County 58: Jay

Jay County was my third and last Hoosier Crossroads Tour stop of the day. While driving to Portland, I was reminded of a term my staff and I use when we are on the road all day long, “survival.” You just never know what’s going to happen to slow you down while on the road. It is typical to experience bad weather, car accidents, and road construction.



I arrived in Portland to meet with local economic development officials at the Community Resource Center. Once we arrived, I was immediately impressed by the level of organization and detail that went into the preparation of this meeting. My friends John Coldren, Representative Bill Davis, and Economic Development Director Bill Bradley met me by the door. However, once inside I was welcomed by 20 local leaders each who play a role in developing opportunities to grow the local economy.



Lt. Governor Skillman talks to community leaders during
an economic development meeting in Jay County.



Each person, from the mayor to the hospital CEO to a farmer, delivered a 1-2 minute update using a PowerPoint presentation.  This community has had a strategic community and economic plan for almost 30 years. They continue to make improvements, and compete for state grants. Recently, the town of Redkey received wastewater upgrades. But they are also continuing to explore additional opportunities for economic development, including wind turbine energy development.

There is a lot to be proud of in Jay County, thanks to local leaders who know how to work together to accomplish the county’s goals. Days on the road can be hectic, but it is all worth it to be able to work with local leaders to help move our state forward. 

County 57: Adams

In 2005, I traveled to Berne to discuss the town’s plans for a new giant clock tower in honor of the city’s Swiss heritage. Fast forward to 2012, I returned to Berne to view the final project. The community raised $3.4 million in private money, and did not rely on public funding, to make their plan a reality. 

The clock tower has spawned additional development. Local officials have created a park around the clock tower.  They’re finishing up on the final touches of a pavilion and a splash pad, which will send water out of the ground like a sprinkler. The town also plans to host a summer concert series on the grounds.  I wanted to share a few photos and a video, to show the impressive clock and park Berne has built.

Also, check out what the Decatur Democrat wrote about my recent visit, http://www.decaturdailydemocrat.com/content/skillman-praises-grand-vision-shown-berne





County 56: Benton

I traveled to Benton County in April, taking the scenic route to my visit with local leaders.  When you cross over into Benton County, it’s not long before the familiar sight of wind turbines grace the horizon.  This is the powerhouse of Indiana’s wind energy production and the front line of our work to pursue alternative energy sources for Hoosiers.

Lt. Governor Skillman tours the Benton County
Wind Farm during a visit in 2008. 

In 2005, I commissioned a study through our Office of Energy Development that revealed Benton County as the best wind resource in the state.  It has proven to be just that over the years.  Even after all currently approved wind energy construction is complete across the state, Benton County will still be home to 52 percent of our state’s wind power.  

The county’s three wind farms, Benton County Wind Farm, Fowler Ridge Wind Farm and Hoosier Wind Farm, produce almost 837 Megawatts of operational wind power.  That represents a huge economic footprint for Hoosiers that extends well beyond county lines.  That’s something all Hoosiers can get excited about. 

Indiana’s wind farms are a critical part of our state’s national leadership in alternative energy, and they are daily helping us move forward into a complete economic recovery.   I hope you’ll take the time to visit Benton County and see the progress for yourself.  It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.   

County 55: Huntington

I was delighted to join executives from Helena Chemical as they celebrated their new facility in Huntington.  

There is competition for every investment, and we know companies can choose to put down roots wherever they like.  It is a huge vote of confidence in our workforce and our communities when they choose Indiana first.  Helena Chemical’s multi-million dollar investment will bring 20 new jobs to the region. 

You can read more about this investment and my visit to Huntington at www.wane.com.  

Helena Chemical to open in Huntington

Published : Tuesday, 17 Apr 2012, 8:52 PM EDT

HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WANE) -- Helena Chemical Company is opening a new state-of-art fertilizer facility in Huntington. The terminal will serve five to ten million acres of agricultural production and can hold over 70,000 tons of product.

Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman, company leaders, and elected officials attended a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday at Industrial Park 24.

Helena says it chose Huntington because of the Norfolk Southern rail line and its room for growth.

The new facility currently has nine employees and the company could add as many as 15 more. 

