Meridian moves to new location

The Meridian Health Services’ MeridianMD – Convenience Care urgent care clinic moved to 406 W. Votaw St. today.

The clinic has shifted to the new location, which already housed MeridianMD – Family Medical Care and Meridian Dental – Family Dentistry. The clinic had previously been located in IU Health Jay.

The clinic offers walk-in services seven days a week.

Drive scheduled

First Financial Bank will host a food drive beginning Monday.

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 Oct. 31.

“Helping our neighbors is what we’re all about as we strive to create opportunities for our clients and communities to thrive,” said Roddell McCullough, First Financial chief corporate responsibility officer, in a press release. “Our communities have always been supportive of our food drives, and we’re excited to get started on filling cupboards in the area once more.”

New members

Jay County Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Sip-N-Groove, Midwest Dock & Doors, JCT Customs, The Social Nutrition and American Family Insurance (Portland) as new members.

The chamber has ribbon-cutting ceremonies scheduled for noon Oct. 11 at Bee Wings & Fuzzy Things, 2163 E. 750 North, Ridgeville, with an open house to follow until 4 p.m., and noon Oct. 24 for Sip-N-Groove, 124 W. Walnut 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.

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

IBA honors

The Indiana Bankers Association recently honored State Sen. Travis Holdman (R-Markle) as its 2025 Legislator of the Year.

Holdman, who represents Jay, Blackford, Adams and Wells counties as well as part of Allen County, became the first legislator to win the award twice. The award honors him for “his stewardship of a strong banking environment in the Hoosier State.”

“This is a special year for the Association as we get to honor not just an ally but a true friend in Sen. Holdman,” said Dax Denton, chief policy officer for the Indiana Bankers Association, in a press release. “A former chair of one of our predecessor organizations, Sen. Holdman understands the role community banks serve for their neighbors and how best to equip them to be local economic drivers. The Indiana Bankers Association is pleased to name Sen. Holdman as the 2025 IBA Legislator of the Year.”

Holdman is the majority caucus chair for Indiana Senate Republicans and is also chair of the Senate Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy.

University honored

U.S. News & World Report ranked Purdue University as the best public university in Indiana in its 2026 Best Colleges Rankings.

Purdue came in 46th overall in the rankings, which focus primarily on undergraduate programs. It ranked second nationally for industrial engineering and third for both aeronautics/astronautics and civil engineering.

“Purdue’s strongest programs of research, scholarship and teaching continue to grow even stronger,” said Purdue provost Patrick Wolfe in a press release. “Several of our strategic priority areas spanning STEM and business — together encompassing nearly three-quarters of our undergraduate students — made noteworthy climbs in this year’s rankings.”

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. Oct. 28.

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.

An additional session will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

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

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