Client News
WASHINGTON (Indiana) – Is your small business impacted by the COVID-19 situation? The new Daviess County Small Business Relief Program is now taking applications through June 12, according to Bryant Niehoff, executive director of the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC). Qualified grant recipients do not have to pay back the grant if conditions are met.
“This new grant can make available up to $5,000 per small business in Daviess County, but small business owners need to act quickly to complete the application and supporting forms,” said Niehoff. “Assistance is available if those applying for the grant have questions.”
ELLETTSVILLE and MARTINSVILLE (Indiana) – Initial construction began May 27 for a unique fiber project to eventually serve 3,400 rural residents and businesses in Monroe and Owen Counties and help close the rural digital divide.
Smithville Communications, a top 100 national broadband company, and SCI REMC, Indiana’s largest rural electric cooperative, began physical construction of fiber service to 350 residents and businesses located in a rural area between Spencer and Gosport. Customers in this first area are expected to have services turned up before the end of the year.
The first phase of this joint fiber project, which has attracted national industry attention, is part of a unique partnership expected to accelerate the delivery of high-speed fiber broadband internet to residents and businesses in the common service areas between the two companies.
FRENCH LICK (Indiana) —As part of its continuing focus to serve people impacted by the COVID-19 crisis (particularly in rural areas), Ellettsville-based Smithville Communications, Inc. has opened a free WiFi hotspot at Springs Valley Community School in French Lick, Indiana, located at 498 S Larry Bird Boulevard. Hotspots can be used by individuals that need to connect to networks for work, school, or telehealth reasons.
“We must continue to all do our part to help our neighbors in this time of need,” said Darby McCarty, chairman and CEO of Smithville. “We believe that Smithville has an obligation to keep our customers, businesses, and fellow Hoosiers connected, and we take it very seriously. Our team is working every day, ensuring Smithville’s network is up and running to keep our customers connected to what matters most.”
The new hotspot is expected to help area students of the Springs Valley Community Schools who are involved in e-learning activities while the school systems physical facilities are closed.
“We are grateful for Smithville’s donation of accessible internet services, as it helps families and students who need high-speed internet,” said Zach Brown, executive director of the Orange County Economic Development Partnership. “This access is a useful bridge to help our area residents get through these challenging times.”
TERRE HAUTE, Indiana – With new regulatory standards now in place, an urgent need for telehealth and telemedicine applications has exploded during the recent COVID-19 crisis, leading healthcare providers to search for secure online solutions. Physicians, clinics and other providers who need HIPAA-certified telehealth capacity can now utilize a cost-effective platform available through the Indiana Rural Health Association’s WhiteBark division.
Relieving financial stress
“The financial stress on our rural hospitals has never been greater,” said Don Kelso, Chief Executive Officer of the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA). “New reimbursement options and expanded telehealth consult capacity gives physicians and clinics fresh options to deal with dramatically expanded costs and declining revenues.”
The cost and training for new telehealth technology can impede its adoption, so IRHA made arrangements to offer a cost-effective and versatile technology that can be easily adopted, the CEO added.
“The separation and safety requirements of the current Coronavirus crisis have led to greatly increased demand for secure telehealth services, but physicians and providers may face a challenge in finding a cost-effective and secure service that can meet their needs during this intensely unusual time,” said Deena Dodd, Director of Government Relations for the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA). “Follow-up telemedicine consults and wellness visits can also be effectively conducted through the IRHA/WhiteBark platform, effectively satisfying social distancing safety concerns during the COVID-19 crisis.”
INDIANAPOLIS – Research-ready, super-high-speed data management resources are now available for epidemiologists, pathologists, biologists and other scientific professionals in synthetic chemistry labo
ratories. The cloud-based Series JL5000 Ancelus SaaS data management system can be immediately deployed for professionals engaged in automating combinatorial chemistry efforts.
Synthetic laboratories, epidemiologists and biotech companies conducting combinatorial chemistry for COVID19 research can leverage high-speed Ancelus SaaS-driven automated methods for reaction design, information management, chemical synthesis, compound analysis, and biological testing. Software available for free 90-day trial to qualified companies or institutions to advance no-risk integration.
The high-speed Ancelus software, capable of processing multiple billions of data records in nanoseconds, has the capacity to potentially support the discovery of relevant compounds, and eventually a novel vaccine or pharmaceutical treatment to aid in the COVID19 crisis through a combinatorial process.
In the interest of saving lives and slowing the economic onslaught engulfing the world, the Ancelus SaaS software will be made available free through a 90-day trial plan to qualified synthetic chemistry laboratories, biotech research companies and other related scientific entities, according to John Morris, chief operating officer of Time Compression Strategies, the developer of AncelusDB and the new cloud-based Series JL5000 Ancelus SaaS software.
The 90-day period will allow companies to integrate and begin using the high-speed, high-capacity data software with little-to-no risk exposure and potentially advance existing combinatorial research in rapid fashion.
INDIANAPOLIS – Plans for Cybertech Midwest, the region’s largest cyber event, are “moving full speed ahead” with new experts being added, initial plans for an onsite cyber range, an escape room activity to promote cybersecurity awareness at all levels, and a new pitch competition for venture capital, and other new elements for the July event.
Midwest’s largest cyber event set to expand at Indiana Convention Center, July 14-15; organizers following guidance from WHO and CDC to ensure participant safety from any coronavirus issues. Organizers will keep participants updated as the COVID-19 situation unfolds.
“In addition to Cybertech’s all-star lineup of cybersecurity experts and industry practitioners, we’re now looking forward to the pitch competition held in partnership with StartUp World Cup for the first time,” said Michael Snyder of MEK, a representative for Cybertech Midwest. “This competition is open to all technology firms, and not just those associated with the cybersecurity space – the Cybertech Midwest winner will qualify to go on to the Grand Finale 2020 round and compete for a $1 million grand prize.”
ELLETTSVILLE and MARTINSVILLE (Indiana – March 17, 2020) – Smithville Communications, Inc., a top 100 national broadband company, and SCI REMC, Indiana’s largest rural electric cooperative, are launching a unique customer-focused agreement. The partnership will accelerate the delivery of high-speed fiber broadband internet to residents and businesses in the common service areas between the two companies.
When completed, the project will serve approximately 3,400 residents and businesses in the common service areas around Ellettsville, Lake Monroe, and Gosport. These include homes presently served by copper-based service.
“This partnership represents a huge win for rural residents in south-central Indiana, and these two companies are proving how Hoosiers can innovate and work together to deliver cutting-edge services to consumers,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch. “As we move to take Indiana to the Next Level, Smithville and SCI REMC are raising the bar and setting an example for how to purposefully accelerate the availability of high-speed broadband in the state.”
“Smithville is pleased to partner with SCI REMC for this project,” said Darby McCarty, Chairman and CEO of Smithville. “We both serve customers in the same geographic area, so it makes sense to work together to provide service, particularly with the high cost to build in rural areas. The real winners here are the residents, who will have better, more reliable internet service as a result.
FRENCH LICK – Direct revenue, tax and indirect income totaling up to $150 million represents the projected forecast from an independent analysis of the Mid-States Corridor Option 3F, according to a study sponsored by the French Lick Parkway Coalition and COOK Group. The research analyzing the potential of a new interstate in the Orange and Lawrence County region was conducted by Ginovus and the Indiana University Public Policy Institute.
According to the analysis, between 500-700 jobs are expected to be created during and after construction in and around Orange and Lawrence counties. Economic development professionals noted the added strong potential for commercial defense growth associated with NSWC and NSA Crane as an expected result of the new interstate.