Business news: Hoosier Homestead award winners and back pain clinical trial

VU grad wins Fulbright grant

Micah Koppang, a 2025 Valparaiso University graduate, has been selected for a Fulbright scholarship.

Koppang, a Spanish major with a minor in political science who previously studied in Chile, is expected to go to the Asunción metropolitan area of Paraguay to be an English teaching assistant from February to December 2026, according to a release.

Koppang is among a select number of U.S. citizens who earned opportunities to study, conduct research and teach abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as a record of service and leadership in their respective fields, the release said.

Low back pain subject of clinical trial

Lakeshore Bone and Joint Institute has been selected as one of the 45 U.S. sites for a new clinical study evaluating the use of mesenchymal precursor cells (a type of stem cells) in subjects with moderate to severe chronic low back pain, a release said.

The study involves seven visits to Dr. Dwight Tyndall’s office. Participants who complete all the study-required assessments can receive up to $1,575 as a reimbursement for time and travel for the study, the release said.

Those interested in seeing if they qualify for participation can contact Tyndall’s office at 219- 250-5035. Information regarding the clinical trial and eligibility criteria can be found at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06325566).

Innovators announce ‘25 awards lunch event

Registration is open for the Purdue Northwest Society of Innovators 2025 Innovators Awards Luncheon, starting at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 29 at Avalon Manor Banquet Center, 3550 E. Lincoln Highway, Merrillville, a release said.

Now in its 20th year, the annual awards focus on the spirit of creativity and ingenuity by discovering, honoring and celebrating innovators from across the seven-county region of Northwest Indiana, the release said.

The 2025 Innovators Awards winners will be officially recognized and inducted into the Society of Innovators during the event. Registration is open. Individual tickets are $50 and table sponsorships of 10 may be purchased for $600. Additional sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information and to register, visit www.pnw.edu/soi or contact Jason Williams at jawilliams@pnw.edu.

YWCA of NWI to host October gala

The YWCA of NWI will host its annual Circle of Friends Gala at 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana at 5400 W. 29th Ave. in Gary, according to a release.

Samantha Chatman of ABC 7 Chicago will again serve as the celebrity host. Keeping with Circle of Friends tradition, organizers will honor several individuals who have shown support to the YWCA of NWI and their community. The YWCA of NWI honor distinguished awardees including Judge Deidre Monroe, Circle of Vision Award; Shelice Tolbert, attorney, Women who Lead Award; Denise Dillard, Safe Futures Award and Susan Watkins, YWCA NWI Longevity Award.

In addition, organizers will present the Earline Rogers Trailblazer Award, in honor of the late former state senator and YWCA board member emerita, to Chelsea Whittington, CEO of C WHITT PR and longtime publicist for the YWCA of NWI.

Tickets to the Circle of Friends Gala are available for purchase as well a variety of sponsorship opportunities which can be found at https://2025ywcanwicof.swell.gives/

Franciscan to host doula workshop in Crown Point

Franciscan Health Crown Point is hosting a DONA International Birth Doula workshop over two weekends in October, according to a release.

Doulas are trained professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their clients before, during and shortly after childbirth. A doula may help communicate a woman’s birth plan, create a comfortable environment during delivery or simply provide the general support a family may seek during this pivotal time. A doula does not perform clinical tasks, the release said.

The $600 doula workshop will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4-5 and Oct. 18-19 at Franciscan Health Crown Point, 12750 St. Francis Drive. Participants must be 18 years old or older and attend all four days of classes to receive a certificate of completion.

Registration is available online and must be completed by Sept. 22. For more information, call 219-746-9134.

95 family farms honored with Hoosier Homestead Award

Longevity is paying off for family farms in Lake and Porter counties with the Hoosier Homestead Award.

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb presented 95  farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture recently at the Indiana State Fair, a release said.

In Lake County, the Oldendorf farm, which was started in 1851, was honored for reaching its sesquicentennial. The Kuehl farm in Porter County, which was started in 1874, also received its sesquicentennial designation.

Indiana farms may qualify for three honors: Centennial Award for 100 years of ownership, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years of ownership and the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership. Eight Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award.

Merrillville preschool program accredited

The Merrillville Community School Corp’s. Preschool/Head Start Program has received accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, a release said.

The NAEYC Accreditation is the mark of quality in early childhood education, demonstrating that the preschool program meets rigorous standards in areas such as curriculum quality, teaching practices, family engagement and health and safety, the release said.

NAEYC accreditation is a voluntary process that involves a comprehensive review of program quality, including classroom observations, staff qualifications and program policies. Only programs that meet all of NAEYC’s criteria are awarded accreditation, which is valid for five years. For more information, contact Christine Waugh
at 219-756-5940.

Kouts wins $10K national grant

The Kouts Volunteer Fire Department was among seven volunteer departments in Indiana to receive a $10,000 grant from State Farm and the National Volunteer Fire Council, according to a release.

Funding will be used for equipment to help keep the emergency personnel safe and protect their communities. Through this year’s Good Neighbor Firefighter Safety Program, 150 departments in 44 states received the grant, including seven departments in Indiana.

In Indiana, other departments receiving the grant include: Jennings Township Volunteer Fire Department, Austin; Manilla Volunteer Fire Department, Monroe Township Cowan Volunteer Fire Department, Muncie; Owen Township Volunteer Fire Department, Norman; Palmyra Fire Department and St. Anthony Volunteer Fire Department.

PNW awarded $1.8M fed funding

Purdue University Northwest  has received $1.8 million in renewed federal funding that will support resources for first-generation and low-income students, as well as students living with disabilities, through its TRIO Student Support Services program, according to a release.

The program assists eligible PNW students with comprehensive services that support their college journeys through graduation and preparation for entering the workforce or graduate school. Approximately 200 PNW students are served through TRIO SSS at the university, the release said.