Category Archives: Progress

GREENSBORO The nonprofit Piedmont Land Conservancy alerted transportation officials Wednesday that after two decades of talk and planning, the proposed Piedmont Greenway through Guilford County is ripe for action.

The proposed 19-mile route would link Greensboros trail and greenway system to that of Winston-Salem, following the wending path of Reedy Fork Creek to the Forsyth County line, PLC conservation planner Palmer McIntyre said.

Were here because we have the plan and lets start building support for it, McIntyre said.

McIntyre told the Greensboro Metropolitan Planning Organization on Wednesday that the concept dates to the early 2000s, an initial master plan was completed in 2003 and supporters recently have updated it.

McIntyre said the nonprofit conservancy has taken on the role of champion of the project and its facilitator. She said PLC hopes to bring together the government and private groups that could make progress building the bicycle and pedestrian link between the A&Y Greenway north of Greensboro and the Salem Lake trail network in Winston-Salem.

Founded in 1990 and based in Greensboro, the conservancy works with landowners to help them preserve farms, woodlands and other property important to the environment in its natural state. The group has helped conserve more than 27,000 acres in Guilford and eight other counties in the Piedmont Triad region where it focuses.

The local MPO supervises transportation planning and construction projects in Greensboro and much of Guilford County outside of High Point. Greensboro City Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter chairs the panel that held its monthly meeting Wednesday afternoon.

McIntyre said the greenways 11-mile, Guilford leg would be built in three sections at an estimated cost of $22.3 million. It realistically could take another 20 years to complete, she said.

But she said it would deliver many benefits for that investment by providing a footpath linkage to a variety of community assets that include Bur-Mil Park, Summerfield Park, Oak Ridge Town Park, Triad Park, and the business districts of Colfax, Kernersville, Oak Ridge and Summerfield.

McIntyre said Forsyth County is ready to start construction on its first section of the greenway near Salem Lake.

McIntyre did not ask the Greensboro planning group to take any action at Wednesdays meeting. But she said later that the MPO could play a future role as the governmental link between local officials and the state Department of Transportation that often provides significant amounts of construction money for regional bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Other levels of government also would be involved as the project moves forward. For example, the cost of the 2.8-mile first leg between U.S. 220 and Interstate 73 would be lessened because Greensboro city government already owns much of the land as part of its watershed protection program, McIntyre said.

Other greenway and trail advocates addressed the Guilford County Board of Commissioners earlier this week at the county officials annual retreat, urging them to consider adding money for the Piedmont Greenway and other such projects in an upcoming bond referendum that the board is considering.

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It's time to make progress on the Piedmont Greenway, backers say - Greensboro News & Record

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) Tennessee Department of Transportation officials said a lot of progress has been made in the year since crews broke ground on the massive I-440 construction project.

"Most of the corridor is already built in phase one and phase two," Project Manager Clayton Markham said. "The roadway is a little bit wider, you have that new concrete median barrier, you can see some of the lighting going in...you don't hear the cars going across the potholes anymore."

The project is still on-budget and on-time, scheduled to be completed in August, 2020, and cost $153 million, according to TDOT officials.

Despite the progress, there's still a lot left to do in the six-month time frame.

"We have a lot of the detail work to go through, a lot of the lights, a lot of the signs." That work includes another major closure that will happen in March. You can find details on that closure below.

People who live next to the seven mile stretch of interstate said the years-worth of construction has caused plenty of headaches. Complaints included the new lighting installed along the road shining into backyards and homes, traffic issues diverting angry drivers onto residential streets and construction noise reverberating through homes.

"At night they do the grating, and when they do the grating its a loud thumping kind of noise when they use the big graters, and sometimes you can feel the vibrations in the house," Eve Maxwell said. But Maxwell said overall, she's happy with how crews have handled the highway.

"Oh you know, it really hasn't been very bad," she said. Still, she's looking forward to the day the project is away from her backyard.

"I'll be glad to be able to use 440 again and not worry about whether or not you'll be caught in traffic!" Maxwell said with a laugh.

The next major closure in the project will come in mid-March.

Over the weekend of March 21, 2020, I-440 and I-65 will be closed at the interchange. Interstate traffic will be diverted around the work zone. According to TDOT, it will work like this:

The closures will start Friday, March 20 at 9 p.m. and run through through Monday, March 23 at 5 a.m. The closure will be moved to the next weekend if weather doesn't allow for the work. A map of the closure is below.

Hilt, Eric

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After one year of work on I-440, TDOT officials say progress is on budget and on time - NewsChannel5.com

For more than 80 years, western Pennsylvania has considered ways to ease traffic congestion on roadways and reduce the states carbon footprint amid climate change concerns.

Beaver County, like most of Appalachia, has historically evolved alongside breakthroughs in transportation.

Riverside boroughs saw significant population growth following the introduction of railroads in the second half of the 19th century, with the Pennsylvania Railroad system connecting Rochester and Freedom with Conway and Baden on one side of the Ohio River and the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad fortifying Monaca and what would eventually become Aliquippa on the other.

Streetcars had eased travel between towns by the end of the century, prompting a new age of tourism and economic development in Beaver County communities.

Population sizes continued to grow as J&L Steel set up shop in subsequent decades, and so did the need for reliable transportation. Trolley lines, passenger trains and bus companies came and went, but automobiles ultimately reigned supreme. Talks of interstates and infrastructure soon followed.

