LAFAYETTE, Ind. –– Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC) today announced that production at its recently acquired operations in Cadiz, KY is well underway, with production of flatbed trailers having begun on Sept. 2, along with the start-up of dump trailer production this past week. In late July, Wabash National completed the acquisition of certain assets of Benson International, adding aluminum flatbeds and dumps to the previous Transcraft portfolio of steel and combo flatbed and drop deck offerings.

“It’s great to see our newest location in Cadiz, KY up and running,” said Wabash National President and Chief Executive Officer, Dick Giromini. “I’m extremely proud of all associates who worked hard these past few weeks to bring the facility back on line so quickly and effectively. We now offer an expanded portfolio of products to our customers.”

Under the new management, the idled facilities were brought up to production-ready state in just 27 business days. At full production, this facility has the capacity to produce in excess of 3,000 units annually.

Headquartered in Lafayette, Ind., Wabash National® Corporation (NYSE: WNC) is one of the leading manufacturers of semi trailers in North America. Established in 1985, the company specializes in the design and production of dry freight vans, refrigerated vans, flatbed trailers, drop deck trailers, intermodal equipment, dump trailers and other truck bodies. Its innovative core products are sold under the DuraPlate®, ArcticLite®, Eagle® and Benson® brand names. The company operates two wholly owned subsidiaries: Transcraft Corporation, a manufacturer of flatbed, drop deck and dump trailers; and Wabash National Trailer Centers, a retail distributor of new and used trailers and aftermarket parts, and an operator of repair facilities throughout the U.S.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles offer hope in the face of rising fuel costs, environmental concerns, and an uncertain economy. On Friday, October 3, Ivy Tech Community College will host an alternative fuel and energy show at the Tippecanoe Mall in Lafayette. The event is part of a nationwide celebration called National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey coordinated by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium and the U.S. DOE Clean Cities Program.

Representatives from Ivy Tech will be available to discuss the college’s courses and degree programs in alternative fuel vehicles, automotive technology, sustainable energy technology, and bio-fuel science. Educational presentations will occur from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the mall’s Community Court.

Other participants will include ECI Wind and Solar, City Bus, Central Indiana Clean Cities Alliance, Indiana Geothermal, Donahue Gas, Indiana Corn and Soybean Alliance, and IUPUI’s Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle. Local dealerships including Bill DeFouw Chevrolet, Mike Raisor GMC, and Bob Rohrman Auto Group will display hybrid vehicles. The event is co-sponsored by WLFI-TV 18.

National Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey was established in 2002 by the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium. This year the nationwide event is being conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program. The event focuses on the benefits of alternative and sustainable energy sources.

Ivy Tech Community College is one of the nation’s largest statewide community college systems and the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution with more than 110,000 students enrolled annually. Ivy Tech has 23 campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Researchers from Purdue University’s Division of Construction Engineering Management and the Purdue Homeland Security Institute are working with local, state and federal agencies to assess the economic, social and psychological impact of this summer’s extensive flooding throughout the Midwest.

Through the National Science Foundation project, the researchers will canvass three communities to collect data and distribute surveys to determine the extent of flood damage and the toll it is having on communities.

Residents in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri are still grappling with an estimated $10 billion in damage from the flooding, which killed 24 people and injured another 150 people in June and July. Initially, Purdue’s six-month study will focus on some of the hardest hit communities – Cedar Rapids, Iowa; St. Louis; and Terre Haute, Ind.

“The main reason for much of the widespread flood damage was infrastructure failures,” said Eric Dietz, director of Discovery Park’s Homeland Security Institute. “The collapse of a bridge, road, home, business, hospital, church or other critical structure can devastate a community, creating social and emotional stresses that can have lasting effects on people’s lives.”

Researchers, led by civil engineering professor Mark Hastak, will conduct personal interviews and distribute surveys to those living in and around the flooded communities. Survey answers will provide demographic information about the residents, how long they have lived in the community, and the infrastructure and businesses that are a part of their regular daily lives.

Researchers will work closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross and other local agencies involved with infrastructure planning and maintenance, Hastak said.

Congress has earmarked $10 billion for Midwest flood relief. Flood damage in Indiana is expected to reach $1 billion. Estimates are far higher in Iowa, where communities such as Cedar Rapids had 1,300 city blocks under water, forcing the evacuation of 24,000 residents.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Too much time spent making “virtual” friends online can freeze out close “real” friendships that do matter, and that may not be good for a person’s health, says a Purdue University communication expert.

“Reconnecting with college or high school buddies is fine, but too much time spent on these virtual friendships can take away from close, personal relationships that can be gauged by whether you are close enough to someone to allow them refrigerator rights — free reign of the contents of your refrigerator in your home,” says Glenn Sparks, professor of communication and co-author of “Refrigerator Rights: Our Crucial Need for Close Connection.” “Research shows the lack of refrigerator rights relationships are harmful to a person’s physical and emotional health because of depression and anxiety.”

In the last five years the use of social technologies, such as Second Life and Facebook, has exploded and there is no evidence it will slow down, Sparks says.

“People feel the harmful effects of social isolation so they have a greater need to connect to other people, and this drives the use of electronic media technologies,” Sparks says. “This is a paradox, because while these technologies may yield some benefits, they may also have simultaneous drawbacks that actually lead us away from close relationships. The more time we invest online, the more time it takes away from our prime relationship time of face-to-face interactions.”

In addition to this mass media influence, geography also is a contributing factor to social isolation.

“America has changed so fundamentally, especially in the rates we move away from our families,” says Will Miller, “Refrigerator Rights” co-author, psychotherapist and campus minister at Purdue. “Because a high percentage of people are leading lives with few refrigerator rights, it is crucial that they try to build a new family in their communities through neighborhoods, churches, community organizations or schools.”

The September publication of “Refrigerator Rights” marks the book’s third edition. This edition also has a study guide that is designed for use by church, family and professional groups.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Of A Revolution (O.A.R.) has cancelled its scheduled Nov. 2 performance at Purdue University.

The band, whose concert ticket sales were scheduled to start on Friday (Sept. 26), cited a scheduling conflict as the reason for cancellation, said Laura Clavio, Student Concert Committee adviser.

“The band is in discussions to re-schedule its appearance on campus in 2009,” Clavio said.