the challenge match focuses on supporting student-athletes as they improve their performance in the classroom as well as on the field or court.

"Our Community Champions and supporters have a lot of Red Wolf pride," Griffin said. "The challenge is a great way for our student-athletes to participate in developing their programs while connecting with the fans and community members that celebrate their accomplishments."

Red Wolves Athletics is continuing to offer events this fall, with limited spectator access due to COVID-19 guidelines established by the NAIA, River States Conference, IU and IU East, and Wayne County.

"The student-athlete experience has been impacted by COVID, and support in this challenge would give the department more means to make the student-athlete experience as positive as it is supposed to be," Griffin said.

For the Athletics Challenge, teams that practice and travel together are grouped together. Programs include:

• Men's Basketball
• Women's Basketball
• Men's and Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
• Men's Golf
• Women's Golf
• Men's Soccer
• Women's Soccer
• Men's and Women's Tennis
• Volleyball

IU East athletes succeeded in competition and in the classroom during the 2019-20 school year.

The Red Wolf athletics program won more River States Conference championships in 2019-20 than any school in the league. IU East athletes also posted a 3.28 GPA during the 2019-20 school year, the highest department GPA in program history.

The inaugural Red Wolf Athletics Challenge in 2019 raised nearly $50,000 in total contributions.

To support an IU East team, contact IU East Director of Gift Development Paula Kay King at 765-973-8331 or at pkayking@iue.edu.

For more information, visit iue.edu/event/athletics-challenge.html.

LifeStream Services Partnered with Milestone Contractors for Fall Yard Clean Up for Seniors

Posted November 12, 2020

LifeStream Services partnered with Milestone Contractors for a Fall Yard Clean Up on November 2. The volunteers cleaned up the yards of 12 senior citizens in Richmond who are unable to leave their homes or do not have someone to assist them.

The 12 Milestone Contractor volunteers cleaned up leaves and debris from the yards in an effort to prevent falls. According to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans with one in four Americans aged 65+ experiencing a fall each year. Falls can not only threaten the safety of older adults, but also their independence.

LifeStream Services is dedicated to helping seniors maintain their independence and quality of life. By partnering with organizations like Milestone Contractors, LifeStream can take the necessary steps to keep seniors safe. For more information on LifeStream's fall prevention programs and volunteer opportunities, please visit lifestreaminc.org/support/volunteer or contact Laura Bray, Volunteer Services Administrator, at 765-759-3372 or lbray@lifestreaminc.org.

LifeStream is an Area Agency on Aging that works to improve the quality of life for people at risk of losing their independence. LifeStream serves over 19,000 seniors and people with disabilities throughout 12 counties in Indiana including Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. Programs and services include care management, transportation, in-home care, Senior Cafes, home-delivered meals, guardianships, caregiver support, home modifications, information and assistance, volunteer opportunities and more. For more about the organization call (800) 589-1121 or visit online at www.lifestreaminc.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifestreamservices.

DNR offers free admission to veterans, active-duty military, Nov. 11

Posted November 9, 2020

All veterans and active-duty military personnel, and everyone in their vehicle, will be admitted free to DNR state parks, reservoir properties, state forest recreation areas and state off-road vehicle riding areas on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11.

This includes admission to Falls of the Ohio State Park's Interpretive Center.

"We appreciate the sacrifices and service of our veterans and active-duty military and look forward to recognizing them with a day to explore some of the best outdoor places in our state," said Terry Coleman, director of Indiana State Parks.

Veterans and military personnel should present ID or evidence of military service where entrance gates are in operation. For proof of military status, gate attendants will accept:

• Discharge papers (veteran's DD Form 214)
• Veteran license plates: Ex-POW, Purple Heart, Disabled Hoosier Veteran, Pearl Harbor Survivor. Veteran license plates also include:
  • Air Force Veteran
  • Army Veteran
  • Coast Guard Veteran
  • Marine Corps Veteran
  • Merchant Marine Veteran
  • Navy Veteran
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Award Letter
• Veterans hunting and fishing license
• Documents showing veteran benefits with veteran's name on document
• Any other certificate or verification letter or form that establishes past or present military service

For general information about state park, reservoir, forest properties, and state off-road vehicle riding areas, see dnr.IN.gov.

For information about interpretive programs at state parks and reservoirs, see stateparks.IN.gov/2389.htm.

To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.

COVID-19 Hospitalizations Exceed Record at Reid Health

Posted November 9, 2020

The increasing number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is keeping the hospital at "critical" bed status, and health officials fear Reid Health will have to cut back on services if the trend continues.

"We are asking everyone to please, please not ignore masking, distancing and other safety measures," said Thomas Huth, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs at Reid Health. The health system Friday set a new, ominous record when it listed 68 patients in COVID containment areas. That number surpasses the highest number of 64 that happened early in the pandemic, Dr. Huth said. And with cases continuing to go up, he expects the number will increase. A record number of daily COVID admissions - 20 - was a factor in an overall record one-day admissions number of 63 patients on Thursday.

All the data underscores the serious impact COVID is having on the community and the health system. "It's vital for everyone to do their part in trying to turn this increase around," he said. "Lives really do depend on it. So take precautions. Do it for your family. Do it for our staff who are the heroes caring for these patients."

The health system has posted statistics almost daily since the pandemic began hitting the area in March. The number had peaked at 64 in April, and dropped as low as 11 in July before an upward trend began in August and again in October. Wayne County posted more COVID-19 deaths in October than had happened since the outbreak began.

Reid Health recently tightened its visitor restrictions implemented early in the pandemic, with the changes including allowing non-COVID patients only one designated visitor per day.

Dr. Huth said the hospital has already had to take some additional steps to deal with its continuing shortage of available beds, including moving some non-COVID patients to temporary areas. If the number of admissions continue to increase, the health system may be faced with ceasing elective surgeries or even having to divert patients to other facilities - something that would be considered extremely rare. And many other regional health systems are facing a similar uptick in COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization.

"We are clearly in another wave, so mitigation steps have never been more important. Wear the mask. They are proven effective in reducing the spread of COVID. And remember that a mask is more about keeping you from making someone else sick, though it does help protect you as well," Dr. Huth said. "Stay home when you are sick. Wash your hands. Practice social distancing."

The latest wave is having the most detrimental impact on higher-risk older people, he said. He's also seen research that indicates younger people who don't get sick but still carry the virus are a major factor in spreading the disease to the more vulnerable.

Outbreaks in long-term care facilities, where the residents are not going into the community, are getting the virus from the people who are out and about. "If you are a young person who isn't afraid of getting sick, please think about the most vulnerable in the community whose very lives could be put at risk if you unknowingly carry the infection to them."

State park properties to temporarily close for deer hunts

Posted November 9, 2020

Select Indiana state park properties will temporarily close in the coming weeks so controlled deer management hunts can take place.

Each hunt runs two days. The first is on Monday, Nov. 16, and Tuesday, Nov. 17. The second is on Monday, Nov. 30, and Tuesday, Dec. 1. Participating state park properties will close to the general public on the evening before each of the two hunts.

Participating state park properties are: Brown County, Chain O'Lakes, Charlestown, Fort Harrison, Harmonie, Lincoln, McCormick's Creek, Ouabache, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Prophetstown, Shades, Spring Mill, Turkey Run, Versailles, and Whitewater Memorial state parks, as well as Trine State Recreation Area.

These state park properties will re-open the morning after each two-day hunt. All Indiana state park properties not mentioned will be operating under normal hours.

Indiana DNR biologists evaluate which state park properties require a deer management hunt each year based on habitat recovery and previous harvest rates at each park property. The state park properties are home to numerous natural communities that serve as significant habitat. The deer management hunts help control browsing by deer to a level that ensures habitat for native plants and animals.

Only individuals selected from the draw may participate at any site.

A full report on the 2019 deer management hunts is at stateparks.IN.gov/files/sp-DeerRMRR.pdf. The 2020 report will be available in March 2021.

Information regarding 2021 state park deer management hunts, including online applications, will be available next summer at on IN.gov/reservedhunt. The application deadline is usually in mid-August of the year in which the hunts are to take place.

To view all statewide DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.

American Heart Association Honors Reid Health for Quality Stroke Care

Posted November 9, 2020

Reid Health has been recognized for the quality of its stroke care by the American Heart Association.

Reid Health received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital's commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.Reid Health earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

"Reid Health is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative," said Misti Foust-Cofield, Reid Health Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer. "The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes."

The recognition also included the Target: StrokeSM Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient's arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.

And Reid Health additionally received the Association's Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed with more than 90 % of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the "Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score."

Reid Health is designated as a Primary Stroke Center featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.

"We are pleased to recognize Reid Health for its commitment to stroke care," said Lee H. Schwamm, M.D., national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and Executive Vice Chair of Neurology, Director of Acute Stroke Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. "Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates."

Earlier this year, Reid Health - Connersville Emergency Department was also granted a three-year certification as a Stroke Ready Center by Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), the nation's original independent, accreditation program. Certification confirms that stroke care at Reid Health - Connersville is providing high quality care as determined by an independent, external process of evaluation.

The certification for the Connersville location came at the same time the Reid Health Primary Stroke Center was also reaccredited for another three years.

According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

About Get With The Guidelines®

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with tools and resources to increase adherence to the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 9 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/quality.

Scholarships Available for Civil Engineering Students

Posted November 5, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Transportation is offering civil engineering students scholarships of up to $3,125 per semester, and paid employment during summer breaks and upon graduation.

Students must be accepted or enrolled full time in one of Indiana's certified civil engineering schools and apply using the form at www.INDOTScholarship.IN.gov. Applications for the 2021-2022 school year must be submitted by December 31, 2020.

INDOT's scholarship program uses federal funds to offer $3,125 per semester or $2,083 per trimester for up to five years of post-secondary civil engineering education. Scholarship funds can be applied to educational expenses, fees and books. In return, recipients will work for INDOT in full-time, paid positions during their summer breaks and upon graduation.

Students must be accepted or enrolled full time in one of Indiana's Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) certified civil engineering programs. Eligible programs include Purdue University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Purdue University Fort Wayne, University of Southern Indiana, Trine University, Purdue University Northwest, University of Evansville, University of Notre Dame, and Valparaiso University.

Learn more about the INDOT Engineer Scholarship program the application process at www.INDOTScholarship.IN.gov. Applications for the 2020-2021 school year must be submitted by Thursday, December 31, 2020

Students or parents with questions may contact Talent Development Manager Adam Beasley at ABeasley2@indot.in.gov or 317-234-7930.

LifeStream Providing SHIP Counseling During Open Enrollment

Posted November 5, 2020

LifeStream Services has trained State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselors on staff to help navigate the complexities of healthcare during the Open Enrollment period which ends on December 7. SHIP provides free, impartial health insurance information and is not affiliated with any insurance company.

SHIP can help answer questions on Medicare, Medicare Supplemental Insurance, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, prescription drug coverage, and low income assistance. The goal of this program is to help the beneficiary make well-informed decisions regarding their health care and get the most value for their health insurance dollars.

LifeStream is hosting virtual and drive-thru events to help those in need during Open Enrollment.

• SHIP Question and Answer Virtual Session on November 12 from 9:00am to 10:00am and again from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. A SHIP Counselor will provide a short presentation with general information and will be available to answer general questions. No personal information will be discussed during the presentation. Join the 9:00am session at t bit.ly/LifeStreamSHIP3 or the 6pm session at bit.ly/LifeStreamSHIP4.
• SHIP Drive-Thru Assistance on November 16 and November 30 from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the LifeStream offices in Pendleton, Richmond, and Yorktown. SHIP Counselors will be on hand to hand out information packets and help answer any questions. These events will practice safe social distancing measures to keep the community safe.
  • LifeStream Pendleton: 1 Plaza Dr. Suite 6 Pendleton, IN 46064
  • LifeStream Richmond: 423 Commerce Rd. Richmond, IN 47374
  • LifeStream Yorktown: 1701 Pilgrim Blvd. Yorktown, IN 47396

SHIP Counselors are also available via phone at 800-589-1121 to help answer questions and review current plans. This program is available to anyone in Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union and Wayne counties. Visit lifestreaminc.org or call 800-589-1121 to learn more.

LifeStream is an Area Agency on Aging that works to improve the quality of life for people at risk of losing their independence. LifeStream serves over 19,000 seniors and people with disabilities throughout 12 counties in Indiana including Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. Programs and services include care management, transportation, in-home care, Senior Cafes, home-delivered meals, guardianships, caregiver support, home modifications, information and assistance, volunteer opportunities and more. For more about the organization call (800) 589-1121 or visit online at www.lifestreaminc.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifestreamservices.

IU East Announces 42nd Annual Whitewater Valley Art Competition Awards, Entrants

Posted November 2, 2020

The annual Whitewater Valley Art Competition awards was held on IU East Facebook Live on October 23.

Originating in 1978 with open judging, the event has hosted prestigious artists and art experts of national acclaim for the jurying.

This year, the WVAC was all virtual including the jurying on October 16 and the awards presentation.

The first place entry to the 42nd Whitewater Art Competition went to Barbara Triscari of Lebanon, Indiana, for her fiber art quilt, La Chiesa di Bolzano Vicentino. The 42nd WVAC exhibition is online now through December 31.	The WVAC Chancellor's Purchase Award went to Shelby Alexander of Cincinnati, Ohio, for Not Your Ingénue, a mixed media piece made from graphite on paper, secondhand textiles.

Artwork was selected by this year's jurors Kevin Harris, art professor at Sinclair Community College; Sarojini Jha Johnson, professor of art at Ball State University; and Jae Won Lee, professor of art at Michigan State University. The jurors determined the award winners.

The 42nd Whitewater Valley Art exhibit is on display now through December 31 at iue.edu/gallery/competition/2020.php.

The exhibition includes 76 pieces from 59 artists across Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan.

The exhibition is presented by First Bank Richmond.

About the Jurors

Kevin Harris teaches at Sinclair Community College where he has led courses in Drawing, Printmaking and Digital Media since the year 2000. Prior to coming to Sinclair, Harris held teaching appointments at the University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, The University of the Arts, Moore College of Art and Design and Lincoln University.

Harris earned a B.A. from Hampton University and an M.F.A. from the University of Cincinnati. He has also studied at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and frequently attends printmaking workshops at Making Art Safely in New Mexico. His work is included in the collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum as well as in many corporate and private collections. He has recently been featured in solo exhibitions at the Dana L. Wiley Gallery, Dayton, Ohio, at the African American Visual Arts Guild (AAVAG) Gallery at Central State University-West, and at Sinclair's Triangle Gallery where he presented MULTIPLY, an exhibition of four thematically intertwined bodies of work: MULTIPLY, Angels Tread, Dream Sequence and Urban Wordfare plus The Sticker Snatcher Books.

Sarojini Jha Johnson has taught printmaking and foundations at Ball State University since 1985. She grew up in Ohio and earned undergraduate degrees in French and drawing from the University of Cincinnati. She received an M.F.A. in printmaking from Miami University where she began working with animal and plant forms in her prints. As a graduate student in 1983, her work was accepted into the 5th Annual Whitewater Valley Art Competition. IU East is thrilled to welcome Professor Johnson back 37 years later, this time as a juror.

Her work places natural forms in a fictional context. Her main medium is color intaglio printmaking, a medium that allows for great creativity and invention in terms of surface and color. She has been exploring memories and impressions of India, her country of origin. Animal images such as fish and birds still emerge in this work. Johnson also makes artist's books that present issues such as the effects of climate change on flora and fauna.

Jae Won Lee received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in sculpture from California State University, Long Beach and a Master of Fine Art in ceramics from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Lee is currently professor at Michigan State University and other institutes she taught at include Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camberwell College of Arts in London, the UK, and Chung Nam National University, Deajeon, Korea, California State University, Long Beach, and the University of Washington, Seattle.

Lee makes intimate-scaled, reductive, sealed porcelain box forms, as well as porcelain sculpture shaped by numerous small multiple components of nuanced whites and off-whites and assembled into a large singular unit toward conveying the idea of white winter as a place to contemplate simplicity, silence, and solitude. Recently she has been exploring and applying this theme on works on paper and mixed media. She has exhibited in numerous national and international exhibitions. Recent solo exhibitions include: Tag Ends, Lim Lip Museum of Art, Gongju, Korea, Jae Won Lee In Situ, Blanche with In Situ Galerie, Nyon, Switzerland, and Myosotis, Gallery Lee & Bae, Busan, Korea.

