Huntington Archives - West Virginia Press Release

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.

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.

YMCA statement regarding arrest of staff member

At the YMCA of Huntington, the safety and well-being of our members, participants, and staff is a top priority. We are troubled by the recent arrest of and charges facing one of our employees. Due to the charges against him, his employment has been suspended without pay. We are deeply saddened by the alleged actions, and our thoughts are with the alleged victims.

The alleged incidents took place away from our facility and in no way involved or put at-risk children in our care.

A full criminal background check and reference check was performed on this staff member at the time of his hire, and he did not have any previous arrests or areas of concern. However, in light of this incident, we are reviewing our hiring, monitoring and training policies to ensure that YMCA of Huntington is utilizing industry-best practices and that we continue to serve Huntington and the Tri-State area with distinction and pride, as we have for more than 134 years.

The YMCA of Huntington is fully supporting the Huntington Police Department during its investigation and will continue to do so. Because there is an ongoing investigation, all questions about the alleged incidents should be directed to the Huntington Police Department.

The YMCA of Huntington is a people-focused organization committed to enriching lives and strengthening communities. Our actions are guided by our core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. These values call us to treat our employees – and all people – with compassion, fairness, and dignity.

www.huntingtonymca.org

Local Web Developer Selected for INTERNATIONAL Advisory Committee

Levi Durfee, Vice President of Web Services at Bulldog Creative, has been selected to sit on the Advisory Committee of the Google Open Source Accelerate Mobile Pages (AMP) Project. As a part of the committee, Durfee will attend committee meetings and conferences in London and Tokyo in March and April of this year.

Google’s Open Source AMP Project is an open source initiative that came out of discussions between publishers and technology companies about the need to improve the entire mobile content ecosystem for everyone — publishers, consumer platforms, advertisers, creators, and users. The project aims to make the Internet better, faster and more responsive for all.

“Levi has been with us for nearly 8 years and his progress in this field has been outstanding. His skill set assists our clients with many complex web development challenges and he’s being recognized internationally for his work. We’re very proud to call him part of Team Bulldog,” said Chris Michael, CEO of Bulldog.

The AMP Advisory Committee is comprised of 16 accomplished individuals from around the world, including professionals from well-known companies such as eBay, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vox Media, Cloudflare, and others. Durfee serves as a representative of small business concerns in the United States.

Bulldog Creative Services is a full-service advertising agency based in Huntington that assists businesses with strategic marketing research and planning, media management, graphic design, audio / visual production and website design, development, and maintenance. More information about the agency can be gained at www.bulldogcreative.com.

The AMP Project is an open-source initiative aiming to make the web better for all. The project enables the creation of websites and ads that are consistently fast, beautiful and high-performing across devices and distribution platforms. More information about the project can be gained at www.ampproject.org.

Levi Durfee, Vice President of Web Services at Bulldog Creative

Huntington native and Broadway star J. Mark McVey to speak at YMCA ‘Just for Kids’ dinner

Huntington native and Broadway star J. Mark McVey will be the keynote speaker at the “Just for Kids” Huntington YMCA Scholarship Dinner Thursday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at St. Mary’s Conference Center, 2849 Fifth Ave., Huntington.

Individual tickets for the dinner are $125, or corporate-sponsored tables of eight seats can be purchased for $1,000. Presenting and video sponsorship opportunities are also available. To purchase tickets or to become a sponsor, contact Kristi Adkins, associate director, Huntington YMCA, at (304) 525-8127.

Best known as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables,” J. Mark McVey made his Broadway debut in that role after winning the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actor while on tour. The first American to perform the role in London’s West End, McVey has also played Valjean at the Hollywood Bowl and on the 25th anniversary national tour, where he won the Ovation Award and the Broadway.com Award. McVey’s other Broadway appearances include “The Who’s Tommy,” “The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public” and “Stairway to Paradise.” He made his Carnegie Hall debut with renowned composer Marvin Hamlisch and continues to perform with numerous symphonies in the U.S. and around the world.

The Huntington YMCA will also be honoring Phil Cline with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Cline rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected business and civic leaders in Huntington. Cline is a past chairman of the board for Marshall University and Cabell Huntington Hospital and has also held executive leadership roles on numerous other boards for banks, businesses and charities. A past YMCA board president, Cline’s philanthropy allowed the Huntington YMCA to establish the Phil Cline Family YMCA, which is home to most of the youth and senior activities at the YMCA.

