Permits top $2 million

Building permits with a value of more than $2 million were issued in Jay County in June.
A total of 41 permits were issued totaling $2,226,090, with the largest projects being confined feeding operations.
The following permits were issued:
Dayton Progress Corp., 1314 N. Meridian St., Portland, building addition, $52,000; Randy Bickel 1428 West 350 South, Portland, building addition, $50,000; Ryan L. Hurt, 5510 North Ind. 27, Bryant, building addition, $15,000; Joe and Linda Schneider, 4250 East Treaty Line Road, Portland, pole building, $8,000; Steven Chrisman, 088 West 650 North, Bryant, barn, $60,000; Andrew J. Girod, 8761 North 300 West, Bryant, calf barn, $15,000; Robert Corwin, 421 North 850 West Portland, pole barn; Vicky and James Lochtefeld, 8521 East 700 South, Union City, two swine confined feeding buildings, $800,000 and Mahlon K. Neuenschwander, 6150 North 550 West, Pennville, duck confined feeding building, $373,000.
Also, William Gould, 1902 South Manuals Drive, Portland, fence, $4,000; Danaiya Wilhelm, 465 S. Union, Pennville, fence, $300; Tonya Jones, 106 Hickory Court, Portland, fence $1,700; Rodney Bye, 635 E. Water St., Portland, fence, $1,000; Mark Masters, 7118 West Ind. 18, Bryant, mobile home, $1,500; Julia Ashton, Push Play Video Rental, 1309 N. Meridian St., Portland, business occupancy; Kathy Subler, State Farm Insurance, 410 W. Votaw St., Portland, business occupancy and Kathy Subler, State Farm Insurance, 410 W. Votaw St., Portland, business sign, $3,000.
Also, Chad and Cynthia Fifer, 8812 East 300 North, Portland, new home and garage and barn addition, $175,000; Tom and Susan Loy, 1657 West 400 North, Portland, new home and garage, $75,000; Jason Lawrence, 5830 South 200 West, Portland, new home and garage, $70,000; Richard Martin, 2857 East 200 North, Portland, new home, $75,000; Donald and Anita Shauver, 3972 South 500 East, Portland, new home and garage, $117, 000; and Steve and Janna Snyder, 618 East 400 South, Portland, pool and deck, $10,000.
Also, Ronald Hendricks, 4356 South 475 East, Portland, residential addition, $70,000; David and Jennifer Blackford, 2600 North 200 West, Portland, residential addition, $68,640; Gerald E. Kind, 162 East 800 North, Bryant, residential addition, $6,000; James McEwen, 702 N. Water St., Pennville, residential addition, $30,500; David Keihn, 105 South 500 West, Portland, deck, $5,000 and Lee Newman, 1931 South Blaine Pike, Portland, deck, $5,000.
Robert Bell, 1348 S. Meridian St., Portland, deck, $1,400; John P. Baker, 8811 N. Pearl St., Bryant, patio roof, $2,100; Analene VanHorn, 307 E. Pleasant St., Pennville, deck, $800; Nancy Rupe, 621 W. Main St., Portland, deck, $450; Sherry Hinshaw, 4311 South 200 West, Portland, deck, $2,000; Nancy Warren 129 West 300 North, Portland, deck, $7,000 and William EJ Hilly, 6987 East 900 North, Bryant, playhouse, $1,000.
Also, Paul Twigg, 2195 South Boundary Pike, Portland, pole barn, $5,000; Billy Murphy, 107 Canterbury Lane, Portland, storage building, $3,700; Donny Stephan, 9486 West 400 South, Dunkirk, pole building, $26,000; Scott Muhlenkamp, 1347 East 400 North, Portland, garage, $28,000; and Philip J. Corwin, 140 N. Water St. Pennville, attached garage $25,000.

Ranked for job economy
A local legislator received high scores as being a pro-jobs and pro-economy legislator from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. State Rep. Bill Davis, R-Portland, scored an aggregate 90 percent on the 2010 and 2011 years combined with a large number of job-friendly bills introduced and passed by the House Republicans.

Intern announced
Leonard-McDowell Inc., Zionsville, has announced that Jared Valentine will serve as a Lily Grant Business Summer Intern.
Valentine will work at the firm, which offers sales and IT solutions for the health care and life science industry, for four weeks.
Valentine is a sophomore at Wabash College. A native to Portland, Valentine graduated from Jay County High School, where he was member of the band and played several sports.
Valentine completed training orientation and other requirements to have his four-week internship funded.

New director
Steve Lauchbacher, from Dayton, Ohio, has assumed duties as executive director for Community and Family Services Inc., which is based in Portland. He assumed his position on June 30.

Processor of the year
Tyson Foods, Inc. was named “Processor of the year” by National Provisioner Magazine. The magazine noted the company’s continued efforts to reduce costs and focusing on customer service as reasons for the title.

Received loan offer
POET received an offer for a conditional commitment for a $105 million U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee to construct a cellulosic ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa that would produce 25 million gallons per year from corn cobs, leaves, husks and some stalks.
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chusaid the project will help decrease the county’s dependence on oil and create jobs.

Finalist
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is among the finalists in Toyota’s program “100 Cars for Good” in which the regional non-for-profit could win a new Highlander Hybrid. Supporters have until Friday to vote for their non-for-profit organization. Runners-up will win $1,000 from Toyota.

Dog food concerns
An Iowa company planning to build a plant in Montpelier has raised concerns among community members because of a strong odor the facility releases, but Mayor Jim McPherson, who recently visited the factory in Steamboat Rock, Iowa, said it passed the smell test.
A group from Montpelier visited the Naturally Recycled Proteins dog-food flavoring factory in Iowa recently and while McPherson said the smell was not very strong, others in the group disagreed.
Cathie McCammon, who was a part of the visiting group in Iowa, told the Muncie Star Press she is circulating a petition to stop the project.
McPherson has defended the company, saying the need for jobs in the area is critical.

New name
Some Marsh Supermarkets — including the one in Portland — started operations under a new name Thursday.
A select stores, including the local location, is now doing business under the name, “MainStreet Market.”
In a statement, the company said the supermarket, under its new name, will “build on the foundation of local community involvement, fresh, high quality perishable products, fast and friendly service, fair pricing and weekly specials on popular staple items.”

Partnership announced
Representatives from Energize-ECI, Inc. made a recent sales trip to Indianapolis Wednesday.
Local area economic development leaders, including Bill Bradley, executive director of the Jay County Development Corporation, met with leading site consultants of Indiana about advantages and expansion opportunities in Central Indiana.

BK Scholarship
A Portland student was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Burger King program “Burger King Scholars.”
Taylor Burris, a graduate of Jay County High School, was one of 86 Indiana students that received a scholarship from the program.
More than $1.4 million has been awarded nationwide in the U.S. and throughout parts of Canada in the company’s eleventh year of the program.[[In-content Ad]]