Ivy Tech Information Session coming to Rushville August 1st

Wanting to Start College this fall? Or maybe just take a class or two? Ivy Tech Community College Richmond admissions staff and advisors will be at Rushville Public Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday August 1, providing information on admissions requirements, financial aid, classes and degree/certificate programs and registering current students for the fall semester that starts Aug. 19. Those unable to attend and have questions should contact Stephanie Hill Alexander at 1-800-659-4562 Ext. 1216.

Rush County Pioneer Engineers Club “Steam Show” this weekend

The Pioneer Engineers Club 65th Annual Reunion is Thursday Aug. 1st to Sunday Aug. 4th. It will be held at Caldwell Pioneer Acres, 3707 S 200 W, Rushville. Daily activities include: Parade, Working Line-Shaft Machine Shop, Entertainment, Saw-milling, Field events, Threshing, Corn Shelling, Calliope, Horsepower test, Baling, Broom making and more! They expect 25+ Large Steam Engines, 300+ Tractors, Large variety of gas engines, 100+ Flea Market vendors, and plenty of good food. This is a fun annual event for all ages. Be sure to visit www.rushvillerepublican.com or www.pioneerengineers.com for complete listings.

Partners for Progress to Host “Dream Walk” in downtown Rushville

ECDC is working with Partners for Progress, a group of Rush County residents who are making an effort to maximize all the positives of our county and to address areas of concern as well.
One of our projects is to assess the needs of the downtown district of Rushville. Your presence is requested on July 15, 2013. We will meet at 6:00 at the Chamber of Commerce to begin this project by taking a “Dream Walk”. Empty buildings in the area bounded by Perkins, Water, the railroad, and Morgan streets will be marked. We ask that you dream of how these spaces could be used by placing a sticky note with your idea on the storefront. You will be asked to envision the ideal components of a small, rural downtown. For example, do we need a specific kind of business or service in Rushville? Are there amenities you’d like to see in the downtown area? Green space? Parking? Demolition? Don’t forget to look up – how could the second stories of existing buildings be used? What kind of downtown would you like to see, building by building, lot by lot? Come share your ideas!
Partners for Progress has been working diligently on several community projects. The information gained from this walk will be used for planning and grant-writing purposes. We appreciate your willingness to help. It will take input from everyone to make Rushville a vibrant community once again. If you cannot attend this event, please share your ideas with us by filling out a form that can be picked up and dropped off at the Rushville Republican office at 126 S. Main, or the Mayor’s Office, 133 W. First St.
Date: July 15. Rain Date: July 22. Begin walk at Chamber of Commerce, 315 N. Main, at 6:00 pm. Please call Jason Clemmons at 561-2777 with questions.

ECDC Announces 1st Recipient of Small Business Development Loan Program

The City of Rushville recently assisted Gettinger Family Custom Meats, Inc. (GFCM) with a Small Business Loan Program loan for the purchase of refrigerators, meat cutting equipment and working capital.  GFCM currently operates a custom processing plant and retail shop located approximately 7 miles outside city limits.  The business currently does custom meat processing of beef, lamb and other animals.  They sell retail meat over the counter at their current location.  The loan will help GFCM open a retail business in the city limits of Rushville at 301 S. Main Street as location.

“It has been said that ‘An entrepreneur assumes the risk and is dedicated and committed to the success of whatever he or she undertakes,’” said Rushville Mayor Mike Pavey.  “This business will be a wonderful asset to our downtown and help create local job opportunities for the residents of Rushville.”  Pictured are Councilman Bob Bridges, Tyler Gettinger, Sam Gettinger, Lisa Gettinger, ECDC Chairman Terry Jobe, ECDC President John McCane, Mayor Pavey, and ECDC Client Services Manager Carolyn Bunzendahl.  The new custom meat shop will be located at 301 South Main Street and a projected opening date of June 11, 2013. 

The city and ECDC has additional funds available through the City of Rushville Small Business Development Loan Program which is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Rural Business Enterprise Grant program. The grant to the city is designed to provide loan assistance as an incentive for business expansion, job retention and creation, and private investment in rural areas of Indiana.

“Gettinger Family Custom Meats is a perfect fit for our community,” said ECDC President John McCane.  “These funds are designated to help start-up businesses create jobs, and we want other people considering a new business in Rush County to know that we are here to help.”

The loan program is an Equal Opportunity Program, open it to all qualified businesses located or locating within the corporate limits of the City of Rushville. The goal of the program is to help local businesses obtain capital in an effort to create or retain jobs in the City of Rushville. A qualified business is one that meets the definition of “small and emerging private business enterprises” defined as “any private business that will employ 50 or fewer new employees and has less than $1 million in projected gross revenues annually.”  At least 51 percent of the outstanding interest in the applicant business must be owned by those who are either citizens of the United States or reside in the United States after being legally admitted for permanent residence.

The ECDC also has a revolving loan program for those interested outside the City of Rushville.

Please call the Rushville Community and Economic Development Corporation at 765-938-3232 assistance, additional information, and to answer any questions regarding this funding.