The “Just for Kids” Scholarship Dinner enables the Huntington YMCA to continue its mission of providing programs and memberships to underprivileged youth, seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Rubberlite Inc. new SUR-fex® series offers flexibility, breathability

More stretch, exceptional breathability, and guaranteed comfort make Rubberlite Inc. new SUR-fex^® products ideal for use in medical, apparel, cosmetics, footwear, equestrian, padding or skin contact applications.

“Our SUR-fex^® SF series of water-based functional coatings allows us to enhance the surface of many substrates to improve functional characteristics for use in medical, apparel, cosmetic and general padding applications,” said Alan Fenno, Market Development Manager for Technical Composites. “The open cell and ‘soft hand’ characteristics of these coatings are unique and offer comfort and breathability.”

The SUR-fex^®microcellular open-cell frothed coatings do not occlude airflow reducing heat build-up and ensuring comfort. SUR-fex^®SF100 is soft to the touch while maintaining flexibility which provides greater functional benefits, including outstanding wash durability, enhanced coefficient of friction, thermoformability, and no off-gassing. SUR-fex^®SF200 is cured at lower processing temperatures allowing coating to be directly cast on a broad range of flexible substrates, such as knits, foam, film, and foil.

“Our custom engineered equipment gives us the precision needed in application, material handling and curing to achieve unparalleled results in coating and performance,” said Keith Kerns, Senior Project Engineer.

Rubberlite offers a unique portfolio of microcellular polyurethane foams to meet demanding requirements across a diverse range of applications. Under the trademarks of HyPUR-cel® high resilient foams and viscoelastic foams, Rubberlite engineers a broad range of polyurethane products and distributes products from several of the leading manufacturers of elastomeric and polyolefin foams in the world. With value-add propositions in coatings and laminations, combined with best-in-class technologies, Rubberlite is well positioned to provide customer solutions in foam design, technical composites, and novel textile coating applications. Rubberlite, Inc. is headquartered in the United States and markets products throughout North and South America, Asia and Europe. For more information, visit Rubberlite, Inc. at www.rubberlite.com.

New Rubberlite Polyurethane Foam High Energy Impact Absorption

Low resiliency, fast recovery, and higher density make Rubberlite Inc.’s new V-Series HD the preferred foam for high-performance applications. The new viscoelastic polyurethane foam is designed to meet demanding high energy impact and vibration dampening applications.

V-Series HD can be found in orthopedic braces, body armor and sports bands, backpack straps, knee pads, and industrial applications for vibration attenuation.

“V-Series HD is one more performance option within the Rubberlite portfolio of polyurethane foams developed using compositional and performance modeling to quickly meet customer demand,” said Jeffrey Goad, vice president polyurethanes. “By effectively predicting performance over a wide range of density, firmness, and recovery rate options, Rubberlite gives the design engineer options for shock and vibration attenuation without compromising compression set or compression fatigue resistance.”

The new foam’s performance and dimensional stability are exceptional with virtually no compression set or degradation of cellular integrity under extreme stresses providing a superior alternative for many demanding applications. V-Series HD maintains low compression set and excellent compression fatigue performance while providing durable energy attenuation and impact shock absorption.

“We are excited to add the new V-Series HD to our HyPUR-cel® family of polyurethane products,” said Kevin Ross, product manager, HyPUR-cel®. “With the product expansion, our customers have a superior alternative for impact and shock absorption properties in a polyurethane foam.”

Initial product offerings range in density from 8-18 pounds per cubic foot (PCF).

Rubberlite offers a unique portfolio of microcellular polyurethane foams to meet demanding requirements across a diverse range of applications. Under the trademarks of HyPUR-cel® high resilient foams and viscoelastic foams, Rubberlite engineers a broad range of polyurethane products and distributes products from several of the leading manufacturers of elastomeric and polyolefin foams in the world. With value-add propositions in coatings and laminations, combined with best-in-class technologies, Rubberlite is well positioned to provide customer solutions in foam design, technical composites, and novel textile coating applications. Rubberlite, Inc. is headquartered in Huntington, WV and markets products throughout North and South America, Asia and Europe. For more information, visit Rubberlite, Inc. at www.rubberlite.com.

HIMG safe medication disposal now available to patients

Huntington, W.Va. <June 25, 2018>: The Pharmacy at HIMG is now offering a safe medication disposal service to patients during regular pharmacy hours.