County 54: LaGrange



In the middle of Indiana’s Amish country where tourists gather at flee markets full of homemade furniture and food, a new attraction has everyone talking. The Pumpkinvine Trail is giving walkers, runners, and bikers from Shipshewana to Middlebury to Goshen a safe path for recreation. When complete the Pumpkinvine Trail will cover 17 miles in all. The Pumpkinvine Trail links up to the Maple City Greenway in Goshen which connects to the Maple Hart Trail leading into Elkhart. In total, the three trails will stretch 26 miles from Elkhart to Shipshewana.

Check out this short video clip of me on the Pumpkinvine Trail in Shipshewana as John Yoder explains the construction process. 

County 53: Noble

I’m always honored when asked to be the keynote speaker at an organization’s event. It allows me the opportunity to reflect on successes we’ve had and the chance to share stories of Hoosiers transforming our state.



This invitation was to the Albion Rotary, a club that has about 30 members. We met in their local library, which is a magnificent building by the way. As I walked into the room, I could feel the energy and hear the light hearted laughter of the members.



Lt. Governor Skillman delivers the keynote
address at the Albion Rotary



I felt right at home as we sang songs, prayed, and answered trivia questions for fines, which went to the local food pantry. After we finished our fellowship, we got down to business as I gave an update on the state’s economic progress Indiana’s economic health has always been our top priority. The best way we can help Hoosiers get ahead is to focus on making our state the number one choice for investors and new jobs. Recently, Governor Mitch was in Noble County to announce the expansion of Busche, a company that plans to create 120 new jobs and invest $17 million.

Noble County plays a key role in our state’s agricultural industry as it ranks sixth in the number of farms. The county is number one in sheep production, third in alfalfa hay, eighth in dairy cows, and ninth in chickens. As I travel the state, I’m always encouraging local economic development leaders to include agriculture in their strategic plans.

There is so much potential for growth in Indiana, and Rotarians understand that best. This is a group that is in our communities and around the world. Just last month, the Rotary throughout the state provided a boost to southern Indiana, an area recovering from devastating storms and tornadoes. The Rotary was not only fundraising, they were also on the ground providing assistance. They are proof that we can each make a difference, and that together we are able to accomplish great things. 

County 52: Steuben

Seeking state funding for community projects is an extremely competitive process for cities, towns, and counties. Agencies that I oversee have administered hundreds of millions in grants and awards in recent years. We have seen numerous communities develop impressive strategic plans, including Angola. I wanted to see first hand the fruition of the city’s great ideas.



Lt. Governor Skillman talks to local leaders in Angola
about their downtown revitalization efforts.



Driving into downtown, I immediately noticed the beautiful campus of Trine University. It is a great luxury to have a resource for higher education right in your own backyard. It has been a few years since I was last in Angola’s downtown circle. I could feel the buzz the moment I opened my car door. People were enjoying the numerous storefronts, the old brick courthouse that exudes the American spirit, and the convenience of having the city’s offices close by.


Mayor Hickman met me on the side walk, and we headed upstairs to the council chambers to talk with local leaders about future community and economic development plans. Local leaders have been hard at work to compete for state grants for Steuben County. Since 2005, $72.6 million has been distributed to the county through the offices of the Lt. Governor. The awards have been for housing development, downtown revitalization, energy grants, and planning grants.  

Angola officials have won $1,340,000 in grants, a good portion of that has been invested in downtown revitalization projects.  As the mayor and local leaders will tell you, the southwest side of the downtown circle is the final stage of the revitalization efforts. They want to upgrade the street lights, window fronts, and sidewalks. By fixing the curbs and sidewalks they hope to increase public safety. This will bring their downtown economic development plan full circle, no pun intended. It is easy to see how they have accomplished so much in a short period of time; local leaders understand the importance of collaboration. I left Steuben County feeling rewarded, knowing that this community is working together to put grant money to good use.

County 51: Porter

As I walked in the door of Housing Opportunities, Inc., in Valparaiso I quickly learned of the humanitarian efforts offered by their organization. I read a sign that seemed to sum everything up perfectly: “We give a hand up not a hand out.” This philosophy was soon explained to me in detail as I had a chance to sit down with about 15 employees, including CEO Caroline Shook.   

