Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch along with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs recognized more than 85 individuals and communities who partnered with the agency throughout 2019 to collaboratively shape and execute their vision for local community and economic development opportunities.

“By working together, these communities applied innovative changes to their public buildings, parks, walkways, main streets and economic developments,” Crouch said. “In partnership with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, local leaders are able to utilize this funding to incorporate the plans to further their economic and community development.”

Crouch said more than $56 million local community dollars were combined with the $35 million OCRA funding to complete quality of place improvements like water system enhancements, building of public facilities, main street revitalization, historic renovation and downtown enhancement.

“Today is a great day to celebrate all the successes, collaborative efforts and planning our Hoosier communities have achieved over the last year,” said Jodi Golden, OCRA Executive Director. “Our office was fortunate to help our rural cities, towns and counties grow and I’m excited to see what the future has in store for all of them as they continue to develop.”

The 2019 awards ceremony marks OCRA’s 14th anniversary since the agency’s creation in 2005. State legislators, mayors, local elected officials, grant administrators, community development organizations, community partners and businesses were present at the awards ceremony and celebration.

Below is the list of awards and for copies of the photos, click here.

Thinking of Committing Tax Fraud? Be Warned, DOR is Ready!

DOR’s Identity Theft and Tax Fraud Program ramps up for its seventh year

INDIANAPOLIS – Stopping identity theft and tax fraud isn’t something the Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) takes lightly. In fact, DOR is a national leader in this arena, stopping over $110 million in attempted identity theft and tax refund fraud since 2014.

“Our experienced team of IT and fraud detection specialists improve Indiana’s defenses each year, resulting in fewer fraud attempts,” stated DOR Commissioner Bob Grennes. “Much like a good home security system, we have provided such a strong defense that criminals are realizing they should stop targeting Hoosiers as Indiana is no longer an easy mark.”

To ensure all customers’ IDs and refunds are safe, every tax return is analyzed using a sophisticated set of ID verification and fraud rules. These rules identify and stop attempted fraud before the tax return ever enters the tax processing system.

A major part of DOR’s Identity Theft and Tax Fraud Prevention Program is the identity confirmation quiz. This important step guarantees all returns submitted were completed by the filer listed on the return, and the refund goes to the right destination.

Customers selected for the ID confirmation quiz are sent a letter asking them to complete the quiz online or by calling DOR’s Customer Service team. Starting in 2019, customers can also confirm their identities using a one-time passcode verification from their SMS enabled smartphones, making this process simple and quick.

Customers who receive an ID verification letter are not suspected of identity theft or having their identity stolen. The process is only used for certain returns to ensure their refund is sent to the correct location/individual. By completing the quiz as soon as the letter is received, there should be little to no delay in return processing.

For more information on the Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention Program, visit DOR’s website at dor.in.gov or call the Customer Service team at 317-232-2240, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., EST. You may also visit any DOR’s 12 district office locations.

Death List 01-20-2020 TO 01-24-2020