Chamber events are upcoming

Jay County Chamber of Commerce is staying busy.

The chamber will host its October Munch and Mingle networking event at noon Oct. 26.

Members will meet for lunch at Greek’s Pizzeria, 1607 N. Meridian St., Portland. The cost is $10.

The chamber will also host its Merchant Trick-or-Treat for 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29.

All Jay County businesses are invited to participate. Those that are not located in downtown Portland will be able to set up in the Community Resource Center Parking lot at 118 S. Meridian St.

Businesses that intend to participate should RSVP with the chamber by Oct. 22.

For more information, or to RSVP for either event, contact chamber executive director at [email protected] or (260) 726-4481.



Vance appointed

First Bank of Berne recently announced the hiring of Jeremy Vance as its new electronic banking manager.

Vance’s role will include managing e-banking, including online banking, online applications, e-signatures, e-statements and telephone banking. He joins First Bank of Berne after serving as senior manager of fraud strategy and business consulting commercial banking for BMO Financial Group. He previously worked in corporate security for STAR Financial Bank.

“We are happy to add Jeremy to the team not just for his expertise in the arena of financial security, but also his level of experience on the operational front,” said First Bank of Berne chief operations manager Deon Shoaf in a press release.



On the list

NextEra Energy announced Tuesday that Fortune has recognized it on its 2021 list of companies that “Change the World.”

The list features companies that have “a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy.” NextEra, which owns and operates Bluff Point Wind Energy Center in Jay and Randolph counties, was the only U.S. gas and electric utility to be recognized.

"We are honored to be named once again by Fortune as one of the companies that is changing the world," said NextEra chairman and CEO Jim Robo, whose company made the list for the second time. "We believe that no company in any industry has done more than NextEra Energy to reduce carbon emissions and to address climate change …”



Training scheduled

John Jay Center for Learning will again offer ServSafe training classes beginning late this month.

Classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 25, Nov. 29 and Dec. 27 at John Jay. For more information, call (260) 729-5525.



Systems investing

IU Health and Community Health Systems both plan to open new hospitals in Indiana by the end of the year, Becker’s Hospital Review reported this week.

IU Health plans to open a new $557-million hospital on its campus in Bloomington on Dec. 5. It will have 364 beds and replace an existing hospital.

Community Health Systems expects to open Lutheran Downtown Hospital in Fort Wayne on Nov. 13. The $118-million facility will replace St. Joseph Hospital.



Testing plant burgers

McDonald’s USA is getting into the plant-based burger game as it tests its new McPlant for a limited time in eight restaurants.

The burger, developed with Beyond Meat, is made from peas, rice and potatoes. It will be available at McDonald’s locations in Texas, Iowa, Louisiana and California.

McDonald’s has already been testing the McPlant in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria and the United Kingdom.



Ready to run

Former CVS Health executive Helena Foulkes has announced that she will run in the Democratic primary for governor of Rhode Island.

Foulkes served with CVS Health for 25 years, most recently as president of CVS Pharmacy and executive vice president of CVS Health. She is a lifelong Rhode Island resident. 

Also running in the primary are former Rhode Island secretary of state Matt Brown, state treasurer Seth Magaziner, current secretary of state Nellie Gorbea and Dr. Luis Daniel Munoz.



DG chooses

Dollar General and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation announced The Great Dollar General Book Match on Tuesday.

The one-day event is a $1 million initiative through which Dollar General, beginning Oct. 21, will double every donation from education non-profit DonorsChoose for a book-related project. 

“Teachers and students need us now more than ever and filling their shelves with books that inspire learning is critical during this time in education,” said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and vice president of corporate social responsibility at Dollar General, said in a press release.

Visit donorschoose.org to post or support a project and learn more.