Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
Ground breakings, ribbon cuttings, major investments, mergers, acquisitions and plant expansions. The year 2024 gave us a year of headlines of what’s going on in the Radius Indiana region.
As we begin 2025, it’s a good time to look back on the developments that took root in 2024. This week, Southern Indiana Business Report looks back on the top business and economic development stories from the eight-county Radius Indiana region. Today’s article reviews the months of July-December. You can find highlights from the first six months here.
You can stay up with what’s happening in the Radius Indiana region by following Southern Indiana Business Report on social media and by signing up for the weekly SIBR newsletter.
July 2024
- A crowd of more than 100 gathers in Borden Community Park for the Monon South Trail groundbreaking. State and local leaders celebrate the start of a 62-mile pedestrian pathway that will cross through five southern Indiana counties. Funded by Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Trails program, the first phase of construction will see the completion of 20 miles of paved and aggregate sections of the trail through the downtown areas of Borden, New Pekin, Salem, Saltillo, Campbellsburg, Orleans and Mitchell. When completed, the Monon South will be Indiana’s longest trail.
- German American Bancorp Inc. and Heartland BancCorp announce they have entered into a definitive agreement to merge Heartland into German American in a deal valued at $330 million. German American Bank is headquartered in Jasper and the merger will allow German American to expand into Ohio markets.
- An updated construction schedule, details on design elements and future financing strategies for the Monon South Trail are presented at a community meeting in Mitchell. Construction has begun on Phase 1A, which will complete 20 miles of trail. The Orleans segment, about 1.25 miles, of the Monon South Trail will be the first completed trail section this year, with a target completion date by December.
- Work begins on the Klondike workforce housing development in French Lick. By the close of 2024, two houses will be constructed. It’s the first new housing development in French Lick in decades. The French Lick Resort, the town of French Lick, and its Redevelopment Commission, in partnership with the Orange County Economic Development Partnership, worked to develop the neighborhood of 27 single-family homes for residents who live and work in Orange County.
August 2024
- Competition from other casinos, including the new casino in Terre Haute as well as gaming sites in Ohio and Kentucky, is affecting gaming revenue at the French Lick Resort. CEO Chuck Franz tells stakeholders that gaming revenue in the southern Indiana market is down about 4%. On a positive note, Franz says the Resort’s hospitality revenue has grown 33% since 2019.
- With a new name and following an extensive renovation, the Valley Inn & Suites opens in Springs Valley on Ind. 56. Owners Jonathan and Josh Smith, brothers who grew up in Orleans, also added online booking.
- Mitchell Mayor Don Caudell and city council members visit Huntingburg to meet with Huntingburg Mayor Neil Elkins and learn what that city has done to revitalize its downtown as well as strategies to develop public-private partnerships.
- The Uplands Science & Technology Foundation expands its board. USTF, a nonprofit development and research organization, is dedicated to enhancing the vitality of the WestGate@Crane Technology Park. USTF also announces updated brand and website upgrades while celebrating milestone project developments that complement the park’s momentum and growth potential.
September 2024
- In a Q&A with Nancy Eckerle, the longtime director of the Jasper Chamber shares why she loves leading the Jasper Chamber, a job she has held since 1987. In June, Eckerle was awarded the Indiana Chamber Director of the Year by the Indiana Chamber Executives Association. Her nominators described her as a “powerhouse” who uses “both old-school hard work and modern-day innovation.”
- Shoals High School adds its 11th career pathway, a welding program that has quickly become popular with students.
- The White River Military Coordination Alliance tours the Lake Glendora Test Facility and provides updates on key initiatives at a quarterly meeting at the Sullivan Civic Center. Attendees include community members, economic development representatives, local and state elected officials and NSA Crane leadership.
- An artist who is painting a mural in all 50 states chooses Paoli for her Indiana mural. Virginia artist Cheyenne Renee Marcus spends a week painting the mural that was installed during the town’s Square Arts Festival.
October 2024
- Spring Mill Inn is on target to open in November. The popular state park’s inn has been closed for almost two years for an extensive modernization.
- The Orange County Economic Development Partnership awards a total of $50,000 in grants to eight small businesses to support the growth and development of local businesses. OCEDP received 27 applications.
- From one of the poorest counties in the state to one with a thriving tourism industry, Orange County has rebounded and remade itself over the last 20 years. SIBR looks back on the grassroots effort that worked to get a casino license in Orange County. Wearing bright orange T-shirts when they visited the Indiana Statehouse during legislative sessions, residents who became known as the Orange Shirts, were relentless in their fight to revive their county’s economy.
- Milltown hosts a dark skies event for stargazers to look at the Milky Way. With light pollution making it more difficult to view the stars, the Crawford County town leans into a new form of tourism.
November 2024
- Oak Street Village, an affordable housing project in Loogootee, is approved for federal tax credits and will receive funding from the state’s Indiana Regional Acceleration and Development Initiative. The development will offer 50 one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The project was awarded a $600,000 READI 2.0 allocation and $1.3 million in Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority tax credits.
- Top Notch Boutique, a retail store in downtown Washington, is ready for shoppers for the upcoming Shop Small Saturday, which emphasizes shopping at local businesses during the Christmas season.
- The Budweiser Clydesdales visit Orange County to celebrate Orange County Beverage’s 75th anniversary as an Anheuser-Busch distributor. The Clydesdales draw big crowds in Orleans, French Lick, West Baden and Salem. Orange County Beverage is headquartered in French Lick and is the sole distributor of Anheuser-Busch and select brands in Orange, Washington and Floyd counties.
- Indiana first lady Janet Holcomb along with state and local officials celebrate the re-opening of the Spring Mill Inn at Spring Mill State Park. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources invested $30 million in the project that took the inn’s interior down to the studs. New infrastructure included fire alarms, water lines, sprinkler system and HVAC. All 71 guest rooms were completely refurbished with new plumbing, bathroom fixtures, furnishings, carpet and paint. Energy efficient windows and doors also were installed.
- City of Washington celebrates the completion of Downtown Commons, a $3.1 million project that sets the stage for continued revitalization of downtown Washington.
December 2024
- A Bedford couple opens a downtown art studio. Glassy Studios on 16th Street offers painting and stained glass classes with plans to add a space for pottery classes. The couple also is opening Kings Coffee inside Bubba’s Pizza on John Williams Boulevard.
- The first section of the Monon South Trail opens in Orleans. Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Radius Indiana celebrate the completion of the first phase section of Phase 1A. The 1.27-mile multi-use trail extends from Stetson Street to Freeman’s Corner in Orleans.
- Loogootee Mayor Brian Ader goes all in on Christmas. A city adds a new 40-foot Christmas tree and free ice skating to bring residents and visitors to downtown. Other weekend activities include music, vendors and a parade.
- LIONS Baseball and Softball is raising $50,000 to improve access by replacing gravel paths with concrete and/or asphalt. The campaign is live on the crowdfunding site Patronicity. The current total is $38,259. The deadline to donate is midnight Feb. 1.
