A special guest made a trip down to Jasper this week.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb was the keynote speaker for the Jasper Chamber of Commerce annual meeting on Tuesday and says it felt good to be back.
“I love the outdoors. There are very few places on planet Earth that rival Southern Indiana’s beauty, especially right now during the seasonal change. Being able to take in some good fresh air is good for the soul and spirit,” he says.
Governor Holcomb also updated the community leaders on several projects, including the status of the Midstates Corridor Project. It is anticipated to begin at State Road 66 near the William H. Natcher Bridge crossing the Ohio River at Rockport, continue through the Huntingburg and Jasper areas, and extend north to connect to Interstate 69.
Holcomb says multiple routes are still under review.
“It is expected that they will have it narrowed down by the early part of next year. And then it goes into the federal process,” he says.
Another topic discussed was a bipartisan infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress. Holcomb says this package is expected to give the Hoosier state another $100 million for broadband projects.
When asked about how this could impact the community, this was the governor’s response.
“I was just talking with some city leaders about the City of Jasper and the investments they have made in broadband internet connections. Having a city that is connected is not just an asset, but it is a huge advantage. And as we continue to make investments into broadband internet in the state of Indiana, it will be further leveraged with local communities like Dubois County,” he says.
Speaking of Dubois County, the community and surrounding areas were recently awarded community crossings grants. Holcomb explains what this means for the area.
“First and for most, it’s about safety. And making sure that we have the local infrastructure that is really the platform on which all of commerce is conducted on. And whether that means you are driving the kids to school or ball game, or trucks that are delivering packages throughout the country, we need to have the local network,” Holcomb says.
The governor says the grant program is a team effort.
“This used to be an annual program when it first started. It was the local, city, and county leadership that came to us and said it would be helpful if the state of Indiana broke this up into two packages, so we could complete projects and not compete against each other for such a massive amount of work all at once. And so it is another example of not just having good relations, but being smart and efficient of how we partner with the very foundation of our state,” Holcomb says.
An individual in the community was recognized this afternoon for contributing their time, talents, or resources to the Jasper community.
2021 President’s Community Excellence Award went to Dr. Dean Beckman of Memorial Hospital.
