I&M gets OK for solar facilities

A regional utility company will be expanding its solar footprint.

Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on Wednesday approved Indiana Michigan Power’s plan to construct four new solar plants.

The new plants include the 245-megawatt Lake Trout facility in Blackford County. Others will be in Pulaski, DeKalb and Elkhart counties. They are expected to go online by mid-2026.

“These four Clean Energy Projects will diversify I&M’s energy mix, support reliability, provide environmental benefits and safeguard against fuel-cost volatility,” said Steve Baker, I&M president and chief operating officer, in a press release. “The availability of renewable energy is important to support economic development opportunities in the communities I&M serves. Increasing the amount of renewable energy available to businesses will be a significant benefit to maintaining and attracting new investments and jobs to the area.”

The facilities are part of an effort by I&M and parent company American Electric Power to reach not zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2045.

I&M will have about $1 billion invested in the plants in Blackford and Pulaski counties. It will own and operate both.

Construction on the Lake Trout facility is planned to begin in fall 2024.

Trick-or-treat set

Jay County Chamber of Commerce will host its Merchant Trick-or-Treat Walk from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Businesses are invited to participate by offering trick-or-treat items at their locations. Those not located in Portland’s central business district can set up in the Community Resource Center parking lot, 118 S. Meridian St.

Participating businesses should RSVP by Oct. 25. To register or for more information, email [email protected] or call (260) 726-4481.

Funeral home hosting

Baird-Freeman Funeral Home in Portland will host a free advance planning seminar on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at Jay County Public Library.

The seminars will feature elder law attorney Michael J. Huffman and advance planning specialist Andrea Thornburg. Sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the library, 315 N. Ship St., Portland.

Firm investing

Tyson Foods announced last week that it has reached an agreement for investment with Protix.

Tyson will become a minority owner in Protix, an insect ingredients company. The investment will be used to “support the growth of the emerging insect ingredient industry and expand the use of insect ingredient solutions to create more efficient sustainable proteins ...”

“Our partnership with Protix represents the latest strategic investment by Tyson Foods in groundbreaking solutions that drive added value to Tyson Foods’ business,” said Tyson chief financial officer John R. Tyson in a press release. “The insect lifecycle provides the opportunity for full circularity within our value chain, strengthening our commitment to building a more sustainable food system for the future.”

The company operates Tyson Mexican Original in Portland.

Ball State promotes

Ball State University has promoted John Foster as its new assistant vice president for public safety and chief of police.

Foster has been with the BSU police department for 30 years. He takes over for James Duckham, who retired Aug. 30.

“I am excited to welcome Chief Foster to this new role as he continues to dutifully serve the campus and its surrounding communities,” said Ro-Anne Royer Engle, vice president of student affairs at Ball State, in a press release. “John has devoted his life to understanding the complexities of policing while taking steps to continually learn and improve upon past performance. I look forward to working with John as we strive to enhance the quality of life for Ball State students while optimizing the effectiveness of our police operations.”

CEO recognized

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing recently named Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers president and CEO Zoe Frantz as its National Advocate of the Year.

Frantz was honored in part for her work with the state and federal government to expand access to comprehensive mental health and substance abuse care in Indiana.

“Without effective advocacy, we can’t accomplish our goals to increase access to mental health and substance use care to anyone who needs it and to support and grow the behavioral health workforce,” said National Council for Mental Wellbeing senior vice president for public policy and advocacy Reyna Taylor in a press release. “Zoe exemplifies the type of tireless work needed to keep these issues top of mind including Certified Behavioral Health Clinics for policymakers.”

Frantz was also recently named to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Indiana Behavioral Health Commission.

Partnership extended

Dollar General last week announced that it has extended its partnership with the American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program.

The extension includes a $250,000 donation. It will be used to help provide resources such as food, shelter and other essentials following natural disasters.

“For over 20 years, Dollar General has supported the Red Cross efforts to prepare for emergencies and provide relief during times of crisis,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, in a press release. “We are grateful for the shelter, food, emotional support, and hope the Red Cross continues to provide our neighbors and communities during times of need.”

Company suing

Eli Lilly on Thursday announced that it is suing online pharmacies to prevent them from selling certain drugs.

The Indianapolis-based pharmaceuticals firm is seeking to stop the pharmacies from importing, selling and distributing products that claim to contain the active ingredient in its diabetes drug Mounjaro, Reuters reported last week. The suit will go to the U.S. international Trade Commission.

Lilly said it has tested some of the drugs in question and that they do not contain the active ingredient as claimed.

“The unapproved drug products are dangerous research chemicals that are not approved for human consumption and have no connection to Eli Lilly or Mounjaro,” Lilly said in its lawsuit.

Summit is Nov. 1

Indiana Manufacturers Association will hold its inaugural Indiana Health Care Summit for Manufacturers on Nov. 1 at Ivy Tech Community College Culinary and Conference Center in Indianapolis.

The event is designed to provide attendees with information regarding health care issues that impact Indiana manufacturers. There will be panel discussions about pharmaceutical costs, health care options and insurance, with a best practices panel of manufacturers highlighting their experiences.

Those interested in attending should register at indianamfg.com.