Coronavirus – Cabell County

As part of Cabell County’s preparation for the 2019 novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, the Cabell-Huntington Health Department has established a Joint Information Center (JIC) with community partners. The JIC is a virtual operation where public information staff with multiple agencies are coordinating and disseminating official, timely, accurate and consistent information to health-care providers and to the general public.

The following agencies are part of the JIC: Cabell-Huntington Health Department, Mountain Health Network, City of Huntington, Marshall University, Marshall Health, and Cabell County Schools.

Informational Seminar

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., the Cabell-Huntington Health Department and the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce will host an informational seminar to answer questions related to the potential impacts of the coronavirus. The event will occur in the Sister Celeste Auditorium at the St. Mary’s Highlawn Building, which is located at 2788 Collis Avenue in Huntington at the former Highlawn Baptist Church. Members of the media, public and Chamber of Commerce are invited to attend.

Hotline

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources has created an information hotline to address public and medical provider questions and concerns regarding the coronavirus. The hotline is being provided through a long-standing emergency preparedness partnership between DHHR’s Bureau for Public Health and the West Virginia Poison Center.  Operators are available 24/7, toll-free at 1-800-887-4304 to provide accurate information about COVID-19, the risk to the public, and the state’s response.

Resources

Public Health Links

Travel Updates

Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Hosting Annual Job Fair on Logan Campus

Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College will be hosting a job fair on Tuesday, March 10 on our Logan campus. The event will be held in Building A from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The job fair is free and open to the community. There is no participation fee, and lunch will be provided. Additional details can be found on the SWVCTC website.

Passion for community earns Fast Change national recognition

Community service is so important to Fast Change Oil & Lube that it is integrated into the way the company does business every day. Their passion to serve others in their communities has been recognized by National Oil and Lube News (NOLN), the quick automotive industry’s leading trade journal for more than 30 years.

Founder and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Davis is featured on the February 2020 cover of the magazine which highlights his lifestyle of giving and serving and helps inspire his employees to do the same.

“My heart is always to give and help others,” Davis said. “I’ve been entrusted with this business, but I’ve wanted to utilize it to help others.”

Examples of the company’s service mantra include spearheading Operation Soldier Care in 2015 to help send care packages to soldiers overseas. The effort has grown from raising $5,000 at its inception to $40,000 in 2019. The company also exceeded its goal last year in providing more than 300 free oil changes for the military on Veterans Day.

The Fast Change mission statement is integrated into the way they do business every day – “To serve with PRIDE in a manner consistent with Our Values honoring God and others in all we do.”

The NOLN article can be found at https://www.noln.net/articles/3958-serving-through-pride.

Established in 1994, Fast Change Oil and Lube has grown throughout Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia while striving to be the best place anywhere our customers can go for an oil change or other preventative maintenance service. With more than 20 locations and growing, Fast Change promises to treat customers with professionalism and respect, to operate with integrity and dependability, and to deliver excellence at a fair price.

Bloss & Dillard hires new Business Development Representative

Reid Sutton is joining the team at Bloss & Dillard Inc. as a business development representative, traveling in Virginia to meet with current and new agents.

“Reid is a great addition to our team and has the management and people skills that will benefit him in this position,” said Kerry Dillard, president of Bloss & Dillard.

Sutton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2017. His background also includes work as a soccer referee for Central Virginia Soccer Referee Association/Sports Center of Richmond where he also managed groups of associate referees.

Bloss & Dillard recently moved to a new location at 7374 Creighton Parkway, Suite 100, Mechanicsville, Virginia. The company offers a wide and diverse variety of specialty and traditional insurance products to independent agents in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia.

Bloss and Dillard, Inc. was founded in 1954 and has grown into a successful insurance enterprise with thousands of clients throughout the Southeastern and Eastern United States. As a Certified Managing General Agent, the Company provides insurance products and services to Independent Agents in many traditional and non-traditional markets. More information can be garnered about the firm from www.bloss-dillard.com.