IU East's 42nd Annual Whitewater Valley Art Competition Top Entrants

• First Place ($2,000 award and a future solo exhibition at IU East)
  • Barbara Triscari, Lebanon, Indiana - La Chiesa di Bolzano Vicentino, fiber art quilt
• Second Place ($1,000 award)
  • Chris Itsell, Johnstown, Ohio - The Fabric of Mortality, stainless steel and burl wood
• Third Place ($500 award)
  • Al Harden, Cincinnati, Ohio - Inquisition, digital photography
• Honorable Mention ($250 award)
  • Matthew Schellenberg, Farmington Hills, Michigan - Her Beauty Gained Her Everything She Had Ever Dreamt of..., wood (Cherry, Black Walnut, Ash, Cyprus and Goncalvo Alves) and steel
  • Danielle Rante, Dayton, Ohio - Tapestry, Cyanotype and colored pencil on paper
  • Austin Delano, Louisville, Kentucky - Factory to Table Fresh, wood (Poplar and Maple) and paint
  • Kathy Moore, Casstown, Ohio - Looking Down Upon Corner of Table Top, graphite pencil on rives
  • Yingqi Zhao, Lombard, Illinois - Mom, copper, brass, fine silver, vitreous enamel, and stainless steel
• Chancellor's Purchase Award
  • Shelby Alexander, Cincinnati, Ohio - Not Your Ingénue, mixed media (graphite on paper and secondhand textiles)

2021 State Park Passes and Permits Now Available

Posted November 2, 2020

The 2021 Indiana state park passes, lake permits, off-road cycling permits, and horse tags are now available at property offices and front gates, and online at ShopINstateparks.com.

A resident annual entrance pass costs $50. A non-resident annual entrance pass for visitors who live outside the state costs $70. Annual entrance passes are not valid for entrance to the Indiana State Museum, State Historic Sites, or Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center.

Golden Hoosier Passports cost $25 and are available to all Hoosier residents 65 and older. There's also a Golden Hoosier Passport for disabled Hoosier veterans (DHV) who qualify to purchase a DHV license plate. To quality, the veteran must be 50% service-connected disabled as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Anyone who has been issued a Prisoner of War license plate may receive a passport for free. SSDI Golden Hoosier Passports may be used by an Indiana resident receiving or eligible to receive Social Security Disability Income under 42 U.S. code 423 as described by the Social Security Administration.

Lake permits are available for motorized watercraft for $25 and non-motorized watercraft for $5. These permits are required for all private watercraft using state park, reservoir, and state forest lakes, and all watercraft moored at marinas, private docks, or bank ties on those lakes. The 2020 lake permits also remain available for the rest of this year.

Off-road cycling permits are available for $20 and are required for each bicycle user for off-road bicycle access and use of DNR properties where off-road cycling is allowed. These permits are not an entrance permit and do not cover special user charges for services and facilities within the property. These permits are required only for trails identified as Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. They are not required for trails identified as Beginner.

Horse tags cost $20 and are required for each horse brought to designated DNR properties where horse use is allowed. A horse tag is not an entrance permit and does not cover special user charges for services and facilities within the property. This year's 2020 horse tags and lake permits remain available to purchase for use for the rest of 2020.

None of the 2021 permits will be valid until Jan. 1, 2021.

State park annual permits are also available as part of Holiday Gift Packs. Gift packs also include a one-year subscription to Outdoor Indiana and a gift card for state park inns or campgrounds. Holiday gift packs are available for $100, or $150 for a higher gift card amount, at shopINstateparks.com.

Dramatic COVID-19 Spike Concerns Reid Health Officials

Posted November 2, 2020

Hospital reminds visitors about restrictions

Reid Health and regional health officials are "extremely concerned" about a "dramatic rise" in positive coronavirus cases, including a jump in hospitalizations that - if it continues - could quickly overwhelm bed capacity.

The number of hospitalized patients with confirmed or suspected COVID leaped to 61 as of Monday, which is only three below the highest number of 64 in late April/early May. "Other health systems in Indiana are already coping with this wave. Many of these patients are among our most vulnerable populations. This is extremely concerning," said Thomas Huth, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs at Reid Health. With an average of 30 admissions from the Emergency Department every day, Reid officials are gravely concerned the health system will have to curtail other necessary health services to provide capacity for an increasing caseload - as had to be done at the beginning of the pandemic.

"The proven precautions of social distancing and masking are vitally important right now," Dr. Huth said, noting that health officials believe "pandemic fatigue" has led to people growing lax or totally ignoring mandates designed to prevent a surge from reoccurring. Outbreaks in nursing homes in the area are a factor, he said, but outbreaks are also reported from community, family and church gatherings.

With many patients hospitalized because of outbreaks in long-term care facilities, Dr. Huth emphasized the importance of those who are at less risk still carefully following precautions. The people in these facilities were already isolated - so the virus had to be brought to them from likely younger, less at-risk workers or visitors. Some of these people were likely not as vigilant about masks, hand-washing and distancing. "Anyone, even those who aren't as at risk of severe illness, need to act as if they are to protect the more vulnerable, older population around them."

"The proven precautions of social distancing and masking are vitally important right now." -- Dr. Thomas Huth

Meanwhile, to protect patients and staff, Reid Health is tightening visitor restrictions immediately. The guidelines include:

• Limit to one visitor per "non-COVID" inpatient per day - this is not "interchangeable," which means families are encouraged to have a designated person to fill this role and communicate electronically otherwise. Reid has iPads available to assist with this.
• No visitors for COVID patients; technology will be used to promote interaction with family. Exceptions will be made for end-of-life and other select situations. Full details are available at ReidHealth.org/safe.
• Limit to one visitor in Reid Health Physician Associates offices - no same-day re-entry.
• Stringent enforcement of masking and social distancing for staff and visitors, including continuing to require visitors to mask at all times in public spaces and when not distancing in patient rooms.
• Security checkpoints requiring legal I.D.

"We realize families want to see their loved one in person, but we also know the risks of COVID-19 to our patients, staff and their families. We appreciate everyone's cooperation with these guidelines to hopefully turn this trend downward in the face of this clear surge," Dr. Huth said.

Dr. Huth has tracked COVID-19 statistics since the pandemic began and also leads a bi-weekly call with health departments in eastern Indiana and western Ohio. Almost all counties in the region are marking an upward trend in positive COVID-19 cases. A major concern going forward is cooler weather keeping people indoors, "which means a higher likelihood of closer contact in less ventilated locations," Dr. Huth said.

Standard precautions of distancing and masking have been proven to work well, he said, despite numerous arguments and erroneous information about the effectiveness of the guidelines. He often shares an example from another state of a beauty salon where two employees worked a week while unknowingly positive with COVID-19. Because the salon was vigorous with masking of staff and clients, none of their customers caught the virus.

"Remember, masks are more effective when everyone wears them, but are especially helpful in keeping someone with the virus from passing it to others," Dr. Huth said. "At least 40 percent of the people who have the virus have no symptoms but can give it to others through their breath when they talk, cough, sneeze or simply breathe in and out. Wearing a mask helps keep this from happening." Dr. Huth continues to cite the double-risk of flu season combining with the pandemic, noting the flu vaccine this year is as important as it has ever been because it's possible to have both at the same time. The health system has already seen a case of someone with both flu and COVID-19, he noted. Some Reid Health primary care offices are offering curbside flu clinics for existing patients - others also offer the vaccine in visits. "I encourage everyone to check with their providers about getting their flu shot as soon as possible."

Following all the guidelines to prevent COVID-19 also can help reduce the spread of flu, he said. So masking, distancing and other measures along with a flu vaccine are the best way to protect the most at-risk populations. "Even if you're not at high risk of complications from COVID-19, take precautions anyway - you have other people in your life who are at high risk who could get the virus from you. So resolve to protect them by being careful yourself."

He said most positive cases can be traced to unprotected contact with someone else who was positive - often without knowing it.

Dr. Huth encourages everyone to follow the guidelines for masking and social distancing, and also:

• Avoid going to places where the guidelines are not followed or enforced.
• Get a flu shot.
• Don't let up in practicing social distancing and masking.
• Apply the guidelines to family gatherings and limit them in size.

"I'm personally not a fan of reinstituting lockdowns or shutdowns because of the drastic effects that produce their own serious human consequences," he said. "But if health systems become at risk from being overwhelmed as infections increase, these may be necessary. It's up to all of us to keep it that way by remaining vigilant with precautions."

Visit: www.ReidHealth.org/safe

Reid Health Cardiology, Oncology Services to Relocate in Connersville

Posted November 2, 2020

Reid Health's oncology and cardiology services in Connersville are relocating soon to the Reid Health - Connersville main campus at 1941 Virginia Ave.

Richmond Cardiology Associates' outreach in Connersville is moving from its State Road 44 location to the Reid Health - Connersville campus as of Nov. 2. Services now provided at 1475 East State Road 44 will be housed at 1941 Virginia Avenue in a space near the Atrium. The offices will also have new phone and fax numbers: (765) 827-7840, phone, (765) 827-7841, fax.

Reid Oncology Associates - Connersville will also move to 1941 Virginia Avenue a week later, as of Nov. 9. Numbers for oncology in Connersville will be (765) 827-8000 and (765) 827-7850 for fax.

Tyler Evans, MSN, RN, Cardiovascular Service Line Director for Reid Health, said the change provides opportunities for expanding access and increasing the number of physicians in the future. "We believe this consolidation of related services into one location makes the services more accessible and convenient for our Connersville area patients." The move also consolidates into one location outpatient and cardiopulmonary rehab services, he noted.

Amy Slonaker, MSN, RN, Director of RHPA Clinical Excellence/Oncology Services/Infectious Disease, said the Nov. 9 move of oncology services from Highway 44 to Reid Health - Connersville provides larger oncology space with opportunities to expand services and "enhances our ability to deliver quality care to our patients."

The two service lines will both benefit from ancillary services at the location such as lab, radiology and the Emergency Department.

Cardiology services have been available through Reid Health in Connersville for nearly 15 years. Oncology services were resumed in June of this year, Slonaker said, "in response to the greater need as well as our commitment to the Connersville community."

The Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau Announces Small Business Selfie Contest

Posted November 2, 2020

The Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau invites the public to share their best "selfie" photo located at any area local business.

This contest is in support of Small Business Saturday occurring on Saturday, November 28th. Small Business Saturday is a movement to drive shoppers to local merchants in our area and support our community of locally owned businesses and restaurants. The goal of this contest is to work alongside the Small Business Saturday movement by having visitors and locals show their support for these small locally owned businesses while they visit the locations throughout Wayne County to take a selfie.

Contest begins November 1st and runs through November 30th, 2020. Photos can be submitted using hashtag #ShopSmallWC or directly to Visit Richmond's social media pages. Photo settings must be set to public, any private photos will not be accepted into the contest. A complete set of rules & contest details can be found at VisitRichmond.org.

The winning selfie will be selected based on creativity, uniqueness and the best display of small business support. Winner will receive a Fujifilm Instax camera, a $50 Chamber of Commerce Certificate and Wayne County gift bag valued at $200.

Reid Health Recognized for Excellence in Infant and Maternal Health

Posted November 2, 2020

Reid Health was recognized Wednesday by the Indiana Hospital Association (IHA), in partnership with Governor Eric J. Holcomb and State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG, for its "commitment to infant and maternal health" at the first annual INspire Hospital of Distinction recognition program.

INspire, funded by the Indiana Department of Health's Safety PIN (Protecting Indiana's Newborns) grant, was developed to implement the delivery of best practice care for Hoosier moms and babies and recognize hospitals for excellence in addressing key drivers of infant and maternal health.

Reid Health earned the recognition based on implementing best practices in five key areas, including infant safe sleep, breastfeeding, tobacco prevention and cessation, perinatal substance use, and obstetric hemorrhage.

"Our team is passionately dedicated to healthy babies and mothers in our region," said Stephanie Field, Service Line Director for Women and Children's Services at Reid Health. "From voluntarily seeking out designation as a Baby-Friendly health system, to our educational and support programs for families during and after pregnancy, we are determined to continually seek excellence on behalf of our patients and their families to ensure best outcomes. "

Joseph Clemente, M.D., Reid OB-GYN, said "Reid Health Women's and Children's Services strives to integrate national best practices for our patients in our community. The Inspire award is a great recognition of the hard work and dedication all team members place in putting our patients first."

Gov. Holcomb said "Indiana's birthing hospitals are critical partners as we work to drive down infant mortality. Thanks to their efforts, Indiana's infant mortality rate has fallen to the lowest level in state recorded history. Together we will continue this important work to save even more lives and give every Hoosier newborn the best opportunity ahead."

"I am inspired by the work and passion our birthing hospitals bring to make sure all babies born in Indiana have the best start at life," Dr. Box said. "Reducing infant and maternal mortality requires a multi-pronged approach over the course of many years to see impactful change. We're seeing that change happen, but we can't stop now. We must continue to adopt best practices so we can celebrate more first birthdays in Indiana."

Box noted that among many successes, Indiana has seen a nearly 30 percent drop in Indiana's black infant mortality rate in just two years.

"Indiana hospitals are grateful for the leadership of Governor Holcomb and Dr. Box and are thrilled to be a partner in Indiana's successful effort to reduce infant mortality," said IHA President Brian Tabor. "We look forward to building on the progress we've made and achieving Governor Holcomb's goal for Indiana to have the lowest rate of infant mortality in the Midwest by 2024."

Indiana Hospital Association serves as the professional trade association for more than 170 acute care, critical access, behavioral health, and other specialized hospitals in Indiana.

Advance Practice Providers Trusted Members of Healthcare Team

Posted November 2, 2020

In light of a continuing national shortage of family practice and internal medicine physicians, "advance practice providers" (APPs) continue to grow in importance in ensuring enough providers are available to meet the growing demand for ongoing patient care.

"Advance practice providers, in collaboration with physicians, are able to expand patient access to care," says Cherie Frame, NP. As a Nurse Practitioner, she falls into the category herself. She also chairs the APP Committee at Reid Health, which recently recognized and celebrated APPs and their contributions to the healthcare system. APPs include nurse practitioners, physician assistants (PA), clinical nurse specialists (CNM), certified nurse midwives (CNM) and Doctors of Audiology (AuD).

APPs are licensed and board-certified in their specialties, making them able to manage acute and chronic illnesses. Having them as part of a team that includes a physician also helps reduce the high-stress demands on a smaller number of M.D.s and D.O.s. "The collaborative approach to care frees up more time for the physician to see patients who are more acutely ill," she said.

Rohit Bawa, M.D., Reid ENT and Chair of the Network Operations Council for Reid Health Physician Associates, said APPs help "fill the gap" created by the national shortage. He says more physicians are choosing specialty care, which also contributes to the increasing demand for family practice providers.

"Because many are choosing to specialize, this leaves few family and general medicine physicians," Dr. Bawa said. He also sees a positive side to the evolution of an increasing number of APPs. "As healthcare has advanced over the past decade, the concept of team-based care has become more prominent. Physicians, APPs, nurses, medical assistants and office staff work as a team with the patient at the center. Everyone is focused on the patient and providing the best care possible."

Frame sees advance practice providers as always being a vital part of healthcare delivery. "Some practices have more than one APP collaborating with a physician," she said. Some states with more extreme physician shortages also allow nurse practitioners to practice independently, though this is not the case in Indiana and Ohio.

For the Reid Health system, she said, "advance practice providers are trusted members of the physician-directed care delivery team."

State Higher Ed Commission Awards Over $83,000 to Local Organizations

Posted November 2, 2020

School and Community Partnership Grant supports college and career readiness for students

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has awarded 14 organizations with the 2020 School and Community Partnership Grant, designed bring together K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, employers and community organizations to plan and implement supportive efforts for students of all ages completing education and training beyond high school.

"Community organizations across the state are dedicated to advancing the state's college and career readiness priorities – such as the 21st Century Scholars program – with the goal of equipping more Hoosiers with education and training beyond high school," said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. "Each organization will make an impact in their local areas and we look forward to seeing the results of their efforts."

2020 School and Community Partnership Grant recipients:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters Central Indiana
• EDGE 21
• Elevate Indy
• Indiana Latino Institute
• IndyAchieves
• Knox Community Schools
• Latino Education Group
• Marian University
• Northeastern Wayne School Corporation
• Opening College Opportunities
• Project Leadership (Delaware and Grant County)
• Purdue Polytechnic-Anderson
• Shakamak High School

The Commission awarded $83,567 to 13 local organizations including K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, employers and community partners. Grant recipients will implement their suggested programs and events during the current school year.

The School and Community Partnership Grant is designed to support collaborative efforts of the state's college and career readiness priorities, including:

1. Completing the 21st Century Scholars' Scholar Success Program and maintaining academic eligibility with at least a 2.5 grade point average;
2. Family engagement programming, including enrollment in the 21st Century Scholars program and promotion of the state's Next Level Jobs program; and
3. Pre-college and postsecondary professional development, focused on Indiana's college achievement gap.

Funding for the School and Community Partnership Grant is made possible through Indiana Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). Led by a team of staff from Purdue University and the Commission, one of the primary goals of Indiana GEAR UP is to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

For more information about the School and Community Partnership Grant, visit https://learnmoreindiana.org/scholars/alumni-partners/.

HIP Extension Good News for Thousands in Reid Health Service Area

Posted November 2, 2020

Federal approval for extending the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) for ten years is great news for the up to 10,000 Reid Health patients who participate in the plan, Reid officials say.

"This coverage is critical, especially due to the increase number of current HIP consumers who lost jobs and previous benefits because of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Sharrie Harlin-Davis, Community Outreach Coordinator for Reid Health. Chris Knight, Reid Health Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, notes that HIP also now provides vision and dental options.

State numbers show that more than 572,000 Indiana residents have HIP coverage, with officials saying the number reflects an increase of about 100,000 believe related to the pandemic causing job loss.