For more than 80 years, western Pennsylvania has considered ways to ease traffic congestion on roadways and reduce the states carbon footprint amid climate change concerns. The state has the second-most structurally deficient bridges in the United States, according to an American Road and Transportation Builders Association report released last year, as well as some of the worst roads in the country realities that some say only exacerbate the urgency for innovation.

When transit is discussed in Pittsburgh, ideas often include light-rail, air service, highways, Hyperloop and, more recently, gondolas. Mayor Bill Peduto is entertaining the possibility of a Pittsburgh Mobility Authority to better connect neighborhoods with non-traditional transit.

Beaver County isnt Pittsburgh, and the citys solutions are not always viable here, but proposals such as a high-speed Hyperloop and driverless vehicles could be in our future, even as automobiles remain vital to the American way of life.

Passenger cars are not going anywhere right now, but how we use them, and how we approach public transit and commercial travel will inevitably change, said Ralph Mandel, a Pittsburgh-based urban developer. It has to.

Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft are already the norm in most metropolitan areas, and carpool lanes continue to incentivize collective travel. Whats next, Mandel said, is electric and self-driving vehicles, although its unclear how long itll be before either of those technologies are standardized. Argo.ai, a Pittsburgh-based driverless car startup, already offers driverless delivery services here and elsewhere throughout the country.

Less than a decade after Maglev Inc. went bankrupt and plans for a state-of-art electromagnetic people mover fell through in Pittsburgh, the city is now considering a high-speed Hyperloop.

The technology, still young, would theoretically transport passengers in tubes at speeds exceeding 500 miles per hour by electromagnetic propulsion and magnetic levitation. This could drastically reduce commute times, but build-out would be expensive and demanding.

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission is considering a 30-year Midwest Connect plan to connect Pittsburgh and Chicago through Columbus with a 41- minute commute time. The group estimates roughly $300 billion in economic benefits for communities along the corridor and a sizable environmental benefit resulting in fewer vehicles on the road.

Another group, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency is working on a project called the Great Lakes Hyperloop System, which would connect Cleveland, Chicago and Pittsburgh promising an estimated travel time of 48 minutes between Pittsburgh and Chicago.

The agency and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. completed a feasibility study late last year estimating the project's cost to be about $40 billion, although investors could expect a profit of $30 billion during its first 25 years of operation, the study said. Costs for the routes involving Pittsburgh range from $8.4 billion to $9.1 billion.

The financial and economic results are unprecedented, illustrating a strong case for the public-private partnership to continue working to bring hyperloop to the Great Lakes corridor, authors wrote in the study.

How transportation will advance in the next few decades is still uncertain, so its important to be realistic and prioritize our immediate needs, Mendel said. Sustainable public transportation and additional air service is a catalyst to more inclusivity.

In many cities, here being no exception, buses are not always dependable. They run late, slowly and change routes with little notification. Proper bus lanes, routes and signals can solve some of these issues.

Making public transportation, especially buses, more reliable, available and safe is a safe bet, he said. This could mean more Beaver County Transit Authority investment, or diverse, affordable flight options with hub connectivity. Ultimately, its up to communities how they want to propel into the mid-21st century.

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Progress 2020: Western PA looks to future of transportation from highways to hyperloops - The Times

FINANCIAL SERVICES

West-AirComm Federal Credit Union

West-AirComm Federal Credit Union has been a proud part of Beaver County for more than 70 years. Founded in 1949 by the employees of Westinghouse Electric, the credit union has its roots deep within the industry of the region.

West-AirComm serves more than 20,000 members with both technology and personal service. The financial services include investments and loans at some of the best rates in the region, free checking, first mortgages and home equity loans.

West-AirComm puts the credit union mission of People Helping People into motion on a daily basis. The staff offers personal service if you have questions about your finances.

The staff also volunteers their personal time to charitable organizations in the community. In 2019, they volunteered more than 1,200 hours and raised $11,000 for the spotlight charity, Operation Troop Appreciation.

West-AirComms 2020 charity initiative Cruisin for a Cause, will benefit the Beaver County Association for the Blind. The nonprofit organizations mission is to provide services to blind and visually impaired persons that promote their independence, prevent blindness and give those who are blind or disabled employment opportunities. The money raised help to fund the associations goal to provide a better means of transportation to the visually impaired.

From being deeply rooted in industry to providing financial services and supporting the communities it serves, West-AirComm cares about its members.

For more information, visit http://www.westaircomm.com or visit any one of the branches in Beaver, Aliquippa or Moon Township.

Farmers Building and Savings Bank

ROCHESTER Farmers Building and Savings Bank, 290 West Park in Rochester, specializes in mortgage loans, home equity loans and home improvement loans. The bank also offers do-it-yourself construction loans to enable those who have construction knowledge to assist in the building of their home.

The bank has drive-through facilities and off-street parking. It is handicapped accessible.

Farmers provides premium-rate passbook savings that earn interest from day of deposit to the day of withdrawal.

What is unique about our passbook savings accounts is that they are not internet accessible. This helps alleviate identity theft issues, said Dennis L. Goehring, president and managing officer. You, the account holder, bring in your passbook for transactions. Its simple and safe.

Farmers also offers Christmas club accounts and direct deposit of payroll, Social Security and pension checks. Funds are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Farmers Building and Savings Bank is one of Beaver Countys few remaining independent financial associations. All employees and managers are from the Beaver County area and boast more than 150 years of combined banking experience. They include Martin Samchuck, Rita L. Hinton, Sarah Brogley, Pamela Locke and Dennis L. Goehring. Since the bank was founded in 1894, theyve employed only 17 individuals.