Jenkins Fenstermaker earns eleven U.S. News Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” Tier 1 rankings

Eleven Jenkins Fenstermaker practice areas earned Tier 1 rankings in the 10th annual U.S. News & World Report – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list.

Jenkins Fenstermaker was recognized in the following areas:

  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Commercial Transactions/UCC Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Employment Law – Management
  • Litigation – Construction
  • Litigation – ERISA
  • Litigation – Labor & Employment
  • Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants
  • Real Estate Law
  • Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

For the 2020 Edition of the “Best Law Firms” list, 14,931 law firms throughout the United States – and across 75 national practice areas – were reviewed. Of that number, only 2,106 firms received a national law firm ranking.

“We couldn’t be prouder to receive such recognition,” said __, president of Jenkins Fenstermaker. “Our attorneys work hard every single day to serve the region and it’s nice to be recognized for that work.”

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence and is the oldest, most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. Firms included in the “Best Law Firms” publication are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must have at least one lawyer included in the 25th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America list, which recognizes the top 5 percent of practicing attorneys in the country. Firms that received a tier designation reflect the highest level of respect a firm can earn among other leading lawyers and clients from the same communities and practice areas.

Jenkins Fenstermaker, PLLC, provides representation in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio, backed by more than 90 years of legal experience. Clients can find attorneys dedicated to quality, detail-oriented representation in business and commercial law; wills, trusts and estates; litigation; and labor and employment law.

Operation Soldier Care with Fast Change collects $40,000 for deployed troops

Fast Change Lube and Oil Inc. presented $40,000 as part of Operation Soldier Care to Military Missions on Oct. 24 representing monetary and donated items collected in support and honor of the nation’s deployed military personnel.

“Operation Soldier Care helps show our support for the military by providing them with items they may not be able to easily get while deployed,” said Fast Change President Kevin Davis. “I am proud to partner with WEMM-FM for this effort and we’re thankful for the support of our community members, customers, employees, vendors who donated to help send care packages as an expression of appreciation and gratitude.”

This year’s donations to Operation Soldier Care exceeded last year’s effort by $10,000 with 100 percent of the money collected benefitting troops. In addition to monetary donations, approved personal care items were collected at all 20 Fast Change locations to help create care packages for the troops.

Each year since 2015, Fast Change has collected donations for Military Missions from July through September as part of Operation Soldier Care and the program continues to grow.

“We want to make sure they know they have support from back home,” Davis said. “As an ongoing token of our gratitude and appreciation, Fast Change honors active military personnel and veterans with discounted services at all 20 Fast Change Lube and Oil locations.”

Military Missions is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 2005 in Lexington, Kentucky, by Beth Pennington, the mother of a Marine, and seeks to involve the community in activities and events that will give civilians an opportunity to express their gratitude for the sacrificial service of those who have worn the uniform.

Established in 1994, Fast Change Oil and Lube has grown throughout Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia while striving to be the best place anywhere our customers can go for an oil change or other preventative maintenance service. With more than 20 locations and growing, Fast Change promises to treat customers with professionalism and respect, to operate with integrity and dependability, and to deliver excellence at a fair price.

Training Program for Women Completes 7th Class

The Step Up for Women Advanced Manufacturing Program has just completed its seventh successful cohort. The vocational training program has run two classes per year since its first in the summer of 2016. Dozens of women have gone through the training and found employment in local manufacturing companies.

Melinda Perron, Program Coordinator for Step Up, is pleased with how well the graduates have done. “It was nerve-wracking to run the first class back in 2016. No one knew how the class would go – this was the very first manufacturing pre-apprenticeship for women in the county. Thankfully, almost all of my students have found jobs and moved up in their careers. I’m getting to see these women go from depending on government benefits to buying their own homes.”

The class, which runs out of the Robert C. Byrd Institute on 4th Avenue in Huntington, cycles students through manual and CNC machining, shop math, manufacturing blueprint reading, and employment soft skills. The women in the program are not charged any tuition – grants and scholarships pay for the classes. There are no income limits or residency requirements either. Students often travel from Kentucky or Ohio.