"HIP provides a vitally important option for people who meet the guidelines to receive the coverage," Knight said. Patients with HIP represent an increasing percentage of Reid Health system consumers, he said.

The Healthy Indiana Plan is a health-insurance program for qualified adults. The plan is offered by the State of Indiana. It pays for medical costs for members and could even provide vision and dental coverage. It also rewards members for taking better care of their health. The plan covers Hoosiers ages 19 to 64 who meet specific income levels. See below if your 2020 income qualifies.

• Individuals with annual incomes up to $17,829 may qualify.
• Couples with annual incomes up to $24,078 may qualify.
• A family of four with an annual income of $36,590 may qualify.​

Reid Health accepts all four HIP/Medicaid plans: Anthem, CareSource, Managed Health Services (MHS) and MDwise.

More information here: https://www.reidhealth.org/financial-assistance; or for information about HIP or other coverage programs, contact ClaimAid: (765) 983-3310.

LifeStream Receives Grant from the Arby's Foundation

Posted November 2, 2020

LifeStream Services was awarded two grants totaling $6,750 from The Arby's Foundation to support local youth. These funds were allocated by the Arby's Foundation from the twice yearly national Make a Difference fundraiser which raises funds through guest donations at local restaurants across the country.

In addition to serving older adults, LifeStream provides programs and services for people with disabilities of all ages. LifeSteam Services will be using the grant funds to purchase shelf stable meals for clients in Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, and Randolph counties who are under the age of 18, and their families. Additionally, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is providing USDA food boxes to supplement the meals purchased with the Arby's Foundation grant. These funds will impact 80 households.

Arby's has been a support in more ways than one. On October 22, Arby's staff volunteered to give out food at the Senior Safety Net food distribution at the Delaware County Senior Center. The Senior Safety Net program helps provide supplemental nutrition for older adults who are in need.

"This generous grant from the Arby's Foundation will enable LifeStream Services to provide supplemental food and meals to our younger clients living with disabilities," explained Mandy Williams, VP of Programs at LifeStream Services. "These individuals and their families face unique challenges, and we are grateful to the Arby's Foundation for helping us serve vulnerable populations in our communities, both through this grant and with their ongoing volunteer support of our Senior Safety Net food distributions."

For more information on LifeStream's nutrition programs, please visit lifestreaminc.org/nutrition.

About the Arby's Foundation:

The Arby's Foundation, the independent charitable arm of Arby's, helps America's kids dream big and pursue their dreams with confidence. Building on a philanthropic heritage that has contributed more than $90 million to youth-related causes since its inception in 1986, the Arby's Foundation is committed to helping kids build, expand and pursue their dreams as we focus our efforts in childhood hunger, youth leadership, and career readiness initiatives. The Arby's Foundation is part of the Inspire Brands Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit www.foundation.arbys.com.

New HR & Talent Attraction Assistance Available to Indiana Small Businesses

Posted October 26, 2020

INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 26, 2020) – Today, the Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) announced new resources to provide employment support to Indiana small businesses and entrepreneurs. Through these initiatives, eligible companies may apply for no-cost assistance to help enhance their workplace policies or recruit and hire employees essential to the business' long-term growth and sustainability.

"With more than 521,000 companies employing 1.2 million Hoosiers, small businesses play a critical role in supporting Indiana's long-term economic growth," said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger. "As a state, we're committed to expanding access to critical economic and workforce resources during these challenging times, while continuing to provide the support small businesses and entrepreneurs need to grow and succeed for years to come."

Human Resources Support

Through a new partnership with ServantHR, a Fishers-based human resources consulting firm, the Indiana SBDC assists small businesses in creating or updating workplace policies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Human Resource Assistance Program pairs eligible companies with trained human resources consultants to update their employee handbooks in order to accommodate remote working arrangements, administration of leave policies, sanitation procedures, and compliance with federal, state and local standards and regulations.

To be eligible, small businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Be or become an Indiana SBDC client,
• Have been in business as of February 15, 2020, and
• Be able to demonstrate a negative impact from COVID-19.
• Indiana companies are encouraged to submit applications online.

Recruiting & Hiring

Additionally, the Indiana SBDC recently launched an employment support program, HireUp, to help small businesses recruit, hire and onboard employees essential to the business' operations. Eligible companies partner with Quintegra, an Indianapolis-based talent connection firm, to identify qualified candidates, provide screening and background checks, facilitate interviews and establish an onboarding process to ensure continued success of the employee. Example positions include, but are not limited to, programmers, general managers, accountants, export development managers and licensed therapists.

To be eligible, small businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Be or become an Indiana SBDC client,
• Have the intent to hire within 30-60 days after entering the program,
• Hire a full time, W-2 employee, and
• Must not have previously participated in the program.

The Indiana SBDC, which is a program of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), provides small businesses and entrepreneurs with expert guidance and resources on how to start and grow a business, including strategy development, business planning and valuation, export assistance and market research. For more information on resources and programs for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, visit StayINBiz.org. To become a client of the Indiana SBDC, contact the regional office nearest you.

About Indiana SBDC

The Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) is a program of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which leads the state of Indiana's economic development efforts. The Indiana SBDC helps entrepreneurs launch, grow and locate businesses in the state, providing entrepreneurs with expert guidance and resources on how to start and grow a business. With a network of 10 regional offices through the state, the Indiana SBDC creates a positive and measurable impact on the formation, growth and sustainability of Indiana's small businesses.

The Indiana SBDC is funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. For more information about the Indiana SBDC, visit www.isbdc.org.

LifeStream to Host a Drive-Thru Event for Caregivers in November

Posted October 26, 2020

LifeStream Services invites caregivers to the Caregiver Drive-Thru Appreciation in celebration of National Caregiver Month in November. Caregivers can stop by to receive a loaf of pumpkin bread, hot cider, and resources to help in the caregiving process.

The drive-thru event will be on November 10 from 11am to noon at The Leland Legacy located at 900 S. A St. Richmond, IN 47374. There is no fee to attend this event and everything is complimentary in appreciation of caregivers. Social distancing safety measures will be in place.

LifeStream Services recognizes the importance of family caregivers and the sacrifices they make to keep their loved one safe and healthy. For more information regarding caregiver resources provided by LifeStream Services or Caregiver Curbside, please contact Angie Jenkins, Outreach Coordinator, at 765-759-1121 or ajenkins@lifestreaminc.org. More information at lifestreaminc.org.

LifeStream is an Area Agency on Aging that works to improve the quality of life for people at risk of losing their independence. LifeStream serves over 19,000 seniors and people with disabilities throughout 12 counties in Indiana including Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. Programs and services include care management, transportation, in-home care, Senior Cafes, home-delivered meals, guardianships, caregiver support, home modifications, information and assistance, volunteer opportunities and more. For more about the organization call (800) 589-1121 or visit online at www.lifestreaminc.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifestreamservices.

LifeStream Services Offering New Caregiver Program

Posted October 26, 2020

Support for grandparents raising grandchildren and other adults providing kinship care.

LifeStream Services is now offering a new caregiver program for grandparents raising grandchildren and other adults providing kinship care. Parenting a Second Time Around (PASTA) is an educational and support group developed by the Cornell University Cooperative Extension.

PASTA will empower those who have moved into the parenting role for a second time to feel more confident, comfortable and informed. The program includes a series of seven workshops that can be done as an ongoing class, or as a standalone session. The workshops cover critical topics such as rebuilding families, child development, living with teens, legal issues, and more. Workshops can be done in-person or a virtual format.

There is no cost to schedule sessions for grandparents or other seniors providing kinship care. Organizations, community groups or companies interested in bringing the PASTA program to their community should contact Angie Jenkins, Outreach Coordinator, at 765-759-1121 or email ajenkins@lifestreaminc.org. Learn more about LifeStream's caregiver resources and events at lifestreaminc.org/caregiver-support.

LifeStream is an Area Agency on Aging that works to improve the quality of life for people at risk of losing their independence. LifeStream serves over 19,000 seniors and people with disabilities throughout 12 counties in Indiana including Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. Programs and services include care management, transportation, in-home care, Senior Cafes, home-delivered meals, guardianships, caregiver support, home modifications, information and assistance, volunteer opportunities and more. For more about the organization call (800) 589-1121 or visit online at www.lifestreaminc.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifestreamservices.

IU East raises over $2,500 with "People of the Pack" campaign to support the student emergency fund

Posted October 26, 2020

Indiana University East surpassed its fundraising goal for the student emergency fund through the "People of the Pack: Get on Board the Cutout Campaign."

The campaign, held September 14-30, invited alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents of student-athletes, and community members to participate with a display of campus spirit by donating $50. Recognition of the gift included a cardboard cutout of participants - or of the person or pet of their choice - placed in a campus building.

IU East recently surpassed a fundraising goal with the "People of the Pack: Get on Board the Cutout Campaign." Benefits from the campaign go toward the IU East Marilyn Watkins Red Wolf Student Support Fund to provide emergency funding for students.

Paula Kay King, director of Gift Development, said the idea was to build campus morale for students while also raising funds for the student emergency fund, the IU East Marilyn Watkins Red Wolf Student Support Fund.

The Marilyn Watkins fund provides emergency support for students facing unforeseen financial hardships right now from food insecurity to unexpected medical expenses to limited access to technology.

"We are fortunate to have an emergency fund established to benefit students who may find they are suddenly in need of assistance," King said. "As a campus, we recognize that students and families are experiencing unexpected financial emergencies, loss of employment, or many other unexpected struggles during this unprecedented time. We are thankful for the many contributions provided by our Red Wolf family and friends of the university to help offer support for students when it is needed most."

More than 40 gifts from campus and community members helped to raise over $2,500 through the "People of the Pack" campaign.

Cutouts are on display in campus buildings now through November 20, ahead of Thanksgiving break. Once students leave campus for break, all courses will move to an all-online format as previously announced.

Jason Troutwine, vice chancellor for External Affairs, said the cutout campaign is a way to boost student and campus morale.

"While IU East is offering select courses on campus this fall, students are primarily taking courses online as part of the effort to make the campus as safe as possible during the ongoing pandemic. Additionally, many faculty and staff continue to work remotely," Troutwine said. "This has given the campus a very different atmosphere this fall. The cutouts are a way for us to be present and to offer encouragement or a friendly face for students as they are on campus."

Contributions to the IU East Marilyn Watkins Red Wolf Student Support Fund can be made online at myiu.org by following these steps: Click on 'Give Now'. Click on 'Make a Gift'. Type 'Marilyn Watkins' in the search all funds area. Questions? Please contact Paula Kay King, director of Gift Development, at (765) 973-8331 or pkayking@iue.edu.

Singles Interaction, Inc.

Posted October 26, 2020

If you are 21 years of age or better and single, divorced, widow or widower, Singles' Interaction invites you to join them on Friday nights. Come to the Eagles Lodge, 75 South 12th Street, Richmond (membership not required) and meet other single people in the Richmond area.

Come, socialize, dance, and enjoy yourself!

Wayne County Lit the Spark Igniting Bold Campaign for Women's Vote

Posted August 24, 2020

The 69-year campaign to win Indiana women the right to vote launched in tiny Dublin in October 1851 with the first Women's Rights Convention. The 100th anniversary of the Constitutional Amendment making that right possible will be celebrated Wednesday, Aug. 26 throughout the country.

That bold meeting in Western Wayne County is widely recognized as the spark that lit the women's suffrage fire throughout Indiana and it will be featured in a virtual celebration now under production by a local organization.

The Wayne County Women's Suffrage Centennial Task Force's two-part virtual series -- to premier Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. -- will present the important role local women and men played in winning ratification of the 19th Amendment in Indiana and across the nation.

Part 1, "The Women's Suffrage Movement in Wayne County, IN – Lighting the Spark" will showcase the early leaders of the women's rights movement through the 19th Century. Part 2, "Raising a Ruckus" will follow the brave tactics of 20th Century strategists through ratification in 1920. Part 2 will premier Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.

The task force, led by Sue King of Morrisson-Reeves Library, Mary Walker and Nancy Sartain of the Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau, Joanna Hahn of the Levi and Catharine Coffin Historic Site, Karen Shank-Chapman of the Wayne County Historical Museum, and Mary Anne Butters, county commissioner, welcome personal stories from descendants of suffragists. Please submit them to: mabutters@wayneco.us or director@waynecountyhistoricalmuseum.org.

Reservations for the free Oct. 27 premier may be made online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-womens-suffrage-movement-in-wayne-county-in-lighting-the-spark-tickets-115482580507.

Richmond Parks and Recreation Event Cancellations

Posted October 26, 2020

Due to the rise of COVID-19 cases in Wayne County, the subsequent change to the orange stage, and the limit to event gatherings, The Richmond Parks & Recreation Department's Trick or Treat in the Park and The City of Richmond's Veterans Parade will be cancelled this year.

Although it is unfortunate to make this announcement, these events are estimated to bring in crowds significantly higher than the 75 person limit will allow. It is in the best interest of everyone involved that the local guidelines are followed by The Wayne County Health Department and The City of Richmond.

The Trick or Treat in the Park event was originally slated for Saturday, October 31st in Glen Miller Park planned in conjunction with several non profits. The concept behind the event was to provide a safer alternative than the traditional door to door format, while allowing various organizations within the community to participate. Early estimates projected for well over 1,000 people to be dispersed throughout the park that evening and while the decision is a hard one to make, it is the most responsible decision at this time. Please note the City has announced there will still be a traditional door to door time of 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. on October 31st for those who want to participate and encourage anyone participating to review the specific CDC guidelines for Trick-Or-Treating door to door this year.

In similar fashion, the Veterans Parade was in preparation for Saturday, November 7th on East Main Street. "Honoring our veterans is an important part of why we assist in this parade each year. We felt it was a collective decision to make so we discussed this in the last meeting and polled the Veterans Parade Committee for their thoughts on cancelation. The majority of the committee has decided that it would be best to skip this year due to the restrictions. We will all miss this event this year!"
Denise Retz, Park Superintendent

The traditional size of the crowd, and an inability to enforce proper safety guidelines proves too high a risk; it is in the best interest of all to hold off on the parade until next year. "Considering a large portion of the parade units will not be able to attend the parade this year as well as many of the Veterans on the committee are in high risk categories, protecting them is the most important decision we can make."
Keith Clemens, Community Recreation Coordinator

Anonymous Gift to IU East's Pantry Will Provide for Students Experiencing Food Insecurity

Posted October 21, 2020

An anonymous $20,000 gift to The Pantry at Indiana University East will have a huge impact on food insecurity in the student body - especially during the ongoing pandemic. And, as a monetary donation, the funds make it possible for The Pantry to ensure it is able to offer what is needed for students.

"The donation, quite frankly, takes my breath away," says Deanna Cooper, wellness specialist for the Center for Health Promotion at IU East, who got the pantry started five years ago. "The anonymous donor recognized a need and understands the importance of helping our students be successful. We will be able to provide more items for more students. It could also make a difference in student retention, as food insecure students are often more likely to withdraw."

Cooper notes having a financial cushion will allow The Pantry to shop more frequently, stock up on essentials and more non-perishables.

Paula Kay King, director of gift development, said this gift provides a great deal of options for The Pantry. "Often when donors consider giving to The Pantry - they think of gifting items. Receiving a monetary gift such as this provides a great deal of flexibility and sustainability for The Pantry. It's an amazing act of kindness!"

Karen Clark, Ed D, RN, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, says The Pantry's importance can't be overstated.

"Food insecurity is an issue in many communities and ours is no exception," Clark said. "Students have expenses such as tuition, books, rent, car expenses, or family maintenance. Sometimes there is not enough money for food once the bills are paid." It's also a challenge for students who are juggling a full course load, coupled with part-time jobs or sports activities, she added.

Clark says she knows The Pantry has made the difference for some students between going hungry and having sufficient nutrition. "We also provide health and beauty type products such as toilet paper, laundry detergent, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and soap. Having access to the variety of items every month actually enables some students to feed their families and-or themselves."

Cooper notes the importance of being able to ensure students have proteins, such as meat, eggs, milk and cheese, along with some treats such as cookies and chips because such items "add a little fun and normalcy."

Food insecure students are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and loneliness. "A hungry student cannot focus on their school work when they are worried about where their next meal might come from or how they will feed their family when they get home," Cooper says, noting that surveys show 30 to 45% of college students are food insecure.

Dean of Students Amy Jarecki considers herself a campus champion for The Pantry, "making sure that faculty, staff and students know about this valuable resource." She directs referrals, including from students who come to her when they find themselves in financial crisis, such as an unexpected car repair. "The Pantry is a quick and easy way for the student to get help with food and toiletries without having to seek outside resources," she said. Jarecki cites the importance of taking care of students' basic needs and providing a holistic culture of care and concern.

Cole Lane is the student advocate at IU East. In his role, he assists students facing obstacles that may range from employment to financial or housing, and he often connects students with The Pantry.

"The Pantry is important because it is the university reaching out, offering a helping hand," Lane said. "A bag or two of food from The Pantry can make such an impact on a stressed out college student, who may not have known where their next meal is coming from."

