Rolando Trentini

The U.S. Department of Energy has approved the state's proposal to use nearly $132 million in federal stimulus funding to help more than 30,000 low-income Hoosier households. Within the next two weeks, auditors will begin evaluating residences to determine energy needs. The state says it has trained 190 energy auditors and 483 contractors. Following the audit, homeowners may receive energy savings equipment including programmable thermostats, insulation, new furnaces or hot water heaters.

The state's energy conservation proposal to use nearly $132 million in federal stimulus funding to help more than 30,000 low-income Hoosier households has been approved by the U.S. Department of Energy.

"We appreciate the department giving the green light to our program. We're eager to get going," said Governor Mitch Daniels. "Our goal is to lower utility costs for as many people as possible as quickly as possible, putting a dent in Indiana's overall energy consumption along the way."

This new program, combined with annual weatherization programs operated by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), will be 11 times the total of all current annual weatherization programs. New non-profit partners such as the Rural Electric Member Cooperatives (REMC) and the Indiana Builders Association, Inc., will be involved for the first time.

Within the next two weeks, energy auditors will begin evaluations of households to determine energy needs. To date, the state has trained 190 energy auditors and 483 contractors. The state will have exceeded its training goals by the end of September.

Eligible households, which must be at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, will be notified of their participation. Those who have already qualified for the state's Energy Assistance Program will be contacted, and priority will be given to elderly and disabled residents and families with children.

Following the audit, homeowners may receive energy savings equipment such as programmable thermostats, insulation, new furnaces or hot water heaters. A state quantity purchasing plan will be used to purchase those materials in bulk using the state's Buy Indiana initiative, to the extent allowable by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act legislation.

"The Obama administration has flagged weatherization as its number one concern for potential fraud under its stimulus package. While stretching dollars to reach more households, central purchasing will eliminate the chance for fraud or cronyism on the materials front," said Sherry Seiwert, executive director of IHCDA.

Expenditures of up to $5,000 per household will be made. It is expected that about 2,000 contractors will be used to complete the work in Indiana households.

Earlier this year, the IHCDA sought bids and selected non-profit entities from throughout Indiana to administer funds and oversee completion of the first half of the energy conservation work for $55 million. The contracts with 30 service providers will be performance based; measurements will include how much conservation is achieved per dollar spent, and renewal will depend on each provider's results.

A list of the selected service providers may be found at this link: http://www.in.gov/ihcda/files/Press_Release_ecp_service_providers.pdf

Source: Office of the Governor http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=37411

The former Welborn Baptist Hospital building in downtown Evansville is headed to the auction block.
St. Mary's owns the building, but officials said they haven't used it for anything in three years.
And, now the hospital system wants out.
The biggest part of the property is this hospital building and the land it's on.
But, St. Mary's is also including two other disconnected parking lots.
Kurtz Auction and Realty is running the bid process.
Interested parties can make bids through October 22.
And, there will be a final decision on October 28.
Tim Flesch, St. Mary's CEO, said he doesn't know if anyone's interested yet nor how much money people would be willing to pay for the site.
And, Jason Blue, with Kurtz, said there's no minimum bid.
So, if high bid is one dollar, then that's how much the winner will pay for the property.
Commercial developers across the region are now asking themselves if they can make a profit by owning the old Welborn Baptist Hospital.
The medical system is eager to get it off the books.
St. Mary's spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on it each year.
And, the building hasn't even been used since 2006.
"We do pay real estate taxes on it. I don't know those numbers," Flesch said. "We still have it insured. We maintain the grass and the facility and the building. And, we have heat, light, power still on at the levels necessary to maintain the building."
But, how much the property costs for St. Mary's to own right now and how much its worth to a commercial developer could be two very different numbers.
"There's some value there," said Jason Blue, with Kurtz Auction and Realty. "But, it's tough to determine what that value is."
The bids will determine exactly what that value is, especially because there's no minimum bid.
Commercial developers FOX 7 spoke with had mixed feelings about the property.
Some said it was a good building with a lot of potential.
Others said there are so many questions about the property they'd be hesitant about bidding.
One of the potential issues in selling this property is that the Welborn building actually shares some of its utilities with the one next door. And, that one isn't on the auction block nor owned by St. Mary's. Just think about that. What if you and your next door neighbor had the same furnace to heat your homes?
Another possible issue, it was built as a hospital.
Moving forward, the new owner can't use it that way.
"We don't believe we need another acute care facility in town, another acute care hospital. So, a restriction is that it can't be turned into that," said Flesch.
But, that doesn't exclude the possibility of putting in a nursing home or assisted living facility - the path that might be easiest for a developer to handle.
Speaking of nursing home facilities, there's one that's been in the news a lot recently, Riverwalk Communities, which currently uses the McCurdy Building.
The plan is to move the residents to the old Knights of Columbus building.
Ben Kunkel, whose company is working that space, said going into this space instead is not a realistic option.

Source: http://tristatehomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=92401

Americans may want to check their sweaters and shovels - the Farmers' Almanac is predicting a cold winter.

The 2010 edition of the venerable almanac goes on sale Tuesday. It predicts numbing cold from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians.

Managing Editor Sandi Duncan says it's going to be an "ice cold sandwich," with milder weather on the coasts.

The Maine-based almanac issues forecasts based sunspots, planetary positions and the effects of the moon.

The National Weather Service is calling for a warmer-than-normal winter because of an El Nino weather system that has developed in the Pacific Ocean.

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/31/farmers-almanac-says-itll-be-cold-winter-here/

According to published reports, the Internal Revenue Service is more closely examining how taxpayers are reporting mortgage interest deductions.

The IRS is reportedly examining some returns with high deductions for mortgage interest and enforcing obscure rules that most home owners and many accountants could be unfamiliar with.

The calculations are very complex and rely on precise records that some home owners may have trouble producing

Experts advise home buyers who have borrowed more than $1 million in mortgages and home equity loans since 1987, the year deductibility limits were enacted, to consult a tax expert because the newest loan may not be tax deductible.

Source: Investment News Daily, Art Auerbach (08/25/2009)

Source: http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2009082606?OpenDocument

Holiday World's top-ranked wooden roller coaster, The Voyage, will be featured Wednesday night as part of The Travel Channel's "Extreme" series.

The show will repeat on Friday and Sunday.

The one-hour episode, called "Extreme Terror Rides," will premiere Wednesday at 7 p.m. CDT. The show will feature top thrill rides from around the world. The Voyage is currently ranked the No. 1 Wooden Coaster on the Planet by Amusement Today magazine.

The show will air again at 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Sunday. The Travel Channel is Cable 59 on the Henderson Insight line-up

Source: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/sep/01/holiday-worlds-voyage-featured-travel-channel-wedn/?partner=RSS