More information is available by calling the bank at 724-774-4970. Youll speak with a real person, not an automated answering system.

Friendly Federal Credit Union

ALIQUIPPA Friendly Federal Credit Union, 2000 Main St. in Aliquippa, is a full-service institution that continues to expand its offerings and membership.

Friendly Federal offers auto loans, home equity loans, holiday and vacation clubs, mortgages, IRAs, certificates of deposit, money markets, free checking, direct deposit, a youth club, debit and credit cards, home banking, bill pay and an onsite ATM machine.

For the past 18 years, the institution has received the Bauer Financial five-star rating for exceptional performance. This year, it celebrates 65 years of service.

The credit union was founded in 1955 as the J&L Service Department Employees Federal Credit Union. The J&L Byproducts, Seamless and Steelworkers Credit Union joined the institution. In 1986, the financial facilitys name was changed to Friendly Federal Credit Union. Today, the credit union has assets of more than $53 million, with a membership of about 5,000.

Cynthia Hladio is the chief executive officer/manager. Phyllis Heckman is the branch manager. Carl E. Hennen is the chairman; Ed Murphy is the treasurer; and Lynn Nero, Helen Pane, Sue Ronosky, Amy Walker and Deanna Ross are directors.

The branch office is located at 384 State St. in Baden.

Information: 724-375-0488; 724-869-3500; http://www.friendlyfcu.org.

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE

Myers Service Center & Quality Quick Lube

BEAVER In January 1990, Rick Myers and his sons, Rick and Ron, opened an auto repair business at 475 Buffalo St. in Beaver. They wanted Myers Service Center & Quality Quick Lube to do three things: be honest and upfront with customers, provide quality, affordable work each and every time, and earn the continued loyalty and trust of each customer.

Thirty years later, the Myers family has been blessed to have so many returning customers, many of whom they consider extended family, and blessed to have dedicated auto technicians and employees.

To Mark, Matt, John, Paige, Gray, Alaina and Paul, thank you for your dedication and for giving customers excellent service day-in and day-out. That commitment to excellence is what makes the business successful.

The Myers family business couldnt have succeeded without these great employees and loyal customers. Thank you. Myers Service Center and Quick Lube looks forward to continuing such service for many years to come.

Information: 724-774-7655.

EDUCATION

Geneva College

BEAVER FALLS Geneva College prepares undergraduate students to serve faithfully and fruitfully in their lifes work. With a vocational focus and liberal arts core, a Geneva education is grounded in Gods word, enabling students to think, write and communicate well in todays world.

For traditional students, Geneva offers more than 145 majors and programs, including biology business, communication, computer science, education, engineering, nursing, psychology and student ministry. The faculty cares about the success of each student, and the 13-to-1 student-faculty ratio makes that possible. Geneva professors have real-world work experience, academic achievements, and are actively engaging the culture through research and writing while professing an active Christian faith.

In addition, Geneva fields 18 varsity sports teams in NCAA Division III athletics for men and women, hosts intramural sports leagues and coordinates more than 200 student activities each year.

Adult undergraduates can earn a degree at Geneva in as few as 16 months and complement their professional and family commitments with full online programs.

The masters degree programs MBA, counseling, cybersecurity, higher education and leadership studies can help students excel toward a more promising future. These high-demand professional degrees equip students for principled Christian service to their organizations and the world.

In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked Geneva as the No. 3 Best Value Regional University for combining high academic quality with affordability. Kiplingers Personal Finance also lists Geneva on its prestigious list of national Private Universities of Value.

Genevas main campus is located in Beaver Falls. The college is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America.

Geneva College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, and national or ethnic origin.

Information: 800-847-8255; http://www.geneva.edu.

Penn State-Beaver

CENTER TWP. Penn State Beaver offers the personal experience of a small campus with the resources of a Big Ten research university. Students come from western Pennsylvania as well as 28 states and seven foreign countries to live in our newly remodeled residence hall, participate in our championship-winning intercollegiate sports and learn from award-winning faculty.

Students and the community now have an opportunity to participate in the Beaver Valley LaunchBox, a signature program of Invent Penn State, a commonwealth-wide initiative to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the region and help spur economic development, job creation and campus-community collaboration.

The LaunchBox is powered by community business leaders, professors and ambitious students to provide subject matter expertise and training to help local entrepreneurs and innovators to build and grow their businesses and convert their ideas into a reality successfully. We have partnered with the Beaver County Library System to establish Creative Corners in each of the countys public libraries. We also offer community workshops in the libraries and on the Penn State Beaver campus.

To learn more about the Beaver Valley LaunchBox and our community programs visit on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and at beavervalley.launchbox.psu.edu.

Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School

MIDLAND Educating children in kindergarten through 12th grade, the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, better known as PA Cyber, is one of the largest and most experienced online public schools in the nation.

Students will find creative online learning environments, personalized instruction and top-notch curriculum at PA Cyber. Qualified, state-certified teachers use rich academic content that is aligned to state standards and meets the approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

PA Cybers instructional model focuses on its students. It recognizes their changing developmental stages while respecting their differences and unique abilities. Using a flexible but focused learning model, PA Cybers teachers create a personalized education program for each student.

Headquartered in Midland, PA Cyber has offices throughout Pennsylvania. They serve as a hub for enrollment, orientation and enrichment. The nearly 10,000 students enrolled in PA Cyber belong to a real community, where they grow academically, emotionally, socially and physically.