Lane said from his experience, students he connects with The Pantry as a resource are often happy and relieved to have the option available.

"The fact that the place they go to school has food for them if they need it is a great thing," he said.

The Pantry operates solely on donations, with monetary gifts being ideal. Food and toiletry donations are also accepted.

According to Clark, the donors have a powerful impact. "They make a difference in the lives of students when they give. It truly is about paying it forward and helping the next generation of scholars."

The Pantry is located in Hayes Hall, Room 064. It is normally open on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons - and due to COVID-19, by appointment. Students can make an appointment by calling 765-973-8216.

Cooper reiterated the impact of the gift on the program and on her.

"It makes my job much easier. I'm just forever grateful. This has touched my life, and I'm so lucky to be an instrument to use this gift to impact many others," Cooper said.

Cash gifts can be made online at myiu.org by following these steps: Click on 'Give Now'. Click on 'Make a Gift'. Type 'IU East Food Pantry' in the search all funds area. Questions? Please contact Paula Kay King, director of Gift Development, at (765) 973-8331 or pkayking@iue.edu.

State Higher Ed Commission Partners with University of Indianapolis, INvestEd to Help Indiana Dual Credit Teachers Get Credentials

Posted October 21, 2020

Ensuring Indiana high school teachers are equipped and qualified to teach dual credit courses is the primary goal of a new partnership between the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, INvestEd and the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis, called Teach Dual Credit Indiana. Dual credit courses allow students to earn college credit and high school credit at the same time—preparing them for college and saving them time and money when they get there.

Beginning September 1, 2023, high school educators who teach dual credit courses are required to have a master's degree and at least 18 credit hours of instruction in the subject they teach. The credentialing rules were put into place by regional college accreditor Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Earlier this year, Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers requested and received an additional one-year extension from HLC for Indiana teachers to meet these requirements.

INvestEd, a statewide nonprofit, is providing a $3 million grant for Hoosier teachers to receive the necessary credit hours, up to 18 in total. The grant could fully qualify between 200 and 700 teachers, depending on how many credits teachers take. There are currently more than 560 Indiana teachers who have master's degrees but lack the 18 hours.

CELL is encouraging postsecondary institutions to submit proposals to offer courses through Teach Dual Credit Indiana. Tuition for courses, along with books and materials, will be provided at no cost to dual credit teachers employed at Indiana public schools, including charter schools and accredited private schools. Courses will be offered in the winter, spring and summer 2021 and may be offered in an online, hybrid or in-person delivery method.

Teachers with a master's degree can learn more about how to access grant funds and postsecondary institutions can review and submit the Request for Proposal by visiting TeachDualCredit.org.

"This partnership is making it possible for Indiana's dual credit teachers—at no cost to them—to earn the necessary graduate credit hours to be fully credentialed to teach dual credit courses to Hoosier students," Lubbers said. "Indiana has previously been recognized for instructor eligibility and quality by the HLC, but our dual credit teachers are required to meet these rules and having done so successfully will fortify Indiana's dual credit instruction."

INvestEd has provided free financial aid literacy outreach to Indiana families for 40 years.

"For years, INvestEd's financial aid literacy presentations have stressed the value of dual credit coursework to all Hoosiers in terms of future academic success and tuition savings," said Joe Wood, president and CEO of INvestEd. "These free, rigorous courses provide a head start toward graduating. That's why INvestEd was so eager to support this credentialing program for Indiana's essential dual credit educators."

Dual credit courses are also a proven method to address affordability and equity issues for students who are pursuing higher education.

"Students who earn dual credit perform significantly better in a number of important metrics, including college-going rates, freshman grade point average and credit hours completed. Students who have the opportunity to earn dual credit are more likely to graduate college on time and to graduate at all," Lubbers said. "This is also an important effort to close the state's educational achievement gaps, as these gains make an impact across race and ethnicity, as well as socioeconomic status."

Liberal arts, foreign language instruction available

The state and other partners have invested in ongoing credentialing efforts for teachers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields previously, through the state's investment of more than $10 million in STEM dual credit teacher credentialing and CELL's STEM Teach initiative. As it did with STEM Teach, CELL will administer the Teach Dual Credit Indiana program for those teaching dual credit liberal arts courses.

"Ensuring student success in postsecondary endeavors, particularly when those are collegiate aspirations, has been central to our Early College and STEM Teach work. With the looming shortage of qualified teachers to deliver dual credit course work in Indiana's K-12 schools – Teach Dual Credit Indiana is desperately needed," said Carey Dahncke, executive director of the University of Indianapolis Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL). "Soon teachers across the state will have access to graduate education opportunities at a wide range of Hoosier universities, to ensure we have enough secondary teachers that meet the Higher Learning Commission's requirements for teaching dual credit courses in Indiana's high schools."

The Commission estimates dual credit completion saves Hoosier students $69 million in postsecondary tuition and fees annually. One-third of students who complete dual credit in Indiana are from low-income households.

"We look forward to continuing to serve teachers and schools so that they can provide ample dual credit opportunities to high school students. In the end, this results in making the transition to college easier and more affordable for students as they earn college credits while still enrolled in high school," said Trish Wlodarczyk, director of strategic initiatives, STEM Teach IV, CELL.

The Commission, CELL and INvestEd will promote the program and reach out to teachers and school administrators throughout the state to let teachers know to enroll. For more information, visit TeachDualCredit.org.

LifeStream Needs Your Help To Deliver Hope During the Holidays

Posted October 21, 2020

LifeStream is seeking support from the community to help them deliver hope to older adults who are isolated andalone during the holiday season with AngelWish. LifeStream's AngelWish program coordinates the delivery ofgift sets to isolated older adults in Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph,Rush, Union, and Wayne counties.

For over 20 years, generous businesses, clubs, organizations, churches, and individuals have come together as a community to ensure the most vulnerable are not forgotten during the holidays. Below is how individuals and organizations can support the AngelWish program:

• Make a monetary donation: With just a $25 donation, a person will receive a gift set. Donations can be made online at lifestreaminc.org/angelwish or mailed to 1701 Pilgrim Blvd. Yorktown, IN 47396. Please note AngelWish with your donation. Checks should be made payable to LifeStream Services.
• Sign up to be a delivery elf: LifeStream expects to deliver 1,000 AngelWish gift sets between December 4 and December 24. Dependable volunteers are needed to help deliver gift sets to AngelWish recipients to ensure all gifts are delivered by December 24.
• Become a sponsor: Benefits can include logo and name listed on print and online materials, mentioned in e-newsletters, and the opportunity to provide promotional material in the gift sets. Those interested in supporting the AngelWish program should contact Angie Jenkins, Outreach Coordinator, at 765-759- 1121 or ajenkins@lifestreaminc.org. You may also fill out the support form by visiting www.lifestreaminc.org/angelwish.

For inquiries regarding the AngelWish program, please contact Laura Bray, Volunteer Services Administrator, by calling 765-759-3372 or email lbray@lifestreaminc.org.

LifeStream is an Area Agency on Aging that works to improve the quality of life for people at risk of losing their independence. LifeStream serves over 23,000 seniors and people with disabilities throughout 12 counties in Indiana including Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. Programs and services include care management, transportation, in-home care, Senior Cafes, home-delivered meals, guardianships, caregiver support, home modifications, information and assistance, volunteer opportunities and more. For more about the organization call (800) 589-1121 or visit online at www.lifestreaminc.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifestreamservices.

IU East Will Offer New Test-Optional Scholarships for Incoming Freshmen in 2021

Posted October 21, 2020

Indiana University East is offering test-optional scholarships for incoming freshmen beginning the 2020-2021 academic year.

IU East no longer requires incoming freshmen to submit standardized test scores for admission. The change follows the Board of Trustees approval to adopt a test-optional admissions policy for each IU campus beginning with the 2021 terms.

High school students submitting their application for enrollment to IU East are able to choose whether they submit standardized test scores as part of their application to the university.

As part of the new policy, IU East will begin to also offer test-optional scholarships with the high school graduating Class of 2021.

Molly Vanderpool, executive director of Recruitment & Transitions and Admissions at IU East, said test scores are only one factor to consider during the application for enrollment. The university considers a variety of academic factors.

The new test-optional scholarships are additions to IU East's admission-based scholarships, which do not require a separate application and are automatically offered if an applicant meets the specified academic criteria, Vanderpool added.

"The addition of the test-optional scholarships will make a difference for many high school students who have decided to pursue a four-year degree," Vanderpool said. "We are excited to offer test-optional scholarships for students who qualify."

There are two categories for test-optional scholarships incoming students may qualify for when they enroll at IU East.

The IU East Academic Excellence Scholarship will award $6,000 to qualifying students, at $1,500 annually over four years. Incoming freshmen students admitted by February 15, 2021, who have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 to 4.0, may be eligible for this scholarship.

Students who qualify for the IU East Success Scholarship will receive $4,000, at $1,000 annually over four years. Students admitted by February 15, 2021, who have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.25 to 3.49, may be eligible for this scholarship.

Students who receive either test optional scholarship must attend full time and maintain at least a 2.75 IU cumulative GPA. Taking the SAT and/or ACT is not necessary to receive either scholarship.

Research shows that a student's high school GPA and standardized test scores are the best predictors of academic success in college.

For some students, however, a standardized test score may not show all that a student is capable of and tell the full story of his or her potential.

Additionally, junior and senior high school students may not have been unable to take standardized tests due to COVID-19.

The test-optional policy allows students to continue their plans for a degree in higher education by allowing application for enrollment.

For more information on enrollment, visit the IU East Office of Admissions at iue.edu/admissions.

Reid Health gains national 'Most Wired' recognition

Posted October 21, 2020

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) announced this week Reid Health and Reid Health Physician Associates have again earned "2020 CHIME HealthCare's Most Wired" Special Recognition awards.

The Most Wired program conducts an annual survey to assess how effectively healthcare organizations apply core and advanced technologies into their clinical and business programs to improve health and care in their communities. "Digital technology has been a driver of innovation in healthcare for many years now, but never to the degree that we saw in 2020 with the pandemic," said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell. "The Digital Health Most Wired program underscores why healthcare organizations keep pushing themselves to be digital leaders and shows what amazing feats they can achieve. This certification recognizes their exemplary performance in 2020."

Craig Kinyon, Reid Health President/CEO, said the 2020 recognition -- and similar awards in previous years - recognize Reid Health's long-term dedication to optimum use of information technology to improve patient safety and patient outcomes. "As a health system, we have always understood the importance of technology in providing excellent care, and we remain dedicated to being a leader in this area." He noted the recognition acknowledges "the dedication of the Information Services team, physicians, providers and clinical leadership to continually manage system updates, interfaces and system integration strategies to add and increase functionality in all our systems. These advancements have a positive and direct impact on the quality of care our patients receive."

A total of 30,091 organizations were represented in the 2020 Most Wired program, which this year included four separate surveys: domestic, ambulatory, long-term care and international. The surveys assessed the adoption, integration and impact of technologies in healthcare organizations at all stages of development, from early development to industry leading.

Each participating organization received a customized benchmarking report, an overall score and scores for individual levels in eight segments: infrastructure; security; business/disaster recovery; administrative/supply chain; analytics/data management; interoperability/population health; patient engagement; and clinical quality/safety. Participants can use the report and scores to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. Participants also received certification based on their overall performance, with level 10 being the highest.

This is the third year that CHIME has conducted the survey and overseen the program. In each successive year, CHIME has expanded the survey to capture more types of organizations that serve patients across the continuum of care. CHIME also continues to promote the program internationally to provide a global overview of digital health advancements.

As in past years, CHIME will publish an industry trends report based on Digital Health Most Wired responses from U.S. participants. The 2020 National Trends Report is scheduled to be released in November during CHIME20 Digital.

For more information about the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired program, please go here.

IU East's Fall Virtual Music Concerts to Feature Faculty, Students Beginning October 12

Posted October 12, 2020

The Indiana University East Department of Music is hosting a series of live-streamed concerts this fall on Facebook Live.

Nathan Froebe, visiting lecturer of music at IU East, said the virtual concerts are a way for musicians to continue to connect during the pandemic.

"Musicians are creative folks, and the musicians here at IU East have been hard at work creating ways for all of us to continue to engage with the art of music during this socially distanced time," Froebe said. "Our students and faculty have been preparing a variety of performances to share with our campus and community via live-streaming, from celebrating the legacies of the masters, to premieres of new works by students and faculty, to capstone performances of students completing their degrees, and more!"

Peter Douglas

The first concert is at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 12. The event features Peter Douglas, piano, with guest Marcel Ramalho, baritone, performing selections for "Beethoven's 250th: A Piano and Voice Recital." The performance is an evening of art song and piano works centered around the life of Beethoven. Pre-selected audience members will be in the auditorium during the performance.

The performances will be held in Vivian Auditorium, which has recently been remodeled. The public will be able to watch the full performance as it is streamed live on IU East's Facebook Live at facebook.com/events/640577170153546.

"It is exceptionally important that we support the arts in any way we can during these times, both to support the artists who provide us with meaningful entertainment, as well as for ourselves to continue to be nourished with the amazing music and hard work of our IU East students and faculty are producing," Froebe said.

Douglas is an adjunct instructor at IU East. Performing as a collaborative pianist, organist, and solo pianist, Douglas has established a career as a versatile performing artist. His performances have taken him throughout the United States and globally to Europe and South America.

He is currently a doctoral candidate (ABD) at Ball State University pursuing a Doctor of Arts Degree in Piano Chamber Music and Accompanying with a secondary in Music Theory/Composition. At IU East, he teaches class piano and sight-singing/aural skills. He is an organist/collaborative pianist at First Presbyterian Church in Muncie and maintains a busy freelance collaborative piano schedule performing with singers, instrumentalists, dancers, chamber groups, and choral ensembles.

Marcel Ramalho

Ramalho holds a Doctor of Arts in Music from Ball State University, and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Earlham College and Ivy Tech Community College-Lafayette. A recipient of several academic awards and scholarships, he recently sang Thomas Putnam in Robert Ward's The Crucible with Berlin Opera Academy. At Ball State University, Ramalho sang the title roles in Mozart's Don Giovanniand Le Nozze di Figaro, and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. Other roles include Peter in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, Captain Corcoran in Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore, Don Pedro in Berlioz' Béatrice et Bénédict, and scenes from Rossini's La Cenerentola (Dandini), Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore (Belcore), Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe (Horace Tabor), Copland's The Tender Land (Top), and Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (Grégorio).Ramalho has also recently appeared as the bass soloist in J. S. Bach's cantatasIch habe genug (BWV 82), Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir (BWV 38), Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4), and Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen (BWV 12), W. A. Mozart's Freimaurerkantante, and G. Fauré's Requiem.

Haewon Yang, piano, will perform "Off the Beaten Path" at 7 p.m. on November 10. This is an evening exploring lesser known and newer works for modern piano, including the premiere of Froebe's new work, "Nocturnes."

Haewon Yang

Yang, adjunct instructor of piano, has been recognized for her colorful and sensitive performances. As an avid performer and collaborative musician, she is a sought after for her flexibility across different genres and carefully studied interpretations. She has won top prizes in Canadian national competitions such as the Shean Piano Competition and Canadian Music Competition, as well as the Indiana University Concerto Competition and the Indianapolis Matinee Musical Competition.

She has been a guest artist at the Yemel Philharmonic Society in Toronto, Canada, Concordia Wilmington Concert Series in Wilmington, Delaware, and the Indiana Landmarks Center in Indianapolis, with performances across North America and Europe. Her doctoral research was on the piano compositions of child composers, which includes the works of the prodigious composer and pianist Emile Naoumoff.

Yang holds degrees from the University of Toronto and the IU Jacobs School of Music, and studied with Paulette Price, Marietta Orlov and Arnaldo Cohen. She lives in West Lafayette with her husband Brian.

This November the IU East Student Capstone Recital Showcase will feature Claire Eckstein, composer; Zach Cornett; baritone; Tanner Puterbaugh, French horn and tenor. The showcase begins at 5:30 p.m. on November 19. This concert will be virtual only.

Eckstein is from Batesville; Cornett is from Connersville; and Puterbaugh is from Richmond. The students are majoring in humanities with a concentration in music.

The capstone recital is a mega-concert featuring IU East students performing an eclectic array of works new and old, Froebe said.

The Music Student Concert is at 6 p.m. on December 3. This virtual concert will be live-streamed and features performances and original compositions by all IU East students taking private music lessons. It serves as the culmination of a semester's hard work by student musicians, and offers everyone an opportunity to continuing engaging with the arts in this socially distanced time.

Upcoming concert information and live stream links will be added to IU East Facebook Events at facebook.com/iueast and the IU East Events Calendar at iue.edu/events.

BOSS Selected Nation's Best in UEDA Competition

Posted October 21, 2020

BOSS is truly the boss.

That's lingo for being the best, something that's fitting for the entrepreneurship curriculum that was founded by IU East's Tim Scales in 2007. Scales is the director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Center for Economic Education, and senior lecturer at IU East.

It was selected the winner in the Talent Category of the 2020 University Economic Development Association (UEDA) Awards of Excellence.

"I am so thrilled," Scales admits. "It's been a great, fun and productive 13 years."

BOSS is an acronym for Business Opportunities for Self Starters. The 54-hour program was designed to introduce local high school students to economics and entrepreneurship and teach them how to produce a business plan. It is guided by teachers who have undergone three days of curriculum training.

Scales believes the first-place honor will help IU East.

"When this happens, it exposes us across the U.S. It adds credibility and builds more awareness … so the program can expand," Scales said.

He originally was awarded BOSS funding from the state for just two years and added a third because he had money left over. "After that, we built interest and community support," he said.

By steadily gaining new audiences and new funding, BOSS has reached beyond the original nine counties it started in and become known around the world in places such as India, South Africa and Mexico. Scales promises there will be "no slowing down; we will continue to grow the program."

BOSS' mainstays have included flexibility, adaptability and a personal touch. Schools that use the curriculum can adapt the program to best fit their needs.

The program also was a finalist for an award from the University Economic Development Association in 2017 and 2019. Two other IU East programs from the Center for Entrepreneurship were first-time finalists in 2020: Cash Equals Opportunities (CEOs) in the Talent Category and In Your Business Television in the Talent & Place Category.

The total of three was the highest in the nationwide competition that includes regional schools as well as major universities that feature enrollments in excess of 30,000 students. The University of Kentucky took a pair of first-place honors, while Jackson State, Seton Hall and California State-Northridge also had one apiece. Read more about the awards on the UEDA website.

Last year, BOSS showed scalability (success elsewhere), something the UEDA judges noted they wanted to see after the 2017 awards. This year, a new online program showed adaptability during the pandemic.

Scales helped IUPUI pilot a 2019 summer camp for George Washington High School in northwest Indianapolis after a request from Teresa Bennett, who is assistant vice chancellor for Community Engagement at IUPUI and interim executive director of SOURCE River West Entrepreneurship Center.

Bennett had learned about BOSS at an UEDA conference. She asked Scales if he would share the curriculum and/or advise the IUPUI team from Kelley Business School on how to plan for the camp. "Tim went further than I even hoped by offering to share his secret sauce and curriculum. He even offered to instruct the five-day pilot camp for us," Bennett said in an email.

Scales worked for weeks with the IUPUI team, teachers and administrators at the high school and modified the program so it could fit into one week. He secured funding and prepared hands-on projects, Bennett said, and then drove from Richmond to attend every day of the camp.

"Tim asked nothing in return," Bennett said. "(He) became known to the students as Uncle Tim and by the last day it was clear that he had succeeded in giving every George Washington High School BOSS student an amazing and meaningful experience. They were all sad to say goodbye to him and each other."

Scales revels in that kind of connection. In fact, he says BOSS has been introduced to "4,200 kids and I have interacted with every single one of them."

He was shadowed by Peggy Daniels Lee to better understand how BOSS works. "Tim spent a day walking the IUPUI-Kelley BOSS team through the BOSS curriculum and helped us to prepare to host the camp ourselves," said Lee, who is an associate emeritus professor at Kelley. "Tim is a very generous colleague."

Bennett and Lee have secured grants to expand the camp to all four IPS high schools beginning in 2021. "We can't express enough our gratitude to 'Uncle Tim' for his willingness to make BOSS available to IUPUI and Indy high schools. The impact will be lasting," Lee said.

Scales led a presentation to the UEDA two weeks ago that described how the BOSS program has changed. "COVID-19 made me realize we might not be in class for a year or two," he said. "So the modules are something we could modify quickly and put on online. I may not meet the students in person, but I'll get to see them through Zoom."

UEDA Executive Director Tim Hindes alluded to the need for adaptability in announcing this year's honors.

"Never before has economic engagement of higher education institutions been more critical to our economic redesign," Hindes said in a release. "UEDA's model of highlighting best practices in economic engagement continues to locate, highlight, and recognize those initiatives that best exemplify sustainable models that are making remarkable, positive impacts on regional economic ecosystems across North America."

Ironically, Scales was unable to watch the online announcement of winners. "I was actually teaching a Freshman Seminar," he said.

IU East student Cole Fosbrink stepped in to give the acceptance speech.

"It was great to see him win with the BOSS program because he has earned it over the years," Fosbrink said. "So, winning it this time was a great thing. It is also a great achievement for IU East."

Fosbrink and fellow students Johnny Fike and Joao Vitor de Lima lead the CEOs program that is designed to teach financial literacy to high school students around the area.

Fosbrink is from Seymour, Fike from Bradford, Ohio, and de Lima from Curitiba, Brazil.

"It was a fantastic experience, and we hope to do it again (be a finalist) next year in Georgia," Fosbrink said, noting that COVID-19 is likely to affect the high-school presentations throughout the current school year. "We are grateful for the opportunity, and we are eager to keep working and be successful next year as well."

Scales has recorded more than 400 episodes in 16 years as host of In Your Business.

Each 30-minute program features an interview with a local business leader who offers a peek into their companies and how they have succeeded. The shows are recorded and aired through Whitewater Community Television (WCTV).

Provocative Pro-science Billboards Installed Before Election

Posted October 14, 2020

Richmond IN (October 8, 2020) -- The designers known as Class Action Collective have again installed a thought-provoking billboard in Richmond, Indiana and in other election-critical states. The public art project confronts the current administration's policies that have sidelined and politicized science and urges American citizens to take action by voting for pro-science candidates in the November 2020 election. The billboard in the Richmond area (pictured above) is located on I-70, west of US 40, visible to eastbound traffic traveling toward Ohio.

The billboard reads: BEHOLD MIRACLES VOTE FOR SCIENCE

These monumental messages are rendered in red, white and blue, reassuring voters that a pro-science position is patriotic. The billboards speak individually and as a series in other states, creating a compelling experience for viewers. The core message: Despite oppositional rhetoric that pervades the current political landscape, voters should know that science and religion can, should and do co-exist in a free society.

The billboards grab the viewer's attention with familiar and uplifting biblical verbs. The phrases are juxtaposed with a call to action: support science when voting. Science is often taken for granted, yet it permeates our daily lives in things we depend on, like medicines, clean water, cell phones and cars.

The majority of Americans are aware that science provides life-saving, innovative and practical solutions to urgent issues such as disease, global warming, the threat of nuclear war and our need for food, energy and transportation in an exploding world population. Class Action Collective's billboards remind us that we can support science while still maintaining our spiritual beliefs.

The Covid-19 pandemic and climate change are foremost on voter's minds; science will play a crucial role in addressing both issues. The results of the November local, state and national elections will be critical to upcoming decisions on science-based policies and the effects of these crises on our families and livelihoods.

Porter Advertising of Richmond provided the space, production and installation services at a reduced fee for this billboard. It will be on display through November 3, 2020.

This work is included in For Freedoms' 2020 Awakening initiative. Class Action Collective's related 2018 billboard art is currently on view in the exhibition World Peace at MoCA Westport, in Westport CT through January 17, 2021.

Reid Health 'Hospital of the Year' with Donor Organization

Posted October 12, 2020

VisionFirst has recognized Reid Health as the "Hospital of the Year" for the first time because of its dedication and development of a "model program" to encourage eye and tissue donation.

"The healthcare professionals at Reid Health have established a program that provides donation opportunity while maintaining the dignity of donors and their families," said Alex Van Zant, Director of Professional Services for VisionFirst, one of 57 U.S. eye banks. He specifically cited Reid Health nurses for their dedication to the donor program.

"The keys to their success have been committed nurses who realize their impact on the lives of others and the understanding that donation can offer something positive to families who have suffered a loss," Van Zant said.

Reid Health has been recognized several times for its donor program with an annual "Vision" Award, but this marks the first time for the designation of Hospital of the Year. Van Zant said the organization does not always give this award, but only when an organization consistently excels in the donor program.

Misti Foust-Cofield, Reid Health Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer, said her nurses and support teams understand the significance of how the donor program affects the lives of others by restoring vision. "Donors and their families appreciate the opportunity to help someone else, finding something positive at an otherwise extremely difficult time."

Van Zant presented representatives of the Reid Health team with the award this week. VisionFirst was founded by the Lions of Indiana.

"The goal of our donor program is to ensure every individual and family is presented with the opportunity to be a donor," Van Zant said. "The caring professionals at Reid Health have established a program that ensures this while maintaining the dignity of donors and their families."

Reid Health cornea donations made a difference in the lives of more than 80 people in 2019, he said, and approximately 450 in the past five years. "This first Hospital of the Year award is well-deserved," he said. "These are our family members, friends and neighbors who have had their vision restored thanks to the kindness and dedication shown by this donor program.

Reid Health Increases Germ-zapping Robot Team

Posted October 12, 2020

Reid Health, which was the first hospital in Indiana to deploy a new "germ-zapping robot" in 2017, has added three more to the high-tech team used to disinfect surgery and inpatient rooms as part of a multifaceted arsenal to reduce or eliminate risk of infection.

The new units expedite the process of sterilizing surgery suites and patient rooms and are also used to sterilize every room after a COVID-19 patient is released. In fact, the pandemic influenced the health system's decision to add units to the original robot unit, dubbed "Rosie" by team members.

"With the COVID-19 pandemic this year highlighting the importance of infection control, we always ensure we have the best tools and technology at our disposal," said Jennifer Ehlers, Vice President and Chief Quality Officer for the health system. She said the first unit clearly proved its value in reducing risk of infection.

Kim Schneider, RN, Infection Control with Reid Health, said cleaning processes used by Environmental Services without the robot are excellent. The use of the robot after that process "adds an extra layer or protection for our patients, visitors and staff."

"Xenex's LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robot" uses pulsed xenon Ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect rooms without leaving chemical residue or toxic fumes. Hospitals and health systems using the technology have reported significant decreases in infection rates.

Jeff Cook, Director of Engineering and Environmental Services, said the additional disinfecting robots "are another tool Environmental Services uses in their already stellar performance in cleaning and disinfecting patient care areas." He said besides being used in surgical suites and inpatient rooms, they will also be used in the Emergency Department.

The Xenex robot uses Full Spectrum™ pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light that is hundreds of times more intense than sunlight to quickly destroy bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacterial spores. The portable disinfection system is effective against even the most dangerous pathogens, including Clostridium difficile (C. diff), norovirus, influenza, Ebola and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA. Their DNA is fused, rendering them unable to reproduce or mutate, effectively killing them on surfaces.

"This investment is significant and underscores our commitment to patient care and the communities we serve," Ehlers said.

Local Volunteer and BSU Student Recognized by Points of Light

Posted October 12, 2020

MUNCIE, IN – Duncan McLarty, LifeStream volunteer and Ball State University student athlete, was recognized as an honoree for the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards Celebration Inspiration Honor Roll. Points of Light is a national organization that works to inspire, equip, and mobilize people to take action that changes the world. The Inspiration Honor Roll celebrates both acts of kindness and service that demonstrates the light that individuals bring to their community around the world.

Duncan McLarty was nominated by LifeStream Services for the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards Celebration for his remarkable volunteerism during the COVID-19 pandemic. After his in-person classes were canceled in March, Duncan reached out to LifeStream with a simple message, "How can I help." Since then, Duncan has helped by going grocery shopping and delivering food, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies to seniors who are unable to leave their homes. No request was too far away, too early or late in the day. If there was a need he was ready to ensure it was met.

"Duncan is an outstanding individual who goes above and beyond in everything he sets out to do," said Laura Bray, LifeStream Volunteer Services Administrator. "He is so deserving to be recognized by such a prestigious organization as he is a true "Point of Light" in our community."

Volunteerism has been essential in meeting the increased needs among seniors during the pandemic. LifeStream Services and many non-profits rely on volunteers like Duncan to step up during times of crisis. To learn more about Duncan and Points of Light, please visit pointsoflight.org. Those interested in learning more about LifeStream's volunteer opportunities should contact Laura Bray, Volunteer Services Administrator, at 765-759-3372 or email lbray@lifestreaminc.org. More information can also be found at lifestreaminc.org/support/volunteer.

LifeStream is an Area Agency on Aging that works to improve the quality of life for people at risk of losing their independence. LifeStream serves over 23,000 seniors and people with disabilities throughout 12 counties in Indiana including Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. Programs and services include care management, transportation, in-home care, Senior Cafes, home-delivered meals, guardianships, caregiver support, home modifications, information and assistance, volunteer opportunities and more. For more about the organization call (800) 589-1121 or visit online at www.lifestreaminc.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifestreamservices.

Singles Interaction, Inc.

Posted September 22, 2020

If you are 21 years of age or better and single, divorced, widow or widower, Singles' Interaction invites you to join them on Friday nights. Come to the Eagles Lodge, 75 South 12th Street, Richmond (membership not required) and meet other single people in the Richmond area.

Come, socialize, dance, and enjoy yourself!

Reid Health's PACE Center Accepting Participant Applications

Posted October 8, 2020

Reid Health's new Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) at 2300 National Road West in Richmond is accepting applications for enrollment into the program and will be in full operation as of Nov. 1.

Reid Health purchased the former County Market building in Kings Plaza last year and transformed it into a PACE center, which will be the first program of its kind in the region. PACE is a coordinated care option for individuals who otherwise might require going to a nursing home or other care facility, said Billie Kester, Reid Health Vice President. The center will offer services that include primary care, rehabilitation, adult day services, recreational activities, social support and transportation.

"PACE centers meet specific needs in care designed to help those who qualify maintain their best health and continue living in their home," Kester said. PACE is an alternative to nursing home care for those who can remain safe at home with additional support.

Jason Woods, Community Liaison for PACE, has been sharing information with numerous organizations and programs this year. He said the goal is to build partnerships with agencies, not compete with them.

Though the center was not able to hold an open house as planned in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff is able to safely offer tours to families who are interested in PACE for care.

According to the National PACE Association, the PACE care model is centered on the belief that it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in the community when possible. The Association says the PACE model of care dates back to the early 1970s when the North Beach community of San Francisco saw pressing needs for long-term care services by families who had immigrated from Italy, China and the Philippines. The result was the formation of a nonprofit corporation called On Lok Senior Health Services to provide a community-based system of care. "On Lok" is Cantonese for "peaceful, happy abode."

The PACE model was established as a permanently recognized provider type by Medicare and Medicaid in 1997; and as of 2017, there were 122 programs established in 31 states. The National PACE Association hopes to grow PACE to serve 100,000 participants by 2021 and 200,000 by 2028.

To qualify for PACE, the participants must:

• Be 55 or older
• Live within a zip code of a county in the specified service area which will include Wayne, Fayette, Union, Henry, Randolph, and Franklin Counties
• Meet nursing home level-of-care
• Be able to live safely in the community with help from PACE

PACE services may include:

• Adult day center that includes nursing; physical, occupational and recreational therapies; meals, nutritional counseling; social work and personal care
• Medical care by a PACE provider who knows the participant's history, needs and preferences
• Medical specialties such as audiology, dentistry, optometry, podiatry and speech therapy
• Respite care

For information or to schedule a tour, contact: Jason Woods, Reid Health PACE Center Community Liaison, at (765) 935-8959.

11th Annual Haunted Museum

Posted September 30, 2020

YOUR Wayne County Historical Museum would like to announce our 11th Annual Haunted Museum.

11th Annual Haunted Museum

Tag Line: A not-too-scary Halloween experience by appointment

When: October 16, 17, 23 and 24 from 6-9pm

Where: Wayne County Historical Museum, 1150 N. A St. Richmond, IN

Admission: $7 adults, $5 for kids 6-17, Age 5 and under FREE, Members FREE

Background: Haunted Museum will work two ways this year!

1. From October 1st-October 31st 9:30-4pm Monday-Friday and 12-4 Saturday, visitors can enjoy the museum decorated for Halloween and children will receive a prepackaged bag of treats and take-along activities at the end of their visit! Masks are required for entry!
2. October 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th from 6-9pm will be our traditional Haunted Museum evenings. Costumes are encouraged! Visitors must make an appointment prior to arrival. Call us to reserve your time at 765-962-5756! We will have appointment times every 30 minutes. Due to Health Department directives, we can only accommodate 15 visitors per appointment time. Visitors will receive a prepackaged bag of treats and take-along activities at the end of their visit! Masks are required for entry!
3. Please call the museum or visit our Eventbrite to schedule your appointment.

Foundation Announces Finalists for Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

Posted October 8, 2020

The Wayne County Foundation has announced that five high school seniors have been selected as finalists for the 2021 Wayne County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. Congratulations to these exceptional students:

• Michael Davis, Centerville High School
• Shay Doerstler, Hagerstown High School
• Jacob Ervin, Lincoln High School
• Jonah Falcone, Seton Catholic High School
• Alexis Worl, Lincoln High School

Wayne County's finalists were selected from among 90 applications submitted by students from Wayne County high schools. Applications for the 2021 scholarship were blindly reviewed and independently scored by members of a Wayne County Foundation Lilly Scholarship Selection Committee.

In selecting recipients for the Wayne County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, consideration is given to student activities and achievements, community service, academic performance, financial need, work experience and leadership potential.

Finalists will be interviewed in October and interview scores will determine the finalists' rankings. The committee's recommendations for scholarship nominees will be submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. for final selection of scholarship recipients for Wayne County. The two 2021 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for Wayne County will be named in December 2020.

Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are awarded four-year, full-tuition scholarships to pursue baccalaureate degrees at colleges or universities in Indiana. The scholarship also includes up to $900 annually for required textbooks and equipment.

For more information on the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or other scholarships administered by Wayne County Foundation, visit https://waynecountyfoundation.org/ or contact Lisa Bates, Program Officer at 765-962-1638 or lisa@waynecountyfoundation.org.

Al-Anon Meetings (Virtual)

Posted September 22, 2020

Al-Anon offers help and hope for families and friends of problem drinkers. It is an anonymous fellowship and there are no dues or fees. Meetings are held Mondays from 7:30 to 8:30 pm virtually. New members are always welcome.

For further information, contact us at feelingsoffreedomrichmond@gmail.com or call 765-966-4151 and leave a message.

Reid Orthopedics Adds Second Robot for Joint Replacements

Posted October 8, 2020

A new robotic technology is working so well for patients, Reid Health has expanded the program by adding a second unit for the four surgeons who are using it.

The Mako® Robotic-Arm assisted technology increases accuracy in joint replacement surgery, helps reduce complications, leads to faster recovery and a reduced need for rehab therapy after an operation, says Joel McClurg, M.D., attending orthopedic surgeon and chairman for Reid Health Orthopedics & Spine.

Reid Health is among only a handful of facilities with this option for orthopedic patients. Dr. McClurg, who has been using Mako for eight years, said when it first became available, he knew it would be popular and raise the standard for joint replacement because it helps the surgeon be more precise.

"Technology is the future of almost everything," he says. "I knew it was going to be better, and it was better for my patients."

Since it became available, Mako's popularity with patients and surgeons has increased dramatically. Reid's Mako robotic program started almost two years ago with Dr. McClurg's arrival. The recently added second unit "increases bandwidth" for the robotic program, allowing the option to be readily available to more patients. The technology takes the decades-long experience of joint replacement surgery from "consistently good" to "consistently great," Dr. McClurg says.

More than 400 patients have benefited from the robotic system since Mako was added, Dr. McClurg said.

An expansion with the technology expected in 2021 will also add total shoulder replacement surgery as an option using the Mako Robot, Dr. McClurg notes, with Reid being one of the first health system's in the region to be able to offer this use of Mako.

Stryker's Mako System is a robotic-arm assisted technology for use in total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements. "Using a virtual 3D model, Mako allows surgeons to create each patient's customized surgical plan before the surgery. During surgery, the surgeon implements the plan and adjusts for increased accuracy while using the robotic arm," says Dr. McClurg, one of four Reid Orthopedics surgeons now using the technology. Also regularly using Mako are Mario Lee, M.D., James Nuttall, M.D., and Christopher Neher, M.D.

In a partial knee replacement surgery, the system helps improve accuracy for the size and placement of the new joint, targeting only the part of the knee damaged by osteoarthritis and sparing more healthy bone. The result is a more accurate placement that can help reduce pain and speed healing, Dr. McClurg says. "About ten percent of patients with knee arthritis are great candidates for a partial replacement."

The total knee application is an option designed to relieve pain caused by joint degeneration from osteoarthritis, and also results in improved accuracy, less narcotic use, less need for physical therapy and decreases overall costs. "This has accelerated the use of robotics nationally in the past few years."

The Mako Total Hip application is a treatment option for adults who suffer from degenerative joint disease of the hip. During surgery, the surgeon guides the robotic-arm during bone preparation in the hip socket and positions the implant according to the pre-determined surgical plan.

An expansion with the technology expected in 2021 will also add total shoulder replacement surgery as an option using the Mako Robot, Dr. McClurg notes, with Reid being one of the first health system's in the region to be able to offer this use of Mako. "This will be an exciting expansion of the technology."

The demand for joint replacements is expected to rise markedly in the next decade as Baby Boomers continue to age.

Loop Phase II Public Information Meeting

Posted September 22, 2020

The Loop Phase II public information meeting will provide the public with a project status update on the Loop Phase II. It will offer both in-person and remote/digital participation options, see below. It will start at 6:30pm on Thursday, October 8th.

IN-PERSON
4th Floor Blues Club, 923 North E Street, Richmond, Indiana

DIGITAL/REMOTE
Register in advance for this webinar:

• https://richmondindiana-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BbbhAk5dRqO2035spSjvWg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Archived News Releases

Duo Sequenza to Perform at the Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site

Posted September 22, 2020

Duo Sequenza, award-winning flute and classical guitar ensemble, will present its "Journey Beyond the Notes" based on the music of "South Shore Suite" by Jorge (Hoar-hey) Muñiz (Moon-yez).

This Audience-Interactive Concert Experience will take place at the Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site in Fountain City on Thursday, October 15. There will be two performances at 6 pm and 7:30 pm to allow for social distancing. Masks will be required. This acclaimed musical adventure is suitable for all ages.

Supported by an Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites grant from the Indiana Arts Commission, general admission is just $8 with a 25% discount for ISMHS members. Reservations are strongly recommended and may be made by calling (765) 847-1691.

FAFSA Opens Today For 2021-2022 School Year

Posted October 1, 2020

(INDIANAPOLIS) – Hoosier students and families are encouraged to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is now open for the 2021-2022 school year.

With over $350 million in state financial aid available, as well as billions of dollars in federal aid, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education reminds Hoosiers that filing the FAFSA by April 15, 2021 is imperative for securing money for college.

Filing the FAFSA is required for many of Indiana's scholarship and grant opportunities, such as the 21st Century Scholarship and Frank O'Bannon Grant, and many colleges require a completed FAFSA to award merit and need-based scholarships. Students earning a variety of degree types – including short-term certificates, associate and bachelor's degrees and higher – should file the FAFSA to take advantage of available financial aid.

"We encourage all Hoosiers with an interest in pursuing education and training to file the FAFSA because we know that paying for college is one of the most common barriers to attending," said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. "We also know that recent unemployment data show Hoosiers without education beyond high school are more likely to be unemployed, so the value of pursuing higher education has never been greater."

The Commission recently released the 2020 College Equity Report, which includes data on Indiana's college achievement gap progress and the workforce, shows that poverty has a direct impact on college-going rates, as only 38 percent of low-income high school graduates go to college – lower than the statewide average (61 percent), higher-income peers (68 percent) and low-income peers who are part of the state's 21st Century Scholars program (86 percent).

"Many Hoosiers fail to file the FAFSA by the deadline because they assume they don't qualify for any state or federal financial aid. The reality is that there is considerable funding available, especially for those that demonstrate financial need," said Lubbers. "Filing the FAFSA on time is a surefire way to be considered for both state and federal aid opportunities, but you'd be surprised at how much aid is left on the table each year."

How to file the FAFSA

• Students can file the FAFSA online at FAFSA.gov. The first step for students who have not previously filed the FAFSA is to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. Then, each student will need:
• Social Security number
• Alien Registration number (for non-U.S. citizens)
• Federal income tax returns, W-2s and other records of money earned
• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

The U.S. Department of Education provides email and live chat assistance for FAFSA filers as well as a helpline at 800-4FED-AID. Hoosier families can also find FAFSA help through INvestEd Indiana at www.investedindiana.org.

FAFSA Kickoff Event

Tonight, Thursday, October 1, 2020
6:15-7 p.m. (ET)
Online: Live on Learn More Indiana's Facebook page (Facebook.com/LearnMoreIN); available on Instagram (@LearnMoreIndiana) and Twitter (@LearnMoreIN).
Students and families will receive tips and tricks to help them file the FAFSA correctly and on time!

Applications now open for various teaching scholarships and stipends

Scholarship and stipend opportunities for aspiring teachers and education majors are also open as of October 1. According to the Commission's Equity Report, less than 15 percent of students studying for a teaching career in Indiana are non-White.

"Students of color are more successful in their education journey when they have the opportunity to be in the classroom with a teacher who looks like them," said Lubbers. "We hope to increase the awareness of these programs in order to make real progress for educational equity in Indiana."

More information about the following scholarships and stipends is available on the Commission's website:

• Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship – Provides up to $7,500 per year of college (up to $30,000 total) for top performing Hoosier students who commit to teaching in Indiana for five years after earning their degrees. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2021.
• Earline S. Rogers Student Teaching Stipend for Minorities – Open to minority students (defined as Black and Hispanic individuals) who will participate in student teaching or a school administration internship as part of their degree requirements.
• Student Teaching Stipend for High-Need Fields – Available to students planning to teach Special Education or math at either the middle or high school level. Eligible students can receive up to $4,000 per stipend, or $8,000 if awarded both.

For questions about state financial aid, students can contact the Indiana Commission for Higher Education by phone at 888-528-4719 or via email at awards@che.in.gov.

Wayne County Holds First Jury Trial During Covid-19 Pandemic

Posted October 1, 2020

Trial Attorney Sarah Graziano, of Hensley Legal Group, PC and co-counsel Wayne Greeson of The Law Offices of Wayne Greeson successfully tried the first in-person trial in Wayne County, Indiana, since the county halted jury trials as a result of the pandemic.

After months of forced social isolation and uncertainty about the coronavirus, an in-person trial in a closed courtroom could be a daunting task for all involved. But the trial was successful, lasting just over two days. Key to the trial's success was Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kolger. The Honorable Judge Kolger was very attentive to the jury's comfort and took to heart any concerns about safety procedures. Judge Kolger addressed the jury multiple times, gaging their opinions on comfort and safety.

Safety precautions began at the security entrance. Masks were mandatory for entry. Impressively, Wayne County had employed a new temperature screening device that allowed everyone to undergo a contactless temperature check before gaining access to the Courthouse.

The Court staff also employed safety precautions during the jury panel's check-in process. Jury members maintained six feet as they checked in, and were only allowed to sit in specially-marked areas of the Court's gallery. Two gallery rows were removed to ensure social distancing.

Within the courtroom, precautions were taken to enforce social distancing. The witness stand was protected by plexiglass and was wiped and disinfected thoroughly after each witness. The room itself was misted with a disinfectant either at the conclusion of the day or before any participants in the jury trial arrived in the morning.

During the trial, attorneys were allowed to remove their masks to communicate with witnesses, the jury, staff, or the Judge. After the jury was selected for the trial, all individuals were given the option to remove their masks during the trial provided social distance was maintained and all were comfortable with the removal. Ms. Graziano opted to wear the mask other than when she was communicating inside the courtroom. "If any juror kept their mask on, I kept mine on," she said to promote the safest possible environment. Furthermore, Judge Kolger gave the selected jury the option to use the entire courtroom for deliberations if upon examining the jury deliberations room, the jury did not believe there was enough space to deliberate safely. The jury collectively decided the jury room was sufficient.

Despite the disruptions caused by cleaning and inevitable adjustments of masks, there was very little interruption to the actual proceedings. The defendant, Jacqueline Myers (deceased) was represented by counsel retained by her insurance company. Liability for the event was admitted and the trial issue was the amount of compensation owed to Jennifer Morgan. Mrs. Morgan with the help of Sarah Graziano and local counsel Wayne Gresson, obtained a verdict in excess of the insurance policy in the total sum of $125,252.00.

Ms. Graziano is optimistic that civil jury trials can begin during these uncertain times. "We can do this safely," she said. "and people can feel safe while it's being done." Crucial to any trial's success is a considerate judge, who is mindful of the health risks inherent to the process and takes the concerns of every person in their court into account. Importantly, Ms. Graziano pointed out that cooperation by the litigants, attorneys and Court staff is just as important to conducting any jury trial during the different times we are faced with in our communities.

About Hensley Legal Group, PC

Hensley Legal Group, PC has handled personal injury, Social Security disability, and mass tort cases in Indiana for 21 years. The law firm has offices in Indianapolis, Fishers, Evansville, Muncie, Merrillville and Lafayette. For questions, please email Ryan Kreicker at rkreicker@hensleylegal.com.

Wayne County Foundation Recipient of Lilly Gift VII Community Leadership Grant

Posted September 30, 2020

The Wayne County Foundation has received a Community Leadership Grant of $150,000 as part of the seventh phase of Lilly Endowment Inc.'s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT VII) initiative. With the grant, the community foundation will support Neighborhood Development and Community Revitalization (NICE! Program) and Main Street/Downtown Initiatives.

The Wayne County Foundation is one of 84 foundations in Indiana receiving grants through this round of GIFT VII grantmaking. Lilly Endowment created GIFT in 1990 to help local communities in Indiana develop the philanthropic capacity to identify local needs and challenges. It launched GIFT VII in 2018 and made available a total of $125 million to help foundations strengthen their leadership capacities in the towns, cities and counties they serve. Lilly Endowment expects to make additional GIFT VII grants in the coming months.

"The Community Leadership Grant is a great opportunity to support Wayne County through the work of Forward Wayne County (FWC). This award will allow FWC to support neighborhood development activities, Mainstreet projects and workforce development programs through workshops and grantmaking," said Rebecca Gilliam, Executive Director of the Wayne County Foundation.

As part of GIFT VII, the Wayne County Foundation was awarded a planning grant of $75,000 in 2019 to convene local stakeholders to identify, prioritize and assess opportunities and challenges in and around Wayne County. In March 2020, the Wayne County Foundation was invited to apply for a GIFT VII Community Leadership Grant to implement strategies and activities identified during the planning period.

"With the Planning Grant, FWC launched a countywide survey to better understand residents' experiences and observations related to early childhood development, neighborhood environments, and quality of place. Overall, the community survey revealed a population that loves where they live, and are optimistic about the future, despite concerns about creeping blight and a lack of recreational activities. Projects that focus on Neighborhood Development and Community Revitalization and Workforce Development and will harness this energy and work towards addressing community needs."

The $150,000 investment from Lilly Endowment will allow FWC to respond in an informed way to the expressed priorities of Wayne County residents, and to monitor, evaluate, and report on current and future programs. We are planning work on the following:

• Neighborhood Development and Community Revitalization: o Implement Neighborhood Involvement and Community Engagement (NICE!) Program
  • Neighborhood Involvement and Community Engagement (NICE!) Program Grant
  • Grants for funding Downtown Projects
• Workforce Development:
  • Workforce Development Program Use Campaign Grants for funding Career Readiness Programming
• Measuring Success:
  • Dashboard Implementation

"We appreciate Lilly Endowment's continued support of Wayne County and are excited about the work that we will be able to do with this generous grant," said Acacia St. John, Program Manager of Forward Wayne County.

Virtual Mindful Explorations Series: Noted scholar-writer will speak on equality for middle school youth on October 8

Posted September 30, 2020

Be prepared to expand your educational perspectives during the first Mindful Explorations Series event of this school year.

Boni Wozolek, Ph.D., is a nationally-honored scholar and writer on equality and oppression in education. She will give a virtual presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 8, on IU East Facebook Live. The public is invited to watch the discussion for free.

The talk is sponsored by the School of Education and Mindful Explorations, courtesy of the William H. and Jean R. Reller Endowment. Presented by First Bank Richmond.

Boni Wozolek, Ph.D. Wozolek is an expert on discussing uncomfortable subjects and on shedding light on,

Boni Wozolek, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at Penn State University-Abington. She will present on her recent book, Assemblages of Violence in Education: Everyday Trajectories of Oppression, as part of IU East's Mindful Explorations series. The virtual discussion will be presented on IU East's Facebook Live.

"Dr. Wozolek is a scholar that stretches you," Buffington-Adams said. "She routinely asks you to see things from new or different perspectives, and I have come to deeply value her thinking as something which challenges and enhances my own."

Wozolek works as an assistant professor at Penn State University-Abington.

Her biography lists an extensive record of research, writing and awards, on subjects that examine social justice, qualitative research methods, and teaching practices that focus on the race, sexual orientations, and gender identities in schools. Wozolek has three forthcoming publications: an edited book on Black Lives Matter in Education with SUNY Press and a co-edited book on emancipatory practices in education with Brill, and a solo-authored book titled Assemblages of Violence in Education: Everyday Trajectories of Oppression that will provide the basis for her Mindful Explorations talk.

Assemblages of Violence in Education is a groundbreaking text that brings together fields including new materialisms, anthropology, curriculum theory, and educational foundations to examine how violence is intertwined with everyday events and ideas.

While the book weaves participant narratives in two contexts that exist a literal world apart -- queer middle school youth of color in an urban context and Indian women who have survived domestic violence -- this talk will mainly focus on Wozolek's work with queer middle school youth to conceptualize how social justice functions in opposition to normalized aggressions.

Often overlooked, these deeply significant connections document how multiplicities of aggression operate as business-as-usual in a variety of spaces and places, including those that are often thought of as helpful. To these ends, this talk delves into how assemblages become entwined, focusing on how affects move in, through, and across such entanglements in order to more clearly perceive both where and how violence is embedded in and between socio-political and cultural ways of being, knowing, and doing.

In so doing, Assemblages of Violence argues that pathologizing trajectories of violence can provide theoretical and methodological tools for those seeking to engage in a pedagogy of equity, access, and care to help people and communities in ways they wish to be helped.

