~by Dr. Larry DeBoer, Purdue University Forecasts? Don’t talk about forecasts. You kidding me?  I just want to know what’s happening now! With apologies to Jim Mora, that’s our problem. What’s happening in our economy, right now? In the first week of March, we’d have answered that gross domestic product above inflation grew 2.4 percent …

~ by Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader and Extension Specialist for Sustainable Communities – Purdue Extension The new online Tipping Point Planner course teaches almost anyone involved in land use planning or water quality issues how to use the tool to examine past and predicted land use changes, identify environmental threats, define natural resource assets …

~by Heather Strohm, Purdue Extension Regional Educator, and Community Development – Purdue University In the midst of the pandemic, economic environments have shifted significantly. Competitiveness has increased tenfold, businesses are examining how to gain market share as storefronts become ghost towns, and e-commerce activity gains momentum. Striving to keep innovation and modern technology within a …

~ by Michael Wilcox, Assistant Director & Program Leader for Community Development, Purdue Extension During the last six months, many individuals, organizations, and institutions have been stretched to their limits in terms of leadership, resources, teamwork, relationship-building, and collaboration. Somewhat similar to our experience during the Great Recession, everyone has had to make decisions on …

This year has given all community development educators a reason to tune into the expertise of the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). Registration is now open for EDEN’s virtual Annual Meeting scheduled for Sept. 22-25, 2020. And, according to its organizers Abby Lillpop and Cheyanne Geideman, you’re not going to want to miss what Extension professionals …

~by Heather Strohm, Purdue Extension Regional Educator History has a way of repeating itself. Within the world of fashion, mullets have reappeared in adolescents. Men are wearing shorter, tighter shorts as they did in the Magic Johnson era. Home decorating trends and business practices are following the same patterns. Just as the clock ticks along, …

~by Melinda Grismer, Community Development Specialist, Purdue Center for Regional Development A Latino Health Needs & Workforce Assessment study has launched in Clinton County as a collaboration between the Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC), the Purdue Center for Regional Development (PCRD), the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) at West Lafayette, Purdue Polytechnic, the Learning …

On April 30, when Lt. Governor Crouch announced that 61 communities had received COVID-19 response funds, Blackford County was among them because of the organizing efforts of Community Development Extension. Educator Cheri Brown, new to her 50% CD appointment as of January 2020, convened the meeting with local elected officials, helped to gather the information/specifics …

~by Dr. Larry DeBoer, Purdue University Rents are falling in San Francisco. Keep that in mind as this column wanders along. The wizards in Harry Potter’s Britain use many forms of transportation. Brooms, but also floo powder, portkeys, flying vehicles, the Night Bus. Perhaps the most frequently used form of transportation, and certainly the most …