PA Cyber offers choices for live and self-paced instruction, along with a variety of opportunities for interaction with teachers and peers. The extensive course list and program offerings include the creative and performing arts, STEM and gifted programs, advanced placement classes, and a variety of clubs and other activities. Certified faculty and staff are available to engage with students and families at their convenience.

PA Cyber provides a tuition-free, accredited curriculum with access to all technology and the personal guidance students need for success. The technology platforms are leading edge, user-friendly and enhance the educational experiences of the students. Each student receives a laptop, printer, textbooks and online connectivity, as well as an expert technological support team that is responsive, skilled and dependable.

PA Cyber graduates can be found attending highly regarded universities, colleges, professional academies and vocational schools. Any school-aged child living in Pennsylvania may enroll.

Information: 888-722-9237; http://www.pacyber.org.

Community College of Beaver County

CENTER TWP. Community College of Beaver County, the second smallest community college in Pennsylvania, accomplished big things in 2019 on its Center Township campus.

In March, Roger W. Davis was named the colleges ninth president after serving as interim president since May 2018. Davis, who holds a doctorate in urban educational leadership from Morgan State University in Baltimore, is the colleges youngest president. He joined CCBC in July 2016 as executive vice president and provost.

Academically, CCBC launched the School of Industrial Technology and Continuing Education. The School of Aviation Science founded by James M. Johnson was renamed in his honor. The program, which celebrated 50 years of flight, offers the No. 1 aviation training program in the nation. It includes four two-year degree programs professional pilot, air traffic control, aerospace management and unmanned aerial vehicle (drones).

Additionally, Nursingprocess.org ranked CCBCs nursing school fifth in the nation, and G.I. Jobs magazine named the community college a military-friendly school. CCBC also received the Carnegie Science Award for Leadership in STEM education of its high school academies, and is the first non-profit higher education program in the state to provide digital textbooks for a single low-cost fee.

For more than 50 years, CCBC has been a gateway to success for area students and continues to provide a path to prosperity and family-sustaining careers.

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion Universitys more than 4,700 determined students are building a bright future through challenging academics and diverse interests, all while living in a charming, civic-minded town that embraces them.

Clarion offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, education, health science and the arts with a 19-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, and nationally and internationally accredited programs. The university leads Pennsylvanias State System of Higher Education with 28 national accreditations and offers a multitude of internship and study abroad opportunities that give students hands-on experience in their chosen field and in research before they earn their degree.

The university is comprised of its scenic campus in Clarion, which has evolved since its seminary beginnings in 1867, its Clarion University-Venango campus in Oil City and Clarion Online, which offers excellence in education from anywhere in the world.

The 2020 US News and World Report ranks Clarion Online in its Top 100: best online bachelors programs and business programs, best online nursing graduate programs and best online master of education programs.

With a focus on professional development, the university has launched inventive programming and certificates. The Respiratory Care three-year bachelors program prepares students to be registered respiratory therapists and work in diverse roles through the health care delivery system.

The Department of Special Education and Disability Policy Studies and the Competent Learner Model Center of Excellence announced new, online certificate programs. Undergraduate and graduate level certificates in assistant applied behavior analyst and competent learner model are available as well as an advanced competency certificate program for special education students.

The university also offers an online opioid treatment certificate, the first of its kind in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

More than 160 student organizations complement 175-plus academic programs, including academic, Greek, political, multi-cultural and service groups. Students from 42 states and 15 countries attend Clarion which boasts 58,236 alumni worldwide.

ENTERTAINMENT

Sheffield Lanes, Lounge

ALIQUIPPA Once again this summer, Sheffield Lanes and Lounge in Aliquippa will expand.

Owners Rick and Jeannie DAgostino and their son, Zach, plan to enlarge Rickey Dees Pizza kitchen. Since it reopened in 2009, the former Crescent Township-based business has become an integral part of Sheffield Lanes.

During these winter months, live entertainment continues. With the vinyl sides down, the veranda, warmed by a gas fireplace and heaters, is the perfect place to enjoy local musicians, wonderful food and a beverage. The veranda, which opened last May and provides customers with a non-smoking area, is a great place for private parties.

Sheffield Lanes offers a comfortable smoking lounge and wide selection of bourbon and Scotch, as well as many domestic and craft beers. The lounge also features a humidor stocked with premium cigars. Local musicians play several evenings during the week.

The state-of-the-art Pro Shop, managed by Matt Mowad, recently completed its third second year of business and is quickly becoming a premier spot for bowlers to upgrade their equipment or buy their first bowling ball. The Pro Shop opens at 1 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and at 11 a.m. on Wednesday and Saturday.

The lower-level Fallout Shelter, which will celebrate its 12th anniversary in March, is an intimate venue for live music, special events and private parties. The Shelter is a host to the Beaver County Cigar Club which meets the Thurd Thursday of each month. The cigar club plans to hold its fourth Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon release party this summer.

Sheffield Lanes has been a local landmark since it opened in 1950 as a 12-lane duckpin center. Now, the landmark is a 20-lane, 10-pin center that hosts mens, womens, mixed and youth bowling leagues. During the week, Sheffield Lanes offers open bowling specials including Family Funday on Sunday and Electric Bowl on Friday and Saturday. The facility also hosts birthday parties, corporate events, and family and class reunions.

Sheffield Lanes is a go-to spot for league and recreational bowlers who enjoy music, good food, and a well-stocked bar. The friendly staff knows many of their patrons on a first-name basis and strives to keep things running smoothly.

Sheffield Lanes is looking forward to summer with the veranda, open-air deck and bocce courts. Stop by.

Information: 724-375-5080; http://www.sheffieldlanes.com.

