Recycling bins donated

Local glass producer Verallia, a division of Saint-Gobain Packaging, donated recycling bins to several Broad Ripple bars in Muncie to start a recycling program.
Broad Ripple Village contains more than 80 bars and restaurants and the recycling program should help reclaim more than 20 tons of glass containers per month.
Glass products are easily recyclable for producers. In 2007, locations in the Broad Ripple area were able to recycle more than 10 tons of glass each month.

Appointed
Portland native Angela L. Freel was appointed to the Commission for Continuing Legal Education by the Indiana Supreme Court.
A partner at Rudolph, Fine, Porter and Johnson, LLP, Freel begins her five-year term on Jan. 1. She is a 1991 graduate of Jay County High School, received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1995 and her juris doctorate from IU School of Law in 1998.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Freel, Portland.
Freel’s practice is primarily focuses in family law and domestic relations, insurance defense, commercial litigation, mediation and collection law.

Tyson earnings
Tyson Foods Inc. told investors that the company’s strong performance this year is only a taste of things to come.
The company plans to increase chicken production, which will offset lower beef and pork projections. The company has also reduced its debt load by more than $900 million through the third quarter.

Biomass harvest
The first harvest of biomass for POET’s cellulosic ethanol initiative Project Liberty will be held in northwest Iowa.
The biomass will consist of corn cobs and light stover being collected by 85 farmers around the Emmetsburg, Iowa, area. The biomass will be used in the company’s pilot cellulosic ethanol plant.
Studies at the University of Iowa show that harvesting 25 percent of the stover off fields should not harm ground fertility in the future.

IBA board
Representatives from area banks were elected to the Indiana Bankers Association board effective Jan. 1.
Andrew J. Briggs, Bank of Geneva, and Robert G. Jones, Old National Bank, were selected as members of the regional boards of directors for the northeast and southwest regions, respectively.
Briggs is president of Bank of Geneva and has 34 years of banking experience and has served as the bank’s president since 1994.

Cancer partnership
Berne-based publisher DRG is teaming up with Halos of Hope to release a pattern book for crocheting chemo caps and wraps.
The book contains 29 crochet projects for caps or wraps with several easy patterns for beginners. The book is available from the Annie’s Attic catalog or at anniesattic.com.
Halos of Hope, a non-profit organization, provides hats to cancer treatment centers in 40 states. For more information about the charity, visit halosofhope.com.
See Business page 6
Walmart wireless
Walmart is introducing its first cell phone plan under the retailer’s own brand.
Walmart Family Mobile will run on the T-Mobile USA network and feature unlimited calling and texting. The program will feature month-to-month contracts and no early termination fees. The service will be offered in most stores across the nation.
Walmart locations throughout the U.S. have also offered a Verizon program called Straight Talk and is working with Sprint Nextel to offer a Common Cents plan.

Dividend
Allegheny Technologies Incorporated declared a quarterly cash dividend of 18 cents per share of common stock. The dividend will be payable to stockholders of record at the close of business on Thursday.

Toured
Republican nominee for Indiana’s U.S. Senate seat Dan Coats recently toured a POET ethanol plant in Alexandria.
The tour was part of Coat’s presentation of his energy solutions plan for the nation including increasing use of bio-fuels and renewable energy resources.

Program completed
Three employees of Coldwater Machine Company recently completed an intensive four-year apprenticeship program.
Matt Lochtefeld, Fort Recovery, and Josh Gelhaus and Travis Brackman, Saint Henry, Ohio, completed the course and became certified journeymen toolmakers.
A total of 8,000 hours of training is required to complete the certification.[[In-content Ad]]