A partnership between Ivy Tech Community College and Purdue Global, will offer credit for Hoosier college students to take a short module to learn to “disagree better.”
According to Ivy Tech, these trainings are designed to “increase Americans' abilities to build dialogue, bridge divides and find common ground.”
It’s called Disagree Better and is a growing national effort to improve discussion over contentious issues.
In Indiana, both Ivy tech and Purdue Global are partnering with the office of Gov. Eric Holcomb, state agencies and business and community leaders to create a four-week four-module course.
The course will be delivered as a micro credential, piloted in the fall at both institutions.
At the end of the training, students will earn a badge they can add to their Indiana Achievement Wallet.
This micro credential will be able to reach dual credit, traditional and working learners.
This is a program of the National Governors Association. This is a growing /national/ effort to improve discussion over contentious issues.
Programs already exist in Colorado and Maryland. The 2024 Disagree Better event was held in Nashville.
Governor Eric Holcomb’s office is involved, along with Hoosier businesses and community organizations.
Broadband access is being expanded for residents and businesses in 708 locations across Indiana, including those in Dubois, Perry and Spencer Counties.
The Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) announced the next round of broadband access grants for rural Hoosier households and businesses.
This is funded by $3.3 million from the Indiana Connectivity Program.
It aims to “connect residents and businesses that lack access to broadband internet service with service providers and assist in the expense of extending broadband to those locations.”
This is the 10th round of awards with more than 30 counties across the state represented.
Locally, there are 21 addresses in Spencer County, 10 in Perry County and five in Dubois County that will receive broadband access through local internet providers.
The total investment in those countries is just under $160,000 to extend broadband internet to 36 addresses.
Overall there are 11 internet providers across the state receiving grant funding to install broadband access. They also provided matching funds.
OCRA is part of the office of Lt Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who said via news release, “this investment will greatly improve quality of life across the state , especially in our rural communities.”
Applications for these grants are accepted on a rolling basis.
The City of Owensboro Kentucky has recently adopted an Emergency Operations Plan. This plan is a framework of cooperation between Daviess County and the city of Whitesville in the case of an emergency event.
An example of such an emergency could be dam failure or hazardous materials incidents or severe weather such as extreme dangerous heat.
These can include natural disasters or man-made incidents, such as a terror attack or civil disobedience.
The plan was designed to bring government officials, industry, commerce, non-governmental organizations and Daviess County citizens together for the protection of the county and beyond.
The plan puts both cities under the leadership of the county and integrates Whitesville and Owensboro resources.
Overall the stated purpose or goal of the plan is to save lives, protect the natural environment and protect property — in that order.
The plan is an “all-hazards plan” and it outlines all elements of the community and their responsibilities in an emergency.
The planning document was presented to the city in the spring and was adopted July 16. It will be revised annually. It follows both state and national guidelines.
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