This service provides a safe and convenient way to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired prescriptions, including controlled substances and over-the-counter oral medications at no cost. HIMG’s disposal container will make the discarding of medications easier, and it is one of the first safe disposal locations in the area available year-round to help reduce the misuse of medications.

“Misuse of prescription drugs is a major pathway to addiction, and this safe disposal service will go a long way in eliminating adults’ and children’s availability to these dangerous unused drugs as well as other routine medications,” said Mark Morgan, CEO of HIMG.

HIMG is a thriving multi-specialty group practice founded in 1969 and now consists of more than 80 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners in the areas of primary care, urgent care, and medical and surgical subspecialties. The physician group is considered to be the premier group practice in the tri-state area including and around Huntington, W.Va., with a proven track record in attracting high caliber, qualified physicians. The HIMG Regional Medical Center is located at 5170 U.S. Route 60 East, Huntington, W.Va., 25705. For more information, visit www.himgwv.com.

HIMG welcomes physician Lois Weixler, D.O. and Donna Kaplan, FNP-BC

Huntington, W.Va. <January 24, 2018>: The Huntington Internal Medicine Group (HIMG) continues to expand its medical team by adding Family Nurse Practitioner Donna Kaplan and Dr. Lois Weixler to their practice.

Dr. Weixler earned her B.A. from Cornell University then went on to earn her D.O. from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa. For over 20 years she has worked in the healthcare field with the most recent years focused on serving patients in the tri-state region.

Donna Kaplan has been taking care of patients for over 30 years and earned her degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Ms. Kaplan is seeing patients alongside Julie Brewer, N.P. at HIMG’s Women’s Health office on Farmdale Road in Barboursville, WV. “We’re pleased to have another pair of outstanding providers join HIMG. The experience and reputation they bring with them is outstanding.” said Mark Morgan, CEO of HIMG. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with any of the physicians mentioned above please call 304-399-4600 or visit himgwv.com

HIMG is a thriving multi-specialty group practice founded in 1969 and now consists of more than sixty physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners in the areas of primary care, urgent care, and medical and surgical subspecialties. The physician group is considered to be the premier group practice in the tristate area including and around Huntington, W.Va. with a proven track record in attracting high caliber, qualified physicians. The HIMG Regional Medical Center is located at 5170 U.S. Route 60 East, Huntington, W.Va. 25705. For more information, visit www.himgwv.com.

Mayor’s Council On The Arts Adopts Public Art Policy To Assist Artists

A citizen-based committee that has worked for the past three years to solidify the importance of the arts in Huntington has adopted a public art policy and master plan and launched an online inventory of potential locations to encourage the display of public art on city-owned property.

The Mayor’s Council on the Arts was formed by Mayor Steve Williams in fall 2014 as a natural outgrowth of two highly successful arts summits held in Huntington in prior years. The vision of the Council is to foster an environment where the arts permeate and enhance every aspect of the lives of citizens and are a part of all planning, strategic decision-making and governance.

One of the ways that can be achieved is by adopting a public art policy and master plan, said Margaret Mary Layne, chairwoman of the Mayor’s Council on the Arts.

“Public art plays a crucial role in any successful community,” Layne said. “It can serve to inspire the citizenry, create a sense of unity and purpose, encourage creativity, and celebrate the cultural heritage of the residents of this region.

Among other things, the master plan outlines a structure under which public and private entities can cooperate in the selection, location, installation, display and maintenance of public art. It also establishes an application process for a public art exhibit on city-owned property. Before submitting a formal application, artists will be required to submit a concept paper for their proposed exhibit for review and approval by the Mayor’s Council on the Arts’ Public Art Policy Subcommittee.

To help artists identify a potential location, the Mayor’s Council on the Arts has launched an online inventory of more than 25 locations in Huntington that are suitable for a public art exhibit. The inventory features an interactive map that includes a photo of the location, the dimensions and any restrictions.

It was created by Sam Ball, a senior at Marshall University who is majoring in graphic design in the School of Art and Design. Ball developed the online inventory through a two-part internship, first with the city’s Public Works Department to identify and document the locations and then with Bulldog Creative Services to embed the site images and descriptions into an interactive map.

The public art inventory; public art master plan and application documents; and more information about the Mayor’s Council on the Arts, including its membership, can be found on the City of Huntington’s by clicking here.