Construction permits top $732,000

New construction continued throughout June as the Jay/Portland Building and Planning Department issued 28 permits with estimated construction costs totaling $732,800.

Permits were issued to: Amos Bonvillian, 4740 South 425 West, Portland, pole barn and storage building, $12,100; Toby Swartzentruber, 8343 North 700 East, Bryant, shed, $2,500; Christian A. Neuenschwander, 4372 West 500 North, Portland, barn addition, $4,000; David B. Eicher 4200 North 150 East, Portland, barn, $5,000; MSR Farms, 8666 East Fort Recovery Road, Portland, machine shop, $65,000; Marvin Muhlenkamp Farms Inc., 4046 East Ind. 67, Bryant, barn addition, $50,000, and barn lean-to, $10,000; James D. Baughman, 520 E. Water St., Portland, fence, $200.

Mildred Smith, 1122 W. Water St., Portland, fence, $100; Katelynn Place LLC, 590 W. Lafayette St., Portland, sign, $1,500; Danny and Barbara Bullard 4238 West 50 South, Portland, new home/garage, $86,000; James Hawn, 1577 South Como Road, Portland, new home, $50,000; Paul and Carrie Byrum, 4717 North 450 East, Portland, new home/garage, $150,000; Jimmie L. and Betty J. Stipp, 116 Rose Drive, Portland, new home/garage, $100,000; Norm Peterson, Norm's Place, 222-B3 W. Lincoln St., Portland, restaurant, $3,000; Chris A.C. Schwartz, 1250 East 400 North, Portland, residential addition, $30,000; Mark Hart, 3262 South 500 East, Portland, residential addition, $60,000.

Tom Knapke, Paradise Pointe Lot 271, Portland, deck roof, $600; Jackie Baughman, 1362 W. Arch St., Portland, porch roof, $700; Harold Welsch, 6286 North 550 East, Bryant, deck, $2,600; John Myers, 4409 West 650 North, Bryant, porch, $6,000; Phillip J. Laux, 5113 East 300 North, Portland, storage building, $25,000; Paul M. Eicher Jr., 1863 East 500 North, Portland, storage building, $5,000; Homer A. Steen, 5980 South Como Road, Portland, storage building, $1,000; Paul and Betty LeMaster, 1756 West Ind. 67, Portland, garage and roof change, $12,500; Hugh Strohl, 1221 West Deerhaven Drive, Portland, garage addition, $20,000; Rayma Frankenfield, 121 West 200 South, Portland, garage, $24,000; Stephen Reitz, 6275 North 550 East, Bryant, garage and breezeway, $6,000.

Acreage deadline

The deadline for farmers to file 2010 crop year acreage reports to the United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency is July 15.

Producers with crop insurance are required to report their acreage to their crop insurance agent. Crops that must be reported by the deadline include burley tobacco, corn, grain sorghum, hybrid corn seed, mint, popcorn, potatoes, processing beans, soybeans and tomatoes.

Reinvested

Saint-Gobain shareholders agreed to a dividend reinvestment that will see 12.9 million shares issues.

The shareholders approved a 72.1 percent reinvestment of the company's dividend, which will strengthen the company's equity by euro368 million. A total of 12.9 million shares will be issued, accounting for 2.5 percent of all outstanding shares.

The company will also issue a cash dividend totaling euro141.8 million.

Business seminar

Space is still available for a Small Business Administration Day seminar hosted by the Jay County Chamber of Commerce.

The July 13 session will include information about small business financing as well as answer questions about starting a business.

The seminar is free but reservations are required. To reserve a spot, contact the chamber at (260) 726-4481 or e-mail [email protected].

Networking breakfast

Jay County Hospital CEO Joe Johnston will give an update on the hospital at the next Jay County Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast. The breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. on July 14 at the Dunkirk Elks Lodge. Cost for breakfast is $5 and reservations must be made to the chamber by July 9. E-mail [email protected] to sign up.

Development call

Regional economic development group Energize-ECI is asking counties to submit potential development and infrastructure projects for an update of the district's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.

The CEDS update is an annual requirement of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The CEDS will focus on revising a list of local priority projects, which may be funded by government in the coming years.

To file a project for consideration, contact Jay County Development Director Bill Bradley at (260) 726-9311 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Sold

Saint-Gobain has signed an agreement confirming the sale of its "Advanced Ceramics" business to CoorsTek, a U.S. company, for a grand total of $245 million (approximately 200 million euros).

Saint-Gobain's "Advanced Ceramics" business reported sales of about 135 million euros ($168 million) in over 14 sites in Europe, Asia and the Americas in 2009.

Saint-Gobain decided to accept CoorsTek's offer because it possesses the resources and capacity to allow for the businesses sold to capitalize on new synergy for their international development.

New plant

POET has announced the purchase of a 90 million gallon-per-year ethanol plant that is located right outside of Cloverdale, IN. Previously operated by Altra Biofuels, the now POET-operated plant will be POET's fourth plant in Indiana and number 27 in all.

The purchase of this plant has raised the annual ethanol production capacity to 1.7 billion gallons per year. POET closed the transaction Tuesday.

The plant is expected to create 40 to 45 primary jobs and hundreds of secondary jobs.

Accepting donations

The Edward Jones office in Portland is collecting school supply donations this summer.

Edward Jones financial advisors Mike Engels and Scott Benter are opening their offices to the public to be used as drop-off locations for the drive. Local businesses and residents alike are encouraged to bring in items to the Portland branch during business hours now until Aug. 9.[[In-content Ad]]