Housing Opportunities, Inc., is an organization which provides comprehensive housing services including temporary, transitional, and permanent housing. They also work with the community to help prevent their clients from reusing their services. This is where their motto seemed to fit perfectly. In order to use their housing services there are requirements the clients must complete. The requirements include budgeting and credit training classes, obtaining training services and skills to succeed in the community and a 60 day limit for temporary housing.



Lt. Governor Skillman meets with Housing Oppportunities Inc.,
employees to discuss their assistance programs in Porter Co.



This organization is highly recognized in Northwest Indiana because they not only offer assistance to those in need, but they give them the tools to get back on their feet. 

Additionally during my time at Housing Opportunities, Inc., they showed me their on-site food pantry. It’s fully stocked and open two days a week to Porter County residents. Caroline told me that if they are in need of an item all they have to do is send out an alert to

local residents and the product is refilled almost instantly. She said they have tremendous support throughout the community.

I had a very informational meeting in Valparaiso learning about all the successes and even failures with our housing programs. I was able to bring back a wealth of knowledge and even a few suggestions for the legislature. 

I hope other organizations around the state will mimic a few of the initiatives being done by Housing Opportunities, Inc.

County 50: Lake

We all know the history surrounding the steel mills in Gary and East Chicago. Downtown districts that once thrived have faced struggles over the recent years. As the employment shrank, the people began moving away. One neighborhood in the heart of downtown East Chicago was hit especially hard. The North Harbor district was full of homes, movie cinemas and store fronts. As the people went, so did the houses and shops many vandalized and boarded up. Now hope is being restored in this tough luck neighborhood.

The North Harbor Revitalization Initiative is working to restore the downtown neighborhood and bring families back to town. This is a massive project covering several city blocks with townhomes, apartments, a community center and a senior citizen housing facility, as well. I was extremely impressed with the beautification this initiative has brought to East Chicago. I took a walking tour of the neighborhood and enjoyed the closeness of the city park, shops and restaurants all within a couple blocks of each other.  



Lt. Governor Skillman discusses the details of the North Harbor
 Revitalization Initiative in East Chicago



The state put $2.5 million toward this project as part of our Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) which is administered through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. 

Mayor Anthony Copeland was able to give me some good inside information about the benefits this will have on the local economy, especially as families start to move back downtown and spend their money there. Like many of the other projects around the state, the mayor said neighbors to the project are beginning to take pride in their properties by fixing them up. I always enjoy hearing the ripple effects these NSP projects have on a neighborhood.

This was a very satisfying trip to see a community that once flourished, hit some hard times, and now begin to get back on their feet. The neighborhood looks magnificent and I look forward to hearing about all the families that begin moving back to downtown East Chicago.

County 49: Tippecanoe

I spent several hours on campus at Purdue University for my Tippecanoe County visit, participating in the College of Agriculture’s Lessons in Leadership program. 

I arrived in time to sit down to lunch with Dean Jay Akridge and a group of students known as the Agriculture Ambassadors.  We had a lively discussion about the agriculture industry and what the future holds for the up-and-coming leaders around the table.

Next I spoke at a seminar, where a large group of faculty, staff and students gathered to hear my perspective on leadership and the lessons I have learned serving in public office.  I shared my experiences from my days as a local elected official, then as a State Senator and finally as Lt. Governor.
 

After I took questions from the students, I moved on to a meeting with a group of leaders from the College of Agriculture and Purdue’s network of Extension Offices.  I was eager to hear their thoughts about how state government can be a better partner in the future, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the University and the Extension staff. 

I finished my day at Purdue with a visit to an undergraduate class.  I encountered a talented group of upper-classmen who were studying controversial issues in agriculture.  I had a few words of wisdom to share with them about my experience dealing with the hot topics that come up in an industry with so much diversity.  There is no doubt that our agriculture industry will be in good hands when these students graduate and start learning their own first-hand lessons in leadership.

County 48: Clay

It is always exciting to see the large impact that can be made when a few abandoned homes are razed or restored. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which is administered by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, aided in the reconstruction of 13 blighted properties in Brazil. The properties are then resold to low- to moderate-income families. 



Lt. Governor Skillman tours a home in Brazil, IN rebuilt
through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which is
administered through her Indiana Housing and Community
Development Authority.



The NSP fund allocated $1.4 million to a neighborhood in the North-West section of Brazil. Upon my arrival, I wanted to view one of the new homes, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with its design. It was a wow moment when Stacy Gibbens, the local project administrator, showed me the before and after pictures of each property. It was also very encouraging to hear that only three properties still need to be sold.  

