AgBest honors Dunkirk station

A local convenience store and gas station was honored by its company.

AgBest Express of Dunkirk was named the CountryMark Retail Station of the Year for 2024.

The award from the company recognizes a station that “consistently goes above and beyond to meet the needs of its customers.” CountryMark opened a new AgBest Express store in Dunkirk in July.

Stephanie Hicks manages Dunkirk’s AgBest Express location. 

AgBest is a farmer-owned cooperative based in Muncie.

Pepcon purchased

Poeppelman Materials & Pepcon of Darke County announced its acquisition of Coate Concrete Products on New Year’s Day.

Based in Bradford, Ohio, Pepcon has been in the aggregates and ready-mixed concrete industry for decades. Coate is based in West Milton, Ohio.

“Family is at the heart of everything we do at Pepcon,” said Ben Poeppelman, president of Pepcon. “Welcoming Coate Concrete Products into the Pepcon family allows us to honor and build upon the legacy that Craig Coate and his team have established. We look forward to combining our shared passion for quality, on-time delivery, and customer service to create something even stronger for the future.”

Elevance acquires

Elevance Health last week completed its acquisition of Indiana University Health Plans.

The insurance plans through IU Health include coverage for about 19,000 via Medicare Advantage plans. Nearly 10,000 are also insured through employer plans.

With the purchase by Elevance, the plans will now operate as part of Anthem in Indiana.

"The acquisition of IU Health Plans supports Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield parent company’s whole-health strategy and will continue to support members, families, and communities across the entire care journey — connecting them to the care, support, and resources they need to lead healthier lives," Elevance said in the press release.

Tips provided

With severe winter weather in full swing, CenterPoint Energy has launched its Winter Energy Guide.

The guide at centerpointenergy.com/readyforwinter provides resources including safety tips and ways to save energy.

Tips include:

•Having a supply of water and non-perishable food ready in case of an emergency situation. (Make sure to include pet food.)

•Maintaining a first-aid kit that includes bandages, antiseptics, gloves and medications.

•Keeping a supply of blankets, hand warmers, coats, scarves and gloves.

•Making sure to have emergency supplies such as flashlights and a portable radio, with batteries charged.

Training offered

ServSafe training will be available at John Jay Center for Learning in Portland.

The next session is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Additional sessions are scheduled for March 25 and April 29.

The certification course is open to all food service employees and emphasizes safe food- and beverage-handling practices to minimize the risk of food-borne illnesses.

For more information, or to register, call (260) 729-5525.

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