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By Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI)

Summer will be gone before we know it, so take advantage of this perfect time to explore the Indiana Uplands. Enjoy summer fun whether you’re underground, on the water, or at a drive-in movie theater. The Uplands offers plenty of activities while the temperatures are warm and the sun is shining!

To help you plan your summer adventures, we’ve created a uniquely Uplands bucket list! Here are some of our favorite spots to visit and enjoy during the summer. We hope you love them as much as we do!

1. Marengo Caves

Feeling hot, hot, hot? Cool off underground in the Uplands at the most visited natural attraction in Indiana: Marengo Caves in Crawford County! This natural gem is perfect for a visit in the summer when the weather is hot as it maintains a year-round temperature of 52 degrees. You can explore the cave all year! How cool is that? In addition to the Crystal Palace and Dripstone Trail cave tours, there are some amazing activities above ground including go-karts and putt-putt golf.

2. Wilstem Wildlife Park

Experience the ultimate thrill when you get up close and personal with majestic wildlife – and ride a zipline or two – at Wilstem Wildlife Park in Orange County! Elephants, sloths, giraffes, and otters – oh my! At Wilstem, you can visit with all these adorable animals and more! Go on a drive-thru safari in your own vehicle or catch a ride on Wilstem’s wagon to see the wildlife out in the open. Ready to go prehistoric? The recently added Dinosaur Safari features animated dinosaurs you can enjoy from your vehicle, too! Looking for more thrills? Ride a zipline or go horseback riding while you’re there! You can plan to spend an entire summer day at Wilstem alone! And maybe walk a way with a one-of-a-kind profile picture, too! Wilstem was recently nominated as one of the best animal encounters in the country by Newsweek. Cast your vote for them by July 31. The top animal encounter will be announced in August!

3. Patoka Lake Wine Cruise

Sipping a glass of wine as you soak in the sunset on a beautiful lake feels like a dream, but in the Indiana Uplands, it is a reality! Patoka Lake Wine Cruises happen all summer long on the Patoka Voyager cruise boat. Sunsets are paired with Indiana wines, d’oeuvres, and desserts. Taste delicious wines and forget about your worries for a while – only in the Uplands! Better hurry and book your spot for the last two cruises set to sail in August. While you’re there check out Patoka Lake Winery and the new Old Homestead Distilling Co. featuring a tasting room, gift shop, spirit slushies, craft cocktails, and distillery tours! There is also a new saloon, brewery, and a 28-room hotel, in case you feel like extending the Patoka Lake fun into the night!

4. Go putt-putting

Ready for a little friendly competition? Grab your crew and head to Hoosier Putt Hole in Monroe County or Freedom Fairway Miniature Golf in Lawrence County for a chance to get a hole-in-one with a side of FUN! These courses are packed with creatively designed obstacles that add an extra layer of excitement to every game. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time player, you’ll find something to enjoy. Perfect for all ages, a trip around these putt-putt courses promises laughter, fun, and memorable moments with family and friends. So, gather your group and embark on an adventure that blends challenge and amusement, creating unforgettable experiences for everyone!

5. Drive-in movie

Spend a warm summer night watching a movie under the stars in the Uplands! Did you know there are less than 300 drive-in theaters in the United States? Of those theaters, less than 20 are in Indiana! We are lucky in the Uplands to have THREE drive-in movie theaters hosting blockbuster nights under the stars all summer. Embrace nostalgia and enjoy the magic of movies from the comfort of your car by visiting Starlite Drive-In Theater in Monroe County, Holiday Drive-In in Lawrence County, and Cinema 67 Drive-In Theater in Owen County. Don’t forget the popcorn!

Be careful when activating your account if you’ve signed up for a streaming service, such as Netflix, Disney+, PBS Passport, or Hulu. Unfortunately, scammers are trying to steal login information and other personal data with fake websites that appear to come from the streaming service provider.

How the scam works

You purchased a subscription to a streaming service. To activate it, you need to log in on your web browser. A quick search reveals several links with the streaming service’s official name. You click on the first result.

However, the website doesn’t look quite right. For example, when you click the link, the site prompts you to update your web browser. Scammers have set up a lookalike website to trick you into downloading malware. If you click “Update” or any other button, you could download a virus that gives scammers access to your personal information. It’s best to close the page immediately.

