 A call comes in. The caller I.D. says it’s Duke Energy. An urgent voice insists that your electric service is being disconnected in 30 minutes unless you pay over the phone right now.
If you get a call like this, hang up because Duke Energy never disconnects customers like this. Instead, call Duke Energy at the number on your bill (800.521.2232), or check your balance online or via the Duke Energy app. And just like that, you’ve beaten the scammer. In the first 10 months of 2021, more than 1,700 Duke Energy customers in Indiana reported scam attempts. Across all states served by Duke Energy, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a record number of scam attempts – nearly 30,000 scam attempts were reported by Duke Energy customers in 2020 alone. The good news: only about 4% of customers have fallen for the scam in the last year, down from more than 9% before Utility Scam Awareness Day began in 2016. Education works. That’s why Duke Energy has again joined forces with utilities across the United States and Canada to bring awareness to these criminal tactics on the sixth annual Utility Scam Awareness Day on Nov. 17. Utility Scam Awareness Day is part of the week-long International Scam Awareness Week, an advocacy and awareness campaign focused on educating customers and exposing the tactics used by scammers.
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 A new documentary from WTIU Public Television explores one of the most celebrated American Impressionists from Indiana. Singing Winds: The Life and Works of T.C. Steele premieres Sunday, November 28 at 8 p.m. on WTIU and simultaneously streams on Facebook Live.
The program looks at the Hoosier artist’s life—from his hardscrabble youth, to his journey through some of the major art centers of Europe, to his return to his native Indiana, where he captured the subtle beauty of the Midwestern landscapes. Born on a farm in Gosport, Indiana, T.C. Steele’s father died when he was a young teen, which during the Civil War era would have meant for most a life of hard labor on the farm helping to support their families. The documentary reveals that Steele’s journey was an unusual one—from early art and music classes that his mother insisted he take to a surprising opportunity to travel to some of the world’s top art schools in Europe. Flywheel Fund, a member-managed capital fund run by The Mill, today announced a $75,000 follow-on investment in FloWaste. FloWaste’s technology and analytics help food producers reduce waste and boost margins through sustainable, environmentally friendly processes. Founded by Rian Mc Donnell, FloWaste is currently preparing to launch a pilot program at over 100 locations.
Pat East, Executive Director of The Mill, the nonprofit center for entrepreneurship that runs Flywheel Fund out of Bloomington, said, “The food industry has notoriously tight margins, and at the same time, it’s experiencing a surge of interest in sustainability issues. FloWaste has found a way to leverage business interests to also serve a higher purpose that benefits the globe: reducing landfill and greenhouse gasses. It’s truly a win-win.” FloWaste uses cameras and a proprietary machine learning system to track food-related data at workstations, production lines, and trash cans. The resulting data and analytics help industrial and commercial food processors, cafeterias, quick-service restaurants, and other customers identify patterns in food waste to target. Mc Donnell estimates the serviceable obtainable market for FloWaste’s platform at $580 million within a nearly $3 billion total market. Join your manufacturing executive peers for 3 in-depth online workshops led by esteemed professors. Attendance is limited to CEOs and senior-level executives and subject to approval.
Cybersecurity for Leadership Thursday, November 11 | 1 - 2:30 ET This 90-minute masterclass will arm manufacturing executives with better tools for cybersecurity decision making, communication, and strategy so you can play a more effective role in cybersecurity oversight. The class will blend presentations, group discussion, and activities. Participants will leave the workshop with a new set of concepts and terms you can use, regardless of your cyber expertise, in communicating with and supporting your colleagues, as well as making fundamental decisions about cybersecurity investment. Expert Resources/Presenters:
The Yellowwood café at Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus is open to the public this semester for food service after a nearly year and half-long pandemic closure. The Yellowwood is a student-run restaurant of the Hospitality Administration program. Operations are a collaboration between, culinary, baking and pastry, and customer service classes.
The culinary program at Ivy Tech Bloomington was recently ranked #17 in the nation by www.bestchoiceschools.com, placing seven spots ahead of the esteemed Johnson & Wales University, a well-known top culinary school in the country. Ivy Tech Bloomington’s hospitality associate degree program and baking and pastry concentration are Accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) through 2027 and has extensive certification and associate degree offerings that can be completed anywhere from two to four semesters. Certificates and associate degrees in the program lead to industry-recognized credentials that qualify graduates for in-demand jobs that are in the changing field of food service.  'Tis the Season to Give Back! The team at Express Employment Professionals Bloomington is organizing a food drive for the Community Kitchen among businesses for the Thanksgiving season. Businesses are encouraged to collect needed items for the Community Kitchen and Express will pick up donations on the 19th! If interested, please email [email protected] to add your business to the list!
Hoosier Hills Credit Union Awards $10,000 to Local Charities through Ellettsville Donation Drive11/5/2021  Pictured holding HHCU check, from left to right, are Travis Markley, HHCU President and CEO; Russell Wilkie, HHCU Executive Vice President, Chief Experience Officer; Cindy Chavez, Director of Pantry 279; Scott Mitchell, HHCU Vice President of Ellettsville Operations; and Debbie Reynolds, HHCU Vice President Commercial Services. Hoosier Hills Credit Union has awarded $10,000 to three local charitable organizations in Ellettsville, home to HHCU’s newest Service Center location. Charities selected are the Boys & Girls Club of Ellettsville, Pantry 279, and The Villages of Indiana/Ellettsville.
In August, Hoosier Hills launched the Better for Our Communities Ellettsville Donation Drive and pledged to donate $10,000 to the three selected groups, with each organization’s amount to be based proportionately on how much the community contributed to each entity on the HHCU website during the donation period. With its donation, the Credit Union was able to more than triple the funds raised by each group’s constituents. Total donation amounts per organization are:
At Toohill Consulting, we desire to give back to our local community. In 2022 we are taking action by giving away a free 5-10 page website to a local nonprofit in Bloomington, Indiana who offers their services to children, youth, and/or families.
All contest registrations will be reviewed and a winner will be selected the week of December 6th. Registrants who complete all the registration form fields with clear and compelling information will be more strongly considered to receive the free website service. It is at Toohill Consulting’s discretion who will be awarded with this free service. Answers to frequently asked questions are below. To be eligible, the nonprofit must:
To enter, visit https://toohillconsulting.com/about/giving-back/nonprofit-website-giveaway/.
An in-depth study conducted by Emsi, reveals the significant economic impact Ivy Tech Community College makes in the state of Indiana. The report also outlines the regional impact in the Ivy Tech Bloomington service area, which includes Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Morgan, Monroe, Orange and Owen counties. The report outlines the return on investment the Community College makes to its major stakeholders – graduates, taxpayers, and the overall communities it serves. Results of the analysis reflect a $3.9 billion cumulative annual impact statewide and $78.8 million regional impact for the Bloomington campus.
The 2020 Ivy Tech Community College Economic Impact Report, based on fiscal year 2018-2019, includes the following key findings in the Bloomington region:
 WTTS 92.3FM (Parent Company Sarkes Tarzian) welcomes Lenny Diana as their new Program Director. Lenny is filling the position opened by Laura Duncan’s move to WXRT in Chicago. Lenny joins Sarkes Tarzian from Springfield, MA, where he was serving as Operations Manager and Programmer of Saga Communications radio cluster. Lenny will also serve as WTTS Music Director.
Rob Humphrey has become the Program Director for both News Sports Talk AM 1370 / 98.7FM WGCL and Rock 96.1FM The Quarry. Listen live at wttsfm.com / wgclradio.com / rock961fm.com |
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