Food drive concludes this week

First Financial Bank’s food drive concludes this week.

The bank will accept non-perishable canned and boxed food items at its Portland location, 112 N. Meridian St., Portland. The drive will continue through Friday, Oct. 31.

Ribbon-cutting set

Jay County Chamber of Commerce is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week for IU Health Jay’s Rehab to Home Activity Room.

The event will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, at IU Health Jay, 500 W. Votaw St., Portland

The chamber is also preparing for its merchant trick-or-treat event. It will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31.

The chamber has also welcomed new members Jay County Conservation Club and Mix on Meridian.

For more information, email [email protected] or call (260) 726-4481.

Pork partnership

The Fort Wayne TinCaps and Indiana Pork are donating more than 2,000 ground pork meals to Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana.

The donation comes after the team sold 2,000 tenderloin sandwiches at Parkview Field this season. For each sandwich sold, a pork meal is being donated.

“We’re thrilled to have a partnership that results in so much good for our community,” said TinCaps vice president of marketing and promotions Michael Limmer in a news release. “We’re proud that a fun name and idea like the Hoosier State Tenderloins has translated into the opportunity to provide more than 2,000 meals this season for local families in need.”

Hosting drive

Menards stores are serving as drop sites for food pantries this month.

Customers are invited to donate non-perishable food items such as cereal, soup, peanut butter and other canned or boxed items. They will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 31.

Stores in Muncie and Richmond in Indiana and Celina in Ohio are participating.

VP named

Ball State University recently named Michael G. Fowler as its next vice president for business affairs and treasurer.

Fowler will come to BSU after spending more than a decade in financial roles at Indiana University where he is currently the assistant dean of finance and administration in the College of Arts and Sciences. He will start his new role Jan. 5.

“I am impressed with Mike’s passion for higher education,” said Ball State president Geoffrey S. Mearns in a news release. “He believes in the transformative power of a university to change the lives of students, faculty, staff, graduates, and our friends and neighbors. I am confident that his thoughtful and strategic approach to resource stewardship will serve our University well as we pursue our mission and our long-term strategic goals.”

Nearing completion

Indiana Michigan Power’s project to improve electrical infrastructure along Tillotson Avenue in Muncie is nearing completion.

The company announced last week that work on transmission lines is entering its final phase, which includes underground line replacement in Halteman Village, impacting Twickingham Drive, Tillotson Avenue and Riggin Road. Overhead lines will also be replaced on Bethel and Tillotson avenues near Northside Middle School and Ball State University’s Scheumann Stadium. Road closures will be instituted on a block-by-block basis.

“Our crews are working as quickly and safely as possible,” said Rob Keisling, I&M external affairs manager, in a news release. “We appreciate the community’s ongoing patience and cooperation while we work to improve reliability.”

Opening local

Bowen Health is opening a new clinic in Kokomo.

The organization that offers mental health care, psychiatric services, substance use counseling and Medication Assisted Treatment will hold a ribbon-cutting for its new site at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10. The new site will host a psychiatric nurse practitioner, doctor, licensed clinical social worker, licensed mental health counselor and licensed clinical addiction counselor.

Bowen Health serves northeast Indiana including Jay, Blackford, Delaware, Adams and Wells counties.

Professor chosen

NASA has selected Grethe Hystad, a Purdue University Northwest professor, to be part of its project to develop new ways to search for life in the solar system.

Hystad will be part of “Advancing Multi-Messenger Biosignature Techniques with Machine Learning,” which will explore whether life exists elsewhere in the solar system. She will share in a $5 million grant, with her work focusing on developing machine learning methods.

“It’s very exciting to be a part of this team,” said Hystad in a news release. “This project is a natural extension of my previous work. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the scientists involved prior to this project and I’m looking forward to working with them again.”

Discussions planned

Registration is open for the annual conference of the American Society of Agricultural Consultants.

The conference will be held Nov. 2 through 4 at Embassy Suites by Hilton Indianapolis North. It will feature speakers each day, with Margy Eckelkamp of Farm Journal’s Top Producer brand moderating a “What I wish I knew then/What I know now” panel discussion.

For more information, or to register, visit agconsultants.org.

Awards set

Indiana Chamber of Commerce will host its annual awards dinner at 5 p.m. Nov. 5 at the JW Marriott Indianapolis.

Daymond John, founder of FUBU and a longtime star of “Shark Tank,” will be the featured speaker.

Individual tickets are $195. For more information, visit indianachamber.com.