Ivy Tech opens new ‘state of the art’ Biopharma Tech Lab
Ivy Tech Community College today opened the doors of the Biopharma Science and Technology Lab, made possible with support from Eli Lilly and Company, on the campus of Ivy Tech Indianapolis. The lab will facilitate hands-on learning experiences for Ivy Tech students to launch or level up their careers in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The lab includes more than 4,000 square feet of equipment and technology that simulates the working environment of biotechnology manufacturing facilities, including state-of-the-art labs that will allow students to observe and participate in each step of the biopharmaceutical production process – from cell cultivation to purification and quality control. Ivy Tech Indianapolis students will access skills training and learning experiences offered by today’s leading pharmaceutical companies – setting them up for a successful transition from the classroom to the production floor.
The Biopharma Science and Technology Lab is part of Lilly’s $15 million investment through 2028 in the Lilly Scholars at Ivy Tech program, which covers all tuition and fees annually for 1,000 eligible students pursuing certificates or associate degrees in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology, smart manufacturing, digital integration and more. Lilly Scholars also have the opportunity to access work-based learning experiences with Lilly — including internships, apprenticeships and work-study programs — and are invited to apply for full-time employment with the company after graduation.
Priority consideration for the Lilly Scholars at Ivy Tech program is given to Indiana residents who are the first in their families to attend college or face significant barriers to education and work, expanding diverse pools of qualified talent interested in high-demand jobs like those being created at Lilly. At least 60% of scholarships will be awarded to students who live in Marion, Hendricks, Clinton and Boone counties, where Lilly has a manufacturing presence.
Through Ivy Tech’s partnerships with select K-12 institutions in communities where Lilly has a presence, Indiana high schoolers also have the opportunity to complete a biopharmaceutical manufacturing certificate through the Lilly Scholars program, which they can use toward an associate degree at Ivy Tech or apply those learned skills in the workforce upon graduation.
Ivy Tech and Lilly will open a second lab, the Ivy Tech Manufacturing Innovation Training Center, also supported by Eli Lilly and Company, on the campus of 16 Tech in summer 2024.
Since 2020, Lilly has invested $11B in global manufacturing, including $3.7 billion in Indiana-based manufacturing sites. The Lilly Scholars at Ivy Tech program is one component of the company’s strategy to ensure it has the skilled workforce it needs to meet the global demand for its medicines.
Individuals interested in applying for Lilly Scholars at Ivy Tech can learn more about the program by visiting IvyTech.edu/Lilly-Scholars. New scholarships are awarded to eligible students every 8-week term at Ivy Tech locations throughout Indiana.
The latest at Monroe Lake
Campground Hosts Needed for 2024 Recreation Season (Paynetown SRA)
This is a program that offers dedicated park supporters free camping (30-amp site), in exchange for volunteering during their stay (about 20 hours a week). This is a one-month commitment, so is best suited for people who are retired or have a flexible work schedule. Volunteer duties include campground check-in, beach attendant, campground roving, trash clean-up, cleaning in the beach house and Activity Center, staffing activities for children, and other projects. This is an adults-only volunteer opportunity, and all applicants must pass a background check. For full details, please email jvance@dnr.IN.gov.
39th Annual Spring Wildflower Foray, April 26-28
Local parks and experienced guides have teamed up to once again offer the Spring Wildflower Foray, with 25 hikes and presentations offered throughout Brown and Monroe counties. All programs are free, but be aware that there is a gate fee for Brown County State Park (which will host several programs). Most programs are open to everyone without registration; however, a select number have limited space and require advance registration. Find the full list of Spring Wildflower Foray programs at tinyurl.com/foray2024
Free Entrance Day, May 5
Daily entrance fees will be waived at ALL Indiana State Park properties on Sunday, May 5, including Monroe Lake’s Paynetown and Fairfax SRAs.
Indiana State Police Partners with DEA for 26th Drug Take Back Day
On Saturday, April 27, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is sponsoring the 26th nationwide “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative. The “Take Back” initiative seeks to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft through proper disposal of prescription drugs.
