Indiana’s Angola/Fremont, Madison, Valparaiso vie for $3M

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The communities of Angola/Fremont and Valparaiso in northern Indiana and Madison in southern Indiana are semifinalists for a $3 million prize in the America’s Best Communities contest.

The contest seeks to spark economic revitalization in small towns and rural communities. Representatives of those Indiana communities and 12 other towns nationwide will attend a summit in Durham, North Carolina, in April where they’ll present their proposals. Eight finalists will be awarded $100,000 to enact their plans.

In April 2017, the top three communities making the largest impact and showing the greatest potential for achieving sustainable revitalization will be selected. The first-place community will receive $3 million, the second-place community $2 million and third will receive $1 million in the contest sponsored by The Weather Channel and its corporate partners.