Stacy, Mayor Wyndham, and Angie Pappano (also a project administrator) took me on a tour of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. It was a two-story structure and came with a fully equipped kitchen. I could envision a well-deserving family residing inside. 

I have viewed several NSP projects around the state, and I always notice the next-door neighbors to these new homes. After seeing a cleaned up yard and new house built next to them, many neighbors now take pride in their own property to revitalize it, as well. It creates quite the ripple effect for the neighborhood. 

As I continue on my 92 county Hoosier Crossroads Tour, I look forward to hearing about the continued successes from the NSP project in Brazil. I know it will have a lasting impact on the community and on several families who will be given the opportunity of homeownership.

County 47: Parke

As I travel around the state, I enjoy doing something I call “windshield research”. And as I traveled through Parke County I witnessed the abundance of state parks and lakes in addition to their covered bridges. Parke County offers a lot of tourist attractions with Turkey Run and Shades State Parks as well as Raccoon Lake. After talking to local leaders, I know they’re looking forward to the summer travel season and if this weather holds up they will hopefully see huge numbers.

After moving through the county I reached my destination: the town of Montezuma. A few years ago, local officials worked hard to win a very competitive $500,000 Community Focus Fund grant from our Office of Community and Rural Affairs to build a community center. To their credit, they raised $88,500 of their own money as well. 



Lt. Governor Skillman tours a Community Center in
Montezuma which received grant funding from her
 Office of Community and Rural Affairs



Cathy Morgan, the town clerk treasurer, offered to show me the product of our collaboration. The Community Center was fantastic. It had several large rooms for meeting space, a built in projector and screen, and a nice big kitchen. During my visit, I talked to a few of the members of the community who were eating their lunch before helping out with the local meals on wheels program. The Center hosts everything

from a family Christmas party, to graduation open houses, to town meetings, and community events. I can say the money has been put to good use.

Allen Cobb, the town council president, also came out to discuss several of their local projects with me. The town has also received a grant for a new fire truck and recently fixed up their town park. Needless to say this small community is doing big things. 

My fourth visit to Parke County as Lt. Governor was quite successful. I was extremely pleased with our state’s investment in the Montezuma Community Center and certainly enjoyed my “windshield research” of all the beautiful scenery in Parke County.

County 46: St. Joseph

My trip to St. Joseph County brought me to the Heritage Place at LaSalle Square, a senior housing development that is currently under construction but presents great possibilities for the community in South Bend.

I joined Representative Timothy Wesco and local developers for a tour and a discussion about the impact of this project.  This area of South Bend had posed a problem for leaders for some time, and the entire community has been eager to see it improve.  The use of this property as a senior housing development is intended to rejuvenate a neglected area, bringing life back to the retail section with new residents to frequent the shops. 

This development was made possible with low income tax credits from the state, and I was proud to see state government partnering on a project that will have such a positive impact.

County 45: Marshall

We all know Indiana weather is strange, but it’s definitely an odd year when the golf courses in our state opened several months early with some never closing for winter. But that’s what I heard when I visited Mystic Hills Golf Club, a course in Culver that welcomed golfers months ahead of schedule.

Golfers from Indianapolis and South Bend talk to
Lt. Governor Becky Skillman at Mystic Hills Golf
Club in Culver on March 27.

Mystic Hills is one of Indiana’s Pete Dye Golf Trail courses. Launched nearly a year ago, the trail incorporates seven courses including Mystic Hills. Renowned golf architect Pete Dye has built golf courses all over the nation with most of his courses concentrated in Indiana. To learn more about the trail visit, www.petedyegolftrail.com.

At Mystic Hills, I had an opportunity to talk with owner Vicki Pugh. Vicki and her son Dave, the course’s golf pro, have been hard at work to promote the Pete Dye Golf Trail.

People are traveling from out-of-town, including Chicago, to play the courses on the trail. The mild winter was good news for an industry that already has a strong impact on the state. Indiana’s golf industry contributes $1.7 billion to the economy.

Indiana is home to beautiful golf courses, and the Pete Dye Trail highlights only a few of what our state has to offer. To find out what courses are near you visit, visitindianagolf.com.