“CCO SPEAKING SERIES”IS RELAUNCHED
After a two-year delay because of COVID VIRUS, the “Living Outside The Box” speaker series will be relaunched starting December  10, 2022. This event will be held on Wednesday, September 25th in the private banquet room at Carrassoual restaurant starting at noon.
This month’s “Living Outside The Box” speaker is the newly elected Sheriff of Vanderburgh County, Noah Robinson.
Event Chairman Steve Hammer stated “that our monthly speaker series will focus on homegrown businesses’ successes and challenges. Mr. Hammer says; “Living Outside The Box” speakers series will feature unique and insightful stories of success and perseverance from prominent business leaders that tend to fly under the public radar.”
City-County Observer Publisher, Ron Cosby also added; “We understand that there are a lot of successful entrepreneurs who, because of economic, technological, or political challenges, have experienced a negative impact on their businesses.”   “We are going to actively search for local business people who went through economic adversity due to bureaucratic restrictions, governmental intervention, or increased competition, but had the good business sense to “Living Outside The Box” to allow their products or services to continue to thrive. We also hope that this will turn out to be a great resource for locally owned and developing businesses.”
For additional information concerning the August 2019Â Â ‘Living Outside The Box” speaker event please contract Steve Hammer by calling him at 812-589-3802.
FOOTNOTE: Get your own copy of “Living Outside the Box” by Joe Jack Wallace please click the link below.
Vincennes University’s Project ASPIREE adds more local middle and high schools to program
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 WEAVER FILING FOR FOURTH COUNCIL TERMÂ
EVANSVILLE – City Council Jonathan Weaver (R-At Large) is planning to file with his family for his fourth term on Evansville City Council on Tuesday, January 31 at 3:30 p.m.Â
“I am so excited to continue serving the residents of Evansville and beyondâ€, Weaver says. “I’ve gotten a lot of satisfaction taking calls and helping constituents on a daily basis.â€Â
Currently, Weaver is in his third term as City Councilperson. He was elected in 2011 after serving four years as Vanderburgh County Assessor.Â
“The accomplishments over the past 12 years have been exciting and rewardingâ€, says Weaver. “I want to continue the work that needs to be done with the new Mayor of Evansville.Â
Jonathan came to Evansville in February 2000 to work for News25 WEHT-TV as their broadcast meteorologist. He earned his real estate license in 2003 and is currently helping people buy and sell homes in Indiana and Kentucky at FC Tucker Emge and Collier REALTORS. Jonathan is immensely involved in the community coaching his sons’ teams with Evansville Youth Soccer, Evansville Youth Baseball, and the Catholic School’s Tiger Cub Basketball; as well as numerous boards past and present such as Land Bank Corporation, Commission on Homelessness, Evansville African-American Museum, and Regional Economic Ambassador.Â
Councilman Jonathan Weaver, wife Brittany, and three children; William (16), Benjamin (8), and Jonathan, Jr. (6) currently reside in Lincolnshire.Â
For more information, please visit facebook.com/VoteWeaver.Â
Anu, previously gropod, awarded nearly $1 million competitive grant from the National Science Foundation
Phase II SBIR grant will provide seed funding for R&D and commercialization
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Heliponix LLC, doing business as anu™ (previously gropod®), has been awarded a Phase II National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $970,993 and $75,000 in matching funding from Elevate Ventures.
Anu will continue its research and development work on multispectral photomorphogenesis that is now being deployed in conjunction with deep-learning, computer-vision algorithms within its novel rotary aeroponic cultivation chambers. It was previously awarded an NSF SBIR Phase I grant of $256,000, in addition to $50,000 in matching funding from Elevate Ventures. An online video shows the technology in use.
Anu was established six years ago by two undergraduate students in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute who were working on a NASA-funded research study at Purdue University. The research sought to optimize the photosynthetic efficiency of growing lettuce in a controlled-environment hydroponic chamber for astronauts to grow crops more efficiently in space. By manipulating the spectrum of LED light on the lettuce plants, the research team, led by Cary Mitchell, a professor of horticulture in the College of Agriculture, saw an increase in yields while simultaneously reducing the system’s energy consumption.