FOOD

Oram's Donut Shop

BEAVER FALLS For more than 80 years, Orams Donut Shop, 1406 Seventh Ave. in Beaver Falls, has delighted customers with its famous cinnamon rolls and donuts. Orams takes pride in making fried pastries the old-fashioned way from scratch with quality ingredients and original family recipes.

Customers in Beaver County show appreciation to Orams year after year by voting it the Best Doughnut Shop in The Times Best of the Valley contest. Orams appreciates the community support and will continue to produce the best sweet treats for Beaver County.

Each week, the creative staff at Orams comes up with exciting new flavors. Past specials have included the original cinnamon roll with maple-cream cheese icing and a pumpkin cream cheese-filled doughnut rolled in cinnamon-powdered sugar. To learn about the weekly specials at Orams, follow the shops Facebook, Twitter, Google and Instagram accounts.

Customers can now order their favorite doughnuts online by visiting the shops website, http://www.Orams.com. Online orders require a minimum of a dozen doughnuts and orders must be submitted before 8 p.m. for next day pickup. Orams continues to take orders by phone.

Hours: 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

To order: 724-846-1504; http://www.orams.com, http://www.facebook.com/oramsdonuts

Rosalind Candy Castle

NEW BRIGHTON Rosalind Candy Castle, 1301 Fifth Ave. in New Brighton, is a full-line chocolate candy manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer. Specialties include custom favors for weddings, showers and anniversaries, fund-raising candy and gifts for all occasions.

Rosalind Candy Castle has been in business for 106 years and employs 30 people. The century-old business offers an extensive line of chocolate confections made from scratch.

Jim Crudden is the president of Rosalind Candy Castle. His children Michael, vice president of operations and Jennifer, vice president of sales and marketing are carrying on the family tradition of manufacturing chocolates using the original recipes. Crudden believes the business is successful because of the passion and dedication of its employees, who treat each other like family.

The business continues to expand through new retail outlets and popular fundraising programs, used by many schools and organizations throughout western Pennsylvania. The redesigned company website also has led to growth throughout the United States.

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PROGRESS 2020: Business briefs - The Times

General Electric (GE -3.4%) drifts lower even after winning some analyst support for its recently released 2019 annual report that was knocked by longtime GE bear Stephen Tusa of J.P. Morgan.

Citi analyst Andrew Kaplowitz sees the lack of incremental negatives in the filing as a sign of progress, indicating the company remains on the path to a sustainable turnaround.

Kaplowitz, who maintains a Buy rating and $16 price target on GE shares, sees no signs of significant emerging "new issues," which he believes is significant because it lends credibility to the viability of GE's previously announced roadmap for improving results over the course of several years.

BofAMerrill Lynch's Andrew Obin also reiterates his Buy rating with a $16 target after reviewing the 10-K, saying GE"has undergone a significant reinvestment cycle, positioning it well from a competitive standpoint."

Obin estimates GE Industrial's free cash flow will experience a further $1.6B drag from supply chain transformation in 2020, but decreased factoring will lower that type of drag in subsequent years.

GEs simplification efforts are paying off, Obin says: Compared to last year, GE has 38% fewer manufacturing sites, 16% lower gross Industrial debt, 10% fewer subsidiaries and 8% lower functional costs, yet its adjusted GE Industrial operating profit improved 7% in 2019.

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Citi, BAML analysts see progress in GE's annual report - Seeking Alpha

The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center is located at 275 N. Jordan Ave. The center celebrated its 50th anniversary last October. Izzy Myszak

The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center celebrated its 50th anniversary Oct. 13. The centers 50th-anniversary theme is Power, Progress, and Promise.

Gloria Howell, the centers associate director, said one of the goals of the 50th anniversary is to honor people who came before and made the existence of the center possible.

The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center provides academic and other resources, such as spaces for students to study and cultural programs, to support students and their success. The center welcomes first-year students with the Freshman Pinning Ceremony and honors black students graduating from IU with the Black Congratulatory Ceremony.

The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, previously named the Black Culture Center, was established thanks to campus activism in the late 1960s.

Black student groups sent a document to the Faculty Council in 1969 outlining their goals to increase black faculty, admit more black students and introduce black studies programs. The document was approved and Herman Hudson became the first chair of Afro American Studies, which is now the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies. Hudson created the black culture center, a facility that served the universitys teaching, research and service missions, while also working to offer a positive environment for black students, faculty and staff, according to the centers information guide.

We want to take into account how far weve come, Howell said.

Nancy Cross-Harris, a Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center staff member, said she has seen the growth of the center, and she feels joy that students today have more opportunities.

It was a struggle to get, Cross-Harris said.

The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center has experienced several name changes and relocations in its time. The Black Culture Center opened on North Jordan Avenue in 1973. Plans for a new building with more space for student facilities were formally proposed in May 1981. According to the centers website, in 2002,a new 97,000-square-foot building named the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center opened. The new name honored the first black male and female graduates of IU.

Marcellus Neal graduated in 1919 and Frances Neal graduated in 1895, according to the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies website. Both were students at a time when black students were not allowed to live on campus. After completing their degrees at IU, both worked in the field of education. For 25 years, Neal served as the head of the science department at Washington High School in Dallas, Texas. Marshall worked as a teacher and university administrator at Edward Waters College in Florida, Florida Memorial College and Spelman College in Georgia.

In 50 years, campus has changed a lot, but the center remains a go-to for black students.

They make us feel welcome here on campus, sophomore Ja'Nay Coleman said.

