May 2007 No. 22Table of ContentsWe’ve Got Lists |
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Twelve community agencies in eleven counties will each receive a $165,000 grant for drug prevention planning, the IN Family & Social Services Administration (FSSA) announced in early May. They are:
A year-long statewide review by a working group including IaUW prioritized the funding to be aimed at (1) preventing 18-25 year-old drinking & binge drinking, (2) preventing first use & reducing use of cocaine among 18-25 year-olds, and (3) preventing and reducing use of methamphetamine among black youth and white men and women ages 18-44. The two-stage grants begin with drafting a strategic plan to be approved by the state and then getting additional funding to implement the plan and evaluate its results.
Smog? Sure, you think first, LA. But Indiana? Think again. Check out the 2007 national lists from the American Lung Association:
You can find the detailed lists and explanations at http://lungaction.org/reports/sota07_cities.htmland learn what you can do help clean up your air.
The day following the lists unveiling, Governor Daniels reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will likely adjust Clark and Floyd counties air quality ozone standards that drop them from the lists in the future.
Country Home magazine used data on air and watershed quality, miles of mass transit, green power to farmers markets, and organic producers and grocers to name the 379 most environmentally conscious communities in America. Burlington, VT, topped the list, and these Hoosier towns made the cut:
See the story at www.countryhome.com/greencities.
The IN Chamber of Commerce recognized fifty IN businesses for their support of employees’ careers. In the small to medium-sized business category (25-249 workers) the top company was Edward Jones, an investment firm with 357 IN branch offices. Winner in the 250+ employee category was Schmidt Associates, a full-service architectural company in Indpls. The Best Companies Group conducted the selection process using employer reports and full-scale employee surveys. Was a company in your town on the list? See www.indianachamber.com/newsdetail.asp?ID=3233.
What IN companies give their employees paid time off to attend school conferences, back-up child care, and the use of video conferencing for “virtual family reunions” during holidays? These were some of the benefits to workers provided by the 2007 Family Friendly Workplace Awards from the IN Youth Institute (IYI) in partnership with the IN Chamber of Commerce. Each of the winning businesses also was allowed to name a nonprofit youth-serving group to receive a $5,000 donation from IYI to be used for professional development and program enhancement. They were:
A workplace excellence consulting firm managed the award selection process. To be eligible for the award, the company had to be among the Chamber’s list of 50 best places to work. ModernThink LLC then graded the firms on unique family-friendly practices, organizational values, and policies that promoted a good work-life balance for the employees. IYI made the final selections. For details on these firms’ policies, see www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=23126.
Site Selection magazine included 3 Hoosier cities in its list of metro areas with the most number of corporate facility projects during the year. In 2006, Indpls was 9th for 1+ million populations; Fort Wayne was 9th among the 200,000 to 1 million areas, and Terre Haute was 7th for those under 200,000. All together, 6 of the top 10 places on the national list were in the Midwest.
The Indy Partnership (IP) was also among the nation’s top ten economic development groups selected by Site Selection. It created 9,200 jobs through 136 different projects. IP and the Central IN Corporate Partnership recently merged and will collaborate with BioCrossroads and Techpoint’s advanced manufacturing and logistic initiative.
An IN city made the Black Enterprise magazine list of the top places in America for African-Americans to live, work, and play. For the first time, Indy was on the Ten Best Cities for African Americans list, at 8th. The rating looked at median household income, % of households earning $100,000+, unemployment rates, % of college graduates, homeownership rates, and home loan rejections.
The magazine also reported that lawsuits may narrow the auto loan rate gap between whites and blacks. A 2004 Federal Reserve study found blacks getting 7% loans on new cars compared to a 5% average for whites nationwide. Blacks were also more likely to pay 15%+ for used car loans. Hispanics got better deals than blacks on average. Legal settlements will lead to caps on car dealer markups.
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