Monroe County shuts down Government Offices
Monroe County Government’s offices, including the Court, will be closed today. Jail employees, road deputies, and Highway workers are not affected by this closure. This is the second consecutive day with a similar closing. Yesterday the message sent out stated that it was due to unforseen circumstances. No further information regarding the reasoning nor the possibility of a prolonged closure have been provided.
Brian Simms sentenced for frauding Hoosiers
46 year-old Brian Simms of Lebanon, Indiana has been sentenced to more than 7 years in federal prison, after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Between 2012 and 2020, Simms defrauded at least twenty-two victims nearing a total of 4 million dollars, by promoting investment services without being registered or licensed to sell securities. Part of his scheme, Simms advised victims to liquidate retirement savings and life insurance policies for alleged reinvestment with him at Brendanwood Insurance.
Bloomingtonians honored for work in Puerto Rico
Bloomington resident and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music cello professor Emilio Colon and his wife are being honored by Manhattan’s National Puerto Rican Day parade. 10 years ago, the couple founded the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, which they continue to direct. The Colons give free concerts and other educational experiences to tens of thousands of people throughout Puerto Rico, including some of that commonwealth’s poorest regions.
FSSA offers new program
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) announced The Indiana PathWays for Aging launched for more than 123,000 eligible Hoosiers aged 60 and over. PathWays for Aging is a Medicaid managed care program designed to improve the health and wellbeing of Hoosiers and provide choice for those members who want to age in their homes or communities, and better manage the rising costs of providing Medicaid coverage to the aging population. This becomes the state’s fourth managed care program in addition to the Healthy Indiana Plan, Hoosier Healthwise and Hoosier Care Connect.
Skylar Whiteman appointed to Ivy Tech Bloomington Board of Trustees
Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington welcomes Skylar Whiteman, Executive Director of the Orange County Economic Development Partnership (OCEDP), to the Campus Board of Trustees. The Ivy Tech State Board of Trustees passed a resolution appointing Whiteman to the campus board, effective July 1, 2024.
Trustee Whiteman replaces Orange County resident, Imojean Dedrick, who recently retired from her position as Executive Director of the Orange County Community Foundation and served as a campus trustee for 6 years. Whiteman has served as OCEDP executive director for the past year. Prior to leading the OCEDP, she worked as a licensed Health Facility Administrator in senior living communities throughout Southern Indiana for nine years. Her teams were recognized for quality, regulatory, and financial successes at the local, state, and national level.
Whiteman will join the Campus Board of Trustees for her first meeting at Ivy Tech Bloomington on Tuesday, July 16.
This Week in Hoosier History
1857 – James Oliver of South Bend obtained a patent for the chilled steel plow which retained its sharp edge and was extremely smooth, alleviating the problem of sticking soil. Oliver plows were used worldwide.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson