VINCENNES, Ind. – The Indiana Department of Transportation is hosting regional open houses around the state to collect input on its draft four-year transportation plan. INDOT needs the public’s help in identifying projects and improvements that will enhance safety, mobility and economic growth while protecting the environment.

Open houses

INDOT invites the public to attend one of its remaining regional open houses listed below, which are all being held from 4 to 7 p.m.Eastern time.

Southwest Indiana: Tuesday, March 31 at INDOT’s Vincennes Sub-District Office, 3650 South U.S. Highway 41 in Vincennes

• Southeast Indiana: Tuesday, April 7 at INDOT’s Seymour District Office, 185 Agrico Lane in Seymour
• Northwest Indiana: Thursday, April 9 at INDOT’s LaPorte District Office, 315 East Boyd Blvd. in LaPorte
• East Central Indiana: Tuesday, April 14 at INDOT’s Traffic Management Center, 8620 E. 21st St. in Indianapolis
• West Central Indiana: Thursday, April 16 at the Ivy Tech Crawfordsville Campus, 2325 Phil Ward Blvd. in Crawfordsville

The open houses are an opportunity to meet with INDOT staff in an informal setting where discussion and conversation will be welcomed and appreciated. During each open house, INDOT officials will be available to address questions and solicit input on a variety of programs including planning, project selection, multimodal, highway safety, economic opportunity, local projects, public involvement and district operations.

About the STIP

To use federal funds, a transportation project must be listed or amended into the statewide transportation improvement program.

INDOT’s draft STIP lists all transportation projects considered regionally significant or planned for federal funds from July 2015 through June 2019. The document anticipates the funds available for various transportation modes, including highways, transit and trails.

INDOT develops the STIP in cooperation with metropolitan planning organizations, which produce their own local transportation improvement programs. INDOT reviews and incorporates the metropolitan TIPs into the statewide document by reference.

Provide input

INDOT’s Draft STIP is available for public review at the regional open houses and for download at www.in.gov/indot/3132.htm. The public may submit comments through:

The web comment form at www.in.gov/indot/3132.htm,

1. Email addressed to draftstip@indot.in.gov,
2. Postal mail addressed to Michael McNeil, INDOT STIP Director, 100 N. Senate Ave., IGCN 955, Indianapolis, IN 46204, or
3. Paper comment forms at one of the regional open houses.

INDOT respectfully requests that all comments be submitted or postmarked by Thursday, April 30. INDOT will then collate and respond to comments and questions on the record as part of the final STIP.

 Special accommodations

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, INDOT can make special accommodations for persons needing auxiliary aids or services of interpreters, signers, readers, or large print. Please direct requests for accommodations to Rickie Clark, INDOT’s Office of Public Involvement, at 317-232-6601 or rclark@indot.in.gov.

As we move through the second half of session, the House will continue to discuss and pass Senate Bills. Education initiatives continue to be a priority for House Republicans, and I am proud to sponsor Senate Bill (SB) 356, which is a work ethic certification measure for students.

Our children are our future and so providing them with skills that will help them succeed professionally will allow Indiana to continue with economic growth.

The bill encourages employers to work with schools to create a program in which students develop work ethic skills necessary for success in higher education or employment. Upon completion of the program, students will be awarded a work ethic certificate. I believe the requirements for the programs are comprehensive, and take into account not only school performance but work away from the classroom. The Senate approved the bill 37-13, and it has been referred to the House Education Committee.

The certification program will facilitate young Hoosiers in gaining skills that employers are looking for when they are hiring and will enhance their ability to be hired in the future while learning values that are necessary for a work environment. It is important that children learn these skills early so that before they get out into their higher-education or professional environment they understand what is expected of them.

Under this bill, school corporations who wish to participate would develop a program in which students develop work ethic skills necessary in higher education corporations and the workplace. The school corporations would work with local employers or the local Workforce Board, or both, to develop the program. Some of the suggested skills could include: attendance and punctuality, academic success, organization and efficiency, initiative, teamwork and dependability. Schools would be encouraged to create this program and award the students who exemplify these attributes to receive the Work Ethic Certificate at graduation.

The Center of Workforce Innovations was selected by Indiana Workforce Development in 2005 to pilot the Work Ethic Certification program for high school students. In fact, 10 schools in Northwest and Southeast Indiana award Work Ethic Certificates to students who have near-perfect attendance in school, perform community service and demonstrate other workforce attitudes like initiative and responsibility.

As we work through session, I will continue to keep Indiana’s budget, education, ethics and public safety at the forefront of my decisions. I encourage you to continue tracking legislation using http://iga.in.gov and please feel free to contact my office at 1-800-382-9841. Thank you for allowing me to serve you, and I am eager to continue to facilitate with the legislative process.

State Representative Steve Davisson (R-Salem) congratulates two local families for receiving the Hoosier Homestead Award. The awards were presented by Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann in the Farm Bureau Building at the Indiana State Fair.

The Hoosier Homestead Award Program recognizes farming families that have owned and operated the same farm for 100 years or more. Centennial awards were given for 100 years of ownership, while sesquicentennial and bicentennial awards were given for 150 and 200 years of ownership respectively.

The following list includes the local families that received Hoosier Homestead Awards:

The Roger L. Spurgeon Farm, located in Washington County, has been operated since 1864 and received the Sesquicentennial award.

The Charles Michael Boling Farm, located in Washington County, has been operated since 1906 and received the Centennial award.

“Family farms provide a significant contribution to Indiana’s agriculture industry,” said Rep. Davisson. “The Spurgeon and Boiling Day families are deserving of recognition for their hard work and significant role in shaping Indiana’s economy.”

In 1976, the program was first established to acknowledge the contributions made by these long-standing, farming families to Indiana’s economy, reputation and overall advancement. Since the program’s inception, roughly 5,000 farms have been recognized for their dedication to Hoosier agriculture.

“These families’ dedication to our state keeps Indiana growing,” said. Rep. Davisson “They are active community members who provide agriculture and economic gain that are vital to their hometowns and our nation as a whole.”

Each year, two award ceremonies are held; one at the Statehouse in March and the other at the State Fair in August. For more information on the Hoosier Homestead Award Program or to nominate a family for the award, visit www.in.gov/isda/2337.