Grants Secured for Hoosiers

Anderson Fire Department FEMA Grant: With Joe’s help, the Anderson Fire Department received a $72,000 federal grant in August 2016 to implement a health and wellness program for firefighters. Joe wrote a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supporting the application. Anderson received the grant through FEMA’s Assistance of Firefighters program. The grant helped the Anderson Fire Department start a registry to track all firefighter exposure to various substances and chemicals in the line of duty. It’s the department’s goal to create a health and wellness initiative to help the fire department have safer, more efficient, and more effective responses to local emergencies, while protecting the well-being of firefighters. Award Amount: $72,100

Indianapolis Airport:Joe supported the Indianapolis Airport Authority’s successful application for a Federal Aviation Administration grant. The grant will be used to help the Airport Authority rehabilitate the taxiways, the stormwater management system and emergency-notification equipment, for Indianapolis International Airport and its feeder airfields. Award Amount: $1,467,141

Eisenhower Bridge in Anderson: Joe worked closely for several years with the City of Anderson, the Department of Transportation, and the Secretary of Transportation to help the City secure a highly competitive grant through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant (TIGER) program. Joe sent a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation and also called then-Secretary Anthony Foxx to discuss the critical impact of this project on the area.

The grant awarded in July 2016 will help Anderson and Madison County rebuild the crumbling Eisenhower Bridge that connects the city’s core neighborhoods. The bridge is a critical component of Madison County’s economic infrastructure. Award Amount: $13,500,000

Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville: Joe wrote a letter of support and helped secure the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville’s $10 million federal grant in October 2015 that will spur development and create more job opportunities in southeast Indiana. The Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will allow the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville to improve its freight services by funding the Truck-to-Rail and Rail-to-Water Improvements Project. This project will extend the port’s rail track to help increase freight handling capacity, and more efficiently transfer bulk commodities from trucks and rail to barges for waterborne transport. "Anything we can do to strengthen the infrastructure for the region will make us more attractive to companies looking to expand and entice them to grow their business here,” River Ridge Commerce Center Executive Director Jerry Acy said. “The more companies we bring to the region, the more jobs we can help create for Hoosiers.” Award Amount: $10,000,000

Indiana Rail Road’s White River Bridge: With Joe’s help, the Indiana Railroad Company received funding from a federal TIGER grant to complete their White River Bridge. Joe wrote a letter to the Department of Transportation supporting the application. The new steel-girder and pre-stressed concrete bridge supports economic development from Daviess County to the Ohio River. The bridge now handles trains at 40 mph and rail industry maximum loads of 286,000 pounds, keeping southern Indiana shippers competitive in the global marketplace. The previous pin-connected truss bridge was built in 1899 and, in recent years, had weight restrictions and a speed limit of 10 mph due to its age. Indiana Rail Road serves a variety of southwest Indiana customers through its Odon Transload, a rail-to-truck transfer facility near the Interstate 69-State Road 58 interchange. The Indiana Southern Railroad (ISRR) also uses the bridge to link the north and south segments of its Indianapolis-Evansville route. This bridge holds economic significance for Indiana and will promote better safety and mobility for Hoosiers and their manufactured goods. Award Amount: $8,245,220

Clark County Regional Airport Runway Expansion Project: With Joe’s help,the South Central Regional Airport Authority received just over $2 million in federal grant funds in September 2014. Joe’s office assisted the South Central Regional Airport Authority navigate the grants process. The funds paid for a phase of the runway expansion project at the Clark County Regional Airport, which involved excavation of about 200,000 cubic yards of dirt to expand the runway from 5,500 feet to 7,000. Funding for the project increases the capability of the airport to handle different aircrafts. The growth in business at the River Ridge Commerce Center helped drive this airport expansion. Award Amount: $2,050,000

Lugar Center at Union Hospital: Joe supported a federal grant awarded to the Lugar Center for Rural Health at Union Hospitalin July 2015. The grant to be used over a five-year-period from Department of Health and Human Services supports important training in geriatric medicine that will help improve care for Indiana’s rapidly expanding senior population. Joe supported the Lugar Center at Union Hospital’s application for a federal grant to enhance training and increase the number of primary care doctors serving seniors. Award Amount: $1,037,000

HealthLinc South Bend: Joe supported a federal grant that was awarded to HealthLinc Community Health Centers to open a preventative and primary health care clinic in South Bend on the campus of Indiana University-South Bend. He wrote a letter of support for the clinic and HealthLinc was awarded a Health Resources and Services Administration grant in May 2015. The clinic will focus on delivering health care to underserved residents in the area, including those who face financial challenges accessing health care, obstacles accessing transportation, or other restrictions.  In addition, its partnership with Indiana University-South Bend will expand educational opportunities for students who want to pursue careers in health care. Award Amount: $1,050,000

Ivy Tech Wabash Valley Precision Agricultural Equipment Technology Center of Excellence: With Joe’s help, Ivy Tech Community College Wabash Valley received federal funding to help build the Precision Agricultural Equipment Technology Center of Excellence. Hoosier students will gain access to skills and training needed to find a local, good paying job in the agriculture industry. Joe wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce supporting the application. The April 2017 award came from the Economic Development Administration’s grant program, which will expand Ivy Tech’s vocational training curriculum to include training related to planting crops, applying fertilizer, harvesting, and other farming operations. Award Amount: $1,181,047

The City of Nappanee: With Joe’s support, the City of Nappanee received a major grant and low-interest loan package from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development to upgrade its sewer overflow systems. Joe wrote a letter of support for the grant, which was awarded in September 2014. The funding package includes $15,345,000 in low-interest rate loans as well as a $12,865,000 grant. This project will allow the city to upgrade its sewage systems to satisfy federal requirements while reducing the financial burden to the community. Award Amount: $28,210,000

Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault: Joe supported the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault’s (ICESA) successful application to secure federal grant funding for their “Ending College Campus Sexual Assault” plan. Joe wrote a letter of support and also worked with ICESA to help the organization expedite the process to get their nonprofit status approved so they could be eligible to apply for federal funds. ICESA will use the federal grant to partner with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, IUPUI, Marian University, University of Indianapolis, Franklin College, DePauw University, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IUPUC, Butler University, Purdue University, St. Mary’s College, and several domestic and sexual violence prevention nonprofit organizations to develop a comprehensive training and communications program targeted toward students. Award Amount: $214,070

Anderson SAFER Grant: With Joe’s support, the Anderson Fire Department received over $1.2 million in federal funding in January 2014 to hire and train additional firefighters. Joe expressed his support for the application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The grant money helped the Anderson Fire Department re-hire three firefighters they had laid off due to lack of funds. Rehiring these firefighters has greatly enhanced Anderson Fire Department’s ability to serve the community much more safely and efficiently, the fire chief said. Award Amount: $1,246,210