Coleman said the center is like a home.

"It's kind of overwhelming being the only black student in class sometimes," sophomore Mariam Sows said. So coming to the Neal-Marshall, being surrounded with people like you that are doing the same thing that youre trying to do, its uplifting.

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The driver left more than $500 worth of tools in the car.

Census forms will arrive in the mail in March.

Herrera plans to continue promoting the learning of Spanish and Portuguese.

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50 years of 'Power, Progress, and Promise' at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center - Indiana Daily Student

Parties to Iran's nuclear deal made little progress on Wednesday towards saving the agreement as Iran is still breaching many of its central terms in response to U.S. sanctions, but efforts to ease Tehran's economic pain continued, delegates said.

Wednesday's meeting of senior officials came more than a month after European parties to the deal - France, Britain and Germany - formally accused Iran of violating its terms, setting off a process that could eventually reimpose international sanctions lifted under the agreement.

Israel's ready for corona - but not for women in powerHaaretz Weekly Ep. 65

But, in a move underlining how torn the Europeans are between pressuring Iran not to breach the deal and still trying to save it, the European Union's foreign policy chief said this month the powers would indefinitely extend the time limits in that process to avoid having to reimpose sanctions.

Delegates said that process, known as the dispute resolution mechanism, was not even discussed at Wednesday's meeting, though the Europeans did criticize Iran.

"Serious concerns were expressed regarding the implementation of Iran's nuclear commitments under the agreement," the EU foreign policy service's Secretary General Helga Schmid, who chaired the meeting, said in a statement.

"Participants also acknowledged that the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions did not allow Iran to reap the full benefits arising from sanctions-lifting," she added.

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Iran has breached several central limits of the deal, including on its stock of enriched uranium, in response to the U.S. withdrawal and Washington's reimposition of sanctions that have slashed Iran's oil exports.

Together its ongoing breaches are eroding the deal's central aim - keeping Iran a year away from being able to obtain enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb if it chose to. Iran says it can quickly reverse its breaches if U.S. sanctions are lifted. Washington says its campaign of "maximum pressure" will force Iran to negotiate a more sweeping deal.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi focused on European efforts to set up a vehicle that will allow a small amount of barter trade with Iran, known as Instex, which has yet to perform a transaction.

"It is important that we can say that the JCPOA is still alive," he said, referring to the deal by its full name - the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

"We know that the Europeans are trying. We know that there is willingness but the lack of ability is obvious."

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Parties to Iran nuclear deal meet but make little progress on saving it - Haaretz

Decades after the steel industry left Beaver County searching for a new identity, county officials are using those lessons learned to prepare for life after Shell.

Its said that insanity is doing the same action and expecting a different result.

Well, no one can tell the Beaver County Board of Commissioners theyre insane.

As completion looms on Shell Chemicals ethane cracker plant, the three men leading Beaver County into the future know they cant make the same mistakes the county made in the past.

Whether its planning capital projects out ahead to make sure that 20-year-old facilities will last a long time or making sure that all of the countys workforce eggs arent in Shells basket, Commissioner Chairman Daniel Camp, four-term Commissioner Tony Amadio and newly elected Commissioner Jack Manning believe the groundwork is laid for the county to not repeat the mistakes of the age of steel.

The board two terms ago spent time visiting other developments to see what happened after the initial construction boom, Camp said. And they saw hope.

Its the ancillary jobs, the downstream jobs that hopefully these companies are going to want to cut out the middleman and be closer to the source of their product, which is the plastic pellets, Camp said. Whether its in Beaver County, or Butler, Washington or Lawrence counties, as long as its in our region it will be a win for Beaver County.

Amadio shares that optimism, and believes that undeveloped riverfront properties could draw businesses who want to keep their transportation costs down to the Beaver Valley.

Hopefully, were going to be able to draw on businesses that will come here because they use the feedstock thats going to be produced from the cracker plant, Amadio said. For instance, I use Mattel toys, or any company that uses plastics in their product, thinking they can get their processing plant close to where the actual feedstock is, theyll save a lot of money.

And as that happens, Manning said, the county could grow more diverse.

I see Beaver County starting to grow more diverse economically and in population I think we have to, Manning said. It bodes well for the area to have a much more stable, much more diverse economy where were not putting all our eggs back in the petrochemical basket, any more than we were so reliant on the steel.

Amadio thinks that county leaders can learn from the exodus of the steel industry, but has faith that the oil and gas industry will be around just as long, if not longer, than steel was.

Were sitting on the BTU equivalent of Saudi Arabia. This product, this industry, is going to be here a very long time, Amadio said. The steel industry lasted what, 100 years, 80 years. So if we can get that out of the gas industry, that would be a pretty good plus for the county.

Camp said there has already been a lot of growth that will stay out of Shells investment.

Were already starting to see the Shell facility changing Beaver County to the point where were starting to see restaurants and hotels and things that might not have made the investment into Beaver County that wouldnt have made the investment, Camp said.

And some of that diversification that Manning maintains is needed is happening near the plant already health care expansion and other educational and social services cropping up by the Beaver Valley Mall, just a handful of miles from the cracker plant.

In Beaver County after decades of decline and struggle, were hopeful to find meaningful work and jobs, Manning said. But we still have significant challenges.

Continued here:

Progress 2020: Learning from the past to build a future post-Shell - The Times

Rachel OLone often has to explain her future job to people.

Anytime I say that I am a veterinary technician or I am going to school to be a veterinary technician to someone, theyre like: Oh, what is that? she said. And I have to be, Oh, its like a veterinary nurse. I always have to say nurse for them to even know what it is.

