In the News
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected the East Chicago Calumet Coalition Community Advisory Group Inc. to receive funding to conduct community air quality monitoring in Indiana. The grant is one of 132 air monitoring projects in 37 states that will receive $53.4 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and American Rescue Plan to enhance air quality monitoring in communities across the United States.
Many AFSCME members work in high-stress fields such as public safety, health care, emergency medical services and firefighting. Their jobs have become even more stressful since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many of these workers to put their and their families’ well-being at risk while serving their communities.
But when these everyday heroes face mental health issues as a result of the high-stress environment and duties that expose them to trauma, they are often expected to deal with such challenges on their own.
It’s time to change that.
Working in a bipartisan fashion with government officials and community stakeholders is the surest pathway to create successful accomplishments that support economic development. Together, members of Congress have worked hard to bring communities together and support individuals and families to improve their station in life.
Indiana is home to incredible economic assets, and I am proud that Congress was able to deliver critical funding for infrastructure projects to create more good-paying job opportunities and invest in our community’s quality of life.
Upon taking office in 2020, Congressman Frank Mrvan, a Democrat representing Indiana’s First Congressional District, jumped right into the cybersecurity fray — with a special emphasis on cyber defense for U.S. veterans.
Today, FAITH CDC (Families Anchored in Total Harmony, Inc.) hosted a press conference to highlight a $500,000 grant that the organization received from USDA to develop a FAITH Food Is Medicine (FFIM) program in Gary.
“These funds will allow us to use fresh produce to battle against heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other ailments that impact communities of color,” said Pastor Curtis Whittaker, Founder of FAITH CDC.
Crown Point Fire Rescue will be able to add seven firefighters, thanks to a federal grant. The department has been awarded $2.26 million through FEMA's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.
"It's a great day in Crown Point, Indiana," U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, told city officials and firefighter/paramedics.
The crowd gathered Tuesday morning to celebrate Crown Point Fire Rescue receiving a $2.26 million grant through the FEMA-Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, program.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh touted federal infrastructure and job training investments during a visit to Indianapolis and northern Indiana Wednesday.
The secretary’s first stop, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD), received more $150 million in federal fiscal year 2022 appropriations for projects that aim to boost rail service.
Zachary Trunk works in the district’s Michigan City maintenance shop and is chairman and president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union, local 2355.
On September 27, 2022, the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana announced that it is granting $425,000 to Families Anchored in Total Harmony, Inc. (Faith CDC). Thanks to the support of the Feeding in America Food Security Equity Fund, these critical dollars will be used for program expansion and the creation of a freezing operation to extend the life of fresh produce grown on Faith CDC’s urban farm located at 656 Carolina in Gary.
Stakeholders take steps to ensure steelmaking has solid future in Indiana
When it comes to steelmaking, no other state in the U.S. makes more than Indiana.
With about 27% of the nation’s steel produced in the Hoosier state, Indiana is the country’s steelmaking capital.
“Indiana is the largest state on an annual basis for steel production, and it has been for decades,” said Timothy Gill, chief economist of the American Iron and Steel Institute.
For more than a century, the steel industry has been a big player in the Region’s economy, and for good reason.