CARES Act

Small businesses in Indiana are one step closer to having access to additional financial aid from the state. House Bill 1004, passed by the Indiana House Tuesday, will provide funds to help small businesses that have been hit hard during the pandemic.

NORTHWEST INDIANA-Indiana Small Business have until Friday (January 22) to apply for a Restart Grant.

The Indiana Small Business Restart Fund provides eligible Indiana small businesses the opportunity to seek reimbursement for qualified business expenses, such as rent/mortgage payments, utilities, lease payments for real or personal property, and safety investments, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and infrastructure improvements.

Today:  Northwest Indiana financial advisor Greg Hammer is on "Regionally Speaking" with a look back at the important financial issues of 2020 and putting them in perspective as we look into 2021. Pangere Corp. safety coordinator Don Hancock also talks about his work with a Purdue University Northwest construction science and leadership class on giving students some "real world" experience thay can use when they begin their careers. They created a PowerPoint presentation that can be used to train others on OSHA and other safety training procedures.

Indiana officials said they’re allocating an additional $25 million from the CARES Act towards the state’s Next Level Jobs program. The program offsets the costs of certain types of training for workers and employers.

More than $61 million in federal funding from the CARES Act is making its way into Indiana schools to support remote learning needs.

Today:  Northwest Indiana financial advisor Greg Hammer is with us to talk about an important deadline coming up, for anyone who withdrew funds from retirement accounts under the terms of the CARES Act during this pandemic -- and now wants to return that money to the retirement accounts.  Porter County veterinarian Dr. Larry McAfee and Porter County Parks and Recreation superintendent Walter Lenckos join us from Sunset Hill Farm, outside Valparaiso, to talk about a donation of antique veterinary instruments used by his father Dr. John McAfee during his time as Sunset Hill Farm's veterinarian from the 1940s to 1960s.  The farm is now a Porter County park.  And we have post-speech comments from state Representative Earl Harris Jr of East Chicago, the vice-chairman of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus about Governor Eric Holcomb's proposed plan to address racial inequity in Indiana.  The proposal includes creation of a new state government position.

U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) says talks over another federal coronavirus relief package remain at an impasse.

Indiana says it has spent – or committed to spending – less than $1 billion in federal CARES Act money out of the $2.4 billion it’s received.

The Indiana Governor’s Workforce Cabinet says it’s expanding the state’s Next Level Jobs program with $37 million from the CARES Act. It’s a major part of the state’s strategy to help Hoosiers recover from pandemic-related job losses.

Indiana schools will have access to a grant program aimed at improving remote learning. The $61.6 million for the state-run program comes from the federal CARES Act.

The Indiana Governor’s Workforce Cabinet is getting more than two million dollars to support the state’s Rapid Recovery Plan. It’s intended to help with workforce training programs and career coaching in light of the pandemic.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says some out-of-work Hoosiers will now have access to an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits starting the week ending July 4. In total, it means that between state and federal measures, unemployed workers could access up to a year’s worth of benefits.

The state announced a grant program to help small businesses that weren’t able to secure funding from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. 

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's latest guidance on emergency relief money for K-12 schools has education leaders puzzled. The U.S. Department of Education's recent directive means private schools will get a larger share of emergency aid funding – while low-income schools will get less.

George Hamlin is the Director of Grants for Indiana Humanites joined “Regionally Speaking” host Chris Nolte to discuss the more than $ 500,000 in federal funding relief available for organizations through the CARES Act.

“Regionally Speaking” host Chris Nolte has a conversation with Barbara Quandt a NFIB State Director in Indiana about small businesses still urgently awaiting financial assistance via the Paycheck Protection Program. Jason Smith, the owner of Car Care in Merrillville joins in the discussion to offer insight how the application process has been both stressful as well as frustrating.  

Regionally Speaking” host Chris Nolte talks NWI financial advisor Greg Hammer about Hammer about how several provisions in the CARES Act Stimulus package impact anyone with a retirement account. 

The Department of Workforce Development gave updates Wednesday on Facebook Live about how the federal CARES Act has changed unemployment insurance benefits for Hoosiers. More than 7,000 people tuned in online.

Indiana will receive millions of dollars in education funding under the federal CARES Act – the stimulus package to help mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. And while state officials and finance experts in the state say it's appreciated, it will likely have to be just the start.