Assets hit nearly $88 million

CrossRoads Financial Federal Credit Union held its annual meeting Jan. 27 in the Bubp Building at Jay County Fairgrounds, with controller Jeff Whetstone reporting that assets rose by $1.2 million in 2023 to a record $87.8 million. Total deposits were $76.8 million.

The credit union has 9,229 members.

Also during the meeting Craig Faulkner and John McFarland were elected to three-year terms on the CrossRoads board and Reda Theurer-Miller was selected to fill the remainder of Joseph Vormohr’s term. Jerry Zearbaugh was appointed membership officer and Donald Gillespie as assistant treasurer.

Employees were also congratulated for their years of service, including Jeanna Ford for 35 years as she plans to retire this fall. Other anniversaries were Jo Ellen Mays (20 years), Kaela Southworth (15 years), Aaron Helm (10 years) and Angel Perez (five years).

CrossRoads has offices in Portland, Dunkirk and Winchester.

Cutting the ribbon

Jay County Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Friday, Feb. 16, for Toddlertown Early Learning Center.

The facility is located at 1505 N. Wayne St., Portland.

Staff added

Mercer County Fair Board has hired Tafi Stober as director of development for its The Grand Event Center + Market Hall project.

Stober has served as executive director of the Van Wert Area Performing Arts Foundation. She will manage the event center/hall project that involves a 100,000-square-foot campus to host indoor events.

"Stober brings a special energy to the project,” said fair board president Bart Leininger in a press release. “Her admiration for the work ethic and values of Mercer County and the Grand Lake Region is shown in her desire to build something that will impact generations to come. As President of the Mercer County Fairgrounds, Inc. Board, we unanimously approved her appointment and are united in our efforts to see the Grand Event Center become a reality."

A grand opening for the facility at 1001 W. Market St., Celina, Ohio, has been scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 19.

Fair scheduled

Jay County Chamber of Commerce announced that the 2024 Jay County Career Fair is scheduled for Sept. 12 at Jay County Junior-Senior High School.

Additional information about the event will be provided in the coming months. Businesses that would like to be placed on the list to participate should call the Jay County Purdue Extension office at (260) 726-4707.

Shop opens

North Star Hardware & Implement Company recently opened its new service shop.

The business began building its new shop at 169 S. Main St., North Star, Ohio, in May 2023. The 2,000-square-foot expansion houses all service employees and includes an indoor pressure washing room.

“We are excited to start utilizing the new shop,” says Dan Creager, North Star service manager. “This expansion will allow us to be fully equipped with up-to-date tools and technology to continue to provide top-tier service for our customers.”

Closing site

The Bluffton RediMed Urgent Care facility will close at the end of February.

Lutheran Health Network announced the closure of the 1980 N. Main St. site, effective Feb. 29, in a press release last week.

Services offered at the facility will be consolidated to other facilities. Urgent Care services will shift to Bluffton Regional Medical Center’s emergency department via a “fast track” model for those with lower level injuries and illnesses. Those who use RediMed for occupational health services will be offered the option to shift to the Business Health North Center, 315 E. Cook Road, Fort Wayne.

Grants available

CenterPoint Energy Foundation is accepting grant applications for its 2024 cycle.

The foundation awards grants to organizations and programs that support “community vitality and education.” Priority is given to programs serving low-to-moderate income families and under-resourced communities.

“As we reflect on the impact of the Foundation’s funding in 2023, we are filled with renewed enthusiasm to continue building meaningful partnerships with our community stakeholders,” said Alicia Dixon, director of community relations at CenterPoint. “Our focus remains on investing in initiatives which enhance lives today and lay the groundwork for a better tomorrow. We invite eligible organizations to apply for a grant during our first cycle of funding for 2024.” 

For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation. The application deadline is Feb. 16.

BSU appoints

Ball State University has appointed April Hay as its new registrar.

Hay has served as a registrar for more than 20 years, including the last 13 at Indiana State University. She took over her new role Monday.

“We are grateful and excited to bring Dr. Hay aboard as our new university registrar,” said BSU vice president for enrollment, planning and management Paula Luff in a press release. “April is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of success in leading and managing academic records, registration, the course catalog, and more. Throughout her career, she has cultivated strong relationships with students, faculty, and staff, demonstrating a deep commitment to student success and institutional excellence.”

Deal unveiled

Ardagh Glass Packaging – Europe last week announced a 10-year renewable energy power purchase agreement with RenewablePower Capital’s Vitberget wind facility in Sweden.

The agreement calls for Ardagh to utilize the entirety of Vitberget’s 161-megawatt capacity when it begins operations in 2026. The facility will cover about 40% of Ardagh’s power needs in Europe.

“We are delighted to take this next step on our sustainability journey, securing renewable energy from RPC in a long-term partnership.” said Martin Petersson, CEO of Ardagh – Europe in a press release.

Ardagh operates glass manufacturing facilities in Winchester and Dunkirk.

Partnering

Eli Lilly and Indiana University Indianapolis are partnering to launch a new internship program.

The partnership calls for placing students in full-time paid internships at Eli Lilly as part of the undergraduate coursework, Axios Indianapolis reported. Participants will also have opportunities to work with the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and 16 Tech Innovation District.

The first applicants will be enrolled this year.

Heading to court

A U.S. Court of Appeals will review a federal order regarding an electrical equipment upgrade.

NextEra Energy planned to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington, D.C. to overturn a federal order requiring it to upgrade equipment, Bloomberg Law reported.

Avangrid argues that under the Federal Power Act, NextEra is required to replace a circuit breaker at a New Hampshire power plant in order to accommodate a $1 billion electric transmission line. NextEra said the circuit breaker is not a transmission device and therefore not subject to the Federal Power Act rule.

The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

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