POET awards $8,500 in grants

Three organizations will be receiving assistance from a local business.

POET Bioprocessing of Portland recently announced that it has awarded $8,500 through its 2024 Community Impact Grant Program.

Area 18 Career and Technical Education received the largest award of $4,000 to establish a career exploration lab at Jay County Junior-Senior High School. Pennville Community Gardens was awarded $2,500 to expand its garden to include asparagus and rhubarb and increase the amount of other crops, and the Jay Schools tennis program will get $2,000 to purchase a ball machine.

“Making a positive impact in our communities is at the core of what we do at POET,” said Adam Homan, General Manager of POET Bioprocessing – Portland, in a press release. “We’re proud to partner with other local organizations that share our vision of creating a better, brighter future for everyone.”

For more on the grant program, visit poet.com/grants.

Program launching

Ball State University’s College of Sciences and Humanities will offer a bachelor’s degree in forensic science.

The new program will focus on the application of scientific knowledge and methods to investigate crimes, enforce government regulations and resolve civil disputes. Courses, including behavioral forensics, digital forensics, forensic biology and forensic chemistry, will begin this fall.

“The College of Sciences and Humanities is excited to offer this robust program for our students. We are already seeing significant student interest in our Fall enrollments,” said Dr. Benjamin Gibbs, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and director of the forensic science program.

Job fairs set

The United States Postal Service is hosting a series of job fairs this month.

The job fairs are designed to make postal service staff available to provide information and answer questions about open positions. Applications are submitted online at usps.com/careers.

Job fairs in the area are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the following locations:

•205 S. Main St., Bluffton

•106 S. Ogden St., Ossian

•130 N. Meridian St., Winchester

Ascend awards

Central Indiana Corporate Partnership’s talent and workforce development initiative, Ascend Indiana, recently awarded $175,000 to launch youth apprenticeship pilots in their communities.

Eastern Indiana Works of Muncie and East Central Education Service Center of New Castle were among the organizations receiving grants. They are part of the Indiana Youth Apprenticeship Accelerator, which launched three years ago to expand work-based learning programs and to develop a coordinated education-to-career ecosystem.

“These four sites have identified industries and career pathways that are meaningful to their local communities, and I am eager to see their programs become available to local students and employers,” said Brad Rhorer, president and CEO of Ascend Indiana, in a press release. “Indiana is leading the nation in building a system to support the development and delivery of youth apprenticeship programs statewide and these sites are part of that statewide movement.”

Morphic purchased

Eli Lilly and Company last week announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire biopharmaceutical firm Morphic.

The company is developing oral integrin therapies for treatment of serious chronic diseases. Its lead program is targeting treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

“Oral therapies could open up new possibilities for earlier intervention in diseases like ulcerative colitis, and also provide the potential for combination therapy to help patients with more severe disease,” said Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, chief scientific officer of Lilly, in a press release. “We are eager to welcome Morphic colleagues to Lilly as this strategic transaction reinforces our commitment to developing new therapies in the field of gastroenterology, where Lilly has made significant investments to deliver first-in-class molecules for the benefit of patients.”

Applications open

Indiana Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for the Indiana Best Places to Work in Manufacturing 2024 awards.

Manufacturers can register for the program at bestplacestoworkmanufacturingin.com. For more information, email [email protected] or call (281) 602-5004.

The deadline is July 26.

Named to lead

America's Newspapers Foundation’s board of directors has selected Cameron Nutting Williams to join its board of directors.

Williams, regional publisher and chief revenue officer of Ogden Newspapers, is a former president of America’s Newspapers.

“I am thrilled to continue to serve the news media industry through the America’s Newspapers Foundation,” Williams said. “Just like our businesses, we need to ensure that the programs supporting our members are built sustainably for the long-term. The creation and funding of the America’s Newspapers Foundation is critical to making that happen.”

Partnership extended

Dollar General on Thursday announced that it is extending its partnership with Feeding America with an additional $1 million grant.

The funding will support the organization’s efforts to address food insecurity. The company also plans to donate an average of more than 1.9 million pounds of grocery items each month.

“As America’s largest retailer by store count, we are proud of the positive impact our Feeding America partnership continues to make in combating food insecurity and increasing access to nutritious food,” shared Denine Torr, Dollar General’s vice president of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, in a press release. “During the last three years, our work with Feeding America and its local food bank network has provided nutritious essentials to neighbors in need. We look forward to continuing our efforts to address food insecurity and appreciate Feeding America’s ongoing partnership.”

Grant awarded

CVS Health last week announced a $1 million grant for Women’s & Infants Hospital of Providence, Rhode Island.

The grant will go toward increasing access to maternal health services, including programming to expand its workforce and launch a new postpartum mobile unit. The grant will also allow the hiring of additional staff to support the hospital’s Postpartum Hypertension Equity Program.

“Our commitment to women’s health includes improving access to the services needed for a healthy pregnancy, birth and postpartum care,” said CVS senior vice president of corporate social responsibility and chief sustainability officer Sheryl Burke in a press release. “By supporting the Women & Infants Hospital, we hope to strengthen their incredible work to ensure our neighbors receive consistent and high-quality care where and when they need it most.”

Adding to menu

Subway last week announced that it is adding new menu items and bringing former items back.

The offerings announced included Honey Mustard BBQ Chicken, Spicy Nacho Chicken and Cheesy Garlic Steak as sandwiches. It is also adding a new cheddar cheese sauce, bringing back its BBQ sauce after a three-year hiatus and introducing the SubKrunch sandwich topping.

“Subway’s new menu update is all about great flavor at a great value and giving our guests new ways to take their footlong subs and snacks to the next level,” said Paul Fabre, Subway senior vice president of culinary innovation, in a press release. “These bold new bites offer even more compelling reasons to visit your local Subway restaurant this summer to discover your new favorite footlong.”