Other times, when you click on the search result, you’re directed to a website that features your streaming service's official logo and branding. However, it looks a little (or sometimes a lot) different than what you remember. If you enter your user ID and password on a lookalike site, it goes to scammers' hands. These con artists then have the information they need to access your real account on the official website, and anywhere else you use that username and password.

How to avoid streaming service scams:

Always double-check that you are visiting an official website. Scammers can make fake websites look legitimate in search engine results, but they can’t copy a website’s official URL. Before you click on a website, look closely at the URL. Check that it is spelled correctly. Scammers hope you’ll overlook this and click without a second thought.

Be wary of ads and sponsored links. Sometimes scammers use ads to get their lookalike website to appear first in the search results. Remember, just because a website is at the top of the list doesn’t mean it’s the official website.

Be careful with your login information. Ensure you are on an official website before entering your username and password. Never enter this information into third-party websites. Keep in mind that legitimate customer service representatives generally do not ask for passwords over the phone or through email.

If you’ve been the victim of a scam, report it on BBB Scam Tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker. Your report can help expose scammers’ tactics and protect others from falling prey to the same con.

The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced it has awarded $3,521,351 to 338 nonprofits to fund arts projects and organizations around the state through the Arts Organization Support and Arts Project Support grant programs.

During its June 14 quarterly business meeting, the commission approved the funding recommendations for the two grant programs. Arts Organization Support grants operate on a two-year cycle and provide annual operating support for the ongoing artistic and administrative functions of eligible arts organizations. Arts Project Support grants provide funding of up to $4,000 to Indiana 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations and public entities for a specific arts project or arts activity(ies). 77 of Indiana’s 92 counties will receive funding through these grant programs, which are administered in partnership with the Commission's Regional Arts Partners.

Over $173,000 was awarded to the region surrounding Washington County. Receiving funds were the following:

CLARK COUNTY
Clarksville Little Theatre $7,376
Charlestown-Clark County Public Library $3,000
Jeffersonville Township Public Library $3,450
City of Jeffersonville - Public Art Commission $4,000
Ensembles Inc. $4,000

CRAWFORD COUNTY
Crawford County Community School Corp (West Crawford Elementary) $4,000

DUBOIS COUNTY
City of Jasper - Arts Department $15,745
Strings, Inc. $10,428

FLOYD COUNTY
Kentuckiana Association of Musicians and Singers dba Community Music Alliance $4,000
Town of Georgetown $4,000

HARRISON COUNTY
Harrison County Arts! Inc. $10,032
Lanesville Community School Corporation $4,000
Historical Society of Harrison County $4,000
Hayswood Theatre Group, Inc. $4,000
Zimmerman Glasstoberfest $4,000
Indian Creek Trail, Inc. $4,000
North Harrison Band Boosters $4,000

JACKSON COUNTY
Jackson County Community Theatre $4,000
Jackson County Public Library $4,000

JEFFERSON COUNTY
Friends of the Ohio Theatre, Inc. $13,823
Madison Area Arts Alliance $12,628
Ohio River Valley Folk Society $4,000
Madison Performing Arts Foundation $4,000
Jefferson County Veteran's Council $4,000

JENNINGS COUNTY
Perceptions Yoga, Mindfulness & Art, Inc. $9,407
Town of Vernon $4,000
Jennings County Historical Society (DBA: Our Heritage, Inc.) $4,000

LAWRENCE COUNTY
Bedford Public Library. $4,000

ORANGE COUNTY
Orange County Rehab (DBA First Chance Center) $3,500
Possibilities in Paoli $4,000
Let Music Speak $4,000

SCOTT COUNTY
Scottsburg Band Parent Association $4,000

“All across Indiana we have seen the positive impact that investing in arts and creativity has on quality of life,” said Anne Penny Valentine, Chair of the Indiana Arts Commission. “Each of the projects and organizations selected to receive funding are doing exceptional creative work in and for Hoosier communities. The Commission is excited and honored to support the work these organizations are doing to engage the public, develop their communities and encourage creativity across our state.”

In Fiscal Year 2024, changes to the Arts Organization Support program were made to decrease barriers in the application process, increase support to smaller and first-time applicants, and provide more meaningful award sizes to grant recipients through a field-driven input process. One resulting change was that all Arts Organizations Support grant recipients were approved for two years of grant funding, pending compliance with state and federal requirements. Arts Organization Support recipients did not have to apply for funding for the current Fiscal 2025 funding cycle.

Following are examples of arts organizations receiving Arts Organization Support awards:

The Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts of Warsaw in Kosciusko County dedicates itself to providing performing arts experiences that create community unity, educational opportunities, and economic growth. Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts provides their rural community with exceptional artistic performances in theatre, orchestra, and music, increases access to arts education services for youth, adults, and professionals, and strengthens the local economy through tourism and quality of place.
In Ripley County, the Batesville Area Arts Council is committed to promoting the arts by providing opportunities for artistic education, expression and enjoyment in Batesville and the surrounding area. The Batesville Area Arts Council supports arts education in Batesville schools, provides a Young Artist Showcase, hosts an Annual Community Arts Show, and leads a Summer Children’s Theatre Camp.

View all Arts Organization Support recipients.

Similar to Arts Organization Support, the Arts Project Support was modified in Fiscal Year 2025 to create a better applicant and grantee experience. The Arts Project Support program received a record number of applications for Fiscal Year 2024, with 322 applicants representing 71 Indiana counties. This applicant pool represented a 34% increase in applications from Fiscal Year 2024, with 115 Fiscal Year 2025 applicants being first-time applicants to the program.

In recognition of the increased interest in and need for Arts Project Support, the Indiana Arts Commission took a one-time withdrawal from the Arts Trust Plate Endowment, which is supported by sales of the Arts Trust License Plate. Plate holder contributions through the Arts Trust License Plate directly supported an additional 30 arts projects being funded around the state in Fiscal Year 2025.

Applications were reviewed by over 120 panelists from around the state and country with expertise in the arts, community development, and nonprofit management. Following are examples of Arts

Project Support award recipients:

The Charlestown-Clark County Public Library will offer quality art programs for elementary school children with its 2025 Summer Art Program with support of an Arts Project Support Grant. The summer art program will provide an introduction into different art mediums and techniques including ceramics, printing making and fiber art. The programming will conclude with the project with a week-long art show displaying the children's artwork at the Charlestown Public Library.
The Gary Youth Poet Laureate Society will utilize an Arts Project Support grant to support the 2nd Annual Gary Youth Poet Laureate Commencement, where the 2025 Gary Youth Poet Laureate will be named. The Gary Youth Poet Laureate Society aims to empower and inspire the youth of their community through the literary art of poetry. By providing a platform for self-expression and creativity, the organization strives to nurture a love for poetry and writing among young individuals.

View all Arts Project Support grant recipients.

“Art and creativity foster connection and cohesion, support the entrepreneurial spirit communities need to thrive, and help build the kinds of communities where people want to live, work, play, study, and stay,” said Miah Michaelsen, Executive Director of the Indiana Arts Commission. “In every corner of the Hoosier state, public funding for arts and creativity continually proves to be a high-return investment that positively impacts the cultural, economic, and educational climate of Indiana. It is a privilege to support the organizations building stronger Indiana communities through arts and creativity.”

There is an important Veteran Resource Fair on Friday, August 9, 1-3 p.m. at the Salem Senior Center, 1705 N. Shelby St. The fair is free to the public.

The event is organized by Brian Morgan of the CLLB Law Firm. Morgan is a paralegal and former retired U.S. Air Force Security Forces. He is also the director of Advocate Training and Recruiting at Vulnerable Adult Care Advocates (VACA).

There will be over 40 vendors that are ready to support the veterans, including a range of items from medical to mental health. This also includes avenues for help around the home and stipend for helping veterans.

The VA website posted, “Wartime veterans and their surviving spouses, 65 years and older, may be entitled to a tax-free benefit called Aid and Attendance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Out of 19,162,515 veterans in the USA, less than 5% are getting benefits. Most are unaware that these benefits exit. And many are denied by the VA for small errors.”

Listed on the site is that a veteran may qualify for $2300; surviving spouse, $1478; married vet, $ 2727; and two married veterans, $3649, per month. To qualify the veteran’s net worth must be under $155,356. Wage income is calculated in that sum. This excludes house, car, and up to two acres.

