The Indiana Destination Development Foundation (IDDF) and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch are proud to announce the winner of the IDDF's Compose Your Way to $10k competition, designed to celebrate Indiana through culture, creativity and music. Zachariah Kirkham ofLa Porte, Ind., has been awarded the grand prize of $10,000 for his original composition, which captured the spirit of Indiana. Kirkham's composition was selected out of 74 submissions by an independent judging panel.

"Indiana is full of creative talent, and Kirkham's composition beautifully reflects the warmth, authenticity, and energy that makes our state such a special place," said Lt. Gov. Crouch, chair of IDDF. "We are thrilled to spotlight this work as part of our mission to showcase Indiana as a premier destination."

Kirkham grew up in a musical family with his father being a 'jack of all instruments' and his mother a singer. He spent the last 20 years of his life working on his craft of writing and composing music without any formal training. He released his first album of original music at just 15 years old and continues to release music today. His jingle is a creative project that will be able to help share the sights and sounds of Indiana with audiences here and all over the world.

"To compose something that was seen as worthy of $10,000 is mind-blowing and just validates that I’m not wasting my time with this whole music thing," said Kirkham. "The past couple of years I’vebeen inspired to release more music, which has been a lot more difficult since getting married and having kids, so I use the hours after they go to bed to be creative and it’s exhausting but this contest has reenergized that creative spirit to do even more going into 2025."

Kirkham said his biggest inspiration for his composition was Visit Indiana's website. He found the vision for the piece as he browsed through the site and pulled inspiration for the lyrics. After translating verbiage into music, he spent several hours in his home studio producing the prize-winning jingle.

"Music has the ability to bring people together and this competition provided a wonderful opportunity for Hoosiers to express their love for Indiana in a fresh and inspiring way," said Elaine Bedel, Secretary and CEO of IDDC. "Congratulations to Zachariah [Kirkham] for creating a work of art that will resonate with our audience and inspire them to explore all that Indiana has to offer."

Alan Morrison began leading the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as its director this week, following his appointment by Gov. Mike Braun to lead the agency. 

“Growing up, some of my fondest memories include exploring Indiana’s DNR properties. Whether it’s hiking, kayaking, fishing, hunting, or other outdoor pursuits, I’m now making similar memories with my own kids,” Morrison said. “As DNR director, I look forward to traveling the state to hear from Hoosiers about how we can continue expanding opportunities to interact with our natural resources and provide high-quality customer service.” 

Morrison moves to the DNR after serving Hoosiers from his west-central Indiana home in the state’s House of Representatives since 2012. In that elected role, he chaired the House Environmental Affairs Committee and was a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Morrison also previously worked for the Flint Generals, a minor league hockey team in Flint, Michigan, and for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute. He attended Slippery Rock University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and later attended Indiana State University for his master’s degree, both in sport management.

As DNR director, Morrison leads the team responsible for furthering the department’s mission of protecting, enhancing, preserving, and wisely using Indiana’s natural, cultural, and recreational resources for the benefit of all Hoosiers. 

Morrison appointed Dan Bortner to serve as director of Indiana State Parks and Madalynn Conner to serve as DNR chief of staff. 

Bortner is the former DNR director and previously served as Indiana State Parks director for 15 years. Conner is a former assistant vice president at Bose Public Affairs Group and earned her law degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.

The Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers (ICCMHC) is excited to share the findings of a new study, conducted by Blue & Co., which showcases the tremendous value and impact that Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) have on individuals, families, and communities across the state of Indiana.

The study reveals a compelling return on investment (ROI), demonstrating that for every dollar spent on community mental health services, there is a significant and measurable benefit to society. These findings highlight the critical role CMHCs and crisis units play in improving mental health outcomes, reducing emergency room visits, preventing costly hospitalizations, major impact on jails, and supporting individuals in living healthier, more fulfilling lives.

LifeSpring Health Systems is the state designated community mental health center in eleven Southern Indiana counties and a Federally Qualified Health Center. LifeSpring serves more than 14,000 clients annually by providinga comprehensive spectrum of behavioral healthcare services. To learn more, visit LifeSpring’s website at www.lifespringhealthsystems.org.

The Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers is dedicated to advocating for and supporting theprovision of quality mental health and substance use services for all Hoosiers. Comprising of community mentalhealth centers across the state, the Council works collaboratively with government entities and stakeholders to ensure accessible and effective mental health care. For more information please visit www.indianacouncil.org.

President and CEO of the local CMHC, LifeSpring Health Systems, Dr. Beth Keeney said, "We have seen locally not only the benefit of having a crisis continuum. When we are brought into a mental health crisis, very often we are able to avoid costly hospitalizations and incarcerations. This ensures people get access to healthcare services at the appropriate level of care when they need it. This also reduces the costs to our community."

The study, which involved a comprehensive analysis of data from CMHCs throughout Indiana, found that these centers are not only essential to mental well-being but also a smart investment in the long-term health of the state’s economy. Key findings from the study include:

• Reduced healthcare costs: Community mental health centers help decrease the need for emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations, reducing overall healthcare spending.

• Crisis services vs. Inpatient hospitalization: Community mental health centers - crisis services have had an annualized savings of $80,867,002. This has been accomplished by providing timely, effective mental health interventions, reducing the need for more costly emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and law enforcement involvement. By focusing on community-based care, including mobile crisis units and 988, Indiana has been able to prevent costly institutional care and ensure individuals in crisis receive the appropriate support, ultimately lowering healthcare and criminal justice system expenses.

• Crisis services vs. Jail: Crisis services in Indiana have saved the state an annualized $45 million in jail services by diverting individuals with mental health crises away from jails

LifeSpring Health Systems is the state designated community mental health center in eleven Southern Indianacounties and a Federally Qualified Health Center. LifeSpring serves more than 14,000 clients annually by providinga comprehensive spectrum of behavioral healthcare services. To learn more, visit LifeSpring’s website at www.lifespringhealthsystems.org.

The Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers is dedicated to advocating for and supporting the provision of quality mental health and substance use services for all Hoosiers. Comprising of community mental health centers across the state, the Council works collaboratively with government entities and stakeholders to ensure accessible and effective mental health care. For more information please visit www.indianacouncil.org. and into appropriate care. Through programs like mobile crisis units and mental health treatment, individuals in need of mental health services receive timely interventions that prevent arrests and reduce the need for incarceration. This approach not only improves outcomes for those in crisis but also lowers the financial burden on the criminal justice system.

• In 2024, LifeSpring’s Crisis Call Center received 1,258 calls and the Mobile Crisis Team deployed 160 times across the 11 counties served by LifeSpring. 187 individuals utilized the Crisis Receiving Stabilization Services, staying for an average of 14 hours at the unit. In many cases this diverted individuals from unneccesary higher levels of care such as jail or the hospital, conserving important resources.

This study serves as an important reminder of the value of prioritizing mental health and investing in the services that make a real difference in people’s lives.