New Arts Collaboration marks 500 days to 2024 NBA All-star game in Indianapolis
In just 500 days, basketball’s biggest stars will come to Indianapolis for NBA All-Star 2024 Weekend and the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee is calling on Indiana to get in the game, the organization announced today. Host Committee officials joined Mayor Hogsett, Indy Arts Council leadership, and others to unveil the NBA All-Star 2024 logo, recognize volunteer event leadership, and remind Hoosiers that planning for the game, which was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is back on track.
Monday’s 500-days-out announcement also included a new public art project, Hoosier Historia, which will invite people across Indiana to vote on their favorite high school basketball people, moments, places, and stories. The project, a collaboration between the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee, CIB and the Indy Arts Council, will then engage a diverse group of artists from across the state to design and paint their interpretations of the highest-ranked moments on 6-foot basketball sculptures that will be displayed downtown during NBA All-Star 2024 Weekend. The Host Committee hopes to elicit feedback from as many Hoosiers as possible, further incorporate arts and culture into the All-Star festivities while supporting diverse artists, and spark good-natured debate and discussion on the topic about which so many are most passionate.
Interested artists can register to be notified of updates and more information at https://bit.ly/ARTYBALL, and more details on the project itself, including how Hoosiers can vote, will be available in the coming weeks.
Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams to serve as Kelley School’s Poling Chair
Dr. Jerome Adams, the 20th U.S. surgeon general and a former Indiana State Health Commissioner, will visit Indiana University as the Kelley School of Business’ Poling Chair of Business and Government.
A Presidential Fellow and Executive Director of health equity initiatives at Purdue University, Adams served as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. He also is a distinguished professor of practice in the departments of pharmacy practice and public health at Purdue University. An anesthesiologist still practicing, Adams ran the Indiana State Department of Health before becoming surgeon general, where he led Indiana’s response to the Ebola, Zika and HIV crises; spearheaded the legalization of syringe service programs in the state; and increased funding to combat infant mortality.
During his visit Oct. 5 to 7, Adams will meet with undergraduate and MBA students associated with Kelley’s Center for the Business of Life Sciences, who are passionate about careers in life sciences or wishing to better understand how business and science interact. He also will meet with many Kelley professors who serve as the center’s faculty research fellows. Arrangements also have been made for Adams to spend time with the Kelley School’s Fry Scholars and those involved with the Kelley Office of Diversity Initiatives and student government. He will tour IU’s Health Sciences Building and attend a lunch hosted by IU’s Hutton Honors College.
Duke Energy Indiana plans two-year electric transportation pilot programs
Duke Energy is launching electric transportation pilot programs in Indiana for its residential and commercial customers, including businesses, schools and local governments. On June 1, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved four two-year, customer-focused Duke Energy electric transportation pilot programs for the company’s Indiana customers. Each program is designed to better understand the effects of increasing adoption of EVs, customer EV charging preferences and behavior, and the potential benefits to Indiana. The pilot programs will launch on Oct. 1 and run for 24 months each.
The EV pilot programs include:
Off-Peak Charging Credit
Residential customers with a Level 2 EV charger can apply for an Off-Peak Credit program, which provides a quarterly bill credit for charging EVs during times of decreased energy demand. Up to 500 participants will be accepted on a first-come, firstserved basis. The $50 quarterly credit is available for two years, totaling $400 per customer. The pilot will look at customer response to price incentives related to when they charge their vehicles. Those interested in participating should go to: www.duke-energy.com/home/products/ev-complete/off-peak-credit.
Commercial Charger Rebate
The Commercial Charger Rebate pilot program offers a financial incentive to Duke Energy commercial customers, including businesses, apartment dwelling units, and government or workplace fleet operators, to install electric vehicle chargers at their place of business. The purpose of this pilot is to better understand the needs of this customer segment and the effects on the electric grid.
Up to 1,200 charging stations are included in the pilot, and participants can receive $500 per charging station. Participants must install a minimum of four Level 2 EV charging stations, and the maximum available for an incentive per participant is 20.
Private fleet customers must own, lease or otherwise operate on a regular basis one or more plug-in EVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or battery electric vehicle) per each incentive received. For more information about how to participate, go to: www.duke-energy.com/business/products/ev-complete/charger-rebate.
Ten percent of the pilot’s incentives – accounting for approximately 120 chargers – will be designated for commercial entities in low-income areas.
Ivy Tech Foundation Honors Benefactors of the Year
The Ivy Tech Foundation recently recognized 19 Benefactor Award winners at its Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony last week. During this event, the Foundation honors individuals, corporations, and foundations from Indiana who have considerably impacted Ivy Tech communities and students. The award celebrates the gifts and volunteer service that has been contributed to the College.
“Our Benefactors make a powerful difference in the lives of our students,” said Courtney Roberts, President of the Ivy Tech Foundation. “Their contributions ensure that our graduates are better prepared for life after college, and we are deeply grateful for their investment in Ivy Tech.”
“The passion our Benefactors have for Ivy Tech students is unmatched,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, President of Ivy Tech Community College. “Thanks to their generosity and volunteerism, our students can confidently pursue pathways that lead to high wage, high-demand careers that strengthen our communities and power the State of Indiana.”
The following benefactors received an award for 2022:
- Anderson: Patricia Toombs
- Bloomington: Lynn Coyne
- Columbus: Anthony Moravec
- Evansville: William “Bill” Shinn
- Fort Wayne: Merland Beyler and Janet Geib
- Hamilton County: Hamilton County Community Foundation
- Indianapolis: Indy Achieves/City of Indianapolis
- Kokomo: The Hingst Family
- Lafayette: North Central Health Services, Inc.
- Lake County/Valparaiso: Peoples Bank – A Finward Company
- Lawrenceburg: Ohio County Community Foundation
- Madison: Grote Industries Inc.
- Marion: Dr. John M. Lightle
- Muncie: Magna Powertrain of America Inc.
- Richmond: Gerald “Gerry” Gerard
- Sellersburg: Baptist Health Systems
- South Bend: Beacon Health System
- Terre Haute: John Adkins
This Week in Hoosier History
1944 – Wendell Willkie died in New York at age 52. Born in Elwood, he became a corporate lawyer. In 1940, he waged a highly spirited campaign for President of the United States from his national campaign headquarters in Rushville. His book One World was a best-seller.
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