"This is a very timely topic and we are very much looking forward to Dr. Wozolek's presentation," says Jerry Wilde, dean of the School of Education. "(Her) work focuses on helping disenfranchised students in our schools and that is something that should be very near and dear to the hearts of every educator. Schools are part of a larger social system and Dr. Wozolek's work helps us understand how that system may not represent all populations equally."

Buffington-Adams said the discussion is important for educators, but it is a message of value across the community.

"Dr. Wozolek's work has always brought voice to those who we tend to hear least but perhaps need to hear most," Buffington-Adams said. "This new book is no different, and while it focuses on issues within education, it applies across the many systems in our society which still function in ways that leave people out and leave them without a voice. We are delighted to host her and to bring her insights to those in our communities who seek to create more just and equitable futures by understanding what is currently broken."

Wozolek was a guest on the Jabbedu Education Podcast on September 14. She addressed a variety of topics, including bringing equity and access to classrooms, acknowledging and checking biases, and learning to listen deeply, especially as an authority figure.

She is the recipient of the 2012 James T. Sears Award for her paper The Nested Nature of M/othering: Complicating Curriculum Conversations, a 2016 Outstanding Dissertation Recognition Award from Division B (Curriculum Studies) of the American Educational Research Association, and is a 2018 inductee into Kent State University's Hall of Fame for her work with marginalized populations.

In addition to her numerous articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia entries, Wozolek has a special forum with GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, and a forthcoming special issue with the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education with David Lee Carlson at Arizona State University.

"When I think across the arc of Dr. Wozolek's contributions, I am reminded that difficult knowledge is also necessary knowledge," Buffington-Adams said. "It is not easy, nor should it be, to pull back the cover from and begin to understand the injustices which exist in our communities and which we risk perpetuating unknowingly. However, identifying those dangers is the first step in a better direction, and in the years I've known Dr. Wozolek, her work has routinely shed light on the paths we might choose. I am excited to see where her latest project has led her and consequently us."

New Billionaire Project to Provide Handwashing Units, Education for Regional Schools

Posted September 30, 2020

What started as a health and wellness project in 2017 is now a major educational opportunity in 2020 - mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newly named the "Billionaire" project, the program aims to teach and reinforce the importance of proper handwashing in regional schools, says Tim Scales, director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and director for the Center for Economic Education at Indiana University East.

Scales, who is also senior lecturer in the School of Business and Economics, says no one realized just how important the project would become when a grant funded "Glitter Bugs" three years ago as a health and wellness project. The two units were used to teach and illustrate proper handwashing.

"In 2017, we received funds from Enactus and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to create a health and wellness project," Scales recalls.

Carter Cook prepares to deliver handwashing simulators to Hagerstown Elementary School. Through the Billionaire project, students across the region will learn the how-to and importance of proper handwashing. The project is funded by a grant from the Indiana University Council for Regional Engagement and Economic Development (CREED).

IU East's School of Nursing and Health Sciences provided health and wellness information and the guidelines for effective handwashing.

"This project has the potential to positively impact the prevention of COVID-19, influenza and other communicable diseases, It is so important for children to learn from an early age how to properly wash their hands," said Karen Clark, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. "It has been our pleasure to work with Tim Scales in the early development and implementation of the program. As the program expands, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences looks forward to continue collaboration."

The units involve placing a lotion on the hands to simulate germs, then examining the hands under a black light. The person then washes their hands as normal and the unit is used to check them again - often the first time still showing many "germs" still on the hands. The teaching opportunity then explains how important it is to wash the hands long enough to clean between the fingers and generally to scrub them well with soap and water.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which hit the region in mid-March, suddenly put the importance of handwashing at the forefront in a way it hadn't been in years. Though every infection control practitioner emphasizes the importance of handwashing each flu season, the reality of a pandemic from a virus with no cure or vaccine made many more people pay attention to the message.

Scales said the two units purchased three years ago were offered to the Boys & Girls Club again in March 2020, who readily accepted them.

"Using the devices makes us feel more confident about our youth's ability to wash their hands and do it properly," said Alicia Painter, director of operations for the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County. "This was a great learning experience for members to understand the need to take their time washing their hands - and to wash all areas of their hands."

Scales says he realized the message of proper handwashing during a pandemic meant the message needed to reach more people. So he applied and was approved for a grant from the Indiana University Council for Regional Engagement and Economic Development (CREED). With the grant, he was able to purchase 12 more units, which just arrived the first week of September.

His goal is to get a unit in all 11 Wayne County elementary schools, along with training on how to use them. The districts include Richmond Community Schools, Centerville Abington Schools, Western Wayne Schools, Seton Schools, Hagerstown Schools and Northeastern Schools.

Dawn Sonsini, director of Elementary Education for Richmond Community Schools,

The Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County has used the Glitter Bug units to educate and improve children's understanding of handwashing. The unit is provided by the IU East School of Business and Economics.

She says the schools are always looking for ways to engage students in meaningful ways.

"Project Billionaire provides a hands-on opportunity for students to learn how washing their hands can keep them safe and prevent the spread of COVID. Students in grades PK-4 will receive the training," Sonsini said. "Our elementary staff is committed to keeping students and each other safe. We always welcome the opportunity to teach life lessons, such as handwashing, to our students. We want students to be responsible and do what they can individually to keep germs from spreading."

With the aid of freshman economics major Carter Cook, he has begun the process to expand "Billionaire" into the schools, hopefully reduce the spread of COVID-19 and provide some economic education at the same time.

Cook and Scales decided to call the project "Billionaire" because of the economic impact that reducing the spread of COVID-19, or any infection, can have on the national economy.

"The name is a fun way to start a conversation about the economic impact handwashing can have," Scales says, noting that the impact of the common cold is $40 billion a year in the United States alone. And clearly COVID-19 is having a far greater impact yet to be tallied.

Cook says he chose IU East after graduation from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne because of his interest in cross country and track. Beyond athletics, he explored the school of business during his campus visit and felt he would be a good fit. He felt he could become a good leader at a smaller school. As a business administration major, the handwashing project and its connection to economics was something else to get excited about.

"We found the perfect name. The reason is we believe that if people learn better hygiene and handwashing, then the United States could save a lot of money," Cook says. "This project will help many. It has taught me already how to take some simple actions to keep myself healthier. I think the Billionaire project will have the same effect on others and keep everyone healthier, and in turn, save money."

Cook and Scales are including a competition in the project this school year. The three schools who get the most creative with students to use the handwashing training will receive a prize. Scales and Cook plan to expand the program to next year's Third Grade Academy, and hope to also expand into high schools.

Scales and Cook plan to expand the program to next year's Third Grade Academy, and hope to also expand into high schools.

"This project will be around for a long time," says Scales. "By fall 2021, we want to have them in the high schools with an advanced learning curriculum. When we started a few years ago, it was a quick project. Now, it is a sustainable project."

2020 Rhoads Winner Known for Excellent Care, Leadership

Posted September 28, 2020

The 2020 Paul S. Rhoads Humanity in Medicine Award winner played critical leadership roles during unprecedented times for the Reid Health system.

Jennifer Bales, M.D., emergency department (ED) board-certified physician and the 2019-2020 Chief of Staff, "was the right person in the right place at the right time," said Craig Kinyon, Reid Health President/CEO. Dr. Bales was announced as the 2020 Rhoads winner in a mostly virtual celebration Friday evening. Kinyon noted Dr. Bales' ability to continue to provide excellent bedside care while handling a leadership role at an unprecedented time for the health system.

Because of the pandemic, the annual event to honor the winner and welcome new physicians was limited for in-person attendance to the winner, a few of her guests and new physicians. Other attendees watched virtually as she was presented the award by Reid Health Governing Board Chair Tom Hilkert.

"On behalf of the Governing Board, I enthusiastically congratulate Dr. Bales for receiving this high honor. She is an exceptionally competent and compassionate physician, and the perfect choice for the 2020 Rhoads Humanity in Medicine Award," he said. "Dr. Bales is an energetic, inspirational and results-focused leader. She excels in providing and communicating her valuable insight for the Governing Board's decision making. Dr. Jennifer Bales is unquestionably a vital asset, not only for the board, but also for the entire Reid Health team and the communities we are privileged to serve."

Erica Kretchman, D.O., a peer and friend, cited Dr. Bales' ability to handle whatever may come her way. "As an ED physician, you have to be able to handle stress and take on any situation. You have to keep your cool, figure the situation out in the moment. She has the ability to be ready for whatever situation presents."

Others who work with her echoed the sentiment. "She leads by the motto that leaders go first," said Anna Osborn-Brown, Director of Emergency Services. Samuel Iden, M.D., Medical Director for Emergency Services, said he frequently gets compliments on Dr. Bales, "how she took time to sit down and go over results." William Black, M.D., said it simply: "She's an excellent physician. She gives really good care."

Kinyon said that aside from a "compelling set of nominations," Dr. Bales illustrated clear and strong leadership through two major events in the past year - the transition/opening of a new Reid Health emergency department in Connersville and the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the region in March and is expected to continue indefinitely. "And yet she still maintained her role as a full-time emergency physician who never let the stress of leading during a pandemic affect her ability to continue to provide excellent, compassionate bedside care."

"Dr. Bales really stands out for her leadership and her willingness to dive into big issues, like her work to improve physician resilience and develop activities and programs to reduce stress and retain caregivers," Kinyon said. ""She also took ownership of our response to the pandemic, working long hours, working with others to quickly develop policies and processes for handling patients, and still continued to provide excellent bedside emergency care."

Dr. Bales, a native of Lexington, KY, came to the area 15 years ago when she was recruited to the emergency department from the Indiana University Emergency Medicine Residency Program. She obtained her bachelor's degree in biology from Johns Hopkins University in 1998, and her Medical Degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 2002.

Rohit Bawa, M.D., Reid ENT and also chair of the Reid Health Physician Associates Network Operating Council, works directly with Dr. Bales in her various roles at Reid. "She is a very engaged contributor to the NOC, and has been an active Chief of Staff very often handling difficult issues. Her emergency medicine background and leadership skills have been critical to our successful response to the pandemic at Reid Health."

"I've wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember." -- Dr. Jennifer Bales

"I've wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember," Dr. Bales said. She chose emergency care to allow her to see a range of patients and ages, while at the same time making it possible to better balance her home life. She and her husband, Dwayne Phillips, have two children Jackson Bales and Mary "Katie" Phillips.

"I am honored and humbled to be added to what I consider to be a very distinguished list of physicians," she said of the award. "I can only pray that I can continue to display the attributes for which I was given the award. My passion is physician well-being, and I hope in the future I can help other physicians embrace the humanity in the practice of medicine and love it the way I do."

Besides leading as Reid Health's first female Chief of Staff, Dr. Bales has also been involved in extensive efforts to mentor, encourage and increase resilience for physicians. Helping them deal with the high stress of healthcare reduces burnout and increases the likelihood that caregiver will remain with the health system long-term.

Nominations for the award are solicited each year from patients, physicians and health care workers in honor of the late Paul S. Rhoads, M.D., who received the first award in 1983.

The Humanity in Medicine award and celebration, authorized as an annual event by Reid's governing board in 1983, honors the memory of Dr. Rhoads for his service to patients and medicine. He was the founding director of Reid's Medical Education Department, helped organize the hospice program and the Wayne County adult clinic for the indigent.

LifeStream Advocates for Older Adults on Voting

Posted September 28, 2020

With the November 3 elections around the corner, LifeStream Services is educating older adults on absentee voting. As East Central Indiana's Aging and Disability Resource Center and the Area Agency on Aging, one of LifeStream's roles under the Older Americans Act is to advocate for older adults. Right now that means making sure people at risk have the information and resources they need to exercise their right to vote.

There are several reasons an Indiana resident may vote absentee including:

• Age 65 or older
• Confined to your home by illness for the 12 hours the polls are open on Election Day.
• Caring for someone at home for the 12 hours the polls are open on Election Day.

Absentee-by-mail and absentee-in-person are two safe options for older adults. Those interested in voting absentee-by-mail must submit an application to their county office by October 22.This application can be found at indianavoters.com. Absentee-in-person allows an individual to vote early at a designated location.

LifeStream provides or coordinates transportation in the Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne counties. Those who need assistance with transportation to get a photo ID (required for voting), to participate in early voting, or to vote on Election Day can call LifeStream Services at 888-589-1121 to schedule a ride. Trips must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.

For more information on the types of absentee voting, absentee application, and county specific information please visit lifestreaminc.org/voting or call 800-589-1121.

LifeStream is an Area Agency on Aging that works to improve the quality of life for people at risk of losing their independence. LifeStream serves over 19,000 seniors and people with disabilities throughout 12 counties in Indiana including Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne. Programs and services include care management, transportation, in-home care, Senior Cafes, home-delivered meals, guardianships, caregiver support, home modifications, information and assistance, volunteer opportunities and more. For more about the organization call (800) 589-1121 or visit online at www.lifestreaminc.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lifestreamservices.

Indiana Participates in National College Application Week, Sept. 21-25

Posted September 22, 2020

High school seniors can apply to some Hoosier colleges for free

(INDIANAPOLIS) – Sixteen Indiana colleges will waive college application fees during Indiana's College Application Week, September 21-25, according to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Another 24 colleges have reported free applications year-round.

College Application Week is part of Indiana's annual College GO! initiative that takes place each August through November with information and resources designed to help Hoosiers plan for education beyond high school. The official "College GO!" kick-off is the last full week of September (September 21-25, 2020).

Over 20 Indiana colleges and 85 K-12 schools across the state will host College GO! and College Application Week events to help students navigate the admissions process, including new virtual opportunities for college visits and college exploration activities.

"We are pleased with the number of Hoosier colleges and K-12 schools that are participating in College Application Week to help high schoolers with the college application and admissions process," said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. "We hope that students will take advantage of the opportunity to not only apply to several of Indiana's quality colleges for free, but also learn more about which colleges are the right fit."

Indiana high school seniors can apply to the following Hoosier colleges for free between September 21 and 25:

Colleges not indicated above may offer financial assistance for students who demonstrate financial need. Talk to your college for more information about application fee waivers.

You can view the list of participating colleges online.

College Application Week is sponsored in partnership by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the American College Application Campaign (ACAC) to increase the number of first-generation and low-income students who pursue education beyond high school.

Upcoming College GO! Events

College Application FAQ
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
6-7 p.m. (ET)
Online: Live on Learn More Indiana's Facebook page (Facebook.com/LearnMoreIN); available on Instagram (@LearnMoreIndiana) and Twitter (@LearnMoreIN). #CAW20

Students and families who are getting ready to apply to college can learn about the college application process including what kind of information is needed, how to make your application stand out and other tips and frequently asked questions.

For more information, visit https://learnmoreindiana.org/collegego.

23rd Annual Seton Catholic Cardinal Classic Golf Outing

Posted September 22, 2020

The 23rd Annual Seton Catholic Cardinal Classic Golf Outing is looking a little bit different this year thanks to COVID-19! The event is raising money for the Seton Catholic Athletic Boosters, but will be done virtually this year. How is that you ask?

Participants will enjoy a day of golf at the course and time of their choice from September 21 -October 31.

All registered golfers will be eligible for prizes.

Show your support of Cardinal athletics by tweeting a photo from the course using #CardinalClassicVirtualGolf and tagging @Seton_Athletics.

Pictures can also be sent to mleverton@setoncatholics.org

When you sponsor or participate in the event, you know that you are supporting a program that teaches values and challenges students to continually grow in spirit, mind, and body! Learn more by visiting https://www.setonschools.org/cardinal-classic-golf-outing.

COVID-19 Vaccine Development: Fast Doesn't Mean Unsafe

Posted September 22, 2020

As the possibility of a COVID-19 vaccine dominates political discussions, a physician who has been tracking pandemic information for months believes the biggest challenge lies ahead - persuading people to take the vaccine when one is ready.

"There is a lot of vaccine shyness in the United States," says Thomas Huth, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs for Reid Health. He notes that vaccines alone can be controversial with some, pointing out that in a normal flu season only about half the high-risk people get a flu shot. "so it's understandable that people have concerns about a brand new vaccine that will have been developed very quickly."

A recent national poll by CBS News indicated only 21 percent of those asked said they would get a vaccine.

"As health leaders, we have a lot of work to do to reassure people that a vaccine for COVID-19 was properly tested and is safe," Dr. Huth said.

"If a vaccine is available as soon as it looks like it might be, I will be first in line for a shot, if they'll let me. Having carefully watched this process with a knowledgeable eye, I'm confident it will result in a properly tested vaccine that will be better than risking a serious COVID-19 illness." - Thomas Huth, M.D.

He noted that the pausing of an AstraZeneca vaccine trial on 30,000 subjects because of a possible reaction in one of the people is not alarming. "This is actually a common occurrence in pharmaceutical research." The trial was restarted this week in England after a review panel found that the illness in one subject was not related to the vaccine.

Pausing such a study is a normal part of the process, he said. "I think some people's concern about safety is fueled by the fact that Russia cut an important corner in the development of their vaccine by skipping the very important Phase 3 trial, in which a large number of people are tested for safety and effectiveness, including people with a variety of underlying health conditions."

