• Congratulations to Irvingtonian Char Ottinger for being awarded the Carolyn Helman Licktenberg Crest Award for Professional Achievement by Pi Beta Phi. The honor is given to recognize those who have positively impacted their communities through professional and volunteer service.
• Otterbein UMC’s push to load up supplies to go to Honduras was a big success on Dec. 12. Thank you to all the volunteers that made the heavy lifting lighter.
• Billboards around town have gone up with art, not advertising. The Arts Council of Indianapolis and Reagan Outdoor Advertising has taken 10 works of art by Indiana artists and placed them around the city and in surrounding counties. You can vote for your favorite and the artist will receive $500 and have their work displayed on digital billboards. Visit indyarts.org and go to the Public Art tab and see the High Art Billboard Project.
• The Office of Public Health and Safety is seeking information for the project Food|Comida|Rawl 317: A Vision for Nourishing and Sustaining Our Indianapolis Communities. The project will collect information to better help residents access food. Visit foodcomidarawl317.com to take the survey.
• If you want a behind-the-scenes look at the restoration of the Bottleworks building at Mass Ave. and 10th, Indiana Landmarks will be offering a virtual talk about it on Thursday, Jan. 28 at noon. It is free, but registration is required. Visit preservinghistoricalplaces.regfox/bottleworks to sign up.
• The Office of Community and Rural Affairs recently awarded a grant to the City of Beech Grove for repairs to the sanitary sewer system. The agency provided $600,000 to the city to fix the aging system.
• Indianapolis Public Library has shifted to a new service model, where only curbside service and computer use are allowed. The Glendale branch will only have curbside service (no computers). Other locations may close temporarily without notice for deep cleaning. All IndyPL locations will be closed in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 18.
• According to a Ball State University researcher, nearly 41% of restaurants and bars are reporting financial difficulties and may be forced to close due to COVID-19 and state/local restrictions in place to help stop the spread of the virus. Our mom-and-pop places need our help to stay open — the folks who own these places are our neighbors who have poured their hearts into their businesses. Most offer take-out service, if you are uncomfortable dining in the building. Check out our restaurant advertisers and patronize them whenever possible!
• Scammers are very active this year, with the latest being a call from “IPL” (or a number that looks like IPL) threatening to cut off your electricity within the hour for non-payment. Then they are very specific about the kinds of payment they will take (usually a pre-paid debit card). Call IPL at 317-261-8222 for verification of any communication and account updates.