Client News
WESTGATE@CRANE TECHNOLOGY PARK, (Odon) Indiana – A new multi-county and state agency Alliance has assembled to aggressively support long-term economic growth and military value associated with the nearly 100-square-mile Naval Support Activity Crane (NSA Crane).

The group, called the White River Military Coordination Alliance (WRMCA), expects to support joint strategies that will help capture new economic development opportunities that mutually benefit the military facility, the 3rd largest U.S. Navy base. These are made possible by the expansion of I-69 in the region and related commercial defense potential growth, according to Gene McCracken, who was elected to serve as the Alliance’s first chair.

A major task for the new Alliance, which includes economic development engagement from five counties in southern Indiana – Daviess, Greene, Lawrence, Martin and Sullivan, will be to provide positive and practical support for putting into action the recent NSA Crane Joint Land Use Study. This now-completed study, which helps provide a pathway for positive development that is compatible with the Military missions of NSA Crane, was commissioned by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), Radius Indiana, and the Indiana Office of Defense Development (IODD).
ARLINGTON, Virginia–Smithville Communications has been recognized by NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider for delivering gigabit broadband speeds and enabling technological innovation in the Ellettsville, French Lick, Jasper, Smithville, Gosport, Lizton, and Griffin rural communities of Indiana.
“Professional peer recognition of Smithville’s capacity to deliver highly reliable, high-speed broadband in rural communities represents a credit to our outstanding employees for their commitment to legendary service and to our company’s leadership—Darby and Cullen McCarty—for their willingness to make strategic investments in Indiana’s broadband future,” said Paul Quick, Smithville President. “We are grateful for the national recognition of our technology innovations and achievements and look forward to raising the standard of excellence even further.”
New Smithville President previously served in multi-state, senior executive positions. He previously led up to 1,500 employees and held responsibilities that included the oversight of Frontier’s suite of communication services in multiple states.

Following an extensive national search, Smithville Communications, Indiana’s largest, privately held telecommunications company, has named Paul Quick its new president of Smithville Communications, Inc. and Smithville Telecom, LLC, according to Darby A. McCarty, Chairman and CEO. Mr. Quick joins Smithville from a senior executive position with Frontier Communications (NASDAQ: FTR), where he last served as vice president of commercial sales in nine states.
While at Frontier, Mr. Quick held a variety of senior positions, including serving as senior vice president and general manager for Frontier’s residential and commercial operations in Connecticut and Pennsylvania before being promoted to multi-state responsibilities.
WORTHINGTON, Indiana – Students in the White River Valley (WRV) School District Schools can now benefit from an expansion of innovative high-tech telehealth here. As an active participant in the Indiana Rural School Clinic Network (IRSCN), the White River Valley Elementary School now has a fully functional telehealth clinic online, according to Bob Hacker, Superintendent of the White River Valley School District.
“Using state-of-the-art secure technology as a force multiplier to deliver healthcare will benefit students and staff alike,” said Dr. Hacker. “Being able to bring the superb extended services of the Greene County General Hospital and its My Clinic network to our students creates a new dimension of service.”
Dr. Hacker was on hand with other county and state officials to officially open the telehealth clinic at the White River Valley Elementary School November 19.
WASHINGTON, Indiana –After months of reviewing and interviewing “several qualified candidates,” the board of the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC) has selected Bryant Niehoff as its new Executive Director.

Niehoff, who is currently the director of the City of Shelbyville Planning and Building Department, will officially assume his new position on December 4, according to Mike Chestnut, DCEDC board chairman.
The new executive director will succeed Ron Arnold, who led the economic development group for 17 years and announced last summer that he would be leaving at the end of the year to pursue other interests.
TERRE HAUTE, Indiana – Building on its success with the Indiana Rural Opioid Consortium (InROC) programs, the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA) will now further explore opioid treatment expansion in 11 Indiana counties. The planning process will be funded by a new grant of $200,000 from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), according to Don Kelso, IRHA executive director.

“Even with increased national attention and the addition of select prevention andtreatment facilities throughout Indiana, opioid use disorders [OUDs] remain a chronic, persistent and very serious public health concern in the state, including rural areas,” Kelso said.
“The planning process also includes a specific focus on workforce development and OUD treatment options,” said Allison Orwig, IRHA project director. “When left untreated or unaddressed, the opioid crisis cripples Hoosier families and individuals.”
Smithville, a nationally ranked top 100 broadband company, will end its offering of traditional “cable TV-style” media on October 31, (2018) completely replacing its prior multi-channel TV packages with its new streaming TV service, according to Darby McCarty, Chairman and CEO.
“The world of television is undergoing rapid change, and this move reflects both our commitment to providing the best possible service for our customers and current industry trends,” Ms. McCarty said. “We began offering optional TV packages to our customers during our $100 million fiber expansion in 2009, because that was what our customers were asking for at that time.”
CAYUGA, Indiana – Students and staff at North Vermillion Community School Corporation can now benefit from innovative high-tech telehealth services as part of the Indiana Rural School Clinic Network’s (IRSCN) expansion into western rural Indiana near the Indiana-Illinois border. The new telehealth clinic will be operational at the North Vermillion Elementary School north of Cayuga, and will utilize medical providers from the Valley Professionals Community Health Center.
“North Vermillion Community Schools serve a large rural area with families living in several small towns within our district,” said Dan Nelson, Superintendent of the North Vermillion Community School Corporation. “This proven and secure remote diagnostic telehealth technology matches our students up with the excellent medical services at the Valley Professionals Community Health Center, providing students and parents with a variety of important benefits.”
To mark this critical clinic opening, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place Friday, November 2 at the elementary school with local education and agency officials.