Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced 40 Indiana Main Street programs will receive $200,000 through Taking Care of Main Street. This is a new program providing operational support for Indiana Main Street organizations impacted by COVID-19.
“Main Street organizations are a lifeline for small businesses who are doing their best to survive the effects of this pandemic,†said Lt. Gov. Crouch. “Ensuring small businesses are able to survive requires a comprehensive approach. This funding can help bridge the gap.â€
The goal of this program is to support Indiana Main Street organizations that provide leadership and services to the businesses and members, using the Main Street Approach, with special attention to organizations that have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.
“As we saw from these applications, most Main Street organizations are dealing with loss of funding from a variety of reasons related to COVID-19,†said Matt Crouch, Interim Executive Director of OCRA. “Since their leadership and guidance is a valuable tool for economic recovery, OCRA is grateful to provide this state assistance.â€
Eligible expenses could include salaries, administrative fees, space/equipment rental or staff development and training. For more information, visit www.in.gov/ocra/3016.htm.
Below is a summary of how each Main Street organization plans to use the $5,000 funding:
Attica Main Street will use the funding to help with annual expenses to include board insurance, promotional materials, billboards, table toppers, Facebook advertising and website maintenance.
Auburn Main Street will use the funding for downtown business promotion, operational expenses and helping search for a new Executive Director.
Cambridge City Main Street plans to use the funding for ongoing efforts to support local businesses through promotions, town events and business owner engagement.
Columbia City Connect will use the funding to cover salary expenses.
Crawfordsville Main Street Program, Inc. plans to use the funding for program manager and board training for long-range business adaptations to include innovative small business online promotion and visitor attraction, computer software upgrades and website improvements.
Decatur Main Street will cover payroll and utilities expenses with the funding.
Destination Huntingburg will use the funding to continue the 2020 work plans, as well as aid in 2021’s planned projects.
Develop New Albany plans to employ a part-time Program Coordinator.
Discover Downtown Franklin will use the funding to fund the five-year strategic plan and associated planner. Implementing a new strategic plan was a primary goal listed in Franklin’s 2020 work plan.
Downtown Angola Coalition plans to promote downtown businesses virtually through interviews and profiles as part of mini-documentaries. This funding will also help establish an outdoor downtown history museum where small plaques will be displayed with historical and human-interest stories.
Downtown Bloomington Inc. plans to use the funding for the organization’s main street insurance, membership software, communication software expenses, general office and media designer expenses.
Downtown Evansville EID will use the funding to allow the Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District to move forward with an alley lighting and planting project. This alley connects a parking area to Main Street and will add to the downtown experience.
Downtown Goshen, Inc will use the funding to support and promote downtown businesses and help administer a Facade Incentive Program for Central Business District buildings.
Downtown Terre Haute will use the funding for salaries of the Office and Program Coordinator, as well as provide promotional help to local businesses who have been most impacted by COVID-19.
Experience the Heart of Kendallville plans to hire a professional consultant with Gibbs Planning Group to help the Main Street build organizational capacity through a thorough analysis of previous downtown planning efforts and conditions. As part of this service, Gibbs Planning will provide workshops for downtown merchants, including topics such as visual merchandising.
Frankfort Main Street, Inc. will use the funding to cover salaries and business training.
Greater Lafayette Commerce plans to develop a series of SMART workshops during Downtown Development Week, to help business owners recover from the pandemic. Additionally, they will develop and promote a Christmas scavenger hunt and Shop Small Saturday to help drive sales.
Greenfield Main Street Inc. plans to fund a portion of the new Executive Director’s salary and to update the downtown office space.
Heart of Rushville will use the funding to help with support from events that had to be cancelled. It will also be used to provide PPE, downtown lighting, and to purchase a blue tooth sound system, which will be used for special downtown events.
Jeffersonville Main Street, Inc. will use the funding to promote the downtown businesses and help supplement organizational operating expenses.
Kirklin Main Street, Inc. plans to use the funds to support downtown murals and other quality of place initiatives.
Logan’s Landing Association, Inc. plans to use the funding to assist with ongoing operating costs including payroll, taxes, insurance, telephone and utility bills, office supplies and postage.
Madison Main Street Program plans to update the Madison Main Street web page with a new space for  business materials, event and workshop plans and registrations, grant information and applications, real estate listings, sponsor and donor recognition, interactive maps for business locations and inventory, community press releases and staff and business training.
Main Street Brookville Inc. will use the funding to coordinate programming and provide technical assistance to help transition to an online platform by helping build a business’s website integrated with merchant services. In addition, grant funds will be used to help sustain operational costs.
Main Street Corydon will use the funding for salaries, PPE costs, office supplies, printing, social media marketing, activities, equipment rental, administrative fees and staff development.
Main Street Greensburg will use the funding to fund the salary of a new part-time assistant.
Main Street Richmond-Wayne County, Inc. plans to use the funding for operational expenses.
Main Street Shelbyville will use their funding to bridge a gap left by the loss of sponsorships, memberships and event income. The funding will help with continued promotion and facilitation of programming such as COVID-19 survival webinar with ISBDC, the Downtown Highlights series, and for the administration of the downtown grant programs.
Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Inc. plans to launch a marketing message in the fall and will use the funds for the development of the campaign, hard costs for media buys and collateral costs. The campaign is focused on getting residents and visitors to return to the downtown.
New Castle Main Street, Inc. will use the funding to support operating expenses like marketing, administrative materials, postage, website maintenance, etc.
Noblesville Main Street will use their funding to support increased expenses for the farmers market. The market is their main event, with the largest profit margin, and funds the Event Manager position for the following year.
Manchester Alive plans to purchase equipment to help create interviews, videos and photos for social media and websites; to execute a downtown celebration and help supplement office support salaries.
Rediscover downtown Peru, Inc. will use the funding to expand the downtown façade Improvement Program and be able to continue marketing and advertising efforts.
Seymour Main Street Program will use the funding towards the Executive Director’s salary.
Streets of Monticello Association plan to use the funding for operational expense that include insurance, website maintenance, P.O box rental, staff training and purchase PPE for a variety of upcoming events.
The Heart of Lebanon will use the funding towards the Executive Director’s salary.
Uptown Project Inc. plans to continue to enhance downtown Francesville, support local business and create a mural.
Vevay Main Street will fund the director’s salary.
Wabash Marketplace Inc. will use the funding towards part-time employee’s salaries.
Warsaw Community Development Corporation will use the funds to create a downtown mural and other quality of place initiatives.
1983   The first episode of season 2 of “The Joy of Painting” was broadcast on Public Broadcasting Stations across the country. The show, featuring popular artist Bob Ross, was produced at WIPB in Muncie, operated by Ball State University. Ross would continue to record his programs there until the end of the series in 1994.
1999   Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the new Indiana State Museum in White River State Park in Indianapolis. To turn the first soil for the building, Governor Frank O’Bannon and First Lady Judy O’Bannon were assisted by 4th graders from Columbus, Terre Haute, Hammond, Muncie, and Indianapolis. They were chosen because it is in the 4th grade that students study Indiana history. The museum opened in May of 2002.
2005   President George W. Bush nominated John Roberts to serve as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Born in New York, Roberts moved with his family to Long Beach, Indiana, when he was age 10. He attended Notre Dame Elementary School in Michigan City and La Lumiere School in La Porte, where he was captain of the football team and graduated first in his class.