Research team members Scott Massey and Ivan Ball, co-founders of anu, saw an opportunity to further increase yields and minimize energy consumption. Their innovative design, called the Rotary Aeroponicâ„¢ Cultivation Chamber, which has multiple patents pending, produces higher yields through its novel mechanical design coupled with a novel control algorithm facilitated through proprietary cloud software.
“Through decentralized, in-home production of produce, the wasteful inefficiencies and environmental destruction attributed to industrialized agriculture are eliminated, while simultaneously delivering maximum freshness, flavor and nutritional value directly to consumers conveniently,†said anu CEO Massey. “Produce is harvested when consumers are hungry rather than everything being harvested at the same time, which requires preservation of the produce. It simply stays alive and fresh until it’s eaten. The anu team is now composed of more than 20 team members and continues to rapidly grow.â€
Massey said the Phase I SBIR grant from the NSF supported anu’s “light recipe†research to maximize plant growth yields, nutritional content and energy efficiency within the proprietary Rotary Aeroponic Cultivation Chambers.
“We are now deploying those discoveries into our Phase II deep-learning, computer-vision system to commercialize an autonomous cultivation system for consumers to sustainably eliminate their dependency on grocery stores for eligible produce varieties without preexisting horticultural knowledge required,†Massey said. “Our ‘Keurig for plants’ commercialization strategy empowers consumers to grow their own Pure Produce® that is more food safe, free of any pesticides and/or preservatives, and has much less environmental impact than industrial agriculture. This accomplishment is a giant leap forward as this century’s Victory Gardens will unite to become the world’s largest farm without owning a single acre of land.â€
As a leader in tunable horticultural research lighting systems, the Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA) Center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has and continues to work with Anu to provide research-grade, multispectral, tunable LED modules and associated programmable control systems compatible with Heliponix’s rotary chamber. These modules are based on the LESA Center’s TIGER horticulture research lighting modules and will provide the research flexibility needed in Phase II to optimize the LED illumination impact on plant growth variables in leafy greens including biomass, crop yield, nutritional content and energy efficiency.
“NSF is proud to support the technology of the future by thinking beyond incremental developments and funding the most creative, impactful ideas across all markets and areas of science and engineering,†said Andrea Belz, division director of the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships at NSF. “With the support of our research funds, any deep technology startup or small business can guide basic science into meaningful solutions that address tremendous needs.â€
Once a small business is awarded a Phase II SBIR/STTR grant, up to $1 million, it becomes eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales.
Startups or entrepreneurs who submit a three-page Project Pitch will know within three weeks if they meet the program’s objectives to support innovative technologies that show promise of commercial and/or societal impact and involve a level of technical risk. Small businesses with innovative science and technology solutions, and commercial potential are encouraged to apply. All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/
About the Lighting Enabled Systems & Applications (LESA) Center
The LESA Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a graduated National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center. LESA is an interdisciplinary, R&D center developing “Systems that ThinkÂÂ.™†It is dedicated to developing autonomous intelligent systems to address modern challenges in the built environment, including controlled environment agriculture (CEA). To learn more please visit lesa.rpi.edu.
About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is America’s first technological research university. Rensselaer encompasses five schools, over 30 research centers, more than 140 academic programs including 25 new programs, and a dynamic community made up of over 6,800 students and 104,000 living alumni. Rensselaer faculty and alumni include upwards of 155 National Academy members, six members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, six National Medal of Technology winners, five National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With nearly 200 years of experience advancing scientific and technological knowledge, Rensselaer remains focused on addressing global challenges with a spirit of ingenuity and collaboration. To learn more, please visit www.rpi.edu.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last five years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu.
About the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Programs
America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $1.75 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.1 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
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Indiana State Police Captain Recognized for Thirty-Five Years of Service
On Thursday January 26, 2023, Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas G. Carter presented Captain Kevin Smith with a medallion for his thirty-five years of service with the department. Captain Smith currently serves as the Area II Commander for the Enforcement Division, where he oversees the field operations for the enforcement personnel and command staff assigned to the Bremen, Fort Wayne, and Toll Road Post(s).
Smith graduated with the 45th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy on December 19, 1987. His first assignment was to the Toll Road Post where he patrolled the stretch of I-80/90 through LaGrange and Steuben Counties.
