IURC approves I&M rate increase

State regulators have approved an increase of 7.26 percent in rates for customers of Indiana Michigan Power.

I&M had sought a significantly larger increase but reached a settlement agreement with the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, the Sierra Club and the cities of Fort Wayne, South Bend and Muncie.

The new rates approved by the Indiana Utility Regulator Commission will provide I&M with about $96.8 million in new revenue that will go toward infrastructure improvements.

As part of the settlement, I&M will grant up to $700,000 to communities and agencies in its service territory to boost local economic development, eliminate the fee for payments by credit card, set aside almost $1 million to establish new programs to help those who meet income qualifications pay their electric bills.

The company said the monthly increase for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours would be $9.41 or about 32 cents per day.



New intern

Nate Fields is serving as an intern this summer for The Commercial Review.

Fields, 23, is a senior at Ball State University, where he is majoring in journalism and telecommunications. Fields is considering attending graduate school for public relations after completing his undergraduate studies.

In addition to his internship, he is also working as a reporter for The Ball State Daily News during the summer.

Fields, who started his internship Wednesday, graduated from Muncie Southside High School in 2013 and prior to his internship did some work as a freelance sports reporter for The Commercial Review.

He is an avid sports fan and enjoys playing basketball, exercising, traveling and playing video games in his downtime.



New leaders

State of the Heart Care has new leadership. 

Kristi Strawser has recently been appointed executive director, the organization announced in a press release. She has worked at State of the Heart Care, a hospice care provider, for eight years, most recently has director of clinical service and care center manager. 

She started her healthcare career as an aid at Brethren Retirement Community and later became a licensed practical nurse. Strawser then began working at State of the Heart Care and became a registered nurse during that time. She took time off after the death of her daughter, Corynna, but returned to State of the Heart Care as care center manager in 2015. Strawser is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse, received her nursing executive certification and will soon receive a master’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in nursing. 

State of the Heart Care serves 15 counties in Indiana and Ohio. Its Indiana agency office is in Portland. 



New president

LifeStream Services Board of Directors named Jenny Hamilton president and CEO effective July 1, the organization announced in a press release Friday. Hamilton is currently serving as the interim president and CEO and has worked for LifeStream since 1999, previously working as vice president of home and community based services. 

Hamilton has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Ball State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Anderson University. She lives in Delaware County with her family. 

LifeStream is a non-profit organization that offers transportation, meals, in-home care and caregiver support to senior citizens, people with disabilities and others who risk losing their independence. It operates in 12 counties in East Central Indiana, including Jay County. 



Awarded  

A local bank has been honored as a Five Star Member of the Indiana Bankers Association.

First Bank of Berne received the award May 2 at the IBA Mega Conference in Indianapolis. The bank was recognized for its commitment to political awareness, issues advocacy, life-long learning, IBA volunteerism and Preferred Service Provider utilization, according to a press release. 

First Bank of Berne has a branch in Portland and an ATM in Geneva. 



Salamonia update 

Jay County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a networking breakfast for the Town of Salamonia update. 

The breakfast will be at 7:30 a.m. June 13 at the Salamonia School House, 5816 E. North St., Salamonia. Karen Keen will present the program. The cost is $5 and reservations can be made by noon June 8 to [email protected] or by calling (260) 726-4481. 



Objecting

India’s small traders are objecting to Walmart’s planned purchase of Indian online retailer Flipkart. 

The Confederation of All India Traders, which represents 70 million of the country’s small traders, filed an anti-trust petition with the Competition Commission of India on May 28. According to Reuters, the confederation said Walmart’s $16 billion deal for a 77 percent stake in the company would cause unfair competition and predatory pricing. 

Last week, Japanese holding company SoftBank Group announced it planned to sell its 20 percent stake in the company, valued at $4 billion, to Walmart. 



New drink 

Coca-Cola has launched its first alcoholic drink line, which launched Monday in Japan. 

There are three fizzy lemon “alcopop” drinks, which range in alcohol content from 3 to 8 percent. According to BBC News, the recipe is modeled on Chu-Hi drinks, a mix of local spirits and fruit flavors. According to the article, Coca-Cola does not plan to market the drinks outside of Japan.

Coca-Cola has a bottling plant in Portland.



Policy change

Walmart has announced two new policies for its employees. 

The company announced Wednesday it will subsidize the cost of college courses for associate’s and bachelor’s degrees from University of Florida, Brandman University and Bellevue University. All Walmart employees are eligible to participate in the program, which will cost $1 a day. Walmart will pay for tuition, books and fees.

The company also said Wednesday it is implementing a new, relaxed dress code for all its U.S. stores. Associates are no longer required to wear a blue shirt and khaki pants; instead, jeans and any color or pattern shirt is now allowed. They will still wear the required vest and name tag. 



Vote scheduled 

Comcast may have only six weeks to decide if it will counter Disney’s bid for Fox. 

21st Century Fox shareholders will vote July 10 on Disney’s $52.4 billion offer for portions of Fox. Comcast last week said it was considering countering the offer with an all-cash bid for 20th Century Fox film and television studios, regional sports networks, FX, National Geographic and international television properties. 



Breaking ground 

Tyson Foods has broken ground on its newest plant. 

The company announced Wednesday that its $300 million project was officially beginning. The chicken processing plant in Humboldt in Gibson County,Tennessee, is slated to open in 2019 and will create approximately 1,500 jobs. 

Tyson, which is the parent company of Tyson Mexican Original in Portland, also announced it is giving a $500,000 community grant to Gibson County. 



New center

Red Gold is opening a new health and wellness center at 926 W. 500 South, Berne, to provide benefits to its employees and their family members.

The facility will be operated by Activate Healthcare, which also has Red Gold wellness centers at other sites in Indiana and Ohio.

A grand opening and ribbon cutting event is set for noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday. Red Gold operates a tomato product canning plant in Geneva.