Collection sites will be set up nationwide for expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs which will be properly disposed of without threat to the environment. This program is for liquid and pill medications. Vaping pens without batteries and vaping cartridges will also be taken. Needles, new or used, WILL NOT be accepted for disposal. This service is free and anonymous with no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the US are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—pose both potential safety and health hazards.
Once again, the Indiana State Police is pleased to partner with the DEA, and as in the past, unwanted medications may be dropped off at any Indiana State Police Post, except for the Toll Road Post. The event will be on Saturday, April 27, 2024, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
To locate the State Police Post closest to your home or business, click this link for Indiana State Police on the Map. To find other locations in Indiana or across the U.S. that are participating in the Drug Take Back initiative, click this link to the DEA.
Attorney General Todd Rokita statement to US Supreme Court: immunize former President Trump from elitist partisan prosecution
As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral argument April 25 in the matter, Attorney General Todd Rokita is strongly advocating that presidential immunity be given to former President Donald Trump to protect him from partisan political prosecutions pertaining to conduct involving official actions he took as president.
“As president, Donald Trump built a strong economy, secured the border and brought America back to greatness,” Attorney General Rokita said. “Ever since he left office, his political enemies have schemed ways to keep him from ever becoming president again. Our mission is to make sure the American people, rather than these corrupt elitists, keep the power to choose the American president.”
A Special Counsel appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland waited until nearly three years after the events of January 6, 2021 — the day that protesters stormed the US Capitol — to indict President Trump for his actions on that day.
Now, though, the Special Counsel is rushing to bring the case to trial before the 2024 election.
In an 18-state amicus brief led by Alabama and including Indiana, the attorneys general have asked the Supreme Court to prevent partisan-driven criminal prosecutions for official acts to intrude on the constitutional structure and function of the presidency.
Besides the D.C.-based case leveled against him over the January 6 protest, former President Trump also has faced political prosecutions in other cases originating in Georgia, Florida, and New York.
“The Left has made an art form out of weaponizing our judicial institutions against their political adversaries,” Attorney General Rokita said. “No matter which side does it, that kind of manipulation is wrong and dangerous to our republic. The Supreme Court has an opportunity to help right the ship.”
Such a course correction involves affirming that presidents and former presidents enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct involving their official acts during their tenures in office. At every stage, President Trump has argued that he is entitled to presidential immunity for any actions that he took on January 6, 2021.
Troopers recognized for Distinguished Service
On the evening of April 12, 2023, the Kendallville Police Department began receiving calls from local citizens reporting multiple gunshots near the Drake Terrace apartment complex in Kendallville, IN. The initial responding police officers were met with targeted high-power gunfire by a suspect having a tactical position of advantage from an elevated second story apartment. This incident would trigger an all-out response from law enforcement patrol officers all across the northeast corner of Indiana, including multiple SWAT teams and tactical personnel trained and equipped to handle such incidents.
In its entirety the violent stand-off would last nearly twelve hours before the suspect would be taken into custody. During the incident hundreds of rifle rounds were indiscriminately fired by the suspect, continually exposing untold numbers of citizens and officers to a serious lethal threat. For many of the officers involved, this will go down in history as the most lethal critical incident of their careers, and for those citizens that found themselves in harm’s way, possibly the most harrowing experience of their lives.
On Wednesday April 17, 2024, the Indiana State Police held our Annual Awards Ceremony. During the ceremony Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter recognized nine State Troopers whose distinguished actions of valor and personal bravery were pivotal and necessary in response to the suspect’s overwhelming violence of action.
Of the nine troopers recognized for their personal bravery and valor, two received the departments highest award for Valor, the Gold Star Award (GSA); five were presented with the departments second highest award for Valor, the Silver Star Award (SSA)
This Week in Hoosier History
1981 – Drew Elliott, Creative Director of MAC Cosmetics and Creative Consultant on America’s Next Top Model born in Bloomington, IN.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson