Tipton Transmission Plant dedication
The City of Tipton is putting it in high gear after a long journey to open the Tipton Transmission Plant was finally reached yesterday. The plant —  that currently employs 250 and will add 600 more jobs by the end of 2015 to assemble 9-speed transmissions — was dedicated yesterday. The occasion was commemorated by a speech from Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne. Marchionne was thanked by UAW president Rich Boruff for keeping Chrysler jobs in the area — despite darker days in 2009.  Chrysler has invested $1.6 billion and added 2,600 jobs since the car-industry crisis. Tipton Transmission Plant will produce 400,000 transmissions by the end of the year.

IU Kokomo breaks graduation records
Chrylser CEO Sergio Marchionne dedicated Tipton Transmission Plant at 2:30 Tuesday; before he headed to Tipton he made a stop at Indiana University Kokomo to deliver the 10:30 a.m. commencement address to students. He told students during the address: “The education you earned doesn’t just serve you and your family, but the community as a whole.” IU Kokomo congratulated 599 students for graduating with a degree this spring — a record number for the campus.