OLone is president of the Veterinary Technician Club and a second-year veterinary technology program student at Joliet Community College in Joliet, Illinois. OLone believes that changing the professional title from certified veterinary technician to registered veterinary nurse would help indicate to pet owners how important her role in the veterinary care team is.

In the veterinary field, we are respected as nurses, but I think the public just doesnt realize what we do and all that we do, OLone said. One of my (human health) nursing friends said: Oh, I just thought you were the one who weighed the dog. And Im like: No, oh, no, no. I am running the anesthesia during surgery.

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America formed the Veterinary Nurse Initiative in 2016 to unite the name change efforts.

Kenichiro Yagi, president-elect of NAVTA, said there has been some progress with the VNI. To date, no state has amended its laws to change the title. NAVTAs VNI has made strides in other areas.

I think one of the things we focused on in 2019 was to make sure people knew what VNI was about, Yagi said. I think people focus on the title a lot, which is really important for us, but at the same time, there is a lot more riding along with it.

The veterinary technician associations VNI has the following goals:

Erin Spencer, past president of NAVTA, said the organization has been focused on professional recognition within the veterinary industry for the past few years and it has paid off.

NAVTA has a seat at most tables now. For example, this past July, NAVTA was elected as a member of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.

We have the profession and the veterinary community behind us, she said, noting that moving forward, efforts will focus on public education. Lets move out and start having those conversations and getting that education to the public so they can also support us.

Along with public education, NAVTAs VNI is working on finding solutions to title protection issues by building resources for members. Last year, the VNI created a Title Protection Task Force to specifically address this problem after continuing to hear of clinics not making a distinction between their credentialed veterinary technicians and those who learned on the job. The task force sent out a survey asking those in the veterinary profession what they knew about their state law on this matter and, if there was a law, whether it was being enforced. The VNI and NAVTA aim to create practical guides later this year based on the responses received from the survey to help individuals and organizations advocate for title protection.

We are trying to get fine details of what the current status is and get that out there and be able to say, in these states where title protection looks like this, we should be doing this, Yagi said. When there is no title protection or licensure, we should be doing this. Trying to make some suggestions as to how to improve the situation.

On the legislative front, NAVTAs VNI is still trying to pass a bill in Ohio to establish the registered veterinary nurse title. SB 131 passed the House last year and has been in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee since last May.

The other state the VNI targeted last year, Indiana, also saw the introduction of a title-change bill, which made it to the Senate last February but failed to pass by a handful of votes. VNI advocates plan to reintroduce the bill this year.

Similar legislation was introduced in Georgia last year, but it failed to get a vote in the Senate. Yagi said the plan is to move forward without the bill and instead work with veterinary entities to change the title through regulatory and other means.

Finally, NAVTAs VNI is working with veterinary and veterinary technician organizations in Oklahoma to determine how to proceed with changes in that state.

At the same time, veterinary technician leaders have found themselves playing defense as well.

NAVTA and the VNI successfully opposed bills in Maine and North Carolina that proposed establishing an apprenticeshipexperience only rather than formal educationroute to obtain a veterinary technician credential. Veterinary technicians were taken off the list of occupations in these two states, thus preserving requirements for licensed technicians to graduate from an AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activitiesaccredited program and pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam.

Further, a bill that would have established licensing qualifications for veterinary technicians in Montana died last spring. HB 179, championed by the Big Sky Veterinary Technician Association, stalled in the Senate Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation Committee in March.

More recently, in West Virginia, HB 4813 was introduced in February that would remove licensing requirements for veterinary technicians in the state, according to the bill language. NAVTAs VNI has put out a notice on social media for advocates to contact lawmakers and express their opposition.

On the education front, the Michigan State University Veterinary Technology Program has moved to change its name this spring to the Veterinary Nursing Program. The name change was approved by the MSU academic governance. The MSU program joins six other programs that have changed their name to veterinary nursing.

Eileen McKee, a certified veterinary technician and program director of veterinary medical technology at Joliet Community College, tries to prepare her students for life as a veterinary technician, and that includes making them aware of the positives and negatives of the career.

I love teaching. I love seeing these guys get so excited about what options they have in this career, McKee said. I try to teach these guys, if in 20 years your back hurts, dont quit the field. Realize there are so many other opportunities for you. There is room for continual advancement.

McKee tries to prepare her students for the financial realities of the career, too. She agrees with the overall efforts of NAVTAs VNI, but she thinks title protection is key.

I think if you change the name but youre not protecting it, its a moot point, she said.

McKee has been on the faculty at JCC for 17 years and the program director for two years. She said she has tried to make changes to the program by focusing on the academic side as well as practical skills such as communication, veterinary terminology, and administering anesthesia.

Only two states do not have some form of credentialing for veterinary technicians, but states vary greatly with regard to definitions, standards, title protection, and scope of practice for veterinary technicians.

The American Association of Veterinary State Boards Regulatory Policy Task Force completed a draft of its Veterinary Technician Scope of Practice model regulations in late 2019. The AAVSBs newly proposed model regulations would delineate health care tasks that may be performed by veterinary technicians or veterinary technologists and would assign the appropriate level of supervision requiredimmediate, direct, or indirectfor each of those tasks. While some state boards do have regulations for veterinary technician scope of practice, this is the first model document that state boards could use to achieve a consistent standard across the country.

NAVTA and the VNI have provided input into the proposed model regulation language through representation on the task force. The association is currently receiving feedback on the draft, and the model will likely be available in the spring, said James T. Penrod, executive director of the AAVSB.