To be eligible, veterans must have an honorable discharge or received a qualifying discharge. The veteran must have served during war time, WW2, Korean Conflict, Vietnam (Boots on the ground) August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 for veterans who served outside the Republic of Vietnam. Gulf War (August 2, 1990, through a future date to be set by law or presidential proclamation.

If you have a group that can help and support the veterans there is still time to join as a vendor. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

INDIANAPOLIS —The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) announced today that Indiana PathWays for Aging launched for more than 123,000 eligible Hoosiers aged 60 and over.

“This is an exciting day for Indiana as we go live with this transformative program,” Indiana Medicaid Director Cora Steinmetz said. “We thank our partners across the state who have been instrumental in helping us design a program that will make a difference for this population, and the state.”

PathWays for Aging is a Medicaid managed care program designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the Hoosiers it serves, provide choice for those members who want to age in their homes or communities, and better manage the rising costs of providing Medicaid coverage to the aging population. This becomes the state’s fourth managed care program in addition to the Healthy Indiana Plan, Hoosier Healthwise and Hoosier Care Connect.

“Before PathWays, the aging individuals on Medicaid had to navigate a complicated healthcare and supports system on their own,” FSSA Secretary Dan Rusyniak, M.D., said. “Now, individuals need only one point of contact for assistance, making it easier for more Hoosiers to stay in their homes, surrounded by family and friends.”

On PathWays, individuals contact a care coordinator who can help them access services or find other resources to meet their needs.

Some individuals on the PathWays program will qualify for additional services based on their needs and will be eligible for the PathWays home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver.

July 1 also marks the end of the Aged and Disabled Waiver. Two new waivers, the PathWays Waiver for individuals aged 60 and older and the Health and Wellness Waiver for individuals 59 and younger, will provide home and community-based services to eligible Hoosiers who need nursing facility level of care.

Per the federal approvals, both waivers have a designated number of slots available. A slot can only be used by one person during the July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 waiver year and cannot be re-used by a different person if a member no longer needs services, for example if the individual moved out of state.

PathWays for Aging Waiver: 39,842 slots, of which 29,268 are filled by Hoosiers already receiving services. 10,574 slots will remain for newly eligible individuals.
Health and Wellness Waiver: 16,127 slots, of which 13,190 are filled by Hoosiers already receiving services. 2,937 slots will remain for newly eligible individuals.

In April, FSSA established a waiting list for the former Aged and Disabled Waiver. Beginning this month, the agency will begin inviting eligible individuals on the waiting list to continue the process to access either the PathWays Waiver or Health and Wellness Waiver.

Individuals currently receiving waiver services through the former Aged and Disabled Waiver, now transitioned to the Health and Wellness Waiver or PathWays Waiver, do not have to complete this process.

No waitlist will exist for the overall PathWays program, only individuals eligible for waiver services under PathWays may be placed on a waitlist.

At this time, 9,015 people are on the waiting list for the PathWays Waiver, and 3,762 are on the waiting list for the Health and Wellness Waiver.

FSSA will invite a group of individuals to continue the process to begin receiving services each month as long as capacity remains. Based on the number of slots, the number of people on the waiting list, and the steps that must be taken, FSSA plans to invite individuals as follows:

125 individuals per month to Health and Wellness HCBS Waiver
800 individuals per month to PathWays HCBS Waiver

These estimates are based on the steps that must be taken following invitation, with the goal of allowing eligible members to access services as quickly as possible. For example, face-to-face level of care assessments must be completed, and functional eligibility and Medicaid eligibility must be determined. Individuals invited to proceed will receive a letter with further details.

Transition Structured Family Caregiving or new Attendant Care caregiver

As announced early this year, legally responsible individuals are no longer permitted to provide Attendant Care as of today. Two options were offered: Structured Family Caregiving or Attendant Care from a caregiver who is not a legally responsible individual.

More than 1,700 members, or the vast majority of those affected, had completed a newly approved service plan and can begin their new services. After July 1, all Health and Wellness waiver members 17 and younger who select Structured Family Caregiving for the first time will be assessed by care managers to determine the appropriate tier of service. Families who transitioned to Structured Family Caregiving before the July 1 start were placed in a tier based on the Attendant Care hours they were already utilizing.

In mid-2025, a new Structured Family Caregiving Level of Service Assessment will be in place.