Meeks draws praises from Strickland

Dr. Laura Meeks, president of the Jefferson Community College, was singled out for praise earlier this week by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.

Strickland’s remarks came as officials gathered in Youngstown to celebrate the founding of the new Eastern Gateway Community College, which has more than 3,000 students taking traditional or online classes.

Meeks drew praise for her “willingness to do what more Ohioans need to do and lay aside the artificial boundaries that separate us and work together to accomplish something good for everybody.”

The JCC president played a key role in making the new college a reality.

“This was only possible because people were willing to think new thoughts, to take rational risks, and to be willing to trust each other and work together,” Strickland said. “It is a model I hope will be emulated often in the weeks and months to come.”

Bridge work is nearing completion

Officials with the West Virginia Division of Highways said repairs to the Market Street Bridge are nearly complete and the span is expected to reopen in the next few weeks.

Dave Sada, district bridge engineer for the division, said repairs to the bridges Ohio approach are about 95 percent complete, but the state awaits the results of a routine analysis of a steel beam installed during the project.

Sada said material taken from the beam before it was installed will be tested to ensure its toughness, one of a number of steps to be taken to ensure the bridge is safe for use.

The bridge had been tentatively slated to reopen this week. It was closed on Aug. 6 at the recommendation of engineers with Burgess and Niple of Parkersburg.

Seminars designed to assist business owners

Starting a business can be an exciting venture offering many rewards. However, the business owner must be prepared and must understand the basics.

The Small Business Development Center is offering a series of entrepreneurship seminars designed to help Jefferson County residents become a business owner.  Entrepreneurship I.N.C. is an overview of issues related to starting and operating a business such as business and financing planning, market demand and financing. 

The sessions have a $20 materials fee. To register, call (330) 308-7479.  The sessions will be held inside the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce offices, 630 Market St. in downtown Steubenville.

The seminar schedule is as follows:

·        Wednesday, Sept. 23:  1-3 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 21:  10 a.m. to noon: Wednesday, Nov. 18:  1-3 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 16:  10 a.m. to noon; and Wednesday,  Jan. 20:  1-3 p.m.

Strickland selects chief for ODOD

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has appointed a permanent director for the Ohio Department of Development.

On Wednesday, Strickland named Lisa Patt-McDaniel, who has served as the agency’s interim for four months, to the position. She thus becomes the first woman to head the department.

Patt-McDaniel took over in May after Mark Barbash stepped down.

Corridor forms are available online

As part of the effort to push for the completion of the Columbus-Pittsburgh Corridor, local representatives are attempting to gather as much information as possible from area businesses regarding the possible impact of the new highway.

The economic development fact sheets now are available online. The forms can be accessed through the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce web site (www.jeffersoncountychamber.com).  The link to access the forms is http://www.jeffersoncountychamber.com/component/?form id+15.

Ed Looman, executive director of Progress Alliance, and Tony Guida, a Steubenville realtor, represent Jefferson County on the C-P Corridor Steering Committee. They are looking for support from any local business with 10 or more employees. The completed forms are being passed on to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Progress Alliance seeks committee members

Progress Alliance is looking for volunteers to serve on three different committees.

The Jefferson County economic development organization is forming new committees to plan its second annual Best of the County Awards Dinner (scheduled for March), the 2010 Bridge Invitational and to work on developing a strategic plan.

Anyone interested is encouraged to contact Ed Looman at 283-2476 or via e-mail at elooman@progressalliance.com.

Grant would help improve broadband service

The fate of a $188 million grant application to expand broadband Internet access throughout 34 rural Ohio counties, including Jefferson, will be known later this year.

Greg DiDonato, executive director of the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, discussed the grant application for Connecting Appalachia, spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Zack Space, D-Dover, during an OMEGA executive board meeting held Wednesday at the Steubenville Country Club.

DiDonato said the application would seek money from a $7.2 billion portion of the federal stimulus aimed toward expanding rural computer network access. Under the state's proposal, hospitals in the region would be the first to benefit, through high-speed network connections allowing easy sharing of medical records, followed by hookups for educational facilities, industrial parks and eventually residential homes.