In fact, for the U.S. work, early safety data from Phase 3 trials "is apparently so good they are adding subjects with certain immune system disorders. You would think that if there were significant concerns about safety, they would not include people whose immune systems are especially frail."

Addressing concerns about the speed of the work, Dr. Huth says the process has been expedited not by cutting corners but by:

• Pausing research on other less urgent topics and concentrating scientific, technological and regulatory resources onto this effort
• Building on past research into coronavirus vaccines, rather than starting from scratch
• Overlapping, rather than skipping, development phases.
• Streamlining the regulatory bureaucracy so that review and approval can happen in days or weeks rather than months or years.
• Pre-investing in production capability so that vaccine can be rapidly shipped once approved
• Developing multiple vaccines so that if one or two have to be stopped, others will continue

"If a vaccine is available as soon as it looks like it might be, I will be first in line for a shot, if they'll let me. Having carefully watched this process with a knowledgeable eye, I'm confident it will result in a properly tested vaccine that will be better than risking a serious COVID-19 illness," Dr. Huth said.

Reid Health Wound Healing Center Marks 15 Years of Caring

Posted September 22, 2020

Fifteen years after it opened, the Reid Health Wound Healing Center has increased staff and services to meet the needs of the nearly 9,000 patients receiving treatment each year.

Misha Mattingly, Clinical Operations Manager for the center, said the facility at 1380 Chester Boulevard has a staff of more than 30 caregivers, including the recent addition of a full-time on-site physician, Dr. Kim Weber.

Though the most obvious aspect of the center is its two hyperbaric chambers that provide pressurized oxygen therapy, Mattingly notes the center offers much more than this therapy to treat wounds. "We see a range of wound healing needs, including burns, diabetic foot ulcers, arterial and venous ulcers, pressure ulcers and more."

Dr. Weber says when the center was first established, it was because of the need for comprehensive wound care in the community. "Reid's Wound Healing Center has combined state-of-the-art wound care treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy with very individualized personal care. Using a combination of treatments, the center has been able to help many patients avoid amputation of a limb due to diabetes complications, poor blood flow or traumatic injuries."

Cassey Crowell, DPM, says the Wound Healing Center is vital for practicing podiatric medicine. "The center is instrumental to our podiatric practice in providing excellent staff and a wonderful facility to allow us to offer the highest standard of care and advanced treatment for all types of foot wounds. I am grateful to have the Wound Healing Center as a resource to help serve our community and improve outcomes for patients affected by acute and chronic wounds."

Besides hyperbaric therapy, services include bio-engineered tissue substitutes or skin grafting, advanced wound dressings and wraps, casting, ostomy care and podiatric wound care.

When the center opened in 2005, it was staffed by just under 20 caregivers. The center has maintained a panel of part-time physicians since then. Dr. Weber is its first full-time on-site doctor.

"Having a physician on site has decreased wait times and provides more consistency for our patients," Mattingly said.

The current physician/caregiver panel besides Dr. Weber includes:

• Travis Greathouse, M.D., Reid Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and Wound Healing Center Medical Director
• Sylvester Osayi, M.D., General Surgeons
• Christopher Moore, M.D., General Surgeons
• Cassey Crowell, DPM, Reid Podiatry & Pain Management
• Alisha Jones, DPM, Reid Podiatry & Pain Management
• Vasilios "Bill" Spyropoulos, DPM, Reid Podiatry & Pain Management
• Mahendra Kalra, M.D., Internal Medicine
• Kendall Alig, NP, Wound Healing Center
• Amy Frantz, PA, Wound Healing Center

Our team treats:

• Burns
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• Arterial and venous ulcers
• Pressure ulcers
• Traumatic ulcers
• Non-healing surgical wounds
• Infected wounds
• Other wounds that will not heal
• Lower leg edema
• Lymphedema

For more information about Reid Health Wound Healing Center, talk to your primary care provider or call the center at (765) 983-3300.

Wayne County Foundation Set to Award $265,000 in 2020 Challenge Match Program

Posted September 21, 2020

Forty-Nine Organizations Selected to Participate

The Wayne County Foundation announced today the organizations selected to participate in its 2020 Challenge Match Initiative. This year's award will be the largest in the program's nine year history.

Last year the Challenge Match generated over $1.8 million for 47 local non-profits, including $257,500 of match dollars made available by the Foundation and its Match Partners. This year, $265,000 matching dollars are available for the initiative. "Our generous Match Partners enable us to support more organizations and are critical to the initiative's success", said Wayne County Foundation's Executive Director, Rebecca Gilliam. Participating Match Partners include: Doxpop Charitable Giving Fund, First Bank Community Fund, Fund for Tomorrow, Reinke Donor Advised Fund, and Carla and Dave Stidham.

The 49 participating organizations will have the opportunity to receive funding from the Foundation up to their Match Goal, based on the gifts they receive from the community during the November 2 – 10, 2020, match period.

"The Challenge Match is critical this year. Our nonprofit organizations have continued to address the needs of our community through the COVID-19 pandemic while seeing loss of revenues due to canceled events and fundraisers. We hope all participating organizations are able to raise significant operating funds during with this initiative.

The following organizations were selected to participate in the Wayne County Foundation 2020 Challenge Match with their match goals:

More information about specific details of qualifying gifts is available on the Foundation's website. Additional information may also be obtained by contacting Lisa Bates at lisa@waynecountyfoundation.org or by calling 765-962-1638.

2020 East-Central Indiana Business Survey Is Open through September 25

Posted September 21, 2020

Thanks to the tremendous support from the local business communities, economic development corporations and chambers of commerce, we continued to have great success last year for our East-Central Indiana Business Survey. Based on the valuable responses we collected, we had successfully calculated the 2019 value of our IU East Regional Business Confidence Index. Our report had been released on the IU East Business and Economic Research Center (the BERC) website at http://www.iue.edu/business/berc/.

The BERC of the School of Business and Economics at Indiana University East is again working together with the local economic development corporations/groups or the like and chambers of commerce in conducting the 2020 annual business survey for the East-Central Indiana region.

The survey will be open to businesses/companies in the Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne counties from September 14, 2020 to September 25, 2020.

Results of the survey will not only help the BERC maintain the IU East Regional Business Confidence Index to monitor the business sentiment and economic trend in our region, but also assist further the local and regional economic studies conducted by the BERC. In addition, the survey results might aid the aforementioned economic development corporations/groups or the like and chambers of commerce for consideration as part of any future strategic planning and economic development efforts to facilitate a healthy business climate in the region.

Responses to the 10-minute survey will be confidential. Business owners/managers will be asked to provide some general information on their business/company's demography, their opinion of various aspects related to business performance for this year, and their business and economic expectations for next year in their county. While the individual responses to the survey will not be shared, results of the research survey will be made public by the end of 2020.

For more information, contact the Director of the Business and Economic Research Center and Associate Professor of Finance Dr. Oi Lin (Irene) Cheung at (765) 973-8497 or ocheung@iue.edu.

Reid Community Benefit Provides 20,000 Masks for Distribution

Posted September 21, 2020

Thanks to Reid Health Community Benefit, food pantries and a few other organizations are in the process of distributing 20,000 masks to help in the continued fight against the spread of COVID-19 infections.

"We know that 'masking up' is crucial to minimizing community spread of the COVID-19 virus," said Angela Cline, Director, Reid Health Community Benefit. "We are grateful to see so many in the community doing their part to protect others. However, we know for some it may be difficult to obtain masks that will hold up with continued wear. So we teamed up with food pantries to provide reusable, washable cloth makes to distribute."

More than 35 pantries responded and are in the process of distributing them across eight regional counties, she said. Masks were also provided to regional chambers, Lifestream, the Wayne County Highway Department and the NAACP.

Masks are required to be worn in public spaces and inside businesses in Indiana and Ohio. Reid Health also requires anyone entering any of its facilities to wear a mask.

Help Is On the Way for K-12 Teachers Needing Training and Certification in Virtual Instruction

Posted September 21, 2020

IU East's School of Education to offer certificate program for 62 teachers across East Central Indiana for free with funding from GEER grant

Indiana University East's School of Education will soon provide certification and training for virtual instruction to 62 elementary and secondary school teachers from 42 districts across East Central Indiana, and brings with it the potential to positively impact over 60,000 students.

Teachers will be selected by their districts for the training and to earn a Graduate Certificate in Online Learning and Assessment offered by the School of Education. Districts have a number of seats based on size.

Tuition will be free for teachers to earn their graduate certificate because of a partnership between the School of Education (SoE) and the East Central Education Service Center (ECESC).

The SOE and ECESC worked together to apply for a grant from the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER). The SoE received a $304,000 grant on August 19 from the GEER.

Jerry Wilde, dean of the SoE, said it is perfect timing for the grant as teachers are continuing to adapt to teaching virtually during COVID-19.

"The need for instruction on the best practices for online teaching is serious as educators across the region adjust to teaching online," Wilde said. "We need this training now, like yesterday. Our teachers need help. This is designed to increase teachers' skills integrating technology in a more meaningful and authentic way that will produce better results for students."

Jamie Buffington-Adams, associate dean and associate professor of education, said the grant addresses the need for teachers to use the tools and technology available to them.

"One of the things that has been a frequent critique of schools is that we purchase hardware before we train teachers how to implement the use of it or how to integrate it into instruction effectively," Buffington-Adams said. "This grant is a 'train the trainer' model that focuses on getting the training to 62 area teachers so that they have a better idea of how to teach in this virtual context, but hopefully - once we survive this pandemic - to integrate those technological tools that have been brought into the classroom in more sophisticated and complex ways that really benefit students."

Wilde and Buffington-Adams wrote the grant in partnership with Katie Lash, the executive director/instructional program coordinator for the ECESC. She began the role July 1.

Lash contacted Wilde when the GEER grant was announced. She is familiar with the SoE as an alumna, completing her Master of Science in Education at IU East, and she serves on the SoE's Board of Advisors. She has also been an adjunct lecturer for the SoE.

As a former teacher and principal, Lash understands the needs teachers have in this new virtual teaching environment.

"When the GEER grant was announced, I already knew schools were asking for support in online instruction," Lash said. "In my role we often provide professional development on a variety of topics but when I reached out to Jerry I was envisioning something that was not only professional development but could be very practically useful for our schools. He was absolutely on board with figuring out how we might make this work in a short time as the grant application was due quickly. The faculty at IU East have always impressed me with their willingness to innovate."

Certification is about more than apps

Teachers in the certification program will go beyond learning about the different technologies, applications and hardware to move beyond replicating a face-to-face lesson plan to one catered to the virtual learning environment.

IU East faculty as a whole have taught online for more than a decade.

"It's a way of thinking about using technology in a more effective and engaging way," Wilde said. "Virtual teaching isn't just putting up an overhead or showing a YouTube video. There's nothing wrong with that, but if we don't get past that we're missing an incredible opportunity."

Buffington-Adams said the certification focuses on designing solid assessment processes and cycles for a virtual environment and how to integrate technology into the process. The program will not focus specifically on devices or applications because between the districts, and within school districts, there are many different tools in use ranging from iPads to Chromebooks to Netbooks as well as a variety of software integrations.

The idea is to push past a substitution model of technology - for example, taking students to a computer lab to type a handwritten paper - to a model of leveraging technology that creates learning opportunities that wouldn't otherwise exist.

"Students can get an authentic experience using technology in the ways that we do in a digitally connected world," Buffington-Adams said.

Since March when districts moved class all-online due to COVID-19 there has been an adjustment and learning curve to virtual lessons. Teachers are transiting lesson plans made for a traditional classroom to a virtual space. For families, the hybrid and online options mean balancing work and school. Other obstacles include access to internet services, connection issues, and learning the software or applications to complete assignments. It also means adjusting to each individual teachers approach to virtual learning and keeping track of assignments, Zoom meetings and announcements daily.

"Teachers are really being asked to do something entirely different than even what university faculty have been called to do since March," Buffington-Adams said." The teachers I have spoken with aren't just taking a face-to-face teaching model and now reimaging it for online, they're still teaching face-to-face and they're teaching online simultaneously."

Teaching virtually is not the same as teaching in class. Before teachers developed one plan for in-class instruction, now they need at least two in order to include virtual learning. They also spend more time emailing with students and parents to respond to questions and communicate.

"Districts have come up with schedules that are understandably trying to serve the communities that they're embedded in, but they are schedules that are really reliant on teachers doing two to three times the amount of work they would normally do," Buffington-Adams said. "Preparing for the virtual environment is radically different than preparing for the face-to-face environment, and when you're doing both simultaneously, of course your workload becomes heftier. I think that's one of the major obstacles is that we don't have a good model."

Other factors are figuring into the challenges of virtual learning as well, some of which districts and families cannot control.

"The grant has multiple components to it and one of those was targeting the fact that communities don't have the infrastructure to even get students connected for virtual learning. Locally, the numbers are about 25 percent of our kids who do not have Wi-Fi at home and that's an issue," Buffington-Adams said.

However, there is good coming from this unprecedented time though it may be too early to tell yet just what impact virtual learning may be having right now.

"I believe virtual learning is providing us with an opportunity, a productive space to start reimagining how we do education," Buffington-Adams said. "I think for the kids that can get connected and have the support system to do it, it's providing them with the technology to use in ways that they wouldn't have been asked to do this early in their school career.

The payoff is for educators to think differently about the work that they do, she added, but this is an opportunity to develop an enriched understanding and practices of what we do in schools.

Collaboration and Community Impact

The SoE and ECESC had 11 days to prepare the grant application and address any obstacles to providing the necessary training. Wilde said the school decided to go for the grant because there is a need for teachers to receive the quality training, and the benefit to area school districts and communities is too valuable.

"This initiative will allow the opportunity for 42 school districts in East Central Indiana to have teachers pursue this graduate certificate and perform leadership roles in their schools," Lash said. "When these leaders return to their home districts and share this learning with others, this grant has the potential to offer support to over 4,500 educators with the train the trainer model and improve learning outcomes for over 67,000 students in our area."

Wilde said teachers participating in the program will return to their districts with the knowledge and proficiency to instruct their peers and share best practices for virtual learning.

"There's a lot of research that shows what teachers really need is the training and how to use the tools effectively. That's where this grant comes in," Wilde said. "We provide the training for area teachers, they take it back to their individual districts and buildings, and train their teachers."

Teachers can also start implementing what they learn through the program into their virtual lessons right away.

The SoE, ECESC, and districts are working together to find the teachers who best fit the certification program and can return to their schools to share what they've learned.

"Another powerful piece of this format is that we are truly promoting collaboration with current K-12 practitioners and the higher education space," Lash said. "The cohort as a whole will become a network of support to troubleshoot various challenges that COVID-19 has presented but also to create sustainability plans for long after the pandemic has ended."

Collaboration is also occurring at the instructor level.

The courses will be co-taught by IU East SoE faculty and K-12 faculty.

"This is a really wonderful feature to have not just IU East faculty, but also K-12 teachers who are invested in this type of learning," Wilde said. "We know the more we partner with our K-12 partners, the better we understand their needs and the better we are able to serve area schools."

Partnership and collaboration were an emphasis when preparing the grant proposal to plan courses, participants and instructors, all of which required communication.

"There was a lot of time in the development of the grant were we talked about how this was going to be a true partnership so the teaching model is bringing the expertise generated in the K-12 and marrying it with the faculty expertise to present something to teachers that will be immediately applicable," Buffington-Adams said. "Some coursework, discussion on assignments, and looking at everything they will do, teachers can take all of that straight back to their classrooms or to teach their colleagues. It offers new techniques, new ways to integrate online. Learn it and it helps you tomorrow, that's the time and context of COVID."

IU East's School of Education has offered the Graduate Certificate in Online Learning and Assessment since 2013. Wilde said the certificate provides quality training for teachers, and the need for training is a growing demand.

The grant is an opportunity to provide the quality training to teachers for free while benefiting communities.

IU East is a regional campus serving over 3,500 students through 50 academic options for bachelor's and master's degrees. The campus is invested in the community and the region. As part of IU East's mission, the campus is dedicated to being a strong partner in enhancing the educational, cultural, and economic development of the region it serves through community and civic engagement.

Wilde said the SoE is following the campus mission to invest in the region.

"That is the fundamental of every regional campus is to give back to our community. And for the School of Education to be able to provide this kind of training to help hundreds of teachers is a wonderful opportunity for all of us," Wilde said.

For more information about the School of Education, visit iue.edu/education.

Mobile Census Support Coming to Local Area Events - You Count!

Posted August 20, 2020

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location. It's important to our community that YOU are counted! If you have not yet completed the 2020 Census, you can do so online, by phone, or by mail when your invitation to respond arrives. Visit my2020census.gov to begin or get assistance at any of the following upcoming local events:

3rd Annual Townsend Community Center, Inc. Golf Outing

Posted September 3, 2020

Townsend Community Center, Inc. will hold its 3rd annual golf outing on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at Winding Branch Golf Course in Cambridge City, Indiana. All proceeds benefit the Townsend Community Center, Inc. in Wayne County. Register by faxing the entry form to 765.962.1143, Dr. Lucinda M. Wright or 765.478.4542 Rancer Huntington.

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