Government

By Michelle Owen—  MUNCIE, IN—As construction work continues at the site of the former Storer Elementary, builders and future homeowners can begin to make plans. After a unanimous vote at the July 21st Muncie Redevelopment Commission meeting, 22 building lots at the future Storer Estates will be put up for bid to individuals and/or builders. Buyers will not be able to begin construction until the groundwork at the site is complete, but interested parties can secure a prime building site and plan for construction as early as winter. The Storer Estates subdivision will include 34 single family homes, a dry…

By Marni Lemons— Will also launch Indiana 988 phone line for crisis response on Saturday. INDIANAPOLIS–The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction is providing new funding to help build and support projects in Indiana to improve mental health services for Hoosiers. This includes funding appropriated by the Indiana General Assembly in House Enrolled Act 1001, and additional funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and other sources. DMHA is working with partners in the private sector, the health care system and community and philanthropic organizations to provide grassroots support and funding alongside DMHA’s statewide…

By Michele Owen, Communications Director, City of Muncie— MUNCIE, IN—When the phone rings at City Hall, there’s no telling who’s on the line. It could be a simple question, a profanity-laden tirade, or a grieving widow unsure where to turn. For executive assistant Shareen Wagley and receptionist Lindsay Fink, the protocol is the same – answer the phone and try to help. In the first three weeks of June alone, the mayor’s office received 2,763 phone calls, for a total of 110 hours and 47 minutes on the phone. According to Wagley, about half of those calls are redirected to…

By Michele Owen, Director of Communications, City of Muncie— MUNCIE, IN—On Thursday, June 30th, the zoning board approved a variance for the addition of two cul-de-sacs and 17 additional lots in Copperfield Commons. A project of Partuck Corporation, the Commons has developed 40 building sites near McGalliard and Morrison. 21 homes have already been built and sold on these lots. Developer Richard Case hopes to complete a new recreation area and the cul-de-sacs by 2023. Case has been collaborating with Councilman Aaron Clark, City Engineer Adam Leach, and the Mayor and Deputy Mayor since 2020 to expand the number of lots. The…

By Colby Gray— DELAWARE COUNTY, IN—Rural property owners in Blackford and Delaware counties can more easily start implementing conservation practices on their land with help from a free program offered through the local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). The program is called “First Steps” and involves one-on-one consultation with a local conservation representative. The SWCD representative helps the property owner identify conservation goals for the property by collecting, analyzing, and discussing environmental variables such as soil types, topographical information, and drainage. The resulting plan identifies and maps possible improvements across the landscape, as well as the state and federal…

By Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle— INDIANAPOLIS, IN—Dozens of Indiana laws took effect on July 1, 2022, including a new tax on vaping products, a ban on transgender females playing on girls sports teams and the elimination of handgun permits. Overall, more than 150 bills passed during the legislative session but some went into effect immediately. Here’s a rundown of the notable laws: Transgender athletes A law banning transgender females from competing in girls school sports will take effect despite a veto from the Republican governor and repeated pushback from opponents who argue the measure is a bigoted response to…

By Danielle McGrath, President, Indiana Energy Association— INDIANAPOLIS, IN—At a time when costs are increasing across the board, Hoosiers will soon benefit from the elimination of a special tax on utility bills. The repeal means monthly savings for all customers beginning July 1, 2022.  The Utility Receipts Tax and Utility Services Tax is currently a 1.46% addition to energy bills based on usage. The elimination of this tax is one of many recent actions taken by the Indiana General Assembly and Governor Holcomb to support our state’s economy while benefitting Hoosier taxpayers.  Other states are increasing taxes, but Indiana is lowering…

By Keith Roysdon— DELAWARE COUNTY, Ind. – A group of neighborhood residents will lead an effort to identify former industrial properties for cleanup using $500,000 in federal funds. The East Central Indiana Regional Planning District won the $500,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA chose 10 Indiana organizations and communities that would receive part of $9.4 million in funding to assess or clean up brownfield sites, which are properties with suspected contamination from former industrial plant operations. The ECI Regional Planning District will administer the grant but a steering committee of residents from the Whitely, Industry and McKinley…