Chamber ribbon-cuttings set

Jay County Chamber of Commerce has two ribbon-cutting ceremonies in the coming weeks.

The ribbon cuttings are set for:

•11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 12 — Ivy Tech at John Jay Center for Learning, 101 S. Meridian St., Portland

•1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 — Youth Service Bureau, 603 W. Arch St. (Open house will run from noon to 5 p.m.)

The chamber will also host its annual golf outing at 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at Portland Golf Club.

The chamber also announced new members High Strike LLC and E & J Powerwashing LLC.

For more information, email [email protected] or call (260) 726-4481.

Product launched

J&M Manufacturing of Fort Recovery recently launched its new 14 Series Grain Carts.

The carts have an unload speed of 900-plus bushels per minute. They have a capacity of 1,700 to 2,100 bushels.

The carts are available in a limited number now and will be in full production for 2026.

For more information, visit jm-inc.com.

Agreement reached

Indiana Michigan Power, Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, Citizens Action Coalition and the Industrial Group recently reached an agreement regarding the Oregon Clean Energy Center.

The commission is reviewing the agreement, with a decision expected by December.

Indiana Michigan Power requested a certificate in April to allow it to buy the Oregon Clean Energy Center, an 870 megawatt natural gas facility in Oregon, Ohio. It is part of the company’s plan to meet power needs that are expected to double in Indiana by 2030.

“The addition of the Oregon facility into I&M’s generation resource portfolio is a significant step in our continued efforts to diversify our generation resources and best position our company to meet the future needs of our customers,” said Steve Baker, I&M president and chief operating officer, in a press release. “I&M has a responsibility to ensure all current and future customers have access to reliable and affordable power as energy demand continues to evolve.”

Record set

Indianapolis International Airport set a new record for passengers flying out of the airport in July, with a total of 995,818. The mark broke the record set in June 2024.

The airport also announced plans for specialty flights related to football, including Sept. 26 to Los Angeles for the Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams game and Oct. 10 to Eugene, Oregon, for the Indiana University at Oregon game.

Plans also call for adding non-stop international routes later this year, including to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. 

"This will be an all-time high number of nonstops out of IND, and Punta Cana will further expand our international routes — which now include Dublin and Cancun,” said airport executive director Mario Rodriguez in a press release. “And there’s more to come with a new seasonal nonstop flight to Cabo on Southwest during Spring Break 2026.”

University awarded

The Society of Actuaries recently awarded Ball State University’s Department of Mathematical Sciences with its Center for Actuarial Excellence designation.

The honor goes to university programs that met standards across criteria including curriculum, faculty qualifications, industry partnerships and research contributions. BSU is one of two universities in Indiana to have earned the designation.

“We are thrilled for our actuarial science program to receive the Center of Actuarial Excellence designation from the Society of Actuaries,” said Dan Rutherford, department chair of mathematical sciences, in a press release. “The Actuarial Science program at Ball State was founded in 1971 and is one of the University’s long-standing gems. Over the years, generations of successful actuaries have received entry into the profession through their training at Ball State. The CAE award reflects the top-tier quality of our program and the outstanding achievements of our faculty, students, and alumni in actuarial science.” 

Training offered

ServSafe training will be available at John Jay Center for Learning in Portland.

The next session is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 23.

The certification course is open to all food service employees and emphasizes safe food- and beverage-handling practices to minimize the risk of food-borne illnesses.

Additional sessions will be held on Tuesdays, Oct. 28 and Nov. 25.

For more information, or to register, call (260) 729-5525.

Designation announced

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to Elil Lilly and Company’s olomorasib.

The drug was awarded the designation when used in combination of unresectable advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The designation “aims to expedite the development and review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition when preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement on a clinically significant endpoint(s) over already available therapies that have received full FDA approval.

"The Breakthrough Therapy designation recognizes the potential for olomorasib to be a meaningful treatment advance and highlights the continued unmet need for improved options for patients … particularly in the first-line setting in combination with standard-of-care immunotherapy," said Dr. David Hyman, chief medical officer for Indianapolis-based Lilly, in a press release.

Awards set

Indiana Chamber of Commerce will host its annual awards dinner at 5 p.m. Nov. 5 at the JW Marriott Indianapolis.

Daymond John, founder of FUBU and a longtime star of “Shark Tank,” will be the featured speaker.

Individual tickets are $195. For more information, visit indianachamber.com.