Graduate income averages over $12 per hour starting wage with regular increases. Some local companies pay as much as $17 per hour for new hires. Jobs are 40 or more hours per week usually with benefits like medical and retirement. Women from 18 to 60 have been successful in the program, and Perron encourages women of color, veterans, and other minority groups to apply.

Step Up is a program of West Virginia non-profit focused on helping women become financially secure. Anyone interested in the class can apply at wvwomenwork.org/stepupamp or call 304-528-9991 for an application.

Austin’s Pet Supplies plans ribbon cutting, giveway

To celebrate a successful first six months in business, Austin’s Pet Supplies is planning a ribbon cutting with the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, along with giving away free chances to win a basket of customers’ favorite products and items valued at $250.

Austin’s Pet Supplies opened its doors on April 6 in downtown Ceredo with a mission to supply healthy, high-quality pet foods and treats close to home. Their following has grown to include customers from throughout the Tri-State area and their products have changed according to customers’ wants and needs.

“We couldn’t have done this without support from our customers,” said Brandon Austin, co-owner of Austin’s Pet Supplies. “We hope they will come and help us celebrate the past six months.”

Austin’s Pet Supplies recently extended business hours to accommodate customers’ needs. Their hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the store will be closed on Sundays. The store also offers free local delivery, grooming services, and self-bathing facilities complete with shampoo, towels and dryers.

Austin’s Pet Supplies is a pet supply store based in Ceredo, West Virginia, that offers high-quality pet foods, treats, toys and accessories. Products, specials, and information can be found at http://www.austinspetsupplies.com and follow them on Facebook at @austinspetsupplies. Austin’s Pet Supplies – Your Partners in Pethood!

ATI Training Home Inspection Institute is Offering Local Training Courses

September 7th-15th, 2019, West Virginia –The All American Training Institute (ATI Training) is excited to announce a Home Inspection Training Course in West Virginia.

“Our team is excited to bring this extensive Home Inspector Training Course to West Virginia. The average salary for a home inspector in the state of West Virginia is $43,710 per year. Those who enroll in our course will be set for a stable and rewarding career!” says Amy Newcomer, ATI Training Co-Founder

About the All American Training Institute

ATI Training was created to offer students a one-stop-shop to jump-start their career as a home inspector. The goal was to create a training program that offered superior training and a support network. ATI Training has done just that for many students over the years and is the nationwide leader in home inspector training. Training is offered in all 50 states and includes both classroom and in-field training. This course work leaves new home inspectors feeling qualified, not just certified.

Huntington Y receives Gatorade Play It Forward grant

The Huntington Y was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from the 2018-2019 Gatorade West Virginia Girls Soccer Player of the Year, and St. Joseph High School graduate, McKenzie Moran. Gatorade Play It Forward empowers Gatorade Player of the Year recipients across the country to award local or national sports organizations with grants so they can continue helping young athletes enjoy the benefits.

“We are honored McKenzie chose the Huntington YMCA for this grant,” said Brian Byrd, executive operations officer of the Huntington Y. “This grant will help our mission of strengthening our community and its families and creating a positive environment for our kids to grow and learn.”

The Gatorade Player of the Year is an athletic award program that annually recognizes student-athletes for outstanding athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character. In existence for more than 30 years, the prestigious award has honored several sports icons including Peyton Manning, Abby Wambach, Karl-Anthony Towns and Derek Jeter.

“The Gatorade Player of the Year award highlights student-athletes who set an example both on and off the field,” said Amanda Turak, assistant marketing manager for Gatorade Player of the Year. “The grant gives these athletes a chance to donate to organizations like the Huntington YMCA that positively impact the youth in their own communities.”

Sports have seen a double-digit decline over the past decade, largely due to tighter budgets in communities, but young people that participate in sports are found to be happier, healthier and better students. Through the Gatorade Play It Forward program, all 607 Gatorade Player of the Year award winners select a youth sports organization that will receive a $1,000 grant to help the next generation of athletes benefit from sports.

About the Y

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,700 Ys engage 21 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.