In 1990, Smith transferred to the Fort Wayne Post and assigned patrol duties in Steuben County. He transferred to the Laboratory Division in 1995 as a Crime Scene Technician for two years and earned a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in 1996. In 2005, he was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division where he served as a detective over next ten years. In 2016 Smith would be promoted to the rank of First Sergeant as the District Investigative Commander at the Fort Wayne Post. Then in December of 2018 he was appointed into his current role as the Commander of Area II operations.
In October of 2015, he was awarded the department’s Meritorious Service Award for his investigative efforts into a “cold case†homicide from 1989 in which the suspect was ultimately located in Bangladesh and finally arrested in India. That suspect, Mahfuz Huq, was extradited back to Indiana in 2013 and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter that following November. Smith was also awarded the Meritorious Service Award in October of 2018 for his work on the 1988 April Tinsley homicide case, which was solved in July of 2018, 30 years after the crime was committed.
Smith and his family are residents of Steuben County.
USI UNVEILS LOCAL NIL MARKETPLACE POWERED BY ICON SOURCE
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EVANSVILLE, IN (Jan. 20) – University of USI Athletics today announced the launch of Icon Suite, an innovative name, image, and likeness tool from Icon Source, the leading digital marketplace connecting brands and athletes for endorsements and partnerships, for all Screaming Eagle student-athletes and community members. Icon Suite will continue to position USI athletics at the forefront of NIL opportunities, providing a seamless, compliant system for connecting brands, ??alumni, and other interested parties with student-athletes for NIL deals.Â
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For additional details on USI’s new local exchange application, click here.
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The Icon Suite local exchange application software will greatly enhance the NIL experience for those involved in the USI ecosystem. The software will connect local companies with student-athletes through a custom USI marketplace, simultaneously simplifying the NIL administrative processes for Screaming Eagle athletics administrators tied to deal disclosure and compliance. Interested businesses and USI supporters will be able to readily identify and engage with potential student-athlete partners through this compliant marketplace software.
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“USI is excited to announce our partnership with Icon Source to create a NIL marketplace for our student-athletes,” said Alex Eaton, USI Associate Director of Athletics. “Since the NCAA started to allow student-athletes to capitalize on NIL and with our transition to Division I, this is something that our coaches, student-athletes, and potential recruits having been wanting and asking for. Icon Source will also help to streamline the process of reporting of NIL deals that student-athletes receive to make sure that they are compliant with NCAA Division I rules.”
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Icon Suite is a full-service system that makes it easy for athletes to disclose NIL deals through the student login and allows compliance officers to access contracts and review analytics across demographic breakdowns and other key metrics in the compliance section. The USI-branded gateway also services local businesses and alumni through the platform by providing access to athletes, as well as guidance, education, and facilitation of the athlete sponsorship process supported by Icon Source.
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“Icon Source is thrilled to partner with USI to adopt this type of software and provide the Icon Suite for all Screaming Eagle student-athletes & the USI athletic department. Every student-athlete has NIL value, and we are so excited to watch businesses and brands activate USI student-athletes in a compliant and transparent manner,” said Drew Butler, Executive Vice President of Collegiate at Icon Source.
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Icon Source has an established history of facilitating deals for professional and college athletes, handling all the administrative aspects of name, image, and likeness deal-making including contracts, tax documentation, and payment services to ensure successful connections for both brands and athletes.
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“Icon Source exists to connect athletes and brands, and our new Icon Suite software takes that a step further on the collegiate level, removing the heavy lifting for those involved in student-athlete and local business partnerships,” said Chase Garrett, founder, and CEO of Icon Source. “From finding relevant student-athletes for an event or promotion to handling contracts, 1099’s, and payment services, Icon Suite alleviates the administrative duties and offers assistance along the way to ensure successful connections.”
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About Icon Source
Icon Source is a digital marketplace that brings agents, athletes, and brands together. The Denver-based company is the only platform that provides brands of all sizes direct communication with agents or the athletes themselves, eliminating unnecessary intermediate steps to engage with potential professional or collegiate partners. Its proprietary AI technology pairs athletes and brands based on social audience demographics. For additional information and to create a free account, visit www.iconsource.com.
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