He said the AAVSBs model practice act already addresses the practice of veterinary technology, but the veterinary technician scope of practice model regulations will provide language that AAVSB member boards can use when enacting regulations. The process for passing regulations is typically easier than the process for changing statutes, so the model regulation language should allow member boards to more easily make changes they deem appropriate to the tasks veterinary technicians and technologists can perform, Penrod added.

In 2019, the AVMA Task Force on Veterinary Technician Utilization was created after the AVMA House of Delegates recommended asking the AVMA Board of Directors to convene a working group to design a plan to improve veterinary technician utilization.

The task force released its report during the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Conference Jan. 9 in Chicago.

The task force recommended, among other things, that the AVMA should encourage states to eliminate alternative routes to credentialing, so-called grandfather clauses, from state practice acts. It also suggested surveying credentialed veterinary technicians on a regular basis to track demographics, compensation, and utilization and surveying veterinarians to determine how many credentialed veterinary technicians versus veterinary assistants are employed in various practice types.

The Board referred the report to the AVMA Council on Veterinary Service, AVMA-NAVTA Leadership Committee, AVMA Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee, AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities, and other entities for their consideration.

Despite the potential challenges, Rachel OLone is optimistic about the future of her profession. Although she hopes the name change will eventually happen, she has no concerns about her job prospects or her place within the industry. She already has two internships lined up and has plans to get into wildlife veterinary work after she graduates.

This is a growing field; I dont think well have a problem finding jobs, OLone said.

Link:

NAVTA's Veterinary Nurse Initiative a work in progress - American Veterinary Medical Association

Curbside grocery pickups and home deliveries are growing in Beaver County. More and more, curbside grocery pickups, offered at local Giant Eagle and Walmart stores, are being welcomed as a time-savings measure by people on the go.

An increasing number of us are getting quicker at grocery shopping.

Now is a very interesting, dynamic time. Were seeing a little bit of everything, Giant Eagle spokeswoman Jonnah Jablonowski, a Beaver County native, said.

While the vast majority of grocery shoppers still prefer walking into a store, browsing then standing in line at the checkout, the Giant Eagle stores in Rochester and Hopewell Townships Green Garden Plaza are seeing a steady rise in curbside pickup orders.

The Hopewell store also offers home delivery.

More and more, curbside grocery pickup, also offered at local Walmart stores, is being welcomed as a time-savings measure by people on the go.

Giant Eagle began curbside pickup in 2012 at its Robinson Township Market District store.

We were kind of ahead of that curve, Jablonowski, who grew up in Economy, said. It took time to fine tune. We had a very steady roll-out as we saw customers get a little more comfortable with it. Now we have nearly 100 curbside markets, which is nearly half of our supermarkets.

For curbside pickup, customers scroll through a website on their computer, phone or tablet, and choose the products they wish to buy.

Free with a minimum $35 order, curbside orders must be placed three hours in advance of the desired pickup time.

You choose the time you want and a bar code online verifies you get the correct products, Green Garden Giant Eagle manager George McGrady Jr. said.

Customers pre-select online if they will allow substitutions. Say you wanted a 26-ounce bottle of a gourmet pasta sauce but the store is out of it; you instead could settle for a smaller size bottle of the same sauce, or perhaps accept a bottle from a similar competitor if that was your choice.

Were pretty good at getting you the next most reasonable thing, McGrady said.

Once the grocery store processes an online order, an employee collects from shelves the ordered food and places it in separate containers for freezer and refrigerator items. When the customer arrives and parks in a designated spot outside the store, they notify the store by phone, and their order is wheeled out to them and placed inside their trunk, so they need not exit their car.

Curbside pickup appeals to that audience that feels they dont have enough time to invest to step into the store, Jablonowski said. Its often families with young kids who dont want to have to pull them out of the car.

Curbside pickup also cuts down on impulse buying, like when a child sees something in the store and demands mom or dad buy it.

The Hopewell Giant Eagle began curbside pickup in August 2018; Rochester Giant Eagle began curbside pickup in October 2019.

Starting last year, the Hopewell store also began home delivery to two zip codes, 15001 (Aliquippa) and 15061 (Center Township) with a fee of $5.95 for next-day delivery, while orders placed for same-day delivery cost $9.95.

For home deliveries, Giant Eagle uses a company called Shipt, which is sort of like an Uber, transporting grocery orders to a persons home.

Robert Morris University student Marcus Joyce drives for Shipt and does home delivery from the Green Garden Giant Eagle.

Its a good thing. You get to help people out, Joyce said. Like the one lady I just delivered to had surgery so she cant get her own groceries. So its a nice way to help people out and earn extra money.

As customer demand increases, curbside and home delivery could be added to other Beaver Valley Giant Eagles.

We take a very strategic approach, Jablonowski said.

Always trying to stay on top of trends, area Giant Eagles also are slowly rolling out Scan, Pay & Go, an expedited self-checkout system for shoppers who still want to enter a brick-and-mortar store.

With Scan, Pay & Go, theres a big kiosk where customers can borrow a hand-held scanner they take with them through the store to chalk up the items they buy. You scan the products and bag them as you go.

So you move through the store more quickly, Jablonowski said. Instead of picking all your items and then going to self-checkout youre kind of doing that as you go. It eliminates scanning at a register. Weve seen customers excited about this. So were looking at ways to roll it out.

The rest is here:

Progress 2020: Grocery shopping now on-the-go (or home delivered) - The Times